The Bicycle Thief

When in Halifax, Nova Scotia, it seems almost a crime to not visit a seafood shack-type establishment.  Would that be considered a touristy thing to do?  We seemed to addressed this with the Mike's Pastry post in Boston.  Well, we didn't end up eating lobster with a mallet out on a picnic table.  Rather, we went to the Bicycle Thief right along the waterfront in Halifax.  Not only is it not a seafood restaurant per se, it is more of a pasta place.  But it came highly recommended by more than one person.

We started off with the Lobster Chowder which was pretty pricey for $14.00. When it arrived, the portion size was fairly large as the bowl was pretty deep. It was rich and creamy with a little tomato tang. Interestingly, it was an excellent creamy vegetable soup with generous bits of celery, carrots and onion (which weren’t mushy). However, it didn’t taste like a lobster chowder. In fact, there was very little in the way of lobster meat at all.

Moving onto my 6th Lobster Roll, I shared one with Elaine. This one was very different than the ones I’ve had so far as it was a mix of lobster meat, celery, parsley and mayo. Hence there was much more texture and crunch. I’m not a huge fan of this type of lobster roll as I find the lobster gets lost. In this case, it was overwhelmed by the amount of salt used. I did like the soft and warm bun though and the lobster was definitely fresh. The side of fries were more like crisps, but good nonetheless. I also shared the Seafood Spaghettini which was on point with lots of garlic and chilis. Hence, the flavours were intense and appealing. The pasta was al dente while the seafood was prepared properly including the buttery seared scallops.

Viv had something along the same lines with the Linguine with Seafood. Once again, the ingredients were prepared properly including the meaty shrimp that had a firm snap. The noodles were nicely al dente and salted. As for the sauce, it was tangy and bright. Both of our kiddies decided on the same dish (oh the horror!) in the Cheese Ravioli. This was also good with tender pasta pockets with lots of well-seasoned ricotta. The filling was moist, but hardly wet or soggy. They were topped with a tangy tomato sauce that was flavourful and impactful.

Costanza’s oldest son had the Gnocchi with bacon in tomato sauce. Although the sauce looked incredibly tart, it wasn’t at all. In fact, it was super mild and thick. However, the bacon really came through with both a crunch and saltiness. As for the gnocchi, they were soft and tender while not mushy. His other son had the Spaghetti and Meatballs which was a huge portion sporting meaty and lean meatballs. These were not dry and well-spiced. The pasta was al dente like the other dishes while the tomato sauce was balanced, well-seasoned and mild.

Costanza had the Fried Chicken Sandwich. The chicken was fairly moist and well-seasoned, but the coating was not crunchy at all. Exacerbating the problem was the overabundance of mayo.  On the other hand, it wasn't terrible either as it ate okay as a whole.  In fact, most of the dishes were quite solid, especially the pastas.  With that being said, the lobster roll and chicken sandwich weren't particularly memorable.

The Good:
- Tasty Pastas
- Beautiful location
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Other dishes were average
- A little pricey  

Maritime Pasty & Dee Dee's

I've seen countless pictures of Peggy's Cove and it has always been on my bucket list.  Finally, we were able to make it out there as we rented cars near the pier in Halifax.  We had planned to stay only for an hour or so, but the scenery was so seductive (yes, really), that we ended up leaving over 2 hours later.  The view and surroundings were so iconic and Canadian that we couldn't get enough it.  Oh and also, I stopped for yet another lobster roll at Maritime Pasty as well as some dessert from Dee Dee's next door.

I found the Lobster Roll to be heavy on the bread and low on the lobster content. Hence, it ate heavy due to the bottom side of the roll which was all bread. The bread was not overly dense, as it was fresh and soft, but just that it was without filling lead to this heaviness. As for the lobster, the chunks were rather small while still buttery with a light rebound texture. There was very little mayo which was a good thing.  On the side were some chips, pickle and slaw.

Costanza lined up at the next window and went for Dee Dee’s ice cream with the Mixed Berry consisting of blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. It was mostly smooth with a few ice crystals. I found it thick and rich with only a purposeful amount of sugar. The berry flavours were impactful and apparent.  Considering the location of the ice cream shop, this was more than acceptable and actually bordering on very good.

He was not done there though as he got a Root Beer Float for his son.  This was the beneficiary of bottled root beer which meant it wasn’t watered down nor syrupy tasting. The same smooth and creamy ice cream added a nice body to the float.  I'm not sure if any of these items were a good choice right before dinner, but what the heck, we were on vacation!  Oh and also, why not stop at a tourist trap?  This was the very definition as there were limited services at Peggy's Cove.

The Good:
- The fact we had anything to eat beyond the actual restaurant at Peggy's Cove was a plus
- Okay considering the tourist trap thing

The Bad:
- Not bad, but if we were to compare...