This post has been a long time coming. (Really, any post has been a long time coming. It’s been a while.)
I went to Tavola with Liam in November (November!) for our anniversary. I had been wanting to go for ages, and our anniversary was the perfect excuse to get down there.
Let me tell you – I was not disappointed! The wait was certainly worth it.
I can spend my time going around from greasy spoon to greasy spoon, giving you technical (scientific, even) descriptions and reviews of all the fries, dressing, and gravy you could ever eat.
But let’s be honest. When it comes down to it, everyone has one spot they hold dear in their hearts, and nothing anyone says or does will ever change that.
For me, that place is Country Delight.
So, we’ve come to the end of August, and the days to enjoy the delights that summer brings are waning. But before it all gives way to pumpkin spice, there’s one thing you must do: visit the Bonavista Social Club.
Something that newer readers may not know is that I am only half proud Newfoundlander Nan. The other half of me is proud Italian Nonna. There are many correlations between my two cultures, including fierce love of family, a passion for food and cooking, and the deep ties between the two.
On March 10, I lost one of the most importation people in my life. My Nonno (grandfather) passed away just shy of his 88th birthday. Nonno was a funny man who loved his family dearly, and loved to cook for us. He kindled my love of cooking.
So on the last night we would all be together in his house, we cooked his signature Sunday dinner; a feast to remember.
Today was a perfect day.
You know the days when like, yeah, it’s still winter, but it’s crisp and clear, chilly but bright, and the only snow falling is like little fluffy cotton balls. That was today.
Today I had to wake up early, for an itty-bitty shift: 8 am to noon. The early rise and the early finish meant that I had the day at my leisure. So once I roused Liam out of bed, there was only one thing to do. Head straight downtown for a stroll in the sun, and brunch at the Bagel Cafe.
Before I start on today’s review, let me paint you a picture. You’re driving along, and on the side of the road you see a small, nondescript building. It may have white clapboard, and it almost definitely has a Pepsi symbol on its sign. You pull into the parking lot and before you step out – before your door is even open – you smell it. The air is heavy with grease and deliciousness. You walk in the door to a small dining room with small booths, or a few basic kitchen tables and chairs. You squeeze in wherever you can in the crowded room, and in a short amount of time you have a fresh, hot, delicious plate of greasy goodness in front of you.
This is what my friends and I affectionately refer to as a “baygrease joint.”
Last night, Liam and I went to The Rooms for the evening. We were there until the building closed, and realized that we’d missed out on our opportunity to eat at their beautiful cafe. So sitting in the car on a blustery evening, we mulled over what would be a quick and easy late supper.
And that’s how we ended up at Peter’s Pizza.
If you’re eating like a Newfoundlander, one of your most delicious (slash sodium soaked) options is the combination of fries, dressing and gravy. That’s not dressing as in stuff you put on lettuce to make it edible – why would you ever sully the wonderfulness that is gravy like that? I’m talking stuffing. Fresh, savoury, straight out of the turkey’s arse stuffing. (I am also not talking about Stove Top. That stuff is gross.)
That being said, I have decided to make it my mission to find the best fries, dressing and gravy on the Avalon (and hopefully eventually the province). (more…)
When I want to be a tourist at home, the first place I go is Bonavista. About a three and a half hour drive outside of St. John’s, Bonavista really feels to me like a home away from home. A small community that still carries the identity of a fishing village, it’s quaint, explorable, and just freakin’ adorable.
The three times that Liam and I have gone there, we’ve stayed at a little place called Robbin’s By The Sea. On the outside, it looks one Pepsi sign away from a small town convenience store, but once you walk through the door the unit is just delightful. There’s a full kitchen along with a little table, a couch and a good sized bed. There’s a deck on the back with another table, a bbq, and a gorgeous view.
Many evenings, Liam and I finish our days by settling into a cozy bed, and watching something. Whether it’s tv (we’re almost done The Office right now) or movies (usually Jurassic Park), we’re always watching something to unwind.
Sometimes when we do this, we get the overwhelming need to indulge ourselves a little. We’ll take a little walk to the gas station before settling in for the night. Why the gas station?
Because we need us a party lunch. (more…)
