Blogs

Five highlights from a road trip down Newfoundland’s Route 430.

Ben Whitmarsh takes a 'hike' which explores the culinary traditions and lively atmosphere of Elliston in Newfoundland - and gets to eat more than his fair share of dishes crafted by some of Canada's top chefs

I woke up early, determined to get a fresh start on the day and take in as much of the beautiful coastline as possible. It was a gorgeous morning, and I was quite content to sit on a cozy rock and watch the sun scatter its rays across the water. And that’s just what I did – until it was time for the main event: the food hike; the reason people flock from all over the world to the Roots, Rants and Roars festival.

Over the past few years, a culinary revolution has swept over Newfoundland and Labrador and The Roots, Rants and Roars festival in Elliston is a perfect example. It’s a regional celebration of the natural gifts of the province: food, culture, land and sea. The Friday night event, “King of Cod”, kicked off the weekend of culinary delights, featuring cod as the hero, or as Todd Perrin – one of the chief organizers of the event – would say, Newfoundland’s “national dish”.

As I sit here sipping my tea, staring out the window at the first dreary day in weeks, I'm wishing I were back in Ferryland, sitting on the cliffs, enjoying a Lighthouse Picnic.

Not since the lighthouse keeper and his family sat for meals in the kitchen, has anyone eaten in the cosy rooms of the Cape Spear Lighthouse… but this summer you can!

We headed out towards the Eastport Peninsula just past noon. Bordering Terra Nova National Park, the drive out towards the small communities is very scenic! Lush forests and glimps of the bay areas greeted us along the coast line of the peninsula.

In Beulah Oake you’ll see the spirit of real Newfoundland…strong, fun-loving and determined. There has never been a loaf of ‘store-bought’ bread on her table. She bakes it all — no mean feat for a woman who is managing an inn on her own in her mid-70′s...

There’s a very important tip you need to know if you’re planning a trip to Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s so important, that not knowing this tidbit of information can add an element of surprise to your dining experience while on the island. This important piece of info is simply this...

Newfoundland and Labradorians are known for their heaping food servings and boy did we eat this past weekend...

On February 11, Corey and I attended an evening of fine dining at St. Christopher's Hotel with a fabulous menu created and prepared by Eric Kinch & Pauline Gilliam.

To find such a fine restaurant tucked into a tiny, relatively remote village, is very unusual. It’s why most of us who love food actually travel.

I might have mentioned once or 300 times that I grew up in central Newfoundland, and yet my jaunt around the area this past summer had many surprises in store. That’s what happens when you live somewhere for 18 years: you start taking things for granted.

We’ve all said things like “that meal just changed my life.” And if you haven’t, well… you might want to take a serious look at what you’re eating. I’ve eaten lots of meals that have changed my life. I probably overuse that phrase, but that’s how much I love food. There’ve been a few recipes (especially over the course of this past year) that I’ve made again and again for friends and family that I love and yeah, I think they’ve changed my life. They wake me up a little, they make me better. So… yeah. But the closest I’ve come to food tears was a couple of months ago at the Roots, Rants and Roars Festival in Elliston.

There are so many things to enjoy when I go back home to Newfoundland. From spending time with family and friends to hiking along the rugged coast, and taking in live music in St. John's. One of the things I look most forward to is getting out in a boat to catch a few cod.

As our trip to Newfoundland stretched out before us, I knew I would blog about it and I knew instantly that the theme would be gratitude to the people of Newfoundland. So it’s serendipitous that in the last few days I started reading so many words of thanks to the people of Newfoundland from the stranded passengers of 9/11 who were taken into their homes and made to feel like family.

We innocently asked our waitress at the Tuckamore Lodge in Main Brook, Newfoundland, where we might get some good photos of moose after dinner. "Well you won't need to go too far. I would simply head back on the road you just came in on and drive a few kilometres back toward Roddickton."