A Quick Day in Chester

Hooray, Sunday was a day that almost felt like real Spring. It has been sooooo slooow in coming. Everything is lagging. Even the trees have hardly got any budding leaves. I had some work that needed attending to in Chester so I picked up my mom and off we went! First stop in the village was to check out Chez Glass Lass aka Kiln Art

I can't believe I've never been in their shop! One of my good market pals is part of the family that belongs to this lovely place. So full of light and colour and beautiful glass. Check out these plates!!! The centers are clear so they look like rings..

They design and create the work here in Chester and sell it worldwide. Complete entertaining sets, decorative pieces and functional ones as well..... I'd have a really hard time choosing.

Next stop was Going Coastal Gallery to drop off a couple of paintings. Robyn, the owner has a new daughter, Grace-Sea who is three months old, she will help her mind the gallery this summer:) 

I will be switching out work as it sells or doesn't sell throughout the year:)

Mum and I explored the village a bit, drooling at the gorgeous homes, many of which are empty at the moment waiting for their summer occupants. Sigh.

 Kiwi Cafe next for lunch..... one of my favourite spots for a bite to eat in Nova Scotia. In a few short weeks, that planter will be bursting with flowers!

I had a grilled brie, pear & arugula sandwich on orange raisin bread. nom nom. Sooo good. Next time I will try their veggie burger. People supposedly drive miles to come and have it!

On the way home we stopped at another fun and fave place. Mother Hubbard's Cupboard. It is a quirky place chock-a-block with antiques, art and collectibles.

Always something different here.. Can't decide whether I prefer the orange chair or...

the green chair...

Wild Leek, Vegan Restaurant

A friend of mine, Kirsten Taggart, has just started living a dream of hers! She has opened a cozy Vegan restaurant and Juice Bar in Halifax called Wild Leek. A trained chef, Kirsten has had a love affair with wholesome food for years. Her blog, Kirsten's Kitchen is full of yummy recipes that showcase her special connection with good food.

Located at 2156 Windsor St. on the corner of Lawrence, Wild Leek  is sandwiched between a small variety store and a used book shop. You can't miss it. Painted bright green with two flower baskets and a lovely mural on the side of the building.

It is a tiny spot with just six tables I think, I can't exactly remember the number but it is bright and cheerful and has free wifi!

Dominating the high ceilings is an amazing light fixture, I love it!

The menu is simple with only a few basics available on a consistant basis and the rest is dependant on Kirsten's mood and what fresh produce is available and eventually, special requests:)

The day I was there I had the special which was a Shepherd's Pie,  (lentil base and mashed potato topping) slathered with gravy,and a yummy salad.

My mum who was my dining companion had the broccoli and caramalized onion quiche which I have to say was DELICIOUS! Hard to make it look pretty but you get the gist:)

Wild Leek also makes their own seitan and there are a few things on the menu that utilise it including their own version of Bahn Mi which is a Vietnamese sandwich.

I have to say everything I ate was yummy.Lots of dessert to choose from also. These were to die for, chocolate, pecan, peanut butter thingies...

Mum had a coconut cupcke:)

I know there are a lot of food pics here but hey....it's a restaurant. This was moist and dense and aawesome!

I haven't even touched on the juice bar side of things. Lots of choices there. One which caught my eye was "strawberry fields" Strawberry,banana,coconut and vanilla,mmm
They are open Tuesday to Saturday opening at 8am and closing at 4pm except  Friday 7pm. Friday at suppertime  Kirsten will be doing a dinner service with a lovely plated special meal. Saturday they serve Brunch!

 Pop by and say hi to Kirsten and her sidekick Andie:) Tell em I sent you!

I'll take fries with that, Ace Burger Co.

This little pub has been hanging around on the corner of North and Agricola for years and years. Gus's Pub and Grill, has recently been transformed into a burger joint called Ace Burger Co.

You walk through the well seasoned doors into a welcoming cozy and unpretentious room. 

At the front is a counter where you order your food.

The menu is written on the mirrored wall behind. The menu is simple, four kinds of burgers and hand cut fries. Poutine, salad, a giant cookie and apple pie are also available, haha

I had the veggie

I also had some delicious beer called Gus 65M ale, made by a local brewery down the street, Bridge Brewing Co.

Mmmm.The food is delivered to your table in a brown paper bag so you can take home or eat in.

And this is what was inside!! The best veggie burger I have had in this city! Juicy succulent and satisfying. My companions all had the jerk chicekn burgers which were deemed to be just as yummy.

This place has a really comfy relaxed atmosphere and I can hardly wait to go back again. Sometimes there is live music in the evenings.

Here you go....a table is is waiting for you!

The Night Has Teeth, Kat Kruger

On a blustery winter day recently, I had lunch with my friend and author, Kat Kruger. We met at a really neat little restaurant called Istanbul Cafe  A gigantic mural of the Bosphorus River decorates one wall! Here is the charming Kat holding up her book, The Night Has Teeth, Book One of the Magdeburg Trilogy. I love the cover......can you guess what it is about?

Werewolves! The bitten and the born. It is a young adult novel about the paranormal and is quite good actually! It has already won an award and great reviews are pouring in from all over the world. Takes place in Paris and has loads of interesting twists and turns. Fierce Ink Press is the publisher. Kat is going to be in Toronto on a book tour soon so if you are in the vicinity and would like to meet Kat, here is her schedule  Of course I got her to sign my copy before we ate.

The menu was full of interesting choices  so  it was hard to choose but finally I  decided on the lentil kofte wrap. Thanks to Kat's recomendation. A light vegetarian option.

Mmmm, it was really good and hit the spot. I had never eaten one before. The toasted pita bread was luscious. I wish I had taken a picture of the filling, a red lentil concoction with fresh onions and herbs.

You can find the Istanbul Cafe on Spring Garden Road near Robie Street. On Saturdays they even have belly dancers in. Haha, must check it out.

 Fierce Ink Press is on the lookout for young adult novels so if you are a writer, click on the link and have a poke around their site. They welcome submissions. Here is Kat's website with some more info if you are interested:) Hey Kat it was great to hook up again!

Heartwood

Yesterday I took my mum out to lunch! We stopped in at Heartwood Bakery and Cafe, a cute little spot at 6250 Quinpool Road. Now open 10-10 seven days a week! It was  taken over this year by new owners and the entire place has a fresh new look and a yummy revamped menu!!! (now licensed too)

Cosy and welcoming, Heartwood serves up fresh organic, local (as much as possible) vegetarian food. They also sell their delicious bread (wheat free varieties too) baked daily in their wee kitchen AND cookies and sweets.

I had a hard time choosing what to order for my lunch because everything sounded so good and refreshingly for me, there were a TON of choices for this new Vegan. Every day they also  have different meal specials, one of which is their "wild card". Yummy creations that  the chef whips up daily depending on what is fresh, tasty and seasonal in the kitchen! Gluten free options available too.

 I finally decided on a lentil roasted squash burger with a spicy cashew mayo served on their fresh foccacia bread.YUM! Steamed greens on the side too.....BONUS!

 Mum had a tomato avocado sandwich with some pesto on top!

The walls are covered with amazing metal creations by Joel Sullivan, so it is also a place to come and enjoy the art as well as the food...... It was busy when we were there, a good sign on a Monday:)

I was really full after my meal but saw this........and wanted to have a closer look.......

Whoa!  AND cookies of all kinds too! Heaven. Means I have to come back

My mum loved her meal too and said she plans on making this healthy place one of her regular hangouts:)

 Yes, I would agree. Pop by for a visit! This restaurant has been given new life!

We finished off with a pot of tea.......ah..... 

Oh, and all of these pictures were taken with my iphone! Not too bad huh? I forgot my camera and had to make do. Not quite as crisp but better than I expected:)