Happy 21st Birthday to Cafe Chianti

One of the first restaurants my daughter took me to when we first moved to Halifax three years ago was Cafe Chianti - and I fell in love with it. It was a perfect "ladies lunch" spot for me -
Their seafood crepes have me drooling every time I think of them. And no matter how often I would go, I'd always make them my choice...tasting everyone else's awesome dishes as well. Joanna always had difficulty choosing between the Transylvanian or the Gypsy Goulash.

Sadly, during this past winter, there was a fire that put an abrupt stop to our visits. But I'm happy to report, that along with a lot of other happy Cafe Chianti patrons, I was invited to a reception announcing their 21st Birthday and the relocation. It's just around the corner at 1241 Barrington - if you're ever in Halifax, this is a must - lunch or dinner stop.

Let me take you on a little tour...but first, how about some wonderful appetizers to whet your appetites?
Italian salami wrapped around stuffed olives
smoked salmon & cream cheese rolls,
jumbo shrimp with a wonderful sweet & spicy chili sauce,
I tried to take a photo of the bacon wrapped scallops - so good that my hands were shaking and they quickly popped into my mouth.
They were part of a wonderful wall of hot delicacies, just a sample of what awaits on the menu...gourmet pizzas, Hungarian smoked sausages.

And now that you're no longer hungry...or rather, now that I've made you really hungry...the tour. Starting with the frescos behind the hot buffet. These, and others around the new restaurant were taken from the old to keep the wonderful European atmosphere Cafe Chianti patrons love.
Today, for the reception, one of the two dining rooms was cleared of chairs and tables for everyone to be able to mingle about, taste the wonderful appetizers, savor the wines and champagnes while listening to some beautiful Spanish guitar. I didn't catch his name (didn't want to interrupt), but I'm told he'll be back every Sunday, so you have many opportunities to hear him play.
As bright and sunny as the front dining room is - with a small open air terrace right on Barrington for Summer dining, the other dining room is rich and decorated in dark brown and burgundy tones, which, even in the early afternoon, gives the feel of a romantic late night dinner.
In between, is a lounge and bar that brings the two worlds together.
It's the perfect place to wait for your friends and have a drink before heading into the dining rooms for that perfect meal.

Welcome back Cafe Chianti! And good wishes for at least the next 21 years.

Savour Food & Wine Show

Lucky me, a couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend the Seventh Annual Savour Food & Wine Show, showcasing the diversity of Nova Scotia's food and wine industry. SFWS is actually the culmination of a month long party orchestrated by the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia, better known as RANS, a non-profit organization established in 1947 to promote the food and beverage sector of the hospitality industry. And they do a great job all year round. (You can check out their calendar for upcoming events)

It's taken me two weeks just to digest it (pardon the pun) and try to figure out how to write about it...not so much to make you jealous if you've missed it, but rather to book your calendar ahead for next year's event. The photo at the top (Chefs from Trendz, over in Dartmouth) just a taste of what's in store for everyone once the doors open.

I must mention that the clever people at RANS work hard to organize February's Dine Out Nova Scotia, to help us endure the longest month of the year...and yes, I know that actually it's the shortest, but it certainly feels longer. They entice us all to come out of hibernation and savour some very tasty menus at local restaurants, who in turn, show off their best creations with a prix fixe meal - 3-5 course meals (depending on the restaurant) of very interesting fare.

And if that didn't get you out of the house, there was Decadence Chocolate, Wine, Cheese event that sold out in seconds, and Rare & Fine Wine Tasting. But the real show stopper was,is, and always will be, the big finale...

...the Savour Food & Wine Show, showcasing more than 60 fantastic restaurants and beverage producers and suppliers. What can I say...it was over-the-top two and a half hours of live entertainment, (lots of ) sips of wine, spirits (I had an awesome cocktail at Mosaic) and beer.

Let me just say, that if I were to organize a do...wedding, anniversary...whatever, I'd stick to appetizers and bite size tasty morsels - the more the better. And that's exactly what SFWS is all about - Two and a half hours of tasting and sipping. It was all a delicious blur and I thought I'd share some of the tasty treats with you. Not the best photos, but it was hard to juggle, crowd, plate full of goodies and a glass of the perfect wine to pair it with.

Here's a little photo sample of my adventure... and I apologize in advance for the ones I've neglected to mention.
Greeted by 44 North's version of poutine...Duck Poutine, with duck fries, duck confit,local curds
Vodka bottle weren't the only things on ice (I couldn't get a good photo), forget shaken or stirred martinis and cosmos - imagine your drink poured through an ice sculpture funnel - awesome way to start the night.
Some live entertainment to add even more zip to the evening
and of course there was a crowd - more than 600 people showed up, but have no fear...a little sip of a tasty cocktail from Mosaic Social Dining Lounge...
...and then, the doors open and the chefs et al are ready for you....
Chef's at Le Caveau and their trio of house cured charcuterie sandwiches and...
their deconstructed lamb pastilla.
Chef Dennis Johnston and the crew from fid
with a simple and so delicious crumpet with smoked salmon
The NSCC - Nova Scotia Culinary College's Junior team (which went off to win the NS Cullinary Championship - I'll be visiting with them and their awesome coach Chef Sean Kettley right after Spring Break) and a jaw dropping Smoked Salmon, carrot bomb, melon caviar, & pappadum crack
Opa Greek Taverna chefs and their whole roasted lamb
A very intriguing - and delicious - Cajun escargot fritter from Onyx
Saege Bistro & Scanway (every Halifax bride wants a Scanway cake) went with the Olympics theme
Savoury Tiger Prawn and cucumber bobsleds
and sweet their Taste of Victory
Dirty Nelly's Oysters fresh from the ocean - I can still taste them on my tongue.
And no SFWS would be complete without Hamachi's fantastic sushi (They've won for best cold food year after year) This photo below represents all of their restaurants.
My apologies to all the other awesome restaurants and beverage stations that I never got a chance to photograph. The rest of the evening is quite a blur still. But I can't wait for next year and there were certainly lots of restaurants I'm glad I was introduced to.

Boneheads - a Real BBQ Joint in Halifax

There's a new type of restaurant in Halifax - a BBQ Joint. Apparently many people around town are wondering just what a BBQ joint is. Well, if you've travelled in the Southern U S, then I don't have to tell you about slow smoking and fall of the bone ribs, beef brisket or pulled pork (I prefer mine in a sandwich).

If you want to know more about the history and particular speciality of each of the Southern states, check here. If you're like me, you'll just want to head on over to Boneheads BBQ in downtown Halifax for some very serious BBQ.

I've been lucky enough to enjoy pulled pork and ribs in New Orleans, Atlanta and my Honey has even made more stops at lots of Southern BBQ Joints on a road trip a few years ago. We both agree - Boneheads is just as delicious as anything we've had down south.

So good, in fact I had to have a chat with the main forces at Boneheads. Cindy Wheatley (on the right), owner and dreamer grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and worked in Truro managing a restaurant there for a number of years. That said, she's long had a fascination with BBQ joints on her many travels down South. Not only because the food taste so great, but there's a special kind of atmosphere. The small, very casual neighborhood restaurants reminded her of "Cheers" - that TV show set in a bar "where everyone knows your name".

Cindy loved the whole package and started dreaming about owning her own BBQ Joint about eight years ago - wrote the business plan, bought a backyard smoker to experiment on and made many a trip south over the years.

Finally...an overnight success! In spite of the fact that most Haligonians didn't have a clue what a BBQ Joint was, and with zero advertising...the place was packed on opening day back in January, and still continues to be crazy busy. Word of mouth is definitely the best advertising of all. So busy, they still have trouble keeping up with the orders and, be prepared, the beef brisket goes quickly.

Graeme Pass (standing next to Cindy), is the chef extraordinaire, who runs the kitchen with Cindy. Another Nova Scotian native, but one with family roots in Georgia and South Carolina, where they definitely know their BBQ. With crowds daily, naturally my first question to Graeme was...what's the biggest challenge?

No surprise to the answer - finding and slow cooking enough meat to feed everyone! Neither Cindy nor Graeme expected such a crowd when they opened the doors. People were waiting in line and it remained that way all day! Now that they've established their local sources, things are much better. I'd been hearing the buzz from those who'd been and those who were going to check it out. And after my visit, it's easy to understand why the place is such a success.

I loved it from the moment I entered...great music, warm and welcoming decor, and the aroma...

If you look at the photo at the top, you can see beyond the counter, where you place your order, into the kitchen - which isn't much bigger than that. There's one large and one small smoker...that's what perfumes the restaurant and has you taking the biggest inhale you can as you walk in the door, but I digress. Between the limited kitchen space, and the fact that smoking is a long, slow process, it's hard to meet the needs of customers. Boneheads customers easily consume more than 80 racks of ribs and 300 pounds of pulled pork in a weekend!

Lunchtime favorites during the week...the sandwiches - pulled pork, beef brisket, shredded chicken, each for under $6 and all smoked to perfection.

I had an awesome half rack of ribs served with a side of beans (delicious, and my test of a good BBQ joint) and cole slaw. My Honey had the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich and hand cut fries, a meal made in Heaven and really reminded him of his road trip down South.

Another wonderful element, besides the very friendly staff, is that they source locally, and that includes the micro-brewery beer they sell. Kudos!

If you like BBQ, this is the place to go. Bring an appetite!

The Hydrostone - My Neighborhood

Lucky me, I get to call the Hydrostone District, home. Check out my article for Foodtv's blog and join me for a trip around the world. French breads and pastry, Japanese Sushi and more, Caribbean Jerk Chicken or Curried Goat Roti, Italian pizza followed by good old fashioned, locally made chocolate treats.

Eat Real, Eat Local, Eat Fine!

We've all done it...promised ourselves to go to a certain restaurant and yet somehow never make it. One of those restaurants for us is Fid Resto, in downtown Halifax. We've been meaning to go ever since we moved to Halifax from Toronto. Their motto...on their brochures, website and chalkboard is - Local By Nature. Dennis Johnston, chef/proprietor and his wife Monique have been long time advocates of using fresh ingredients and promoting local producers. Last year they did a revamp of the restaurant to make fine dining more casual and relaxed and more affordable. In fact, this year they won The Coast's 2009 Best Restaurant Award for their efforts.

And finally, last night, long overdue...we went and had a truly lovely dinner. But first, let me explain the photo at the top of this post...I personally love a restaurant with a view to the kitchen. It shares a very intimate place with the diners out front and to me, it means that I'm part of the whole experience, not just the eating part. And that blur you see is Dennis, really enjoying himself (you can't see the smile, but I did).

We arrived early and Dennis actually came out of the kitchen to make sure we were taken care of (and that was before I told him I wanted to write about Fid) - in fact, I'll be going back to have a discussion with him next week about how he got to where he is today (he actually grew up in Halifax and went off to France to hone his exceptional skills) and hopefully share some advice for us home cooks.

But enough yakking, let me share my dinner with you...in a nutshell....from start to finish...

For starters, we couldn't resist the Lobster Roll - juicy Nova Scotia lobster meat with cilantro wrapped in rice paper wrapping - a lovely play on a traditional Nova Scotian lobster roll (usually served up in a hot dog bun) with an Asian twist. It's worth the trip to Fid Resto just for this! And I do hope it makes it's way from the "daily special" on the chalk board to the main menu.

W also shared an extraordinary plate of local goose proscuito (cured at Fid and totally awesome - chewy, salty, and in a word- HEAVENLY!) served with tiny sour gerkins and red cabbage.

My Honey, being the carnivore that he is, went with the 7 Day Marinated Hanger Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes (and left not a speck on his plate!) . He's already got his eye on the the Portuguese inspired Roasted Monkfish for our next visit.

I went with the Farmer's Market Inspiration which is vegetarian and presented in a black and red bento box. Being a carnivore myself, I thought perhaps I'd still be hungry - or at least not satisfied after the meal (it often happens), but felt - for the sake of this post, that I wanted to see what the chef picked up at the market and what sort of dish he would create. In fact, lots of my favorite Spring veggies made it to the table- fiddleheads, asparagus, baby bok choi, tiny new beets and potatoes and even some Jerusalem artichoke. A tasty dipping sauce for the vegetables, some of which were roasted and others stir fried and all served with a heaping spoonful of the most delicious, creamiest polenta I've ever had....which is saying a lot, since I've never really been a fan of polenta. The glass of Annapolis Valley winery star Grand Pre Vintners Reserve Acadian Blanc (similar to Chardonnay) went perfectly with the meal.

And although we really were both full, we managed to share a dessert. It was hard to choose. Everything sounded delicious - Moelleux au chocolat; sticky toffee pudding; Fid trifle - but we had to go with a twist on one of our favorite desserts - the Banana Creme Brulee that took the traditional creme brulee to a whole new level. Not sure I can do it justice with words...perhaps a return trip is necessary.

So what's your favorite restaurant that makes it a point of using local ingredients and showcasing local producers?

Sunny Vacation Spot Right Here at Home

It's true that today is sunny...make that brilliant....sunglasses definitely required...but it is still winter and cold...bone chilling cold. It's that time of year when northerners especially dream of warmer places to escape to.

But what do you do when travel is really not an option? Well here in Halifax you can head over to Mezza Mediterranean Grill. (Turn up the volume when you check it out). It leaves winter at the door and brings in the Middle East warmth instantly. I just wrote about it for Foodtv's blog and thought I'd share a few more photos.

After much difficulty in deciding on the ONE thing to order from their menu, my daughter chose this Kafta kebab plate - minced local lamb, mixed with fresh vegetables, Lebanese herbs and spices creating an extraordinary Lebanese traditional Kafta skewer.

I had the lamb kebab, both are served with fatouch salata, pita bread, rice or batata and very tasty dips - garlic or chili. If you can't make it to Halifax, you can make my version of Fatoush - my favorite Mediterranean style salad - with chunky vegetables, sumac, fresh mint, pita "croutons" and a very lemony vinaigrette.

So where do you go or what do you do to help put winter behind you?

Visit's Almost Over...Diary of Eats

Well, it's almost time to take my brother-in-law (BIL) to the airport and it was a great visit...lots of sightseeing, lots of eating...eating out and eating in. For those of you interested...I thought I'd share a few perfect day trips . Since I've written often about the places themselves, this time the focus is on food...like that's a first! Check out my Honey (on the left) and BIL in the requisite photo at Peggy's Cove.

Tuesday: BIL arrived around noon so we ate some pizza at Salvatori's in the Hydrostone Market, down the street and, since Joanna, Ezra & Boaz were, ironically, heading off to Toronto for the week, supper was the only chance to visit. Plus our plans for the week were to be spontaneous and follow the good weather. So I packed the pantry with tins of tuna, lots of pasta and grilled some sliced eggplant, zucchini and red peppers...you never know what you'll be in the mood for... right?!

I made a fantastic Montreal-style Deli Rye bread because it's so easy (and very impressive if I do say so myself). Thank you to whoever introduced me to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

Serendipity meant also that the postman dropped off another great book for me to review - The Healthiest Meals on Earth(more about the book at another time) and after a very quick flip I chose a simple, fast (Jo & Ez were heading out to meetings and Bo was staying for a visit) meal of...

Roasted Salmon with Tamari-Orange Marinade


Beans with Toasted Almonds & Pomegranate Dressing

And a simple dessert of yoghurt with fresh Hubbard Market berries and homemade lavender honey syrup.

Wednesday: my Honey worked so BIL walked around our cool neighborhood while I did a little work too. We all met up for lunch at a nice Thai/Vietnamese Restaurant near the waterfront. But the real star of the day was the LOBSTER DINNER(note the capital letters) I made at home.

My Honey isn't a lobster fan and this was a last minute plan (I had sirloin strip steaks defrosting on the counter), so I also grilled all three steaks...leftovers would be awesome used somehow.

Thursday: Off to Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay and...most important...lunch at The Magnolia Grill in Lunenburg. The pan seared scallops were truly fresh from ocean...the trawler was still in the harbour after dropping off the day's catch when we were having lunch.

The day was leisurely...lunch didn't happen until 3 and of course we had to have some tasty ice cream before heading home from Lunenburg. So supper was a quickly thrown together wrap...leftover sirloin, roasted veggies, arugula and a slathering of Stonewall's Kitchen basil pesto mustard in a wrap...and pretty darn fantastic...at least we all thought so!

Friday: Our next fave visiting tour...Annapolis Valley with a lovely visit to Tangled Garden...my pilgrimage (and BIL loved it too). He bought apple sage jelly to take home and I picked up some basil wine jelly - awesome! and basil wine vinegar - can't wait to try it out.

Lunch was in Wolfville, home of Acadia University and, naturally...lots of students. So we had ate at Paddy's Pub which has its own microbrewery (although we passed up on the beer this time). My Honey had fish & chips, BIL had pan-fried haddock and I had this delicious seafood chowder - the pinky-red garnish...finely chopped lobster meat.

Dinner back home was also easy...Nova Scotia lamb turned into very tasty Greek-style Lamb Burgers

Dessert was a droolingly delicious local wild blueberry pie we bought at a farmers market just outside of Wolfville.

Saturday: After a breakfast at home...Mushroom & Chorizo Frittata

We decided to see more of Halifax itself...hiking through Point Pleasant Park (old post about it here) and lunching at Minato Sushi...because...if you love sushi, why wouldn't you want to eat some so close to where tuna and salmon, in particular are caught...so "fresh fish" has real meaning to it. Minato also serves some interesting Korean dishes too, but we stuck with sushi this time.

Time to head home and just relax before dinner...

Lemon-Pepper Linguine with Spicy Mediterranean - inspired Shrimp

and Apple Crisp for dessert

I didn't pick these apples, but I couldn't resist buying them when we were in the valley.

Sunday: Best part of the day...brunch at Jane's on the Common. Everything is delicious there, but I only know that by sampling everyone else's meals...personally, I can't imagine passing up the opportunity to eat their out-of-this-world shrimp cakes with eggs.

Scenic drive up to York Redoubt (15 minutes outside of Halifax), some shopping...must find something for our fabulous niece waiting back home for her daddy...and hungry again. What would a trip to Halifax be without eating some of Phil's fish & chips.

Tired out from all that sightseeing squished into three days and grey, sort-of-rainy weather...we opted for renting DVDs and munching left overs instead of a real supper.

And that, my friends...is the end of a lovely visit.

I'm curious...what kinds of food do you have on hand when visitors come to town?