By Jim David
What could be more comforting to a Nova Scotian than a bowl of hearty seafood chowder?
Constantly on the lookout for the best fish and chips, I also search out great chowders in our Ocean Playground province.
In this column, I’ll highlight my 10 favourite chowders of the past couple of years. While my restaurant visit may have happened as far back as two years or as recently as two weeks ago, I believe most of my selections are still on the menus of these fine restaurants across Nova Scotia.
But first, a little history: In a well-read book by Marie Nightingale, ‘Out of Nova Scotia Kitchens’, she says, “although claimed to be an invention of the New England settlers, there is a strong possibility that chowders were first made by the French at Port Royal. The word chowder comes from the French word chaudiere, the type of iron pot in which it was made”.
Perhaps because I travel to the southwestern part of the province (the French Shore) quite often, this is where I have found four of my best chowders. Four come from Halifax Regional Municipality, and one each from the South Shore and Cape Breton.
Let’s start the Top 10 in reverse order with a photo and a few tasting notes:
#10 The Esquire Restaurant on the Bedford Highway. Photo by Jim David
Opened in 1948 as a takeout restaurant on the busy Bedford Highway, their sign even proclaims that their chowder made them famous. We were served by Michelle, who has been a waitress there for 38 years. There’s lots of haddock, a few scallops, shrimp and small canned clams. Ask for yours to be served with one of their biscuits. Although I would have preferred a bit of lobster to the canned clams or even the shrimp, with so many customers flocking here, I could not leave the Esquire off my Top 10.
#9 Shaw’s Landing in West Dover, near Peggy’s Cove. Photo by Jim David
Shaw’s was opened by a couple from Switzerland who lost their daughter in the Swiss Air tragedy of 1998. Locals from nearby Prospect now own it and continue to serve fresh seafood daily. The view from the dining room or patio is probably one of the best anywhere. The chowder is cream-based with haddock, shrimp, clams, scallops and a bit of lobster. As chowders go, I would have liked just a bit more seafood. It’s accompanied by a roll.
# 8 Dennis Point Café in Pubnico. Photo by Jim David
Owned by Evan d’Entremont and located on the wharf where hundreds of large fishing boats tie up, their seafood comes from a family-owned and operated business where practically everyone is a d’Entremont or d’Eon. Evan d’Entremont has been a fisherman for over 20 years and sells his fresh, frozen and cooked seafood directly from his processing plant. His two daughters operate Evan’s Seafood at Dartmouth’s Alderney Landing, so you really don’t have to drive far to enjoy their chowders, fish and chips and other sea treats
#7 Margaret’s Café in Peggy’s Cove. Photo by Jim David
Any great chowder should be served with a biscuit. The biscuit is Chef Dave’s recipe. The creamy chowder contains haddock, shrimp, scallops and lobster. The broth is neither too thick nor too thin. A bowl with the delicious “baked on premises” biscuit is a perfect lunch. This little café is in Six by the Sea, described as a “village within a village”, and conceived at the height of Covid in 2021 when Peggy’s Cove was undergoing major changes like the construction of a viewing platform. Margaret’s Café is owned by Margaret McCain’s daughter, Eleanor McCain.
#6 Le Vielle Ecole in Belliveau’s Cove, Clare District. Photo by Jim David
The old village schoolhouse, Le Vielle Ecole, is home to a fine restaurant and an Air B&B just off Exit 28 on Hwy. 1 to Yarmouth. Owner Pierre Boissonnault is often found in the kitchen where he prepares his chowder with seafood and serves it with one of his homemade rolls. If you are there on a summer’s evening, you can watch the sun set over Baie St. Marie.
#5 The Canteen on Portland Street in Dartmouth. Photo by Jim David
Consistently, one of the best restaurants of HRM, its Crobster (crab and lobster roll) and chowder are two favourites. The bowl was filled with fresh and smoked haddock, mussels, lobster, bacon, fresh dill and on the side, the daily house-made baked biscuit. Owner, Renee says they source their fresh seafood from A.C. Covert in Burnside and the Fisherman’s Market. While I am not a fan of smoked fish, the smoked haddock was not overpowering, and the potato was slightly underdone and cut very small. The bacon was perfect, and the lobster chunks were visible. The Canteen uses milk rather than rich cream or blend for their chowder in keeping with what many Maritimers would say is the way chowder should be made.
#4 Charlene’s Family Restaurant near Baddeck. Photo by Jim David
It’s tough to drive to Sydney without timing lunch near Whycocomagh at Charlene’s Family Restaurant, home of Charlene’s multi-award-winning seafood chowder. Opened for more than 15 years, three sisters make and serve home favourites. Their chowder has little filler with chunks of fresh seafood in a rich cream broth. If you have the appetite for a slice of their homemade pie, go for the coconut cream.
#3 Crow’s Nest Seafood, Shore Road in Hillsburn. Photo by Jim David
There are two Crow’s Nests – one in Digby and one in Hillsburn near Annapolis Royal and Parker’s Cove. The latter is my choice for its top chowder. The place is not big, and its outdoor seating is always filled with happy customers. On my visits, I go for the seafood platter and take a chowder home. The chowder is made with butter, fresh haddock, scallops, potato and topped with chunks of red lobster. Owner Jackie Longmire and her two daughters run both locations with close to 30 employees working there year-round.
#2 La Cuisine Robicheau in Saulnierville, Clare District. Photo by Jim David
I’ve said many times that my overall favourite seafood restaurant in Nova Scotia is La Cuisine Robicheau. Scott and Nadine have operated this place for over a dozen years. I first met Nadine when she worked and learned the trade from the late Paul Comeau of Chez Christophe fame. Any seafood dish shines here. While the chowder is on the menu as a starter, it’s hard not to call it a meal. Again, a creamy concoction of lobster, haddock and scallops with a few cubes of potato, served with a slice of fresh home-baked bread. An Acadian tradition is to add just a bit of salted green onion to rappie pie, fricot and chowder.
#1 The Chester Golf Club on Pig Loop Road. Photo by Jim David
Yes indeed, this is my pick for #1 chowder. Served to four of six in our birthday group earlier this summer, its reputation with locals and visitors alike is renowned. Again, the usual ingredients with an over serving of lobster and scallops; the potato is in small pieces; and the broth is not too thick or thin and under $20 for a huge bowl. Only one negative: a biscuit or a home-made roll would be my choice over the two slices of bread. The view from the windows overlooks the golf course and harbour of Chester. I plan to return here in September to celebrate another friend’s birthday. More chowder for certain.
We are so fortunate to be able to source fresh ingredients for our chowder. Frozen at sea scallops and haddock with only fresh, never canned, lobster. Thick or thin, milk or cream are the age-old questions for chowder. My preference is a mixture of cream and blend, only added after the seafood has been added to the hot broth and slowly simmered with the onions and spices. Please do not add flour to thicken. Folks say chowder is always better the day after it’s made, but as long as it has had a chance to rest for a few hours on warm so the various ingredients have been incorporated for maximum flavour, that’s great.
‘
Janice’s Christmas Chowder’. Photo by Jim David
‘The Finest Chowder; ready for my supper at home. Photo by Jim David
Everyone has their tried-and-true recipe for seafood chowder. Yours might be a family favourite or from a favourite restaurant. Over the years, I have tried countless chowders, and nothing tops my spouse’s Christmas Chowder. While she refuses to share the exact recipe, I can divulge it only contains haddock, scallops and lobster, along with potato, onions, carrot and cream, and, yes, there are a few spices..
That’s My Take on the top 10 chowders in my travels across Nova Scotia.
