Fun with Food and a Blast with Travel in 2023!

How I had Fun with Food and a Blast with Travel in 2023!

After a few years of the world feeling like an upside-down cake, it felt good to inch back into the swing of things. There were some changes to navigate; a few favorite places had shut their doors, and some events said their final goodbyes, such as the Lighthouse Theatre Group Performances, while others changed. However, the brightness on the horizon outshines any dimness of the last few years. The food scene has reemerged with a tangible vibrancy, festivals and events have become more creative, travel is back on the agenda, and it seems like the globe is our menu with options unlimited.

In the wake of travel restrictions keeping me close to home and online cooking classes being my only source for new dishes, I was desperate for inspiration when the calendar turned to 2023. I didn’t have to search far, just to the back of my car where the license plate read “Nova Scotia - Canada’s Ocean Playground”. I was already in my playground and play I would as I decided to have fun with food and a blast with travel. It was time for Roaming Appetite to kick into gear.

The year was filled with enough to write a book, but since it is year end, I’ll do a short review. Throughout the coming year I’ll post more in-depth details of day trips, festivals, events, restaurant reviews, and feature some of my favorite local hangouts.

Unfortunately, 2023 will be known as the year of the wildfires in Nova Scotia. Hats off to all the generous people and organizations who donated food, and just about anything else that you can imagine. Local volunteers distributed the goods a prepared countless meals for those forced to evacuate.

As we turn our gaze to a new year, I want to convey how much I appreciate everyone who was a part of my Roaming Appetite journey in 2023, whether you read an article, liked a post or suggested a restaurant. I’m looking forward to the next year being filled with more Roaming Appetite adventures. Let's have fun with food and a blast with travel together. 

Favorite Community Festival:

Hawk Dayze - the festival takes place at its namesake, the Hawk, Cape Sable Island.

A few metrics I use to gauge the success of a community event: how well it showcases the local culture and history; creativity and planning; and of course, it must be fun and have food. Hawk Dayze checks all the boxes and then some.

Click here to read more about it.

New Activity:

Private chartered flight over the southern tip of Nova Scotia. A couple of friends joined, and we were off seeing the coastline and offshore islands from a different vantage point.

Looking for another way to explore familiar areas in a new way, try biking. It pays off with an added appreciation by putting you more in the scene, something you won’t get in car.

Best of Search:

I went on a search to find the best of one of my favorite things – Ice Cream.
After living in Europe for three years, I discovered a depth to ice cream I hadn’t experienced before. When I got home from overseas, I become a sleuth on the hunt for new flavours and unique ice cream dessert ideas.

The Emerald Light, Shelburne, had the best use of ice cream in a dessert. The lemon Gelato Bomb was a surprise; at the centre I discovered an explosion of lemon curd.

The Salt Banker has turned ice cream into a dessert tasting menu. You get to choose four flavours of their in-house ice cream and create your own dessert flight. Ube, made from purple yam is a must have.

Most "This Will Never Happen Again" Moment(s): I grabbed for the metal pull on the glass door when my friend let out an urgent call to “watch out! Get away”. I totally missed the porcupine sitting by the potted mums and other seasonal decor. I’m not sure how the owners viewed our antics as we stood outside trying to get their attention for assistance. Once inside we watched as a makeshift lasso was used to gently guide the animal away. That worked for a few seconds, but the porcupine quickly reverted to its position of guarding the door. Eventually, after various other attempts, the porcupine waddled away with all quills intact, and left us with a good story and meal. 

A few miles from where the porcupine was guarding the door, in the middle of an event, our server quit mid shift. Technology can be a bitch at times. Remaining staff could not get into the order tablet the server left behind leaving staff scrambling. The tablet was not connected to the kitchen. I was having so much fun, the long wait was more than palatable. The owners are hoping that will never happen again.

Favorite Meal:

I get excited when I see a tasting menu opportunity - several dishes in small portions, served as a single meal. Great tasting menus are woven together with a theme, be it a cooking style, ethnic focus, or type of food – think seafood tasting menu. Is your mouth watering yet?

Try as I might, there is just no way to break the three-way tie for best tasting menu. Impossible to choose between the 8 Course French Cuisine Night, Tapas Event and 7 course Indian Tasting Menu all at Charlotte Lane.

Best dish at a tasting; haddock and scallops with a white wine mushroom sauce. The award goes to Charlotte Lane Cafe for the best tasting menus of the year.

Favorite Pop Up:

Pop-ups are like shooting stars, if you are lucky you get to experience one before it is gone. It is often a one-time offering.

During the fall of 2023, on select weekend mornings hung a sign on the door of Salty Shores Inn & Cafe, Brunch by Chef Eric. The menu, like the food, was fresh each occasion. After one enjoyable brunch, I suggested to my two friends we order the pumpkin spice waffle with apples and caramel to share for a breakfast dessert - the best waffle ever.

I’m watching for the pop-up stars of 2024 and hoping Chef Eric returns.

Most Fun Cooking:

Having fun with food isn’t restricted to restaurant visits, markets, or festivals. I find fun right in my own kitchen or treating friends to a spontaneous chef night at their place.

After seeing a post by Scotian Shores, a shoreline cleanup crew, I jumped to answer the call for some home cooked food. They were cleaning one of my favorite locations, Cape Sable, home of the tallest lighthouse in Nova Scotia, or The Cape as we call it. Locke Smith’s little red cottage provided the kitchen. Day One menu included your choice of fish chowder or corn chowder, along with some fixings and dessert. The next feast consisted of individual meatloaf portions, potato, veggies, and another sweet ending.