A Year in Review

After rebooting the blog in May 2020, we filed 99 reviews of 96 eateries over the course of the next year – in the midst of a global pandemic, no less! To put that into perspective, we only posted 90 reviews during our initial run from 2010-2016 (we were surprised to learn that roughly 1/3 of those places have since either closed or rebranded! Such is the nature of business in Halifax). Of course, we simplified our scoring rubric and relaxed what qualifies as an “eatery,” but we’re having fun and getting out to try a bunch of places we’ve never visited before, checking out some we already know we like, and giving others another shot.

Our average score usually hovers around 3.9 (78% chance of returning). We had a lot of fun with our two Peninsula Pizza Projects – both the slice quest and the sit-down challenge (and no, we’re still not sick of pizza). In time, we hope to pursue other special features, but we don’t have any irons in the fire at the moment. For now, we’ll just keep eating and telling you about it as time permits.

We usually try to post our reviews within a month of our visits, but we sometimes fall behind schedule. Unfortunately, compiling these posts, populating our map and scheduling our Facebook and Twitter posts is kinda time consuming, and sometimes life gets in the way. But, we hope you’ll continue to enjoy our micro reviews.

We’d like to thank the restaurants and their staff work keeping things going during the pandemic as best as they can, Lindsay at Eat This Town for collaborating with us on our Pizza Quests, and to everyone who’s taken the time to read our reviews and social media posts.

If you ever have any comments, questions or suggestions, please feel free to send us a Facebook Message or a Tweet.

Cheers,
J&M

Blue Olive

Blue Olive (Greek, 6196 Quinpool), visited May 28. The Souvlaki Family Dinner seemed like a good deal – and it was! We chose Chicken and Pork skewers served with oven-roasted lemon potatoes, rice, Greek salad and tzatziki, with baklava for dessert. We also added on the Kopanisti (roasted red pepper and feta) dip, which was a real winner. The portions were decent and the food was tasty. Worth a try! Verdict: 4.5/5 (90%) chance of returning.

The Souvlaki Family Dinner with Kopanisti dip from Blue Olive

Korca Pizza

Korca Pizza (Pizza, 2777 Agricola), visited May 22. We decided to call for a quick pick-up of meat pizza and garlic fingers & pop, as they had a decent deal. The pizza was similar in quality to the slice we’d tried last July as part of our Peninsula Pizza Project, albeit the crust wasn’t as dominant this time. Verdict: 3.5/5 (70%) chance of returning.

Italian Market

Italian Market (Italian, 6061 Young), visited May 21. We usually stick with the deli sandwiches, but on this day we decided to go for some of the pre-made delicacies, which required reheating (except for the Greek Salad). Everything was great, from the salad and Sausage Roll, to the saffron and provolone Risotto Ball and the multi-meat Stromboli. We didn't even have room for their signature Carrot Cake. We’ll definitely be back to try more! Verdict: 5/5 (100%) chance of returning.

 

Greek Salad, Stromboli, Sausage Roll and Risotto Ball from the Italian Market

Swiss Chalet

Swiss Chalet (3434 Kempt, Casual Dining), visited May 14. We had some gift cards to burn, so we swung for the fences and ordered the Family Pak as take-out – an entire rotisserie chicken with four sides (we got two orders fries two garden salads) with rolls. There was plenty of tasty food for the two of us, and we had leftovers for days. Verdict: 4/5 (80%) chance of returning.

Yeah Yeahs Pizza

Yeah Yeahs Pizza (Pizza, 1663 Barrington), visited May 8. Due to COVID restrictions, we ordered take-out. We were only looking for pizza – The Meat (pepperoni, sausage, smoked bacon) sounded up our alley, but we somehow ended up with (and paid for) a Caesar salad as well. By the time we realized what had happened, we were back in the car and it was pouring out, so we figured we’d just give it a go. The salad was a bit too heavy on the dressing, but just as generous with the croutons and parmesan. The pizza was as tasty as the slice we’d tried last October as part of our Peninsula Pizza Project, which ranked tied for first when it came to taste (it was just a bit too pricey on its own). As part of a whole pie, it made much more fiscal sense. All in all, an enjoyable meal. Verdict: 4/5 (80%) chance of returning.

Silver Dragon

Silver Dragon (Chinese, 2827 Robie), visited May 6. Due to COVID restrictions, we had no choice but to get take-out, although we enjoyed our few minutes of ambiance inside this quaint north end staple. You can't really go wrong with their combos, so we went for #9 (Sweet & Sour Chicken, Almond Chicken Ding) and #10 (Chicken Soo Gai, Beef & Broccoli), both also served with Egg Rolls and Chicken Fried Rice. There was more than enough for four meals. Verdict: 3.5/5 (70%) chance of returning.

 

Combos #9 & #10 from Silver Dragon