Napoli Pizza

This is the beginning of a series of posts on that perennial favourite: pizza! In Sydney, Cape Breton, people take their pizza loyalty seriously. Very seriously. In most cases, you're either a Napoli family or a Kenny's family. You'll find few other pizza places in the city. Napoli pizza is located on Charlotte Street in Downtown Sydney (although they've a new location opening up soon as well). It's a small little pizzeria with, as I said, a very loyal clientèle, and it can be quite busy at times. Two things distinguish Napoli from other pizza places: 1) The crust: Nova Scotians, and especially Cape Bretoners, like their pizza with a thin, floppy crust. Napoli delivers on this wish- a piece of pizza comes nowhere nearing supporting itself if you hold it by the crust, and the crust itself is flavourful and soft. 2) The cheese: Napoli uses Saputo mozzarella, and is not skimpy on the cheese; this is exactly how pizza is on TV, with cheese that slides off if you hold it, and stretches when you bite it. I once even had a friend who had lived in Italy tell me, while visiting Sydney, that Napoli's cheese (and the pizza overall, really), was the closest she'd ever had to real Italian pizza here in Canada. Aside from these two star features, the toppings are delicious and plentiful, and prices are quite reasonable. Without a doubt, Napoli is the best pizza in Sydney, if not Nova Scotia.

Boneheads BBQ

Towards the end of the summer, my coworkers and I were looking for a place to head for our last night working in Halifax. When we first started working in metro for a few days, I had made a promise to show my two coworkers some of my favourite restaurants in the city, since neither of them had been before. Boneheads was on that list since the very beginning; I was craving some good, southern-style barbeque. So, saving some of the best for last, we headed out to Boneheads on our last night in Halifax, my coworkers looking for a good meal, and me hoping not to break my streak of suggesting good places in the city. I'm happy to say that Boneheads delivered. We got there towards the late evening. It wasn't too too hard to find parking, though I would imagine that that there South End location might be harder to park at during the lunch rush. The restaurant is a cute little corner place situated towards the end of Barrington Street (just keep driving, you'll find it!). You order at the counter, sort of like a fast food restaurant, but don't let that fool you. While you're waiting for your food, you'll probably notice the entertaining decor of the place-signs and pictures filled with jokes and puns all about BBQ meat. The menu essentially consists of an assortment of BBQ meats, mostly sandwiches, that you can order either individually or as a platter. The platters come with two sides, plus cornbread. The sides are a variety of southern BBQ staples: mac and cheese, potatoes etc. The prices are a little on the higher side-you'll probably wind up paying about 20 dollars for a platter (sandwich, two sides, and cornbread)-but the quality and quantity (the meals are huge, be prepared for that) are worth it. Pretty much everything on the menu I would expect to be fantastic. I've ordered the brisket, and love it. My coworkers were also thoroughly impressed with their meals, to the point of going up to the counter and thanking the staff at the end, and telling me that this was their favourite place we'd been to so far. I echo this endorsement: Bonheads has fantastic food. I also need to add a quick note about the service. When I ordered, there must have been some kind of confusion between me and the man taking my order, since I accidentally wound up with the sandwich and side instead of the platter. I noticed this when I wound up without cornbread (which, secretly, was my entire motivation for going to Boneheads: it's hard to find cornbread that good without going to the South!). When I asked if I was supposed to have cornbread, the guy and I both realized our miscommunication; quickly, he apologized and gave me a piece of cornbread, free of charge. I was thoroughly impressed-not a lot of places would do this, but Boneheads knows that this kind of a simple gesture towards a client will get me back in the door next time I'm in town. Overall, a great place. Friendly staff, entertaining decor, good location, fantastic food-and in large enough quantities that you will leave full. The only caveat is that Boneheads isn't cheap-you get what you pay for. Also, parking could be an issue at busier times.

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.

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.

Fans Chinese Food

Fans has been a favourite in my family for almost two decades now. No one can quite agree who first spotted this gem, but we can all agree on one thing- it is easily the best North American Chinese food in the province, if not the entire region. Having gone to Fan's over the yeas, I've seen a lot of changes to their North End Dartmouth location. It's gotten much bigger, and nicer, and the name has changed. But the fantastic food certainly hasn't. I'll cut right to the chase: the showstopper at Fan's is the ginger beef. Undoubtedly the best I've had, when it's good it's amazing; when it's bad it's still very good. Just spicy enough, but not too much so that you can't taste the food, this dish is what has kept us coming back for years. Their spring rolls, lemon chicken, and chicken fried rice are also family favourites. All are deliciously well-prepared. I've also heard fantastic things about their weekend dim sum, although I haven't had the opportunity to try it in recent memory.

Cows Ice Cream

Cows is an institution. You'll find it around PEI, as well as at the waterfront in Halifax. Each store has a copy of a list boasting that its ice cream is the world's best- and this is hard to argue with. Cows offers a variety of delicious flavours, which can all be served in delicious, freshly made waffle cones, or as an equally satisfying milkshake. The prices are extremely reasonable: just under 4 dollars (plus tax) for a single scoop, and around five for a shake, putting the prices in the same league as many cheaper ice cream shops, while the quality can go head to head with the best of the best international chains. Many of the flavours are also specially unique to Cows, including several which make use of PEI-grown apples or berries. The charm of Cows extends beyond the food itself- the entire place is full of cow-pun-themed merchandise, from the names of some flavours (including my favourite, Messy Bessie), to a line of t-shirts, mugs, and other souvenirs sporting pop-culture cow-puns. In PEI, at least (I haven't been in Halifax in a few years), you'll also find chocolate-covered potato chips (very good!) and merchandise from Anne of Green Gables chocolates (fans of the books will probably want to give the Raspberry Cordials a try). There's also a location in PEI where you can go on a tour of the factory- I personally haven't tried this, but it looks like a fun family outing. This is easily a favourite of mine- I'm certain I've never had better ice cream in my life. Uodate: I've recently been back to a different location of Cows, and wanted to add a little note regarding the Factory Shops location. I visited this location in the middle of a week day- not a particularly busy time. And yet, to me it seemed that the staff weren't experienced enough to handle the two or three groups in line: they outright skipped the people behind me, and didn't really react when I let them know that. They also seemed generally disorganized, running here and there without letting us know why we were being served (although they did occasionally apologize on return). This bugged me- Cows is an institution, and this location, right on the side of the Trans Canada, catches a lot of tourists' eyes. Yet, I don't feel it offers the best service- rather, the staff were inattentive and seemed overwhelmed by three or four groups. I also disliked very much that the merchandise which takes up the bulk of the store can't be paid for at the same time as ice cream: this seems like bad business sense to me, since as a customer I chose not to have to wait in a second line and use debit again for a small purchase. These comments, however, don't apply to the other locations, where I've found the staff very helpful indeed!

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.

Relish

Relish is becoming a bit of a New Brunswick institution. It's going all over the province, bringing the gourmet burgers, overenthusiastic staff, and great sides that started in Fredericton to people across NB, as well as to Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and PEI. I've had the pleasure of visiting most of the Relish locations in NB. My most recent visit was in Moncton a few days ago, so I'll review it based off of that, before giving some more general info: When you walk in to Relish, they greet you loudly, as does the decor and general vibe of the place. The menu consists of a variety of gourmet burgers, available as either beef, chicken or veggie patties. I've never tried the latter two, but the beef is a high quality burger, to be sure. The menu can be confusing: burger prices are given for the combos, while sides are priced separately, although included in the combos. This makes it hard to tell how much you'd pay for the items separately, and directs you towards buying the combo. My favourite is the "L.A. is my lady", which combines flavours like avocado, peppers, and goat's cheese. It's fantastic with sweet potato fries. All of the burgers I've tried are really good, the restaurant is clean, the service is (generally), friendly, and the experience is fun. The caveat, however, is the price- the combo I described will set you back almost 18 bucks, which means it's not something you should consider "fast food", but rather "a nice dinner". Now, on to the various locations- each one has a signature burger, named in some local way. I haven't tried them yet, but they're a fun way to vary things up and make it worth checking out different locations. I really appreciate how widespread they are: after over a week eating every meal out in the Miramichi, we were ecstatic to see a Relish location (although it seems to have been forgotten on their list of locations!). The original Fredericton location is a nice little downtown building, which takes the whole experience very seriously (those who are shy or socially anxious should be prepared that they will joke around with you, very loudly). Moncton has a great, large spot right smack downtown (though I'd hate to park there during business hours- Moncton is notorious for bad parking), which is clean and very friendly. Saint John, however, I was less enamored with: the location is very convenient (though less so than Moncton), but small and less friendly. To my recollection they didn't call out your name or anything like they do in Fredericton which, although uncomfortable for some, is part of the experience. I say "to my recollection" because, despite repeated attempts, I didn't get to try Relish in SJ this year- twice I arrived around, though not at or after, close. The first time, about quarter to close, it seemed no one was interested in serving me, and they were already cleaning the grill. The second time, five to ten before close, they had already switched off the sign, turned off the grill, and told us they were closed. I'm a bit torn about this- on the one hand, we were near close, and it does take some time to clean etc. On the other hand, more upscale restaurants tend to treat their posted close time more as a last serving time; I've had places tell me they were reluctant to serve me so close, but I've never been told they flat out won't. Somehow, that doesn't seem to jive with the overall image. That said, I love Relish, and would recommend you go- yes, even in SJ.

Papa's Pub and Eatery

We finished working and pulled in to Port Hawkesbury pretty late one night. By the time we got settled in a hotel and went to look for food, it must have been near 10 o'clock. Port Hawkesbury is a small town, and at that hour our options were pretty much limited to pizza, Chinese food, or fast food. Having had two of the three above fairly recently, I opted for pizza. You don't often associate a pub with good pizza, but Papa's was right across the street from our hotel. The staff were friendly to us, and we loaded up our pizza with a wide range of toppings, and added cheese sticks, hoping that it would be both enough food, and good tasting. Both criteria were more than met. We ordered one of the larger sizes of pizza which, with cheese sticks, came in around the thirty dollar range. The pizza was absolutely fantastic- I really couldn't believe how good it was. The toppings were fresh and very very plentiful, and the crust and cheese were just right. The slices were very generously proportioned, and we could barely finish all we had ordered. The cheese sticks were also fantastic. With this in mind, we took lunch a little earlier than usual the next time we came through Port Hawkesbury, just so that we could go again. There was something on the menu that I had to try. The restaurant calls it the "messy donair fry bake." I think of it as donair poutine - donair meat and sauce, on top of fries, with green onions and peppers, smothered in cheese then baked in the oven. And oh my God, did I ever make the right decision. This has to be one of the most delicious junk food meals I've ever had. The donair meat is made on site, and it shows. Donair meat, donair sauce, and cheese all come together very nicely and, although it's on their appetizer menu, really ought to be listed as an entrée. The total cost was around 13 or 14 dollars after tax, and well, well worth it. The only critique I will give is that the fries were maybe not the best I've had. But it hardly mattered, because what really shone in this dish were the donair meat and the cheese; you could almost even skip the fries.

Sampan

Having lived in Hong Kong for a year, I became quite a fan of authentic Chinese food, and think of it as an entirely different type of food than our Canadian Chinese. Sampan falls in the middle of these two- it's the best Canadian Chinese I've had in New Brunswick, but it's also a little more authentic than anything else I've had here.

I tried the barbecue pork friend rice, with a Hong Kong Style Milk Tea- my two favourite dishes in Hong Kong. They were both really good- like I said, the best I've had in New Brunswick. It definitely still falls more on the Canadian Chinese side of things, but the food is fantastic, and the service is also some of the friendliest I've ever had.

For sure one of my favourites in Saint John