Being a fan of the Rinaldo brothers' previous endeavours of T-Dogs and their farmers market table…read morethat bore their surname and slung hero sandwiches and cannoli, I was both glad and a little disappointed when I heard they were opening shop in the recently-cavated TGFE location on Windsor. Glad because these guys deserve their own space to serve kickass food, but disappointed because I no longer lived around the corner. What a tease. After giving them some time after the initial opening to find their legs, and hoping for the crowds to settle down, my wife and I came by before one of my night shifts, just after they opened for the evening. The space is very much the same as the old TGFE, but updated with new furnishings and a several new coats of paint. It has the very common black/red/white palette, but here it's different than other spots that do it hyper-modern and chic; here it's much more casual and retro with framed family photos, wood paneling painted white, their classic neon sign, and their very, very red booths. Snagging one of the vibrant vinyl seats, I eagerly scoped out the broader offerings that I had been hearing a lot about. While not as compact as many modern restaurants' menus, Rinaldo's is still a mere fraction of the made-for-the-masses bulk of East Side Mario's, with a few each of apps, salads, heroes, general Italian mains, and several pizzas on offer. I'd heard lots of great things about their mozza sticks, so those were a lock, and my wife and I decided to get one more app and to share one of their pizzas, which we had heard were a decent size. The spicy cauliflower sounded interesting, and would constitute the vegetable portion of our meal, albeit a deep fried one. The mozza sticks arrived in quick order, and the cauliflower shortly thereafter. The thick sticks of breaded cheese were definitely heftier than your usual from-frozen pub mozza sticks. Plus the breading had a much better flavour and a sprinkle of parm and parsley rounded them out nicely, because if fried cheese needs a garnish, it's gotta be more cheese. The dipping sauce was dill-tastic and fresh, although I appreciated the stretchy cheese on its own. Cauliflower is hot right now in food circles, but the spicy cauliflower seemed like a bit of a misnomer, as the only heat seemed to come from a light sprinkling of sliced chiles. That said, the breading was nice and crunchy, and the cauliflower inside was surprisingly smooth and nearly creamy, without being a goopy, vegetal mess. The flavours of the other toppings all worked quite well, with the honey, parsley pesto, and pecorino making for a well-balanced dish (sans spice, anyway). Our pizza was a bit of a wait, but it was a sight to behold when it arrived. Topped with pepperoni, roasted garlic, mozza, Parmigiano Reggiano, and wonderful blobs of ricotta, it was big on great flavours. So many dishes, both Italian and otherwise, will throw a bunch of cheeses in a dish just to brag that it's a "X Cheese Dish", but here each stood out and played a part. The cornicione was airy and crispy, although the inner parts of the pie suffered the floppy doom of all thin crust pizzas. It did reheat quite well the next day though; via a frying pan and not the dreaded microwave, naturally. While not perfectly executed, it was a damned good meal with the structure to be even better with some minor polishing. It's worth the hype - go there and keep this place open until I am able to come back again.

This is my birthday go to. Excellent food, exceptional service and a cool vibe. It's not in one of…read morethe popular mainstream locations, and maybe that appeals to me as it gives the place a bit of a mom and pop feel.

Fantastic new Filipino restaurant and cafe on Chebucto Road where Fries and Company…read moreUsed to be. The owners did an amazing job renovating the place - it's so bright and welcoming. Seated promptly on the first floor - there are about three tables along with a counter. Upstairs is a much larger dining room. Had a variety of their food - soup bowls, the standard chicken and pork adobo and chicken wings and lechon kewala - all amazing. Tried their breakfast plate as well with pork tocino - comes with eggs and garlic rice. Tasty!! Super reasonable pricing, gracious hosts! Definitely worth visiting - will be back!!!

Filipino food is one of my absolute favourite styles of food. The blend of Asian and Spanish…read moreinfluences, the prominent place of vinegar and garlic, all combine in dishes which are eminently unique and delicious. So when I heard that Halina Café and Bar was moving into the former Fries & Co. Spot on Chebucto, I had them in my sights and made my there one day when I was in the area for a haircut. The menu is a mix of food that spans a spectrum of Filipino through typical Canadian family restaurant. There's straight up traditional Filipino dishes like silogs and ube-based desserts, to fusion-y dishes like a smashed longganisa sandwich and lechon kawali wrap, to items that might lure in the demographic of the previous tenant like fish and chips, and buttermilk fried chicken. That full range of offerings leads to an appealing array of options, where it doesn't feel like they're awkwardly shoehorning in items (which may or may not have a lot of attention paid to them in the kitchen). Longsilog may traditionally be a breakfast dish, but I would eat it for any meal of the day. And likely have. It's has a lot of parallels in a typical diner's standard breakfast, but with a lot more flavour. I love ye ol' breakfast sausages, but longganisa blows them out of the water, and Halina's were wonderfully done. The uncased sausages had great browning and crisp edges from the grill, while the mix of sweet and garlicky flavours of the meat were hitting the spot. A dipping sauce that a mix of vinegar, sugar and soy added further depth and contrast of flavours. Garlic fried rice fills the starch slot in the dish, and some crunchy bits of fried garlic on top doubled down on the garlicky goodness. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that the Philippines are vampire-free! Two sunnyside-up eggs had crispy edges and I used the rice to sop up the luscious, runny yolks. There was a nominal offering of veg with the dish, a tiny bit of shredded lettuce, cucumber and radishes, as well as a pickled slaw called atsara, which is made from papaya and an assortment of shredded vegetables, helped cut through the richer items of the longsilog. In typical Filipino fashion, the staff was super friendly and attentive. A return visit (again post-haircut), had me trying their smashed longganisa burger and fries. If you like longganisa, and anyone in their right mind should, you're gonna like this burger! Every bite brings the rich flavour of the Filipino sausage, with layers of added richness from a scrambled egg and Swiss cheese which was expertly melted over the smashed sausage patty. Standard lettuce and tomato brought some crunch and acidity to balance out the burger. A brioche-y bun was tasty, but didn't hold up super well to the eating process. The fries were of the skin-on, from-frozen variety, but they were properly cooked and good and crispy, so no complaints here! My rubber arm was twisted to try their house-made coconut cream pie, and I'm glad I did! The cream was decadently rich, and the whipped cream topped with toasted coconut was *chef's kiss*. I was even told that they bring in young coconuts to shred and roast themselves, and I'm no coconut connoisseur, but it was definitely better than the grocery store stuff (sorry, not, sorry, Galen). Impressively, this meal, plus a green tea, was a hair under $20 - after tax! Halina Cafe & Bar is bringing some of the best bang-for-your-buck food that you can find in the city, and you owe it to your taste buds to bring yourself there.

I work next door in the CIBC building and this place is just TOO easy for me to run down and grab a…read moresnack or a lunch and head back to my desk. I am usually gone less than 5 minutes. Which means I frequent this place more often than I should admit to. My fave is the cheese biscuit. Seriously. It's huge. And amazing. And you can tell it's fresh and homemade because every day it's a different size and a different shape but still full of goodness.

Hidden inside the TD building is a fabulous little sandwich bar filled with healthy treats. I've…read morebeen in four or five times now and always pick up either the sandwich of the day or the sandwich and soup of the day combo - usually around $8 for both... or sandwich of the day and a small milk is $7. Every employee there is super helpful and willing to make your experience there a great one. Between that and the food, it's a knock out punch to make me want to come back over and over again. Sit down and see the bustle outside the window or take it to go, it's a great spot to grab something good for you.

You can't talk about Vietnamese food in Halifax for long without someone bringing up the delicious…read moresandwiches and other dishes at Banh Mi A&B on Quinpool, and I finally made my way there in the summer to see what the fuss was about. Arriving in the thick of the dinner rush on a Thursday, the small restaurant was nearly full, but since I was dining solo, I was able to grab a seat by the window. It has a "counter service" kind of vibe, but it is actually table service, and I was seen to quickly after I sat down. Even though banh mi is their namesake dish, I was impressed with the variety of banh mi options, with creative flavour profiles and a wide assortment of proteins, including lemongrass grilled pork, garlic and lime chicken, sate shrimp with kimchi, and teriyaki tofu and mushroom just to name a few. I'm no banh mi scholar, but I feel like A&B's kitchen is breaking out of the mould a bit and flexing their creative muscles, which I appreciate. The menu doesn't stop there though, as there's several each of appetizers and other familiar Vietnamese mains (bun cha, pho, bun bo hue). My first time here *had* to be banh mi though, so I went for the pork meatballs banh mi, with the Viet slaw as the side in my combo. A&B's banh mi unfortunately doesn't come with paté by default, and I didn't notice that in addition to getting it for "free" if you take it as your side, you can have it added onto your sandwich for $1.50. Oh well, next time! My food came out quickly, and soon I was chowing down with the stunning view of Quinpool Centre, which despite being a visual blight on a full city block in the West End's main commercial district, it has impressively managed to avoid any sort of beautification from the Halifax Mural Festival for four years straight. Bravo, commercial real estate owners, bravo *insert sarcastic clapping* I digress though. Let's not mess around here - the fuss about Banh Mi A&B is absolutely deserved. The bread is definitely the star, as it should be in any truly great sandwich. The shatteringly crisp exterior leads to a dense, pleasantly chewy crumb that supports the delicious fillings within. The pork meatballs had a nice grainy texture that suggested they weren't just coming out of a Sysco freezer bag, and were wonderfully tender and moist, with a lightly herbaceous note to them. The usual banh mi fillings of pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber and cilantro added the texture, bright flavours and colours that are a signature of Vietnamese cuisine. The Viet slaw carried on this tradition with shredded cabbage, carrot, and onion with a peanut crumble and a dressing that enlivens your taste buds with a balanced mix of sweetness, acidity and hints of umami. It was too late in the day for me to grab a Vietnamese coffee, but a peach iced tea was just the right amount of sweet and fruity, without being cloying and dessert-like; just a refreshing drink on a humid summer day! My next time at BMAB had me trying another Vietnamese classic - their pho. Unlike the multitude of banh mi options, there's only one beef pho to choose from, and you know what? I'm cool with that. They've got their specialty, and I respect that! It was another busy Thursday evening, but I received my food in good time nonetheless. The pho comes with beef meatball and slices of brisket; I know squishy textures are a "thing" in Asian cuisine, but I grew up with mediocre, from-frozen meatballs, and they're just not *my* thing. The brisket, on the other hand, was next level compared to A&B's peers; the ultra-tender, thinly-sliced pieces of brisket were deliberately cut to have a layer of fat on top of the meat; evenly distributed on all the slices, it added an unctuous texture without having any overly fatty pieces that were hard to chew. I see you, A&B's prep cook! The highlight of any good soup is the broth, and A&B's really stood out here as well. It had a hearty beefiness, with prominent herbal notes and a velvety smooth mouthfeel, and it was so good that I didn't bother adding any sauces to it! Noodles and accoutrements were all solid standards, but the brisket and broth sealed the deal for this top tier pho. I pulled the trigger on a Vietnamese iced coffee, and true to form it was sweet, smooth and had a great punch of slowly steeped coffee. Banh Mi A&B rightly deserves all the praise it gets, from its fantastic namesake sandwiches to solid execution across the menu, that's tied together with friendly, attentive service. It's got the feel of a neighbourhood spot, but it's truly destination worthy for some of the best Vietnamese food in the city.

I do not know if the person giving this place 5-star has been to other Vietnamese restaurants or…read moreperhaps is somehow associated with the restaurant. I went in today and order a large side pho and egg roll. I have never seen such small egg rolls which is about 1/3 of what you would expect at other asian restaurants. The pho portion is laughable and meat tastes not fresh. I should have realized that i made a mistake when i see only non-asian people are eating inside. I told the server about the portion and he obviously knows but didnt make any comments. Will not come back again.

Well...under newish management but service is no better. Ordered salads at the counter and I was…read moregiven a smaller size than what I requested. Was told 'no no no you paid for this size'. Never did I say I was not willing to pay for larger size. Server just looked at me as I was somewhat dumbfounded. By his comments. Someone else suggested another small and I just said ok.

We were craving food other than seafood, and found this Italian market on Yelp that offered several…read moremeal options to go. The reviews were good, but now I'm realizing they're probably based on the market and not the meals. I ordered the lasagna for $9.95 and it tasted like it had been previously frozen. You get what you pay for! It was actually lukewarm when I opened it, so I had to nuke it. It lacked flavor, to say the least. Hubby said the spaghetti with meatballs was also average, at best. The caprese salad that he ordered was the worst he's ever had. If you look at the photo of the salad, you can see that the tomatoes aren't even ripe. They also gave the wrong dressing for this salad. Typically it comes with balsamic dressing but they gave us Italian dressing instead. Next time we'll stick with an Italian restaurant.

The best deli in Burnside!!! The sandwiches are always fresh and the staff are always welcoming!…read moreThey know all thier customers by name and treat everyone like family!!

Food was excellent! Had blintzes! Where else can you get them? I saw huge plates of delicious…read morelooking sandwiches etc. when you really want to chow down this is it! Every possible combination of smoked meat, eggs, etc. even corned beef hash! Where else can you get it? I wait till I'm really hungry to go. There is no other Deli!! Not cheap and they only take cash but worth it. Great friendly service. Little place full of awesome memorabilia on the walls. 1950s tables and counter.

I will say this place gets busy which is nice and the food is good! However I will say the waitress…read morewas efficient but each time I was conversing with my company- she would come in middle conversation to ask questions about ordering or if we had any questions-I think I may be more sensitive as it was a different day so I do understand that there's a schedule and we are not the only patrons and they can't just wait on us but maybe checking in slowly as to excuse me may I check in or something lol but it was a nice experience regardless as I do enjoy this place.

Another cog in the Bertossi Group chain of restaurants. On a busy corner of Spring Garden and…read moreQueen Street this place is always full! On Summer days they have nice outdoor seating and a gelato cart. Unique location that is round with wrap around windows with seating. Great for people watching. I find the best things are the pastries. They also have sandwiches, paninis and a small menu of hot goods (quiche, lasagna) On the pricier end but worth it for the high quality.

Love this place! It was crowded, but my husband and I managed to find 2 seatings along the window…read morecounter table. They have beautiful pastries, delicious looking sandwiches, and assortment of coffee drinks. We got 2 desserts, cappuccino, and Americano. Desserts were not too sweet and delicious, and the drinks were made well. The service is also lovely, helpful, and friendly. Would love to come back here when we come back to Halifax!

The food in this place is amazing. Every single person in my party enjoyed their dish. I order the…read moreeggs Benny. It had the perfect balance of flavor and amount of food. The egg was perfectly yolkie, and together with the ham and seasonings, made it a fantastic salty delight. The servers was phenomenal. She had a wonderful smile, was kind, quick, and made pleasant jokes/small talk. The place is small, but was pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon. Highly recommend this place if you are in Halifax.

While this spaghettini may look unassuming in the photo, it was hands down one of the best plates…read moreof pasta I've ever had. I arrived in Halifax late tonight for work and had my heart set on a lobster roll. The Canteen popped up on the map with glowing reviews, so I swung by hoping to grab one before they closed. When I arrived, I learned that lobster rolls are only served in the summer. Disappointed but undeterred, I decided to treat myself to their lobster spaghettini instead--after all, a business trip still deserves a good meal. Since they were about to close and I wanted to eat in my hotel room and rest, I got it to go (though I was quietly a little sad--the restaurant is spotless, beautifully designed, and has an open kitchen you can watch). I brought the pasta back to the hotel without much expectation. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary take-out pasta. But that couldn't have been further from the truth. This dish was divine. Every bite was rich with buttery sweetness from the fresh lobster and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano--two of my absolute favorite ingredients--perfectly balanced by the bright tang of roasted tomatoes. The flavors danced between umami, acidity, and indulgent richness in a way that felt effortless and refined. God, it was good. I can't wait to come back to The Canteen. If this is what their lobster spaghettini tastes like, I can only imagine how incredible their summer lobster rolls must be.

Very urban setting. Would prefer less busy spot. We were…read moreable to dine outdoors with our dogs on the front deck. Shepherds pie & chicken/leek pie were top notch. Pear salad pretty good. Nemo provided good service.

When the sun is out and the patios are full, sometimes the smart play is going to a cool, dark pub…read moreto beat both the crowds and the heat, and this is what brought me to Quinn's Arms for the first time. The room is cozy and classy, with darkly-painted wainscoting, warm wallpaper and just enough lighting to set the mood without straining the eyes of its older clientele (re. me) . That's not to say it's all blue hairs here, but there's definitely a different crowd here than the latest, trendy spot. Looking to satiate our hunger after a long day, the menu had a lot of tempting options for my wife and I. They've got a commendable handful of bar bites - pickles, pickled eggs, sweet and spicy nuts, and a few assorted carbs - but we were feeling something more substantial. The mains are probably the most traditional part of the menu, which utilizes the plus sign instead of an ampersand or the word 'and', so they stay cool that way. I kid, and I dig traditional pub food; all the more so when it gets a more creative touch in composition and execution than your typical pub, which Quinn's menu definitely seems to be going for. I went for the minced beef + cheese pie, while my other half chose the bangers + mash. The ol' plus sign really reads better on a menu. With a limited crowd, it didn't take long for our food to arrive. Savoury pastries can be a double-edged sword, and since my youthful days of microwaved Pizza Pockets (TM) (I've grown to bake them as the mature adult with discerning tastes that I am), I have learned nothing. A hungry man is not a patient one, and I have the mouth burns to prove it. The menu states that the pie is made from beef blade, caramelized onions and an HP + cheddar sauce, but when this all combined in the hot mess of a pie, while delicious, it mainly came off as rich and salty. Not fake gravy salty, but still pretty salty. And this is coming from an avowed lover of salty foods. I appreciated that the roasted garlic mashed potatoes didn't pull any punches and had a big hit of vampire repellent. The charred broccoli was a subtle green flag - steamed and boiled veg (often from frozen) is a telltale sign of a restaurant that isn't even trying, so even this small tweak to the preparation makes a meaningful difference. My wife's meal was quite similar to mine, but two large sausages took the place of my pie. Chorizo sausages tagged in for whatever the standard British sausage is, and the flavour and mild hit of spice was a welcome upgrade. Service was easy going and attentive throughout our meal. Quinpool Road has an eclectic assortment of restaurants and having a pub that's putting in some effort is a great little anchor for the neighbourhood's food scene.