Since opening in mid-March, Stonehaven Restaurant has received a great response. It seems they've found the secret formula for attracting Halifax diners: seafood and cheesecake, and lots of it. Co-owner Catherine MacDonald explains that they wanted to embrace the history of the Blowers Street location, which was the former home of La Cave. The good news is that this means the return of Shawn Peck, who served as the official La Cave cheesecake wizard for 10 years. Halifax restaurant historians may also be interested to know that John Kamoulakos, who owned the famous former Spring Garden restaurant Pepe's, is also co-owner of Stonehaven. The new restaurant brings back a lot of the Pepe's menu, as well as items from the La Cave menu. MacDonald has already seen repeat customers. "We're like La Cave, but grown-up," MacDonald explains. The renovations were extensive—they took down some plaster to expose more stone—and there is only one cave left, but MacDonald doesn't want that to discourage anyone. "People are disappointed about the caves being gone until they see the renovations. You can see the stone walls better. Before you were sitting too close." There are more renovations planned for the summer, including the addition of an indoor/outdoor patio near the front entrance. Another part of being grown up means the restaurant isn't open all night long, like La Cave was. That means no cheesecake at the end of your pub crawl—but, really, that might not be a bad thing. The restaurant is open for dinner from 5-11pm, with plans to add lunch hours. Make reservations by calling 423-5565.
Hair today, there tomorrow
Studio Argyle is moving uptown. The salon will now be located in a three-story private house at 2542 Agricola. Despite the change in address, they will be keeping the name Argyle. The main reason for the move? "We were tired of being downtown, and tired of not having any parking," says Argyle worker Danielle MacFarlane. Making the move with her will be stylists Tony Dowding and Anthony Drew. MacFarlane invites clients both old and new to bring themselves—and their vehicles—to the new spot when it opens May 1. Make an appointment by calling 425-1850.
Hobo with a t-shirt
Grindhouse may be struggling at the box office, but the success of Hobo With a Shotgun rages on. Now you can show your love of Jason Eisener's masterpiece with an official Hobo With a Shotgun t-shirt. The shirts are sold only at Pro Skates on Blowers. The cost is $20 and they come in a variety of colours and sizes, including women's sizes (just in time for Mother's Day!). Sleep in a quality cotton t-shirt...tonight!
Ruff cuts
Bark N' Bubbles, a new dog grooming service, is now open at 6103 North. Manager and groomer Joanne Li says the business offers dog owners a number of services, including washing, nail trimming and clipping. Busy customers can make arrangements to bring their dogs in on their way to work in the morning, and pick them up at the end of the day when they will be greeted by a clean, fresh, confident dog. Call 880-2008 for more information.
Pit change
Don't worry, you're not going crazy. The Pita Pit on Argyle has indeed moved one space over. The new location, at 1588 Argyle, former home to Frozen Ocean, is smaller, but allows more comfortable seating. The franchise was recently bought by Tony and Claire Kandalaft. The Kandalafts are no strangers to the food industry; they ran a busy lunch counter in a downtown government building for years. Renovations are still underway, but the owners promise the bare walls will soon be covered with those lovable googly-eyed mascots that decorate every Pita Pit location.
Miles more tiles
The Pita Pit move has made room for the Mosaic Social Dining Lounge expansion. Mosaic manager Wendy Fenn says the new space will add 20 to 30 seats inside. A brand new patio will also be added to the front for the summer. The renovations should be finished within two weeks, and the restaurant will remain open until then. Another change coming to Mosaic is the addition of a lunch menu. Dial 405-4700 to reserve a table.
Resto roundup
Chateau Briand Fine Dining is now closed. The French cuisine restaurant, formerly located at 1873 Granville, is asking patrons with outstanding gift certificates to send them to Restaurant Chateau Briand, P.O.Box 48064, Bedford, NS, B4A 3Z2 for a full refund, plus an extra $10 for the inconvenience...Talay Thai, at 1261 Barrington, will no longer be open for lunch as of May. The change is not permanent, but there has been no decision yet about how soon we can expect to have green curry chicken for lunch again...Exciting news for weekend sushi-eaters: Ko-Doraku, located in the Spring Garden Place food court, is now open for lunch on Saturdays from 12-3pm, allowing shoppers to take a break and stuff themselves full of Doraku rolls...In related news, a sign announcing the addition of Tarek's has been spotted in front of the old 24 Carrots location across from Ko-Doraku. Stay tuned for more information on this delicious development!
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