Visited this restaurant in New Glasgow NS. It is located in the downtown area…read more We were seated promptly. The service was great as was the atmosphere. We enjoyed the cauliflower appie and the seafood chowder and teriyaki bowl.

Having been back in New Glasgow for a few months now, we've started to cycle through more…read morerestaurants, after hitting old favourites and new-to-us spots fairly thoroughly. A return(s) to East Avenue was inevitable, and certainly looked forward to. It has to have one of the most beautiful restaurant interiors in northern Nova Scotia - exposed brick, soaring ceilings, and walls dotted with paintings by local artists. For our first visit of 2023, I had the Tamis anghang ($20). Filipino for "sweet and spicy", this is a slightly fancier, single-serving version of sweet and sour chicken. Replacing the cloyingly-sweet sauce at most Chinese-Canadian restaurants, East Ave's Thai chili sauce is much more balanced, with a light punch from the hot pepper that livens up your taste buds but won't scorch them. The chicken was cooked with a deft hand, and the crisp batter held up until the last bite. My wife's duck ragu gnocchi ($29) was a hearty meal, with an impressive amount of rich, shredded duck and fluffy sweet potato gnocchi. If that wasn't enough, shredded parm added even more umami. The sauce was a bit thin and served overly generously, which made the dish a bit soupy, but was otherwise quite delicious. Bonus points for this dish and many others having gluten-free options! They had an impressive crowd for a Tuesday evening and that plus a very large group that came in just after us seemed to make for somewhat uneven service. A return visit had us targeting their patio, sadly one of the few in the non-Pictou towns of Pictou County. Step it up people! We just wanted some mid-afternoon snacks, so we went for a couple appetizers. The fried sweet chili cauliflower ($15) was a tasty app. The mild crunch of the cauliflower gave further crunch to the crisp coating, which did wilt under the slathering of sauce. Said sauce did have a bit more bite than most sweet chili sauces out there, but it won't have you breathing fire. Our kale Caesar salad (side size, $10) was a bit on the healthier side than our deep fried app, and pleasant departure from the standard formula. The mix of kale and romaine paired the strengths of both greens, while chickpeas and tomatoes brought added couloir, flavour and texture. And don't worry, there was still bacon, shaved parm, and a hearty dose of dressing. East Avenue continues to put out generally great food in a killer atmosphere (both inside and out), and I love how much this new business has brought and added to the food scene in the area.

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.

On my first visit to Monarch since moving back to New Glasgow, my wife and I came on the evening…read morethat they debuted their new spring/summer menu. The ABC salad was a tasty good mix - spring mix, roasted apples, bacon aioli, cheddar curds and cornbread croutons. The star of the show was definitely the bacon aioli which had a killer smoky flavour and elevated the dish. Pulled pork sandwiches have been an ubiquitous menu item for more than a decade, but Monarch did well by it with a savoury pork that wasn't mushy and overcooked and a red cabbage slaw that was flecked with coconut for a unique take on a standard pulled pork pairing (PPP). Bonus points to Monarch for the GF option for the bun, not to mention how much of the whole menu can be made GF! A side of crunchy thyme chips were everything you'd want in a chip and a nice textural contrast to the sandwich. My coconut haddock was a wonderfully well-executed dish - flaky fish and a crisp, coconut crust that wasn't *too* coconutty. A dill aioli added a tartar-esque flavour, and the roasted potatoes were an herby complement to the fish. The coconut slaw made another tasty appearance. On a return visit, we were there on one of Monarch's monthly wine nights. At four courses - each with a paired wine - and a $60 price tag, this has got to be the best quality per dollar in town! The meal started with a rhubarb and radish salad. The fresh, local veg and tart vinaigrette paired well with an acidic Ontario Riesling. For the main, a cut of Red Mountain beef tenderloin was *so* tender and although tenderloin isn't always the most flavourful cut, the quality of the locally-sourced meat stood out. Roasted veg and a pop of vegetal brightness from pea shoots rounded out a delicious dish. A Chilean Carmenere had a really unique flavour profile; I'm admittedly not familiar with the varietal, but it stood up well to the beef and was of great interest on its own. A cheese course eased our taste buds back down and an Australian chardonnay had a big enough flavour to hold its ground against the salty umami of the aged cheese. To cap our delicious meal, a loose apple and rhubarb tart, with a healthy (figuratively) dollop of whipped cream was a great send-off with mix of sweet and tart, and the crumble breaking up the soft apple and rhubarb. A lightly sweet sauv blanc with a hint of acidity finished off the wines. Monarch is a star on the local food scene and if you're not darkening their doorway, you're doing your taste buds a grave disservice.

The newest location of this burgeoning Antigonish company opened in New Glasgow last fall, filling…read morethe gap left by Baked's closure. Located in its quaint space at the south end of Provost, it has a bright colour palette, with school bus yellow leading the chromatic charge to your retinas. Ordering is done at the counter, where you have your choice of a handful each of sweet and savoury waffles, smoothies and salads. On my first time there, my wife and I were grabbing a late lunch, and it being the weekend, I was feeling brunch-y, so I went with their B.E.A.S.T. - Bacon, Egg, Aioli, Spinach and Tomato (and also cheese, but that didn't fit the acronym, I guess). My wife, seeing that they had a gluten-free waffle option (+$2), took the opportunity to get something that she is rarely able to - get a donair. The B.E.A.S.T. was a solid breakfast-ized version of the BLT, with the egg adding some more protein and the lightly sweet and crisp waffle bringing more to the show than your typical bread. Wrapped handily in compostable paper, it was apparent from this and some signs around the waste bins that WBS is making an effort to be as low-impact on the environment as possible. My wife's donair waffle was stuffed with generous layers of Mr. Donair-brand meat, so while the meat itself wasn't all that special, it was cool that the GF waffle allowed my wife to have a donair. As for the waffle itself, it was a bit more crumbly than its full-gluten brethren, but had a nice flavour. On our return visit, we both went with the daily specials - me the breakfast scramble and the bruschetta for my other half. I really enjoyed my breakfast scramble. The mix of lightly sweet ham, layers of richness from the meat, eggs and hollandaise, and pops of heat from the banana peppers made for a delight for my taste buds. Lightly crisp and sweet bits of waffle made sure that not a drop of hollandaise went to waste. The bruschetta waffle was a cool dish. Big flavours of pesto and garlic butter, with some acidic brightness of cherry tomatoes and some heft from the chicken. Topped with melted mozza and feta, this was a definite winner. Waffle Bus Stop is a fun, tasty spot that helps anchor Provost Street and adds a creative angle to the restaurant scene in the county.

Slicing waffles to make sandwiches is a matter of taste; not convinced myself but "different…read morestrokes for different folks." However, the service was good and the ambiance was "sandwich shop." The sandwich was a surprise. What they should do is use the waffles as the inventor intended; turn the waffled sides inside to hold more mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, etc.

River Run Cafe has a cute, open space on New Glasgow's main drag, with lots of light in its corner…read moresuite. When my wife and I first came by, we re-energized with coffees and something sweet. They've got a solid drip coffee, and at just $2.50 for a large, you can't go wrong. A large chocolate chip cookie was fresh and pleasantly chewy. On a return visit, my wife and I got in just before a steady stream of other lunch customers. I went with the breakfast BLT ($6.50) and a large drip coffee, while my other half opted for the soup and biscuit combo ($6.50). Our food came out very quickly and my BLT was a great example of this classic sandwich: the salt and savouriness of the crisp bacon, bright acidity of the tomato, plus the added richness of a fried egg. My wife was a big fan of her potato and bacon soup - piping hot, smooth and hearty. A big ol' cheddar biscuit was buttery and flaky and just about everything you'd want in a biscuit! River Run is a much-needed independent cafe in downtown New Glasgow that's serving up great cafe bites and coffee while contributing to the community.

what a gem with real prices and amazing staff AMAZING coffee…read moreBLT $5.50 was excellent BLT at others 12.99

I love this place, great service, awesome people and fast serving always hot and never cold I…read moredefinitely will be recommending this place! Thank you!

Great pizza and Donairs. Best in the country. Nothing like it anywhere else in the province.read more

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.

The food I got from DoorDash was really good, thanks to the service, employees who made the food,…read morethe atmosphere is perfect beautiful

The drinks and food that I got was fresh and made good I love the people very polite and amazingread more

Had lunch at this diner in New Glasgow NS…read more The diner is not fancy but the staff are friendly and the food is fresh. I enjoyed the pan fried haddock with coleslaw, veggies and fries. There are daily lunch specials and daily dinner specials. There is free parking in front of the restaurant.

The big breakfast is magnificent. Any food of theirs is a great choice. My parents and I go every…read moretime they visit me. The people make you feel like family and always go above and beyond while serving you. There is always more than enough seating but on a busy day even they are worth waiting for a table , I promise. It's a very comfortable and friendly place to eat. Afforardable too.