Halifax, Nova Scotia | THE COAST, The Coast Halifax

Best Bar

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Tom’s Little Havana Silver Winner Durty Nelly’s Authentic Irish Pub Bronze Winner Lower Deck, Halifax A neighbourhood watering hole perfectly tucked away downtown, Tom’s Little Havana scores by keeping it simple. Looking just as it did when it opened over 15 years ago, with charmingly distressed decor and as bar’s owner Tom Wile lovingly calls it, “your grandmother’s wallpaper” the one-time cigar bar is the prime spot to while away the hours with a first date, old friend or even solo.…

Best Pizza Pie

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Salvatore’s Pizzaiolo Trattoria Silver Winner Morris East Bronze Winner Bramoso Gourmet Pizza If you’re sitting and home contemplating where to order a delicious, cheesy, authentic Italian-style pizza, ponder no further—Salvatore’s is your answer. Winner of this category for 11 years straight, the dynasty of great pizza holds strong.…

Best Atmosphere

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Brooklyn Warehouse Silver Winner The Bicycle Thief Bronze Winner Obladee, A Wine Bar The Brooklyn Warehouse’s laid-back atmosphere—including tin ceiling tiles, reclaimed pallet wood and locally hand-painted signs—feels a little bit 1932 (when the building was built) and a little bit 2013. And it now includes a bright new patio, which brings a third more seats to the resto.…

Best Chowder

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Esquire Restaurant Silver Winner Waterfront Warehouse Bronze Winner Salty’s Not much says Nova Scotian fare like thick, creamy, home-cooked chowder. And that’s just what you’re going to get at The Esquire and, as the votes have again proven, nobody does it better.…

Best Smoothie

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Pete’s, Halifax Silver Winner Booster Juice, Dal SUB Bronze Winner Humani-T Cafe, north end It is a truth universally acknowledged that a shopper in possession of Pete’s groceries must be in want of a thick, rich, just-blended smoothie. At least that’s how the strategically placed smoothie bar at Pete’s, Dresden Row makes it feel.…

Get All Dressed Up!

Rachel Bloom — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Samantha Greenwood organizes All Dressed Up!, a designer fashion show and charity auction to support Dress For Success. by Rachel Bloom Halifax, ditch those old threads and get all dressed up at a live auction and fashion show that will provide guests with the perfect chance to help out a great charity, while simultaneously upgrading their wardrobe. Auctioning off more than 75 designer dresses and 20 pairs of designer shoes from the likes of Badgley Mischka, American Eagle, Steve Madden and Banana Republic for $25 and higher, All Dressed Up!…

Best Middle Eastern / Persian

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Tarek’s Cafe, north end Silver Winner Mezza Lebanese Restaurant Bronze Winner Cafe Istanbul Holding the silver spot for the last couple of years, Tarek’s has upped its game and finally stolen the gold from longtime winner Mezza. With an incredibly comprehensive menu, Tarek’s offers a range of dishes that anyone can enjoy...and we do mean anyone.…

Best Craft Brewery

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Garrison Brewing Company Silver Winner Propeller Brewing Company Bronze Winner Bridge Brewing Company Garrison has hopped its way over Propeller, taking first place this year. Brewmaster Daniel Girard credits the victory to the synergy of the staff at Garrison.…

Best Hotel Restaurant

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Gio Silver Winner Redwood Grill Bronze Winner Ryan Duffy’s Steak & Seafood Once again, Gio takes home the gold. Owned by the Prince George Hotel, the globally inspired menu includes an array of dishes, from Italian gnocchi to smoked elk.…

Best Salad

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Build your own, Pete’s, Halifax Silver Winner Sweet Apple, The Wooden Monkey, Halifax Bronze Winner Dragon’s Breath, Brooklyn Warehouse Don’t go shopping at Pete’s when you’re hungry, or they’re sure to catch you on the way out with made to order sandwiches, smoothies and—of course—build your own salads. With multiple greens choices and topping options galore—far too many veggies, fruits, cheeses and proteins to list here—-going to Pete’s is the best way to ensure your salad is just your style.…

Best Local Food Blog

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Feisty Chef Silver Winner eatHalifax Bronze Winner Kelly Neil The Feisty Chef is Renée Lavallée, a trained chef and genius in the kitchen who has been living in Nova Scotia for eight years, contributing to the blogosphere for the last four. What sets Lavallée apart from other food blogs?…

Best Fries

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Ace Burger Company Silver Winner Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Bronze Winner Darrell’s Restaurant There’s a lot more to making the perfect fry than meets the eye—they can’t be too big or too small, they have to have the perfect texture of crispiness on the outside and softness on the inside and, ideally, they’ll hold their own when doused with gravy or other delicious sauces. It’s safe to say Ace Burger Company has the recipe down pat.…

Best Chef

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Chives Canadian Bistro Silver Winner Maurizio Bertossi, The Bicycle Thief Bronze Winner Mark Gray, Brooklyn Warehouse “So many good people on this list, but Craig Flinn is a treasure,” says one reader of Chives’s chef, who’s taken home many Best of Food honours over the years. With menus rotating by the season, Flinn’s known for serving up only the finest in creative, locally sourced food.…

Dare to Caravan

Kevin Hartford — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

The Caravan’s self-titled new album goes for the gold, sounding bigger and better than ever before. by Kevin Hartford Something you might wonder while listening to Halifax-based hip-hop group The Caravan's eponymous album: who is that remarkable crooner singing throughout "The First Thing I Do"? "Niven Miller," says MC Kyle McKenna, referencing an obscure Scottish-born gospel singer.…

Best Burrito

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Burrito Jax, Halifax Silver Winner Habaneros Modern Taco Bar Bronze Winner Dee Dee’s Ice Cream The main difference between a normal burrito and a Burrito Jax burrito is that the latter is grilled to perfection, according to co-owner Eleanor Delano, who keeps the focus on chopping, dicing and cooking with local ingredients whenever possible. With 17 fillings and nine salsas and sauces you can have a different burrito every time.…

Best Specialty Coffee

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Steve-O-Reno’s Cappuccino Cafe Silver Winner Java Blend Coffee Roasters Bronze Winner Just Us! Coffeehouse, Barrington Walk into Steve-O-Reno’s on a typical morning and the smell of fresh-baked pastries and fresh brewed coffee will greet you before you can say “cappuccino.” Serving up the best in specialty coffee for over 15 years, these Americanos and other espresso-based drink are sure to please the most discerning caffeine aficionados. Much of these beans come from the Berwick-based North Mountain Fine Coffee, but you can also grab a cup of Vancouver’s delicious Forty Ninth Parallel.…

Best Greek

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner ela! Greek Taverna, Bayers Lake Silver Winner Athens Restaurant Bronze Winner Estia Ela!…

Best Vegetarian-friendly

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner The Wooden Monkey, Halifax Silver Winner Heartwood Bronze Winner Tarek’s Cafe, north end The Wooden Monkey is no stranger to this award, even though it isn’t a strictly vegetarian restaurant. Matthew Gass, co-owner and acting general manager of the restaurant’s Halifax location, says “We’re very proud of the vegetarian food we offer; we believe people should incorporate plant-based food in their diet.” The lentil burger and chickpea salad are two of the restaurant’s most popular vegetarian dishes, but the seitan donair is one of their more unique items using wheat meat to mimic roast beef and coconut milk-based donair sauce.…

Get a sneak peek of Stages Theatre Festival

Lindsay Raining Bird — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Eastern Front Theatre switches the SuperNova Fest to Stages Theatre Festival and recommits to the local scene with a new twist. by Lindsay Raining Bird For years Eastern Front Theatre has been making a bang with its SuperNova Fest, but this year they've renamed and overhauled the entire package. Stages Theatre Festival is still committed to showcasing some of the best work the Maritimes has to offer theatrically but with a new twist---a focus on "stages," featuring works in different stages of development, and performers at different stages of their careers, all on different stages in Neptune Theatre.…

Best New Restaurant

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Ace Burger Company Silver Winner Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Bronze Winner Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca Almost one year old, Ace Burger has been a success from the start. The burger haven premiered as a pop-up last May, when Brooklyn Warehouse owner George Christakos decided to take a chance at the simple life.…

Best Poutine

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Willy’s Fresh Cut Fries & Burgers Silver Winner Smoke’s Poutinerie Bronze Winner Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie Wouldn’t we love to be at a party catered by these three restaurants? No doubt it’d involve a kiddie pool full of gravy.…

Best Campus Eats

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Pete’s ToGoGo, Dal SUB Silver Winner The Gorsebrook Lounge Bronze Winner The Dawgfather There’s no doubt that Pete’s knows how to do a salad. With so many delicious ingredients and dressing choices, the possibilities are endless.…

Best Desserts

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Sweet Hereafter Cheesecakery Silver Winner The Middle Spoon Desserterie & Bar Bronze Winner il Mercato Trattoria, Halifax When you’re looking to satisfy a sweet-tooth craving, Sweet Hereafter is the place to go. It has—brace yourselves—100 different cheesecake flavours.…

Best International Grocer

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

Gold Winner Pete’s, Halifax Silver Winner Mid-East Food Centre & Cafe Bronze Winner Tian Phat For Halifax, it seems Pete’s is the place to go to find your overseas goods. With its wide range of international foods and products, you can pick up your kimchi and chutney at the same time.…

Broadway, here I come

Emily Hiltz — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 -0300

The Aeolian Singers of Halifax close out the season with Babes on Broadway---an original production of Broadway musical favourites. by Emily Hiltz The Aeolian Singers of Halifax are taking a step in a new direction. The choir will be performing a new original production written by former music educator Eleanor Hall.…