Sukkho Thai Gourmet Restaurant, Nanaimo, Canada

We took the ferry from Horseshoe Bay just north of Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The scenery was gorgeous, an amazing palette of blues, greys and silvers. All the fresh air and excitement nurtured a healthy appetite, so by the time we arrived in Nanaimo we were on the look out for a place to eat. The Sukkho Thai Restaurant was very buzzy, so we decided to try their lunch menu. It was a little pricy, but the food was delicious and the spring rolls were super fresh and tasty. My chicken with basil leaves was beautifully spiced, and left me ready to hunt down a local specialty, the infamous Nanaimo Bar!

Sukkho Thai Gourmet Restaurant

123 Commercial St

Nanaimo, BC V9R

(250) 591-8424

In fact the best Nanaimo bar we had was so delicious I didn't have time to take a photograph before we devoured it, but this photo will give you an idea of the layering that makes it so special. The crunchy base with chocolate and coconut combined with the Bird's custard filling is just too much to resist. Now my next project will be to replicate this fabulous dessert when we return to New England! And after some dessert a little shopping always helps the digestion, so definitely stop by Hill's Native Art. They have a wonderful selection of Pacific Northwest Coast native art. Absolutely lovely!

Hill's Native Art76 Bastion Street
Nanaimo, BC
V9R 3A1
Canada
(250) 755-7873

The Wolf and Hound, Vancouver, Canada

We had a wonderful visit to the Anthropology Museum at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The museum is open late on Tuesdays, and it was a great time to go. Unfortunately though it was dark and we weren't able to enjoy the fabulous ocean views this time through the massive floor to ceiling windows. The museum has an extensive collection of objects from Pacific Northwest's First Nations. I love it here and we come every time we're in the area.

Museum of Anthropology at UBC

6393 N.W. Marine Drive 

Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2

After our visit to the museum we stopped at The Wolf and Hound, an Irish pub with homemade Irish pub food and an extensive beer selection. The atmosphere was super cosy with lots of snugs and nooks and crannies. We had the tasty seafood pot pie which was a perfect way to end our day out. 

The Wolf and Hound
3617 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6R 3R3
Tel: (604) 738-8909

Fairhaven Fish and Chips, Bellingham, Washington

After driving north from Seattle along scenic coastal route 11 from Edison, it was a wonderful treat to discover this British double decker bus tucked away in the Fairhaven area of Bellingham. Authentic fish and chips cooked to order! What else could anyone ask for on a windy, blustry day when you're ready for a bite to eat?

A ferry leaves here every week for Alaska. Maybe next time...

Fairhaven Fish and Chips
1020 Harris Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225

Virginia Inn, Seattle, Washington

After a day exploring Seattle we were delighted to find the Virginia Inn near Pike Market, which was promoting half price specials from 4:00-6:00 p.m. We tried the mussels in white wine and garlic, grilled calamari and the onion tart. Our favourite dish was definitely the mussels which are farmed locally in the Puget Sound. They were large and meaty, and were absolutely delicious. I wonder why the mussels we get from Maine and Prince Edward Island are so much smaller?  We really enjoyed our food here, and will make this our first stop in Seattle on future visits!

1937 First Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101

Granny's Coconut Apple Betty

This one of my Granny's recipes. It's the ultimate comfort food, and is the perfect dessert to have on a crisp autumn day! It's especially lovely with a big dollop of Greek yogurt.

4 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 C of whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 C shredded coconut
1 C light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 T lemon juice
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 C water (or a little more if the dessert looks a bit dry)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix the apples, breadcrumbs, coconut, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into a Pyrex pie dish. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the top and then dot with butter. 
Bake uncovered or 50 minutes. Serve with Greek yogurt or cream.

Mulino's, Northampton, Massachusetts

We recently purchased a Groupon for Mulino's in Northampton, which was our inspiration to check it out. Something just wasn't quite right though with our experience. I'm not sure if it was the generic Italian decor, reminiscent of the chain restaurants I try to avoid, or if it was the tight layout of the tables and chairs. The food looked fabulous, but it was lacking oomph.
We tried the Fra Diavolo (scallops, mussels, shrimp, garlic onion and dried chilies sauteed in a tomato, basil-oregano sauce), and also the Filetto del Porco, pork tenderloin wrapped with prosciutto, stuffed with figs and gorgonzola cheese. The balsamic demi-glace was extremely sweet and dominated the dish. This meal wasn't my favorite, but I really enjoyed the Merlot!
If you're in Northampton I'd recommend that you skip Mulino's, and visit our tried and true Joe's Mexican Cafe on Market Street. Joe's never fails, and the food is fabulous.
Mulino's Restaurant
41 Strong Ave. Northampton, MA 01060

Phone:(413) 586-8900

Shady Glen, Turners Falls, Massachusetts

I recently saw a fabulous exhibition of Edward Hopper's paintings at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, Maine. Although the paintings were primarily of Maine landscapes I was reminded of his iconic painting "Nighthawks" this evening when we had supper at Shady Glen. I found these great archived interviews on the NPR website.
7 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376
Tel: 413-863-9636

Swedish Apple Crumb Pie

5 or 6 apples, peeled and sliced

1 T sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 T Cointreau

2 T lemon juice

4 oz (one stick) butter,melted

1 egg

1 C flour

1/4 c multi-grain cereal

1/3/ cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Put the sliced apples in a Pyrex baking dish. Pour the Cointreau and lemon juice over the apples and stir gently to mix. Then sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon on top of the apples.

Melt the butter and mix in the egg. Set aside.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, multi-grain cereal and salt.

Add the melted butter and egg to the flour mixture, and blend until smooth.

Spoon the topping over the apples. You don’t have to be super neat, and where there are gaps in the batter the apples peep through.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.

Serve with cream, Greek yogurt or my all-time favourite Bird’s custard!

The dessert is just about ready to pop into the oven!

All this needs now is a good splash of custard!

Surf Restaurant, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Nubble Lighthouse, York, Maine

York Beach, Maine

After an invigorating drive to the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine where we saw wonderful surf after yesterday's surprise snow storm we headed back to Portsmouth feeling quite peckish. Fortunately for us we found Surf Restaurant. The atmosphere was light and airy with spectacular views of the Piscataqua River. We enjoyed a traditional lunch of haddock in a simple white wine, butter and lemon sauce and a steaming bowl of seafood chowder. Definitely stop by for a bite to eat next time you're in town. I can't wait to try the scallops!

Surf Restaurant, 99 Bow Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 334-9855