Tuesday August 12, 2008
Mark Taylor - 3:29 PM ADT
I'm always looking for great restaurants, cafes and pubs to try.
So, imagine my happiness when I recently returned to Saint John.
This city has experienced a superb change in its dining options since I lived there as a child 20 years ago. There is now a diverse selection of cuisine and some fantastic chefs.
I would like to highlight a few.
Opera Bistro is truly one of the best restaurants you will ever visit. Located in uptown Saint John, This destination offers you an attractive interior, a warm atmosphere, great customer service and some of the most delicious dishes you will ever experience. It's really, really good. I honestly can't select a favourite dish because all the menu options are just so good.
The Mariner's Table is also well worth a visit. Located in the Saint John-area community of Chance Harbour, this restaurant provides its guests with a fantastic view of the Bay of Fundy below and some of the best dishes you will find anywhere. A visit to The Mariner's Table will also allow you to meet Chef Fred Decker. This man has one-of-a-kind knowledge of food and is more than happy to share his knowledge with you. Again, you must try the menu for yourself.
The Infusion Tea Room is a gem. Located in uptown Saint John, Gloria Baker and her stuff make you feel at home when you make your way through the door. The Infusion Tea Room also offers one-of-a-kind dishes, the province's best selection of teas and an excellent variety of other beverages. This place has great teas and nice homemade offerings such as mushroom bisque, a lobster roll platter and Veggie Quiche.
Home of Chef Ross Mavis, Inn on the Cove houses Tide's Table. This restaurant offers warm and friendly service, great food and a very unique experience. Many homemade favourites are found here as well.
The Saint John Ale House is another restaurant worth a try. This restaurant in Market Square provides great food and an excellent selection of beer. It's a perfect combination.
As you can see, there are many great places to visit in Saint John today. I look forward to the selection I have today when heading out to a lunch or a meal with a friend or family. Dining in Saint John is much better now than the days when your dining choices focused on fast food places.
Bon Appetit!
Mark
Mark Taylor is a food writer and publisher of New Brunswick restaurant guide www.diningpick.com
Thursday July 31, 2008
Mark Taylor - 5:29 PM ADT
I just got back home to Fredericton after spending some exciting days in Moncton.
Some of the best moments of my trip focused on my dining experiences there. This city has some great places to visit.
My favourites included Maverick's Steakhouse and Grill and Pastalli.
Maverick's had some of the best steak I have ever tried plus a great atmosphere and friendly service. This restaurant also served a glass of Rickard's Red beer that hit the spot.
Pastalli offered a great location, nice ambiance, friendly service and a delicious seafood lasagna. This dish was full of lobster, scallops and other seafood goodness. It also came with a nice glass of Reisling white wine. Very nice.
They are plenty of other great spots to visit in Moncton but these are some of the best. One-of-a-kind food, great drinks to complement the dishes, a nice atmosphere and friendly service seperates great restaurants from the rest of the pack and Moncton has some great restaurants.
Mark Taylor is a food writer and publisher of New Brunswick food guide www.diningpick.com
Sunday July 27, 2008
Mark Taylor - 9:14 AM ADT
I came across a fantastic place this weekend.
The Ledges Inn is located just off route 8 in this central New Brunswick community. This establishment offers some of the most delicious food I have ever eaten, an nice selection of wine, a great atmosphere and some magnificent views of fish jumping as they travel along the river.
It's always great to discover a new place that is worth telling others about. The Ledges Inn is definitely a place everyone must visit. I'm sure you will tell your friends about it.
Mark Taylor is a food writer and publisher of New Brunswick food guide www.diningpick.com
Tuesday July 22, 2008
Mark Taylor - 11:37 AM ADT
Kings Landing has a neat idea and a really great way to do something different on Sundays.
The historical settlement located near Fredericton is hosting a special breakfast each Sunday this summer that will bring visitors together with members of local volunteer fire departments. The breakfasts will also give people a chance to see department equipment such as fire trucks and learn more about what these departments do.
There is also delicious homemade favourites at the breakfasts such as eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, hash browns and baked beans. A portion of sales from the breakfast will go to local volunteer fire departments.
It can often be difficult to find a place to eat on a Sunday that is different that the usual destination. With that said, I look foward to making the trip to Kings Landing for something different, something delcious and something that will help the community. You also get to take in great scenery and a really interesting place. What could be a better way to spend a Sunday?
Mark Taylor is a food writer and publisher of www.diningpick.com
Thursday July 17, 2008
Mark Taylor - 11:25 PM ADT
Nice to see that Mexicali Rosa's in Fredericton recently brought in a promotion that sees kids eat free.
There should be more of this type of offering. I know I have a young child and this type of promotion helps. Restaurants that make moves like this will do well.
Cheers,
Mark
Mark Taylor is a food writer and publisher of www.diningpick.com
DiningPick.com is home to the largest directory of New Brunswick restaurants.
UPDATE: Thank you for your question, Shelley. The age limit is 12.
Saturday July 12, 2008
Mark Taylor - 5:09 PM ADT
There are some really hot things happening the kitchens of New Brunswick.
First off, many chefs from outside NB have come to our fair province and are doing great things. These chefs include Fred Decker at The Mariner's Table in Chance Harbour, Ray Henry at BrewBakers and The Back Nine in Fredericton, Thomas Gimblett at Racines Fredericton, Johnny Lo at Mandarin Palace in Fredericton, Johnny Lee at Asia Beef Noodles in Fredericton, Holger Mammen at The Happy Baker in Fredericton, Axel Begner at Opera Bistro in Saint John, Sephane Tesson at Auberge Les Jardins in Edmundston, Chris Aerni at The Rossmount Inn in St. Andrews and Rizwan Ul-Haq at Chez Riz in Fredericton. There are also many others in communities such as Moncton, Doaktown, Campbellton and Caraquet.
These chefs are bringing new and delcious ideas to diners as well as using New Brunswick ingredients to make fantastic creations. They are really knowledgable people with a passion for the kitchen that quickly becomes evident when you see them in action. These masters of the kitchen are also making both the food and the experience wonderful. Just visit any of these restauarants to find out for yourself.
These newcomers to NB are also telling others about the great province we have and encouraging friends and colleagues to come to New Brunswick.
Secondly, really cool restaurants cottinue to open up in NB. Recent additions include Promodori in Rothesay. This fast food restaurant sells authentic brick oven cooked Italian food. There is also Bulgolgi in Fredericton which offers Korean and Japanese food in a fast food restaurant style environment. There is also Boulangerie Grains de Folie in Caraquet which has authentic French cuisine focus and Croissant Soliel Cafe in Moncton which also has French cuisine focus.
Thirdly, I am really amazed at the interest children are showing in cooking today. I've discovered that many kids are really getting eager about being in the kitchen. For example, my daughter recently made a great strawberry shortcake and is a huge fan of The Food Network.
Great things are happening in the kitchens of New Brunwick and the future looks promising.
Mark Taylor is a food writer and publisher of www.DiningPick.com
Thursday July 10, 2008
Mark Taylor - 6:43 PM ADT
I'm really excited to begin blogging.
I have been writing for almost ten years now for newspapers and magazines but have not gotten into the blog world until now. It should be fun.
Let me give you an idea of what I'd like to talk about as we move ahead. I'd like to talk about good food and drink right here in NB and I would like to hear from you. For example, I will share my picks of the best places to eat, the best dishes, the best ingredients and the best in beer, wine and spirits. I also want to hear from you on what you think.
So let's get started.
First, a little background on me. I am a food writer who has written for many publications such as The Baltic Times, The Daily Gleaner and Occasions Magazine. I also publish a website dedicated to food and drink called DiningPick.com.
What I'd like to talk about today is the great places to check out for seafood this July as you travel the province. I love travelling to different parts of NB to try different food and drink. For example, Le Bienfaissant in Campbellton has the best seafood chowder I have ever tried, It's really, really good. Bouctouche also has a great little seafood takeout that serves delicious lobster rolls. My family and I like to travel there to visit it at least twice each summer. There also great places such as Racines in Fredericton which serves a fanastic assortment of seafood offerings. BrewBakers in Fredericton also has some great dishes as does Opera Bistro in Saint John, The Mariner's Table just outside Saint John in Chance Harbour and The Schnitzel Parlour in Fredericton. These are some of my favourites. I know Moncton has some great restaurants and cafes such as Little Louis Oyster Bar and The Creek. Other favourites in NB include La Fine Grobe Sur Mer, The Ledges Inn, The Rossmount Inn and Ozzie's takeout. There are so many great places.
I want to hear from you. What are your favourites? Why? Also, is there a community you go to in NB just for the food? What is the food that brings you there? I know I always look forward to lobster in Bouctouche. I want to hear from you as I'm always looking for great places to eat.
My next blog post will talk about some of the cool chefs that are working in NB right now.
Also, please feel free to visit me anytime at www.diningpick.com
My email is mark@diningpick.com
Cheers,
Mark
