Food Friday: New fave local restaurants

Today for Food Friday, I wanted to share some of my favourite local restaurants. I tried not to overwhelm you but there are a number in the city that I really do enjoy and go back to regularly. I've also included one place that I have tried a single time but really enjoyed so am recommending it. 

Favourites
Chanoey's Pasta  - 9.5/10
41 Portland St, Dartmouth
https://www.chanoeyspasta.com

It was opened by a married couple and named after two characters from the show Friends. A couple of their pasta dishes do have chili flakes in them so if you can't handle heat, request to have none added. They have daily pasta specials, sandwiches and salads as well. 

Stone Pizza  - 9.5/10
79 Alderney Dr, Dartmouth
https://stonepizza.ca

One thing I like about their pizzas is that if I have it for lunch, I am still full by supper time and I am one to need a snack or two in the afternoon. I haven't tried their dessert pizza but it looks delicious. If you have a dietary restriction, they also do vegan and keto pizzas.

Krave Burger  - 9/10
5680 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax
http://www.kraveburger.com

Speciality burgers (with non-traditional toppings) seem to be very popular the past decade and that is what Krave Burger does with local and fresh ingredients. Their sides are also good especially the mac & cheese. 

2 Doors Down  - 8/10
1533 Barrington St, Halifax & 149 Hector Gate, Dartmouth
https://www.go2doorsdown.com

We have had this a number of times and I haven't had anything that I don't like but they don't have a lot of options for me. It's a fancier restaurant but really cozy especially at night. They have a ice cream cookie that I love however. 

Darrell's Restaurant  - 7.5/10
5576 Fenwick St, Halifax
https://darrellsrestaurants.com

I would say this is my mom's favourite restaurant. They've done a really good job at adapting to take-out but they have plenty of room for dining in as it is two levels. Famous for their milkshakes and peanut butter burger. 

Tried & enjoyed

Cheeky Neighbour
6024 Quinpool Rd, Halifax
https://cheekyneighbour.com

Mom and I visited the Cheeky Neighbour for the first time in February during Dine Around and had a sausage benedict and it was really good. They open mid-morning even during the week and have breakfast daily. 

Maple, Snow and Waterfalls

This past weekend my mom and I travelled to the north shore of Nova Scotia for a day of walking, trying new things and exploring even more of the province. 

Our Saturday began with us driving 1.5 hours up to Earltown to check out a place called Sugar Moon Farm which is a maple farm. There's quite a bit you can do on the farm. They have a restaurant which is currently take out only because of the pandemic. I had their smoked turkey club for lunch while my mom had the breakfast sandwich, both were really good. Since it is still winter and actually quite cold that day, we ate in our car.

The parking lot is also the beginning of the Rogart Mountain Trail which you can snowshoe during the winter. It's a 6.2km rugged and often steep loop trail, that passes brooks, scenic look-offs, 17 interpretive sites and a waterfall. I only went out 15 minutes than turned back around because I went alone and had no cell service. The little bit that I did see looked pretty even covered with snow, I'm looking forward to going again in the summer or fall. 

The one thing I really wanted to do was the sugar-on-snow where you roll up your own hot maple syrup stick on ice. It costs $2 per stick and is very gooey and sticky but yummy. Pop on over to Instagram (@adventuresofansgirl) for a video of me trying it.  

We then travelled to the town of Truro and drove around for a bit before stopping in at a cafe called Jimolly's for a coffee and treat. Afterwards, we went to Victoria Park to go for a walk. I didn't realize how big the park is until I looked at the map. There are a number of trails on the 3,000 acre property as well as a playground, picnic tables, splash-pad and swimming pool. I wanted to just see the waterfalls and there is an easier route to get to them if you park at 212 Wood Street instead of the main entrance. It was easier, however since it's winter, the trail was quite icy so the walk took longer than it would in the summer. You also have to go down a number of stairs to get a really good view of the falls which we didn't do but you could still see them from the higher areas. I gotta say, waterfalls are cool looking during the winter. 

All and all, it was a great day and I can't wait to go back later in the year when it's warmer. 

Nova Scotia trails

There are many trails in Nova Scotia and even in the winter, you can still enjoy some of them. While it is cold in Canada, the east coast tends to be a little bit nicer than the rest of the country so getting outside isn't too bad except for the wind. One thing I wanted to do in 2021 was walk more either for fun or participating in events. These walks aren't just to get out and prepare myself for the events, I thought I would give my recommendations if you are looking for hikes/trails to do as well. 

I will update this post throughout the year to talk about some of the trails I explore in 2021. 

March 6

Cole Harbour Heritage Park 

There are 7 main trails (7.9 km total) which highlight the area's heritage and natural flora and fauna, as well as woodlands, fields and salt marsh shoreline. Eagle nexts are in the area. The trailhead and parking lot are located at 256 Bissett Road in Cole Harbour. The trails running from this main trailhead interconnect; each trail has its own character. The trails are open year-round (no winter maintenance) for all to explore the area's wildlife, including bird watching, while hiking, cycling, skiing and snowshoeing along the trails. from novascotia.com

It was a beautiful day to get out for a walk, just above freezing and sunny. There were quite a few people there which surprised me as it was a Thursday afternoon that I went. Part of my walk was on the Panorama trail which gives you a nice view of the lake. With no winter maintenance, parts of the trails were covered in ice and some of the areas that weren't were a little muddy. Despite the hills, all and all I had a nice enjoyable walk. Trails are well marked with name signs (I would still take a pic of the map however), there are outhouses and benches in different areas. 

Shubie Park

A beautiful 16-hectre urban park in Dartmouth, contains over 9 kilometres of wooded walking trails, including part of the Trans Canada Trail. Some of the trails of the park follow a portion of the abandoned Shubenacadie Canal, which passes through the park. The park includes designated areas for dogs to be off-leash, and an interpretive area called the Fairbanks Centre next to the canal.  from novascotia.com 

This park certainly is not a hidden gem. Even on a weekday in January, the main parking lot was almost full. You can also join onto the trail from parking behind Hockey Life in Dartmouth Crossing and going across the bridge over the highway. There's a beach, playground and baseball field on the other end of the park which doesn't have to be accessed by the main lot. The trails are easy to walk through. One could certainly make a day out of activities at the park while also getting exercise in. I took my friend's kids here once and they love it so now every time I see them, they want to go to Shubie Park and because of that, we try to not go the same way.