Our time on the Cabot Trail was one of awe and beauty and nothing can take away from the sights and sounds. But being foodies, we could not take a drive on the Cabot Trail without stopping for food every so often.

Getting to the Cabot Trail has various options depending on which side you begin. We were told the best way is to begin on the east side and come down the west side; so that was our plan. Our adventure began on the Englishtown Ferry; a cable ferry crossing the mouth of St. Ann’s Bay. This was one of the shortest ferries we have been on with a crossing of 410 feet wide channel. Our vehicle was the only one on the ferry that morning and we visited with the deckhand, learning about the area and various places to stop for food.

 

First stop – Clucking Hen Cafe & Bakery in Englishtown for breakfast. Even though the morning was cool we chose to dine on the porch with a great view of the water. Bagel with herbed cream cheese and bagel breakfast sandwich were our choices. Both were fresh and tasty and being a light breakfast left room for other stops. 

We spotted The Dancing Moose Cafe in Birch Plain and had to stop just because of the name. There are moose items everywhere you look. The cafe portion is a small enclosed area with a view of the water. We ordered an apple turnover and coffee. This location was our only disappointment along the Cabot Trail. The turnover was dry and tasteless; maybe something else would have been better. We enjoyed our coffee and headed on up the trail.

 

Next stop, Wreck Cove General Store. The store has been operating since 1976 and is truly a general store having lots of things including ice cream. For John, anytime is ice cream time and the day was gorgeous so we sat out and enjoyed ice cream and our surroundings. We had to keep an eye out for a bandit crow named Gilbert. The Maritimes have some of the largest crows we’ve ever seen and this place had signs warning that one in particular, Gilbert, had the propensity for stealing whole sandwiches — outdoor diner beware! Gilbert did make an appearance but did not seem to be interested in ice cream.

We figured we had enough until lunch so we just enjoyed the views and pull offs for awhile. Heading down the west side of the Cabot Trail we came to Cheticamp, an Acadian settlement. True to its name, we found an Acadian restaurant, L’Abri Cafe. Wanting to try Acadian food from the Maritimes, Laurie settled on Fricot Acadien. It was described as “chicken and potatoes in a classic hearty Acadian broth”. The chef/owner is Acadian and the Fricot recipe was his grandmother’s. In talking with Maritime Acadians, we were told most Fricot has dumplings which LAbri’s Fricot did not. So just as in south Louisiana Cajun cooking, Maritime Acadian recipes vary with families. This dish was flavorful and hearty, with the broth similar to a soup. John had a lobster roll, which was sweet, tender and fresh. This was by far the best lobster roll to date.

 

Dessert was bypassed since we planned to visit Aucoin Bakery (la Boulangerie) for a selection of sweets. Since there was no place to sit and enjoy our sweets with coffee, we took them to go for later enjoyment.

 

Next stop was a little off the Cabot Trail, but then we are always up for adventures. We were in search of a lighthouse and we found it along with Laurence’s Hardware & Groceries. The store is also the local post office. We talked with locals coming to pick up their mail as well as a few groceries. There was a picnic table overlooking the water on the side of the store so more ice cream and a rest stop.

 

As we drove down the west coast, our name was on a pastry at The Dancing Goat Cafe & Bakery in Margaree. As we stood staring at the many enticing items, a woman next to us said the lemon is great. John is a big lemon fan yet I just had to ask her, what else do you like. Her answer sold me on the lemon confection – “I don’t know, I have never had anything else”. Being local she said the bakery was a regular for her, so lemon it was. it did not fail – it was melt in your mouth delicious. 

The lemon delicacy was the perfect ending for our adventure along the Cabot Trail. The sights, sounds and food made this adventure exciting.