Thursday, October 18, 2018
DRINK THIS: North Brewing Company's Breakwater pineapple lime sour
SUMMER 4EVER
Posted By Allison Saunders on Thu, Oct 18, 2018 at 4:30 AM
The word flurries has resurfaced in our collective lexicon, but North Brewing Company (2576 Agricola Street and 62 Ochterloney Street) is still dreaming of summer barbecues and sours. And we’re here for it. While the north end/Dartmouth brewer is re-releasing its crisp-weather appropriate, hefty treat Twinkle Pony tiramisu stout this week, it’s also celebrating the release of its third instalment in its Breakwater series—the pineapple lime sour.
“It was kind of a fun experiment and playing ground for us—it’s basically our sandbox,” says North’s Rozina Darvesh of the brew, which follows the summer-released mango lime and a coconut lime kettle sours (as well as a collaboration brew with Propeller Brewing, lemon meringue pie sour). “We have a little more time to experiment and do research on styles and we can say ‘OK, I wanna make a cookie beer’. We have a really fun working relationship on the production side we can riff off each other. We’re having a lot of fun at work.”
The season’s final Breakwater hit the shelves at both North locations last week, get it while it’s...chilly.
“It was kind of a fun experiment and playing ground for us—it’s basically our sandbox,” says North’s Rozina Darvesh of the brew, which follows the summer-released mango lime and a coconut lime kettle sours (as well as a collaboration brew with Propeller Brewing, lemon meringue pie sour). “We have a little more time to experiment and do research on styles and we can say ‘OK, I wanna make a cookie beer’. We have a really fun working relationship on the production side we can riff off each other. We’re having a lot of fun at work.”
The season’s final Breakwater hit the shelves at both North locations last week, get it while it’s...chilly.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Thursday, October 11, 2018
DRINK THIS: Meander River's Blueberry Cider
A crisp apple cider amped up with Annapolis Valley blueberries
Posted By Allison Saunders on Thu, Oct 11, 2018 at 9:46 AM
It’s been nearly a year since Ashdale’s little gem, Meander River Farm, expanded its brewhouse to make room for more cider and you can raise a glass of its latest one-off release—a tasty 5.5% blueberry cider—to celebrate.
“With our expansion last year we were able to do more small lots with fresh ingredients from our farm or local ingredients,” says Meander River’s Campbell Bailey. “There was a great blueberry harvest in the province this year, despite some frost, and we were able to get berries from an Annapolis Valley farm.” Twenty pounds of blueberries went to work in this latest creation, a pale pink drink that Bailey calls dry and crisp and full of Nova Scotia-grown apples with “a little bit of that fleshy, inside of a warm berry on the palate.”
“We’re not re-inventing the wheel, but we’re adding things that make sense to us,” she adds, shouting out other experiments like a recent rose petal cider and coming soon lavender and honey infused Lavendula. They’ve also got some blackberries ready to go.
Bailey says the brewery is planning for a big year ahead, building barrel-ageing into its program and using its bronze medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards (for its experimental smoky chipotle porter) as inspiration to keep pushing boundaries.
“It’s been a crazy busy summer, it’s so nice to see how many people you get through the door in the summer,” she says. The farm will likely be just as busy with visitors straight through to Christmas. “It’s great to see that people still want that authentic experience.”
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
The Rinaldo brothers bring tacos to
Gus' Pub
Taco Lina's will fill the void left by Vandal Doughtnuts
Posted By Allison Saunders on Wed, Oct 3, 2018 at 1:31 PM
The powdered sugar has barely settled on the departure of Vandal Doughnuts from Gus’ Pub & Grill (don’t start crying just yet, it's re-opening at 2300 Gottingen Street, in the Velo Apartments building) and the buzz of a new tenant has already begun.
With flour tortillas on the
“We did a taco pop up at Good Robot about a year ago and it’s just something we love to eat and love to make,” says Tony of the plan. Lina’s will focus on their house-made flour tortillas—but will offer corn as an option, too, gluten-free friends—and serve up tacos al pastor, Baja fish tacos, veggie and vegan options and offal-inspired creations, spotlighting ingredients like beef tongue and
“We had the opportunity to take over the spot we were racking brains—and tacos just seemed to be a good fit.” Tony hopes the Gus’ vibe will complement he and his brother’s vision, Taco Lina’s aims to open in late October.
Thursday, September 27, 2018
“Beer is supposed to bring us together”
Revered beer and travel author Stephen Beaumont hosts a story-filled tasting at Stillwell this weekend.
Posted By Ashley Corbett on Thu, Sep 27, 2018 at 4:00 AM
Guided beer tastings with Stephen Beaumont
Sunday, September 30
Stillwell, 1672 Barrington Street
12-2pm
$46, eventbrite.ca
It's the middle of winter in Finland, and Stephen Beaumont steps out from a sauna room a few hundred kilometres north of Helsinki. He sits down to try some fresh sahti beer, a traditional brew indigenous to the country. In the company of a Finnish brewer and a fellow travel writer, Beaumont sips sahti from a communal wooden drinking pale. After a few cycles of this routine, (beer, sauna, beer, sauna), the group musters its bravery: They venture outside into the snow and dip into a frozen lake.
This is just one of 101 beer experiences Beaumont writes about in his new book, Will Travel for Beer. The
"It's one of these remarkable things where you could drink that beer, you could go a sauna, but to do both things together and to make that combination...that's the key," says Beaumont of his experience.
Beaumont began writing about beer as a columnist for the Toronto Star, and since has published, or co-published, 13 books throughout his 28 years in the field. The author released Will Travel for Beer in May. He says his latest book is one that's been "a long time coming," as it chronicles all his years of research.
"I literally woke up one morning with the title in my head," he remembers. After receiving an enthusiastic response from his editor, it was up to Beaumont to sift through his extensive travel memories and choose the best ones to share on paper.
"For me, this book is not about ticking off breweries. It's about going to places where the beer, and the atmosphere and the experience all combine into something truly remarkable," he says. "I think we're losing that in beer. And that's one of the reasons I wanted to do this book."
Beaumont thinks of beer as a way to unite people. But he fears this may be changing.
"We spend so much of our time now looking at screens, looking at our laptops, looking at our iPads. Beer is supposed to bring us together," he says. "One of the great things that beer does is it gets you out of the house, away from your screen, into a bar where you can really communicate and interact with other people...and that's kind of becoming a lost art."
You can hear some of Beaumont's stories and buy his book on September 30 at Stillwell's guided beer tasting event, the author's second time leading a beer tasting at the bar, due to the popularity of last year's event,
"It's all about helping people expand their horizons in beer," he says.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
DRINK THIS: Luckett Vineyards' Ortega
The 2017 Ortega, tastes very Gaspereau Valley with a hint of Italy.
Posted By Moira Peters on Wed, Sep 19, 2018 at 6:24 PM
Sometimes, while everyone else is flocking to the newest wine creations, a classic is quietly released to those waiting in the wings for something like Luckett Vineyards’s 2017 Ortega ($24).
Ortega, an aromatic white grape of thevitis vinifera species, native to Europe, is also moderately hardy, surviving to about -25° C. Winemaker Mike Mainguy of Luckett Vineyards turned heads with his 2011 Ortega, one of the first grape wines made at the vineyard—which, in its early days, produced mainly fruit wine from estate-grown blackberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches and plums.
The 2017 Ortega is a gorgeous expression of the grape and its place in the Gaspereau Valley: It is structured of course, by Nova Scotian acidity, and so, so nicely filled out by aromas of ripe peaches and lime and the richness that fermented fruit offers to the tongue. A note of haystack makes this Ortega reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc and while Mainguy’s 2011 Ortega was Germanic in style, his 2017 rendition gives a satisfying bitter bite that could be almost Italian. Nova Scotian wine is great with food, but this is a bottle to enjoy on its own. Or with a second bottle of the same.
Ortega, an aromatic white grape of the
The 2017 Ortega is a gorgeous expression of the grape and its place in the Gaspereau Valley: It is structured of course, by Nova Scotian acidity, and so, so nicely filled out by aromas of ripe peaches and lime and the richness that fermented fruit offers to the tongue. A note of haystack makes this Ortega reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc and while Mainguy’s 2011 Ortega was Germanic in style, his 2017 rendition gives a satisfying bitter bite that could be almost Italian. Nova Scotian wine is great with food, but this is a bottle to enjoy on its own. Or with a second bottle of the same.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Um, QUESTLOVE is coming to Devour
See you in Wolfville
Posted By Allison Saunders on Tue, Sep 18, 2018 at 2:17 PM
Today Devour! A Food Film Festival announced that it'll be bringing Questlove—you know, The Roots' co-founder, Grammy-winner, Tonight Show musical director, James Beard Award-nominated author, overall cool human—to the glorious Annapolis Valley as part of this year's event. If you didn't know, he's very into food and food politics.
The eighth annual Devour! will sit the Something To Food About author down with comedian/CBC personality Ali Hassan (who's also co-hosting the fest) for a conversation about "food issues, culinary creativity and his infamous Food Salons" and then a book signing.
This all goes down Saturday, October 27 at3pm at Wolfville's Al Whittle Theatre (450 Main Street). Tickets are somehow just $25 and available here.
The eighth annual Devour! will sit the Something To Food About author down with comedian/CBC personality Ali Hassan (who's also co-hosting the fest) for a conversation about "food issues, culinary creativity and his infamous Food Salons" and then a book signing.
This all goes down Saturday, October 27 at
Questlove's Food Salon Featuring Kristen Kish, Edouardo Jordan, Andy Ricker, Jen Yee from Questlove's Food Salon on Vimeo.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
DRINKS DRINK OF THE WEEK: Dilly Dally's Carrot Spice Latte
Pouring up a mug full of fall
Posted By Allison Saunders on Thu, Sep 13, 2018 at 4:00 AM
“There’s just this biological thing, you feel a little crispness overnight and it’s like, ‘I need something a little soothing, a warm hug. It’s like our version of
The owner of Dilly Dally Eats says her staff made a choice to pass on the PSL in the first fall the cafe was open, but still wanted to cater to the sweet drink crowd. “We got together and were like, what gets us excited about fall?”
Among the ideas bounced around by the baristas, pastry chef and kitchen staff were carrots, and more importantly carrot cake. “So we busted out my juicer. The idea was basically to bottle carrot cake.” Out of that came the now beloved (and served all year round) Carrot Spice Latte. With fresh carrot juice, cinnamon, nutmeg—that traditional seasonal spicing—Dilly Dally’s baristas have perfected the syrup that makes the CSL special—Draeger calls the drink a total team effort. “That’s the thing with this drink, and everything we do at Dilly Dally, it’s real food.”
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Waffle Love re-opens on Friday Saturday
Pierogies and waffles are back in action
Posted By Allison Saunders on Wed, Sep 12, 2018 at 4:40 PM
When Waffle Love turned off its iron last October, it wasn’t because it wanted to. The sale of its Hydrostone building left the business owners locationless—until now.
“I think we saw every retail space in Halifax,” says co-owner Ania Benko. ThisFriday Saturday (there were some technical issues) she and Matt Webb will re-open their sweet little restaurant at 2082 Gottingen Street (next door to Field Guide) at 9am .
“Food has always been a big thing for me and my siblings, we’d sneak out to fast food places without my parents knowing. They were really old-fashioned,” says Benko of why she got into the restaurant world. The second iteration of Waffle Love will be a little bigger and a little more modern, offering an expanded selection of pierogies—which Benko’s been making “since I was born”—and the same waffle menu you fell for at the old location.
“I think we saw every retail space in Halifax,” says co-owner Ania Benko. This
“Food has always been a big thing for me and my siblings, we’d sneak out to fast food places without my parents knowing. They were really old-fashioned,” says Benko of why she got into the restaurant world. The second iteration of Waffle Love will be a little bigger and a little more modern, offering an expanded selection of pierogies—which Benko’s been making “since I was born”—and the same waffle menu you fell for at the old location.
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Luke's Fried Chicken pops up
Saturday sees new beer and lots of chicken at 2 Crows Brewing Co.
Posted By Allison Saunders on Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 7:35 PM
Luke Gaston has a thing for fried chicken. Highwayman’s chef started developing his recipe in 2010 when he was working at Toronto’s The Healthy Butcher—a recipe he’s happily been tweaking and evolving since. This weekend he’s taking a break from his usual Barrington Street post and taking over 2 Crows Brewing Company (1932 Brunswick Street) for the second
“Chefs spend most of their days behind closed doors in restaurant kitchens,” says Gaston. “By doing these pop-ups I get to interact with the people while doing something I’m passionate about and proud of.”
On Saturday (September 8) Luke’s Fried Chicken will serve up its
Thursday, August 30, 2018
DRINK THIS: Propeller releases rum and ginger in a can
Perfect Storm launches today!
Posted By Allison Saunders on Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 5:36 PM
The newest addition to the roster of local cocktails in a can comes from one of the city's oldest craft brewers. Because Propeller Brewing Company knows the power of a good pop —its Jamaican-inspired ginger beer, to be exact—it's gone and mixed one with booze.
Hitting the shelves/streets/mouths today is Perfect Storm, a blustery blend of Nova Scotian rum, lime and that spicy craft soda in a cool can. A "perfect complement" to the existing Prop Shop lineup, says Propeller's John Allen in a release, the Storm uses East Coast Spirit rum (blended and bottled by the folks at Steinhart Distillery, purveyors of local gin and vodka) to spike the drink. If you're still looking to pick up long-weekend liquids, this
Openings Room Service amps up and Uber Eats arrives
Special delivery!
Posted By Allison Saunders on Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 5:02 AM
It was a good week for
Then, local hangover heroes/mobile convenience store Room Service announced it loves Dartmouth just as much as Halifax and would be expanding its service area across the bridge. (There’s even a promo code—hellodartmouth—for those thinking of ordering something.) Dartmouth’s delivery will start small, between 6 and
Night time is the right time at Ko-Doraku
The Purdy's Wharf location is closed, but Spring Garden's got izakaya!
Posted By Allison Saunders on Thu, Aug 30, 2018 at 4:14 AM
One of Spring Garden’s most sparkling gems, Ko-Doraku/Dora-Q (5640 Spring Garden Road) is expanding its evening offerings. Starting this weekend (August 31 and September 1), the small-but-mighty sushi joint below Spring Garden Place will up the ante on its usual menu, adding izakaya (Japanese bar snacks) to the mix. Those heading out of town for Labour Day, fear not—this will be a regular thing going forward: Ko-Doraku (which is licensed, by the way) will serve izakaya dishes every Friday and Saturday from 5 through
This news softens the blow that Ko-Doraku’s sibling location in Purdy’s Wharf (211-1949 Upper Water Street) has closed up shop. The sushi gods giveth and taketh away.
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Thursday, August 16, 2018
DRINK THIS: Planters Ridge's Infatuation
An off-beat rosé frizzante, you’ll go gaga for.
Posted By Moira Peters on Thu, Aug 16, 2018 at 5:49 AM
Planters Ridge, still a new kid on the wine block in Nova Scotia, has been releasing an array of clean, innovative, high-quality wines since opening in 2014. It seems the winery nails it every season with at least one wine, and in very competitive categories— last year Planters Ridge made my favourite Tidal Bay by including the little-used grape Frontenac Blanc in the blend. The year before, the winery's Rosé killed it. And the year before that, its Riesling was a triumph.
But Planters Ridge does well by off-beat wines, too. The Port Williams winery just released its latest vintage of Infatuation, a rosé
Dornfelder is a smart vinifera (European species) grape to experiment with in Nova Scotia, being disease resistant and early to ripen, with strong canes and consistent yield. It is also known for its good acidity, its
Get it while you can: supplies are limited. Infatuation ($24) is sold at the winery and at farmers markets in Truro and Wolfville, as well as the Brewery Farmers’ Market (1496 Lower Water Street) and Seaport Farmers’ Market (1209 Marginal Road).
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