Five years ago, I had a most amazing opportunity—a chance to combine my love of writing with my passion for food. Five years later, I’m still visiting restaurants and sharing my experiences with Coast readers. One of the questions I’m most commonly asked is “What happens if you run out of restaurants?” Sadly, due to […]
Restaurant Reviews
Posted inFood + Drink
Snail meal
Q: What is the Slow Food movement? A: Slow Food is all about supporting small scale agriculture and artisan food producers. I really like the way that it combines a sense of mission—acquainting people with an alternative food system, one that is focused on locally grown, organic, small scale agriculture—with lots of fun—taking field trips […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Bringing back Yaser
The sandwich board outside the Pyramid Cafe on Windsor Street tells the whole story. Yaser’s back. OK, maybe not the whole story, but diehard fans of Yaser El-Helaly don’t need to know much more than that Yaser is back in Halifax and behind the grill. The 39-year-old classically trained chef made his mark at Cafe […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Herb your enthusiasm
Q: What herbs are available now that spring is here? A: We’re unique, actually, in the sense that most of the herbs we offer are available year round. So we have the same fresh-cut herbs available today as we do during the winter and later in the summer. Q: What will change as the warm […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Northern exposure
Downtown for dinner with a couple of girlfriends, I decide to combine pleasure with business and drop by 44 North for review purposes. 44 North is the restaurant of the former Sheraton turned Casino Nova Scotia Hotel and now Marriott; as a Casino employee, my ties with the hotel were severed after the sale. With […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Chive alive
Like Casanova seducing the women of Venice, Chives swept into town and ignited the passions of food lovers. All the talk of fresh local ingredients and seasonal menus had foodies talking; being featured on Life Network’s Opening Soon brought huge amounts of publicity, and the bistro was off and running. But that was almost five […]
Posted inFood + Drink
A cut above
Q: How did you choose this career? A: I was originally a chef by trade, working in restaurants, but I decided I wanted to grow my experience in working with food. Coming to Pete’s has allowed me to do that. Q: What sort of training is involved? A: It’s all hands-on training. You used to […]
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On the lamb
Lamb lovers, rejoice, for spring is here and Nova Scotia lamb is close at hand. Sure, that frozen New Zealand stuff is available year round, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But to really enjoy lamb, you need to get some of the homegrown stuff. My first experience with local lamb came years ago: I […]
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Strange fruit
Ah, spring—the time when a young cook’s fancy turns to exotic fruit. Ever on the prowl for fresh seasonal ingredients, looking for the extraordinary, cooks (both amateurs and pros) are finding an expanding selection of exotic produce on our local grocery shelves. Pete’s Frootique led the charge, but other supermarkets, especially the larger Superstores, are […]
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Sow what?
Q: Which veggies would be good for novice growers to try? A: Lettuce or swiss chard, for sure. They germinate quickly and get to an edible size quickly—and because the growing action is above ground, they offer almost instant gratification. Peas are also easy and don’t take up a lot of room, and in small […]
Posted inFood + Drink
Coach’s corner
“The fish and chips is to die for!” an enthusiastic voice roars behind us. We’re reading the menu in the entrance to Coach’s, a pub and grill that has taken over the former Mike’s location in Lower Sackville. We turn around to thank the voice for the recommendation, and I immediately decide we’re going to […]
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Cafeteria culture
Q: The province will launch a “new Food and Nutrition in Nova Scotia Schools” policy in the next few months, but your school seems to be ahead of the curve. What inspired you to change the food and drink at Dartmouth High? A: I attended a lecture given by my niece, a pediatrician and anti-obesity […]
