Food diversity is the name of the game in Atlantic Canada
by Johanne and Alain Bossé
In the past having dietary restrictions made traveling difficult in many cases and practically impossible in others. Sometimes these restrictions can stem from medical necessity but often times they are the result of lifestyle choices.
From years spent in the hospitality industry I can tell you that not so long ago, medical conditions were tolerated; but asking a chef to change his menu due to a personal preference could often cause a rift in the kitchen.
Fortunately, I have also seen a definite shift in recent years to a much more open and respectful approach to looking after clients’ needs.
Those preparing our foods have come to realize that those who choose not to eat gluten—whether it’s due to celiac disease or whether it’s a personal choice—are all valued customers and all are deserving of the same care and caution when having food prepared.
There has also been a huge shift towards plant-based options. A sector of the service industry that formerly only had a very small portion of menu real estate dedicated to it, is now one of the fastest growing food sectors in North America.
Atlantic Canada is surprisingly food forward when it comes to food diversity. Given its small size and largely rural population, one could be forgiven for thinking that we may lag behind but a look at our culinary landscape tells a decidedly different story.
While this is by no means exhaustive, we offer up a directory of food vendors, restos, cafés and pubs that offer gluten-free and plant based/vegan fare to help make your travel adventures around Atlantic Canada a little easier—not to mention delicious!
| Prince Edward Island - Vegan/ Vegetarian/ Gluten Free | |
|
Stir It Up PEI |
Splendid Essence 186 Prince St, Charlottetown 902-566-4991 splendidessence.com Vegetarian |
| Green Eatery Vegetarian 51 Grafton St, Charlottetown 902-370-8281 facebook.com/GreenEateryVegetarian |
Truckin’ Roll (food truck) Ice cream shop Church Street, Grafton St, Charlottetown 902-218-7321 According to our editor, check out the vegan ice cream, especially the coconut banana rolled ice cream. It is divine! |
| Richard’s (gluten free fish n chips) 9 Wharf Rd, York richardsfreshseafood.com Gluten Free |
|
| Nova Scotia - Vegan/ Vegetarian/ Gluten Free | |
| Envie a Vegan Kitchen enviehalifax.com This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 902-492-4077 anytime Vegan |
Copper Branch Halifax 1474 Lower Water St Halifax, NS, Canadafacebook.com/CopperBranch Halifax Vegan |
| The Wooden Monkey Halifax thewoodenmonkey.ca 1707 Grafton St. Halifax 902-444-3844 Vegan/vegetarian and Gluten Free |
The Wooden Monkey Dartmouth thewoodenmonkey.ca40 Alderney Dr., #305 Level 2 Alderney Ferry TerminalDartmouth 902-466-3100 |
| Wild Leek wildleek.ca2156 Windsor Street, Halifax This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 902-444-5466 Vegan |
Real Fake Meats (Halifax’s first vegan butcher shop) |
| Heartwood Quinpool also GF 902-425-2808 Iloveheartwood.ca6250 Quinpool RoadHalifax Vegan/vegetarian and Gluten Free |
Heartwood By the Sea also GF Lower Water Street, between Salter and Sackville Streets on the Halifax Waterfront (seasonal) |
| The Rolled Oat Café 402 Main St, Wolfville therolledoat.com 902-542-9884 Vegetarian |
JJ’s Plant Based Eats facebook.com/JJs-Plant-Based-Eats-112183293691616/ 54 Prince St, Sydney Vegan |
| Stone Soup Cafe and Catering 41 Water St, Pictou 902-485-4949 facebook.com/Stonesoupcafeandcatering Offers Vegan/vegetarian and Gluten Free |
Crystany’s Brasserie 9848 Main St, Canning 902-582-3663 crystanysbrasserie.com First certified gluten-free restaurant in Canada. |
| Odell’s Gluten Free Bakery & Cafe Rockingham Ridge Dental Centre 30 Farnham Gate Rd, Halifax odellsgfcafe.com | 902-405-6465 |
Catch of the Bay Fish and Chips Masstown Market 902-662-2816 Ext 237 10622 Nova Scotia Trunk 2, Debert masstownmarket.com/shop/the-lighthouse/fish-and-chips Gluten Free |
| New Brunswick - Vegan/ Vegetarian/ Gluten Free | |
|
Cafe Lotus Bleu International |
Veggie Vietnam Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant 367 Champlain St, Dieppe 506 854-7170 veggievietnam.com facebook.com/veggievietnam |
| Copper Branch Dieppe This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Telephone 506-853-8552 |
Veena’s Kitchen Farmers market, Moncton Phone: 506-962-9404 facebook.com/veena.sharmaq |
| Calactus Vegetarian Restaurant 125 Church St, Moncton Phone: 506-388-4833 facebook.com/calactusrestaurant |
VEGolution Foods Inc. 26 Germain St, Uptown Saint John 506-643-8401 | vegolution.ca |
| Cinnamon Café 469 King St, Fredericton 506-454-9011 cinnamoncafe.org |
The Abbey Café & Gallery 546 Queen St, Fredericton 506-455-6368 facebook.com/abbeycafegallery |
| Cackling Goose Market 38 York St, Sackville cacklinggoosemarket.ca 506-536-2303 |
MOCO Downtown 100 Regent Street, Fredericton 506-455-6626 mocodowntown.ca |
| Newfoundland & Labrador - Vegan/ Vegetarian/ Gluten Free | |
| Peaceful Loft Vegetarian Restaurant 250 Duckworth St, St. John’s 709-701-8421 facebook.com/pages/Peaceful-Loft/1518242515103337 |
Green Kitchen 47 Harvey Road St. John’s 709-237-2223 greenkitchennl.ca |
| The Sprout Restaurant 364 Duckworth St, St. John’s thesproutrestaurant.com 709- 579-5485 Newfoundland's first vegetarian restaurant, located in the heart of St. John’s, has been open since June 2005. |
Gypsy & Ginger Vegan restaurant St. John’s City 709-691-8005 |
| Nourish Bakery Specialise in Gluten free 1304 Topsail Rd, Paradise, NL A1L 1N9 709-747-2867 nourishbakery.ca |
|
