Buckle up and bring your appetite

Looking for places to dine on PEI with authentic food and charm to spare? Here’s how to eat your way across the province.

Centre-Expo Festival, Abram-Village

Hot on the trail of stellar seafood chowder? Check out an 80-seat restaurant in Centre-Expo Festiva l, a multi-purpose community centre in Abram-Village , in the Evangeline area, west of Summerside. “Best chowder I’ve had on PEI,” raved an Island friend. “We get that a lot,” says manager Raymond Burns. “People come from all over Canada and we get quite a few favourable comments.” The restaurant specializes in Acadian dishes—think chicken fricot, meat pie, râpure _or rappie pie (a traditional dish made with grated potatoes, pork and seasonings) and hominy corn—as well as sumptuous seafood. Each meal starts with a _galette blanche, an Acadian-style homemade roll. For dessert, don’t miss poutine à trou, a pastry stuffed with cranberries, apples and raisins, and served with a hot, sweet sauce.

villagemusical.com, (902) 854-3300 ( open mid-June to mid-September)

The Home Place, Kensington

Don’t go near Kensington , north of Summerside , without sampling The Home Place Inn and Restaurant’s legendary meat pie, an Island favourite served with Mary’s mustard pickles and steamed vegetables. So popular are chef/owner Glenda Burt’s creations, they’re sold on the shelves of several Atlantic Canadian grocery stores. The restaurant, housed in a 1915 merchant’s home on Route 6, has built its reputation on local seafood, beef and produce served in the main dining room, outdoor patio, and cosy Stanford’s Lounge. A top seller? Pan-fried oysters. “We purchase them from Dale Marchbank in Sherbrooke , near Summerside. They’re the Malpeque oysters,” says Glenda, who grew up working in her parents’ restaurant and bakery in Kensington. “Our baked haddock ranks high as well.” The Home Place was one of the first PEI restaurants to provide a gluten-free menu; it also offers vegan options.

thehomeplace.ca,* (902) 836-5686* (open May 1-October 15)

Vive Victoria! A trio of goodness in Victoria by-the-Sea

Island Chocolates , in a rambling 19th-century former general store in Victoria by-the-Sea , is a family-run café-cum-economuseum. Visitors learn about the mystique and myths of chocolate with chocolatier Eric Gilbert, who tailors hands-on chocolate-making workshops based on participant interest. Eric sources product from secret hazelnut groves on an abandoned PEI farm to his own organic berries. “I really like to be connected to as much local food as I can.” Victoria, a tiny seaside village, is big on excellence. Just up the street, fare from the Landmark Café is full of flavour and tastes fresh, like it came straight from the garden. Down another nearby street, the Victorian Village Inn & Restaurant specializes in fresh and local in a former sea captain’s home. Perfection.

islandchocolates.ca, (902) 658-2320 (open seasonally, beginning in May) ; landmarkcafe.ca, (902) 658-2286 (open seasonally from the end of May) ; victoriavillageinn.com/restaurant.html, (902) 658-2483 (open June-September)

The Pearl, North Rustico, PEI

Tucked between the fishing village of North Rustico and the Cavendish* Beach tourist area, The Pearl* seats 36 in an intimate, eclectic, casual fine dining restaurant filled with ever-changing, original artwork. Owner Maxine Delaney changes the decor annually. Likewise, the menu changes all season, every season. “That said, we had a dish [in a past season] that stayed on the menu, which was a first for me,” says Maxine. “It was the lobster arancini [lobster risotto formed into a ball, coated with seasoned panko and fried, served with a condensed lobster bisque, loose chorizo sausage, and a butter poached lobster claw as an appetizer], which I just never got tired of seeing.” Everything is made in-house. “We have a huge following of locals, summer residents and tourists.”

thepearlcafe.ca, (902) 963-2111 (open late May-late September)

The Trailside Café and Inn, Mount Stewart

In Mount Stewart , northeast of Charlottetown, you’ll find an intimate, 50-seat venue called the Trailside Café and Inn. Originally a general store and potato warehouse, the 1937 building is now a great spot to enjoy food, drink and music. Candlelit tables are close to arm’s length from the musicians, a roster that includes Maritime, jazz, rock, and fiddle genres. “It’s pretty much wide open,” says Pat Deighan, who owns and operates the business with his wife, Meghann, referring to the entertainment line-up. The menu? Small, but mighty. Try the Hellfire Jack Burger, named after a fiery local politician (you can opt for the Trailside’s own Hellfire Jack Hot Sauce), fresh fishcakes, and a charcuterie board filled with local meat, cheeses, fruit, breads, jellies and salsas. Food is served only when there’s music—but that’s about six nights a week in summer and Sundays during the Hillsborough River Gospel brunch (June-August).

trailside.ca; (902) 394-3626 (open April 24-mid-November)