Category: Canada

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FLW and Saarinen, Too

Part IV – Road Trip Endings

We left Canada in the morning and headed back into Michigan. We had tickets for a tour to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Smith house, the Cranbrook House and Gardens, and Eliel Saarinen’s art deco house on the Cranbrook Academy campus the following day.

Problem was that since staying more than one night in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, (where the Cranbrook Academy is located) would be prohibitively expensive, we decided to stay further away. Which is how we ended up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a town we had never been to.

Gerald Ford Presidential Museum

We got there later in the afternoon than planned (border crossings, traffic and a lackluster fast food lunch contributed to the delay) but ended up at the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum with just enough time left to tour the museum.

Was it coincidental that we ended up there exactly 50 years to the day (August 9) that he took office? Perhaps. What was particularly interesting for me is that since I was living in Munich at the time (and a teenager), there was a lot of American history and goings-on that I didn’t know about. I mean, yes, I knew about Vietnam, Watergate, and Nixon, but not much more than that. Consequently, I thought the museum was fascinating and they even recreated the oval office. Plus, they also had the famous needle nose pliers, and the screwdriver used to break into Watergate on display.

Both Gerald Ford and his wife Elizabeth (Betty) are buried on the property and there are statues of them, too.

Downtown Grand Rapids

After the museum we drove through downtown Grand Rapids. There were quite a few people walking around and some sort of downtown festival. What we noticed, however, were the stores and the restaurants! Apparently, we had stumbled back into civilization; that was the good part of the afternoon. The bad part was we checked into a Homewood Suites that occupied a certain number of floors of an old building. We have stayed at properties like this before and I find it disconcerting not knowing where to check in or park your car.

After finding the “front desk,” we were upgraded to a bigger suite with a window and a view of the downtown. We started to unpack and as I went to pee, I found out that the toilet wouldn’t flush. So, we called downstairs and one of the managers came up with a key to a different room on the same floor. This room had one window that looked at the interior of the parking garage and nothing else. The room was dark and depressing. I decided to ignore the situation and figured I would just politely complain in the morning.

Dinner at Leo’s

There has been a trend lately of restaurants texting me nearly 30 minutes before a reservation to tell me my table is “ready.” If I made a dinner reservation at 7:30, why would I possibly want to show up 30 minutes earlier? This has a profound negative effect on my mood before I’m even there. Primarily because it signals to me that 1) the restaurant is not crowded (bad sign, especially if it’s a Friday or Saturday night), and 2) the kitchen wants to close so everyone can go home.

We arrived at Leo’s at exactly 7:31. The place was not crowded and the interior of the restaurant left something to be desired. (Think hotel dining room anywhere in the world). I had picked Leo’s because it was known for its seafood. Even though we had spent the last four days eating fish, when you are as land-locked as we are now living up in the Mohawk Valley of Upstate NY, you eat as much fish as you can when traveling.

It technically wasn’t warm enough to have soup (I’m finicky that way about seasons and soup eating), but for some reason the salmon chowder that was on the menu appealed to me. A combination of both smoked and fresh salmon with chunks of potatoes and some corn, this chowder was really good. It doesn’t look like much here, but it was tasty.

Mussels were next. The tomato broth was really fresh and tomatoey, but I was so captivated by the beautiful plate it was on that when I was done, I actually turned it over to see if I could find out where it was made. (No clue.) And finally, another round of perch. We had two more days left in Michigan and I knew that tonight would be the last fish we’d eat on the trip. Sigh. The perch was just okay. And we passed on dessert.

Calder Plaza

Afterwards we walked around downtown Grand Rapids a bit – primarily to see if we could see the Alexander Calder sculpture, “La Grand Vitesse,” which we did. I also liked the way the town had renovated some of the old buildings but kept a few interesting architectural elements. (Think gas lighting.) It was a fun walk after our meal.

Back on the Road

Before we left the hotel in the morning, I did mention how unhappy I was about the room and the parking and the toilet situation. We must have gotten lucky because the general manager was actually working the desk and comped us not only the room, but the parking as well. Thank you for that!

Our architectural tour started at 1 p.m. and would last roughly four hours. I really dislike any event that interrupts a meal but figured we could grab something for a quick, early lunch somewhere.

We drove about two hours southeast and reached Bloomfield Hills. If anyone has ever visited Bloomfield Hills, do you know what’s missing? SIDEWALKS! We headed towards the commercial strip first and got a turkey wrap to go. And since I was adamant that I couldn’t leave Michigan without having a slice of cherry pie, we just happened to find a pie store. Did you know pie stores even existed? I didn’t. Fortunately, they did have slices of cherry pie. Was it the best pie I’ve ever had. No, but that’s not the point.

Cranbrook Art Museum

We met in the courtyard of the academy to check in at the Cranbrook Art Museum and to get our bearings. Founded by George Booth in 1927, he was instrumental in starting the arts and crafts movement in the U.S. and teamed up with Eliel Saarinen (father of more famous architect Eero Saarinen) to develop plans for the campus. The museum was completed in 1942, and unfortunately, we didn’t have time to walk through the exhibition. But I loved the gardens and all the fountains.

A Three House Tour: Cranbrook First

We started by seeing the Cranbrook house first. While it was grandiose (think Tudor) on the outside and had some interesting features, I’ve come to dislike this kind of architecture and furnishings. Everything seems old and musty. I did like their library, and they had an interesting German wood carving that reminded me of Munich. Also, some painted ceilings that gave the place a European je ne sais quoi. When I looked through my photographs, it seemed that I took more pictures of the exterior of the house (grounds, etc.) than inside.

The Saarinen House

Eliel Saarinen designed a house on campus where he and his wife Loja, lived for over 20 years (1930-1950). The Cranbrook Art Museum’s website describes it as a “beloved architectural treasure,” and I couldn’t agree more. This house appealed to all my senses – the clean lines, the modern furniture, even the paint colors they chose for the walls, as well as the floor coverings.

And don’t even get me started on the furniture. Look at this photograph of a bedroom with the original womb chair and ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen. Notice anything that kind of looks Ikea-like? Yep, he was the guy who did it first. And a closet with pull out shelves? (I had a version of this when I was in Munich; it’s very practical.)

I couldn’t resist sharing this photograph of our tour group, all wearing booties, and extremely enthusiastic about the houses and the architecture.

Finally, Frank

I wanted to like this Frank Lloyd Wright house, but I found it underwhelming and cluttered. What I did love about it was the back story. Melvyn and Sara Smith met Frank Lloyd Wright in 1941 and commissioned him to design a house. Frank, in his customarily dismissive attitude when potential clients would approach him, told them to find property first and come back when they found it. Apparently, even though Melvyn and Sara had absolutely no money and were earning paltry salaries as teachers, if you split a hot dog for dinner with your spouse and save every last penny that you earn, you too, can buy land. This property eventually became a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian house that the Smith’s then had to build themselves. (And I thought renovating the Red House was difficult…)

In true FLW fashion, this kitchen is compact and designed for people who don’t cook. And look at the twin beds and the ugly green bathroom!

There was also an extension that was added on at some point. I did like the dining room and thought the chairs were fun.

After the Smith’s built the house, they also became avid collectors of things. (Think borderline hoarders.) That’s why the house felt cluttered to me because there was a lot more stuff in this FLW house than others we’ve seen. I guess the moral of the story is to be careful what you wish for. You might end up with it.

The Town With No Sidewalks

We spent the night at a Hilton in the town with no sidewalks. When I inquired from the front desk clerk about this strange phenomenon, it was explained that the residents wanted to make sure that people who weren’t supposed to be there weren’t walking around making themselves “feel at home.” I assumed he meant people of color and since he himself was black, I took this to heart.

However, since we were having dinner across the street, we wondered, how would we actually get across the street? With all the traffic? And no crosswalks or lights? Answer: very carefully. We had our last dinner of the trip at an old school steak restaurant where I was so relaxed that I didn’t take a single picture of our meal! And that’s okay. We were heading home tomorrow, an 8 hour plus drive back to New York.

In case anyone is curious, my most recent short story on Substack was inspired by the visit to Cranbrook and the town with no sidewalks. Here’s the link if you haven’t read the first part of the two-part story.

The Town With No Sidewalks – by Julie McCoy (substack.com)

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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Finally, Lake Superior!

Part III – And Back to Canada, Too

We left Mackinaw City behind and headed up to see the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in the town of Paradise, Michigan. Although their website claims that it is a very popular tourist destination, I didn’t believe it. Until we got to the parking lot and there wasn’t any parking. Luckily, we managed to find a spot along the road and made our way up to the museum.

There’s a lot to see. The lighthouse caught my attention first. Then the museum and the lighthouse keeper’s quarters that chronicled what it was like to be a lighthouse keeper in the late 1800’s. There was also an Edmund Fitzgerald film and exhibit about the loss of the ship back in 1975. They even played the Gordon Lightfoot song regarding the tragedy, and it could have been corny, but it wasn’t.

The Driftwood on the Beach

I was surprised by the amount of driftwood we saw on the beach. There were a few people swimming and I did dip my toes in the water to see how cold it was. (It was pretty cold.) Doesn’t Lynn look particularly handsome here? I think so.

After seeing the lake and the museum, we grabbed some lunch at a roadside tavern and headed to see some waterfalls. I mean, who doesn’t like a waterfall?

Tahquamenon Falls State Park

After paying the $11 non-resident fee to get into the park, we hiked a bit. Luckily, the walk to see the water was primarily a boardwalk. (This is important as you’ll see towards the end of this story.) Maybe I’m jaded because we have A LOT of waterfalls in New York State (including one in our own backyard). These were just okay. It was probably a good thing to do if it was really hot, and you were traveling with older children. The water looked very brown though, and I later learned it was because of the tannins from the surrounding trees that leak into the water. Apparently, it’s also nicknamed “Root Beer Falls,” which I thought was appropriate.

On to See the Locks

We had about an hour and a quarter to drive from the park to Sault St. Marie. The mission: to see the Soo Locks. Truthfully, it was kind of boring. I had read a lot about the locks – the key take away is that they are gravity-fed. Operated and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, there is also a small visitor center as well as an observation platform. So, we climbed the stairs to the top of the platform, and then everyone just kind of stands around and waits for a boat to come through the lock. When a boat does arrive, you get to watch as the boat goes down (or does the water go up?). This enables the boat to navigate through the St. Mary’s River (where the locks are located), and then make their way to either Lake Huron or Lake Superior. The museum (and the platform to view the boats) are free to the public although there is a security checkpoint when you enter the park. I had wanted to see the Soo Locks and now I did. So, I count myself lucky, if underwhelmed. (I attribute this sentiment to the fact that we, too, live near many locks on the Erie Canal and have watched boats navigate the waterways.)

Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario not Michigan)

When I had first told Lynn we were staying in Sault Ste. Marie as part of our trip, he thought we were staying in the Michigan town. No, I told him, we would be staying on the Canadian side. Why? Well, since I wanted to drive further up the coast in the morning to see more of Lake Superior, I figured it would be easier than having to go back and forth across the border. Plus, (and most importantly), there was an Asian-fusion restaurant that had caught my attention.

I will say that while Sault St. Marie, Michigan, wasn’t anything to write home about, neither was the Canadian town with the same name. Case in point: we stayed in a Holiday Inn that was across the street from a mall that had since gone out of business. That meant the entire area was pretty dead, but bizarrely the hotel was packed. I have to think it’s because 1) there was no place else to stay, and 2) everyone was heading somewhere else in the morning. We had a lovely suite with a fireplace even though it looked like it fell from the sky (it divided the room in half). And overall, maybe because there didn’t seem to be a lot of activity in the town, it was very quiet.

Dinner at Peace

I had picked this restaurant because it was a 5-minute walk from the hotel and also only one of two places in town that even looked decent. Actually, dinner at Peace that night was more than decent. The menu was exciting, the food was delicious, and Wednesday night they have a 50% off bottles of wine deal. We also had a great server, Ella, who besides walking us through some great menu choices, told us what we should see (Agawa Rock Pictographs), and eat (apple fritters), when we drove up the TransCanada Highway in the morning.

Peace’s menu focuses on small plates, so we had quite a few of those. To start: a spicy shrimp dish plated on a dish of julienned celeriac. A crispy salmon roll came out next, and then an octopus special that turned out to be my favorite dish. We were about to order mussels, too, when the table next to us ordered a round of bao buns. One look at their plates and our eggplant-stuffed version was headed our way. The cooking was creative, spicy, and Lynn thought it was the best meal of the trip. (My vote went to Grace’s in London, Ontario.)

The TransCanada Highway

We had planned for at least one real beach day on this trip and today was supposed to be the day. We woke up to chilly, gray skies, and the threat of rain. When we left the downtown area of Sault Ste. Marie heading north, I realized the cause of the town’s demise. Most of the shops and restaurants (primarily fast-food chains) had all moved to the strip outside of town. We’ve seen this in many cities we’ve traveled to and it’s just depressing.

We drove nearly two hours along the coastal highway and arrived at Agawa Bay to see the rocks. The sign shown below should have deterred me. It didn’t. Actually, we started out on the hike without any hiking gear, and quickly went back to the car and got our poles.

Was it treacherous? Yes. Was I extremely uncomfortable? Yes. Did I think I was going to die? (50/50). I kept quizzing those who had made the climb down and were now heading back up. 1) How much further is the trail? 2) Is it worth it? And 3) Does it get any worse? Every single person lied. This includes the Dad who was showing off by carrying his daughter on his shoulders.

In between hyperventilating, I did manage to take some pictures. Did I mention I’m afraid of heights? Not going up, but going down? Did I mention I also broke one of our hiking poles, so Lynn gave me his? See him holding the broken one?

In fairness, once we got close to the bottom of the trail and saw Lake Superior, I looked at Lynn and said, “That’s it.” I didn’t have to navigate any more dangerous boulders to look at basically the view I was getting now.

And then we walked back up (including me at one point having to crawl up one particularly annoying steep, rocky section), until we reached the car. Lynn said to me, when we had regrouped, that he thought I was going to quit long before I did. I didn’t, I kept going and now feel kind of proud about it. However, had we made it around that last bend, this supposedly is what would have greeted us.

The Biggest Apple Fritter I’ve Ever Seen

Even though after that “hike,” I could have easily tossed back a bottle of booze, we stopped at The Voyageur’s Lodge on Batchawana Bay to grab lunch. As mentioned, we knew about the apple fritters, but we wanted more than that. So, we split an order of fish tacos and fries, and ONE ENORMOUS APPLE FRITTER. We had taken our food outside to eat on their deck when it started to pour. We quickly ran to the car and ate there. I mean, look at the size of that fritter!

Harmony Beach

After finishing the fritter (it wasn’t bad even though I didn’t taste a hint of apple in the batter and luckily, it wasn’t a belly bomb), we decided to try and find a beach. Remember, going to Lake Superior and sitting on the beach, even briefly, was the purpose of the trip. (Besides touring the Frank Lloyd Wright house that would come later in the trip of course.)

It stopped raining when we reached Harmony Beach. There were a few brave ones in the water, but I was happy to just stand on the beach (fully clothed) and look at the lake. Had the weather cooperated, I think the view would have been pretty. These pictures just emphasized the dreariness of the day, but definitely not my mood. And yes, there was a lot of driftwood on this beach, too.

The Border Guard

Dare I mention that when we left Canada in the morning and crossed back into the States, the U.S. border guard wanted to know where we had been. When we mentioned the Agawa Pictographs, he didn’t even blink an eye. He just said, “You know people fall off those rocks and have to be rescued!”

Tomorrow we’re driving to Grand Rapids, and then our final destination, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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The Last Great Lake to Visit

Traveling to Lake Superior – Part I

Lake Superior was the only great lake we had never seen. We weren’t planning on going to see the “last one” this summer, but when I researched going back to Maine and the Eastern Townships area of Quebec, those areas proved to be prohibitively expensive. So, a trip to Ontario, and the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan seemed a more affordable option.

Since I was celebrating a birthday and didn’t want to spend all day driving on my birthday, we decided to leave the day before. This way (we hoped) we’d have no issues crossing over the border into Ontario in the morning. Why was I so considered about border traffic? Because I had a lunch reservation at a winery that I didn’t want to miss.

Old School Cafe, Naples, NY

Our first stop though was lunch in Naples, NY. The Old School Cafe, right on the main road, had been on my “to do” list for a while, and it didn’t disappoint. But has anyone ever seen me post a picture of a waffle? The answer to that is NO. Even my daughter, Rachel, was alarmed that my first meal of our trip was something I never make, order, or eat. I just don’t eat waffles.

I’m not sure what possessed me that afternoon, but suddenly I wanted something different. Something sweet and something savory. Therefore, The Old School Cafe’s special that day, a buttermilk waffle topped with Korean spicy chicken, was definitely a hit.

On the way from Naples to Medina (where we were staying for the night), Lynn happened to mention a Louis Kahn church in Rochester that he had visited once in college. Could we detour he asked? Of course, I said yes, and luckily, it wasn’t even a detour, but a mere two minutes from the highway we were already on.

Louis Kahn in Rochester

The First Unitarian Church of Rochester was completed in 1962. The building was closed so we weren’t able to get inside, but we did walk around the entire structure. Was it the ugliest building I’ve ever seen? No. Here’s a photograph of it anyway.

Medina, New York

We had been to Medina a few years ago and had stopped for lunch. It seemed like a quirky town with a couple of decent restaurants and even some boutique-type hotels. Since Medina is only an hour away from the Canadian border, it seemed like a good choice since there was a restaurant there that I had my eye on, too.

Downtown Medina is small. You can walk both sides of the street in under 10 minutes and find yourself wondering what else to do. We came across a plaque, commemorating a speech Frederick Douglass gave. Was it coincidental that it just happened to be the same day (August 3), but 155 years later? Perhaps. (This also happened to us on another occasion on the trip.)

After walking around the downtown area, we decided to try and see Medina Falls. Unfortunately, the pathway overlooking the falls was crumbling and thus, a bit scary. Plus, there were so many trees and bushes overlooking the falls, that I couldn’t really get a decent view. Actually, had I not heard the sound of the water rushing (plus a dog barking whose owner somehow had managed to get down closer to the falls), I wouldn’t have known that the falls even existed.

After the lackluster viewing of the falls, I drove to see The Culvert Road. I knew that it was the only road under the Erie Canal, but didn’t know the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” connection. Apparently, we had missed it the last time we were in town, and since we were the only car on the road, it obviously wasn’t a trendy tourist thing to do. (Since I now live near the Erie Canal, most fun facts about the canal pique my interest.)

The Hart House Hotel

Now that we can travel any day of the week, we generally try to avoid Friday or Saturday nights because it’s always more expensive to stay on those days. Unfortunately, this time we didn’t have a choice, and luckily, the Hart House Hotel had one room available. I loved this quirky hotel and admired all the hard work the owners put into restoring it. It features a contactless check-in, and I’m glad they like to rave on their website that they now have an elevator since our room was on the third floor and the stairs were steep. And no, we didn’t sleep on the couch. Our room was quite large (hence the sitting area) and named after John Jacob Astor.

I would have liked to talk about the dinner we had that night in Medina because it was another reason we had decided to stay there. Alas, it turned out to be the most expensive meal of the trip, and disappointing, too. I rarely post a negative review of a restaurant I’ve been to, primarily because I don’t want anyone to lose their livelihood. I also understand the power of negative reviews on Tripadvisor and Google that can potentially turn people away. The few times I’ve had an issue with a meal, I’ve sent a note afterwards to the manager just as a heads-up and expect nothing in return. My silence about this particular restaurant will be enough.

On To Canada (But Lake Ontario First)

In the morning, we had time to kill before a 1:30 lunch reservation at Trius, a winery/restaurant we had been to before in Niagara-on-the-Lake. So, we decided to take the long way on Route 18 which runs along Lake Ontario. The weather that day was gorgeous, and we got to see a new lighthouse, Three Mile Point, as well as what looked like a laid-back summer town of Olcott. One takeaway from this ride were the gorgeous flowers (particularly sunflowers) that I saw blooming in everyone’s garden! For the birthday girl, it made her day!

Niagara-On-The-Lake

We have been to this area of Ontario many times and it’s still one of our favorite places to visit. Luckily, the border crossing was quick, and although we did end up driving through the town of NOL to see what was “new,” we just made it in time for our lunch reservation.

We sat outside and looked at the grapes still hanging on the vines. After discussing the hot weather we’ve had with our server, we learned that their harvest might be brought in about three weeks earlier this year. Since I know nothing about harvesting grapes, I just filed this away under something “good to know.” Followed by, yes, climate change is real!

Back to lunch. We had wine flights, and we had a tomato and nectarine salad. Then we had a cold smoked salmon plate with fingerling potatoes and poached shrimp. We split a slice of apricot cake with mousse that was frosted with a white chocolate ganache and whipped cream. We ordered more wine to go with dessert, and thinking about this lunch now makes me very hungry.

Most importantly, look how happy we are after this amazing meal!

London (Ontario that is)

Somehow, I had confused London, Ontario, with a town I thought we had been to and remembered as “charming.” This was not the same town. However, I specifically wanted to stay overnight there because of a restaurant that was on my “foodie radar.” I will mention how much I LOVE traveling through Canada, but how much I HATE the 401, the 405, the 403, and any other major highway that reminds me of being on Long Island. Unfortunately, to get anywhere quickly in Canada, these highways are your only option. Traffic is always bumper-to-bumper. But there aren’t any tolls, and there are “ONroute” rest areas every so often if you need to pee or a get a cup of coffee.

So, after getting off the 401, we made sure the restaurant we were going to was within walking distance of our hotel, and that there were sidewalks. (More on the latter later.) I had forgotten that the next business day was a civic holiday, which meant downtown London was pretty empty. Most people, I’m assuming, having departed for some sort of vacation or camping adventure elsewhere.

Dinner at Grace

Grace offers a CA$65 4-course prix fixe menu that you can’t beat. The Executive Chef, Angie Murphy, also has a sense of humor in that she has named many of her dishes. Case in point: the new potato and pickled cucumber dish that you see below, called “Velvet Underground,” is such an unassuming dish on the menu that I wasn’t sure if I should order it. However, this one totally wowed me. The potatoes and the cucumbers were so smooth (hence the velvet description, I assume) that I could have ordered another plate of that one dish alone. Next up: “Gold Bar” – polenta with eggplant, tomatoes, compressed zucchini, parmesan and basil in a thick tomato sauce. Lynn had a duck breast as an entree (not shown), but I went for something a bit unusual.

Titled “Doctor, Doctor” (put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning), it featured Ube gnocchi with mushrooms, tofu, and cilantro in a hot coconut sour sauce. I did check with our server to make sure I knew about “Ube.” (It’s similar to a sweet potato, but actually a yam with a gorgeous purple color.) Finally, last but not least, dessert was a “Chocolate Mirage.” Also known as chocolate mousse on a stick with a sour cherry sorbet, the dish was fun and delicious. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the “stick” in question was actually a biscuit that was made to look like a stick and totally edible.

A Bit of Bavaria in Frankenmuth, Michigan

After leaving London in the morning, we crossed back over the border, and suddenly were in Michigan. Frankenmuth was a surprise to me. I was looking for a place to stop for lunch and didn’t know anything about this German-themed town near Saginaw, but still about three hours from our Mackinaw City destination.

Luckily, I had already scoped out the lunch possibilities and settled on Prost, a wine bar/restaurant that specialized in charcuterie. How could we resist that? It was very crowded, but we managed to get a seat at the bar. Since we knew we had a big dinner ahead of us, we decided to share a “German Heritage” board with a couple of beers. I was already feeling a bit elitist (having lived in Munich for so long) that I didn’t think the kitchen would be able to pull off a decent rendition, but they did.

Our board had some summer sausage, liver pate, black forest ham (the only cold cut that I wasn’t particularly fond of), as well as a mild “Butterkäse” cheese along with sauerkraut, pickles and bread. We drank Paulaner out of a can, and I was pleasantly surprised that the food was so good.

Afterwards we walked around town, and I tried to think I was in Bavaria – somewhere. I took a lot of pictures. There were murals, there were tons of flowers, and even a little Glockenspiel with dancing figurines. On the way out of town we even got to drive under an “Auf Wiedersehen” arch.

Mackinaw City Here We Come

I love to look at maps and would frequently look at a map of Michigan. (I know, I know, boring.) But looking at a map fuels my desire to travel and plan trips to see things I haven’t seen before. I had always wondered about Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge which crosses the Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

I had booked the cheapest hotel I could find for Mackinaw City in August. This meant we were staying at a Holiday Inn right near the bridge. The good news: we had a small balcony and even had a glimpse of the water. The bad news: if you sat outside on the balcony, you were accosted by never-ending traffic (including heavy trucks), so the noise level was pretty high. Luckily, the hotel was on the newer side (or renovated, I’m not exactly sure), and someone had the brains to not only put in room darkening shades in our room, but also install windows that kept all the noise outside.

The Holiday Inn was adequate for our two-night stay. But what we didn’t realize is that although we could almost see the restaurant we had booked that night from our hotel, we weren’t sure how to get there because of the bridge and the traffic. Luckily, we found a road that went under both. When given the option of walking to dinner, we usually prefer that over driving.

Audie’s for Dinner

Billed as a restaurant with both a “Family Room” and “Chippewa Room,” of course we walked into the family side by mistake. I will take a moment to comment on families that let their children 1) run around, 2) make a lot of noise and generally behave badly at the table, and 3) order off a kid’s menu when they are old enough to eat “real” food. I just can’t fathom having children who would behave like that in any restaurant and immediately feel hostile towards parents who don’t do anything to change their children’s behavior. End of rant.

Once we found the correct entrance, two things caught my eye on Audie’s menu. Perch and Whitefish. The last time I had eaten perch was when my grandmother, Theresa, was still alive. She lived in Whiting, Indiana, a mere 29 minutes from downtown Chicago, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Occasionally when I’d visit, I remembered many “all you can eat perch” meals at a place called Phil Smidt. Before they went out of business, I even found a retro-looking postcard that I’m particularly fond of. I even put the postcard in a small frame to remind me that their sauteed perch in butter sauce was the best I’ve ever eaten!

I was hoping Audie’s would be up for the challenge. While their perch was decent, it wasn’t the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth goodness I was looking for. Still, the menu was fun. We had some Oysters Rockefeller to start, followed by the perch, and apparently, someone had told them it was my birthday week, so we split some homemade vanilla maple ice cream for dessert.

And if anyone wants to see the glimpse of water from our little balcony and the bridge at night, I have photographs of that, too.

Tomorrow we’ll take the ferry over to Mackinac Island. You’ll be able to read about it on my next post.

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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Get In The Car

My new book, available on Amazon (2/2021) in both paperback and Kindle version, is a food and travel memoir. Written in 2008 (and just published this year), it’s the story of traveling with my husband, Lynn and two children. Canada, California and numerous European countries are some of the places we visit. Join us for the ride.

Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/GET-CAR-Food-Travel-Memoir/dp/B08WZFTWDM/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=julie+mccoy+get+in+the+car&qid=1614963641&sr=8-2#reader_B08WZFTWDM

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Twelve Courses: Backhouse

We had been to Backhouse in Niagara-on-the-Lake for lunch last fall. The restaurant, set in a non-descript row of shops away from the main tourist scene, was a definite find. We enjoyed our lunch so much that October afternoon that I was determined to return for dinner, and so we did two weeks ago.

Backhouse, with Chef Ryan Crawford at the helm, focuses primarily on wood-fired cooking. This means if you have the opportunity to sit at the “kitchen bar” you will get a first-hand look at everything that is being prepared, sliced, roasted, grilled and plated. It’s basically like getting a front row seat to see your favorite rock band.

Cooking on the line that night was a young woman who answered by the name of Chef Ashley. She was very busy making pasta, checking to make sure the fire in front of us was at the right temperature and adding more chunks of wood when it wasn’t. She was also stirring soups, tasting the dishes she was preparing and plating, too! It was fun watching her focus so intently on her craft.

The Beginning

I will admit I do read TripAdvisor reviews before I visit a restaurant. I also discount the ones that many people write when they complain about portions being small, a menu being “weird” and dishes too expensive. I figure those people shouldn’t be at that restaurant in the first place. (I will confess I am both a restaurant and food snob.)

After we had decided we were going to do the chef’s tasting menu of yes, twelve courses, two gorgeous silk cutlery rolls were placed before us.

The fact that we were given numerous utensils to choose from (big and small spoons, knifes, forks and even chopsticks) made such incredible sense to me. Not only could we, as diners, choose how we wanted to eat a certain dish, but it freed up the servers from having to run back and forth to replace our silverware after every course.

While some people I have read complained about this “gimmick,” I actually thought it was brilliant. Plus I loved the Asian feel of the roll and I can’t say that I’ve ever eaten with brass-colored silverware!

First Course

We started with an amuse bouche of a single gougère stuffed with duck liver mousse. Not only was this bite a delicious savory treat but I loved the vessel it was served in. Look at the feet!

Second Course

Lynn had eaten this dish before – a creamy egg mousse concoction nestled in an eggshell and topped with gorgeous hunter green kale “pearls.” It was a melt in your mouth treat and we both wanted more of it.

See what good eaters we are?

In between courses we got to look around at the restaurant decor. There was lots of wood. And wine. And the roaring fire in front of us.

And there were knives!

Third Course

This course amused me. It was essentially a potato on a plate with some spicy crumbled sausage on the side. In concept it looked like a variation of a hasselback potato but these were cut in the shape of a mille feuille. Hence, when you cut into it, you could see the very thin layers of this perfectly cooked potato. I took two shots of this dish; the first one as it was served to us. The second one I tore apart briefly with my fork to show you the layers.

Fourth Course

Next up was bread and butter. Now normally this isn’t even considered a “course” in most restaurants since most places will bring a basket of bread to the table once you’ve sat down. But at Backhouse both the bread and the butter are homemade and of course baked in the wood oven. I think we ate ALL of the sourdough bread before I remembered to take a picture. Luckily, I managed to snap a photograph of the three butters served that evening before being devoured as well.

Fifth Course

I love soup. I especially love root vegetable purées. Tonight’s featured soup special was a squash purée that was topped with some crispy prosciutto, a few cubes of roasted squash and what looked like a sage leaf but might have been a piece of crispy kale. The fact that we watched one of the chefs slice the prosciutto on a handy Italian slicer, then crisp it in a pan to be used in the soup was mouth-watering. (I also on occasion have fried up some prosciutto for breakfast instead of bacon. I prefer the taste and try to tell myself it’s a “healthier” option.)

Look at this gorgeous slicer! It’s sharp! It’s red! There was a trend in Munich in the 1970’s where it was considered perfectly normal to have a meat slicer in your home kitchen. There you could buy large quantities of smoked meats (salami, ham, bologna) and slice them up to feed cold cuts to your family. Since Germans ate a lot of cold cuts this struck me as being both practical and economical. We never had a meat slicer but it was probably a good kitchen gadget to have if one was so inclined to eat that way.

Sixth Course

A play on words describes our next course which was a salad. In “Leaf it to Ashley,” the chef noted above who was cooking for us that evening, it contained some greens (including frisée which I love), croutons, more prosciutto and a couple of other items that are beyond my description.

I need to divert here a bit and talk about the greenhouses in this area of Ontario. Crossing over the border near Buffalo and/or Niagara Falls we see a lot of land and trees. Once however we drive closer to St. Catherine and Hamilton, we see greenhouses. Massive greenhouses. The bulk of many of the vegetables I’m buying these days seem to come from these big greenhouses. Case in point, at my local Price Chopper, a good 75% of the produce (Boston lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, green onions and tomatoes) have a “Product of Canada” sticker on them. Since we are closer to Canada now, I actually prefer buying these food items rather than an avocado that comes from California or an orange from Costa Rica.

Seventh Course

Before this course was served to us, we got to observe another chef who was rolling out dough to make what looked like handmade penne. I won’t have to tell you that pasta is one of my favorite things to eat – macaroni and cheese in particular. (And yes, I do believe it’s a cardinal sin to bake said dish in the oven and top it with breadcrumbs!)

Imagine my delight then when we were served some thick rigatoni-like noodles tossed in a kale and walnut pesto with some shards of cheese on top. While I’m not a big kale fan (I find the stuff tasteless and cardboard-like), this absolutely worked in this dish. I know kale is supposed to be healthy, but hey, a girl can’t like everything!

Eighth Course

Even though it was a prix fixe set menu, our server let me switch out the guinea hen course (aka “chicken”) and have the spring trout instead. Lynn’s chicken, I mean guinea hen, came with some lovely beets. It was perfectly roasted but truthfully my trout with more kale (!) and some grainy mustard and horseradish was better.

Ninth Course

I’m tired of seeing “pork belly” on a menu. First of all, you can swear up and down about how good eating “fat” is. It’s not. Perhaps it’s because I grew up with more than the occasional fatty piece of meat at the dinner table that I could barely choke down and inevitably would try to get rid of whatever I was chewing by doing the cough-in-the-napkin-thing. This is why to this day I always prefer to order fish rather than meat when dining out. This was the only course so far that was just okay. Don’t get me wrong I love pork and ham and anything pork-like that is pulled or barbecued. It’s just that me and pork belly, well, I just don’t get it..

Tenth Course

And then when asked what type of cheese was available, I was told they had over 25 varieties! We were brought out a selection of three firm cheeses (including an amazing cheddar) and one soft. Where’s the cheese you ask? Apparently I forgot to take a photograph BEFORE we started to dig in and all that was left were a few slices of sourdough walnut and raisin bread and the remnants of the cheese slate.

Eleventh Course

In this part of Ontario, ice wine is a big deal. Since I detest sweet wines (and any type of dessert wine for that matter), ice wine and I are never going to be a couple. The ice wine “float” that they brought to the counter reminded me of the old school lemon sorbets certain “fancy” restaurants used to bring to you between courses. This was supposed to “cleanse your palate” – or prepare it so to speak – for the next course. Luckily, this “float” wasn’t terribly sweet, and I loved the bit of fun this course brought to the bar.

Ice wine was poured into a champagne glass holding a dollop of sorbet and some carbonated water was spritzed out of a soda siphon into the glass right in front of you. It worked.

Twelfth and Final Courses!

Beet Cake and Roasted Squash Crumble

Besides switching out my entree, I was also allowed to choose a different dessert. I usually get away with this because I say something along the lines of “wow, I’ve never had (insert name of dish here) before and I would really like to try it.” This kind of menu enthusiasm has never failed me.

Let me talk about one review about the beet cake that I read on TripAdvisor. Someone absolutely hated it which is why I so desperately wanted to try it. In fairness, you have to like beets and be okay with the fact that sometimes dessert doesn’t have to be sugary, sweet or have chocolate in it. The beet cake they brought out that evening had the consistency of a pound cake but with an intense savory beet topping. Was it the best dessert I’ve ever had? No. Was it the most creative? Yes.

Lynn’s dessert was a slice of roasted squash with some crumble and a mousse-like cream. I had some of his, too.

Finally, we are not gluttons. Each of the twelve plates served was truly a small plate, think tapas. It takes a long time to get through this meal (3 hours!) but it doesn’t drag on. There’s a lot to take in visually since the chefs are working right in front of you. Plus, there’s lots and lots of good Niagara escarpment wine to drink. And to that we say Cheers!

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A Fun Cooking Class in Canada

I had only taken a cooking class once before on Long Island at a Viking appliance showroom. They were hosting cooking classes using the showroom’s equipment in hopes that after the class you would order a $6,000 stove because you had just prepared something on one and were impressed. I wrote a funny article about it over 11 years ago which I invite you to read. (Note to readers: this article was written before my cellphone had a camera. Imagine that! So there are no photographs accompanying the story, just text. Use your imagination.)

The Good Earth Food and Wine Co.

This past Sunday’s afternoon cooking class was at one of my favorite wineries, The Good Earth Food and Wine Co. It’s in the town of Beamsville, near Lake Ontario, and in a part of Canada known as the “Niagara Peninsula.”

We had been there twice before, once for lunch and the second time for their harvest dinner. Andrew Thorne, the executive chef of the Good Earth Food and Wine Co., was the instructor that afternoon and I will admit the reason I even signed up for this class was to spend an afternoon with him and watch him cook. Andrew is not only an extremely talented chef but a joy to talk to.

Luckily, this class turned out to be vastly different from my experience 11 years ago on Long Island. This time around there would be no “hands-on” cooking from the guests. Instead, we were given a lovely menu of what Chef Andrew would be preparing that day as well as a list of ingredients he was using in each dish. Chef Andrew was joined in the cooking school “classroom” by winery owner Nicolette Novak. Together, the two of them made our class of 12 feel extremely welcome that day.

We sat on bar stools facing the kitchen area and for the next 2.5 hours watched as Chef Andrew prepared and cooked our four course lunch. Nicolette attended to the details of silverware and dirty plate removal as well as water and wine pouring all served up with some funny anecdotal food stories.

First Course – “Snow Stopper” Menu

Buffalo Shrimp

Now buffalo shrimp aren’t that difficult to make (think chicken wings with hot sauce) but these buffalo shrimp were given a new twist by plating them with a great combo of blended blue cheese and cream cheese. The shrimp, having been coated in a mixture of cornstarch and flour, were put in a deep fryer for a few minutes (three to be exact), then tossed with some hot sauce and butter.

Don’t they look delicious?

Now, I will admit that the dipping sauce looked a bit gray on the plate (because of the blue cheese) but it was absolutely finger-licking good and worked really well with this tasty shrimp starter.

The other great thing about this first course (and the subsequent other courses) was that each of the three savory courses was paired with wines from the winery. And since they are a very small winery (according to Nicolette they produce only around 3,000 cases a year), it’s wine that is both perfect on the palate and wallet-friendly.

Second Course – “Snow Stopper” Menu

New England Style Clam Chowder

I love heavy cream. It probably has to do with living in Munich for 10 years where 75% of nearly every German restaurant I frequented had a dish that included cream or mushrooms or both. There was A LOT of cream in this dish (and the following polenta dish, too) and it was really good.

First, Chef Andrew had par-cooked some Yukon gold potatoes to get a head start for our group. Into a big pan he put in about a pound and a half of thickly sliced chunks of bacon along with an onion, some celery stalks and a couple of cloves of garlic. He spent a good amount of time stirring this concoction then adding some flour and a generous pour of white wine (not icky cooking wine but wine from their winery!) until the mixture looked like this:

Only then did he add some cans of chopped baby clams with their liquid, tossed in the potatoes, added lots more cream and salt and pepper and let the whole thing simmer.

Thing I learned that afternoon: You can in fact make soup without using chicken or beef stock. And if you use canned clams instead of fresh ones, the food police will not show up with a warrant for your arrest!

A bit of red chili pepper was chopped and tossed on top of each serving at the end (along with some chives) which not only gave the dish a splash of color but really kicked up the heat level as well. Should I reveal that the 12 of us ate our bowls of soup in silence? Yes, it was that good.

Third Course – “Snow Stopper” Menu

Lamb Meatballs, Polenta & Rapini, Too

I adore lamb in any form. I’ve grown found of polenta but it has become an “acquired” taste. Most of the polenta I had over the years was either too thick and tasteless or fried and tasteless. One Christmas Eve I even jumped on the polenta bandwagon and made (drum roll please) polenta “stars.” When I look back at that dinner now I think I must have been out of my mind. First I had to make the polenta and then let it cool enough so I could cut out star-shaped polenta’s with a cookie cutter. Then I arranged the polenta “stars” around one of the seven fishes I was cooking for Christmas Eve dinner. If you know how difficult it is timing-wise to cook one fish, imagine cooking seven plus all the side dishes and then making polenta stars, too? After that one Christmas meal I decided polenta wasn’t going to appear on my table anytime soon.

Chef Andrew makes his polenta thick and creamy by whisking the cornmeal into a pot of cream with butter then adding some Parmesan cheese to boot. He paid a lot of attention to the polenta until it became a delicious concoction similar to grits but without any lumps. Here it is already plated.

Meanwhile as he was doing this, he was also checking on the lamb meatballs before putting them in the oven.

He also started to sauté the washed rapini (what we call broccoli rabe in the States). (And in the previous photograph you also see him grating some lemon zest on top of the rapini.)

Thing I learned that afternoon: Put the sauce on top of the meatballs that are in the oven after they have been baking a bit. No need to take the meatballs out of the oven and put them in the sauce that is simmering on the stove. This was such a no-brainer I even feel like an idiot writing about it but truthfully, I never thought of doing it that way.

Finally, the meatballs were done after touching one and “feeling it” he said. But when I questioned Chef Andrew about not “cheating” like I do and cutting a meatball in half, he actually did just that. And it was, of course, perfectly cooked.

Here’s what the final dish looked like: Lamb meatballs simmered in a chunky tomato sauce and plated on top of some delicious polenta with a side of rapini. A generous grating of some Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of demi-glace over the whole dish brought it together.

Finally, in between all this cooking what is Chef Andrew doing? He is making dessert!

Fourth Course – “Snow Stopper” Menu

Chocolate Ganache Tart with Italian Meringue & Cranberry Orange Preserve

Because we were a crowd, he did have to make the ganache ahead of time because they needed to cool. He did, however, show us at the beginning of the class how he had made them and then proceeded to make some cranberry and orange preserves to serve with the tarts.

And then Chef Andrew made the meringue. This meant sugar and water went into a pot on the stove, egg whites needed to be whipped and somewhere in between these ingredients a great deal more heavy cream was added.

Notice how he really is a happy camper? He’s smiling as he’s baking! As my readers know although I can bake, I detest it and by now I would probably be screaming at the mixer. (Even though this mixer is much nicer than the one I have in my kitchen.)

Thing I learned that afternoon: A blow torch and a candy thermometer are things I should have in my kitchen. The candy thermometer will help you measure the temperature of what you’re cooking. And the blow torch will help you extract the delicate chocolate ganache tarts from their steel cells as well as “burn” the finishing touches on the meringue.

Footnote here: since I don’t like making dessert, I will use not having a blow torch as the perfect excuse for not making any dessert that requires one. I will buy a candy thermometer though.

Finally, the tarts were plated but not before a pastry bag for piping was found and perfect little dollops of meringue stood at attention on the luscious chocolate base.

Then when all was said and done, oops, the cranberry orange sauce was forgotten but carefully added on the side of each dish at the last minute. There was a lot more silence from my cooking classmates as we all dug into our absolutely delicious chocolate desserts!

More things I learned that afternoon: Cooking classes are more fun if you are actually not doing the cooking but watching someone cook for you. It’s like being at home but knowing you don’t have to do any of the dishes or have someone ask you to help them – whether it be chopping some parsley or stirring a pot on the stove.

It’s good to have a group of people you can talk to in the class but also more important, for me at least, is that no one was a picky eater. (I hate picky eaters.) The group size (12) was perfect and it was cool to be the only two Americans in the room surrounded by some pretty fun Canadians. (I went out on a limb with that one so I hope the group I was with shares my sentiment.)

Finally, Chef Andrew and Nicolette made Lynn and I feel very welcome and the food and wine were spot-on. Thank you both for being so nice!

P.S. While the menu was labeled as a “snow stopper,” we hit a “mini blizzard” in the Syracuse area on the way home. Luckily we had purchased some bottles of their Big Fork Red before the class. This was a welcome treat when we finally did pull into the driveway about five hours later. (We had to first shovel a bit in order to actually pull the car into the driveway.) And yes, if you don’t hit a blizzard and the line isn’t too long at the border, it really is only a four hour drive.

Wines poured that day: 2018 Betty’s Blend, 2016 Chardonnay, 2016 Big Fork Red.

Contact: goodearthfoodandwine.com if you want to know more about any of their cooking classes, bistro menus and winery hours.

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A First Time Visit to Prince Edward Island

Although we had traveled to Nova Scotia nearly 30 years ago, we had never visited Prince Edward Island. On the itinerary for last summers road trip adventures, it seemed like a logical place to visit since it would save us airfare. And now that we live permanently in upstate New York, it really is easier to travel places that used to take 8+ hours to get to. Particularly when one has to get off the “Isle of Long” first. (Shout out to Larry The Duck on SiriusXM’s First Wave station for getting me through the morning commute and his endearing giggle when he invariably describes Long Island that way.)

My initial impression of PEI was wow! That’s a really really long bridge you have to take to even get to the island. Case in point: The bridge, known as the Confederation Bridge, is the longest bridge in the world crossing ice-covered water. I’m not sure what exactly that means since there was no ice the day we crossed but that’s what a Google search revealed. It’s also really expensive. CA$47.75 to cross a bridge? Granted, it’s only a one-way toll (you pay on the way back) but still!

So once we got off the bridge, we stopped the car and walked around a tourist-filled rest area and then decided to grab a couple of lobster rolls for lunch.

On To Charlottetown

I was a bit disappointed with Charlottetown I have to say. A) It was a lot smaller than I expected and B) There wasn’t really a lot to do there. Yes, we could have gone to see “Anne of Green Gables: The Musical” (just kidding!) since it has been playing annually in Charlottetown since 1965! But since I was already dragging Lynn to see the author’s house the next day, I decided to spare him anything else related to “Anne.” Besides we were already being bombarded by Anne of Green Gables souvenirs and even “‘Anne” chocolates everywhere we looked.

Thing is, I never read Anne of Green Gables growing up. I actually went to my local library this summer before we set out on this adventure, and truth be told, I liked the book and the character. (And knowing how I was as a young teenager girl, I probably would have tossed the book in the garbage because back then I liked reading books by D.H. Lawrence.)

I’m really glad I read the book this past summer since so much of Prince Edward Island is wrapped up in the many stories that author Lucy Montgomery wrote. She managed way back then to create characters that one can emphasize with and the near fairy tale setting of her books on the island only adds to their appeal.

So our first morning in PEI we went to visit the very modest family house where she was born and where she eventually married, too.

Followed by a further drive down the road to see a “heritage place” museum that showcased many of her books and the inspiration for writing them.

Driving between these two places, we would catch glimpses of the water and marvel at the beauty of the countryside. I also didn’t know there were so many farms on Prince Edward Island. Or that their primary crop was potatoes. And why was the soil so incredibly red?

It turns out there’s a lot of iron in this soil and although it looked like “sand” similar to what we had seen in the deep red stones of Sedona, Arizona, this soil was lush and fertile. I stopped more than once to pull over to try and capture the deep color of the earth but the camera just didn’t do it justice.

We continued to drive a bit around the island when suddenly I saw a sign for “Malpeque.” Could it be the same Malpeque that was famous for its oysters? We journeyed on to find out.

Even though it was not even noon, we decided to have an early “snack” of some just-harvested Malpeque oysters, “from the source,” so to speak at the Malpeque Oyster Barn. Now that I’ve had the “real thing,” it’s very difficult to order fresh oysters anywhere else and expect them to be even passable.

Fresh and only slightly briny, they needed just a simple squeeze of lemon as shown here although the Migonette sauce and fresh horseradish were a nice touch, too.

Afterwards we walked around the dock area and looked at all the oyster/lobster traps so artfully displayed.

And then we went to find a lighthouse nearly an hour and a half away on the other side of the island.

Point Prim Lighthouse

When we drove down a sandy beach road looking for the Point Prim Lighthouse, we didn’t expect to find a long line of cars parked on the side of the road. We realized the real reason people were there was to eat at the Point Prim Chowder House.

Even though we didn’t have a reservation, they found a table outside for us. I have to say the view was delicious! The food was decent. And the mosquitoes! Boy, they loved my ankles that day!

So back to the view.

With these pretty white curtains (that they tried to tie back since they had a tendency to billow in the wind), I felt I was in a fancy Caribbean resort rather than PEI.

We had a bowl of chowder and two lobster rolls but genuinely had a hard time thinking who was enjoying their “feast” more – Lynn and I or the mosquitoes nibbling on us.

We ate quickly and then made our way over to the lighthouse where (drum roll) we were one of only two visitors.

After lunch, we decided a visit to the beach (and being able to dig our toes into that incredible red sand) would be just the thing to do.

We had packed bathing suits and borrowed some towels from the hotel (but boy do I hate changing in a toilet stall!) and then indulged in a beautiful afternoon at Brackley Beach.

They have dunes! They have crystal clear water! They have soft red sand! Really, it was very relaxing.

Dinner both nights in Charlottetown was pretty uninspiring but I have to assume that’s because the town was filled with tourists looking for a cheap hamburger and a beer. We did have some fantastic chowder at Brickhouse Kitchen and Bar. Loaded with fresh seafood (at least four different kinds from what I could tell) plus potatoes and cream, it was really good! I went back to check their website, pulled up their menu and this chowder is actually a winner! Named the 2018 PEI Potato and Shellfish Chowder Champion, this one dish has lobster, haddock, scallops, mussels, smoked bacon and PEI potatoes.

Don’t you just want to dive into that dish? I do!

PEI Potatoes and Charlottetown’s Farmer’s Market

Speaking of PEI potatoes, well here we go. Okay, so as I mentioned before, I was trespassing on farmland trying to take pictures of the soil and the abundance of potato plants when I thought well, I have to buy some. Luckily, we were in town for the weekend and Saturday mornings is where all the action is at the Charlottetown’s Farmers’ market. Unfortunately, we had already eaten a (mediocre) breakfast at the hotel, but we walked around the stalls and marveled at all the goodness that was being displayed.

Potatoes right from the earth!

Lettuce and scallions and squash, too!

Wait, are those just-picked Shiitakes?

And lots of different varieties of fresh baked bread?

Are you hungry yet? Because I am!

Needless to say, only three things would bring me back to PEI. The oysters, the farmer’s market and the beach!

Oh yeah, on the way home, guess what I bought?

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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Campobello Island – But First A Stop In Saint Andrews, New Brunswick

Visiting Campobello Island to see Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s summer “cottage” (it has 34 rooms!) had been on my do-list for a while. I love visiting old houses and am fascinated by stories of how people lived during the 1930’s and 1940’s. This probably has something to do with growing up in Munich and being constantly surrounded by reminders of World War II. But first we needed a place to stay.

So, after we had visited PEI, we drove to Saint Andrews (also referred to as Saint Andrews By-The-Sea) which is a very romantic sounding name for this town in an area called the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

We were to stay one night at Rossmount Inn, a hotel I had read about that had travelers raving about the on-site restaurant. But first we decided to pay a visit to Kingsbrae Gardens. If you are interested in garden design and flowers and plants like I am, this is a must-see stop. Set on over 25+ acres in a residential area of Saint Andrews, they not only have lovely flower gardens but an interesting sculpture garden and miniature exotic pet farm, too.

To give you an idea of how much they love gardens (and gardening!) this was the first thing I saw walking onto their beautiful estate.

We walked around the gardens admiring all the flowers and the neatly trimmed hedges.

Plus they even made rows and rows of daylilies and assorted other wildflowers look civilized.

And then we saw the peacock! I mean, I had seen a peacock spread its feathers before but this bird decided it was going to give us a little fashion show. Look how it spread its feathers and strutted a bit so we could see both the front and back of this gorgeous bird – a member of the pheasant family I believe.

I actually thought the back of this beautiful beast was even more interesting than the front.

After more sculpture (see the food theme prevalent here with an apple core and an avocado), we went to the hotel.

A Night at the Rossmount

Chef Chris Aerni and his lovely wife Graziella are probably one of the nicest couples we’ve encountered on our many travels here and abroad. They are totally hands on with this lovely retreat they have created and love to talk to their guests not only about food but places they, too, have visited. (I’m now very curious about Hobart, Tasmania, because of my conversation with them that night.)

This is a shot of their hotel and the lovely pool area. Unfortunately, it was too late in the day for us to hang out by the pool, but this hotel is definitely on my “return for a visit list” so we’ll have to check it out the next time we go.

Dinner that night was exceptional. A multi-course tasting menu featured fresh Malpeque oysters (I will talk more about these beauties in an upcoming Prince Edward Island story) paired with a scallop ceviche.

Mushroom soup and bib lettuce and beets from the garden topped with edible daylilies (who knew you could eat those).

Followed by a roasted quail and potato salad. And then old school surf and turf kicked up a notch with succulent butter-poached lobster with garden fresh veggies and a killer Bearnaise sauce. The dollops of green pesto that were added to this dish just brought the whole thing together. It was tasty and absolutely brilliant!

And then there was dessert. Pea semi-freddo? You betcha. And it was delicious – sweet and savory all in the same bite. But then since it was my birthday (really, the actual day not the day before or after), I asked if they could bring me out something chocolate. And that’s exactly what they did. (I know it was so unlike me to order a second dessert, but I split the chocolate mousse with Lynn.)

On To Campobello Island

We started off the morning (after a lovely breakfast at the Rossmount) by listening to “Siri” tell us how we should “drive” to Campobello Island. Usually I at least take a glimpse at an old road map to make sure she’s heading us in the correct direction, but this time I didn’t. That’s why about an hour later we ended up somewhere along the coast near Passamaquoddy Bay (yes, that is exactly how you spell it). We were in the town of L’Etete and saw signs for a ferry that we thought was going to Campobello. Since there was no reason not to trust “Siri,” we drove the car onto the ferry. Who knew the ferry was free, too? (Thank you Canada!)

When the ferry docked, we realized we were on another island, “Deer Island” to be precise. There’s got to be a bridge, I thought that would get us over to Campobello, right? There is a bridge, but not where we were! We also discovered that we needed to take another ferry and had just missed the one that would eventually take us over to Campobello. See there it is pulling away!

So we joined a growing line of cars and waited for the next boat. Since we were basically stuck on Deer Island, it’s not like we could turn around and go back. Nearly an hour and a half later (not the hour intervals as shown below), we drove the car onto ferry #2 and finally ended up where we wanted to be. And this time we had to pay about $27.00 for the crossing.

The Roosevelts

Once we finally got to Campobello we managed to finagle our way onto a tour of the house that had just started. I was impressed with the home and simple furnishings and the great lengths the Roosevelts took to spend summers there! (If it took us that long to get there from our morning start which was a mere 117 kilometers away, imagine what it was like for them to get to their summer home from New York or even Washington in the 1920’s via train and automobile!)

And since I love to cook and eat (as you all know), I particularly focused in on the kitchen. The stove Eleanor’s staff would cook meals on was still in the house. This is a thing of beauty. And looking at it, it actually has more burners and “counter space” than my current stove.

I also loved the bullhorn that was out on display. Apparently, Eleanor used it to call the children in for meals when they were out and about.

And with a view like this from the house, who wouldn’t want to be outdoors every single second of the day?

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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A Trip To Maine and New Brunswick, Canada (And Random Thoughts About Breakfast, Too)

It was nearly 29 years ago when we first traveled from Long Island to Maine and New Brunswick with our then 1-year-old son strapped in a car seat in the smallest car I think Chevrolet ever made (the Sprint). It was actually so small (I’m pretty tall and Lynn is too) that we even nicknamed the Sprint “Sprint Junior” just to make fun of its tiny size.

This time we started out from upstate New York (already saving us probably at least 3 hours) avoiding that awful stretch of I-95 going through Connecticut. Our first stop was in Essex, MA, for amazing lobster rolls at an old school joint called Essex Seafood. I mean look at this handwritten menu tacked onto the wall!

The lobster was sweet, minimally dressed and the side order of onion rings were pretty decent, too. I’d also like to personally thank many of my Instagram foodies who shared that find with me!

Overnight in Portland, Maine

We hadn’t been to Portland in at least 20 years and frankly, we didn’t remember a single thing. We walked around near the harbor area but weren’t that impressed.

There were a couple of restaurants and bars and the usual coffee places but there seemed to be an overwhelming number of tourist places all selling the same trinkets. Actually anything that had a lobster on it seemed to be a guaranteed sale. Lobster key rings? Check. Lobster potholders? Double check.

Dinner that night was at Fore Street – a restaurant that didn’t disappoint in its open kitchen concept as well as the incredible wood-burning smell of everything they were cooking.

The menu was very creative. Squid with eggplant and green beans followed by grilled foie gras on a slice of homemade zucchini bread! Who does that?

Second course up: Fresh blue fin tuna with peppers and grilled corn. A tasty dish but a small portion I thought for the price tag. (Yes, look at it, it was about 2 .5 bites!)

Finally, Lynn and I split a fresh berry cobbler topped with a biscuit-like dough (not my favorite but more on biscuits later) and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Doesn’t that look absolutely delicious though?

On the way out, stopping to say “thanks” to the chefs working the line in the open kitchen, I was told by a not-so-friendly wait staffer that I was “not allowed” to be there or to talk to them! What? Cooking is a thankless job but I made sure the chefs working that night heard me compliment them on their exceptional talent. And at least I got a smile out of a few of them.

Before we left Portland the next morning, we stopped to see the lighthouse. Apparently, we had missed it the first time and the weather was absolutely perfect to get a great photograph!

On To Saint John, New Brunswick

We stopped for lunch outside of Bangor, Maine, and started with a seafood “chowdah” brimming with haddock, clams, shrimp and lobster. I moved on to eat a lobster BLT with avocado and Lynn held out for a traditional lobster roll. It was pretty darn good.

We had never been to Saint John and stayed at a hotel on the rather ugly waterfront. (This apparently is turning out to be a theme on this road trip.) Here, however, at least someone had attempted to create some “artwork” along the way. I particularly liked the random fish sculptures that were scattered around the downtown area.

We walked into a park, King’s Square, and found what appeared to be a Victorian-era band stand. Although when I looked at it, it kind of reminded me of a squat version of the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm) in Munich’s Englischer Garten.

I have to segue just a bit. I really wanted to find a picture of Munich’s Chinese Tower and post it here but I realized that all the pictures I probably took of it were WAY BEFORE THE CLOUD! What? And yeah, I could drag out an old CD, pop it into my laptop and then spend hours looking for that one photograph. Or, I could just walk downstairs and find the one photo album I needed and just take a picture of the darn thing.

So here it is: My own photograph of the Chinesischer Turm in Munich, Germany, shot in the winter of 1979. Pretty cool right? And if you just look at the top two “towers,” you may see the same resemblance I did. And yeah, it took me a mere 3 minutes to walk down the stairs, find the photo album, flip open the page, shoot the picture, walk back upstairs and upload the shot.

Dinner At East Coast Bistro

When I tell you we had some of the best mussels EVER for dinner that night at East Coast Bistro, I’m not exaggerating. First of all, these mussels were from the Bay of Fundy which is the closest body of water to the town of Saint John and hence the restaurant. Spiced up with an intensely flavored coconut hot sauce with leeks on top, I’m still tasting (and dreaming) about this dish today. Second course I had was a fresh halibut with asparagus, pickled onions and arugula on top.

Yummy! Finally, since I had mentioned it was my birthday week – look what they brought out for me! Lovely homemade vanilla ice cream with a lemon tart topped with meringue. Also, I got to meet Chef Kim Steele and crew which was a nice treat.

Breakfast? What Breakfast?

One of my pet peeves of traveling these days is not being able to find a decent breakfast in the morning without A) driving out of our way and B) paying way too much money. I’m also not a fan of hotel buffets (unless it’s a really decent hotel). Or standing in line to scoop lukewarm scrambled eggs out of a chafing dish and then stand in another line to toast store-bought muffins.

I also like my breakfasts to be pretty simple. Eggs are a must but I don’t particularly like sausage for breakfast. But I’m okay with bacon but only one slice! And yes, I, too, fell for the avocado on toast thing. But then I stopped eating bread at breakfast for a while and I wasn’t crazy about just eating a “naked” avocado.

Hash browns or any kind of potato actually are also a definite no-no. You’re probably thinking, wow, it seems she doesn’t even like breakfast at all! But I do, I do, it just needs to be really simple and preferably served with a little bit of fresh fruit. (But only certain fruit.) Okay, I know I’m more than a little particular about my breakfasts.

I also won’t go into how I would prefer a croissant over a biscuit any day because my Dad, Larry, is one of my best blog readers and after he reads this he will probably be sending me hourly recipes for biscuits! (Love you Dad!) If you haven’t checked out any of his books, he is a funny writer and his books make great gifts, too. Side note: he LOVES biscuits and pie!

I also won’t go into my love/hate relationship with bagels. Well, okay, if you insist. I only like plain ones (and prefer mini bagels over full-sized ones) and also only buy bagels from certain stores. Recently Lynn and I decided pizza for breakfast would be a good idea but then wimped out at the last minute and got Italian pastries and cappuccino’s instead. (This photograph was from a recent trip to Montreal.)

Consequently, the next morning in our search for a bite to eat – a coffee, a donut, a bagel, a something, we walked around downtown Saint John and came up with zilch. We ended up back at the hotel, walked into the dining room and looked at a room filled with people who were drinking coffee. My breakfast “radar” went up. I realized no one had a plate in front of them which meant they had been waiting for their breakfasts a really, really long time.

I decided to be brave, ordered a simple omelette with toast and coffee and then we proceeded to wait. We got lucky. Apparently, the chefs working the line that morning cook everything at once since everyone’s food came out at the same time. So even though we were the last ones in that morning, our food came out as well. Timing is everything.

Since I didn’t take a picture of the omelette or my lousy coffee, I will leave you with some photos of some truly great breakfasts! (Regardless of my rantings above, I really do love breakfast!)

The best omelette you will ever eat. Courtesy of Les Deux Magots in Paris.

The best scones you will ever eat. Courtesy of The Langham Hotel in London. (Note: we did NOT stay there because it was outrageously expensive but went once for Easter brunch.)

The best farmer’s market to enjoy some pastries (and breakfast). Courtesy of the Byward Market in Ottawa.

I mean, even riding the Eurostar between London and Paris we had a decent croissant!

Finally, my new commuting life allows me not only to photograph my sucky”breakfast” at my desk but also share it with my husband, Lynn and my readers. If you’re wondering what it is – here’s more than a clue: Pepperidge Farm white bread, a slice of Munster cheese (or if I’m feeling really adventurous Havarti), a smear of butter laced with olive oil and either green or red grapes. Followed by weak office coffee. Awesome, right?

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.

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Lunch, Dinner and Waterfalls, Too (Back to Canada)

We did a spur of the moment trip earlier this summer to the Niagara-on-the-Lake area with trips to Hamilton and St. Catherine thrown in. We had been to the area a few times before but now there are even more places to eat (and drink) so we like to go back as frequently as possible. The fact that many of the Niagara escarpment wineries remind me a little bit of the California wineries we used to visit in the early 1990’s also helps. I also love to drive around the area to see not only what the farmers are growing but what dishes the chefs are creating with all this bounty before them.

We made it over the border crossing in about 40 minutes (yeah!) and found ourselves at the amazing winery/restaurant of Two Sisters Vineyard. The problem with eating “across the border” is that it is difficult to make a lunch reservation because you never know how long the wait will be to get across! Luckily, even though the restaurant was packed, they managed to find a table for us.

We didn’t waste any time when ordering. Glasses of wine. A wood-burning stove that spit out pizzas (ours was covered with arugula and prosciutto) followed by a pasta Bolognese dish even though it was hotter than hell that day. For those who missed my last story mentioning the “Beef Strogonoff” that Lynn consumed (again on a really hot day), well, all I can say is “Bon Appetit!”

Dare I mention they brought us out the largest bowl of grated cheese I’ve ever seen? I mean it was the size of a casserole dish! Look, our server is even showing off by holding it in one hand! (Actually I asked her to hold it that way so I could take the photograph.)

After lunch we drove around the area and to kill some time before our next meal, we went to a winery, Tawse, in Vineland, Ontario, we had missed the last time around. But first, we drove down a street called Cherry Avenue. What did we find on Cherry Avenue? You betcha!

To say I was excited about seeing cherries for the first time in person, in all their cherry goodness, is beyond words.

Dinner at Quatrefoil

This had been on my list of restaurants to go to for quite some time. Housed in a lovely house in the town of Dundas, Ontario, on Thursday nights they do a 3 course prix fixe “Farmer’s Supper.” So it being Thursday, that’s what we had. For starters, I had the white asparagus vinaigrette. Now this may not seem like a special dish, after all it’s just asparagus, right? But since I grew up in Munich, we waited anxiously every year for the asparagus season to start (usually the end of April/beginning of May). White asparagus was always preferred to the green kind and once the asparagus came out it was sold in farmer’s markets and was a featured dish in nearly every restaurant. To say it was a big deal is an understatement. Now, however, when I see white asparagus in the market, it just doesn’t taste the way I remember. This asparagus with a perfect vinaigrette absolutely hit the spot though.

Next up a perfectly cooked moist piece of salmon. Now, I realize I shouldn’t be that excited about salmon, right? Trust me this was exquisite. Do I dare mention that Lynn had beef (a steak) again? And no, I’m not posting a picture of his steak. Absolutely not.

A few days prior, I had seen on Instagram that the chef de cuisine of Quatrefoil, James Bourdeau, had “acquired” lots of different fresh berries from a local farm. “Where were the berries?” I asked our server. He wasn’t sure but he would find out. Imagine my surprise (and laughter) when a plate of berries was brought out for me to try.

And then Chef Bourdeau came out to talk to us! How cool is that? Thank you Chef!

Dessert included a deconstructed chocolate cake and mousse combo with fresh mint leaves and a lovely rhubarb creme brulee (not shown here since the shot came out blurry – probably from all the excitement.) I mean fresh picked berries and white asparagus in the same meal? I thought the food was amazing, the plating stellar and the service was outstanding.

Craving Indian…Still Craving Indian

Lunch that day was a choice of Thai or Indian in St. Catherines. We chose the Indian since 1. We love Indian. 2. We can’t find decent Indian near us. 3. We hadn’t had naan or curry in a long time.

It’s always disappointing to crave ethnic food and then not have them deliver what you’re craving. While the chicken tikka masala was okay, the naan and poori breads were just not as light and fluffy as they could have been. We sucked it up and decided Thai might have been a better choice that afternoon.

Creekside Estate Winery for Dinner

We had been to Creekside Estate Winery the year before and liked their varietals very much. They pour a strong Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah, too. A chef I had been following on Instagram, Ross Midgley, was cooking that summer on the deck at this winery so of course we wanted to visit.

Friday nights at the Creekside they have a limited menu but live music. Dare I mention it was really hot that Friday night – so hot we were sweltering and of course there wasn’t even a gust of wind in sight. We sat and drank lots of cold white wine to cool off. And then ordered some pretty outstanding food.

We started with a plate of oysters! Yeah, I love oysters! Then moved on to the Mediterranean platter (grilled halloumi, pita, olives and red peppers). Look at those cute little French jam jars – one filled with hummus and the other with Greek yogurt. And finally, the lobster roll was pretty decent, too. Thank you Chef!

We also got a chance to talk to Chef Midgley which was a special treat since he only had one other person helping him in the minimalist deck “kitchen” (fridge/work counter/grill) that evening.

Waterfalls, Waterfalls

Before we left to drive home, we decided to visit a couple of waterfalls in the area. Now since we have a waterfall in our backyard (albeit one you have to hike to), we shouldn’t have been as excited about seeing these. But they were pretty and we basically had the place to ourselves. I’ll leave you with two photographs…

Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.