It’s been a decade since my last visit. Which restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries would you recommend?
These are the dishes that I enjoyed on my last visit:
Halifax Donair
Fish & Chips
Butterscotch Pie
Blueberry Pie
The Chowders (The Chowder Trail, and every other chowder)
The Lobster Rolls
I liked That Dutchman’s Gouda.
https://www.thatdutchmansfarm.com/
Does anyone have a recommendation for places serving hot buttered lobster rolls?
Thanks for any tips!
I was there in 2014 but I’m still thinking of two places: 2 Doors Down in Halifax (we liked it so much that we ate there twice in three days) and some place with a deck right on the water in Cape Breton (I can’t remember where) that had a lobster club sandwich that almost made me cry, it was so good. I want to say it was somewhere in the neighborhood of Baddeck, but I can’t be sure. I also had the most disgusting pizza I’ve ever had—“donair” pizza (again, can’t recall where but that’s probably a good thing). The sauce was full of sugar. Literally threw away the rest of an entire pie after eating two pieces.
Thanks for your recs!!
I also remember having a lobster sandwich on a patio on Cape Breton. I can’t remember if it was a Club, but it was a sandwich rather than a lobster roll. The one I had was at a restaurant close to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum.
That’s Halifax donair sauce that was on the pizza , which contains sugar and evaporated milk. I like it, but it’s probably an acquired taste.
There are only a couple places in Toronto that serve Halifax-style donair with the sweet sauce. I used to be able to order it at a food court in the 80s in Ontario.
(I also like Turkish-style and Berlin-style donair. I like all donair/doner)
Was in Halifax for a whirlwind visit. I had a dinner and a lunch at places picked by friends:
Dinner was at Bar Kismet. It’s a cosy spot on Agricola, away from the main downtown.
Food was pescatarian for the most part, in small to medium plates very suitable for sharing. Cocktails showed a lot of skill and sophistication. The wine list also looked very good.
The first cocktail I tried was Floppy Disk, which apparently was on the menu since their opened: mezcal, Cynar, dry curacao, grapefruit, and soda - lovely balance, with a bit of smoke, bitter, and lots of citrus. The second was Appeal to Reason: tequila, mint, rhubarb amaro, honey, apple cordial - an fun apple riff on a margarita.
Fresh raw albacore was drizzled with brown butter, spinkled with toasted buckwheat, and garnished with blackberries:
Nicely roasted carrots were paired with sweet crab meat, crispy shallots, and a rich bernaise sauce:
Ahi tuna tartare came with quail egg, chopped onion, parsley, and other delicious but unidentified fixings. The accompanying frites were crisp and delicious:
Just-done cod came in a pool of parmesan and dulse broth, with plenty of maitake (alas no pic).
For dessert a lovely pear and brown butter layer cake - light, not too sweet:
And a peach and nectarine frangipane tart - delicious melding of orchard fruit and almonds:
The next day I met up with a friend for lunch at The Bicycle Thief. It occupied prime real estate on the waterfront, with a lovely view of the harbour. Food was fairly straightforward and well-executed. Service was attentive and helpful. And the wine selection includes a few from Nova Scotia.
I selected a glass of L’Acadie Blanc Blend, Tidal Bay, Domaine de Grand Pré 2022 - fruity, nice acid, and dry. They also provided some complimentary foccacia (pillowy soft interior) and a red pepper and bean puree:
To start I had seared very fresh scallops with a pistachio and panko crust, with a tangy ginger orange beurre blanc, and more toasted pistachios:
And then a very fine if smallish lobster roll - sweet meat in a chili and lime mayo, with some celery for accent, loaded into a fresh bun. It came with crispy frites and a side salad of greens:
We’re headed to the area in July so I’m glad I found this thread!
