Fredricton for Friday 20-Monday Oct. 23

[Quarki]

Hello I'm going to be in Fredericton, New Brunswick for a conference.

I'd like to eat lobster the most!

Anyone have any good recommendations (preferably cheap, I'm a "poor" student) around downtown?

Are there any other good food/flavours?

This place looks promising:

http://www.caribbeanflavas.ca/menu.html

Has anyone been there?

[Spiro]

Hello I'm going to be in Fredericton, New Brunswick for a conference.

I'd like to eat lobster the most!

Anyone have any good recommendations (preferably cheap, I'm a "poor" student) around downtown?

Are there any other good food/flavours?

This place looks promising:

http://www.caribbeanflavas.ca/menu.html

Has anyone been there?

←

They're a great choice, and were just named best restaurant in New Brunswick. Beware that they don't serve alcohol, but they do the best fish in town.

Other choices:

Brewbaker's (http://www.brewbakers.ca/): An Italian grill with a Canadian slant. Best wine list in town.

The Beaverbrook Hotel (http://www.cpfredericton.com/) has just finished being converted to a Crowne Plaza. The Maverick Room is the only true steakhouse in town, and is reportedly very good.

The Palate (no website, 462 Queen, 506.450.7911) offers casual fine dining. They are consistently very good.

Cora's (http://www.chezcora.com/Main-en/Trouver-en.htm) is a great place to go for breakfast. On weekends, though, expect to wait in line to be seated.

Every Saturday, "from dawn til noonish", the farmer's market (http://www.boycefarmersmarket.com/) offers some great eating. All kinds of sausages, spring rolls, tacos, souvlaki, etc. are available. Definitely pick up some samosas from Samosa Delight.

El Burrito Loco (http://www.elburritoloco.ca/) is owned and operated by a native of Puerto Vallarta. They seem to be slipping a bit, but if you order their asado (beef or chicken), you'll have a great meal.

Those would be my top picks. If you've got specific questions, I'll be glad to answer them. Or, if there is something in particular you're looking for, I'll try to help. Enjoy your visit!

PS: One more: for good pub food, try the Snooty Fox on Regent, between King and Queen.

PPS: OK, another one: there is apparently a tea room near the Snooty Fox, but I haven't been there yet.

EDIT: Sorry, missed the lobster reference. Your best bet might be the Hilltop on Prospect, but that's a hike from downtown. The Palate might have something on the menu, or try one of the restaurants in the Beaverbrook Hotel. Around here, lobster tends to be something eaten at home.

Edited October 19, 2006 by Spiro (log)

[Quarki]

Hey awesome!

What are some good local dishes?

I love good tasty done nicely pasta also.

Any other recommendations.

From your list, I'm going to try the Snooty Fox and seems like the market is a place to try also.

[Spiro]

Hey awesome!

What are some good local dishes?

I love good tasty done nicely pasta also.

Any other recommendations.

From your list, I'm going to try the Snooty Fox and seems like the market is a place to try also.

←

Definitely check out the market. This time of year, it's still warm enough that there are at least as many vendors outside as inside. There are butchers, bakers, cheesemakers, etc, in addition to snack vendors and craft makers. When I go, I try to get there early. It can get very crowded.

Local dishes? Samosas are pretty popular, as is souvlaki. (If you decide to hunt down some souvlaki, head to the market. There are a couple of Greek restaurants in town, but they're not that great.) I'm not sure where you're visiting from, so don't know if maple products are a novelty for you. Again, your best bet is probably the market.

If you're looking for a local brew on tap, order Picaroon's. Available many places, Snooty Fox included. They have many ales, and maybe a couple of lagers. My favourite is their Best Bitter.

Brewbakers is probably a good choice for pasta. If you want Asian-style noodles, there's a place called (surprisingly) "Asia Beef Noodle". They're on Queen, between Regent and the Playhouse (around the corner from Snooty Fox). Tasty.

Bon appetit!

[Quarki]

I'm coming from Vancouver^^.

Staying at the Lord Beaverbrook.

So lobster isn't a big thing there? Most of the time I hear you can get lobster cheap there, so that's why I want to have lobster. Is the best recommendation, to buy a lobster and cook it yourself?

I guess when I say local dishes, like flavours of the martimes? (which I guess would be fish...) I guess you can also say Vancouver is well known for their sushi... but yea that's a side fact...

Edited October 19, 2006 by Quarki (log)

[Spiro]

I'm coming from Vancouver^^.

Staying at the Lord Beaverbrook.

So lobster isn't a big thing there?  Most of the time I hear you can get lobster cheap there, so that's why I want to have lobster.  Is the best recommendation, to buy a lobster and cook it yourself?

I guess when I say local dishes, like flavours of the martimes?  (which I guess would be fish...) I guess you can also say Vancouver is well known for their sushi... but yea that's a side fact...

←

I would expect the Beaverbrook to have a couple of lobster dishes, but yeah, most people just get it at the supermarket. You can get it pre-cooked. Lobster seems to be more of an "occasion" food, so you have "lobster feeds" like you'd have "corn boils" or "cookouts".

I'm probably being oblivious to what "flavours of the maritimes" would be. If you had a car, I'd point you to a couple of places out in the country for fresh seafood, local wine, etc. Just as Vancouver has a strong Asian community, eastern Canada has a strong Middle Eastern community. So you see things like souvlaki and Lebanese food everywhere. We produce a lot of maple products here, which is why I suggested that. NB is also virtually unique in the consumption of fiddleheads (immature ferns that haven't uncurled yet), but they're a springtime thing and don't keep. We're pretty much into apples, squashes, etc. right now. Moose season is just wrapping up, duck season is underway, and deer season will start shortly. Unfortunately, I can't think of any restaurants that will offer these, but you never know.

As a disclaimer, I will say that Fredericton can be finicky, and just because something is a good idea doesn't mean that it will do well here. People are pretty conservative, so anything considered new or different (to them) usually fails a few times before taking off. That seems to be slowly changing, though: I was sure Caribbean Flavas would be closed within a year (glad I was proved wrong!). My point here is that, by and large, we're a meat-and-potatoes society, so good food isn't appreciated. I know I'm generalising, but that's the kind of thing you have to work through to find the real gems in this town.

[Overlordofpastry]

The Crowne Plaza Fredericton (Lord Beaverbrook) does have lobster on the menu, one dish I believe is a lobster risotto. I should know more but I'm just the pastry chef, I'm off in a corner away from everyone else. On Friday nights, the hotel has a really good seafood buffet, and it's very affordable and really popular with the locals. The only place to get cheap lobster regularily that I can think of is the Fredericton Inn, which has a lobster buffet or dinner for $25/$30 but I don't know anyone that has ever gone there.

Generally, I find the food here in Fredericton very affordable, I don't think I have ever seen a main course over $25 in any restaurant, and buffets are really popular here as well. Not to be biased, but from what I have tried the food at the Crowne Plaza is the best in Fredericton. I also heard the desserts are amazing! El Burrito Loco has excellent mexican food with amazing margaritas, the Blue Door is pretty good but the food can be quite heavy at times, and there is also Chez Riz, an indian restaurant that has 2 tandoori ovens. I haven't gone yet but I really want to check out Carribean Flavas, I heard they have really good food as well.

[Quarki]

so far i've been to a few places. I went to the Carribian place, the service is great, my friends loved the food, my dish had some adjusting to.. meaning i wasn't really into it at first.

so friday lunch: brewbakers, pasta yummy (the maple curry chicken)

friday dinner: mcginnis? pub... pesto chicken pasta, not good.. just food to me... and they were very busy so i wasn't too happy with it

Saturday lunch: farmer's market samosas and chocolate mousse (yum).. the samosa's were okay.

Sartuday dinner: Carribian place, shrimp curry. it was different. I wasn't so sure what to do with the apple sauce like sweet potatos but in the end oh you mix it with the curry and that tasted a lot better. (I was hoping for sweet potato fries though...)

Sunday lunch: Snooty fox, cedar plank salmon. There's one thing that threw me off was that the fish wasn't scaled. however, probably this doensn't dry out the fish but I really wanted to eat the skin. The salmon was very nice and tender and juicy. The veggies and fries weren't so great.

Sunday dinner? hoping for seafood....

Thanks everyone for their help!

so that's what i've had so far.

Where can I get mouse or fiddleheads?