Halifax Restaurant Aims To Recreate A Day At The Beach
HALIFAX — Anybody who has ever gone camping, or set a fire on the beach, understands there is nothing quite like food cooked from a woodfire flame.
I hail from Labrador and have fond childhood memories of delicious cabin breakfasts cooked by grandparents from a wood stove.
But in 2023, even urbanites in downtown Halifax will have the chance to have the experience. In February, the seventh restaurant at the Queen’s Marque, Salt + Ash, will cook its menu via woodfire.
Customers will be able to sample traditional seafood and pizza, all cooked over a flame.
“We’re going to have a large menu here; something for everyone–touching on Nov Scotian comfort food but trying to bring it up a notch or two and seeing where we can elevate it without losing its identity,” explained Queen’s Marque district chef Bill Osborne.
Salt + Ash will also have 12 beers on tap, with the hopes they will all be local brews.
The folks operating the restaurants at Queen’s Marque chose an open-fire concept because they wanted to pay homage to Nova Scotian surfing culture. Marco Gucciardi, the director of restaurant operations, explained how they wanted to capture what a perfect day surfing on the beach feels like.
“It’s a beautiful thing about Nova Scotia, and beautiful thing about Halifax, that you can just drive for 30 minutes and have amazing waves and be able to surf. It’s a real treat and it’s not something that you can do everywhere.”
“It’s that romantic idea; you’re in the cold water all day, you’re catching a wave, and you go to the beach. You take your friends to the beach, sit on the sand, light a fire to get warm. Maybe have a slice of pie pizza, have a couple of beers. Maybe somebody’s got a guitar out to play music.”
Salt + Ash is planning to have live music in the restaurant, as well as game nights and trivia nights, to try and create that laid-back, day-with-friends, summer atmosphere.
Because all the Queen’s Marque Restaurants are along the ocean at Lower Water Street, Gucciardi says customers can go there in the summer after spending an afternoon on the waves.
“Bring up your boat, party on your boat, come on in, and grab some food,” he says.
Chef Osborne admits a woodfire is a difficult thing to master in the kitchen. There are so many variables that are hard to control–even something as simple as the type of wood and the time of year could alter temperature or taste. But Osborne says the challenges are worth the end result.
“It’s so challenging. If you hit everything that you want to, it’s a million times more rewarding,” he said.
But where does a chef in Halifax even go to get trained on cooking with a wood fire?
“You stand right in front of the fire,” was the chef’s quick reply.
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].
Editor’s Note: This story was last updated on December 15, at 12:28 PM