Athens

For our second excursion this month, The Dining Divas traveled to Halifax to dine and see ‘The Sheepdogs’ in concert.  We decided on Greek food as it is one of our favourites.  Quinpool Road seems to be the place to go for Greek food and the ‘ Athens Restaurant’ came well recommended.

Dawn started with a falafel appetizer which she shared with Deb, it was really good and the Hummus had a nice garlic flavour. Dawn's favourite Greek entree has always been Moussaka, and the béchamel sauce was just right. The Moussaka came with a side of Greek salad, lemon rice, and roasted potatoes.  It was a lot of food so she stopped before it was gone so she would have room for dessert. The rice pudding brule called her name, and it was also nice and creamy with a caramelized topping.

Deb ate the rolls which were warm and so good, like homemade, and the butter was soft and spreadable.   For her main, Deb ordered the Briani which is roasted vegetables in an herbed tomato sauce topped with feta cheese.  It came with warm pita bread, Greek salad, roasted potatoes and lemon rice.  Deb really enjoyed this meal, even though she couldn’t possibly eat it all.  It is a very generous amount of food.  For dessert, Deb ordered Ekmek which is shredded phyllo, Grand Marnier syrup, and custard topped with whipped cream, toasted almonds, crushed pistachio and a maraschino cherry.  It was yummy, but again, a very large portion that Deb couldn’t finish.

This restaurant did not disappoint.  The menu is so varied that if you had a large group of people, they would all be satisfied.  The food was very good and there were generous portions.  We would definitely recommend this restaurant to our family and friends.

www.athensrestaurant.com

Dawn and Deb
The Dining Divas

The Heartwood

This month The Dining Divas traveled to Halifax to dine and hear Jian Ghomeshi talk about his new book. The Heartwood Bakery and Cafe is located at 6250 Quinpool Rd. It specializes in organic Vegan food. The cafe is small but has a number of booths and 4-5 tables. The space looks more expansive because of the strategically placed mirrors. They did a wonderful job on the decor.

Dawn started with the Thai peanut yam soup, it was warm and spicy. They have some great Gluten-free options available. For her main, she decided on one of the versions of their heartwood bowls, which was rice with veggies and spicy peanut sauce. The peanut sauce was not too spicy, very enjoyable, and comforting on a cold night. They even have organic wine and organic beer! Dawn chose a Spanish organic red that was great. For dessert, she had a gluten-free, vegan pumpkin cheesecake. Dawn thought It was nice to go somewhere where the options are there on the menu and you don't have to explain yourself to the world.

Deb ordered a carbonated peach juice, and for her main meal she ordered the Bean Melt.  It was like an open faced sandwich - it was actually two slices of bread with a very generous portion of beans with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese on top, and that was topped with bean sprouts.  It was a very large portion and Deb could only eat about half of it as it was very filling.  For dessert, Deb ordered the Coconut Banana Pie and she loved it.  She finished the entire thing except a little bit of the crust.  They use maple syrup in their desserts, and that may be why Deb enjoyed it so much.

All of the food is plated really nicely and looks so good.  The waitress was friendly and knowledgeable.  We would recommend this restaurant to vegetarians and carnivores alike.  We really enjoyed it and are looking forward to going back and trying more menu items.

www.heartwoodbakerycafe.ca

Dawn and Deb
The Dining Divas

The Ivy Deck Bistro

This month the dining divas stayed close to home.  The Ivy Deck Bistro is
located in Wolfville at 8 Elm Avenue.  You can also enjoy it's creations at
the Saturday Farmer's Market in Wolfville.  The owner has a lot of gluten
free options on the menu.

Dawn decided on the Squash Ginger soup to start.  For her main, she had the
moussaka with a mixed green side salad.  The soup was very good with a lot
of flavour.  The moussaka was nice; the béchamel sauce was not as creamy as
some she's had in the past.  It was very filling and she couldn't finish it
all which was a first.  Dawn thought the chocolate mousse cake was good as
far as the mousse goes (she couldn't actually eat the cake because it
contained wheat flour).

Deb also started with the Squash ginger soup.  It was a large portion and
had good flavour.  For her main, she had the lunch special which was veggie
quiche with a side salad.  The quiche had asparagus, broccoli and cheese and
was good.  Deb had a Caesar salad to go with it.  It was a good size portion
and although she was almost full, Deb couldn't resist ordering dessert.  She
chose the Chocolate mousse cake which was like a devil's food cake with
chocolate mousse in the middle.  It was a tasty, moist cake and aside from
the tiny bit of mousse she shared with Dawn, she finished it.

Dawn really enjoys the food here and would recommend it.  Deb is still
undecided as she's been here a few times and has never been overly thrilled,
but the food's okay.  Deb has had the bruschetta pizza at the Farmer's
Market and has enjoyed it.

www.ivydeckbistro.ca

Dawn and Deb
The Dining Divas

Privet House

This month the Divas went to Privet House Restaurant (formerly Acton’s) on
406 Main Street, Wolfville.  The interior, as well as the menu, has been
revamped and we think it is for the better.  We went for lunch and it was
very busy.  The couple who came in after us were turned away because they
were full.  We would definitely recommend making reservations for dinner,
and even for lunch.

Deb started with a Shirley Temple made to her exact specifications.  She
then ordered Tom Yum Kha which is a Thai soup made with coconut milk.  It
had a sweet, spicy and floral flavour that Deb really enjoyed.  For her
entrée, Deb ordered the grilled fish taco which was a fresh tortilla filled
with grilled haddock, chilli and lime aioli, shredded lettuce and salsa
verde.  It came with a side of Asian slaw which was shredded red onion,
carrot, and peppers.  It was good.

Dawn started with a glass of McManus Cabernet Sauvignon which is now her
favourite wine.  It is available at only a few places, another being
Bishop’s Cellar in Halifax.  She chose to start with the Seafood Chowder
which is a mix of fresh local haddock, scallops and shrimp with a thin broth
thick with potatoes.  It was thick, creamy and the scallops were cooked
perfectly.  For her entrée, she chose the salmon cakes which consisted of
two fish cakes with salmon, salt cod and potatoes.  They were lightly fried
and served with scallion aioli and Asian slaw.  The salmon cakes were really
tasty, and the Asian slaw had good flavour but was not as crispy as ones she
has had before.  The meal was simple and light.

For dessert, Deb had the Lemon Tart which was made with lemon curd and had a
brulee (caramelized) top.  It was served with a berry coulis garnish.  It
had a really good lemony flavour and Deb loved the brulee top.  Dawn had the
Crème Brulee which they describe as ‘French classic custard with sugar
brulee top.’  She was most impressed by the flavour, which was made with
authentic Tahitian vanilla bean, not from a bottle.  This is the best Crème
Brulee she has had so far.

Our waitress, who is also the co-owner, was very friendly and answered all
of our questions.  A gentleman at the table next to us ordered the homemade
blueberry and thyme ice cream and he seemed to really enjoy it.  Based on
this first visit, we would definitely recommend this restaurant to our
family and friends, and we plan to go back again.

Dawn and Deb
The Dining Divas

 Grilled Fish Taco.

Salmon Cakes.

The Teapots are beautiful cast iron.

The Perfect Pear

Last night, the Dining Divas went to a restaurant called ‘The Perfect Pear’
located at the Falcourt Inn In Nictaux.  

Dawn started with tomato florentine soup. A creamy slightly spicy soup.  It  had a wonderful flavor.  The presentation was beautiful.  Deb started with spinach salad with pears, golden raisins, and almonds with a poppy seed dressing.  It was well presented.  Deb isn't fond
of raisins but really enjoyed the salad.  The poppy seed dressing is homemade and was the best tasting poppy seed dressing Deb has ever had.

Dawn ordered the peppered pork tenderloin.  It had Nova Scotia wild
blueberry and port pan jus.  She had one word to say -  Amazing!!!  There
was a mashed potato pear.  It looked exactly like a pear.  The sauce with the pork tenderloin was to die for.

Deb ordered the Fundy seafood medley pasta.  It had haddock, scallops,
shrimp, and mussels tossed in a white wine garlic cream sauce.  The pasta
was delicious with good flavour and loads of seafood.  It was a very
generous portion and Deb ended up taking home the leftovers to her husband.
He just ate it cold and still thought it was excellent.

Deb finished off with the Chocolate explosion cake.  It came with two scoops
of whipped cream topped with a blueberry and raspberry sauce on the plate,
and it was delicious.  It was made with a chocolate ganache, with a
chocolate brownie bottom and brownies on top.  It was decadent, but not too
rich.  She enjoyed it immensely.

Dawn had the chocolate creme Brulè which was very creamy and rich.

Scott Foeller is the talented chef at this restaurant.

The restaurant is located next to a river.  The views are pretty with an
option to sit on the verandah.  It's a romantic spot.  Deb is planning to
have her husband take her here in a couple of weeks for her birthday!

We would absolutely recommend this restaurant to our family and friends.

Welcome