Sitting at Whet Cafe, chatting about meals we’d recently eaten, recipes we’d tried and our latest market excursions, my friend Simon stopped mid-sentence and mid-cupcake and dropped a delicious bomb. Suddenly, breathlessly, he said, “Youarenotgonnabelievethis!” Barely missing a beat, he finished, “There is banh mi at the Dartmouth flea market.” This was in April, when […]
Melissa Buote
Posted inNews + Opinion
Dorm Room Recipes
It’s an unfortunate fact that many a university student has a diet that is basically a salty, flash-frozen echo of a Jim Gaffigan Hot Pocket joke. The dorms at Dalhousie, St. Mary’s and Mount Saint Vincent all deem the presence of heating element strictly verboten, meaning the only cooking appliances allowed in dorm rooms are […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Sunny Summer
On Friday afternoons, there is a scrappy little farmers’ market—only seven or eight booths—tucked into a lot at the end of the downtown-style rows of boutique stores at Dartmouth Crossing. Far from the shadows of towering mega-mart signs and football field sized box stores, small tents filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh sausages, local […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Ch-ch-ch-Cheachie’s Grill
“I can’t find my car keys,” my friend Stephen says over the phone. It’s just after 11am, and our plans for an early lunch have vanished with his keys. An hour later it’s clear to us that the keys have anthropomorphized, packed a bag and walked out the door for good, so he gets a […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Wolfville interlude
Dirt roads and rough-hewn rows of trees stitch together a patchwork of browns and tans, greens, golds and blues in the Annapolis Valley. A warm wind blows through the cliffside bushes of The Look-Off, where I stand with two friends gazing through the thin cloudy haze that hangs high over the supernal quilt that is […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Urban potential
Before the noon cannon has had a chance to greet the day with its booming yawn, I walk up the stairs to meet a friend for an early lunch at Halifax’s latest bistronomique, Moda Urban Dining. Chic but casual, it’s a very pretty space. The sun is shining through a bank of windows that overlook […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Egyptian home
The day the Spartan closed, a little piece of my heart broke. Not because I was a devoted regular or because it was the capital-letter Best Restaurant in Town, but because of the little things that added up to a kind of greatness. The family that ran the place, homemade hash browns at breakfast, rice […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Hundreds sign petition to keep Caribbean Twist open
“I’d like to sign the petition.” That sentence is being spoken this week by a steady stream of customers at Caribbean Twist , as a culinary bylaw battle not seen since Dalhousie vs. the Dawgfather casts its shadow on Gottingen Street. A year after taking over 3081 Gottingen Street, the space formerly occupied by Toulany’s […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Day tripper
A haze of sweaty fog hangs heavy on the treetops, and the sun is hot, but struggles to actually shine. My companion drives the twisted roads to Lunenburg, while I enjoy cool ocean air along the coast cutting into the steady thickness of the humidity. We’re taking a day trip. A day trip really is […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Seoul food
Just across from the cobblestone shopping area of Granville Mall, a sandwich board with the daily specials at Seoul Restaurant is plopped in front of its simple storefront. The restaurant itself is equally simple, down a few stairs in a basement space. Though it lacks windows, it’s still bright, and the servers are exceptionally friendly. […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Off course
On sunny days, I like to make my way across the harbour to pick up a coffee or meal at one of the wonderful little restaurants and cafes that pepper downtown Dartmouth. If nothing else, the ferry ride offers an easy adventure and the chance to breathe in a little more salty air than usual. […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Love Song’s
Love Song’s Tucked into the brick-faced storefronts that line Quinpool Road, Song’s Korean Restaurant is almost tentative in appearance. There is little in the space that feels owned, or makes it feel unique. The chairs and glass-topped tables have that 1980s hand-me-down feeling of furniture that has passed from restaurant to restaurant. The walls are […]
