Habourside Walk East · St. John's, Newfoundland

Madrock Cafe · Bay Roberts, Newfoundland

On a Sunday drive, we visited Conception Bay, Newfoundland. To our surprise Madrock Cafe in small town Bay Roberts was jammin! We chatted with others while waiting, all of whom turned out to be regulars. They gave glowing reports; one said we were lucky to be there, another assured we were in for a treat. No better recommendation than that! The wait wasn´t long at all. A couple at a big table had room for two more. So we sat down and yet more conversation ensued. Our tablemates were avid walkers and loved the 8km Bay Roberts Shoreline Heritage Walk which runs rather close to the cafe. The family next to us politely asked if we could pass the syrup. Friendly, really friendly and we felt perfectly relaxed. Which is the theme of the downhome decor; a mix of cabin and DIY crafty, accented with mismatched chairs and tables.

As for what´s on offer, it´s traditional Newfoundland fare: All Day Breakfast, homemade Fish Cakes, Fish & Brewis, Toutons, Soups and Bake Beans. And forever my favorite, Homemade Bread which really makes the best toast. It´s the stuff your grandmother would make if she were still alive and happened to be a Newfoundlander. Madrock is as much cultural experience as tís restaurant. And we shared the experience with tables and tables of happy diners, grannies to babies, the terribly fit and the awfully lazy out for Sunday breakfast.

Sated. We decided to take on the Heritage Walk which wanders along sheer cliffs and offers fabulous coastline views all the way down to the end of the penninsula. And from there, Bell Island and the namesake geological feature "MadRock" can be seen on the right. A Glorious Sunday, altogether! And only in Newfoundland!

Madrock Cafe
723 Water Street
Bay Roberts, Newfoundland
 

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2013. All Rights Reserved. 
mickhuerta@gmail.com 
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Pi Gourmet Eatery · St. John´s Newfoundland

"Second trip arrived too early; we returned later!

Pizza is everywhere on the planet. And most times that does not translate into something you´d like to eat let alone pay for! Luckily here in St. John´s, the Pi Gourmet Eatery serves good funky thin crust pizza. I am prompted to say "funky" because of the playful names and creative combinations offered.

We sampled two! The Sir Isaac Salmon: sun-dried tomato and avocado cream cheese base topped with smoked salmon, sweet potatoes, red onion, tomato and feta. Also, we dug into their spin on the classic margherita pizza, E = MC²: herb tomato base topped with spinach, fresh tomato, fresh basil and brie. Even with the changes this pizza stayed classic enough to evoke the colors of the Italian flag — green (veg and herb leaves), white (cheese), and red (tomatoes). And that is the minimum requirement to wear the name Pizza Margherita! We enjoyed them both. Service was pleasant, ambience colourful and we´d readily go back again when the pizza bug bites!
  
Pi Gourmet Eatery
10 King's Rd., St. John's,
Newfoundland and Labrador
709.726.2000

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2013. All Rights Reserved. 
mickhuerta@gmail.com 
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Lilies on the Pond!

Serene August in Newfoundland is Cabin Life! This is a time of simple living punctuated by playful sea otters feeding in neighbouring fresh water ponds with an outlet to the Atlantic. The children fall mum with palms of torn bread lifted to the sky. Soundlessly the Grey Jays swoop down to steal offered crumbs in full flight. Long vigilant silences are rewarded with bolder birds even taking bread from the crowns of their heads.

Morning buckets in hand the blueberry picking has been a bumper crop of indigo with exclamations of discovery at the explosion of fruit on yet another low lying bush. The picking goes fast and exciting as a not so curious mother moose looks on while munching in the bramble. Just for the sweet joy of it, we hike down to revel in the lilies on the ponds... We suspect Monet would have felt right at home on this island brimming with ecstatic beauty...

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2013. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
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Photo credit: Rowena Ryan

Bianca's ~ St. John's, Newfoundland

A recent visit to Bianca's on Water Street St. John's made for a boisterous evening. The spot was animated with happy diners and that always bodes well, doesn't it.

I love oysters, no apologies and will go out of my way to order them when fresh, fresh and readily available. Neighbouring Prince Edward Island is renown for the Malpeque - small, mild, briny flavour with a metallic finish. These are a perfect oyster as a lifetime addiction. And Bianca's made good show of this starter plate. The dry Sauvignon Blanc worked well in combination. I was delighted and waited with great anticipation for the next course. 

It was at this point the dinner went a little wonky. I ordered Duck Confit ($30) which is simply a whole duck leg cooked in duck fat, a process making a less than noble cut fit for a king. Now if the chef wishes to depart from the classic and shred the duck meat please let the menu reflect that. And being there are many lactose-intolerant diners (I am one) let the menu show the pasta is finished with cream sauce. Perhaps with more information I could have selected a plate which would have appealed. Luckily my dinner companion switched plates with me. She mentioned she loves duck as much as she does halibut. And I thank her profusely for saving me and the evening! Admittedly I hate upsetting a lovely evening by sending a plate back to the kitchen.
Now it must be said that the table-service was first class and it was a pleasant experience altogether. I just wish menu descriptions could be a better indicator as to what will arrive on the plate. And with that I would be happy, happy, happy.

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
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Bianca's - facebook
Bianca's
 

A City Like Ours

Designer Darrell Edward stalks the spirit of our city. He's tenacious. With camera in hand he steals souls, freezes moments and holds up the looking glass so we can get a fix on ourselves.
St. John's, NL has no better friend ~ http://acitylikeours.com/

 Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
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Small Spaces ~ St. John's, Newfoundland

 Just blocks from the harbor in St. John's and the spritz and squall make neighborhood streets smaller, more comforting somehow. In this picturesque city open to the Atlantic the intimate spaces amongst clapboard houses draw attention. It's easy to remember the old adage that there is no bad weather only inappropriate gear. And when well bundled in bluster and blow and armed with a camera you can amble through little lanes and small alleys taking in the personal spaces. The nooks and passageways become familiar and recognizable even if you've never walked that particular path before. Perhaps it's sentiment, a mood that makes the world yours when the sky comes pouring down next to the sea.

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
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"On the Dock!" ~ London Dock Rum

Salt Cod produced in Atlantic Canada made it's way south to the Caribbean. To return, the tall ships were brimful with barrels of island rum increasing availability, lowering prices and subsequently changing Maritime drinking culture altogether. A 300-year-old trading tradition will certainly have that effect.

And in all that old history it's understandably there are strongly held preferences when it comes to rum; some select light for spritzing with a twist, golden for mixing the (in)famous Planter's Punch with a scrap of fresh nutmeg. And the dark rums, expressly those from Guyana, are heart felt favourites for those who look for big, essential rum flavour in a glass.

Guyana is reknown for rich, dark Demerara Rums (produced on the banks of the Demerara River, just outside of Guyana’s capital, Georgetown). Throughout history these rums overwhelmingly have been strong, over-proof (cask strength). And because of their full and bounteous flavor, Demerara rums can be aged for extended periods with very smooth results dominated by caramel and molasses flavors. Some fill a snifter just as nicely as a good cognac, to the euphoric pleasure of rum aficionados.

Fortunately, London Dock Rum is blended in Canada under license to White Favell, Vintner's of London and is a true Navy Rum coming in at 57.1% alcohol by volume. Even the label of Favell’s London Dock Rum maintains a nostalgic windjammers theme harkening back to a long nautical history. This is a stand alone rum. No need to do much but spritz and sip.

Recipe: Pour a brimming ounce over crushed ice in a frozen glass, then squeeze juice fresh from the citrus - lemon, limes and perhaps even oranges. The result is a cocktail to take the edge off the day and steep you in Maritime tradition. Shlàinte!

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
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