PEI is renowned as “Canada’s Food Island” for good reason. It may be the smallest province in the country, but it’s truly huge when it comes to taste experiences. And while the PEI beaches, coastal drives, and lighthouse tours are a must-do, here are some other truly memorable PEI culinary experiences to add to your itinerary. All these experiences rate 10 out of 10 in my books.
Getting there by Car
If you leave early in the morning, you can dine in Quebec City that night. Toronto to Summerside, PEI is about a 16-hour drive (or about 1,670 kilometres) going through Quebec and the Maritimes. Plan on at least one night at a hotel, two, depending on the number of stops along the way. Judging by the number of Ontario plates we saw during our recent road trip to PEI in late July (with stops in Quebec City, Halifax, and Peggy’s Cove), we were among the many Canadians choosing to explore our own country this year.
Chef Michael Smith’s FireWorks Feast at Inn at Bay Fortune
It’s an authentic farm-to-fork live-fire dining experience. A word of caution—wear loose pants and don’t eat prior to the event as it’s an epic seven-course feast plus an all-you-can-eat Oyster Hour and hors d’oeuvres prior to the dinner!
Pictured Below: Wear your loose pants! Oyster Hour (which includes appetizers at five live fire stations) is followed by a seven-course meal! This includes a bread course, salad course, seafood chowder, a meat course, dessert and more.
The day begins around 3 p.m. as guests gather in the Welcome Garden and Bar in front of the beautiful Inn of Bay Fortune.
Guests are welcome to tour the culinary gardens, greenhouse, or wander along the trails before heading to the 4 p.m. talk with Farmer Kevin at the Culinary Farm.
While listening to the intriguing educational talk about the farm and its terroir, I happen to spot Chef Michael Smith in the background, milling around The Fire Garden, stoking the fires, chatting with his team (called The Fire Brigade), plucking some fresh herbs from the garden, and overseeing the fresh oyster station.
The world-renowned chef (and author of 12 cookbooks, including his latest Wood, Fire & Smoke) joins Farmer Kevin as he welcomes guests and talks about the unique terroir, sustainable farming, and how truly grateful he is to have the opportunity to farm this land, which supplies the produce for his restaurant, and to be able to share it with his guests.
Above: Mouthwatering Seared Blue Fin Tuna with Sea Asparagus served in the Fire Garden
Guests then head to The Fire Garden to visit his “outdoor kitchen” consisting of five live fire stations called Fire Temple, Charcoal Works, Salmon Smokehouse, Copper Dome and Oyster Rock. Visit each station and chat with the Fire Brigade as you enjoy culinary treats the team has crafted that day, including Iron Steak Tacos, Smoked Salmon, Blue Fin Tuna seared on skewers and of course, the raw oyster bar staffed by Chef Smith and his team.
The trick we learned is not to overindulge (although that’s harder than it seems) in the appetizers, as there is a seven-course dinner still to come. The restaurant boasts huge, long tables that seat about 20 people each, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Bay Fortune. The first course is a “Bread Tree” with Red Fife Acadian Spelt Bread served on a wrought iron ‘tree,’ served with Maple Brown Butter, Smokehouse Pate and Farm Fresh Cheese. It’s a feast for the eyes as well as the palate!
Beside an enormous fireplace, Chef Smith and his Fire Brigade are busy cooking and preparing each course. Smith ladles “Iron Chowder” from an enormous cast iron cauldron that’s brimming with PEI shellfish, including oysters, bar clams, lobster, mussels, scallops, crab and diced PEI potatoes. Delicious!
The Culinary Team then served two vegetable plates using vegetables grown on the farm. The first was an “Earth Plate,” while the second was the most beautiful salad I have ever seen. Called “The Harvest Bowl,” it incorporated herbs, shoots, stalks, stems, and vegetables along with edible flowers. It looked like a work of art—almost too pretty to eat, but of course we devoured it.
Next came the Meat, Potato and Vegetable course, which featured melt-in-your-mouth Smoked Beef Brisket, Grilled Flat Iron Steak, Huckleberry Potato and an assortment of vegetables from Smith’s Culinary Farm. Then Chef Matthew Pigeon came around to offer us seconds! Suffice it to say, this was the most delicious main course I have ever eaten. Dessert followed, and then guests headed to the outdoor campfire to roast Adrianne’s Lavender Lemonade Homemade Marshmallows on huge sticks. A sweet end to a perfect day!
While the admission price may seem steep to some, this is an almost full-day educational and an exceptional multi-course farm-to-table dinner created by one of Canada’s most highly regarded (and awarded) chefs and his team, providing an authentic and truly delicious PEI experience that you will surely talk about for years to come. Innatbayfortune.com
Joey’s Deep-Sea Fishing and Lobster Fish & Feast Experience
Joey’s Deep-Sea Fishing is a second-generation family-owned and operated company owned by the brother and sister team of Jamie and Julie Ann Gauthier. The company specializes in Deep Sea Fishing, Blue Tuna Fishing and their popular Lobster Fish & Feast Experience near North Rustico.
Two pristine-white fishing boats are awaiting visitors in the bay: one is ready to take visitors deep-sea fishing, while Captain Kent and his first mate, John Paul welcome us on board the 12-passenger fishing boat for our Lobster Fish & Feast Experience.
Captain Kent sails past the picturesque North Rustico Harbour and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then stops to point out the oyster and mussel beds owned by the renowned Raspberry Point Oysters. Then the Captain makes a brief pit stop at Rustico Harbour Wharf, where two servers from On the Dock Restaurant are waiting to hand over big bags of food for our on-board lobster roll supper. Now that is drive-thru service!
Further out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Captain stops the boat, grabs a huge hook (called a gaff) and hauls in a wooden lobster trap. He then measures the lobster to see if it meets regulation size to be a ‘keeper’ or not, explaining to the captivated audience how the lobster fishing industry works. Since it’s July and the main lobster season in PEI runs from the beginning of May until the end of June, (with a second season running from August until October), Captain Kent explains that the company has purchased the lobster to be used for demonstration purposes to educate people about lobster fishing. He then baits the trap, returns the lobsters to the trap and gently places the trap back in the water.
And now the feast part of this adventure: customers gather around the onboard picnic table or set up makeshift tables while the crew hands out our picnic lunch. The toasted lobster rolls are overflowing with delicious lobster meat. Containers of coleslaw and potato salad round out the meal, along with a jumbo cookie. A great meal to cap off an idyllic PEI experience.
The guided fishing tours are offered three times a day, seven days a week, during July and August. The Deep-sea fishing is a unique three-hour experience where guests can ‘fish for their supper’ under the guidance of the professional crew, with bait and equipment supplied.
Joey’s also offers charters for Bluefin Tuna Fishing for big game fishers. These giant fish have an average weight of 750 lbs and can weigh as much as 1,500 lbs! The boats are equipped with all the modern equipment needed for fighting these huge fish, guided by a captain who is an experienced commercial fisherman. All tuna trips are hook and release, providing a bucket-list experience. joeysfishing.com
Traditional Community Lobster Suppers
Traditional lobster suppers have been served in communities for generations, including the renowned New Glasgow Lobster Suppers in New Glasgow and Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Suppers in North Rustico.
New Glasgow is the original lobster supper on the island, dating back to 1958. The original supper was presented by the Junior Farmers Group as a fundraising event held in their small recreation/meeting hall, with food prepared off-site because there were no kitchen or washroom facilities. Plywood doors served as tables laid on sawhorses while customers sat on benches. Fast forward to today and the beautiful venue is an expansive space with huge windows overlooking a river. Guests begin to line up daily at 4 p.m. to await entrance to this popular island hot spot. The meal includes a one-pound lobster (served hot or cold) plus all-you-can eat PEI mussels, a salad plate containing garden salad, potato salad and coleslaw, fresh rolls, plus pie or strawberry shortcake. And yes, there is a choice of all-you-can-eat pies, so you can have several pieces! The mile-high Lemon Meringue Pie was a favourite. New Glasgow Lobster Suppers is open seasonally from May 31 to October 11 in 2025. This award-winning lobster supper has been featured twice on the TV show You Gotta Eat Here. If you are a foodie and love lobster, The New Glasgow Lobster Supper is a must. peilobstersuppers.com
Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place, a National Historic Site
Lucy Maud Montgomery’s epic book Anne of Green Gables comes to life at Green Gables Heritage Place, a National Historic Site run by Parks Canada. The day we visited, we were lucky enough to catch “Anne and best friend Diana Barry” (portrayed by staff members) relaxing on the front lawn of the historic white house with green shutters, famously known as Green Gables. Visitors can tour the home and gardens or take a walk down Lovers Lane, or visit the Haunted Woods. parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables, www.tourismpei.com
PEI is a charming place to visit. It’s so relaxing that you can’t help but slow down and take a deep breath of fresh sea air and enjoy some quality “island time”. There’s so much to do and see, or just relax and enjoy the wonderful beaches, friendly people, epic food and historic sites. It’s well worth the drive (or flight) to visit magical PEI!
For more information on culinary festivals and experiences, visit tourismpei.com,welcomepei.com, innatbayfortune.com, joeysfishing.com, peilobstersuppers.com, parks.canada.ca
story and photos by Laurie Wallace-Lynch
2019 Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) Certificate of Excellence Third Place Best Food and Drink Feature
Lead photo: Chef Michael Smith and his Fire Brigade team in action at the Live Oyster Bar as part of Oyster Hour as part of his epic FireWorks Feats at Inn at Bay Fortune, PEI. by Laurie Wallace-Lynch
Other articles from totimes.ca – mtltimes.ca – otttimes.ca
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