Monthly Archives : August 2019

SEAFOOD EXPRESS MOVES MORE


Owner and VP Andy Keith proud of new expansion in Charlottetown Large, bright, and shiny are words that come to mind as a first impression of the new Charlottetown location for Seafood Express, but a conversation with owner/vice president Andy Keith reveals that the business of food transport is far from superficial, with plenty of complex challenges. “We have up…

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BIG BURGER’S BIG MILESTONE


A quarter century of serving customers in the Charlottetown Mall food court The restaurant business can be a brutal one, and every milestone deserves celebration, from the first plate that ever gets put in front of a diner, to the big ones, like hitting 25 years in business. Big Burger is about to become one of those rare restaurants that…

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FORK, KNIFE, INGREDIENTS, AND A HISTORY BOOK


Acadie Authentique hopes to spark a conversation about Acadian culture around the dinner table When I walked into Marc Bastarache’s kitchen for our interview I could see his ‘tools of the trade’ laid out on the counter: pots, pans, pickles, potatoes, and a history book. The book, dog-eared and erupting with sticky notes, is historian John Mack Faragher’s A Great…

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QUALITY FROM BEAN TO BAR


The Island Chocolate Company’s focus on quality ingredients keeps customers coming back Linda Gilbert admits she’s no fan of takeout. Especially when it comes to fine chocolate. The co-founder of family-run Island Chocolates in Victoria-by-the-Sea believes good chocolate deserves to be enjoyed and appreciated. And that, she insists, takes time. “We have this aversion to takeout. We’ve tried a couple…

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BLUEBERRY SEMIFREDDO


I’ve created this rule about eating desserts at home: I will only eat them if I make them. This has led me to some great life hacks over the years. Chocolate mug cake mixes for life’s disasters? I’m ready. The best pancake dry mix to keep in my cupboard at all times for surprise guests? Handled. Where I always hit…

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HOME-GROWN BLUEBERRY HARVESTERS


Acadian Machine Works patented walk-behind machines fill a gap in the marketplace Wild blueberries weren’t a commodity that were readily apparent when the first settlers arrived in PEI, despite the crop being native to this Island for over 10,000 years. When brush fires ravaged fields after settlers cleared the land and left the landscape seemingly barren, the small berries—rich in…

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THE EDIBLE GARDEN


New ideas for your garden. Well, as everyone in PEI may know, the weather can vary significantly from year to year. This summer much of our garden growth is later than a typical year but it is still turning out to be a fine season. Many types of produce are growing well, even if the harvest is a little late.…

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‘BOURDAIN DAY’ MARKED IN PEI


A celebration and a conversation about mental health in the restaurant industry On June 25, a group gathered on Victoria Row in Charlottetown for ‘Bourdain Day’. The gathering was both to honour Anthony Bourdain’s birthday and to open a conversation about mental health in the restaurant industry. Bourdain, a prolific chef, food writer, and TV personality tragically took his own…

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GET READY FOR A PARTY


24th PEI International Shellfish Festival The Charlottetown Event Grounds will once again be filled with massive white tents in mid-September as shellfish lovers descend upon PEI for a weekend of noshing on oysters, lobsters, and mussels. From September 19-22, chefs Lynn Crawford and Michael Smith will host a jam-packed schedule of culinary competitions and demos by day, and kitchen parties…

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FOOD HISTORY CORNER


PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation – H. Benoit Lunch Counter The temperance movement was a social and political campaign at the forefront of many Canadian minds during the 19th and early 20th century. Those in favour of temperance were advocates for the moderation of, or total abstention from, alcohol. During the late 1800’s, unlicensed rum sellers on Prince Edward Island…

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