You could call me a knight in dining armour.
In 2019, I ate in more than fifty St. John’s restaurants. Burgers, tacos, ramen — you name it, I ate it.
Despite headlines lamenting closures of favourites like Bacalao and Fixed Coffee, the dining scene here in St. John’s is anything but dilapidated.
This year saw a rush of restaurant openings, long lineups for new food trucks and overflowing brewery taps.
As this year comes to an end, my culinary reflections bring to light some standout meals. In chronological order, here are my favourites for 2019.
1. SPINACH AND BULGARIAN FETA PIE, BALKAN KITCHENS
Even though this Cooktown Road hole-in-the-wall is minutes from my house it took me ages to visit the Balkan Kitchen. And in January, I fell in love with the Spinach and Bulgarian Feta Pie. Flaky filo encases salty cheese and spinach, snaked into the circular pastry of deliciousness.
27 Cookstown Rd.
2. MAC AND CHEESE, NO. 4 RESTAURANT AND BAR
No. 4 opened its doors in January 2019 and I crossed the snowy threshold soon thereafter. I ordered a side of the mac and cheese and was gobsmacked. Perfectly al dente macaroni submerged in a creamy sauce of four strong cheeses (cheddar, friulano, parmesan, manchego) all nestled underneath a blanket of panko and grated parm. My love for the classic dish was permanently altered.
4 Cathedral St.
3. MAPO DOUFU, SETO KITCHEN + BAR
Seto is the most underrated restaurant in the city. It’s the place I recommend often for its menu punctuated by Newfoundland and Asian influence, cocktail list and comfortable atmosphere. Last February, Chef Ken Pittman held a special Chinese New Year dinner and the Mapo Doufu with house-made tofu bathed in an oily and bright spicy Sichuan sauce blew me out of the water.
281 Duckworth St.
4. BEEF TARTARE, THE MERCHANT TAVERN
In February, I was entertaining a group of girlfriends from Halifax, and the beef tartare at The Merchant Tavern was as good as ever. The delicately sliced cubes of beef were scrupulously seasoned with a heavy dusting of parm and accompanied by perfectly grilled bread. While the menu changes seasonally the tartare remains a staple, and one of my favourite dishes in the city.
291 Water St.
5. WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER, WELL & GOOD DINNER
One of my favourite dishes of 2019 wasn’t served in a restaurant, at least not in the traditional sense. Well & Good Dinners is a quarterly communal dinner series spearheaded by Stacey Tuttle, who cooks up a local bounty each season at various locations across the city. Last March at the Grounds Cafe, the show-stopper was a harissa-rubbed whole cauliflower showered in pink tahini sauce with a smack of cilantro. As one of my dining companions sliced into it, my mouth watered like I was watching a turkey being carved at Thanksgiving.
6. AROI THAI STREET FRIES, BANNERMAN BREWING
When this downtown brewery turned on the taps this past spring, it was Amy Anthony, the chef who brought The Ship’s restaurant back to life, who got things firing in the kitchen. While celebrating a friend’s birthday last June, I tried the Thai Street Fries for the first time; twice-fried house-cut fries maintained their crunch underneath a nest of nori crumble, sweet and spicy peppers, cilantro and crispy shallots doused with Tom Yum aioli. Could I call this the perfect drinking dish?
90 Duckworth St.
7. THE BIG MCKENNA, JOHNNY & MAE’S
The food truck frenzy of summer 2019 was filled with lineups and freaking great food. In July, I somehow beat the crowds to have an early lunch at Johnny & Mae’s. Underneath the trees of the St. Thomas Parish parking lot, I devoured the exquisite mess that is the Big Mckenna. Two giant patties sandwiched in a soft bun with bacon, cheese, shredduce (shredded lettuce), and pickles that didn’t take over the flavour, dripping with all kinds of delicious sauce. I’ll never be the same.
8. ICE SHRIMP TOAST, TERRE RESTAURANT
The Alt Hotel St. John’s finally got a restaurant, and a lovely one indeed. I visited Terre about a week after it opened in July and was impressed by the service, the decor and particularly by the ice shrimp toast. Tossed in housemade Thousand Island dressing and topped with crunchy fried onions and giant basil leaves, this balanced dish was the ideal introduction to Terre, which has made it into my regular dining-out rotation.
125 Water St.
9. NORTHERN THAI NOODLE CURRY, GINGERGRASS THAI AND VIETNAMESE
I professed my excitement over the return of a Thai restaurant in my second review for The Telegram, and the sentiment holds true. I was through the doors of Gingergrass within a week of their opening and my first meal in August did not disappoint. The northern Thai noodle curry, a riff on Khao Soi, is filled with rice noodles, a mix of masaman and red curry, coconut milk and topped with peanuts, bean sprouts, lettuce, green onion and cilantro. Flavourful, soupy and filled with noodles.
345 Duckworth St.
10. PORK SCHNITZEL, WATERWEST KITCHEN AND MEATS
In my first review for The Telegram I chronicled my visit to Waterwest, Todd Perrin and Stephen Lee’s second venture together, but I don’t think I expressed my love for the pork schnitzel enough. That September evening, my tastebuds danced to the tune of crispy breaded pork splashed with lemon cream sauce and a hint of parsley. I could have danced all night.
720 Water St.
Gabby Peyton is a freelance food writer based in St. John’s. You can reach her by email at [email protected] or via Twitter and Instagram @gabbypeytoneats.
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