where we ate (and drank) in Halifax

by | Jul 14, 2007 | Food & Drink, Travel

Red Stag Tavern—This touristy place (Alexander Keith brewery tours begin just outside the entrance) was right across the street from our hotel and seemed a good place to get some quick food after out first two choices failed us. They were serving brunch until 4pm, so Eric took advantage and ordered one of the brunch specials while I got the maritime-prepared mussels appetizer. All the food (and service) was good and my shandy was delicious (AK red ale and ginger beer). We sat up on the rooftop to take advantage of the sunny weather and the people watching was great.

Garrison Brewing Company—At first glance, I thought this place was also a restaurant but nope, it’s a brewery that sells beer tastings and tours and has their bottled beer available for purchase. We took home a blueberry ale, the porter, and the stout (and a pint glass, of course!)

Your Father’s Mustache—After a full day of conference-going for Eric and wandering around town for me, we wanted something a little casual and we found the perfect place. We enjoyed a delicious roasted pepper, white cheddar, and sun dried tomato dip accompanied by toasted pita wedges with a pint of Rickerd’s Red and Honey Brown, respectively. This place is right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Spring Garden Road, casual and tasty.

Niche—This was our designated breakfast place because of the $20 daily coupons we received with our hotel booking. Even though we were on the executive floor in our hotel, their complementary breakfast was minimal at best, so we had a hot breakfast at Niche every morning. The only problem was that the breakfasts were priced from $9 to $13, so it was impossible to have a “complementary” breakfast with tax and tip under our $20 coupon value. The service was fine, the setting was very well done, and the food was satisfactory, but I would have preferred smaller portion sizes for less money, or more fairly priced a la carte menu selections. For example, a mug of coffee was $2.50 a la carte or free if ordered with a $10 breakfast special. Hmm.

Baan Thai—I read about this place being the best Thai food in Halifax from several sources and we weren’t disappointed. While I felt this place was overpriced ($7 for hot and sour soup?!?), my spicy prawns and Eric’s curry were very good. Just expect to drop some money here.

Maxwell’s Plum—Our pourer at the Garrison Brewery tasting recommended this bar for it’s many beers on tap. We took advantage of the huge barrel of free peanuts (throwing our shells on the floor just like everyone else), and they were able to scrounge up a sampling tray so I could try six of their drought beers. We just visited for a drink, but plenty of people were eating and drinking here.

Doraku—I had to have sushi once while in a port town, so I choose this out of the way, nicely decorated place for lunch on my own. Everything was delicious!

Il Mercado—This Italian place also came highly recommended, so we celebrated Eric finding out he was owed back pay for his online summer teaching job here with a bottle of sparking wine. I ordered five antipasto appetizers and we split a wood-fired pizza for dinner. The pear and smoked speck (ham) combo on the pizza was good, but Eric thought it would have been better with green apple. The service was great and the place was completely packed by the time we left.

Pete’s Frootique—While not a restaurant, I did gather lunch from this grocery store one afternoon and I thought it was worth mentioning. Similar to a Whole Foods type place, I got a fresh baguette and some sun dried tomato hummus along with two sparkling juices.

Tribeca—Our last dinner in Halifax was just okay, the flat bread appetizers we ordered were basically just pizzas and one was overdone. I think the waiter was helping out a friend, but it wasn’t good that I started to wonder where our food was and we were the only two people in the place.

The Split Crow Pub—After Tribeca, we walked a few blocks down to the oldest pub in Halifax for a beer. We decided to grab a table outside when a chorus of over-imbibers began singing at the top of their lungs next to the bar. They have a great location next to a pedestrian walkway and we had at least two waiters ask us if we wanted another round. They had a food menu available but I think there was a cover charge for the entertainment after a certain time, we snuck in just before 8pm.

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