Dining, restaurant and food news and updates

[coolmillion]

I'm starting a new thread for restaurant and food updates. The other main restaurant thread is for "favorites" and opinions so this is more for news.

First up: someone mentioned this another section a while ago, but I heard news again that a restaurant is opening in the Creative Crossing building on Agricola and Charles. It is a "brasserie", which suggests French food but may just refer to the atmosphere they are trying to create.

[BravoZulu]

Fid resto is closing

http://thechronicleherald.ca/busines...-shutting-down

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by BravoZulu

Fid resto is closing

http://thechronicleherald.ca/busines...-shutting-down

Never understood the appeal.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by BravoZulu

Fid resto is closing

http://thechronicleherald.ca/busines...-shutting-down

That's too bad. I appreciated the french take on local food. I hope something else interesting fills the void.

[Haligonian88]

New wings place opening in Cole Harbour next weekend, not sure it has been mentioned on here yet.

Wingdings draws franchise interest before first store opens
March 20, 2013 - 9:10pm BY JOANN ALBERSTAT BUSINESS REPORTER

A new Cole Harbour wing restaurant hasn’t even opened yet, but the owner says he has already had calls about franchising opportunities.

Wingdings is slated to open its doors on the Easter weekend in the Cole Harbour Shopping Centre, located at 4 Forest Hills Pky.

“If this goes like we’re hearing it will go, and we’re anticipating it will go, we’re hoping to have a second store before the end of the year,” owner Jerry Thibeault said in an interview Wednesday.

He said he and his wife, Pam, may open a second location in the Halifax region. Thibeault said he also plans to franchise Wingdings once the restaurant is up and running.

...

http://thechronicleherald.ca/busines...st-store-opens

[coolmillion]

The Barrington location of Just Us! is moving into the old Oddjects space across from Parade Square. This is an excellent move - the new space has amazing west-facing windows (and nothing to block the light!) which can be opened when it's warm. It's also much more visible. Their current location is small and dark and would be better suited as a bar. Oddjects wasn't my favourite store. I'm sorry to see any place downtown close but a cafe is a much better fit for this location.

[coolmillion]

I'm not 100% certain but I think the new restaurant on Gottingen called Edna had a soft opening this past weekend. I saw people there on Saturday night when I walked by. I was told by the staff of Jane's next door that they would be opening this week, but maybe they opened early quietly to avoid being overwhelmed. Both the storefront and the interior look great.

[someone123]

Local Source Market is going to expand and move into 2543 Agricola Street (Creative Crossing building), plus the owner is opening a cafe at 2347 Agricola. A vegan restaurant is also in the works for Creative Crossing.

[HalifaxRetales]

Originally Posted by coolmillion

I'm not 100% certain but I think the new restaurant on Gottingen called Edna had a soft opening this past weekend. I saw people there on Saturday night when I walked by. I was told by the staff of Jane's next door that they would be opening this week, but maybe they opened early quietly to avoid being overwhelmed. Both the storefront and the interior look great.

on the weekend it was by invite for testing
they officially soft opened last night

[HalifaxRetales]

Hamachi Dartmouth closed

[Aya_Akai]

Originally Posted by HalifaxRetales

Hamachi Dartmouth closed

That doesn't come as too much of a surprise, rather unfortunate, though.

[HalifaxRetales]

Originally Posted by HaliStreaks

That doesn't come as too much of a surprise, rather unfortunate, though.

But D-Side still has Sushi Nami and Genji


and just up the Hill from Hamachi Que Tal Mexican is open now

and a 2nd Finnbars is opening beside that

[visualman57]

interesting.... if this had been about a restaurant closing in downtown Halifax, I suspect there would have been numerous comments on how this is just one more sign of the deterioration and death of the downtown. But, it's about a restaurant in Dartmouth, so we are serenaded with a joyful recounting of all the wonderful new places open or opening soon.
Is this a double standard? I wonder........

[Haligonian88]

Originally Posted by visualman57

interesting.... if this had been about a restaurant closing in downtown Halifax, I suspect there would have been numerous comments on how this is just one more sign of the deterioration and death of the downtown. But, it's about a restaurant in Dartmouth, so we are serenaded with a joyful recounting of all the wonderful new places open or opening soon.
Is this a double standard? I wonder........

You're trying to compare somewhere on Portland Street outside the circ to downtown Halifax? Hardly a double standard in my books.

[visualman57]

the only point I am attempting to make, is how, whenever something closes in downtown, there is a gaggle of responders who rush to point out how this is another nail in the coffin of downtown Halifax. This, despite the fact that our downtown is not dis-similar to the downtowns of most cities across the country, businesses open, close, move or expand on a regular basis. I am happy that suburbia is successful in attracting a variety of food establishments, but in the last couple of months, there have been new places, Tempo at the Delta, Harbour Stone at the Marriot, the new Bertossi Group place on Spring Garden Rd, to name a few, that are opening in downtown. Just my thought that we need to celebrate the positive events in our entire community when ever we can. And now, I'll jump of my soapbox so I don't upset anyone else.

[Haligonian88]

Originally Posted by visualman57

the only point I am attempting to make, is how, whenever something closes in downtown, there is a gaggle of responders who rush to point out how this is another nail in the coffin of downtown Halifax. This, despite the fact that our downtown is not dis-similar to the downtowns of most cities across the country, businesses open, close, move or expand on a regular basis. I am happy that suburbia is successful in attracting a variety of food establishments, but in the last couple of months, there have been new places, Tempo at the Delta, Harbour Stone at the Marriot, the new Bertossi Group place on Spring Garden Rd, to name a few, that are opening in downtown. Just my thought that we need to celebrate the positive events in our entire community when ever we can. And now, I'll jump of my soapbox so I don't upset anyone else.

Fair enough, I for one don't believe in the whole demise of downtown whenever a restaurant closes, but I would think the business situation in downtown versus other places in HRM is significantly different. In the end, a lot of the closings come down to poor management so it's easier to blame the 'poor economic climate' than owning up to the fact they aren't cut out for running a business. You're right, we should celebrate the positive events throughout.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by visualman57

the only point I am attempting to make, is how, whenever something closes in downtown, there is a gaggle of responders who rush to point out how this is another nail in the coffin of downtown Halifax. This, despite the fact that our downtown is not dis-similar to the downtowns of most cities across the country, businesses open, close, move or expand on a regular basis.

Well, there are a lot of stupid people out there.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Well, there are a lot of stupid people out there.

Atlantic Canada has a terrible case of "tall poppy syndrome". People there love to root against perceived power and wealth. There are many manifestations of this: the obsession with Halifax "getting everything", the perverse desire to see it fail, the far-fetched "rival" towns in the rest of the region (whether it's suburbs in HRM or other places farther afield), the Coast railing against basically anything or anybody who is economically successful, HCAP, and so on.

From an outside perspective it's all totally crazy. The phenomenon is not as strong in other parts of Canada, and I think it really holds the Maritimes back. There's a huge amount of waste and duplication there that exists not because it makes economic sense but because nobody of a politically-driven desire to drag everybody down to the same level. As a result, every part of the region has an economic handicap compared to the rest of the country and the region is stuck permanently in low gear. Had the Maritimes gotten their act together long ago they might have remained competitive and ended up with a major city like Vancouver or Calgary. Sadly, I think it's too late for that now.

[coolmillion]

Laura's Cafe at the south end of Barrington has closed and a sushi joint is preparing to open in its place. I think Laura's was the only Russian restaurant in the city.

[HalifaxRetales]

its going to be a 2nd location of Sakura Sushi from Bedford in that Barrington St spot

there is a strip mall on Parkland that is becoming a food destination
it has 9+Nine which is quickly being hailed as the best authentic Chinese in HRM
and I tried Tako the Ramen is delicious and the sushi was great, and deep fried ice cream

also there is DaddyO's which is a 60s diner that I hear good things about but haven't tried myself yet


same plaza has Dominoes so you cant win them all