Exploring Prince Edward Island: History, Culture, And Cuisine

If you mention that you're going to Prince Edward Island on vacation, most people (with children, anyway) will say, "Oh, yes, isn't that where Anne of Green Gables is set?" Fans of the novel certainly flock to PEI to pay homage to Anne and her creator, but that's only one element of enjoyment when visiting this tiny Canadian province. You can shuck fresh oysters or attend a traditional lobster supper, cycle along the Confederate Trail, and even sample moonshine.

I drove for eight miles over the concrete and steel of Confederation Bridge onto the island, marveling at this engineering feat that stretched across the Abegweit Passage. It took over four years to construct at a cost of 840 million, and employed more than 6,000 workers. This is the longest bridge spanning ice-covered water in the world, and I was happy that my visit took place when there was no ice to be seen!

I took the first exit into the small town of Borden-Carlton and Gateway Village. After stopping in at the visitor's center to pick up some maps and literature, I strolled around the shops selling ice cream, knickknacks, and collectibles for the discerning tourist.

Since it was nearly noon and my stomach was growling, I walked over to a restaurant I had heard about that sells fresh, locally sourced food. Scapes is a small, cozy place. Its chef-owner, Sarah Bennetto O'Brien, greets me with a dazzling smile.

Calling her eatery a "food truck with roots," she coaxed me to try one of their staples: fish cakes made with haddock with a side of baked beans.  Being from Colorado, I don't have access to this type of food and my mouth was already salivating.

Everything at Scapes is made from scratch and the fish cakes were light, golden brown and not overly infused with fishy taste. All I can say about the beans is that they were dreamy, creamy and made with slow cooked beans, coconut oil, molasses, brown sugar, and, I suspect, love.

After lunch, I headed to the North Cape and what locals have dubbed, "The Oyster Coast."

My destination was the establishment of a four-generation oyster fishing family known as the Hardys. Their slogan is "Oysters fishing a la Hardy" and they allow you to experience a real life oyster operation. There's a bit of education including a trip on a dory to rake some oysters and, best of all, try some.

These Malpeque oysters are renowned all over the world for their quality and can be eaten right out of the river where they are harvested. After shucking one open I gobbled it down and wished I had some lemon and hot sauce to go with it.

One of the reasons why PEI is known as "the Gentle Island" is because people come here for a laid-back, relaxing getaway. Life seems to move a little slower here and as I pulled up to the nearby Hilltop Acres B&B and Guesthouse I took notice of the four-person wooden swing out front. I knew I'd make some time later that evening to try it out.

Owners Janice and Wayne Trowsdale have created a delightful little respite in their renovated 1930s country home with 75 walkable acres and two comfy rooms as well as an adjacent guesthouse.  A homemade breakfast, of course, is included in the price.

My job for the day still wasn't done. I had one more meal to eat (some job, eh?). So, off I went to Doctor's Inn. In a nice bit of whimsy their sign says, "Doctor is Inn" as a homage to its previous resident, Dr. Stewart.

Today, the residence does double duty as an organic farm and as an intimate, private dining experience with only one seating per night, courtesy of Paul and Jean Offer. Unlike a traditional restaurant where you may not know where your food came from, Paul is proud that almost everything except for the meat course comes from his gigantic garden out back where everything is picked fresh.

After appetizers, the next course was salad consisting of six different lettuces and five herbs. On the table in front of me are bowls filled with vibrant and colorful radishes, cucumbers, celery, chives, Anaheim peppers, and more. The dressing is also made by hand. Each bite was like a bit of earthly delight.

Entrées change based on the season. My pepper steak was accompanied by root vegetables cooked in a wood oven that were also quite delicious. The cost of $65 per person includes everything from the pre-dinner wine, to the dessert, to everything in between.

Paul loves to share his passion for his own version of a farm-to-table meal and locals come back time and again. Easy to miss from the road, don't head out of Tyne Village until you have booked your reservation here and tried PEI's version of slow cooking.

After breakfast the next day, I bade farewell to my B&B and headed north to the Central Coast and arguably the most well-known location on PEI, Green Gables Heritage Park. Taking my time, I tooled along rolling green hills with white-topped potato crops, creeks and seaside houses. How lucky, I thought, that people get to live in this storybook setting.

Located in Cavendish and run by Canadian Parks, fans of Anne of Green Gables from all over the world flock to this heritage site to learn more about author Lucy Montgomery and her storybook creation.  You can tour the house that was the inspiration for the books, and walk through "haunted woods" and "lover's lane." They even have a real life lookalike playing the part of Anne, who is as popular posing for photos as any Hollywood actor.

The capital of PEI, Charlottetown was my next destination. It's about an hour's drive from the North Cape.

Fitzroy Hall was my home for the evening — a charming B&B in the center of town. Laden with period furniture and antiques, it is the perfect base from which to tour walkable Charlottetown.

For dinner, I had a reservation on the waterfront for a lobster fishing excursion with Top Notch Charters, which is rated highly on TripAdvisor. I was welcomed aboard by Mark Jenkins who has been fishing these waters since he was a kid. Together with a full complement of visitors, our 45-foot boat motored out of Charlottetown Harbor to explore the local waters.

Mark is passionate about his profession and spent some time educating us about lobster conservation efforts. He allowed the kids on board to help bring some of the traps up to get a closer look at the catch. One particularly large lobster known as "Larry" is in a trap all by himself and is used by all of the local fishermen to illustrate how their collective efforts have re-energized the industry.

After a couple of hours we settled into a peaceful cove to enjoy our evening meal "PEI-style."  What does that mean? Well around these parts it is having the lobster cold, which Mark says most people prefer due to the sweeter flavor. Both he and his wife served all of us within minutes. Complementing the lobster was cole slaw, potato salad, rolls, and our choice of beverage.

I watched how my fellow passengers cracked this and that, pulling away the meat and I tried to emulate their moves, since I don't normally eat lobsters back in Colorado. Now if they want to talk about beef ribs, well...I'm your guy.

As the sun set low on the horizon I heard the sounds of satisfaction from the group as they all told Captain Jenkins how much they enjoyed the experience. He thanked them, pulled up anchor and we proceeded slowly back to the dock. As for me, I was grateful to those who labor on the seas and oceans to bring us fresh seafood like this.

The next morning I made a stop at the Charlottetown Farmers Market which was abuzz with activity. Vendors selling locally grown crops as well as cheese, bread, jams, honey, and roasted coffee were busy serving eager locals stocking up on these essentials.

Since I had heard so many good things about the local seafood here, I asked around to find out what many considered to be the best fish and chips. One name kept coming up — Rick's Fish and Chips in Saint Peter's Landing. So I pointed the car towards Route 2 and meandered my way to this small quaint town situated along Saint Peter's Bay.

I followed the roadway sign to Rick's and arrived just as they are turning on the open sign. Of course I wanted the fish and chips and had a choice between haddock and cod. I chose the former. The menu says that Rick will never divulge his secret batter recipe but as long as it is good, who cares?

I ordered a single piece which was quite large and comes with home-cut PEI fries. Usually all it takes is a bite for me to know if I have landed a prize catch and this one was a winner. The batter was light and non-greasy with just the right amount of crispness. The fries were also cooked just right. The haddock was melt-in-your-mouth good and I washed it all down with a thick and rich chocolate shake.

Next up was a visit to Rollo Bay, about a 20-minute drive to the coast. Myriad View Distillery is a must-see on this end of PEI but the owners don't advertise, making this place all the more mysterious.

Co-owner Ken Mill explained it to me that this is the only location in the entire country making what was once commonly known as moonshine. "Moonshine?" I think. "You mean the stuff made secretly during prohibition? " Yup, that would be it.

As it turns out, bootlegging was a tradition in PEI for many of the dry years with lots of families constructing home-based stills in their houses and backyards. After spending three years convincing the government to allow a distillery here that made "shine," they finally received permission and are the only ones so producing this in the entire country.

Ken sort of likes keeping this operation small, which is also how they make their product—in small batches. The main difference between this and other liquors is that the product goes right from the distiller into the bottles. Ken smiled with pride as he told me about how people love the taste, and some locals in the store nodded in agreement.

Myriad Distillery offers free tours and tastings and they currently make several varieties of rum, vodka, brandy, whiskey and, of course, 'shine. The latter, Ken said, is what the locals would use for every purpose, including helping to allay the common cold in the form of a hot toddy.

I brought my trip to a close by visiting The Inn at Bay Fortune, owned by celebrity chef Michael Smith. The beautifully placed location overlooks the bay with lush landscaping and clapboard-style construction.

Each evening feast is served family-style, all cooked in their huge wood-fired oven. Tonight was steak night and around 50 hungry patrons crowded into the various rooms to watch the meal being prepped and to sample some appetizers, including fresh oysters.

Afterwards, the entire group sat at a huge table to enjoy another seven courses. I was already pretty full but the food was too good to pass up. After some sourdough bread there was a "taste of the island plate," chowder kettle, garden salad with farm-to-table freshness from the back yard, and then a generous portion of steak with brown butter mashed potatoes and slow roasted veggies. The price is $80 per person and well worth it, in my opinion, for this amazing culinary experience in a beautiful setting.

Sunday came and it was time for me to leave PEI.

There are only two ways to get from the mainland to PEI if you're coming by car– by bridge or by ferry. I came to the island three days ago by driving across the Confederation Bridge. I left by taking the 11:15 am Wood Island ferry to Caribou, Nova Scotia. The trip takes 75 minutes and I relaxed on the observation deck, taking my final photos of PEI as it receded in the distance.