This summer marks five years since whatever dark magicks at work in Dartmouth led to an architectural behemoth to spring forth unbidden from the mud by Highway 111. A sprawling, clumsy golem with the word “buy” scrawled across its forehead, this colossus shows no mercy to tiny shopping districts of yore, its strongman grip tightening […]
Melissa Buote
Posted inFood + Drink
Better Bistro
I arrive at Le Bistro by Liz before my friend, Sarah. After a short wait—it’s busy—I am seated in the atrium, bright even in the dimming grey sky. A server drops by menus and a wine list, and then stops by once more with a bottle of chilled water. There is an “It’s a Small […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Go South
Acadian cuisine meets the Middle East at 308 South, resulting in a homey menu with gargantuan portions. by Melissa Buote Acadian heritage is as embedded in the Southwest shore as the rock that runs the coastline. Roads run through the area like a bloodline to the beating heart of history: Belleville, Tusket, Sluice Point—all the […]
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Irish C.R.E.A.M.
In 10 days I only saw one sunset, streaks of purple, gold and pink across the swell of the North Atlantic. The rest of my trip to Ireland was bathed in a soggy, glowing grey. Each day’s brightest light was from the nighttime streak of tour bus headlights careening around the Ring of Kerry. County […]
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Full House
A row of dolls greet us in the stairwell of Wasabi House, a moment before we are greeted by a host as soon as we reach the top of those stairs. Colourful globe lights hang in the air, giving golden and blue-tinged pops of colour to an already rosy room. We are brought to a […]
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The Harbour City Grill hits and misses
There is a curved, slatted wall in the entry to the Delta Halifax. As I walk by the wedges, I get angled peeks, here and there, of people happily eating, chatting away at various tables. The Harbour City Bar and Grill is hidden behind the walls, the entrance bursting open into the lobby. The restaurant […]
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HRMburger
“It’s right up there with apple pie and baseball,” says Jeff Lassen. He’s talking about the hamburger. And if there’s anything Jeff Lassen knows, it’s hamburgers. Lassen is a fourth-generation restaurateur. He has owned Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut since 2003, run it since the mid-1990s and worked behind the counter since 1979. “I […]
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Early gravy
It’s almost 2am. People are winding their way around one another, waving for taxis, giggling and wrapping scarves tight. Cold Warps have just finished a set in the balmy Khyber and a steamy stream of people plumes out of the door like breath into the chilly air. A half dozen of us wander around the […]
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La Cucina’s happy endings
Italian food is a pretty great concept for a restaurant: the food is simple, the flavours are easy and the ingredients are accessible. But there is a huge gulf between the idea and the reality of a great Italian restaurant. And there are easily more restaurants adrift in that gulf of mediocrity than there are […]
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Jerusalem Cafe impresses
It’s got to be a tough thing to sit kitty corner to Cousin’s on Lady Hammond. While nobody is showering the diner with the glitter and gilded praise of Best of lists, Cousin’s is an institution that has long lured in more than sailors with the siren song of cheap breakfasts and hot turkey sandwiches. […]
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Modern Orchid blooms
Modern Orchid is packed. It’s lunch time, and there are only two tables left in the Dartmouth Crossing restaurant. The four of us sit down at the table nearest the entrance. Natural light pours in from the front window, reflecting off of the tall, light walls in the open room. The restaurant is pretty in […]
