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.

Donair

This is the first of a series of posts about the local specialties that you'll find across the Maritimes. I'll start with one of the quintessential Maritimer dishes: the donair. The astute amongst you may be saying "but donairs are Turkish!" Not this donair. The Maritime version of the donair- often called a Halifax Donair, is similar to Lebanese Shawarma, or Greek Gyros, and was, according to legend, invented in Halifax's fabled Pizza Corner. The donair experience is very archetypical: walk in to almost any small, locally run pizza place in the Maritimes, and you'll see a rack of beef on a spit behind the counter, cooking vertically. You'll usually pay around 6-8 dollars for one, sometimes ten. Donairs consist of meat, sauce, tomatoes and onions. In New Brunswick, you'll usually also find lettuce. There are two signature aspects to the donair: the meat, and the sauce. Donair meat is a spicy rotisserie-style beef, cut into long thin strips. Donair sauce is a thick and creamy sweet sauce, with a hint of garlic. Both have been incorporated into a wide variety of other dishes. Most pizzerias also serve donair pizza, which incorporates all of the above ingrediants, with the donair sauce replacing tomato sauce, with the whole thing being covered in cheese, of course. Donair sauce is also a common dipping sauce with garlic fingers (or the Maritime variant, cheesy garlic fingers), or other types of pizza. Recently, donair egg rolls have also become a popular gimmick. Anyone in the Maritimes for their first visit has to try a donair before leaving. Below are some suggestions for memorable donairs, but by far these are not the only options: I've had relatively few donairs that I didn't like, so don't be shy about going to the nearest pizza place and trying what they have on offer! Metro Halifax: For the biggest donair I've seen in my life, try Robert's, in North End Dartmouth. The place seems pretty run-of-the-mill, but a small donair is easily the biggest single serving of meet I've seen in my life, and for a low price. If you're a vegetarian, The Wooden Monkey, in Downtown Halifax, offers a seitan variant. I've never tried it, so I can't comment on how it compares to the traditional meat variety, but it does offer an opportunity to try this regional specialty. Fredericton: Donairs are on offer all over the Fredericton market By far my favourite donair in the province comes from Richie's Barbecue. This is a good option for people who are trying the dish for the first time, since it's not overloaded with meat, and they're quite generous with the sauce.

Andre's Pizza

I first went to Andre's a few years ago while staying in New Glasgow. At that time, I didn't know that there was a special Pictou County pizza, so we went in to the "seats" area and ordered individual meals. The food was fantastic- I still remember the taste of the maple curry chicken penne, a fantastic combination of flavours that we tried to replicate at home many times. Dessert was also fantastic- admittedly, I can't recall what the dish was called, only that it was some sort of chocolate cake that was amongst the best I've had. Last year, when I found out about Pictou County having a unique pizza, I went back to try it. The pizza is fantastic, a blend of cheeses and great pepperoni on really good crust. *Update: I had the good fortune of a friend thinking of me when passing through Pictou county this week, and bringing back some Andre's. The cheeses are fantastic, as I remember, blending really nicely together. The pepperoni is of a higher quality than you would find at a chain pizza place. The sauce, as is the way in Pictou county, is a brown sauce which I've been told is onion-based. The pizza is definitely spicier than it is in other places, with this great smokey after-taste. Overall, this is my favourite spot to eat in New Glasgow. The food is fantastic, and,if you eat in, it's decorated pretty neat, with ticket stubs on the tables from shows all over the continent.

Acropole

Pictou county pizza is special. This was something I learned last year, from a friend from Pictou county. So I tried it, liked it, and wanted more. A few weeks ago, I was back in New Glasgow and decided to hit up Acropole. It's located right downtown NG, with a big storefront and room to sit. The menu is short and simple, and the prices were reasonable (Large Pizza and a garlic fingers was about $30). The pizza was good, it had that Pictou county flavour that I like so much. My only complaint was the crust; I found it chewy, perhaps undercooked. The garlic sticks were also very good. I also very much appreciated that they were open late on a weeknight, saving me from dinner at another fast food joint.