Favorite restaurant(s) in Halifax?

[Takeo]

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

Is that place any good at all?

Bear? I don't know. I'd been to Gio a few times when he was still there however and it was pretty good.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

Originally Posted by Bedford_DJ

Il Mercato is awesome along with the Keg, and Cafe Chianta.

Il Mercato I enjoy, although the dining room can get very loud. I wasn't impressed with Chianta, although to be fair its been five years since I ate there. My impression is that you can get better food for less at Il Mercato.

Two of my favourites are Chives and La Perla, in Dartmouth. Not overly adventurous cuisine but very, very well done and reasonable prices.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

Got a juicy piece of gossip here!!!...
Ray Bear, the owner of the quasi-fine dinning res.

BEAR RESTAURANT

is in serious financial trouble it seems....his partner has pulled out, he owes over $500,000 to creditors and contractors.....

he is on the verge of filing for barcrupcy....

Very old news. That happened back in the spring. Somehow he has managed to get by.

and I've noticed in the last few days he has a nice new sandwich board out front with the entire menu on it, he has started putting table and chairs on the side walk, to create as mush of a patio as possible for the location, and pulled back the curtains and opened the main doors, so people can actually tell it's an establishment....Hmmmmm......maybey he should have thought of all these tactics before....his business was about to kick the can.....i'm starting to sound like frank magazine here.....not good...

You sound a little jealous, to be truthful.

I dunno if he will make a go of it or not. They spent a lot of money on the space and that shiny stainless open kitchen. You go there not because you're hungry necessarily but for the food experience. Are there enough folks out there willing to pay for that? Who knows, but Ray will find out I expect. I wish him well.

[someone123]

I went to Bear on a random weeknight during my last visit and it was semi-busy. The restaurant business must be very tough - it is hard telling what will or won't catch on and you have to be able to operate for many months to find out.

At this point I think Halifax actually has a pretty great variety of restaurants given the size of the city. I am usually a little surprised when I go back to visit and find that the quality of food there is often just as good as in Vancouver or Toronto, and for some things is better.

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Takeo

Bear? I don't know. I'd been to Gio a few times when he was still there however and it was pretty good.

YeaH, he had a very good rep at gio, for some unknown reason it did not translate to BEAR as well as would have been expected

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Very old news. That happened back in the spring. Somehow he has managed to get by.

the owing $500 000 to creditors is old to me...the being on the verge of bankruptcy was new to me

You sound a little jealous, to be truthful.

Keith, I'm not really sure how to to respond to that one...HAHAHA....considering, after only the SHUE SHOP I'M a owner of one most successful places in town, I'm not really sure where you're coming from.....and ya know ...like...we already have a sandwich board...a massive patio....and our doors are always open, so I haven't a clue what your prattling on about.....jealous of a business on it's death bed?!!!...no....being critical of a bad business venture?....yes

You go there not because you're hungry necessarily but for the food experience.

well that's just the thing Keith......the general consensus is....it is not a impressive food exsperiance....desant yes.....over priced...yes....but, like I said, insperational?.....not a chance....and if his sole purpose was a exceptional food....fail.....if his purpose was a thriving business....on the verge of fail

Keith, I don't know you suddenly have a fly in your bonnet over me...I wish all the success and happiness in the world to MR Bear.....i'm simply reporting gossip....hell I love having a thriving res....bar business around me.....it ad's to the scene and makes for more of a happin' barrigton south destination....

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

Keith, I don't know you suddenly have a fly in your bonnet over me...

I don't. I haven't been to your place in years, but I liked it when I used to go there. Seems to me there is always an inordinate interest among those in the food/drink biz in what their competitors are doing though, and I detected that in your post. Maybe you need to tend the home fires a bit when I read some of the reviews about your place in the Coast. But hey, Bear has some mixed reviews too; some love it, some less so. It's a fickle business and I'm glad you seem to be doing well.

When talking about success, though, don't forget that the Shoe Shop went bankrupt last year.

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

When talking about success, though, don't forget that the Shoe Shop went bankrupt last year.

I think that had more to do with the Marque, seahoarse, and to a lesser existent the pressgang than the shoe shop

I also think this guy moon88 who states...on the coast... "People need to now a thing or two before they come here"....and then goes on to claim we have pizza on the menu?!!!...wtf.....we have never had pizza on the menu....ever!!...and last time I checked, braised lamb shank, 12 oz AAA grain fed free range steak, lobster fettachine, Cornish pasty, smoked salmon club on rye sandwich, madras chicken curry, jambalaya and pork tenderloin are not basic pub food....so I don't put much value in the coast reveiws......we are in the process of ordering new axminster carpets from England, however....that point is valid...I admit

[Barrington south]

[QUOTE=Keith P.;4434204] Seems to me there is always an inordinate interest among those in the food/drink biz in what their competitors are doing though,

your spot on with that one keith....in many ways the res/bar scene is like a gaggle of popular girls at the local high school....catty as hell, gossip is rife, when a new player enters the sceane....the claws come out...and nothing is loved more than seeing the once mighty fall


and I'm glad you seem to be doing well.

thanks man..apprieciate it....hopefully, you'll come out to the Christmas party
QUOTE]

[JET]

I rather like Jamiesons in Cole Harbour, and Cousins and Il Mercato in Halifax. All are a bit of a trip from the DDT; maybe something nice will open there. JET

[Helladog]

Is Alfredo, Winstein & Ho's still in the Dome?

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Helladog

Is Alfredo, Winstein & Ho's still in the Dome?

Long gone.

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Helladog

Winstein & Ho's

was that a fine dining restaurant

[Takeo]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

was that a fine dining restaurant

Not exactly. LOL.

[Barrington south]

:p

[DigitalNinja]

I went to ilmercato the other day and the mushrooms wern't washed that were put in our dishes, they still had dirt on them.

[Barrington south]

man Mosaic is hurting big time....love the place....in my top 5....mostly for it's sex appeal .....mabey they should remove the....curried rabbit poutine from the menu

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by Barrington south

man Mosaic is hurting big time....love the place....in my top 5....mostly for it's sex appeal .....mabey they should remove the....curried rabbit poutine from the menu

I was there a few weeks ago at suppertime... lots of stuff on the menu unavailable... nobody else in the place... if it wasn't for their latenight hookup business they looked like they were ready to close. A shame.

[Barrington south]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

if it wasn't for their latenight hookup business they looked like they were ready to close. A shame.

so true

[Helladog]

Originally Posted by Takeo

Not exactly. LOL.

That was a good restaurant tho. I like Daryl's, near Fenwick...another of my favs.