How to Spend a Big Fat Weekend in Prince Edward Island
Let’s get this out of the way: Yes, Prince Edward Island (PEI) is where the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables took place. And no, I’ve never read it (I’m sorry!!). But it’s 2018 now, and the Island is home to a lot more than red braids and straw hats. There are seafood shacks, lively breweries, and LOTS of potato farms in between. Fun fact: PEI is the top producer of potatoes in Canada! The Island is small enough to conquer over a long weekend—it’s only a three hour drive tip-to-tip—but expansive enough to keep you very busy and very full. I recently took a seafood-filled trip there; these were some of my favorite spots.
1/10Blue Mussel Café
Sure, you can get PEI mussels outside of PEI, but there’s nothing quite like going straight to the source. And the specific source you should go to is Blue Mussel Café. The vibeless-in-a-good-way restaurant, situated between an old-school fishing shack and a scenic harbor, serves the best mussels I had in PEI. The mussels come out in a helmet-sized metal mixing bowl, bathing in a white wine-garlic sauce, and served with a small ramekin of melted butter. They are soooo plump and salty-in-a-good-way; you’ll be sitting in front of a bowl full of empty shells much sooner than you would have imagined.
DOMINIQUE LAFOND2/10Richard's Fresh Seafood
In my history of eating lobster rolls (it’s a long one), not once have I ever thought “Wow, they really hooked it up. There’s so much lobster in this!” Richard’s changed that. The small 20+ year-old restaurant is so popular that there's actually a sign outside that reads "Restaurant Line Here." And for good reason: I got there 15 minutes before opening and still had to wait behind three people. By the time they were taking the first order, I'd estimate the line was at least 20 people deep. But it was worth it. My roll had about half a lobster in it, including an entire claw. The lobster meat was tossed in a just-light-enough mayo, celery, chive and lemon sauce, then piled high inside a perfectly toasted bun. Also, don’t sleep on the fried scallops with their audibly-crispy, panko-like breading. Pretty sure it's illegal to come to PEI without coming to Richard's, just get there early.
3/10Malpeque Oyster Barn
If you’re in the market for downing a dozen fresh oysters while drinking a local pilsner and watching fishermen dock, this is your spot. Malpeques, known for being a light-bodied “entry level” oyster, are one of the most common varieties you’ll find at restaurants. But as is the constant theme on a visit to PEI, they just taste better when you’re, you know, at Malpeque Bay. The ones I had at Malpeque Oyster Barn were on the smaller side, a little briny, but with a clean finish. They were served with a homemade strawberry-rhubarb mignonette, which sounds like it would be weird, but it added a balancing sweet punch. Could easily eat way-too-many-dozens of these.
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Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.4/10COWS
There are over 10 locations of COWS across Canada, but it all started back in PEI in 1983. I went to the Queen Street location, which is on a dock in Charlottetown and features a very Instagrammable blue wall (see above). You know when you walk into a store and the air conditioning is so strong it takes you aback? Well, that’s what happens at COWS but instead of cold air, it’s the smell of sugar. I ordered the Gooey Mooey, which is burnt sugar ice cream, English toffee marble, caramel cups, and chocolate flakes. It ruled.
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Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.5/10Receiver Coffee Co. and Receiver Brass Shop
When I arrived at the Receiver Brass Shop, I felt like I was walking into a Brooklyn coffee shop. Small palm house plants? Check. A vintage-looking espresso machine? You got it. Coconutty vegan energy balls? Yep. I started my day here (and at the Victoria Row location) every morning of my long weekend.
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6/10Hopyard
For being such a small island, there’s a surprisingly large craft beer scene in PEI. And Hopyard is where you’ll get a comprehensive taste of it: The 10-beer tap list is reserved for local breweries. The highlight was 2 Crows’ slightly-tart Good Air, a wild saison with buckwheat aged in a giant wooden fermentation vessel called a foeder. Hopyard also has an eclectic selection of hundreds of vinyl records—with everything from Pete Townshend to Mariah Carey—for you to throw on the turntable. Good beers, and good vibes.
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7/10Rick’s Fish ‘n Chips
I could write a 1,000-word essay about how much I love the art at Rick’s. And by art I mean photos of Rick taking his kids to prom. Every wall seems to be filled with a different family memory, from boat trips to camel rides. On the food front, if you’re looking for damn-perfect fish and chips, this is where you should go. The only decision you need to make is between haddock or cod (the cod is a little more tender and flaky). What comes out is a long, crackly-crunchy piece of fish over fries. You aren’t looking out over some scenic bay or beach, like other PEI restaurants, but you do get a view of Rick and his family, which is arguably better.
8/10FireWorks Feast at The Inn at Bay Fortune
If we were doing superlatives here, I’d give FireWorks “The Proposal Restaurant.” Because, yeah, a couple got engaged mid-meal while I was there. But also because it’s definitely the most expensive, fanciest restaurant on the island. You arrive at 5 p.m. for a tour of the farm. Then at 6 p.m. oyster hour starts, where you walk around to different stations (one of them serves unlimited oysters with Bloody Mary ice) to try some smaller bites—spit-roasted rabbit with zucchini relish, pea shoots, and mustard crema was awesome. Finally, you sit down to a six-course tasting menu dinner, where each dish is made using live-fire. To finish? Homemade strawberry marshmallows roasted over a campfire. There’s nothing else like it on the Island.
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9/10Charlottetown Farmers Market
For the most part, Charlottetown is a fairly quiet and quaint town. That is, until you go to the Saturday farmers market. The indoor hall is absolutely packed by 9 a.m. and full of people who all seem to know each other. Highlights included fresh strawberries from Nova Scotia, beef samosas, mini cinnamon-sugar donuts, and freshly baked onion-y focaccia. Oh, and there was also a super cute baby goat. From the moment you drive up (good luck finding parking), you can tell that this is where all the locals are on Saturday morning.
10/10And Other Spots I Loved
Want more recommendations? Here are some other places that I was into: Water Prince Corner Shop for mussels and fried scallops. The Chip Shack for poutine made with hand-cut island fries. PEI Brewing Company for craft beer flights—try the Beach Chair Lager. Terre Rouge for an epic cheese board that had everything from pickled rhubarb to turmeric goat cheese. Upstreet Craft Brewing for a glass of strawberry-forward Rhuby Social. And Kent St. Market for a solid selection of local cheeses—just look at Dragon’s Breath!
