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The Coast | News, events, restaurants, concerts and Burger Week for Halifax, Nova Scotia
Home of the Best of Halifax Reader's Choice Awards, the award-winning independent newspaper covers the Halifax news, politics, events, concerts, movies, restaurants, and nightlife scene.
Thank you to the amazing cab driver, bar patrons and staff, and anyone else who saw my brother on his big night in downtown Halifax. He was visiting from TO and had too much to drink while out partying with his friends. Shout-out to the amazing night owls out there who may have met him…
Big shout-out to the Sean Connery lookalike who I think is in charge of security at Citadel Hill. Our little guy was looking at a long stay in the hospital. He has a little boy’s fascination with big guns, so on the way to the IWK we stopped to tour the fort when it was…
I am calling out the man with racist tattoos who always wears the same sweater. This man has been tested positive for HIV and is still sleeping around with women UNPROTECTED. This man has raised his hands to every woman I know of that he had relations with, and then cries afterwards. He’s a racist…
Growing up in Ontario and raised by a well-read and well-travelled family, I was always encouraged to travel somewhere alone, where I had never been before and to live there for awhile. You know? Really do some soul searching and rediscover myself all over again while learning to love myself even more. Truthfully, in the…
We’ve invested millions to upgrade the transit buses with modern tech. Each bus has a digital display that shows the next stop, and “stop requested” when required. I’ve been on at least six buses this year, that the stop request isn’t displayed. I had my headphones on and didn’t hear the bell. So as far…
To those who work in the Agricola Street area: Please don’t park on Agricola Street! You are illegally parked and you make it difficult for clients of the small businesses on Agricola! Park in residential areas and walk a little farther! Be considerate of the community you work in! —Small Business Trying To Make A…
Hey, Sunday night mothership radio host: Stop talking over the goddamn music!! Fucking cacophony. —Sore Ears
As a healthcare professional, I felt compelled to respond to the recent “Tastes like chicken” Bitch concerning the smell of a woman’s vagina. The facts given were not only inaccurate, but potentially harmful. A “fishy” odour is indicative of not only a bacterial infection but also STIs that may render the carrier infertile. If you…
Does art imitate life or does life chase art down the road, copying its particular posture? For author Sean Michaels, it’s always been a bit of both. “I’d been chewing on questions of luck and the meaning of life for a long time—anyone who does creative things and wants people to look at it, anyone…
Symphony Nova Scotia presented ‘Melody and Poetry With Rebecca Thomas’ in its Masterworks Series on Nov 7. The concert blended melodic classical repertoire (think Mozart Symphony No.34 in C major and Brahms Symphony No.2 in D major) with We’re Not Done Drumming, a new poetic and musical collaboration between poet Rebecca Thomas and composer Laura…
You’ve captured the layout and design, you know which furniture and fixings you want to put on display, and the final step to setting up your space is actually finding the time of day to put it all together. Turning your house or apartment into a home can easily be the most exciting part of…
Don’t Sway Above Me, the debut full length album from Halifax band Ostrea Lake, is an ethereal collection of indie folk from the forest floor—though a careful listener may notice the bugs crawling underneath the foliage. The album is a sombre exploration of natural landscapes. Lakes, trees and fire are featured in song titles—but also…
Children and teens are at a disadvantage. They can’t vote and have little say in many plans and policies that will determine their futures. The political decisions made today will affect their lives profoundly. Scientists worldwide have warned we only have a decade to get emissions down substantially or face the well-known consequences of rapidly…
Tonight, Offshore Alliance is meeting in Mahone Bay to speak about international efforts from municipalities to stop offshore drilling. This comes on the heels of a Tuesday press conference held just prior to the start of the Fall Conference of the Federation of Nova Scotia Municipalities, where twelve Nova Scotia municipalities—Halifax not included—announced their request…
Well hello there. You’re a person-about-town who’s working on a play/concert/one-human-show that’s not so much confessional as it is semi-autobiographical, really, and if you love Fleabag you’ll be totally into it. Or maybe you’re home on your couch and wondering where to see a play or concert or just do something other than re-watch Fleabag…
This past Saturday (November 2), the bright, wide-open spaces of the Halifax Central Library took on a new level of glitz for the 14th annual Creative Nova Scotia Awards Gala. Artists, creators and their supporters poured through the doors. Purple light washed over dynamic art installations as music streamed from the speakers. The scene could…
Have simply the best weekend with Sure Things like the Best of Halifax Ball, Rebecca Thomas’s symphony debut, a tribute to icon Portia White and more. Romeo & Juliet: a drink-along Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday A quartet of performers work through the ultimate boy-meets-girl play, all while imbibing. “Will they drink themselves into an oblivion…
Gold Winner Susan Kent, This Hour Has 22 Minutes Silver Winner Koumbie, Diggstown Bronze Winner Christopher Shore, Cavendish “Maybe my mom might be behind it. She watches our show in every time zone on Tuesday night,” says This Hour Has 22 Minutes’s Susan Kent. “The reason why I started doing this is the connection you…
Gold Winner Quake Matthews Silver Winner Ghettosocks Bronze Winner Shay Pitts Quake Matthews has kept his calendar filled throughout 2019. “I just got back from a cross-country tour with Snak The Ripper where we did 23 shows,” he says. “The past year has been travelling a lot, spending a lot of time working with new…
Gold Winner Elle Noir Silver Winner Farrah Moanz Bronze Winner Eureka Love Hall of fame Rouge Fatale “Two in a row? Let’s go for 10,” says Chris Cochrane—the performer behind Elle Noir—about her win. The only out, trans, Black drag queen this side of Montreal had a busy 2019, including serving as the Pride Ambassador…
Gold Winner Megan Wennberg, Drag Kids Silver Winner Thom Fitzgerald, Splinters Bronze Winner Andrea Dorfman, The Girls of Meru Megan Wennberg’s documentary, Drag Kids, features four youth exploring (and excelling at) the art of drag, and the community and friendships they discover in the process. Wennberg says it’s “a film about the importance of self-expression…
Gold Winner EDNA Silver Winner Black Sheep Restaurant Bronze Winner Mic Mac Bar & Grill EDNA owner Jenna Mooers is quick to give props to her mom Jane Wright, the original queen of the morning meal, who gave her the “if you build it, they will come”—even if there’s a hurricane or a blizzard— brunch…
Gold Winner Nine Locks Brewing Co. Silver Winner Garrison Brewing Company Bronze Winner Good Robot Brewing Co. “I think a lot of our focus has been good value for money: We’re not charging eight dollars a latte and we’ve always been committed to quality,” says Jim Dikaios of Java Blend’s gold win. The owner of…
Gold Winner Dhaba Casual Fine Dining Silver Winner Curry Village Bronze Winner Rasa: Flavours of India For eight years, Dhaba Casual Fine Dining has been giving folks a reason to eat in Bayers Lake. For seven years, Haligonians have been voting it the city’s Best Indian Restaurant. Family-run and focused on authenticity, Dhaba has made…
Gold Winner and Hall of Fame Inductee Boneheads BBQ Silver Winner Mic Mac Bar & Grill Bronze Winner Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse After Eve in the Garden of Eden, it’s hard to think of somebody who’s made as much out of ribs as Cindy Wheatley. In 2010, she quietly opened the doors of Boneheads BBQ, a…
Gold Winner Sudeep Raj Gupta Silver Winner Tara Scudder Bronze Winner Walter Rudderham Being recognized as Halifax’s Best Bus Driver is no small feat. In a city with expanding transit initiatives, and 619 operators on the road already, there has to be something special about the way you do your job to get this top…
Gold Winner Dooly’s, Portland Street Silver Winner Locas Billiards Bronze Winner Oasis The membership—over 5,000 strong—at Dooly’s pool hall on Portland Street is “forever-changing,” says district supervisor Tracey Goodyear. “Once everybody turns 19 they kind of pop in, so it’s forever growing. But then we also have our extremely loyal clientele…people who’ve been coming here…
Gold Winner Mitch Benvie, Evolve Fitness Silver Winner Andrew Mitton, Fit2gether Bronze Winner Devin Sherrington, 360fit “Everything about our job is rewarding,” says four-time Best Trainer, Mitch Benvie, of Evolve. His background in kinesiology has always guided the way workouts are planned at Evolve, which offers 88 boot camps a week, until recently all planned…
Gold Winner Fireworks Gallery Silver Winner Black Market Boutique Bronze Winner Earth Goddess Shop This one’s a real diamond in the rough. You’ll find plenty of gold at Fireworks Gallery—and no, we’re not just talking about its large collection of BOH plaques. The indie jewellery store and goldsmith studio offers a wide range of local,…
Gold Winner Portland Street Honda Silver Winner O’Regan’s Toyota, Halifax Bronze Winner Colonial Honda It wouldn’t be surprising if Portland Street Honda gave the Best Mall nominees a run for their money in 2020. Your gold-winning dealership has truly become a one-stop shop in the past few years, adding a full-service salon, a bistro, two…
Gold Winner Makayla Lynn Silver Winner T. Thomason Bronze Winner Jody Upshaw “Twenty-nineteen has been crazy in a lot of ways,” begins Lynn, her Nashville accent riding hard on crazy’s second syllable. “I’ve been splitting my time between Nova Scotia and Nashville and between a whirlwind of emotions.” While already being on Rolling Stone’s radar…
Gold Winner Black Moor Silver Winner Dumpster Mummy Bronze Winner Shadow of Everest It’s been 10 years since Black Moor’s album, The Conquering, hit Halifax eardrums, and in that time the band has clearly captured the metal scene’s black, cold hearts. It’s still your number one metal band, a beacon of loud and stellar shredding…
Gold Winner Halifax Central Library Silver Winner The Board Room Game Cafe Bronze Winner Coburg Social “It’s welcoming, bright, open,” says Halifax Central Library branch manager Kathleen Peverill of the city’s Best Student Hang. “Students may come to Central Library to connect with information, but we see them connect with each other and meet people…
Gold Winner Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Silver Winner Argyle Fine Art Bronze Winner The Dart Gallery “Receiving recognition for the Best Gallery by The Coast readers tells us we’re succeeding in connecting Nova Scotians with art and inspiring them to think differently about the world around them,” says AGNS director of marketing Colin Stinson.…
Gold Winner Darrell’s Restaurant Silver Winner Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie, Woodside Bronze Winner Battery Park Beerbar & Eatery There are plenty of burgers in Halifax with peanut butter on them, but there’s only one Peanut Butter Burger. “It’s my little hero, I don’t know what else to say. I never thought the burger…
Gold Winner Pleasant Street Diner Silver Winner Ardmore Tea Room Bronze Winner The Armview Restaurant & Lounge Tommy and Stephen Fatouros opened Pleasant Street Diner three years ago, but you’d swear it’s been there for decades. That’s probably because, as Stephen says, restaurant business is in their DNA. “My brother works in the front-of-house and…
Gold Winner Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods, Halifax Silver Winner Italian Market Bronze Winner Tian Phat Let’s just say, hypothetically, your child has recently become obsessed with Wallace and Gromit and talks about Wensleydale and Stilton non-stop. There’s one place you can go that will have the cheese, cream crackers and Branston pickle required for…
Gold Winner Kaiser’s Sub & Sandwich Shoppes Silver Winner Tom’s Family Restaurant Bronze Winner Freeman’s Little New York “Small is beautiful,” Rick Baker says of his just over 500-square-foot sandwich shop that has people flocking to a Sackville strip mall on the daily. Kaiser’s’ owner says the win begins with the old school submarine sandwiches…
Gold Winner Hope Blooms Silver Winner Common Roots Urban Farm Bronze Winner Dartmouth Community Food Centre Craig Cain has been with Hope Blooms since he was eight years old. Now, he’s 20 and works full-time for the organization while studying for his red seal in cooking. (A passion he discovered via Hope Blooms.) As a…
Gold Winner Biscuit General Store Silver Winner Pro Skateboards & Snowboards Bronze Winner RCHMND Hall of fame Duggers When Wendy Friedman is hunting for clothing and designers she wants to bring home to Halifax shoppers, she’s not usually thinking in terms of gender. “For me it’s not just about dressing men, it’s about dressing people…
Gold Winner Stefanie Winters Silver Winner Laura Spencer Bronze Winner Andrew Murray It’s Stefanie Winters’ 10th year of teaching yoga, but she approaches each session on the mat as if it’s her first. “I teach 20 classes a week, it needs to be fresh and new,” says the instructor, who rolls out her mat at…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCORPIO (October 23- November 21) Studies suggest that on average each of us has a social network of about 250 people, of whom 120 we regard as a closer group of friendly acquaintances. But most of us have no more than 20 folks we trust, and only two or three whom we regard…
Gold Winner The Mellotones Silver Winner Asia & Nu Gruv Bronze Winner Roxy & The Underground Soul Sound In Malcolm Gladwell’s 2008 book about success, Outliers, he discusses the rule of 10,000 hours—as in, it takes that much time spent doing something to become a world-class expert in a particular skill. Venerable cover band The…
Gold Winner Halifax Jazz Festival Silver Winner Halifax Pop Explosion Bronze Winner Halifax Urban Folk Festival What could be sweeter than a warm summer’s eve spent with live music on the waterfront? What could be more sublime than listening to living legends like Shelia E. or Common perform before your very eyes? What could be…
Gold Winner Halifax Pride Silver Winner Halifax Busker Festival Bronze Winner Halifax Jazz Festival “Ingrained in our festival is the need to be extremely thoughtful and diverse in what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, says Halifax Pride executive director Adam Reid. “The needs of our community are incredibly broad, and their expectations when…
Gold Winner Stoo Metz Silver Winner Applehead Studio Bronze Winner Nicole Lapierre Stoo Metz is still surprised anytime they win Best Photographer (this is their fourth year running), but knows the secret to their success is simple: “I never saw myself as someone who was this business-y, but these days when you’re trying to be…
Gold Winner Habaneros Modern Taco Bar, Burnside Silver Winner Burrito Jax, Blowers Street Bronze Winner Dee Dee’s Ice Cream Undoubtedly, one of the best feelings is wrapping yourself up in a duvet, burrito-style, so it follows that the contents of a burrito feel a similar cozy joy before ending their time on this earth. Your…
Gold Winner Sweet Hereafter Cheesecakery Silver Winner Antoinette’s Cheesecakes Bronze Winner Vandal Doughnuts “As one of the staff here, I love working here. It has such a nice family feel to it—it’s a comfortable and homey yet decadent experience,” says assistant manager Emily Rhyno about what makes Sweet Hereafter a winning choice for Best Dessert.…
Gold Winner Ristorante a Mano Silver Winner il Mercato Trattoria Bronze Winner Rinaldo’s Italian American Specialties Last winter, when Ristorante a Mano closed for two months and gutted the place, people freaked out. There were calls and messages fearing a menu change. Someone even asked if they could buy bulk salad dressing to get through…
Gold Winner The Canteen Silver Winner enVie – A Vegan Kitchen Bronze Winner Ristorante a Mano Hall of fame Pete’s Frootique and Fine Foods “I love making salads, I love cold food, I love garde manger,” Renée Lavallée says emphatically when prodded about her award-winning greens, pointing out that the win might have something to…
Gold Winner Lindell Smith Silver Winner Waye Mason Bronze Winner Lisa Blackburn Lindell Smith is three years into his big gig at City Hall, and not only does he continue to earn the respect of his colleagues, but the citizens of Halifax say he’s the best at his job, too. His secret? He doesn’t play…
Gold Winner Nova Scotia SPCA Silver Winner IWK Health Centre Bronze Winner Feed Nova Scotia Thanks to the power of over 500 animal-loving folks who are generous with both their time and their affection, the Nova Scotia SPCA scores the Best Place To Volunteer yet again. Besides the obvious (hello, fur babies are everything), NS…
Gold Winner Shanti Hot Yoga, Bedford Silver Winner Modo Yoga Halifax (formerly Moksha Yoga) Bronze Winner On The Mat When it comes to what makes Shanti Hot Yoga a winner, the studios’ Kyla Mackinnon says this: “I think a lot of it is our teachers and the knowledge they all have—and the variety. Each teacher…
Q I am male. A close female friend was raped by an old acquaintance of mine. I knew this guy when we were tweens, I didn’t really care for him as we got older, so it goes. It turns out that a few years ago, he raped my friend in an alcohol blackout situation. I…
Gold Winner Rose Cousins Silver Winner Old Man Luedecke Bronze Winner Kim Harris This is the third year in a row Rose Cousins has nabbed this award, with 2017’s Natural Conclusio clearly still getting a lot of spins around town. “I’m always happy to be considered. I’m away from Halifax so much so I’m glad…
Gold Winner “About You,” Neon Dreams Silver Winner “Babe Ruth,” The Town Heroes Bronze Winner “Way Up,” Quake Matthews “I like that song a lot. It takes a lot of influence from our roots. Our influences are all over the place, like Taking Back Sunday, which you can hear a bit in the track, and…
Gold Winner The Prince George Hotel Silver Winner Oceanstone Seaside Resort Bronze Winner Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites From movie stars to penguins—yes, real, live penguins from Busch Gardens who stayed at the hotel for an entire week, coming to and fro in their limo—for The Prince George’s food and beverage manager Shawn Lewis, the…
Gold Winner Kathryn McCormack Silver Winner Stewart Legere Bronze Winner Jacob Sampson “Number one? I’m like, top 20, maybe,” says the wildly talented, not to mention funny, Kathryn McCormack. “I assume it was the Shakespeare by the Sea fans that voted for me, and honestly that’s really lovely because I truly make a fool of…
Gold Winner Gateway Meat Market Silver Winner Getaway Farm, Seaport Farmers’ Market Bronze Winner Getaway Farm, Hydrostone Tamara Selig says Gateway Meat Market prides itself in offering Halifax the best prices on fresh, quality meats and produce. This fourth gold makes her especially proud of Gateway’s growth—from its beginnings as a three-person operation to one…
Gold Winner The Canteen Silver Winner Mic Mac Bar & Grill Bronze Winner The Wooden Monkey Business and life partners Renée Lavallée and Doug Townsend may not be from Dartmouth, but they’ve certainly made it home over the last 15 years. While The Canteen takes home nine (yes, nine) Best of Halifax awards this year,…
Gold Winner Willy’s Fresh Cut Fries & Burgers Silver Winner Freeman’s Little New York Bronze Winner Mezza Lebanese Kitchen, Barrington Street Potatoes. Hot fat. Cheese. Meat. This simple, winning combo doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it absolutely hits the spot after a night out with your crew. Willy’s cuts its fries by hand, makes its…
Gold Winner The Canteen Silver Winner Italian Market Bronze Winner Indochine Banh Mi When The Canteen moved from its little sandwich counter on Ochterloney to a sunny, sit-down family restaurant on Portland in 2017, people were pumped. But something was missing. “It was one of those situations, we weren’t delivering on the takeout side of…
Gold Winner HSCC: Halifax Sport & Social Club Silver Winner Anchor City Rollers Bronze Winner Nova Scotia Dodgeball Whether it’s fall, winter or sprummer (that’s spring+summer) Halifax Sport and Social Club has your social and sporty needs covered. There’re over 25 different activities to chose from, with HSSC adding turf sports to the lineup this…
Gold Winner The Loot Silver Winner The Has Bin Bronze Winner Mission Mart Anna Campbell’s early-2000s focused spot has been making a significant mark since it opened earlier this year: “I think just the community, with all the local designers and artists in Halifax, has brought attention to the shop. People love to shop local,…
Gold Winner Apex Tire Services Ltd. Silver Winner Cheapy Tire Bronze Winner Todd’s South End Car Care “You can kind of judge by talking to us that we’re not trying to gouge you or anything,” says Paul Tordon, one of the owners of Apex Tire in Dartmouth. “I try to make it as easy on…
Crown posse The so-called leader of this province has been against all types of unionized public servants of NS. He has bullied the teachers and the medical services completely into submission. Now he has dealt a blow to the Crown lawyers of Nova Scotia. I truly support the lawyers. Here is a fine group of…
Gold Winner Adam Baldwin Silver Winner Hello Delaware Bronze Winner Jessie Brown Though Baldwin’s kept a full calendar in 2019 touring as a guitarist for Matt Mays, he still found time to drop the Dire Straits-influenced EP No Rest For The Wicked, best played blaring to make its old-school rock ’n’ roll vibes take full…
Gold Winner Driftwood People Silver Winner Yohvn Blvck Bronze Winner Gizelle de Guzman “A big focus for us is creating a different and engaging live experience in all aspects of the show—from the lyrics to the melody to the singalong. Anything that can engage and relate to someone, that really honest and relatable show experience,”…
Gold Winner Rouge Fatale Silver Winner Brett Ruskin Bronze Winner Allie and Sam Jason Spurrell can’t believe it when he gets the call that his drag persona, Rouge Fatale (who was sent to the Best of Halifax Hall of Fame after winning 10 consecutive Best Drag Performer awards) won Best Halifamous Person. “Ellen Page herself…
Gold Winner The Color Purple, Neptune Theatre Silver Winner Cinderella, Neptune Theatre Bronze Winner Wizard of Oz, Shakespeare By The Sea Getting this kind of response for one show is very cool, but to have two shows recognized by Coast readers in one season is stunning,” says Jeremy Webb, Neptune Theatre’s artistic director. Coming up,…
Gold Winner The Canteen Silver Winner Stubborn Goat Gastropub Bronze Winner Mic Mac Bar & Grill “I knew it was good, but we’re not the kind of place that has a meal on its Caesar,” says The Canteen’s Renée Lavallée of the first-ever win for her restaurant’s morning cocktail. A recipe written by the Clever…
Gold Winner Tony’s Famous Donairs & Pizza Silver Winner Johnny K’s Authentic Donairs Bronze Winner Real Fake Meats Hall of fame King of Donair Leo Salloum, manager at Tony’s Pizza & Donair, says a perfect donair has to have “the juicy meat. The pita has to be grilled to perfection, and the way it’s wrapped,…
Gold Winner Mezza Lebanese Kitchen, Barrington Street Silver Winner Tarek’s Cafe Bronze Winner Saj House Mid East Eats The always-expanding Mezza empire does not, and will not, rest on its laurels. With a consistently great Best of Halifax Hall of Fame-worthy shawarma among the delicious items on its menu, the takeout/eat-in Lebanese joint could easily…
Gold Winner John’s Lunch Silver Winner Pleasant Street Diner Bronze Winner Bar Kismet John’s Lunch isn’t only celebrating a couple more Best of Halifax golds this year—it’s also the beloved diner’s 50th anniversary. Kathy Hilchey beams with pride not only because of milestone, but the fact that she gets to be part of the magic…
Gold Winner Point Pleasant Park Silver Winner Shubie Park Bronze Winner Salt Marsh Trail Who let the dogs out? You, you, you, you. And you’ve once again chosen the most pleasant park of all as the place your beloved pups prefer to be posted up for pees, poos and butt sniffs. Ample running room, various…
Gold Winner Two Men and a Truck Silver Winner Able Movers Bronze Winner Munden’s Moving In a given year Two Men and a Truck will move between 800 and 900 people from their parents’ home to their first home, from an ex’s home to not-an-ex’s home, from one office space (expensive and swank) to the…
There were strange, powerful forces at work that first year. It was 1995, and a couple things happened to put Halifax in the national spotlight. First, popular local politician Alexa McDonough got elected leader of the federal NDP. Then the independent communities of Bedford, Dartmouth, Halifax and Halifax County were formally merged into the Halifax…
Gold Winner Garrett Mason Silver Winner Joe Murphy & The Water Street Blues Band Bronze Winner Shirley Jackson and her Good Rockin’ Daddies A siren song of sadness ringing from Bearly’s every Tuesday night, Garrett Mason’s brand of blues is dependably lovely and lonesome in equal measure. The son of local blues royalty Dutch Mason…
Gold Winner Freeman’s Little New York, Sackville Silver Winner Oasis Bronze Winner Gottijam, Menz & Mollyz Bar Danny Banfield’s been making live music happen at Freeman’s for four years, but his open jam history dates back much further. “The seed of it was at the old North End Pub, the North End Jam from 2005…
Gold Winner @halifaxnoise Silver Winner @HalifaxReTales Bronze Winner @allieandsam Within one hour, a post that’s shared on @halifaxnoise AKA Kate Ross’ Instagram is seen around 30,000 times. Part of the mastery of this, says Ross, is knowing which kinds of things people want to see on certain platforms. “I’ve been doing this every day for…
Gold Winner Emmanuel Nwogbo Silver Winner Ursula Johnson Bronze Winner Bria Miller “It feels great. I didn’t think I had a chance—it’s just wonderful,” says Emmanuel Nwogbo of his surprise (to him) gold win. The digital collage artist garnered a fervent Instagram following in 2017 as he aimed to create a new piece of art…
Gold Winner Two If By Sea Cafe Silver Winner Glitter Bean Cafe Bronze Winner Dilly Dally Coffee Cafe Ten years after opening Two If By Sea—a near instant classic in downtown Dartmouth—in late October, founder (and the butter-lover behind the cafe’s monstrous croissants) Tara MacDonald announced she was retiring from the coffee biz and TIBS…
Gold Winner Mic Mac Bar & Grill Silver Winner Ardmore Tea Room Bronze Winner Pleasant Street Diner Things to look for in a family restaurant, 2019 edition: 1. A lovely white noise hum of restaurant bustle so your newborn may sleep peacefully through the meal, or your toddler may have a general shitfit over some…
Gold Winner and Hall of Fame Inductee Darrell’s Restaurant Silver Winner The Chickenburger Bronze Winner Ardmore Tea Room There are a lot of milkshakes coming out of the Darrell’s kitchen—we’re talking upwards of 35,000 a year, on average. So, while owner Dan Joseph was tickled to hear of yet another gold win—and this Hall of…
Gold Winner Wasabi House Silver Winner Sushi Nami Royale, downtown Bronze Winner Tako Sushi & Ramen Some things never change and the fanbase for Oxford and Quinpool’s cozy little sushi joint is one of them. Winning this award pretty much every year since it opened—seven in a row—student favourite Wasabi House locks it down again…
Gold Winner Cape & Cowl Comics & Collectibles Silver Winner Giant Robot Comics Bronze Winner Monster Comic Lounge Hall of fame Strange Adventures, Halifax When Jay Aaron Roy opened Cape & Cowl Comics & Collectibles, he knew he wanted it to be much more than just another comics store. Five years later, the shop has…
Gold Winner Halifax waterfront Silver Winner Halifax Public Gardens Bronze Winner Halifax Central Library Ten reasons why Halifax’s waterfront is the best: 1. It’s only a 25- or 30-minute walk from anywhere on the peninsula. 2. Ice cream at both ends. 3. You can smell it from Brunswick Street if the wind blows in the…
Gold Winner Small Jobs Plumbing Silver Winner Mr. Rooter Plumbing Bronze Winner Blackburn & Bennett Plumbing and Heating Tammy Buchanan of Small Jobs Plumbing says the secret to her success is her ability to make people feel comfortable. (Her ability to make people’s pets feel comfortable only helps.) “Being able to help somebody out of…
Gold Winner The ReFound Shop Silver Winner Holy Roller Vintage Bronze Winner Finer Things Antiques & Curios If you’ve wanted to explore the world of estate sales but aren’t willing to put in the work, The ReFound Shop might just be your jam. The wee Dartmouth purveyor of furniture and home accessories looking to be…
Gold Winner Symphony Nova Scotia Silver Winner Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra Bronze Winner The Halifax Music Co-op “I think that we really try to program an orchestra for the community, not to be elitist but to have programming that appeals to diverse audiences,” says Symphony Nova Scotia’s CEO Chris Wilkinson. “What makes me really happy…
Gold Winner Neon Dreams Silver Winner Port Cities Bronze Winner T. Thomason While Neon Dreams is notorious for avoiding genre pigeonholing, member Adrian Morris shines some light on how to define the duo’s sound in light of the Best Pop Band win. “There’s almost a new wave of artists right now that are the sound…
Gold Winner Halifax Central Library Silver Winner Keshen Goodman Library Bronze Winner Alderney Gate Public Library It’s been almost five years since the Halifax Central Library first opened its doors, and this is the fifth year it’s won Best Library gold. Branch manager Kathleen Peverill says it’s so popular because it has space for everyone.…
Gold Winner Lot Six Bar & Restaurant Silver Winner The Bicycle Thief Bronze Winner Antojo Tacos + Tequila There’s no award for Most Instagrammable Restaurant in Halifax, but if there were, it’d make sense that the city’s favourite atmosphere, found at Lot Six, would be in the running. “There’s the building, the nice wood and…
Gold Winner The Gorsebrook Lounge Silver Winner Coburg Social Bronze Winner The Loaded Ladle, Dalhousie University The Gorsebrook isn’t your average campus pub, serving your average cafeteria food. SMUSA’s president and CEO Mary Navas says while the food is run by Aramark, the students’ union consults with the company to meet the needs of their…
Gold Winner Noggins Corner, Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market Silver Winner Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet, Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market Bronze Winner Off Beet Farm, Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market Noggins Corner at the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market is an essential part of the classic Saturday morning market experience. Headquartered in Wolfville, Noggins brings only the best of the…
Gold Winner Lake City Cider Silver Winner New Scotland Brewing Co. Bronze Winner Propeller Arcade Lake City Cider’s owner Poet Comeau was pleasantly surprised that her Dartmouth standout was nominated as the city’s Best New Bar, and she’s super stoked that it’s taking home the gold. “We didn’t really intend to be a bar, but…
Gold Winner World Tea House Silver Winner Sense and SensibiliTea Bronze Winner Wired Monk In a world throbbing with coffee snobs and cocktail connoisseurs, it’s worth taking a moment to raise a glass to the saviour of the steep: tea. A word that’s etymology is as interesting as the volatile political clashes it’s played a…
Gold Winner Atlantic News Silver Winner Jubilee Junction Convenience and Takeout Bronze Winner Triple A Convenience & Pizzeria Atlantic News, categorically, is a corner store. But it’s also much more than that. Owner Michele Gerard feels the appeal of the 46-year-old shop is due in large part to its staff: Customers feel welcomed. “Because we…
Gold Winner Helena Darling, Darling Tattoos Silver Winner Rebecca O’Quinn, Heirloom Tattoo Bronze Winner Amber Thorpe, Adept Tattoos & Body Piercing Studio For every Diply listicle of bad tattoo photos, there are hundreds of tattoo artists who weep at the mere sight of poorly done body art. A surefire way to avoid any tattoo ragerts…
Gold Winner James Dwyer, Press Realty Silver Winner Robert Scanlan, Royal LePage Atlantic Bronze Winner Mary-Ellen Power, RE/MAX nova James Dwyer says that when he got started in the realty business, he looked around and saw things were becoming more automated, less personal, and he thought to himself “this is still a people business,” and…
Gold Winner Cyclesmith Silver Winner The Bike Pedaler Bronze Winner Sportwheels This year, Halifax regional council moved forward on its promises for more bike lanes in the city. “It’s pretty cool,” says Cyclesmith owner Andrew Feenstra, “that the city is starting to think a little bit more progressive with alternate forms of transportation.” Plus, there’s…
Gold Winner Makayla Lynn Silver Winner Brooklyn Blackmore Bronze Winner Samantha Power “The most common thing you hear is you gotta find what makes you different than any other girl in Nashville,” says Lynn, who has been busy splitting her time between Nova Scotia and Nashville. She recalls advice she got earlier this year at…
Gold Winner Joel Plaskett Silver Winner Erin Costelo Bronze Winner Corey Lerue The man, the legend, the reason that you love this town can’t go a single year without taking home a little bit of Best of Halifax hardware. Fresh off a Thrush Hermit reunion tour, the singer-songwriter, business owner and studio dude takes home…
Gold Winner Gus the tortoise Silver Winner Theodore Tug Boat Bronze Winner Fat Apollo Halifax’s hero in the half shell is a mere 97 years old, and our city’s premiere vegan influencer is still just as cute as the day he hatched. How many times over the 76 years Gus has been in Halifax have…
Gold Winner Vandal Doughnuts Silver Winner LF Bakery Bronze Winner The Old Apothecary A siren song of neon frosting, candy-laced edges and thrillingly novel flavours might be what lures you to the bubblegum-pink door of Vandal Doughnuts at first, but it’s something else entirely that keeps you coming back. There’s also the succulent springy dough,…
Gold Winner Renée Lavallée, The Canteen Silver Winner Annie Brace Lavoie, Bar Kismet Bronze Winner Stephanie Ogilvie, Chives Canadian Bistro “I’m always flabbergasted because I don’t feel like I deserve it, there’s so much talent out there,” says your Best Chef for the third consecutive year, Renée Lavallée. She squirms a little while her husband…
Gold Winner The Bicycle Thief Silver Winner Bar Kismet Bronze Winner Ristorante a Mano The pedal is to the gold medal once again for the Halifax waterfront’s longtime people pleaser, The Bicycle Thief. The shiniest jewel in the Bertossi Restaurant Group crown, this atmospheric Italian eatery sets the mood for your big night out with…
Gold Winner Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse Silver Winner Real Fake Meats Bronze Winner Cafe Good Luck Open for just a year, Upstreet BBQ Brewhouse has been giving hungry people an excuse to head into the belly of Burnside for a taste of southern barbecue. “I hope it’s our customer service that sets us apart—we wanted to…
Gold Winner Cha Baa Thai Restaurant, downtown Silver Winner Talay Thai, Halifax Bronze Winner Cha Baa Thai Restaurant, Bedford Masaman curry, murder me. Step on my neck, mom! At least I think that’s how the kids of today would proclaim their allegiance to one of the most delicious dishes in the city. But it’s not…
Gold Winner Christmas At The Forum Silver Winner Dartmouth Makers Bronze Winner Halifax Crafters Grinches beware. Introverts, steer clear. This massive Christmas market allows Haligonians to get their holiday shopping done ahead of time, avoiding a wild dash through the mall on December 23. Boasting three days of more than 325 exhibitors—crafts, antiques, art and…
Gold Winner Information Morning, CBC 90.5 FM Silver Winner Morning Show w/Turk, Megan & Amateur Alex, Virgin Radio 101.3 FM Bronze Winner BJ and the Morning Crew, Q104 104.3 FM Louise Renault and Portia Clark’s alarm clocks go off just one minute apart. Renault’s at 3:55am and Clark’s at 3:56am. Fast forward a couple of…
In 1995, this little readers’ poll started with a one-page ballot printed in the paper. To vote, folks filled out the 78 questions with a pencil or a pen and delivered it to Coast headquarters where staffers compiled the winners into the first-ever The Good, The Bad and The Ugly awards. Twenty-five years later, over…
Gold Winner Pet Valu, Halifax Silver Winner Global Pet Foods, Dartmouth Bronze Winner Jollytails, Lady Hammond What is the point of having a dog or cat or parrot or bunny if not to spoil the heck out of them? Pet Valu knows what we’re talking about. For the third year in a row all you…
Gold Winner The Mellotones Silver Winner Signal Hill Bronze Winner Shameless “We play great tunes and have been playing them for a long time,” says The Mellotones bassist Mike Farrington of the group’s success. Having made a mark around town for over 20 years (catch the band at Bearly’s Thursday nights), Farrington says it’s all…
Gold Winner Sonic Entertainment Group Silver Winner Kayla Borden Bronze Winner Morbid Entertainment Big shows and partnerships with Pop Explosion and Jazz Fest has kept Sonic Concerts representative Erin McGuire busy in 2019. Her favourite gig of the past 12 months? “Lucinda Williams,” who came to Halifax to mark 20 years of her watershed album…
Gold Winner Gary Burrill Silver Winner Lenore Zann Bronze Winner Brendan Maguire Gary Burrill isn’t just the MLA for the Halifax Chebucto riding, he’s also the leader of the Nova Scotia NDP. And his team is the most gender-diverse among all levels of government of any caucus, ever, all across Canada. “I get up every…
Gold Winner Durty Nelly’s Authentic Irish Pub Silver Winner Good Robot Brewing Co. Bronze Winner Battery Park Beerbar & Eatery If you haven’t rolled into Durty Nelly’s well after the hour you thought you’d be home by, do you really live in Halifax? The free-live-music-every-night-of-the-week bar doubles as an authentic Irish pub. Being Halifax’s best…
Gold Winner Bubba Ray’s Sports Bar Too Silver Winner Your Father’s Moustache Bronze Winner Halifax Alehouse Finger-food fans are spoiled for choice at this multi-time winner winner chicken (wing) dinner. An entire menu of sauce and dry-rub options offers a little something for every tastebud on your tongue: From classics (mild, hot, honey garlic) to…
Gold Winner John’s Lunch Silver Winner Pleasant Street Diner Bronze Winner Fredie’s Fantastic Fish House Kathy Hilchey is multi-tasking. She’s finding time to reflect on her 20-year career at John’s Lunch between taking orders and delivering breakfast plates, while her longtime co-workers cut and prepare the morning fish delivery in the back of the restaurant.…
Gold Winner Ristorante a Mano Silver Winner il Mercato Trattoria Bronze Winner Vines Pasta Grill Ristorante a Mano GM Patrick Gaetz isn’t afraid to drop the L-word when it comes to the pasta served at the restaurant. “The dedication from our amazing chefs—they just put love into everything they do,” he says of what makes…
Gold Winner The Canteen Silver Winner The Wooden Monkey, Halifax Bronze Winner EDNA Renée Lavallée loves to cook with lemons and olive oil, but not as much as she loves her Saturday farmers’ market run. The Canteen’s chef and owner shouts out local producers like Ted Hutten, Tap Root Farms, Oulton’s and Noggins for helping…
Gold Winner My Mother’s Bloomers Silver Winner The Flower Shop Bronze Winner Janet’s Flowers “We at My Mother’s Bloomers have been pushing petals to the world since 1992, and it is both humbling and overwhelming to think of all the happiness, comfort and joy our efforts and our flowers have provided,” says owner Neville MacKay,…
Gold Winner Adept Tattoos & Body Piercing Studio, Halifax Silver Winner Darling Tattoos Bronze Winner Oceanic Art At Adept Tattoos & Body Piercing Studio, the friendly, diverse and creative space makes things great for both clients and staff. “It allows me to be me,” manager Lisa Faulkner says. “I get to spend my days in…
Gold Winner Halifax Noise, @halifaxnoise Silver Winner Halifax ReTales, @HalifaxReTales Bronze Winner Brett Ruskin, @Brett_CBC “Finally,” says Kate Ross AKA @halifaxnoise, the three-time best Instagram winner about her Best Twitterer win. Her strategy on Twitter is different than her approaches to other social networks. “Twitter is newsier,” she says. Her content is “really current,” and…
Gold Winner Taz Records, Halifax Silver Winner Taz Records, Dartmouth Bronze Winner Obsolete Records Jimmy Donnelly, manager and co-owner of Taz, has a simple answer to the record store’s success: “My standard answer is I give all credit to my lovely staff, who I am so proud of.” At that, a collective groan from said…
Gold Winner Ed Sheeran Silver Winner Lizzo Bronze Winner Lady Gaga Why Ed great till he gotta be great? Here we are, bestowing human bowl of oatmeal and cameo king Ed Sheeran with his second ever Best of Halifax Readers’ Choice Award. The UK’s pride and joy topped this category first in 2017—also the year…
Gold Winner DJ IV Silver Winner Pineo & Loeb Bronze Winner DJ Fadzwa DJ IV has been king of this category for a while, but now he’s ready to pass the torch. “To Coast readers, who I can’t thank enough for voting for me year after year, putting me in the gold category for nine…
Gold Winner Like a Motorcycle Silver Winner Sleepshaker Bronze Winner Booji Boys “This is great news! Fuck yeah! Thanks so much!” Like A Motorcycle’s KT Lamond’s enthusiasm for the win is a bit like LAM’s raucous live show. Volume + talent + fire emoji sums it up well. This year promises to be a big one,…
Gold Winner Discovery Centre Silver Winner Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History Bronze Winner Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 The sky’s not even the limit for wanderlusting explorers who visit the Discovery Centre. Brenna Hill, marketing and communications manager, says her favourite part of the centre is the dome theatre. “It’s just so…
Gold Winner Laura Arsenault, Java Blend Coffee Roasters Silver Winner Dan Weir, Weird Harbour Espresso Bar Bronze Winner Federico Pasquinelli, Espresso 46 Is it just us, or does it seem like Halifax has a disproportionate number of truly wonderful coffee shops? And because of that, also a disproportionate number of truly wonderful baristas? This (extra)…
Gold Winner Fan’s Chinese Restaurant Silver Winner Look Ho Ho Restaurant Bronze Winner Jean’s Chinese Restaurant Hall of fame The Great Wall It would be ludicrously easy to take the entire 100-word allotment for this writeup to list the many mouthwatering menu items at Fan’s. Homemade Northern dumplings, Dan Dan noodle soup, Ma Po tofu—there’s…
Gold Winner Mic Mac Bar & Grill Silver Winner Good Day Kitchen and Cafe Bronze Winner The Armview Restaurant & Lounge This one goes out to Marilyn. The mastermind behind Mic Mac’s (very secret) fish cake recipe is the late wife of owner Terry Legoffic, and her legacy makes its way to countless tables every…
Gold Winner Finbar’s Irish Pub, Bedford Silver Winner Durty Nelly’s Authentic Irish Pub Bronze Winner The Lower Deck, Halifax Hall of fame Economy Shoe Shop After 10 years of chilling in the Hall of Fame, the Best Nachos category is back and Bedford favourite Finbar’s has grabbed the corn chip crown. “If nothing else, they’re…
Gold Winner enVie – A Vegan Kitchen Silver Winner The Wooden Monkey, Halifax Bronze Winner Wild Leek Food & Juice Bar Cory Urquhart eats, sleeps and breathes enVie—and is totally happy to, thanks to his dedicated staff, which he calls “a really cool family.” While offering innovative dishes that help folks explore plant-based eating is…
Gold Winner Dapper Dogs Silver Winner Jollytails, Lady Hammond Bronze Winner Prim & Pupper Jennifer Keddy has always been an animal person. She loved horses and dogs long before working at a doggy daycare, as a bather for another dog groomer and then eventually opening her own pup salon, Dapper Dogs. “My staff, majorly,” Keddy…
Gold Winner Sickboy Silver Winner Nighttime Podcast Bronze Winner Turn Me On “In the beginning we didn’t think this would be something people would connect with on such a deep level, so it still shocks me sometimes,” co-host Brian Stever says of Sickboy, the four-time-winning podcast series helmed by himself and BFFs Jeremie Saunders and…
Gold Winner Lunenburg Silver Winner White Point Beach Resort Bronze Winner Mahone Bay Seriously the closest thing we have to Stars Hollow, Lunenburg is damned delightful. The place looks like a true movie set. She’s lovely! And she’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic District. Grab a sample at Ironworks, a book…
Gold Winner Black Market Boutique Silver Winner Kept Gifts & Housewares Bronze Winner The Independent Mercantile Co. Long-time manager turned co-owner Lauren Parsons has worked for Black Market Boutique since 2002. Parsons, along with colleague Wiebke Kungl, has been in the process of taking over ownership for the last five years. In that time, it’s…
Gold Winner Africville, Shauntay Grant Silver Winner First Degree, Kayla Hounsell Bronze Winner Worthy of Love, Andre Fenton Shortlisted for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the upcoming Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masters Arts Award, Africville is a look at the history of a community through the eyes of a little girl. Grant…
Gold Winner Neon Dreams Silver Winner Rich Aucoin Bronze Winner Scientists Of Sound “I think we really changed the way we write music in the past year, especially on the last album. We started to understand our fan base and almost write to them directly,” says Neon Dreams’ Adrian Morris. “This album really separates—it’s like…
Gold Winner Reeny Smith Silver Winner Roxy & The Underground Soul Sound Bronze Winner Jody Upshaw Reeny Smith had a big 2019. She was featured in CBC Gem’s Hear! Here! A Musical Geographic, gave performances with both Neptune Theatre’s Kitchen Party and Symphony Nova Scotia with her sister Mahalia Smith, won an ECMA for her…
Gold Winner The Lower Deck, Halifax Silver Winner The Seahorse Tavern Bronze Winner The Marquee Ballroom The words “oh the year was 1778” will raise the hairs on the back of the neck of any Haligonian who knows about the unspoken elements of a good maritime party. With luck, they’ll be followed by “how I…
Gold Winner Nicki Brown, Good Robot Brewing Co. Silver Winner Sabrina Cooke, Freeman’s Little New York Bronze Winner Cyle Crothers, Lot Six Bar & Restaurant Nicki Brown thinks it’s pretty cool to win Best Bartender as a beer bartender. “It shows that not all bartenders have to make cocktails,” says Brown. What makes her the…
Gold Winner The Canteen Silver Winner Esquire Restaurant Bronze Winner Evan’s Fresh Seafoods Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And with each bowl boasting mouthfuls of both smoked haddock and smoked bacon, it’s not overly surprising Renée Lavallée’s chowder remains one of the hottest and most-ordered dishes on her menu, and is the city’s gold-winner for…
Gold Winner Lindsay Nelson, Eat this Town Silver Winner Dani Squires, Craving Halifax Bronze Winner Olivia Biermann, Liv B. From profiling Nova Scotian foods (read her take on Cape Breton’s beloved pizza burger) to the food quests that see her traipsing around town (as of press time, Eat This Town was in the process of…
Gold Winner Morris East, Halifax Silver Winner Yeah Yeahs Pizza, Dartmouth Bronze Winner Stone Pizza Hall of fame Salvatore’s Pizzaiolo Trattoria It’s all about the team for Jennie Dobbs, Morris East owner and now thrice a winner in this category. “This year I have two employees who’ve worked at Morris East for 10 years,” she…
Gold Winner Obladee, A Wine Bar Silver Winner Little Oak Bronze Winner The Barrington Steakhouse & Oyster Bar “When we first opened there weren’t a lot of businesses like ours but now there are, and people have a lot of choice—not only that, but the wine lists across the city are improving too,” says Heather…
Gold Winner Andrew Quinn Chapman, AQC Salon Silver Winner Lindsay Algee, Tidal Hair Lounge Bronze Winner Malyssa Burn, Interlude Spa When Andrew Quinn Chapman left what he describes as “factory salons” seven years ago to launch his own space, it felt like a lot was on the line: “For a time my family wasn’t sure…
Gold Winner Mic Mac Tailors Silver Winner Sherzad’s Tailoring Shop Bronze Winner Daniel’s Tailors Mufit Halef, owner of Mic Mac Tailors, sees himself as a master problem solver. People come to him from all over Nova Scotia—and beyond—to get him to fix the things others said they couldn’t. “When they come in and see the…
Gold Winner The Board Room Game Cafe Silver Winner Celtic Corner Public House Bronze Winner The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse “The very first one we did was Harry Potter trivia—and it blew up. We posted it for one night and we had to do it over three or four,” says Kat Adams, the Board Room’s…
Gold Winner Woozles Silver Winner Venus Envy Bronze Winner Bookmark Woozles has been a Halifax staple for 41 years, making it the oldest children’s bookstore in the country. “We love what we do and are continually inspired by our loyal customers and the new folks who manage to find us. Working with young eager readers…
Gold Winner Cavell Holland Silver Winner Sara Steele Bronze Winner Monique Ryan “Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me and the incredibly talented folks and organizations nominated,” says Cavell Holland, dance instructor and choreographer at House of Eights Dance Studio, your choice for Best Choreographer. “Halifax is my home, and it means…
Gold Winner Port Cities Silver Winner Old Man Luedecke Bronze Winner Caribou Run The biggest moment of 2019 for the Port Cities wasn’t playing at the JUNOs. Rather, it came right after the band left the stage. “Producer Greg Wells DM’d us right after our set and we met up to work on some songs,”…
Gold Winner Adam Baldwin Silver Winner The Town Heroes Bronze Winner Hillsburn “I always say I never think I give a shit about those things until someone tells me I won ’em, that’s when the ol’ ego wakes up,” Baldwin begins, with a laugh. “But a reader’s poll? That means something to me, that people…
Gold Winner Dalhousie University Silver Winner Saint Mary’s University Bronze Winner NSCC Ivany Campus Dalhouse University is the true Canadian university experience. It has ragers in Howe Hall, all nighters in the Killam Library, fairly good sports teams, decent campus watering holes (despite recent shutdowns), it’s close to downtown, close to the ocean, student housing…
Gold Winner il Mercato Trattoria Silver Winner The Chickenburger Bronze Winner Finbar’s Irish Pub First date, birthday supper, family meal, girls’ night out—it’s all happening under il Mercato’s roof any night of the week. This multi-time Best of Halifax winner captures authentic Italian flavour in its sprawling menu of pastas, pizzas and antipasti, but the…
Gold Winner Chain Yard Cider Silver Winner Lake City Cider Bronze Winner Annapolis Cider Company “We strive to make ciders on the drier side and to be inventive. We’re always looking for different fruits and ingredients to use,” says Michael Lim of Chain Yard’s resume, which includes making somewhere in the vicinity of 60 ciders…
Gold Winner Bud the Spud Silver Winner Willy’s Fresh Cut Fries & Burgers Bronze Winner Stubborn Goat Gastropub A potato haiku: Hot dog or sausage fries, drink, $8.75 I love fries the most.
Gold Winner Yeah Yeahs Pizza, Dartmouth Silver Winner Sicilian Pizza, Donairs & Subs, Pizza Corner Bronze Winner Pizza Girls, Pizza Corner Josh Nordin is pumped to hear about Yeah Yeahs’ gold win for its slices, but even more so that the restaurant’s pizzas earned a silver nod in Best Pizza Pie, too—an acknowledgement that they’re…
Gold Winner Lightfoot & Wolfville Silver Winner Benjamin Bridge Bronze Winner Luckett Vineyards “It’s a very exciting time in the Nova Scotia wine scene and we’re incredibly honoured to be part of such a vibrant thriving industry and surrounded by so many talented folks,” says Lightfoot & Wolfville’s Rachel Lightfoot. Even after a year of…
Gold Winner Spirit Spa, downtown Silver Winner Fancy Nails Bronze Winner The Ten Spot “We are in the business of helping manage stress. People in general understand self care isn’t selfish, it’s healthy for overall well being,” says Linda Brigley, owner/operator of Spirit Spa. “People want that moment to themselves. The treatment itself almost doesn’t…
Gold Winner Virgin Radio 101.3 FM Silver Winner CBC 90.5 FM Bronze Winner Q104 104.3 FM If you want to know what’s blowing up the mainstream charts right now—or what will be tomorrow— Virgin Radio is where your preset ought to be. Readers threw votes at 101.3 for shows like The Hit Mix, the I…
Gold Winner Laurie the Guy, Lion’s Head Tavern Silver Winner Dave Smith, Oasis Bronze Winner Jackie Smith, Staggers Pub & Grub It’s been a great year for Laurie “The Guy” Goulding, self-proclaimed lucky guy. Not only did he pop the question to his partner of 18 years, Trudy, she said yes, they got married AND…
Gold Winner Robyn Ingraham, Sailor Bup’s Barbershop Silver Winner Phat Luong, Phat’s Barber Shop Bronze Winner Jeremy Naugler, Oddfellows Barbershop “I guess what I’ve been working towards with my career is giving people an experience more than service—making them comfortable, training myself with new ways to do haircuts so they grow out properly so they…
Gold Winner Lindsay Dauphinee Silver Winner Dan Hendricken Bronze Winner Travis Lindsay “I’m extremely grateful to the folks who voted for me but equally worried about how messed up they must be to think so highly of me.” Lindsay Dauphinee has a love/hate relationship with stand-up, which sounds about right based on every comedian ever.…
Gold Winner Quake Matthews Silver Winner Aquakultre Bronze Winner Corey Writes It takes Quake Matthews a good 10 seconds to think of a reply when asked what makes him the best hip hop artist in town. “Just persistence and consistency,” he says. “There’s so many talented people from this city and no one is really…
Gold Winner Neon Dreams Silver Winner The Town Heroes Bronze Winner T. Thomason “I always say I never think I give a shit about those things until someone tells me I won ’em, that’s when the ol’ ego wakes up,” Baldwin begins, with a laugh. “But a reader’s poll? That means something to me, that…
Gold Winner Halifax waterfront Silver Winner The Board Room Game Cafe Bronze Winner Point Pleasant Park Halifax’s waterfront is the Best Place For A First Date for lots of reasons. It’s idyllic. It’s romantic. The views are nice and there are enough people to people watch when you’ve run out of things to talk about…
Gold Winner Stillwell Beer Bar Silver Winner Battery Park Beerbar & Eatery Bronze Winner Good Robot Brewing Co. Stillwell’s Laura MacDonald says curating an award-winning selection of both local and international beers to fill your pints is certainly a labour of love, but it’s also a little bit self-serving.“We want to drink cool stuff and…
Gold Winner Mezza Lebanese Kitchen Silver Winner Tako Sushi & Ramen Bronze Winner The Lower Deck As one of Halifax’s best neighbourhoods for hidden gem restaurants boasting varying cuisines and dining experiences, the competition in the Clayton Park category is fierce. The best ramen in town? Authentic Chinese food? Korean hot pot? Local takeout chain…
Gold Winner The Wooden Monkey, Halifax Silver Winner enVie – A Vegan Kitchen Bronze Winner Heartwood, Quinpool The Wooden Monkey is friendly in a lot of ways, not just to the gluten intolerant among us. But it’s the thoughtfulness that goes into designing every dish—the focus on using local, sustainable and organic ingredients throughout its…
Gold Winner HFX Sports Bar & Grill Silver Winner Niche Lounge Bronze Winner Rogers Square HFX Sports calls itself “Halifax’s #1 sports bar” and you’ve gone and proven it right, readers. A source of maximum stimulation, this massive bar boasts 90+ TVs as well as a wall of LED panels (the largest of which is…
Gold Winner El Jones Silver Winner Rana Zaman Bronze Winner Jo-Anne Larade El Jones has won this award since 2015, and in that time says she’s begun to prefer the term advocate to activist. Advocacy “suggests that we work with communities, not just to take action, but to advocate for rights,” says Jones. It’s more…
Gold Winner Spirit Spa, downtown Silver Winner Interlude Spa, Halifax Bronze Winner Cascades Day Spa “I think our people are incredibly well trained, we try to stay on top of latest treatments and ingredients, and we have a lot of passion for the business,” Linda Brigley, owner/operator of Spirit Spa, says. “Just staying on top…
Gold Winner EastCoast Kicks Silver Winner John David Shoes Bronze Winner Mahone Bay Trading Company, Young Street After five consecutive wins, John David Shoes has officially been dethroned by sneaker freak John Connors and his kickass little shop for kicks on West Street. Since ambitiously joining forces with fellow sole man Tyrone Goodwin (who does…
Gold Winner Adam and Lindsay Present Silver Winner Hello City Bronze Winner The Pickled Frog at The Fickle Frog Pub Adam Myatt and Lindsay Dauphinee (your vote for Best Comedian) have been busy, and as a result have slowed down on shows slightly. But expect a triumphant return to form with the third annual Gay…
Gold Winner Phat’s Barber Shop Silver Winner Sailor Bup’s Barbershop, downtown Bronze Winner Oddfellows Barbershop On Saturday mornings, the lineup at Phat’s Barber Shop often spills out the door. Amid the rise in beard-butter-bro-barbers, Phat’s has managed to keep things simple. Each evening the place gets swept, sometimes a day’s work catches the wind and…
Gold Winner Nicole McInnis, Oh Dina! Silver Winner Tyrone Goodwin, Classic Soles Bronze Winner Nicole Decarufel, My Tiny Creatives Nicole McInnis of Oh Dina! has had a busy year. With her new baby Sonny, she’s on a short break until 2020. But new collections are coming, likely featuring some of her latest favourite materials, dried…
Gold Winner Holly Arsenault Trio Silver Winner Willem Paynter Bronze Winner Karen Myatt “Jazz is the trunk of my tree,” Holly Arsenault says. “It informs everything I do—the study of jazz is big picture. It’s spontaneous but not random.” In a year filled with gigs and creative projects, she thinks one thing has stood out:…
Gold Winner Mo Kenney Silver Winner Adam Baldwin Bronze Winner Reeny Smith “It’s sort of scary because it’s all on you—like, if people don’t like it it’s because I suck. But, on the other hand, it’s nice to have all that creative control: My vision and whatever I want it to be,” says Mo Kenney…
Gold Winner The Seahorse Tavern Silver Winner Midtown-Boomers Tavern & Lounge Bronze Winner Pacifico “I think there’s an entire culture of people who love to dance, party and have a fun night out, but dislike the atmosphere and vibe of most downtown dance clubs. The Seahorse tries to provide an antidote to that,” Jeff Pineau, talent…
Gold Winner Ardmore Tea Room Silver Winner The Coastal Cafe Bronze Winner Portland Street Creperie The Ardmore Tea Room is an extra special Halifax place. A moment in time, an ol’ reliable, a guaranteed hangover cure and a table worth waiting for, Quinpool Road wouldn’t be the same without this breakfast institution. The earliest of…
Gold Winner Lot Six Bar & Restaurant Silver Winner The Middle Spoon Desserterie & Bar, Halifax Bronze Winner Bar Kismet The people behind the bar are what make the cocktails at Lot Six work so well, says manager David Lynds. “They are so serious about perfecting their craft,” he says, “it’s impressive.” Most menus take…
Gold Winner Ela! Greek Taverna, Bayers Lake Silver Winner Athens Restaurant Bronze Winner Lemon Tree Restaurant, Halifax It’s the second consecutive win for this veteran Greek god, shining bright like a diamond amongst the chain restaurants of Bayer’s Lake. Fine-tuning its traditional menu under the same ownership for 15-plus years, Ela! gets mad love for…
Gold Winner Willy’s Fresh Cut Fries & Burgers Silver Winner Cheese Curds Gourmet Burgers + Poutinerie, Woodside Bronze Winner Smoke’s Poutinerie, Pizza Corner Sometimes with poutine, it’s the toppings that save the day. The fries can be meh and no one will notice if they’re coated in the right amount of squeaky curds and salted-to-perfection…
Gold Winner Adsum for Women & Children Silver Winner Youth Project Bronze Winner Autism Nova Scotia Hall of Fame Ecology Action Centre “This is in some ways an expression of confidence in what we do,” says Adsum for Women & Children’s executive director, Sheri Lecker, on the organization’s first win. “An affirmation that we’re focused…
Gold Winner The Tare Shop Silver Winner Real Fake Meats Bronze Winner Purple Cow Internet In January 2018, when Kate Pepler announced to the world that The Tare Shop—a package-free bulk store—was on its way, she felt like she was the only person in the city trying to live that way. “Then I started getting…
Gold Winner Sweet Pea Boutique Silver Winner Biscuit General Store Bronze Winner Vivacious Vixen Apparel “I’ve been around for what will be 13 years in a couple of months. I just had a lot of loyal customers I grew up with,” says Sweet Pea’s Johanna Galipeau of her shop’s success. “We bring in new things…
Gold Winner Stubborn Goat Beer Garden Silver Winner Stillwell Beergarden Bronze Winner Good Robot Brewing Co. Hall of fame Your Father’s Moustache Summer 2019 is barely over, but Legendary Hospitality’s Geir Simensen is already counting down to summer 2020. That might have something to do with the banner year the Stubborn Goat Beer Garden had…
Gold Winner Stacy Landry, Adorn Salon & Spa Silver Winner Natalie MacDonald, Blair Beauty Bar Bronze Winner Kayla Deveau, Beauty By Kayla Deveau “It doesn’t feel like a job to me. I love what I do. I specialize in waxing, I specialize in eyebrows,” Stacy Landry, a master esthetician, says. “I’m obsessed with wax. I…
Gold Winner House of Eights Dance Studio Silver Winner Maritime Bhangra Group Bronze Winner Halifax Dance Abady Alzahrani’s House of Eights has only been going since January, but already, he says, his drop-in dance studio—the only one in the city—is “like a second home to people. Some people are here four and five days a…
Gold Winner The Marquee Ballroom Silver Winner Rebecca Cohn Auditorium Bronze Winner The Seahorse Tavern “We are constantly listening to the community and the artists around us to be reactive in real-time to the scene. Having an active ear to the ground gives us the capacity to grow, and to be stronger and better,” Jeff…
Gold Winner Mo Kenney Silver Winner Joel Plaskett Bronze Winner Makayla Lynn Mo Kenney says she’ll have a new album soon, “depending on how much writing I can get done.” Her process? “I usually sit down with my guitar and fiddle around for a few hours and see if I can come up with a…
Gold Winner Point Pleasant Park Silver Winner Salt Marsh Trail Bronze Winner Shubie Park A frequent PPP runner says: “Point Pleasant Park is the best for a good long run, especially if you’re looking for a great spot for a breather while taking in your surroundings. Running to the bottom of the park gives you…
Gold Winner The Canteen Silver Winner The Coastal Cafe Bronze Winner Bagel Montreal Style “The Hangover is an OG,” says chef Renée Lavallée of the sammy that’s been on The Canteen’s menu since day one: Housemade bagel. Oulton’s bacon. Avocado cream. Local egg. The kind of yoke that’s probably (most definitely) going to drip down…
Gold Winner Java Blend Coffee Roasters Silver Winner Two If By Sea Cafe Bronze Winner Weird Harbour Espresso Bar “I think a lot of our focus has been good value for money: We’re not charging eight dollars a latte and we’ve always been committed to quality,” says Jim Dikaios of Java Blend’s gold win. The…
Gold Winner Gio, The Prince George Hotel Silver Winner Tempo Food + Drink Bronze Winner Redwood Grill Gio is the Best Hotel Restaurant perhaps because it doesn’t think of itself as a hotel restaurant. Partners-in-crime with Best Hotel, the Gio/Prince George duo puts in work to make sure celebs and citizens feel like stars. “From…
Gold Winner Mic Mac Bar & Grill Silver Winner Stubborn Goat Gastropub Bronze Winner The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse When you think pub food, it’s all burgers and fries, cheese-covered nachos, chicken wings and maybe—if you’re lucky, or if you’re at the Mic Mac—a rack of ribs. It’s no-frills stuff that pairs well with cold…
Gold Winner Ellie Black Silver Winner Lindell Wigginton Bronze Winner Jillian Saulnier Ellie Black has had a big year. She won five medals at the Pan Am games in Lima and qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo next summer. On top of that, she’s snagged the highest honour in the hearts of Haligonians. (The place…
Gold Winner Trevor Silver Silver Winner Katrina Tuttle Bronze Winner Lisa Drader Murphy Trust. Respect. Educate. Value. Trevor Silver—the management student and designer behind tREv Clothing—was striving to live by these principles long before they became the pillars of his brand. Inspired by his “fashionista” mother from a young age, in 2017 Silver found his…
Gold Winner Alan Dalton, Evolve Fitness Silver Winner Emily Herman, Evolve Fitness Bronze Winner Amanda Shulba, O2 Wellness Alan Dalton’s job at Evolve Fitness is “busy and enjoyable and always a little bit different,” he says. The fitness instructor has been with the gym for five years, and being active has always been a huge…
Gold Winner CBC 90.5 FM Silver Winner Seaside FM 105.9 FM Bronze Winner CKDU 88.1 FM Breaking news: The ceeb plays music too. Whether it’s using a Rich Aucoin original to open Best Radio Show Information Morning, shouting out a local track via Mainstreet’s One In A Row, touring the Atlantic provinces sonically with East…
Gold Winner Tidal Hair Lounge Silver Winner Bowtique Hair & Makeup Bronze Winner Dime Salon Inc. “We’re kind of pinching ourselves,” says Lindsay Algee, on speakerphone with her friend and Tidal Hair Lounge co-owner Cara MacInnis. The pair opened the salon in 2016 after years of daydreaming of having their own place: one that was…
Gold Winner Cavell Holland Silver Winner Monique Ryan Bronze Winner Jessica Lowe “When I was younger, I always wanted to entertain. I always had my hand in a few different pots creatively, but there was something about dance and the energy exchange that just clicked for me,” says Cavell Holland, who also was your choice…
Gold Winner Matt Andersen & The Mellotones at the Rebecca Cohn Silver Winner Ria Mae at The Marquee Ballroom Bronze Winner Metric at the Scotiabank Centre Matt Andersen remembers when he first started gigging in Halifax, “playing for a handful of people at Stayner’s Wharf. Now, getting to play to like 2,000 people is pretty…
Gold Winner Rainbow Haven Beach Silver Winner Crystal Crescent Beach Bronze Winner Long Lake Provincial Park The most perfect swim of the summer happened at Rainbow Haven Beach. It was late August and early evening and we had chips. Tuesday beachgoers sat in their respective spots. Dogs and babies and toddlers ran amuck. The seaweed…
Gold Winner Good Robot Brewing Co. Silver Winner Garrison Brewing Company Bronze Winner New Scotland Brewing Co. Josh Counsil credits Good Robot Brewing Co.’s latest win to a couple of important things that tie into its vision statement: “One thing is that beyond curating beer, we can curate quirky beer experiences and the other is…
Gold Winner Vandal Doughnuts Silver Winner Layers Cakes Bronze Winner Fortune Doughnut No matter if it’s the sweet-and-simple pink frosting and sprinkles of The Homer or a more intricate offering like the Skor bar cheesecake doughnut, the hoodlums at Vandal are always frying up something delicious to satisfy the sweetest of teeth. The pink boxes…
Gold Winner Cows Silver Winner Dee Dee’s Ice Cream Bronze Winner Humani-T Cafe, north end Best ice cream, sure. It’s a tasty scoop. Cowconut Cream Pie? Wowie Cowie? Nanaimoo Bar? Come on. If this survey had a best branded t-shirt category, there’s no DOUBT Cows would crush it. Someone in the t-shirt-making factory is working…
Gold Winner The Canteen Silver Winner The Bicycle Thief Bronze Winner 2 Doors Down Food + Wine Renée Lavallée and Doug Townsend’s minds are blown. “We try to eat out on a regular basis—we know the amazing restaurants, the Bar Kismets, the EDNAs,” says Lavallée via speakerphone. She lovingly calls The Canteen “just a little…
Gold Winner Arthur Gaudreau, Halifax ReTales Silver Winner Kayla Short, Short Presents Bronze Winner Allie Conway and Sam Kwiatkowski, Allie & Sam “I never got into it for the right reasons, I just did it for me and then people followed,” says Arthur Gaudreau, AKA Halifax ReTales, of his wildly popular online presence. As he…
Gold Winner Halifax Shopping Centre Silver Winner Mic Mac Mall Bronze Winner Sunnyside Mall Remember back when you were a teenager and there was nothing to do, and despite the fact that you had no money, you’d hang out at the mall? Just roaming around, looking at the things you wish you had, drinking an…
Gold Winner Evolve Fitness Silver Winner O2 Wellness Bronze Winner Zatzman Sportsplex “The gym is a very scary place for a people who haven’t been, or even people who do go to a big gym with lots of new people,” says Matt Benvie, founder of Evolve Fitness. But Benvie says Evolve’s laid-back and intentionally not-intimidating…
Gold Winner Mountain Equipment Co-op Silver Winner Sport Chek, Halifax Shopping Centre Bronze Winner The Trail Shop “There’s not many places that someone would suggest that you bring something in to be repaired rather than buy something new,” says manager Kent Walsh. MEC’s approach, he says, comes “from a place of purpose around enabling and…
Gold Winner Kept Gifts & Housewares Silver Winner The Independent Mercantile Co. Bronze Winner Inkwell Modern Handmade Boutique & Letterpress Studio Dartmouth’s Kept has a little bit of everything, but its housewares really enamoured BOH voters this year. “In the face of online shopping and big-box retail, we strive to uphold the forgotten art of…
When Tim Crabtree—the brains and diary entries behind the vulnerable chamber folk of Paper Beat Scissors—pulled through the Cobequid Pass yesterday, “it felt like a homecoming,” he says, laughing into the phone as he talks about the feeling that swept over him as he stretched his legs at the rest-stop that marks the halfway point…
