Recently I spent a few days exploring Prince Edward Island, a place that embraces its local foodways with gusto. There’s a complex history here, with roots in Indigenous Mi’kmaq, Acadian, Irish, Scottish, and other cultures. And if one thing unites these
histories, it’s the island’s abundance of seafood and produce, which have helped earn it the nickname Canada’s Food Island. How can you not want to visit Canada’s Food Island?
On a stretch of land only about 140 miles long, you can eat oysters pulled out of nearby waters, potatoes grown on local farms, dig into a juicy burger made with PEI beef, and lick ice cream made with milk from the cows you pass along those famous red-dirt roads. That’s a lot of good eating packed into a place you can drive across in an afternoon.
I had to structure my visit, therefore, around where to dine, but also include a bucket-list visit to Green Gables Heritage Place. (I am a complete freak for L.M. Montgomery’s novel Anne of Green Gables, set on PEI around the turn of the last century.) I also had to schedule time at the PEI International Shellfish Festival, which promised endless trays of freshly shucked oysters and clams, hot buttered lobster rolls, steaming bowls of mussels, and plenty of entertainment, from shucking competitions and cooking demos to live music and dancing.
My husband and I rented a car and stationed ourselves in Charlottetown, the island’s main hub. Prince Edward Island is situated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, just a hop away from Nova Scotia. You’re never far from the ocean here, and on a sunny day, the air seems to sparkle. The island is known for its red-sand cliffs and beaches, rolling landscapes, fishing harbors, and lighthouses. If you’ve read Anne of Green Gables, you’ll know just how pretty PEI is.
We landed late Thursday afternoon, ready to hit the ground running. With just shy of three days, I had carefully mapped out the places I wanted to visit, using Charlottetown as my base.
Day 1
Drinks and snacks: Slaymaker & Nichols
Charlottetown isn’t big, and most things here are walkable within 20 minutes or so. First stop in PEI: Slaymaker & Nichols, a gastropub and inn with the feel of an old-fashioned supper club. It takes its name from the 19th-century circus that once performed on the site. They take cocktail making seriously here. The summery feel of the day prompted me to try the watermelon mule, with hibiscus-infused vodka and chunks of pickled watermelon. I liked it, especially alongside the creamy lobster dip with tomatoes and harissa, and the buttery shrimp pil pil, with lots of tasty little spears of asparagus.
More drinks: Reddins
I was saving myself for my first lobster roll, which we grabbed up the street in an unremarkable spot. It was pretty mediocre, so I won’t go on about it. But after eating, we stopped into Reddins, a speakeasy that channels PEI’s Prohibition history in a dark, intimate third-floor bar with vintage furniture, good jazz, and whimsical cocktails. Our excellent bartender, AB, told us the space had once been a pharmacy where folks came during Prohibition to get their “medicine” — drugstores could legally dispense alcohol by prescription. We tried a few of the signature cocktails, and the one that stood out was the Pink Canary, with vodka, rose, lychee, citrus, and rosé bubbles, served in a small bathtub. Yup, you heard that right. It was sweet and awfully fun to sip.
Tip: You need a secret password to get in when you buzz from downstairs. You can get it online, or just do as we did and ask the hostess next door for help.
Day 2
Breakfast: Receiver Coffee
In the pouring rain, we made our way to nearby Victoria Row for breakfast at local roaster Receiver Coffee. Fuel for the day included strong coffee, a particularly good cup of Earl Grey cream tea, and the Ham Slam, a big fluffy cheddar biscuit layered with a runny fried egg, Black Forest ham, Swiss, and Dijon mayo.
Lunch and more: Landmark Oyster House, Island Chocolates
We swung by the shellfish festival (more on that later) but the rain wasn’t welcoming, so we got back in the car and drove out to tiny and charming Victoria-by-the-Sea. When I say tiny, I mean it: The town is half a square mile, with a population under 200. Despite the town’s size, Landmark Oyster House, set there in an old general store with pretty green shingles and a steep gabled roof, thrives.
Our friendly waiter (everyone is abundantly friendly on PEI) suggested Raspberry Point oysters to start. They hit the spot: medium-sized, briny, and sweet, served with lemon wedges and freshly grated horseradish, which is now how I think every oyster should be eaten. We also tried the scallop dog, with buttery sweet scallops, bacon jam, red pepper aioli, and pickled shallots nestled in a toasted bun. It came alongside a very good, eggy potato salad.
After seeing the cheery lighthouse and visiting a couple of little gift shops, we popped into Island Chocolates, a family-run shop and café where bars and truffles are hand-crafted, often using local ingredients like haskap, a berry that tastes somewhere between a blueberry and raspberry. That fruity haskap truffle had a nice thick shell of milk chocolate.
Sun out? Check. We spent the afternoon at the festival and got a substantial fix of oysters and clams. The lobster rolls here were stuffed with unadorned lobster meat, then melted butter from a gigantic vat was ladled over the top.
Dinner: North Shore Canteen
For dinner, both our bartender and waiter at Slaymaker recommended North Shore Canteen in French River, a local haunt for sure. (A slew of chefs from the shellfish festival were two tables down from us.) The menu, which changes with the current haul, hit on the day’s best ingredients: halibut, striped bass, the aforementioned shellfish, beef, and potatoes. We opted for a very generous portion of local beef tartare, amazingly tasty with capers, roasted garlic, and freshly grated Parmesan, served with Covered Bridge potato chips. We wanted to try more PEI beef and opted for a juicy hanger steak with chimichurri and black garlic, which showcased it well. Dessert was a must: parsnip cake drizzled with caramel sauce for the win.
Day 3
It was time for me to check Green Gables off my bucket list. This is an article about where to eat, so suffice it to say that if you’re a fan, this is 100 percent worth a visit to see the house, wander the Haunted Wood and Lover’s Lane, and taste some nonalcoholic raspberry cordial (IYKYK).
All that walking made me hungry, which was good because this was a much anticipated two-lunch day.
Lunch x 2: Blue Mussel Café and Richard’s Fresh Seafood
First stop: Blue Mussel Café, a bright and very welcoming, beloved PEI restaurant set just back from the water in Rustico Harbor. I think it’s obvious what to order, and for good reason: These are excellent mussels — plump, fresh, and brought to the table piled high in a large stainless steel bowl. You can have them prepared with rosemary and lemon or beer and wine. I’d rate them equally, but I did like the hit of rosemary. Melted butter comes in a small ramekin on the side; I used it to dip each mussel, and my husband poured it all over the top. I didn’t have it, but the other signature, seafood chowder, looked popular. It’s made with haddock, salmon, scallops, mussels, and PEI potatoes, and served with a giant biscuit. Noted for my next visit.
We hightailed it to our next meal because I had yet to have the perfect lobster roll. Richard’s Fresh Seafood in Covehead Wharf delivered. This is one of the island’s longest-running fish shacks, where you can savor fish and chips and beer on the deck overlooking the fishing boats, or camp out on the nearby beach under the lighthouse with a lobster roll. no mistake: This is the quintessential lobster roll. It was an exercise in abundance, packed with sweet lobster meat that managed to be chunky and fine, bound with lemon and chive mayo and tiny bits of onion, all stuffed in a buttery toasted bun. It came with crunchy coleslaw, crispy fries, and a paper cup of ketchup. There are other menu items, but this lobster roll alone is worth the trip to PEI.
Dinner: Rustico Cannery
For our final dinner, we drove back toward North Rustico Harbor to Rustico Cannery, which opened this past spring. The airy, modern space has giant windows and a big deck that takes in super sunset views.
I needed greens, and Rustico delivered. We had crisp romaine hearts with a creamy, spicy charred jalapeño dressing, lardons, Parmesan, and sourdough crunchies. My husband hit the jackpot with his dinner: panko crusted, pan-fried haddock with pickled beet remoulade, jalapeño relish, confit potatoes, and coleslaw.
Ice Cream: Cows Creamery
I’d be remiss if I didn’t include our multiple visits to Cows Creamery, the island’s local ice cream shop, which — conveniently — has locations across PEI. It sources the milk for the ice cream from small, local dairy farms and the results are winning! A few standouts were Coffee Cowrunch (English toffee and Oreo), Cownadian Maple (a triple hit of maple ice cream, maple swirl, and maple cookie chunks; when in Rome), and Messie Bessie, chocolate ice cream with Oreo, toffee, and Cow Chips — the thick, ruffled local potato chips covered with rich milk or dark chocolate that are for sale by the bag all over the island.
A final note: Many places are seasonal, so check if they’re open if you’re visiting in cooler months.
