Nova Scotia

The Pebble Bed & Breakfast, Halifax, June 2024

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house – 1839 Armview Terrace, Halifax, NS B3H 4H3, Canada

Halifax is a lovely city in Canada with beautiful coastlines and cooler temperatures for the summer.  I’ve enjoyed sharing our restaurants with you but also wanted to give you the name of a fabulous B & B where you could stay on your visit.  The Pebble is in a residential neighborhood and has 3- 4 rooms run by Elizabeth O’Carroll, a super friendly Irish host.  The name of the place comes from a pebble that was a token of love taken from the River Feale in Ireland, given to O’Carroll and later made into a pendant by a jeweler.   It reminded me of a similar story of a small rock we took from the place where we got engaged and later was turned into a pendant that I still have.  The rooms were nice sized and well supplied.  Breakfast was made by Elizabeth or her husband David.  I know this is a blog on restaurants but in order to eat at other places you’ll need a place to stay and if we happen to find some place that’s wonderful, I want to share it with my readers. H ope if you go you’ll tell them Frankie sent you (and no I get no commission).  Here are some photos of the place and a couple of our breakfasts. Continue reading →

The Highwayman, Halifax, 6/14/24

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exterior – 1673 Barrington St, Halifax, NS B3J 1Z9, Canada

Highwayman is a small place with about 40 seats in an historic building.  Opening in 2016 the relaxed atmosphere goes with the menu of Spanish inspired shared plates – tapas and pintxos.  Along with an ambitious cocktail menu they try to serve ingredients from Nova Scotia.   The long interior has bench seating along one wall and the opposite wall is the bar with backed high chairs.  Mirrors, plants and art decorate the space with that has the kitchen in the back, paper napkins and music in the background.   A couple high-top tables are in the window and when you make a reservation you indicate your seating preference.  We had reserved one of the high tops as that was the only available but luckily we were offered a table which was way more comfortable.  We started with a cocktail and then moved to a bottle of wine.  The service was friendly and helpful, especially as we wanted to try a number of their things but not get too overwhelmed.  The food was good but mixed in flavor content but it was good enough that I’d recommend the place to you, if you find yourself in Halifax. Continue reading →

The Canteen, Dartmouth, 6/14/24

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exterior – 22 Portland St, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 1G9, Canada

The Canteen was in downtown Dartmouth in a cheery light space.  Chef/owner Renee Lavallee brings in lots of local items with a little European influence.  It was a large space with a second smaller room and a patio.  Windows to the street added extra light and the full bar had backed seats for additional diners.  Closed on Sun and Mon, the other days they serve brunch, lunch and dinner.  The walls hold lots of decorations and plants.  Some of the wall seating is on benches with the bare wood tables.  Some dividers make the space more cozy and approachable.  No music was in the background just a lot of happy people’s conversations, dampened by sound panels on the ceiling.  They offered one special and the soup changes daily.  Service was efficient and friendly.  We came to try one of their signature dishes, the Crobster Roll and I’d easily go again.  I really wanted to order the carrot cake dessert.  You could smell it baking when we came in but I knew a big dinner was coming so passed but still got a photo of the dessert options for you.

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Oxalis Restaurant, Dartmouth, 6/13/24

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building – 22 Wentworth St, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2S6, Canada

Oxalis Restaurant was opened in Nov. 2021 by Sophia Gruber and her husband Chef Andy Preuss in a 2-story building that was a residential home.  The interior can only accommodate 37 people so in June 2023 they opened an outdoor dining area that added 45 more seats when weather allows.  It’s a farm-to-table concept trying to highlight local products.  They offer an a la carte menu as well as a Chef’s tasting, with wine pairings available.   The menu and food reflect his roots in Germany and hers from Austria.  They met working at a resort in Austria but had an opportunity to move to Nova Scotia and work at Trout Point Lodge which afforded them more time to travel.   We sat on the first floor which had only 4 tables that are across from the large window to the kitchen.  Bench seating was on the long wall opposite the kitchen and and lights were lowered.  The walls had some well placed mirrors but otherwise there were few decorations but music was in the background.  Most seemed to want to sit outside but we wanted to be able to see all the dishes coming out of the kitchen.  Service was good and it was overall a fine meal.  The kitchen has creativity and is worth a visit if you are in the area. Continue reading →

Tom’s Lobster Shack, Peggy’s Cove, 6/13/24

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building – 154 Peggys Point Rd, Peggys Cove, NS B3Z 3S2, Canada

Tom’s Lobster Shack was a small building on the corner of the parking lot for the very popular lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove.  They are open daily but do close in the winter.  The seating was on picnic tables on the deck around their building.  There was one window to place your order and another to pick it up.   Birds knew the place and the signs asked you to not feed them   Sandwiches came with chips and bread and butter pickles.  They served a number of items but are known for their lobster rolls, which are prepared several ways.  All are served on a toasted bun and we chose a Classic and a Naked.  The Classic had lobster mixed with mayo, celery, parsley, shallot, lettuce and green onions while the Naked was lobster with butter, herbs, secret seasoning and lettuce.    Both sandwiches were stuffed with lobster meat but this time I preferred the Classic sandwich over the buttered one.  The mix looks heavy on the mayo but it did not taste that way.  It blended and accented the sweet lobster meat better to me.  But the best way to do it is to get one of each and swap bites.  The chips were chips but the pickles were quite good too. Continue reading →

Bar Kismet, Halifax, 6/12/24

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building – 2733 Agricola St, Halifax, NS B3K 4E2, Canada

Bar Kismet was a small family owned restaurant and bar serving fresh seafood and handmade pastas.  Founded by Annie Brace-Lavoie and partner Jenner Cormier about 7 years ago, it is also known for its inventive cocktail menu.  Inside you’ll find small concrete tables set with chairs by the windows to the street or with bench seating along one wall.  A U-shaped bar with stools takes up the center of the space and plants are everywhere.  Otherwise there are framed mirrors on the walls, a wide plank wood floor and music in the background for the continuous casual crowd decending on the place.  Reservations are a must if you want a table and service can be slow to get started with so many coming and going, but once you get started it moves right along.  Plates are in varying sizes and are meant to be shared which means you can try lots of things and that’s best here cause there are lots of great options on the menu and you won’t want to miss any of them.  Hope you’ll stop by when you’re in Nova Scotia. Continue reading →