Since burgeoning central/northern Nova Scotia food and drink empire Nook and Cranny opened their…read morethird branch in Pictou last spring, I'd had drinks and snacks on their patio, but never had a proper meal inside until recently.
It was quiet on a Monday evening, and being Pictou County, we were lucky they were open at all.
The space is quite open, with thick wooden beams stealing the show, while grey laminate flooring is an almost jarring contrast of modern, lowest price tag renos against the sturdy old bones.
We were promptly looked after by the friendly staff, and while I was tempted by some of the monthly specials, I stayed onside with their regular menu, to get a feel for how their regular items.
The menu rides a fine line - it's not too small (there's several each of apps, soups/salads, sandwiches and mains) but not so big that it's overwhelming or you're thinking that everything is just coming out of a Sysco freezer bag. While pub standards like burgers, fish and chips and a club sandwich all appear, some effort definitely went into the menu's creation. You're not going to see jackfruit tacos, brisket grilled cheese and mushroom "bruschetta" everywhere!
I went for a more standard item, the Mushroom Jack burger, on my aforementioned mission to gauge their kitchen, while my wife opted for the Cranberry Coconut Chicken.
With the Monday crowd (or lack thereof), our food was soon before us, and none too soon, given our appetites!
My Mushroom Jack burger was quite well executed - honestly, it was much better than I expected it would be. What can I say, a string of mediocre-at-best pubs in Pictou County over the years have left me jaded! The patty was thick (8oz) but not overcooked, or too densely pressed. The mushrooms had an herby hit that paired well with the savoury truffle aioli, and spinach brought some vegetal vibrance. The Monterey Jack cheese lent its salty goodness, while the toasted bun held up well against its messy contents.
Across the table, my wife's Cranberry Coconut Chicken was an impressive-looking plate. The dish is gluten-free, which means that the Chex (yes, the cereal) coating on the chicken is gluten-free. Go Chex? Life-long learning, people! Stuffed with herbs and goat cheese, it was definitely more flavourful than your run-of-the-mill chicken breast. A rice pilaf and roasted veg rounded out the dish, while a thin cranberry and citrus sauce brought sweet and tangy notes for contrast, although by the last few bites were swimming in it.
On a return visit on a more lively Friday night, it looked like the menu had gotten a refresh, with a whole new slate of tempting items. I stuck to a traditional East Coast offering though - the fish cakes.
I checked to make sure they were made in-house (they are), as although I have a perverse love of the High Liner, from-frozen, 99% potato, "fish" cakes, that's not what I want at a restaurant.
The fish cakes came on a hefty portion of maple baked beans. No skimpy 2oz cup of beans here! I'm no baked bean connoisseur, and if I were I would deserve to be mocked relentlessly, but these had a good balance of sweet and savoury, and were nicely cooked - they weren't dry and grainy, nor cooked to mush.
As for the fish cakes themselves, the respectably-sized cakes had a wonderfully crisp breading, which housed a plesant mix of fish and potato, with discernable shreds of haddock. The flavour profile had a noticeable fish flavour (unlike our friend High Liner's) without being *fishy*.
The side of house-made green tomato chow provided a lightly tart and sweet foil for the savoury elements of the dish, with a chunky consistency that puts the store-bought chows that are mainly sugar and vinegar to shame.
With food that follows through on the menu's promise of better-than-average pub grub, I can see why The Nook and Cranny is spreading across my neck of the woods, and I look forward to return visits on their patio on warmer days
PS. Extra points for maintaining great social media communications and an up-to-date website, which most small town restaurants are decidedly *not* good at.
