Halifax Eats

McKelvie's
1680 Lower Water Street

When I was planning my trip, McKelvie's was on my list of potential restaurants to visit for seafood. One of my conference companions, Tanya, voted on this restaurant since it was her namesake. I was also intrigued by their colorful fishy logo and their rhyming slogan "delishes fishes dishes" (even though it defies rules in the English language).

mckelvie's.delishes.fishes.dishes

It was quite busy when we arrived at 7:00 on a Saturday night, and we didn't have a reservation. We were told that the wait would be approximately an hour. Emily and I convinced Tanya to inquire if we could get seated more quickly if she shared a name with the restaurant. The host who lacked a sense of humour curtly replied that even if you were the owner, Robert McKelvie, you wouldn't be getting a table immediately. So we went for a drink across the street at the Old Triangle Irish Alehouse, which is a delightful place for a beer or two.

When we finally had a table, we decided to split two appetizers between the three of us, the first being the Roasted Bacon Wrapped Scallops ($11.95) and the second the Jump-Up Calamari ($9.95). Both were fabulous. The scallops were plump and juicy and were drizzled with maple syrup and had a very mild wasabi tartar sauce on the side. The calamari had a crispy batter and came with a unique tasting tomato sauce with honey, jalapeno and Tabasco sauce. It was quite mild so it shouldn't scare off those who fear spice.

roasted.bacon.wrapped.scallops

jump-up.calamari

One of my food goals of the trip was to have a whole lobster to myself (something I've never done before. The lobsters started at 1.25 pounds ($34.95). Being a lobster newbie, I wasn't sure how much to get, so Tanya convinced me to order 1.5 pounds. It was way too much for me! I enjoyed as much as I could, along with the side of tasty garlic mashed potatoes. But I left my broccoli pretty much untouched. I will blame my lack of appetite on the beer we had at the Old Triangle and the pitcher of raspberry ale we had with our meal. On the topic of alcohol, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more Nova Scotian wines on their list, which made me resort to beer. Overall, McKelvie's is a great place to go to enjoy a seafood experience in Halifax.

nova.scotia.lobster

Ready to dig in!

4.5/5

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Greco Pizza
1672 Barrington Street

greco.pizza

I didn't know there was a regional difference in the donairs served in Canada until some other fellow Edmontonians pointed it out. Apparently donairs were first introduced to Canada in Halifax. There they use a sweet sauce that consists of evaporated milk, sugar, vinegar, and garlic powder (as opposed to the tzatziki we're used to here). The meat is served with diced tomatoes and onions on a flat pita. While it was a nice change to have the sweet sauce, I think I still prefer having tzatziki on my future donairs.

1/4 lb.beef.donair

3/5

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Obladee Wine Bar
1600 Barrington Street

I walked past this establishment several times during my time in Halifax, and being a wine lover, I knew I had to check it out. They have an extensive wine list offering over 100 different types of wines, and organized according to their tasting characteristics. They also offer a small handful of beer on tap and by the bottle. Unlike the wine bars I've seen in Edmonton, actual meal items are not on their menu here. They only offer cheese, charcuterie, and baguettes with oil and vinegar to pair with the wine. I opted for the cheese and charcuterie board ($15) which includes a selection of 3 cheeses or meats, olives, pickles, and 2 condiments. On my board was the Tomme de Grosse Île, a semi-firm cheese from Quebec as recommended by my server; Duck Proscuitto and Veal & Sweetbread Pâté, both produced locally; and ginger jelly and blueberry apple jelly. I was more than pleased with my choices and it was lovely sitting on the patio while sipping wine and killing time.

cheese.and.charcuterie

The wine I chose was the Nova 7 from Benjamin Bridge. I had gotten a tasting of it at the farmer's market the day before and I fell in love with it. The Nova 7 is a blend of seven different white grapes, with a heavy emphasis on muscat. It was deliciously fragrant and had a touch of carbonation with only 6.5% alcohol. Divine! In fact, I had two glasses of it at Obladee and I may or may not have stopped at a liquor store to pick up a bottle to drink back in my hotel room ;) If there was a way for me to to ship a case from Nova Scotia, I'd jump on it!

lightly.sparkling.nova.7

nova.7

5/5

Corso 32

Corso 32
10345 Jasper Ave
(780) 421-4622

After much hype about how good this restaurant is and how it is so popular that the first available reservation is usually a month's wait, we decided that we had to give it a try.

For our appetizer, our group of 4 shared the arancini ($7), which are crispy rice balls. Tonight they were filled with a delicious mixture of radicchio and flowing taleggio. We also decided to split the rest of the meal family-style with 2 pasta dishes and one meat dish.

arancini

The first pasta dish was the Pappardelle, which had a tomato sauce base, spicy wild boar sausage, swiss chard, and parmigiano cheese ($21). This was one of my favorite dishes. I've never had pappardelle before but I loved how it was made here. The pasta tasted fresh with an amazing texture, and it had a thin and delicate feel to it. The sausage was savoury with the right amount of spice.

pappardelle

The other pasta dish was the Bucatini Al' Amatriciana ($17). This also had a light tomato base, and included a house-cured pork jowl and pecorino cheese. The bucatini was another shape of pasta I've never had before. One thing I didn't notice was that it should have had a hole running through the centre of the noodle. The pork jowl was deep in smoky flavor and made me wanting more.

bucatinin.al'amatriciana

The third entree was the Fried Short Rib ($24). It was paired with a shaved pear and arugula salad, along with a side of crostini. The short rib was oh so tasty and was flaky and tender. This dish tied with the pappardelle for being my favorite items, and writing about them is making my mouth water!

fried.short.rib

Finally for dessert, we shared two selections, the first being the Chocolate Torta ($9). It was quite a large slab for one serving, and it was topped with salty hazelnuts, which contrasted well with the truffle-like texture and richness. The second dessert was the Warm Apple Crostata ($11). This was actually my least favorite item of the evening (not that it was poorly made or tasted bad, but I much preferred the other items of the night more. The crostata was served with a scoop of fior di latte gelato, but I would have preferred a vanilla flavor in the gelato rather than just a plain creaminess to it.

warm.apple.crostata

chocolate.torta

We arrived for 6 pm and all but our table and our neighbouring table for 2 were already occupied. After leaving the restaurant, we already made a booking for their next available date which was exactly 4 weeks away. When making a reservation, they will warn you that they have a 2.5 hour dining limit. They're closed on Mondays and the occasional Tuesday. Sometimes you can get in last minute - they make occasional posts on Twitter about any cancellations and no-shows.

Even though the restaurant was in a small space and only seats 32, no more than 2 tables were closely situated and background chatter from patrons filled up the room well so it wasn't like you could hear everyone's conversations.

Overall, I had a super dining experience at Corso 32 (the only thing I didn't enjoy was the room temperature water) and am looking forward to my return visit next month. The menu changes frequently so it will be a new gastronomic experience every time. You should book your table today!

4.5/5

Suitcase Souvenirs: Nova Scotia's South Shore

Nova Scotia
May 2012

If you're ever in the Halifax area and have time to rent a car to go on a road trip, be sure to visit Nova Scotia's south shore. I was able to make it to Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Bridgewater, and Peggy's Cove and back to Halifax in one day. If I had more time I would have loved to travel all the way along the south shore to the west of the province via the Lighthouse Route.

Mahone Bay is a picturesque town filled with neat little shops featuring local artisans. The most popular scene is of the trio of the Anglican, Lutheran, and United churches. The best site to photograph the quaint main street and the churches would be from across the harbour on Edgewater Street or Oakland Road.

mahone.bay

Lunenburg is designated a UNESCO world heritage site for being one of the best-preserved examples of a typical British colonization area. It is home to the Bluenose II (on the Canadian dime) and unique architecture; nearly all of the buildings in Lunenburg are constructed from wood and are painted with rich and vibrant colors. Some of the activities tourists can participate in include a whale watching tour, a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, or a wander through the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.

Lunenburg

While planning my drive, I found a ton of information on things to do and see in Mahone Bay and Lunenburg, but not much for Bridgewater. I figured that since it's a larger place, there must be more to do and see, but it wasn't the case. It had a more urban and commercial feel to it due to things being more spread out and to the abundance of big box stores. If you're pressed for time on a day trip, I would suggest skipping Bridgewater.

Peggy's Cove is a must-see. It's home to North America's most photographed lighthouse and the Swissair Flight 111 memorial. A tip: one of the first parking lots you'll see when pulling into Peggy's Cove is at the visitor information centre. That parking lot is still a short walk away from the lighthouse, so if you didn't want to enjoy a scenic walk through the town site, I would suggest that you keep driving until you get to the Sou'Wester Restaurant where you'll be right next to the rocks leading up to the lighthouse. Since the goal of my trip to Peggy's Cove was to take pictures of the lighthouse at sunset, my drive back to Halifax on the (very) loopy and windy road was completely in the dark. However, I've been told that this would be a lovely drive during the day!

peggy's.cove

This was my first time out on the east coast and I can't wait to go back to explore more of Nova Scotia and the other maritime provinces!