Sunday 11 August 2013

Herring Cove Sunday

Again, thanks to our friend, Patti's recommendation, we made our way to Pavia in Herring Cove.

It's a cozy cafe cum gallery.  Bright and airy.  A very pristine and minimalist white interior.  Give me a good book and I could sit here all day!

Artwork on the walls and in a small room in the back.

The food is Italian-inspired...panini, dolce and espresso!  There was ice cream too from Dee Dee's & Scotsburn.  The children liked what they had well enough but I had been secretly hoping for gelato! :-)

Food was delicious. The breakfast panino...ham, egg, and cheese all sourced in Atlantic Canada....plus a side of seasonal fruit.

Belgian waffles.  On the side were whipped cream, maple syrup and apple compote (that was the one to die for!)  Waffles served weekends only.

I ate the All' Amantea. Described as "a true taste of Italy."  Well, I've never been to Italy so I might as well take a food trip! Prosciutto ham, mozzarella and olives. The bread was toasted crispy. The prosciutto, nice and smelly...in an appetizing way!

And of course, the espresso.  I do love my espresso neat.  No sugar, no nothing!  The owner told me the beans for their espresso came directly from Florence.  It was very good indeed.

Oh yes, our little friend joined us.  Have you met Yan-Pea, the yarn peanut? :-)  Yan-Pea is a family "pet project" of ours.  Click here to follow his adventures.  (Like the page on facebook too... Please?)

After that wonderful meal, we visited the York Redoubt--a centuries old military fortification that defended the entrance to the Halifax Harbour.

The children had fun with the cannons! BOOM! :-D

Then, we finished off the afternoon by sitting on the rocks and listening to the Atlantic Ocean.

Monday 5 August 2013

Eastern Shore Sunday

We visited the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia this Sunday.  The primary objective was to visit Harbour Breezes and admire their beautiful fully-bloomed lilies and irises.  Read about it here in our shop blog.
The secondary objective (but no less important to me!) was to discover something good to eat! :-)  We visited two places...both good hits!  Both had home-made goodness written all over them.

For lunch, we ate at the Salmon River House Country Inn.  We were surprised to find German cuisine! 
First the view... sit on the patio if you like.
Breath in the spectacular view of what I presumed was Salmon River.
Next, the food!  I don't speak German so I just copied from the menu the names of some of the food we had ordered.  I am also not very familiar with German food...so all these were quite new to me.

This is schnitzel...breaded pork cutlet, cousin of tonkatsu! :-)
...and the jaegerschnitzel--literally "hunter's schnitzel"...not breaded, and covered in mushroom sauce.  The white stuff on the side is spaetzle--described as "Bavarian noodles".  Reminded me of gnocchi
Sauerbraten--"sour roast".  Like a beef pot roast with what I think is cranberry sauce on the side.  Served with potato dumplings.
Are you hungry now? :-)  All the meats were very tender and succulent!  We had a very pleasurable dining experience.  Even waiting for the food was pleasant...sitting in an old house with quiet Baroque music.

But let's not forget dessert...apple strudel topped with vanilla ice cream!

For snack time, it was Dobbit Bakehouse in Musquodoboit Harbour. We thank our friend, Patti V., for recommending this place.  
Great, simple treats from the oven.  Very down-to-earth and friendly.
Care for some cinnamon rolls? :-)
Next time you are on the Eastern Shore, make sure you drop by these places!