From feasting in the sky suspended from a crane to dining in a bamboo pod in a rainforest, ultimate dining experiences are gaining traction with gourmets. Core to these adventures is a multisensory taste of the region. Chef Domenic Padula does just that on the ocean floor in Nova Scotia.
It’s one of those perfect sky-blue Sundays. Driving through the gates of Burntcoat Head Park, my windows down, I smell the salty air that carries the promise of adventure, an all-day, immersive experience that only happens a few times a year.
Providing a warm welcome is hostess and hospitality consultant Leann Grosvold, whose easygoing and friendly demeanour immediately sets a relaxed tone for what lies ahead for the 12 guests. This isn’t a typical fine-dining experience. As guests arrive, everyone looks more like they’re headed out for a hike, dressed in shorts, designer bucket hats, and wet boots. I’m silently patting myself on the back for ditching my all-white sneakers for Blundstones.
After a quick introduction to Chef Padula and the rest of the crew, a glass of sparkling wine from Avondale Sky Winery in hand, Halifax-based forager Fred Dardenne kicks off a class. Leading the group to a wild field, Dardenne stoops down to pick wild edibles he identifies and invites us to taste. We sample wood sorrel, with its lemony tang; Queen Anne’s lace, which has a sweet fragrance that makes a delicate jelly; and earthy-salty sea spinach. It’s a veritable all-you-can-eat bee buffet and a great introduction to the province’s ecosystem.
The first meal of the day is a Nova Scotian Shore Boil. Diners make their way to a grassy picnic area where colourful Adirondack chairs arranged in a circle give diners time to unwind and chat. Jay and Lleanna from New Jersey have had “Dining on the Ocean Floor” on their bucket list for a while.
“We centre our travel around unique dining excursions, and we have travelled all over the world doing this,” says Leanna. “I had marked this in my calendar and booked on the first day the booking opened in January. I wasn’t going to miss it this year.” All of today’s guests have travelled for this experience, from Massachusetts, North Carolina, Florida, and Germany, to celebrate wedding anniversaries, retirement, and birthdays. They’re all seeking food-focused adventure.
In between tasting Schoolhouse Brewery’s tropical IPA and Avondale Sky’s Tidal Bay white wine, I steal a few moments with Chef Padula, who is crouched on his knees simultaneously managing two portable burners, tossing mussels into a large pot, pan-searing beef, and instructing staff to begin plating. Creating an outdoor kitchen is complicated and the logistical balance of pulling off this day is no small task.
“Timing is everything. The tides, the weather, the setup, the food. I have four different weather apps on my phone that I am constantly checking,” says Padula. “But I wouldn’t change it. Look where I get to cook. I’m the luckiest chef in the world.”
Padula has been cooking his whole life, and with more than 35 years of being a chef in professional kitchens from Montreal to Vancouver to Toronto, he says this is where he is happiest.
“We were living in a high-rise condo in Toronto when my son Sebastian was born, and I turned to my wife Kim and said, ‘I don’t think I can raise our son here,’” he says. “She’s from Nova Scotia, and like all Nova Scotians, the salted air always calls them home. We bought a farm and started a new life here before purchasing Dining on the Ocean Floor in 2020.”
Few things in life are more utterly satisfying than sitting outside in the sunshine, using your fingers to relish a bowl of freshly cooked lobster, mussels, and clams, a just-baked chive biscuit for sopping up the salty juices. We want for nothing. Hostess Grosvold ensures that with witty banter, bug spray, sunscreen, and ever-flowing drinks.
“Being outside, getting a bit dirty, reapplying sunscreen — all contrary to what one might expect from an internationally recognized dining experience. It’s refreshing to shift that viewpoint and make it about connecting with the place and the people who live here and who come to experience it,” says Grosvold.
I could sit here all day chucking shells and keeping score of how many make it into the tin buckets in the middle of the dining circle. But there is more exploring to do, and there is only a six-hour window when the tide is entirely out and the bottom of the bay is exposed.
Breathtaking and otherworldly, the Bay of Fundy steals the show and sets the scene for an extraordinary experience. Walking down the steep stone steps to the oxide-red ocean floor, it takes me a while to comprehend the magnitude of this landscape. With the tide out, 162.5 billion tonnes of water have receded, exposing the ocean floor. Iridescent green tidal pools glimmer; their bellies hold the precious contents of the Atlantic Ocean, from periwinkles to piddocks.
Next up is a guided walk around Burntcoat Head with Anita Benedict, who grew up in nearby Noel and has walked the length and breadth of this enchanting place many times. Her knowledge is extensive, and we get to wander and explore without anything feeling scripted or obligatory. Benedict mentions that the beach stretches about eight kilometres, and I’ll be back one day this summer to trek the length, but not today. It’s already happy hour and time for a three-course dinner.
A long table is set up on the ocean floor underneath the sandstone cliffs. Each of the 12 chairs faces the ocean, offering a priceless view. Free of fussiness, white linen service is in full effect as we sit down to enjoy a three-course dinner. Laguiole knives lay beside all-white porcelain plates, black silky napkins neatly tucked in silver rings, and small posies of handpicked wildflowers run down the centre. A fragrant Avondale Sky Lady Slipper Rosé accompanies the first course of locally-curated charcuterie of duck prosciutto, jambon, and saucisson.
“This is your day,” says Chef Padula. “The hippie in me will tell you to ground your feet and touch the earth. Sit quietly, take in this powerful view and let go of all stress. There are not many opportunities in life to do this.”
The main course is a surf and turf of butter-poached lobster, grass-fed beef tenderloin, Digby scallops and “because I’m French, ratatouille, with vegetables from my farm,” explains Padula. Lavender sprinkled mille-feuille with fresh berries and Grand Marnier mascarpone paired with Avondale Sky’s Drops of Amber dessert wine complete the exquisite meal.
“It’s such an amazing feeling to share this uniquely Nova Scotian experience with our guests; the tides, the shore, landscape, our food, wine, beer, and our authentic Maritime hospitality,” says Grosvold. “Honestly, the staff are enjoying themselves as much as the guests. There’s nothing quite like watching our guests settle into the pace of the day, take their time enjoying each moment, and have a hand in making their experience unforgettable. For many, it’s a bucket list thing, and I can’t believe I got to be a part of that.”
The fire is lit, coffee poured, and Mi’kmaw elder Lorraine Whitman closes out the day by sharing traditions and stories fitting this ancient sacred place. The light is rose-tinted, and the enchanting Mi’kmaw song and drumbeat are still ringing in my ears. The tide is moving quickly, and all traces of this day will soon wash away.
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