A Postcard from Canada (Alberta -> British Colombia -> Nova Scotia)

Greetings lovely readers! I have just returned from an 18 day trip exploring Canada. It was pretty epic, starting in Alberta (Calgary & Banff), moving to BC (Vancouver & the Okanagan) and finishing in Nova Scotia (Halifax & Cape Breton mainly).
Here is a little postcard – enjoy! Back soon with recipes, stories and details.
I had less than a day in Calgary but I did it justice in the time visiting Pigeonhole, The Nash, Corbeaux Bakehouse, the Yellow Door Bistro and Charcut. I also managed a little spice shopping in the wonder that is the Silk Road Spice Shop. The food scene in Calgary is thriving and has been growing enthusiastically for the last 5 years. As is common now there was lots of local sourcing, cocktails are popular and well executed. Calgary is inland and is famous for beef, but there are interesting takes on fish too. Did you know that there are cowboys in Calgary? Yeah, and one of the worlds largest rodeos! Boutique bitters are a thing, and there are lots of interesting Canadian ones, which make for very interesting drinks. It is definitely somewhere I would like to return to, both to explore the food scene locally but also to explore the Rockies and areas like Jasper, further.
- Olive oil poached arctic char with pana cotta, ginger & cucumber juice at The Nash, Calgary
- Cocktail at The Nash, Calgary
- Brown Butter Madeleine at Pigeonhole
- Duck fat poutine with truffle gravy and Quebec cheese curds, sausage patty with curds and fried eggs and pickles at Charcut, Calgary
- Balers breakfast at Corbeaux Bakehouse, Calgary
- Beef tenderloin tartare with mustard, pickled shimeji, crispy shallots, egg yolk and house made potato crisps at the Yellow Door Bistro in the Hotel Arts, Calgary
- Butternut squash gnocchi with apples and spinach at the Yellow Door Bistro, Hotel Arts, Calgary
- Terrific homemade sausage and pigs head mortadella with brassica mustard at Charcut
- The Silk Road Spice Shop
- A pumpkin as a vase! Super.
I then headed to Banff to board the Rocky Mountaineer. I am a little obsessed with trains and I love slow travel. This trip has been on my bucket list for a while, from Banff in the Rockies through to Vancouver over 2 days. A luxury experience with great food, how glorious is the carriage with the transparent ceiling? So immersive. It is also pretty hard to beat and old school dining car. The food and wine offering was very well executed, featuring local ingredients cooked well, and local wines and beers. The service was exceptional, and I especially loved standing in the vestibule, an exterior portion of every car where you could soak it all in.
- Passing through the Rockies and observing from the Rocky Mountaineer gold leaf viewing car
- Rocky mountaineer views
- Rocky mountaineer views
- Breakfast time
- Happy place on the Rocky Mountaineer
- Breakfast on the Rocky Mountaineer
- A view of the Rocky Mountaineer taken from the exterior vestibule – I spent so much time here!
I had a brief stop in Vancouver. I stayed in the Fairmount downtown, and had enough time for a couple of brunches (L’Abbatoir and Café Medina), dinner (Royal Dinette) and drinks (Salt Tasting Room – all matched with charcuterie & cheese) and an afternoon tea (at the Fairmount where I stayed). Vancouver is a fun spot with lots going on. I definitely need to return and spend more time there.
- Coffee at Timbertrain Coffee Roasters
- Breakfast burger at L’Abbatoir: quarter pound patty, hash brown patty, fried egg
- L’Abbatoir
- Poached eggs with smoked pork belly, cheddar sabayon and a homemade English muffin at L’Abbatoir
- Moroccan Maria at Cafe Medina: Reposado Tequila, Fresh Tomato Juice, Celery Bitters, Fresh Lime
- Brunch at Medina! Tajine (2 Poached Eggs, Spicy Merguez Sausage, Seasonal Vegetables Stew of Chickpeas, Black Olives & Preserved Lemon with Grilled Focaccia)
From Vancouver to the Okanagan, one of Canada’s established wine regions. It surprises many to hear that Canada has a desert, there is also an enormous lake here, 131 licensed wineries, and many more grape growers. I visited the NK’MIP Desert Cultural Centre to learn about the Osoyoos Indian Band, one of the Okanagan First Nations. They also own a winery, NK’MIP Cellars, and produce terrific wines, my favourites their pinot noir and ice wine. We enjoyed them over a hyper local lunch cooked by Okanagan chef Chris Van Hooydonk at Backyard Farm. Justin Hall, a member of the Osoyoos Indian Band and assistant winemaker at NK’MIP Cellars also lunched with us and matched wines to the meal. It was a wonderful experience. I tried lots of wines while in the Okanagan, as with much Canadian wine, little is exported so you just have to dig deep and try as many as you can there. Right?
- Backyard farms sublime home made duck confit
- YEAH!
- Justin Lee, assistant winemaker at NK’MIP Cellars
Following the Okanagan, I journeyed back to Nova Scotia. Canada is enormous, there is a 4 hour time difference between the two coasts and the East and West coasts contrast in many ways. I love Nova Scotia, I have visited twice before to see a friend but had never explored the region properly. This time I got to visit Cape Breton, a large island to the north of Nova Scotia which had lots of Scottish, French and Irish settlers, and the Celtic music and language traditions are very much alive there. I also explore Halifax returning to my favourite Obladee (who are now doing terrific lunches) and Field Guide.
- King Crab legs at the Rusty Anchor in Pleasant Bay – so sweet and fresh
- Sublime sunset near Cheticamp
- Lobster roll – there were many! – at the Rusty Anchor in Pleasant Bay
- Tasting a 1997 Glenora single malt straight from the barrel
- Whale watching at Pleasant Bay (we say about 100 beautiful pilot whales)
- Lobster poutine at the Rusty Anchor
- Lobster roll that I made with the Kilted Chef in Pictoou – recipe to come!
- Pan fried oysters at the Rusty Anchor
- Visiting a Maple Syrup farm
- The Field Guide take on the Halifax donair (the Halifax take on the kebab)
- Maple butter topped shortbread at The Dancing Goat (one of the best sweets I have had in a while!)
- Fly fishing on the Margaree
- Baked eggs with cheese at Sugar Moon Farm
- Beef Brisket Tacos at Field Guide in Halifax
- Sublime sunset at Cheticamp
- Talking single malt in Cape Breton
- More lobster
- The Cabot Trail en route to Cheticamp
- The Cabot Trail en route to Cheticamp
- Carb Baskets
- Cape Breton
- Whale watching
- The Kilted Chef + Lobsters
- Post canoeing music session
- Driving up Smokey in Cape Breton
- Cape Breton Views
- Lobster caesar!
- Tourtiere and Chicken & Wild Rice Soup at Obladee, Halifax
With thanks to Destination Canada and also to the Rocky Mountaineer who sponsored my trip.
Having gone coast-to-coast in the US via Amtrak, I really want to do the same in Canada now. Very envious of your experiences on the Rocky Mountaineer!
Thanks,
Brian.
I have the Canadian coast to coast planned for years but I keep needing to put it on hold. I want to do it over at least a month! The Amtrak one sounds super too :) Will check it out.
Looks amazing Niamh I love Vancouver and Banff, and have always fancied doing the train across The Rockies. Definately makes the feet start itching!
I would highly recommend it! I quite fancy the other routes too, from Jasper, from Seattle and the Sea to Sky one :)
Beautiful photos Niamh. Especially love the one from the train that almost looks as if though you’re outisde! Must have been some really big windows?
Hey Qin! THe ceiling of the car is all window – completely immersive, a wonderful experience. The dining car is downstairs. Loved it! :)
Oh wow, sounds amazing. It’s over night too right? Must be amazing for star gazing
The Rocky Mountaineer isn’t overnight as you would miss so much of the scenery. So, the night in between is in a hotel (in Kamloops for mine). Via Rail is overnight and they have similar carriages. That is next on my list! :)
Oh Wow! Lucky you!
Yes, I know. Pretty special journey :)
My word, this looks like it was the most phenomenal trip. I was following you along on Instagram and was already impressed with all the food you were enjoying but seeing all these pictures too, I think I’d go for the scenery alone! Well, not quite. But it’s quite the added bonus ;)
Honestly Christie, the scenery alone is worth it! But yes, the food was very good too. :)
I loved Halifax and Cape Breton and had a lovely meal in The Wooden Monkey in Halifax.
Cheers for the tip! :)