It’s been quite the year for Canadian food stories – from major openings to devastating closings, there’s been no shortage of things to talk about in 2022.

And whether the year felt like a flash in the pan or like one long slog (or sometimes a bit of both!), it’s always fun to look back and reflect on what we were eating, drinking, and talking about over the last 12 months.

These are the stories you read the most – the ones you shared with friends and gawked over, the ones that made you hungry and happy and angry and excited.

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We share a lot of food news here at Dished, and not everything sticks, but these – these stories slapped.

So without further ado, here are the biggest Dished stories from the past year.

McCrispy: McDonald’s launches new permanent menu item across Canada

McCrispy/Courtesy Mcdonalds

The fast-food chain revealed a new permanent menu item earlier this year: The McCrispy. It’s made from a combo of 100% Canadian-raised seasoned chicken breast, shredded lettuce, and mayo-style sauce served on a soft potato bun.

People love Mcdonald’s and that’s why this became one of the biggest Canadian food stories of the year.

A&W legacy menu item that disappeared is finally back by popular demand

 

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Back by popular demand, the popular fast food chain brought back the iconic Whistle Dog for a limited time.

This popular hot dog is made with a toasted bun and topped with relish, real cheddar cheese, and bacon. The wiener is split right down the middle, with the bacon and cheese stuffed inside.

Canadian dining spot named best Italian restaurant in the world

Don Alfonso 1890

A Canadian restaurant recently snagged the top spot for the best Italian restaurant in the world.

Over 350 inspectors travelled the globe, compiling a list of 50 international restaurants for the prestigious 50 Top Italy ceremony. Toronto’s intimate and elegant fine dining restaurant, Don Alfonso 1890, won first place in the Best Italian Restaurant in the World 2022 category.

Bagel Bites pizza snacks no longer available in Canada

Niloo/Shutterstock

The Bagel Bites brand confirmed this past year on Twitter that the product “has been discontinued in Canada.”

Known for being frozen pizzas on mini bagels, there were many flavours we were used to seeing on the shelves, like Cheese, Sausage, Pepperoni, and Three Cheese.

When asked about the disappearance of the product in Canada, Bagel Bites did comment via Twitter that it would share the interest with the marketing team.

Canadian fast-food poutines ranked from worst to best

@restaurantschezashton/Instagram

Known as Canada’s national dish and having been created in Quebec in the 1950s, poutines have been greasing up the menus of fast-food chains across the country over the past decade.

And while we’d recommend making the trek to la belle province for a real poutine experience, these fast-food chains across Canada get the job done.

Dished ranked them this year and it became one of the Canadian food stories people felt most passionate about.

T&T Supermarket: First-ever dessert bar has opened in Canada

T&T Supermarket

This new dessert bar concept inside opened on October 22 and it’s the first of its kind in Canada. The plan is to roll out this innovative idea to all T&T Supermarkets across the country in 2023.

It’s a wonderful addition to the shopping experience, serving trendy treats from Taiwan like bubble tea, ice cream, and shaved snow ice in three different flavours: milk tea, matcha, and mango.

These will be served in a cup or a bowl, with more than 20 different options for toppings, including taro and golden potato mochi, mango juicy boba, pearl, taro pearl, and sweet potato ball, to name just a handful.

Wendy’s Canada unveils nine new breakfast items

Daily Hive

Wendy’s Canada revealed its newest breakfast lineup in 2022.

The fast-food giant’s new menu launched with a ton of new breakfast options across Canada, including filling breakfast sandwiches, drinks, and baked goods.

3 major fried chicken chains trying to take over Canada

Sunshine Seeds/Shutterstock | Courtesy Popeyes Canada

Some of these names have been in Canada for a while and have revealed ambitious expansion plans, while others are just starting their tasty takeover.

In 2022, Dished wrote about the three major fried chicken chains trying to take over Canada.

Ryan Reynolds reveals his “favourite restaurant in the world” is in Vancouver

vancityreynolds/Instagram and Minerva’s

Vancouver native Ryan Reynolds has undoubtedly reached superstardom level 100, but the Canadian actor never stops giving his hometown, and its businesses, major love.

He did the same thing in 2022 when he gave a shoutout to handcrafted artisan bagel spot, Benny’s Bagels, saying it was right across from his high school, so he “spent a lot of time” there.

Perhaps the biggest shoutout from the interview, though, was when Reynolds proclaimed Greek spot Minerva’s as his “favourite restaurant in the world.”

With files from Daryn Wright, Hanna McLean, Karen Doradea, Ty Jadah