Cape Breton Island

[xtian]

We are headed there for two weeks in August and we'll stay with friends in Margaree Harbor/Chetticamp area most of the time.

My chef husbamd would love to take advantage of the local specialities-- whatever they may be?...

Besides, I'd sure appreciate some inexpensive local watering holes that have a great clam fry, or whatever it is you folks eat up there.

Finally, what the good local beer?

All suggestions are much appreciated!

[SusanNS]

We are headed there for two weeks in August and we'll stay with friends in Margaree Harbor/Chetticamp area most of the time.

My chef husbamd would love to take advantage of the local specialities-- whatever they may be?...

Besides, I'd sure appreciate some inexpensive local watering holes that have a great clam fry, or whatever it is you folks eat up there.

Finally, what the good local beer?

All suggestions are much appreciated!

←

I'm actually writing this from Cape Breton from my cottage!

If you get a chance to go Sydney way, check out the Gowrie House. The menu changes daily and they have one sitting at 7:30 - reservations definitely recommended! www.gowriehouse.com

Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale is the Nova Scotia beer although there are a few micro breweries available - Propeller beer is made in Halifax and they have several varieties.

Enjoy lobster, mussels and clams - you can buy good quality straight from the grocery store - Sobey's or Atlantic Superstore. You'll be here in time for fresh blueberries so make sure you indulge. Enjoy your stay here. I'm sure you'll be invited to a ceileidh or too.

SusanNS

[chromedome]

Seafood and berries are about it for local specialties, but they're very very good inded. More to the point, the Margaree area is breathtakingly beautiful.

If you get the opportunity to travel around a little bit, the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck is a uniquely wonderful place (if not food related). Likewise the Highland Village Museum in Iona, which chronicles the Scots presence in Cape Breton through the years.

[riboflavinjoe]

i know it's not exactly a destination eatery, but i figured you'd get a kick out of the name: lick-a-chick

[ErinB]

I'm trying to plan a vacation to Cape Breton in September, so thanks for the posts ...

I'm looking to have maybe one fancy meal and everything else on the cheap.

[blork]

Be warned that "everything else on the cheap" means virtually everything will be deep-fried. That was my unfortunate experience last October. Mind you, for deep fried fish things, they were very nicely done, but stil, enough is enough!

Seafood chowders are widely available and they are almost always very good. Not fancy, but very tasty.

With few exceptions, the biggest problem I had with Cape Breton restaurants was the lack of ambience. They just don't "get it" when it comes to restaurants. I think it comes from the working- and farming- class backgrounds, in which eating is far more of a utilitarian task than anything else.

Most inexpensive restaurants are brightly-lit (often with flourescent tubes) and have no music or other ambient sound. You feel like everything you say is being heard by everyone in the restaurant, because no one else seems to be talking -- or if they are, they're talking to the waitress as if she's a member of the family (and she probably is). Decor is minimal too, and you'll probably see the odd spectable of many couples sitting at tables side-by-side, faces down into their plates, instead of sitting across from each other.

That was primarily in the lower end restaurants, the places where locals go. In Cheticamp, I had a quite decent meal in a nice place -- don't remember the name, but it's "the fancy place" in the middle of town, with "Harbour" in the name. Excellent lobster and crab. The decor was uninspired, but at least it was dark and woody instead of being bright overhead lights and blank white walls. It had a big old bar that was nice too.

Unfortunately, the lighting was awful. The ceiling had a bunch of those little halogen lamps on wires all over the place, pointing downwards at slight angles. The result was that no matter where you sat you had a hot spot from an overhead halogen light right in your eye.

I'm sure there are places that are not like this, but that's mostly what I encountered. Keep in mind that I grew up in Cape Breton, so it's not like this is unfamiliar to me.

And to end on a happier note, the landscape there is stunningly beautiful, and the people are very friendly. Just leave your expectations for "restaurant atmosphere" behind! :-)

[freddychef]

While quality of food in a seasonal area like Cape Breton is a problem (I've worked there in the past) there are a few highlights...since the Red Shoe has reopened in mabou with menu items influenced by Chives in Halifax..give that a try..aslo in Mabou The Duncreigan inn...in Margaree harbour try island sunset resort....in Cheticamp try the Aucion bakery for real croissants....maybe go over to Aspey bay and try the oysters taken daily....glenora distillery as well...the other option is to do it yourself..a lot of loca lamb and trout around margaree as well just ask around..freddychef

[freddychef]

While quality of food in a seasonal area like Cape Breton is a problem (I've worked there in the past) there are a few highlights...since the Red Shoe has reopened in mabou with menu items influenced by Chives in Halifax..give that a try..aslo in Mabou The Duncreigan inn...in Margaree harbour try island sunset resort....in Cheticamp try the Aucion bakery for real croissants....maybe go over to Aspey bay and try the oysters taken daily....glenora distillery as well...the other option is to do it yourself..a lot of loca lamb and trout around margaree as well just ask around.. in Cheticamp try the local Acadien restaurant as well freddychef