Lobster Rolls

Alrighty ladies and gentlemen, here is one of the most well-known local specialties amongst tourists: the infamous Maritime lobser roll. Lobster rolls are common throughout the Maritimes. The basic dish is a roll stuffed with lobster meat (usually claw or tail) which has been mixed with mayonnaise, and perhaps a few other spices or fillers. There are many varities available- some places throw celery or dill in the mix, you might find your lobster roll on a homemade roll or a store-bought hotdog bun, and the lobster:filler ratio varies drastically. So, what should you consider when you get a lobster roll? 1) Lobster season moves. The actual season in an individual community lasts mere weeks before it moves along to another part of the Maritimes. Generally, it moves counter-clockwise, so that it's earlier in Maine, the bay of Fundy and the South Shore, and later in PEI, the Northumberland straight and the Bay des Chaleurs. 2) The price point tends to fall within the 8-14 dollar range. This depends largely on whether you're just getting the lobster roll itself or whether there's also a side-dish. 3) The size of the roll varies greatly. Bear in mind that if you snag a lobster roll at the 7-8 dollar range, it probably won't fill you, not even for lunch. Have it in a combo, with fries or veggies. 4) Taste and quality vary, as do the ratios of what's mixed in it. If you don't like it the first time (but otherwise do like lobster), give it another go at a different place, in a different community. It may be more to your liking. 5) You'll find the general style of lobster rolls adapted into different formats. Lobster clubs are pretty common, and can be better than the rolls because they're often more substantial. 6) Bigger chains are getting in on the lobster craze. These aren't the way to go to try it the first time, though they are a fun way to try something local if you wind up at a national chain. I've had lobster rolls ranging from great to horrible. My favourite is probably actually the lobster club at the Irving Big Stops. I haven't had much luck with my recent attempts to grab a good lobster roll, so this section will remain devoid of concrete recommendations. I can say that you should try to find a locally-owned place, the smaller the better. Also, try to make sure that lobster is in season locally, since that helps with the freshness. Two places I've had my eye on trying, but haven't yet, would be the lobster rolls at the Fredericton Market, and the lobster paninis at Frank and Gino's in Truro.

Liverpool Pizzeria

When we arrived in Liverpool on our first night, we arrived late, and all of the restaurants were closed. It wasn't until the next day that I got to pick a nice little local place for dinner. After driving around, the choice was pretty easy- the cute little pizza place, situated in a pretty little building on Liverpool's pretty little Main Street. The place was pretty quiet, and when we walked in the lady behind the counter gave us a friendly welcome. We chose on of a few specials on offer, which involved pizza and garlic sticks. The lady behind the counter was extremely, extremely friendly, letting us know that we could change the pizza included in the special to any of their pizzas, or just pick the toppings we wanted. She even let us do half and half with entirely different ingredients on the same pizza without charging extra (with the exception of a three dollar charge for a premium ingredient). This was one of those places where, between the architecture of the old building, and the exceptionally friendly service, I was impressed before even getting our food. We took the pizzas back to our hotel, along with the garlic sticks and donair sauce, and chowed down. And boy, was I ever impressed. The ingredients on the pizza were exceptionally tasty- all of them tasted fresh and were present in generous quantities, explaining and excusing the high charge for an extra premium topping. The garlic cheese sticks, with bacon on top, were also super delicious, again with generous portions. Although I can't recall the price, it was comparable to what we'd paid in other parts of NS for similar combos, around thirty dollars (although I could be mistaken, it certainly wasn't pricey). The only caveat I have is the donair sauce- it was whipped rather than creamy, something I've never seen before, and wasn't really used to. Even this, though, was far more about personal preference than about quality. Overall, excellent, excellent pizza; I highly recommend it.

Split Crow Pub-Truro

Before heading to Truro this Summer I was given a list of suggestions of places to eat. Having already exhausted all of the places I already knew in town, we decided to take one of these suggestions (which was also seconded by hotel staff) and check out the Split Crow. For those who don't know, the Split Crow got its start as the first pub licensed to serve liquor in New Scotland, some 250 years ago. It has since branched out from its original Halifax location, with one of these branches being a fairly new spot on Prince street in Truro. The restaurant certainly seemed appealing- the front was opened onto a patio, with patrons enjoying the cool evening over a pint of beer and a meal. With this promising setting, we decided to give the place a try. The first thing the waitress did was to ask for our ID's, on the assumption that we would be ordering alcohol. I suppose, given that the Split Crow is first and foremost a pub, that this shouldn't seem to strange; nor should we have been surprised when, after only one of us ordered a beer and the others water, she suggested we let her know if we change our minds. I can now see that these were clues as to what kind of an experience we were going to have, for it became clear to us over the course of the meal that, while the Split Crow boasts a wide and moderately-priced menu, the establishment exists solely for the purpose of selling you beer. I ordered the fish and chips, beer battered haddock and a favourite at the Crow, according to the menu. Many items on the menu including a suggested drink pairing, and so I figured I might as well try that too. After all, a place with this kind of history and reputation should be able to do a good fish and chips, and pair it with a good beer, right? Wrong. The fish and chips were, hands down, the worst I've had in my life. Rather than beer-battered haddock, it was more haddock inside a crusty batter shell. The overcooked batter didn't seem to touch the fish but rather imprisoned it. It was also rock hard- I've never struggled to cut fish and chips before- and tasted horrible. The tartar sauce had way too much dill in it, and the fries weren't bad, but some at my table felt they were far too salty. For fairness sake, though, the fish itself did taste very fresh and well cooked. Without the batter it may have been great. The part which really bugged me, though, was the emphasis on drinks. Rather than refill the waters at our table, the waitress only came around when she saw a beer getting low. She offered each time she passed to bring another, but never once asked about more water. In fact, the only way we could think to get her attention to leave was for someone to finish their beer and just ask for the bill. Honestly, I hope that the Split Crow in Halifax is better, or maybe that we were there on an off night. The place was nice, the menu items all sounded good, and the prices would have been acceptable (though high) had the food tasted ok. But the service, and the unabashed focus on selling us beer, really put me off.

Dan's Ice Cream

Sometimes while you're traveling, you get sick of eating hamburgers and french fries, and just want something that looks like it may have some nutritional value to it. Although you'd seldom think to look for that nutritional something at an old-fashioned ice cream bar by the highway, passing Dan's, in Barrington NS by would be your loss, without a doubt. I understand any skepticism. When I saw the place, I really just wanted to try the ice cream, but we were looking for lunch, so I had to get something substantial in my stomach first. Image, then, my surprise when the menu had no hamburgers, but instead wraps, salads, quesadillas, rice bowls, and a variety of subs and sandwiches. I chose the quesadilla and salad, while my coworker grabbed just a salad; both of us were given a menu of various fruits and vegetable toppings, including such things as grapes and spinach, and a list of home made dressings for the salads. The meals were both incredible- great tasting, under 8 dollars, and, most importantly, they left you feeling ready for the day, not full of grease. After lunch,I tried a banana split- although not the old fashioned hard ice cream version my parents rave about, it was generously topped with delicious flavours of my choosing. I was so impressed that I returned on a later trip for a cookie ice cream sandwich- delicious fresh tasting cookies and a generous amount of ice cream, and just shy of two dollars. Easily one of the best places to grab a treat in the province! I also need to saw a word about the staff, and the atmosphere. The staff were so friendly; after spending a few minutes trying to pick what I wanted, I stood in line. Another cashier opened and a man came in the door and went right up to her. She clearly didn't notice I was there first, but when she did, politely told the man that I was and asked if he would mind if I ordered first. This very much impressed me- it was the perfect way to deal with the situation, and not something you see very often (I've had many cashiers serve people who've cut in front of me before). All of the staff were friendly and helpful. The vibe was also really great- retro style, with a very fun mix of current and classic hits. I can't say enough good things about this place. I would highly, highly recommend it!

Cha Baa Thai

Thai food seems to be popular as of late, with restaurants opening up in several Maritime cities. I'd heard many good things about Cha Baa, and so on a recent trip to Dartmouth made a point of stopping in for some Thai food. You'll notice two things when you first walk in: the decorations are great, very tropical and festive, and the place is packed. It seems to have become quite popular; at the Dartmouth location I went to, I wouldn't be surprised if it's become a favourite lunch spot in the industrial park where it is located. Although I've had Thai food before, I haven't been to many places with as extensive of a menu, and there were many options I didn't recognize. I was definitely not the only person there with that experience, as I overheard many people asking the staff the same questions I did- is this spicy? The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and after a few questions I chose the Massaman curry combo, with a fresh spring roll. I must say, the food was delicious. The massaman curry is more sweet than spicy (although I still found it had a kick to it), and you can definitely taste the coconut in it. The spring roll was also delicious- a good upgrade for only 50 cents more. What's more, the costs were quite reasonable- mostly in the 10-15 dollar range for lunch. I hope that Cha Baa's popularity is an indication that it will stick around for a while, because it has definitely been added to my list of favourite places in metro.

Duncan's Pub

"I asked our buddy at the front counter where to go for food, and he recommended Duncan's pub" my coworker said. We both looked down and noticed that Duncan's was the place with ads emblazoned across the front of our hotel key-cards, promising good food, and a free dessert with every entrée. After checking online, and seeing that it came highly recommended, we headed out. At first glance, Duncan's is a dark little building squished into Amherst's main street. It's so non-descript, in fact, that my coworkers actually made me hop out of the car and check that it was still open before they parked. Open it was; upon entering the door one is greeted by a dimly let but tastefully decorated restaurant, with cozy (albeit sometimes crowded) chairs, and a very visually appealing bar in the corner. The menu was certainly not standard pub fair- I can't remember the last time I saw escargot on any menu, let alone at a little bar. The prices are also a little higher, but, as we soon found out, do you ever get what you paid for. I ordered the Greek chicken linguine, a pasta dish involving chicken breast, olives, and peppers in linguine, all topped with Greek dressing and feta cheese. The meal was fantastic- the olives and peppers still had a sweet, fresh taste to them, and the feta was soft and tasty, all complimented by perfectly bite sized chicken breast pieces on top of good quality pasta. At around 16 dollars after taxes, the price was as fantastic as the dish. After dinner, our hotel key cards entitled us to a free dessert- the waitress explained that the desserts change daily as they are freshly made in-house. The selection when we were there offered a choice between blueberry cobbler, chocolate-orange cheesecake on a pretzel crust (which I chose), or strawberry chocolate cheesecake on a coconut crust. The dessert was fantastic- rich and creamy, with chunks of chocolate (rather than a chocolate base) nicely joining the orange flavour. Each of my coworkers tried one of the other two desserts and reported that they were both also fantastic. The waitress told us that the desserts usually run about six dollars- worth it for sure! Overall, Duncan's was really, really impressive. Every menu item sounds delicious, and the food I got to try was fantastic. The service was incredibly friendly, and the food was all freshly prepared. It's certainly neither cheap- with my meal being one of the cheapest options- nor is it quick. We probably spent about 45 minutes between waiting to receive the bills, and waiting to pay, and they should certainly work on reducing that time. I can certainly see it being a great place for a dinner meeting, date, or get together where you plan to spend a lot of time talking, perhaps while enjoying a slice of cheesecake. Overall, well well worth pulling off the highway for.