Nova Scotia, Canada’s Ocean Playground!

Nova Scotia is described on their provincial vehicle licence plate as Canada’s Ocean Playground and there’s good reason for it. The province is surrounded by three major bodies of water, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the north, the Bay of Fundy to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east. In Nova Scotia you are never more than 67 km (40 miles) from the ocean and with that in mind, there are plenty of beaches (over 120 salt water beaches) to be discovered all throughout the shores of Nova Scotia. With all this water surrounding Nova Scotia, it’s a seafood lovers paradise!

Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia and it’s a real foodie haven. My husband and I were there last week and with all the restaurants and bars there, it’s hard to pinpoint a few good ones. The ones we ate at were superb! We ate at Da Maurizio’s where the food and service was great. There were 7 of us and everything arrived in a timely fashion and everyone enjoyed their meal. Friends of ours, Steve and Jo Anne, came with us to sample the food at the Bitter End. It’s well known with Haligonians for its martinis and the food is just as sumptious! A new restaurant, Nectar, recently opened on the Dartmouth side (across the harbour from Halifax) and we ate lunch there. If lunch is anything to gauge dinner by, then this will be a huge hit. For traditional pub fare along with some Irish dishes, visit Pógue Fadó and you won’t be disappointed! Our last evening in Halifax was spent dining at Mosaic. I asked the bartender what sort of martinis he had and he asked me what my tastes were….did I like sour, sweet, salty etc. So I told him I like the flavors of cranberry and pomegranate which he nodded and went to work on concocting something with those ingredients. The end result was me asking for another! I ordered the braised lamb shank which the meat was fork tender and delicious.

Our travels in Nova Scotia also took us to Cheticamp for some whale watching (pilot whales) and we stayed the night at Merry’s Motel B&B. I highly recommend as it’s right in the middle of the town and Susan, our host, is a charming woman with information on what to do and where to eat. Cheticamp is also a great location to use as a base if you want to hike in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. On our drive throughout Cape Breton, we saw signs showing moose crossing and I told my husband that we probably won’t see any, however, I was soon to be corrected! We had driven about 20 minutes outside of Cheticamp when we came around the corner and there, lo and behold, was a young male moose! My husband was quite excited as this was the first time he had seen one and this excitement was enhanced as the moose was less than 30 feet away from our vehicle. From there we made our way around the Cabot Trail down to Sydney, NS where we stayed at a bed and breakfast called George & Cottage. A beautifully restored 130 year old home with lovely furnishings and the owners, Bill and Carolyn Hatcher, made us feel very much at home. We used their place as a base to visit Fort Louisbourg which is a 30 minute drive from the b&b. Goody’s restaurant located within Cambridge Suites Hotel has to be one of the better restaurants in Sydney. The menu is varied with seafood dishes but if you’re not a seafood fan then you won’t be disappointed with the selection of beef, lamb, pork and chicken dishes.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Nova Scotia might be the second smallest province in Canada but it sure has enough to see and do to keep one occupied for a very long time. This is our third visit and we never tire of it as we always encounter new things/places and especially enjoy the friendly Maritime hospitality which is still very strong. In these situations, my husband and I enjoy staying at bed and breakfasts as we find we get to know a bit about the place when the hosts share with us their knowledge of their city or town.