Eating your way through Charlottetown

By Kathryne Grisim

What says the maritimes like a hearty seafood chowder poutine?

What says the maritimes like a hearty seafood chowder poutine?

Charlottetown offers a visitor all the conveniences of a major Canadian metropolis but without the crowds, stress or traffic. In fact, even though it is a city, it feels more like a small town. There are shops, restaurants and craft beer tasting rooms all conveniently located within walking distance of the harbour and Charlottetown’s Convention Centre. Sightings of the water occur frequently and parks and green spaces abound. One evening we caught the most glorious sunset.

In thirty minutes or so you can be out in the country to gaze upon the lush rolling hills that reminded my husband and me of Tuscany. Sandy beaches and dunes are plentiful on the province’s North Shore. And a bonus if you happen to have mobility issues or are pushing a baby stroller, beaches like Brackley Beach that we visited were ramped with “carpeted” areas to get almost down to the water’s edge. Visiting at the end of a busy summer season meant that we often had beaches almost to ourselves, and traffic on the roadways was leisurely.

We devoted one full day to eating our way through the many seafood restaurants on the waterfront. When we travel we like to go on food tours as you get access to some special places as well as learning more about the culture and history of a community. The title of our tour was “Taste the Town–Shellfish Edition” hosted by Experience PEI.

Victoria Row offers a diverse array of shops and restaurants for locals and visitors.

Of course, fish and chips!

Prince Edward Island is known for it's beaches.

Tea at Dalvay by the Sea.

The first stop was Lobster on the Wharf where we could smell the saltiness of the bay. Our tour guide first took us to the retail area where we learned more about PEI Lobster including how to determine a male lobster from a female one. The attached restaurant was bustling with their late lunch crowd. Various cruise ships spend the day in Charlottetown and in the restaurants on the harbour you can meet people from around the world.

Our first taste was of Malpeque oysters. They are PEI’s most famous oyster and are grown wild in Malpeque Bay. Their taste was briny but not overly so and they easily slid down our open throats. The correct manner of this was demonstrated by one of the managers of the Lobster on the Wharf. The oysters came with a wedge of lemon and a couple of unique sauces.

The second seafood offering at Lobster on the Wharf was of both softshell and quahog clams. These too were served with a wedge of lemon and salty melted butter for dipping. Both varieties are native to the eastern shores of North America from Prince Edward Island to the Yucatán Peninsula.

A short walk along the harbour took us to Peake’s Quay where scallops were the shellfish offering. If you wish to know what a scallop shell looks like, think of the logo of Shell gas stations. We are purists where scallops are concerned, loving when they are allowed to caramelize in a hot pan of butter. Peake’s Quay’s version were bacon-wrapped and good too.

Sightings of the water appear frequently on PEI.

PEI is home to many historic lighthouses.

Scallops at peake's Quay.

Lunch prepared by the “Queen of Fries”.

Our last stop on the tour was right next door at Brakish, which you might think was an odd name for a res- taurant. Blue mussels were the shellfish offering there. Next to scallops, mussels are our favourite as their subtly flavoured flesh take on whatever they are cooked in, be it white wine, garlic or fresh herbs. When served with French fries they become a classic Belgian dish called moule et frites. Coincidently, our last meal on PEI was at The Blue Mussel Café, located in North Rustico where we sampled seafood chowder poutine of all things!

On another day we stuffed ourselves with lobster rolls and French fries from The Chip Shack also on the harbour. The “Queen of Fries” prepared our lunch that day. We also just had to try Cow’s, said to be the world’s best ice cream. Who were we to argue? One cone was dubbed Chip Chip Hooray and I did cheer when I tasted the sea-salted English toffee and chocolate covered potato chip pieces. In fact, we bought a pack to bring home as well as another PEI delicacy–Potato Garlic Jam.

Speaking of jam, one day we stopped for tea, scones and jam on the front porch of Victorian home Dalvay by the Sea. Originally a private home, it was built in 1896 and is a Canadian National Heritage Site.

We didn’t just eat during our stay in PEI, although it may appear so. We visited the farmer’s market on Saturday and a craft market on the streets of Charlottetown Sunday and had a chance to listen to some fine fiddling along the way.

A colourful Charlottetown sunset.