My wife Cheryl and I recently vacationed on Canada’s East Coast, with stops in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Here are some foodie highlights from that trip — along with a recipe inspired by it.
The Rooms and Signal Hill
Our vacation started in St. John’s and one morning there we visited The Rooms, a museum/gallery described as Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest public cultural space. That building’s unique design mirrors the fishing rooms where families in this part of the world once came together to process their catch.
We spent many captivating hours going through its exhibits and then had lunch at The Rooms café that overlooks St. John’s harbour. The service was great, and so was the splendid seafood chowder and traditional salt cod cakes we ate.
After lunch we left The Rooms and went to Signal Hill, a national historic that also overlooks the harbour and beyond. The visitor’s centre there is home to the Newfoundland Chocolate Company, a place to get sweet treats, including ice cream, which is what we had.
Dildo Brewing Company
From St. John’s we drove two hours west to visit our friend Anne in her childhood home in the hamlet of St. Jones Within. On our way there we stopped for lunch in Dildo, a quaint seaside town that’s home to the Dildo Brewing Company. Beyond making great beer, they also operate a bustling restaurant where we enjoyed splendid seafood chowder and fish and chips.
(If you’re wondering how the town of Dildo, which has a historic connection to the cod fishery, got its name, at one time “dildo” was the term for the oar pegs in a dory, a traditional fishing boat.)
Trinity Bay Area and Tasty Cod
St. Jones Within is on Trinity Bay and when there our friend Anne’s cousin, Dale, took my wife, myself and two other friends visiting there, Lil and Chris, out on his spacious boat. It was a glorious afternoon on the water and as we chugged along we would occasionally be pulled into a cove where Dale knew folks living there. With their thick Newfoundland accents, those folks engaged in friendly banter with Dale and it was fun listening in.
While in the Trinity Bay area we also stayed at Goose Cove Retreat and visited the scenic towns of Trinity, Bona Vista and Port Rexton, home to another great brewery. While at Goose Cove, I cooked up a delicious feast of cod au gratin, using fish Dale had caught and shared with Anne.
Halifax’s Pier 21, Boardwalk and Dining
Our next vacation stop was Halifax and we stayed at the Halliburton Hotel. It’s located near Halifax’s waterfront, where there’s a long boardwalk to stroll and many places to dine, including the Bicycle Thief, where we had dinner, including a sumptuous lobster chowder.
Over time, the Halifax version of donair became so popular that it was named the city’s official food. There are many restaurants serving this pita-wrapped food, but we enjoyed it at Tony’s Famous Donair, first opened in 1976.
The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 was also close to our hotel. We took an interesting tour there, and because the museum offers research assistance that can help you learn about your family’s history, I was able to learn more about my late Latvian father’s journey to Canada when he emigrated here in 1948, including the name of the ship he sailed on.
Nova Scotia’s South Shore
From Halifax, we drove and took the scenic, oceanside route along Nova Scotia’s south shore, made a stop at Peggy’s Cove, and had fantastic lobster rolls at an eatery called Tom’s Lobster Shack.
We then drove to other histories places, including Mahone Bay and Lunenburg, and then travelled to where would stay two nights, White Point Beach Resort, located near Liverpool, Nova Scotia. That inn has been operating for more than 95 years, has a great beach, a good restaurant, and is a splendid place to enjoy the good life.
A Taste of P.E.I.
From Nova Scotia we drove to Prince Edward Island, taking the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to get there. We settled into our comfortable accommodations, Seawind Cottages, located in the town of North Rustico, close to amazing beaches, eateries, Green Gables Heritage Centre and other attractions.
On our first full day there, our friend Crystal, director of communications and Marketing at P.E.I.’s Food Island Partnership, picked us up and we had a fun day of exploring with her. That included stops for amazing lobster rolls at Richard’s Fresh Seafood’s Brackley Beach location, a visit to the inspiring The Dunes Studio Gallery & Cafe, and a drive into nearby Charlottetown to get ice cream at P.E.I.’s famed Cows Creamery.
We then said goodbye to Crystal and spent our last three days on P.E.I. doing touristy things and eating well, including feasting on local oysters and having a lobster supper.
New Glasgow Lobster Supper
On our last night in P.E.I., we went out for a lobster supper at a festive place called New Glasgow Lobster Suppers. New Glasgow is a small town located near North Rustico and the suppers are held in a large hall there.
It’s a good idea to come hungry because, for your fixed-priced meal, beyond a lobster served with melted butter, you also get appetizers, including chowder, a mountain of steamed mussels, a plated trio of salads and crusty rolls. If you don’t care for lobster, you could choose one of the other main courses they offer.
After enjoying your lobster, you get dessert, which includes such things as mile-high lemon meringue pie. Non-alcoholic beverages are also included in the meal. The service is fun and relaxed and it was a great evening out.
Roasted Cod with Mussels, Corn and Tomatoes
I was inspired to create this recipe after returning from my recent visit to Canada’s East Coast. It’s made with some of the types of seafood I enjoyed there and could be served with boiled potatoes and a steamed green vegetable.
Preparation time: minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Makes: two servings
2 (about 5- to-6 oz./140- to-170 g) cod fillets
2 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp olive oil (divided)
• salt and ground white pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
1/2 cup diced fresh tomato
1 small garlic clove, minced
• pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp smoked or regular paprika
1/3 cup fish or chicken stock
16 fresh mussels, any beard-like material removed (see Note)
• chopped fresh parsley, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper and set cod in it.
Drizzle fish with the lemon juice and 2 tsp of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast cod 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
While cod roasts, pour remaining 2 tsp olive oil in a 9-inch skillet set over medium, medium-high heat. Add the corn, tomatoes, garlic, pepper flakes, oregano and paprika and cook two to three minutes. Pour in the stock, bring a simmer, and reduce it by half.
Season the corn mixture with salt and pepper, and then add the mussels. Cover the mussels and steam them until they just open, about one to two minutes. Reserve mussels on low heat.
When cod is cooked, set a piece on each of two dinner plates. Top and surround the cod on each plate with some of mussels and corn mixture, sprinkle with parsley, and then serve.
Note: Fresh mussels are sold at seafood stores and some grocery stores. I bought them, and the cod, at Oak Bay Seafood (oakbayseafood.com). It’s best to call ahead to see if they have the mussels in stock. Rinse the mussels in cold water before using. When you do that, check them and discard any that are cracked or have shells that won’t close when tapped, a sign the mussel is dead and should not be eaten. If you can’t find fresh mussels, try using fresh manila clams in this recipe. The method remains the same.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
