Eating on the road: Evan's Fresh Seafoods in Dartmouth

 My visit to Halifax in December was planned as a culinary visit, and before I left I consulted friends who were or had been local residents to get their tips on where to get the best bites -- especially those that come from the sea. A clear recommendation was that I take the ferry across the harbour to Dartmouth to a spot you wouldn't find on most tourist guides: Evan's Fresh Seafoods. 

Located conveniently in the same building as the ferry terminal, at Alderney Landing, they also sell fresh and frozen fish and seafood and offer hot fare in what is basically a small mall food court. I liked the local feel, and I like transit boats (think an East Coast sea bus) so I actually went twice.

My first visit was for lunch on my first full day in Halifax. It was raising so I took an Uber to the Halifax side of the ferry terminal, and when I told him where I was going and why he offered a hearty endorsement. So that was a good sign.

Not to divert into a transit review, but while they had a ticket booth I couldn't buy a fare there. They made me download an app, link my credit card and buy my fare there to show the agent. Kind of a pain, though seamless for future transit this trip once done. And now I have the Halifax transit app on my phone. Guess that's better than my growing collecting of reloadable physical transit cards.

Anyways, after the crossing it was easy enough to find Evan's and I was able to quickly order because, of course I had pre-scouted the menu. Are you new here?

I was here for the lobster roll. Recommendations were sought and given on that basis, and I was told this is where locals go for a lobster roll. Not cheap at $26, but the lobster lobby has done a very good job at elevating this once overlooked sea creature to gourmand status. You could add a side fries but I'm not here for empty carbs. Caesar salad for me. They had a special to add some breaded side scallops at a discount, and I was all for that.

Definitely worth the boat cruise. The bun was fresh and buttery, and the lobster tasty, creamy and plentiful. The salad was a salad. The scallops fresh and delicious, and I really liked the lemon wedge for a splash of acid. Hearty and filling, and just the seafood fix I was looking for.

A few days later, on the last day of my visit, I would take the ferry over to Dartmouth again, suitcase in tow for one more seafood lunch before a taxi to the airport. This was a Sunday and, while it was quiet on my last Friday midday visit, today Alderney Landing was hopping with locals as their was some kind of bazar happening in the mall-like area and some sort of live music in the food court.

I was here for the fish, not the music, which wasn't really my vibe. But I managed to find a seat free at one of the shared tables. For today's lunch I went in a different direction, wanting to sample some of their other offerings.

First was a bowl of seafood chowder, with haddock, potatoes, scallops and lobster, to which I added some mussels for a small upcharge.

I would put the chowder as third of the three I had this trip. The broth was watery and flavour undeveloped. On the positive, it was packed with fish and lobster chunks quite generously and no potato filler. The mussels were a cheap add on.

I also ordered the two piece haddock, but with onion rings instead of the chips. It's not often I waste my carbs on fries.

The onion rings were ok. Onion rings are hard to screw up though, believe me, some places manage it. The haddock was good but I think I just don't care for their batter. I prefer a more wet batter while this seemed more like a meal. But it was still tasty and filling.

All in all, I enjoyed my first visit to Evan's more. The lobster roll was outstanding and the scallops were simple and enjoyable. Next visit I'll go elsewhere for my fish and chipless.

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Eating on the road: My Seattle food roundup

 I spent a lot of time on ferries during my Seattle trip as, in search of semi-reasonable hotel prices, the Swifties made me flee town for Bremerton. But all my extensive pre-trip research wasn't entirely wasted as I did get to try some local delicacies and culinary specialties. It's a far from comprehensive review of the Seattle food scene, but here's what I did manage.

Piroshky Piroshky Bakery, Pike Place Market

I was a little apprehensive to go to this tourist mecca on a Saturday when Seattle was invaded both by baseball fans and Swifties, but it's a foodie must-visit and I was determined to start the day at Piroshky Piroshky Bakery, a Russian bakery known for its selection of sweet and savoury piroshky -- basically, a version of the famous Scarborough patties.

There was a deceptively long line outside but it moved quickly and efficiently. There was a staff member keeping it moving and telling jokes. And there were menus outside so you could just step into the very small establishment, get your pastry and move along. On my way I did pass by another location, but it was closed and seemed designed to cater to the local breakfast business crowd.

They have many different varieties but I decided on one of the classics, the beef and cheese. It was tourist priced, but it was warn am and fluffy and flavourful, and got my day started off right. I wouldn't have objected to some spice, but this was Seattle and not Scarborough.

Jackson's Catfish Corner

A lot of my Seattle food research focused on fish and seafood, as it often does when I'm visiting somewhere ocean adjacent. And that led me to Jackson's Catfish Corner, which was well recommended for catfish and other authentic southern specialties. 

It's outside of downtown proper and the wait for transit was too long, so I hopped in an Uber for the drive. It's an unassuming place on a street corner across from a strip mall and was fairly empty, although it was doing a steady take-out business on a Saturday evening. 

I decided to dine in, of course, being a long ways from my distant hotel, and ordered the half-pound of catfish strips with hush puppies and cole slaw. There were other fish on offer -- I do enjoy snapper -- but it wasn't Snapper Corner so I went with the namesake.

It was fried fresh and they were kind enough to bring the tray to my table. I passed on the tartar in favour of ketchup, although I did sample them naked first. The cole slaw was cool and crispy and mayo-based. The fish and hush puppies were fried in a corn meal batter. It was definitely a generous portion of cat fish.

It was OK, but I think I'm not a big cat fish guy. Was a little bready and could have used more flavour. But it was an enjoyable dinner off the tourist path.

Seattle Dog # 1

Many cities have their own take on the classic American hot dog. And in Seattle, apparently that's their namesake Seattle dog. Based on my food research, the Seattle dog is a classic hot hod on a bun with some toast served with fried vegetables and cream cheese. I know, right, cream cheese? The Chicago people must be losing their minds. But when in Rome...

I decided to grab one on a Sunday morning when I had time to kill before the ball park opened. There's a long long of food stands outside the stadium, some offering seating, so I ordered a Seattle dog and a water and plopped myself down on a picnic table.

I have to say, this was not a good introduction to Seattle's namesake hot dog. The toast was minimal, the bun was falling apart, and the mixed veg was only onion -- usually peppers are included as well. But they had a cream cheese gun, which was really cool. And the cream cheese did add an interesting creamy element. More a single than a home run -- I would need to try again somewhere else.

Ivar's ballpark fish and chips -- hold the chips

Ivar's is a Seattle-based fish and chips chain with a few locations in the city and stands at the ball park and the football stadium next door. Not being wholly satisfied by the pre-game Seattle dog, I decided some fish and chips were in order.

Hold the chips, though. No need to again belabor my lack of enthusiasm for french fries. They are empty carbs I can do without. I get annoyed when, if I want chicken strips, I need to pay for the fries as well. So this day I decided they can charge me if they want but I do not want the fries, and I made this clear on ordering.

To my delight and surprise, they told me well then you get an extra piece of fish. I declared that a great idea and gladly accepted. For ball park fish these were pretty good. Probably cod if I had to guess. And there were even a few rouge fried included.  Definitely a welcome change from strips, and I would trade the fries for more fish any day and twice on Sundays.

Ivar's on the pier for chowder

Long story short, getting out of Seattle's stadium district on Sunday afternoon was a nightmare. I had planned to dine at a fancy seafood place back in Bremerton, but I missed the ferry I wanted. So with a long wait for the next state ferry, I went down the waterfront to another Ivar's location. 

I ordered a cup of chowder and a water, as hydration is important, and took it to the glass-enclosed pier-side table area to enjoy. It was enclosed to protect from the seagulls but also made it feel like a greenhouse, which probably did help with table turnover.

Anyway, the chowder was creamy but not overly chunky and seemed pretty processed coming out of a big bag. Still, it was tasty.

Seattle dog #2

On my last day in Seattle, an overcast Monday, I dropped my bag at the clipper terminal so I didn't have to drag it around until my afternoon ferry and went to the Space Needle area to check things out. Most of the ticket machines were out of order, but finding a functioning one the price to go up was more than I was willing to pay. So it was on to plan two.

The claimed originator of the Seattle Dog was supposedly a Space Needle-adjacent hot dog stand, and I found it next to a souvenir store between the Space Needle and the Museum of Pop Culture. Conforming that they had proper grilled veg, I ordered the namesake Seattle Dog.

I still don't feel like they executive it perfectly. The bun held somewhat together bit just barely and needed more toast. While there was a variety of grilled veg it was a little overdone. No cream cheese gun this time; they smeared it on the bun. All together though, s satisfying lunch but not one I will seek to replicate at home.

Pike Place Chowder at Pacific Place Center

Finally on Monday, before heading back to the clipper terminal I had to try what my research claimed was the city's best chowder: Pike Place Chowder. And rather than brave the masses at the Pike Place Market, I took the monorail to the Pacific Place Center Mall in the heart of the commercial district.

The mall was dead but the top floor, with an AMC Cinema and several restaurants and food stands, was not. It was around lunch time on a work day and working Seattleans were hungry for chowder.

They have a few different varieties but I went for the original clam chowder, which came with a slice of plain sourdough bead. I could have gotten it with a sourdough bread bowl but honestly, that's just a mess.

The slice of bread did nothing for me. I'm not a dipper, so I could have used some butter. But the chowder itself was excellent. Miles ahead of Ivar's the day before. Rich, creamy, and more substantive. I polished it off and turned for the ferry in a satisfied stupor.

So that was the food I managed in Seattle. I only really scratched the surface, but I did have some good chowder.

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Eating on the road: Fish and Chips at Surfside in Comox

 I always say when you’re having fish, get as close to the ocean as possible. If you can dine outside and smell the salt air, even better.

Whenever I’m back home in the Comox Valley I always get fish and chips. Usually I’m back in the winter, but recently during a spring visit I was back in time for the opening for the season of Surfside, a fish and chip truck in the part next to the Comox Harbour.

They have an extensive menu, from traditional fish & chops to po’ boys, tacos and oysters. I’ll have to try a po’ boy on a future visit to see how they compare to New Orleans, but on my first visit I stuck to my standard: halibut and chips, sub onion rings for the chips. I also got a cup of chowder, which came with grilled garlic bread.

They cook it fresh, which was fine because I wasn’t early. It also gave me time to check their math, as even with tax it didn’t seem to add up. I wasn’t expecting it to be cheap, but this was a little crazy. Turns out they did get the math wrong by almost $10, which I got back when I asked them to run the numbers again. So do check their math, as that’s too much to let go.

Only other negative was Diet Pepsi instead of Diet Coke, but we can live with that.

I took my food to a picnic table in the park and dug in. The chowder was tasty and warmed the heart. The onion rings were thin and crunch, as I like them. Some places go too heavy on the batter; they did not. Slaw was slaw. Halibut was delicious, flaky, yummy. My favourite for fish and chips.

A good lunch on a nice day in the park with a breeze off the harbour, but not cheap and check their math.

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Eating off the Hill: St. Andrews Fish and Chips

As I've mentioned before, Scarborough is an ethnic food oasis. One of the few remaining remanants of the Scarborough of yesteday though are assorted fish and chips spots. And the one that was my regular spot during my decade Scarborough residency is St. Andrews Fish & Chops.

There's now a Biryani Hut next door, but St. Andrews remains a Scarborough institution at Ellesmere and McCowan. With a simple retro feel inside and a dedicated take-out counter that does brisk business to the lunch crowd, St. Andrews has a scottish theme with specialties like meat pies, haggis, mealie pudding and mushie peas.

They do a very affordable lunch special at $8.95, but I tend to stick with the regular-sized Halibut and Chips at $14.95, often subbing in a ceasar salad for the fries. I could do cheaper fish like haddock, cod, Alaskan whitefish, sole or salmon, but I've always been partial to halibut.

On a recent lunch visit I decided to go all-out though and upgrade to the halibut platter, which adds breaded shrimp and scallops, and to sub out the fries for fritters. Was hoping they were veggie fritters, but they were potato. Still, a lot of deep-fried delicious, and enough left over for breakfast the next day.

I didn't have desert this time, but the deep fried Mars Bar with ice cream has always been a stand-out.

Definitely worth a stop on any Scarborough food tour, especially on a Friday -- Fridays are fish day.

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