It's easy to be curious about new restaurants in a small town, as you quickly get well-acquainted…read morewith the existing ones. This goes double for a restaurant consistently has a packed parking lot every day that it's open, which was the case for Tilly's Kitchen. I'd never been inside the restaurant(s?) that preceded Tilly's at their stately accomodations on Stellarton Road, and am worse off for it. The interior has character galore, with wooden arches and door frames, stained glass and more, although light stains for the woods and neutral paint colours keep it from being dark, dreary and dated. For appetizers, the table started with an order of their crispy dumplings ($15) and mussels ($16). The deep fried dumplings strayed far from their Asian origins, with pulled pork, lime and ginger creme fraiche, and pea shoots, but were a tasty start to the meal nonetheless. I focused on the mussels, mainly leaving the dumplings to my seafood-adverse wife. They were wonderfully tender, without a hint of overcooked rubberiness. The smoked tomato sauce didn't have a lot of smoke to it, but a hint of spice and herbs kept it from being bland. My wife's chicken and chorizo pasta ($23 + $2 GF noodle), was a savoury and hearty dish, with a hit of spice from the chorizo and a lovely red pepper and Dijon sauce that clung to each piece of pasta. The paella I ordered for my main ($32) may have been missing out on the crispy edges of the less fancy, more traditional version, but it would be hard to drum up any other complaint about this iteration. The plentiful seafood (*deep inhale* scallops, haddock, shrimp, squid, salmon and mussels) was cooked to tender perfection, while the chorizo, tomato and saffron broth added a layered and rich flavour to the whole dish. We finished the meal with a shared dessert, the truffles and port. A steal at just $12, it comes with two shots of the classic fortified wine, along with four house-made truffles, which were spectacularly smooth and rich and would satisfy any chocolate lover. Tilly's Kitchen is checking all the right boxes - beautiful atmosphere, great service and food that's bringing new flavours to Pictou County in well-executed, stylishly-plated dishes.

This was a great surprise . The food,service and our experience was top notch. Prices were amazing…read morereasonable. Going back again soon!

Great Sunday Brunch menu, one of only a few places open on Sundays in the area. Excellent service…read morein an adorable cafe setting.

It's always a good thing when a new generation of restauranteurs injects life into a small town…read morewith their food and flavours, and this was the case last summer when Shoebox Cantina opened up on Provost Street. While the name has a Tex-Mex vibe, the menu reflects the broad base of appeal that is often necessary to succeed in smaller communities. As such, alongside their taco menu, you'll also find the likes of steak, bacon mac and cheese, and wings. My fingers were crossed that this wouldn't be a "Jack of all trades, master of none" scenario. Showing up for a lunch with my sister, we leaned into the Tex-Mex part of the menu and ordered the carnitas fries supreme ($13) and the taco sampler ($24). They've got a sizeable rotating tap list of local beers, so I went with a rye IPA from Tatamagouche Brewing. The pork carnitas fries supreme may not have evoked the flavours of Taco Bell's famous hot mess, but they stood tall on their own. A plate of moderately thick fries somehow supported a hefty layer of saucy pork, green onions and a lime crema. Rich and savoury, I found myself wishing for some tableside hot sauce, but was too busy demolishing these to ask. My sister and I, who have both languished for years under the yoke of higher priced food in bigger cities, were very impressed by the value for dollar on this as well. The taco sampler, which is comprised of Shoebox's chicken, carnitas, fish and sweet potato tacos, was both a literal and figurative mixed plate. I appreciated that all the tacos leaned in the minimalist direction of Mexican street tacos; I'm not interested in shredded lettuce and cheddar on my tacos. My two favourites were the fish and sweet potato. The beer battered fish was airy and crisp, and the fish itself was firm and flakey; pickled red cabbage added a lightly tart counterpoint to the deep fried haddock. The sweet potato taco was comprised of ultra-crisp, hash brown-esque pieces of sweet potato, as well as some avocado to add flavour and textural contrast. Sides of a few different salsas - pico, verde and roja - let you mix and match complementing flavours. The other proteins, while far from bad, didn't live up to their potential. The carnitas was oddly heavily sauced, and lacked the crisp bits that show up in this traditional hodge podge of chopped pork. As for the chicken mole, more mole sauce and its rich, lightly chocolatey depth would have been welcome. While I'm not a dessert person, I was blown away by how good the Spanish toast ($9) was. A brioche bun got the French toast treatment and was then topped with brulée sugar, dulce de leche, whipped cream and a blueberry compote. The crisp sugar was a pleasant contrast to an otherwise soft, albeit delicious dish, while the dulce de leche will have you forgetting about maple syrup completely. On a second visit, I hit the more pub-like section of their menu and got the buttermilk fried chicken burger and upgraded the fries to the bacon Caesar salad ($16 + $2). While the sandwich was solid, there's some room for improvement. The chicken itself was a winner - really crisp batter enveloped a moist and tender piece of chicken. The toasted brioche bun held things together well, and honey and a pickle added contrasting flavours to the sandwich. In the "cons" column, some hot sauce would have been welcome to amp up the flavour and there was an awkward amount of lettuce of the sandwich. In tandem with the shape of the chicken versus that of the bun, some bites were just bun and lettuce, which is...not great. The side salad wasn't the prettiest, but it hit the spot. Iceberg lettuce took the place of romaine, and I'm not sure if the croutons were forgotten or the ultra crispy bits of bacon were doing double duty, but it worked. Shoebox Cantina is bringing a lot to New Glasgow and beyond their generally well-executed menu, they host live music events and even have a recording studio upstairs. New businesses like this are just what small towns need, and the same can be said for Shoebox and your taste buds.

We wanted to try some moon mist flavored ice cream (a Nova Scotian flavor consisting of grape,…read morebubble gum, and banana ice cream) and was glad to find this place selling scotsburn flavors where the moon mist flavor was available. The cone was a little stale and the scoop was a standard scoop, albeit a bit on the smaller side. Not sure if there is a washroom available and didn't see store hours, but there is an ATM if you need cash. There's also ample parking in their lot. A good place to stop off of 104, especially since we were heading to Halifax from CB.

Corina's newest location at the corner of Bridge Ave and Stellarton Road is a good step up from…read moreit's original location, which was just down the road. This spot has lots of parking, two walk-up serving windows, and ample outdoor picnic tables. A large digital screen displays the menu - you'll come for a scoop of hard Scotsburn ice cream, but be enticed by a plentiful list of additional options. including: ice cream sundaes, milkshakes, soft serve and a few savoury (hot dog, anyone?) items as well. The scoopers are very prescriptive and measured; great consistency. At $3 for a small (two scoops, both conservative in size) there are better value scoops elsewhere, but I appreciate the consistency and breadth of flavour choice that Corina offers. Always a reliable ice cream option!

I was happy to see that a place serving hot food opened within walking distance of my place, and…read moreone day I popped down to pickup lunch for my wife and I. They post their soup schedule on their Facebook every week, and we lucked out because my wife has a nostalgic soft-spot for their soup of the day that day, corn chowder. Soups come with a biscuit or roll, and I doubled down on biscuits. The corn chowder was still piping hot after taking everything home and getting set up to eat. The soup was was creamy and smooth, with pops of sweetness and texture from the corn. The biscuits were buttery and lightly flaky, and while the exterior was a bit more firm and roll-like than a typical biscuit, it didn't detract from it. I had also picked up a loaf of whole wheat bread, which was light, airy and moist - great for sandwiches or on its own! On a return visit, it was another batch of soups - the daily special of clam chowder and the alway available, tomato cheddar. The clam chowder was thick and chock full of bits of clam and perfectly bite-size chunks of potato. I went for the roll this time, and it was light, smooth and great for dipping. My wife's tomato cheddar was a great, simple soup. The namesake flavours were front and centre and it had a silky mouthfeel from the added fat of the cheese, but the sauce didn't break and have actual pools of grease. For dessert, I bought a couple of their iced cinnamon rolls. They were light and airy - definitely head and shoulders above the grocery store ones - and a quick run through the microwave softened that butter/cinnamon/sugar mix wonderfully, without completely liquifying the icing. A Slice of Home is a fantastic addition to both the neighbourhood and the town as a whole, bringing thoughtfully made goods at affordable prices.

one of the best croissants i have everr had. get the plain croissant! just the plain croissant…read more definitely the heaviest like you really get your bang for your buck holding it it was so nice and heaaavy i have never as a pastry student held a croissants that heavy like that but boy was it beautiful inside. and i've had some good frickin croissants from italy, slovenija, culinary school, toronto. gorgeous gorgeous ambience i felt like i was katherine hepburn sitting at that window seat. do sit in. do it. take the time to enjoy your stuff it's so worth it.

One of, if not the best bakery in Truro. The service is always great, staff is always smiling and…read morepleasant.

The Blue Lobster is in Stellarton NS…read more We had a fun night out with food and drinks. The mac and cheese was delicious. Enjoyed the Painted Boat (beer). They sell merch including some very nice sweat shirts! Service was great.

1‑Star Review: Blue Lobster Public House Our visit to Blue…read moreLobster Public House was disappointing. The restaurant was understaffed, and the service felt slow and chaotic. We ordered fish and chips with a switch to fries, were told there'd be no extra charge, yet later found a $4 fee on our $115 bill. The food didn't redeem the experience -- the fish batter was burnt, and the meal arrived barely warm. We were hungry and in a rush, so we ate it, but it wasn't worth it. Overall, the place was too busy, the quality was poor, and the value wasn't there. I wouldn't return unless they offered a full complimentary meal to make up for the experience.

Fish and Chips is wonderfully seasoned and the fries were fresh cut. They had a side soup of the…read moreday that was also delicious.

Friendly staff, good food, gluten free options. Great place to sit down for a meal in a bustling…read morecollege town not far from the highway.

My wife and I stopped in for lunch while in the area on some errands. There's not a ton of seating…read morewhen the patio isn't open/the weather isn't great, but we were able to snag the last table. The menu isn't big, likely due to a small kitchen, with a handful of breakfast and lunch options. Most are fairly standard diner/cafe fare, although British items like their sausage roll and Cornish pasty stuck out as unique offerings. I went with the daily special, a Caribbean-themed breakfast. The salt cod and provisions (slang for local fruit and veg) ties in well to Maritime cuisine thanks to shared colonial roots and the historical shipment of salted fish from the here to the Caribbean. It was served skillet-style (sans skillet) with chunks of potatoes, tomato, plantains, green onion and more topped with two sunny-side-up eggs. The salty hit of fish paired well with the savoury bowl and a little bit of heat added further depth. A roll on the side may or may not have ben particularly Caribbean, but it was great for sopping up the tasty sauce. My wife is an infamous fan of sausage rolls, so that was an easy choice for her. Paired up with one of the day's soup specials - roasted red pepper - it became a proper meal. The meat-to-pastry ratio was quite generous, and the light char at the end of the roll reminded me of the burnt end/open-ended egg rolls in Ottawa. Some mushy peas completed the ode to Britain. The roasted red pepper soup was velvety smooth and delicious. It's easy to see why Stone Soup Cafe is popular with both locals and tourists alike, with a little bit for everyone, and a creative flair to keep things interesting, while nailing the execution.

One of the best flatbreads ever!! Service with a smile, lovely dining room and a warm welcome from…read morethe owner. Will be back soon!!