New Brunswick Canada

Back in September we took an extended vacation to the Atlantic Provinces of Canada and ended up in Bar Harbor, Maine.

This post will focus on New Brunswick, Canada. A couple of revelations up front. New Brunswick is big and it is a long drive from Bangor where we flew in to Riverside Albert where we were staying for a couple of days. Also, the time is in the Atlantic Time Zone. It's an hour later than you think.

We stayed at The Maplegrove Inn. A cute, bright yellow building which includes an adequate cooked breakfast. 

This place was selected because it was close to Hopewell Rocks Park, situated on the Bay of Fundy. The park includes some incredible landscape. I highly recommend visiting. How the tides carve out the rocks is fascinating. The seaweed covering the boulders reminds me of giant mop-dogs sleeping in the sun.

This area of Canada is dotted with small towns and communities. Along the way, one discovers covered bridges. New Brunswick contains over 60 covered bridges.

Restaurants can be hard to come by, even with local recommendations. In the Bay of Fundy area we had lunch at the park - a lobster roll.

Before dinner we visited Waterside Farms Cottage Winery and tasted their famous blueberry wine - both sweet and dry versions. Surprisingly tasty. Unfortunately, they do no ship to the States.

For dinner we landed at the Tides in Alma, New Brunswick. It reminded me of the traditional seafood restaurants that I visited with my parents as a child, only this one featured lobster instead of shrimp and crab. 

We shared a Lobster Dip with crispy pita. Hubby decided on the scallops, a feature of the Tides. Decent, but not extraordinary. I went with an unconventional choice for me - Lobster-stuffed Chicken. Once again, decent.  Both were accompanied by a baked potato and veggies.

What was interesting about this place was the view. We could see the tide coming in and it came in fast. I was able to get a before and after photo.

On our drive back through New Brunswick we stopped at Fred's Restaurant in Cap Pele. Once again, a traditional place, but since Cap Pele is in the heart of Acadia country, all of the staff spoke French. Hubby enjoyed fried shrimp and I had an open-faced turkey sandwich. The turkey was real roasted turkey; none of the processed, sliced stuff here.

Before we left Canada, we spent the night in Saint John. This is the largest city in New Brunswick and cruise ships stop in for the day. A quaint place with some interesting church spires and architecture.

  A lot of the shops are only open when the cruise tourists roam, thus, we covered the heart of the town fairly quickly. We did visit Barbour's General Store and came upon a Canadian candy called Chicken Bones.

Saint John also features a market including a booth with fresh Dulse, a type of seaweed.

I think we did hit upon the best restaurant in town, Opera Bistro. When we crossed the threshold the place looked more like a take-out place with a counter displaying desserts and implements for coffee and espresso. However, when we perused the menu, we knew we had landed at a little gem.

The wine list was a bit challenging, but it seemed that the Province of New Brunswick had issues with supplying their Canadian residents with affordable and tasty wine. We ended up with a Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon from Niagara's Jackson Triggs. Not bad.

To start, we had a warm lobster potato salad. Absolutely awesome! Hubby enjoyed baked salmon with a blueberry salsa. Right up his taste bud alley. I had the duck confit sandwich. Yummy! If you find yourself in Saint John, go here to eat.

New Brunswick is definitely the place to explore the Bay of Fundy and the varied and awe-inspiring geological formations. Great culinary places are few and far between, but little gems can be discovered.

Spertas komforton ĉe Bonvenu

Last Tuesday Bonvenu comforted us with good food and half price wine. We imbibed a Belmont Martini first - Ginger Vodka/Triple Sec/Fernet Branca/Grapefruit Juice/Lime Juice. The right balance of just a bit sweet and just a bit bitter. Very refreshing and nice to see that places are getting beyond the fruity, overly sweet cocktails.

While sipping we ordered the Soul Roll to split - a wonton wrapper stuffed with roasted pork, cabbage, and greens. Hubby really liked this. When he was growing up his family had friends who were Chinese and Filipino. Both would cook traditional dishes (based on ingredients they could obtain here in the South). The Soul Roll reminded him of his childhood experiences. And while the roll seemed a bit oily to me, any time food can evoke  cherished memories, it's okay in my book.

For the wine we ordered the 2010 Octavia Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles, California. Lovely (and half price!).

For the main course, I stuck to the comfort theme and had the House Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Bacon, Havarti Cheese, and Greens. I could have my pick of sides and I went with the mashed potatoes. A goodly amount of turkey - yummy! The bacon, mild. The greens, fresh. The potatoes had nice tender chunks.

Hubby selected the Flat Iron Steak with Grilled Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes. He kept raving about how tender the steak was. Not everyone would consider this dish comfort food, but he does.

We skipped dessert, but decided to have coffee. And here is where the ultimate in comfort came into play. When our waiter served our coffee, he also served steamed cream. The cream was WARM!!! This is a shout of joy. When we were in Madrid several years ago, we were served coffee with a pot of warm cream. Ever since then, I will heat up my cream at home when having coffee. Bonvenu is the first place in the States where I've experienced warm cream served with coffee. A lovely and comforting ending to a wonderful meal. Dankas vin, Bonvenu!

Olio - Simple Deliciousness

When I walked into Olio on West Main it occurred to me that I had never eaten here for a regular dinner. I attended a local food bloggers gathering quite a while ago and I enjoyed a wine dinner (at a very reasonable price). So, despite previous visits it felt like a first time experience.

We arrived very early. As we made our way to the counter to look at various offerings and peruse the menu, one of the staff warmly greeted us. As we took our time figuring out dinner options, the other staff members made sure we knew they were ready to take our order or answer any questions (they were busy preparing items for a reception and didn't want to ignore us).

The menu offered lots of sandwich options, salads, and some pizzas. Then we turned the menu over and spotted entrees available after 4 PM. Upon further deliberation I ordered the Italian Picnic ($8.49) - house-roasted turkey, granny-smith apple, fig jam, cheese with garlic aioli on baguette.

Quite delicious. The sandwich normally comes with Taleggio, but I am not a fan of this cheese (although the concept sounds yummy and I'm sure it would be a great match for other diners). Swiss was suggested as an alternative and it worked well. I liked the crunch of the apple. The turkey was plentiful and the bread had a pleasing crunchy crust. The star of the show was named Fig. The jam added the perfect sweet touch.

My hubby selected the Baked Pasta a la Vodka with Meatballs ($10.95) - penne pasta with chunky tomato sauce, four large meatballs, and parmesan and provolone cheeses melted on top. The meal came with one side dish and grilled bread. He decided on the white bean and roasted tomatoes as the accompinament.

The pasta was a generous portion with dense herb-flavored meatballs. The meatballs had been placed on top of the pasta (to allow for a vegetarian option) and baked. We wished a bit of sauce and cheese had been placed on top of the meatballs to meld the meat with the dish. No matter, still wonderfully delicious. And the white bean salad was delightful. Chopped herbs and a tad of vinegar added to large cooked white beans and tomatoes. Tasty and particularly pleasing as a side dish for summer.

Olio caters, runs a market with specialty items (likethe fig jam) and wine and beer. Wine can be enjoyed with dinner. We were able to select from any item on the wine racks. Most of the bottles we looked at ranged in the $25 - $30 range. We selected a Morgan Syrah/Grenache blend from Monterey, CA.

As we enjoyed our meal several folks came in for take out. A wine tasting was set up featuring white, red, and sparkling options. Regulars popped in to say hello.

Olio offers simple deliciousness in a comfortably casual environment.

Over a Week's Worth of Activity

First of all, I want to commend Dana Craig for her Richmond Times Dispatch article entitled Relish your resolution. She advocates a mighty fine New Years Resoultion: Support your local eating and drinking establishments. She proceeds to recommend some of the newest bright spots on the dining map. I've visited half of them and need to check out the other half.

This is a resolution I can keep or get back on the path if I stumble.

So, with that in mind, I have a recap of the past week (or a bit more).

Right before New Years Eve my mom came to visit. We toured the Capitol building, wandered around Capitol Square, marveled at the interior of the Old City Hall, and gloried in the stained glass of St. Paul's Episopal Church.

Wow, and all free!

For lunch we stopped by Urban Farmhouse for sandwiches. I had the Virginia Ham Cubano with the famed Surryano ham. Very nice. The lunch menu was inventive, but maybe a bit too creative for my mom. The only item that caught her eye was the Turkey and Havarti sandwich.

After a day of touring downtown and shopping in Carytown we went to Balliceaux for dinner.  They seated us in the back room which was a delight.

We started with a small plate of Morsels: fried hominy, olives, and spiced nuts and a cocktail called Fancy Free (bourbon, Luxardo, and bitters). Delish on the appetizer and just the right amount for three people.

One note: Balliceaux does not print their prices for specialty cocktails. Very annoying. I have paid some bucks for a finely crafted drink, but I want to know what I will be shelling out. Not having prices is akin to going to some of the chain eateries or a tourist trap. A restaurant owes its patrons transparency on the price front.

Dinner consisted of a heritage cheeseburger

duck breast with roasted leeks and parsnips and chervil potatoes

filet mignon with cauliflower persillade

We enjoyed a Rock and Vine California Cabernet Sauvignon with the meal.

Most excellent dinner. My mom liked the decor, particulary the folk-arty retro holiday decorations and the tiny lights hanging in the corners.

After dinner a jaunt up and down Monument Avenue to peer and ogle at the light spectacles of the various large old abodes. Fun and a bit treacherous if sidewalks had not been cleared (we declared the owners of these house Scrooges!).

Before going home we popped into Kuba Kuba for cafe con leches (sweetened) to go. A great warming dessert.

For New Years Eve we actually went out to eat. Tastebuds American Bistro offered a mutli-couse prix fixe meal. Since we could walk, we reserved an 8:45 PM seating. We both had a cocktail topped off with sparkling wine (fruit and grenadine-based for me; absinthe-based for hubby). Duckhorn Decoy Red continues to be our go-to wine here. Food highlights included poached shrimp with vindaloo sauce, duck ragout en croute, scallops with pork belly and greens (hubby continues to rave about the greens),  and rib-eye filet. I still sing the praises of this Northside gem.

For Sunday brunch we headed for a dose of Tarrant's Cafe for a farmer's omelet and eggs benedict.

Nothing fancy, but all satisfying, including breath-defying garlic rolls.

This week we ate out three times. First up was Bocca Toscana.

We had never been. The wine list was small with the typical Italian offerings. We selected an inexpensive montepulciano.

To eat we had Baked Spaghetti - large portion, meaty and cheesy.

and Chicken Piccata (a special for the evening) served with a side of pasta. The chicken was fork tender; the sauce was made to sop up with the bread that was served; I enjoyed the roasted red peppers in the dish; and my pasta had a choice of marinara sauce or garlic and olive oil (I chose the non-red sauce).

A more than decent place (and much better than our last Italian experince in Carytown...). As we walked out we spied one of the pizzas and vowed to return at some point.

On Thursday we were asked to go to dinner last minute with friends, who then asked us to suggest a place. We recommeded Tastebuds American Bistro. Since it was Thursday they had the prix fixe menu of salad, entree, and dessert for $18. Sazerac and an Italian Whiskey Sour were the cocktails for the evening with Duckhorn Decoy Red still being the red wine choice at this establishment.

Both the Spinach Salad with Pickled Red Onions and Goat Cheese Crumble and the Romaine with Cucumbers, Tomatoes & Onions in an Olive Vinaigrette were absolutely delightful. Not too big and packed with flavor.

For entrees Crispy Salmon Pho with Rice Noodles, Snow Peas & Mushrooms in Lemongrass Broth. Hubby could not say enough good things about how delicious the salmon was and how plentiful. The pho itself was more of a concept and almost deconsturcted (if that can be said of pho). One side of the broth was flavorful and savory, the other side was hot and spicy.

I (and another member of our party) had Pan Roasted Boneless Pork Chop with Corn Pudding Popover, Braised Greens and Apple Cider Glaze. Those greens again. Our friend also raved about the greens. For me, I preferred the pork (but I did have a few bite of greens with the cider glaze).

Dessert was a butter cake topped with homemade orange sherbert and whipped cream and a chocolate truffle torte.

Good company, good conversation, good food. I think we have new converts to one of my favorite restaurants.

Whew! and then last night we went to Vino Market for the wine tasting and to say farewell to our friend Dave. Dave has gotten another job in Williamsburg. We will miss him.

After the tasting we decided to try the Outer Banks Seafood Company. The place was packed. Just as we walked in they opened up an additional dining section so we did not have to wait. Black and white photos of the NC coast filled the walls. Our waitress, Ashley, was petite, young, and enthusiastic and usually works at the Virginia Beach location as a bartender.

The wine list has wines by the bottle and by the glass. But the wines by the glass did not have any by the bottle prices which we thought a bit strange. And since the strictly by the bottle selections were fairly high, we had limited choices. We went with the Sebastiani Merlot.

We then ordered crab corn fritters.

Never again. They were bland - no corn taste, no green pepper taste, no crab taste - even though all of these ingredients were clearly visible. The sauce was mustard-based topped with mango. The sauce did not pair well with the fritter. The dish just did not work. And our waitress asked us if we enjoyed them and we had to tell her no. But Ashley did a very good thing. She had the manager take the fritters off of our bill (even though we did not ask for a refund and we were not angry about the food). Kudos to Ashley!!

For entrees hubby had fried shrimp and oysters with sauteed squash and slaw. I had fried shrimp with mashed potatoes and a side Caesar salad.

All of the sides were mediocre: tired or bland or trying to add zing that in the end flopped. But the shrimp and the oysters were very, very good. If only they had a simple shrimp basket on the menu...

Lots of eats. Some good, some decent, some could be improved upon. All non-chain. All good service.

Go find yourself some local eats and soon.