Being based in St. John's and having a deep love of the Maritimes, writer and culinary historian Gabby Peyton has been a prolific celebrator of all things East Coast food for many years.
Her penchant for food writing has also taken her to many places across the Canada, which is part of the reason why her new book Where We Ate came to life. The dynamic book shares the stories behind 150 Canadian restaurants, some of days gone by and others still very much in business, as well as regional dishes and drinks that have become synonymous with Canadian food culture over the past century.
"I want people to fall in love with restaurants across Canada as much as I did while writing this book,” says Peyton. “I’ve always loved restaurants, but after working on Where We Ate, I appreciate them in a whole new way. When someone opens up this book, I hope it inspires them too.”
Seeing as the newly-minted author calls Newfoundland home, we thought it would be perfectly timely to ask Gabby Peyton to share her favourite spots for eats and drinks in St. John's.
From authentic Italian-style pizza to an epic eatery owned by a Top Chef Canada champ, her picks will have you wanting to book a flight out to the East Coast ASAP!
Breakfast
Toslow has one of the best cappuccinos in town and they always have a great breakfast sandwich on offer — their Mac Combo on a Bun is one of my favourites! Toslow’s baked goods are always amazing, like the everything bagel Danishes and pumpkin pie doughnuts.
Lunch
Piatto is my go-to for lunch! They have amazing VPN-certified pizzas and I love their Caesar salad. Their lunch special is iconic in the city: a small salad and a personal-sized pizza.
Dinner
I'm going to have to shout out two spots here! Terre and Portage are tied for me when it comes to choosing a nice dinner out...and luckily, they are right across the street from each other!
Terre’s "let the kitchen cook for you" tasting menu is always a fun adventure filled with seafood, and Portage’s banh mi salad is amazing — and the things they can do with rutabaga!
Drinks
Papillon has only been open for about a year, but it’s become a fave. They have great cocktails!
Buy Gabby Peyton's debut book 'Where We Ate'
