While we were on holidays, Jordan and I ate at The Fifth Ticket in St. John's not once, but twice! We were downtown on a Saturday, wandering around and looking for a place to have lunch, when we stumbled upon this place. We were absolutely starving at this point so we headed in, however, did not realize until afterwards that they serve brunch on weekends from 11am-3pm. Since we were looking for lunch, not breakfast foods, we were initially a bit disappointed, though the menu did contain a couple of lunch-food items such as mac and cheese, fish, and soup.

After scanning the menu, we both decided on the same meal (which just so happened to be breakfast after all) which was vanilla waffles and sausage with hash browns and fruit. I basically devoured my entire plate of food! The waffles were light, the sausage was tasty, and the hash browns were to die for. Jordan was feeling quite under the weather that day as he was only a couple days post-op and didn't eat much but I think he would have thoroughly enjoyed his meal under normal circumstances.

While we were there for brunch, they were holding a Snapchat contest whereby if you snapped them, you would be entered to win a $50 gift card. It was an easy contest to enter and I found out a few days later that I was actually one of the lucky winners!

The next time we were in St. John's, we headed downtown to pick up the gift card. It was around 7pm on a Friday evening and we didn't have a reservation so we weren't expecting to eat there that night. However, we were told that they could seat us at the bar if we wanted to stay so we decided it was just as well considering we were already there!

The restaurant itself features a main dining room (which is where we ate both times), a piano bar, and a chef's table. We could have eaten at the bar in the piano bar side of the restaurant while we were there for supper but I found it a bit chilly over there that night. It would have certainly been neat to witness the performance though, as it is St. John's only piano bar.

Despite sitting at the bar, we had no complaints with the service that we received. We both started with a drink - a cocktail for me and a beer for Jordan. We decided to order appetizers - "yesterday's soup" which was asparagus and green pea with parmesan cheese. While waiting for our soup, they brought out a bread board with an oil and vinaigrette blend for dipping. The bread was warm, soft and to die for! I was stuffed before my soup even arrived because I wasn't leaving one crumb of that bread behind. The soup was nice, a light and fresh soup, but I personally felt that it was missing a little something. It could simply be because I tend to prefer savoury and salty foods, but I think some pepper and an extra dose of cheese would have made it even better! Jordan really enjoyed it and even made a comment about recreating it at home.

For my main, I actually ordered off the appetizer menu, which is quite common for me! I decided to order two smoked cod tacos made with locally caught cod fish and a side of bistro fries, which are hand-cut fries tossed in truffle oil, parmesan cheese and seasoning. Jordan ordered "The Burger" served with greens and bistro fries. The tacos were tasty but once again, I kind of felt that something was missing. I brought one home with me as I was too stuffed to eat both and filled it with more cheese, which seemed to help. The smoked cod was delicious and definitely smokey. Jordan enjoyed his burger (he said "It's good" when I asked for a review) but the real star of the show was the bistro fries. Oh. My. God. We would go back for those fries alone! Perfectly crispy and flavourful.. they are worth the trip!

We both desperately wanted to try the dessert but we were so uncomfortably full that we just couldn't fit it in! Overall, we both enjoyed our experiences at this restaurant. I would definitely go back again, especially for brunch. The ambience is really neat in there with lots of funky lighting, exposed brick walls, and chalkboards, not to mention the piano bar! And we received excellent service both times we ate there, even at the extremely busy bar. The servers were polite and friendly and definitely committed to ensuring that we enjoyed our meals.

Brunch for two cost approximately $35 and our dinner meal with drinks and appetizers cost approximately $85. Have you ever eaten there? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Just as a side note, I am not claiming to be a professional restaurant reviewer. I just like food, period. 

Review: Two Whales Coffee Shop in Port Rexton, Newfoundland

I've been wanting to try the Two Whales Coffee Shop in Port Rexton, Newfoundland for a few years and I finally got the opportunity during my "staycation". The Two Whales Coffee Shop is a family-run cafe housed in an adorably quaint building with a gorgeous view of the ocean.

From the moment I entered the building, I fell in love with its floral wallpaper, wooden floors, and exposed beams. The restaurant features local art on the walls with rotating artists featured each month. They also feature concerts with local musicians, with 100% of the door money returning to said musicians. 

After scanning the chalkboard featuring the restaurant's daily specials and desserts, we took a seat at a table by the window. Our server, whose name I regretfully missed, was excellent. True to Newfoundland style, she politely asked where we were visiting from and informed us about numerous local activities that we could partake in during our stay.

The first thing I noticed upon reading the menu was the lack of meat. As in, the menu was entirely vegetarian. I am the type of person who practically needs meat to complete a meal, so naturally I was a bit hesitant at first. However, upon stumbling upon the words "partridgeberry pickle", I was enamoured once again (for those unfamiliar with the fruit, partridgeberries, or lingonberries, are similar to cranberries and are perfectly tart and delicious).

Jordan and I both decided to order the "Root Cellar Soup" which is made of pureed carrots, turnip and beet, amongst other things. It was a little chilly outside and the soup was warm and comforting. To pair with the soup I ordered the "Berry Picker" panini, which is made of brie, partridgeberry pickle and spinach. Jordan ordered the "Parisian", which is the other option that I was debating. The Parisian is made of brie and garlic mushrooms and would be an excellent option for meat-lovers thanks to the savoury mushrooms. Both paninis were absolutely delicious and were served with a side green salad with homemade dressing as well as homemade coleslaw. Both were good (especially the dressing!) but still allowed the panini to steal the show.

I also ordered a cappuccino which was a tad bit strong thanks to the double shot, but nothing that a little milk couldn't fix! I'm not normally a coffee drinker at all, so those of you who are would likely not find it too strong (also, for you coffee lovers, they use Jumping Bean!). After finishing our meal, we were all stuffed but absolutely had to make room for dessert! I'm not a dessert person at all but the partridgeberry brownie caught my eye and I had to have it! Luckily they offered it in two sizes - humpback (large) and minke (small). I got a minke and it was just enough to top off the delicious meal. Perfectly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside with the tart partridgeberries balancing the dark chocolate.. mm, I could go for another right now! Jordan ordered the chocolate cake which he thoroughly enjoyed and our friends shared a large slice of carrot cake which supposedly tasted "just like mom's"!

For two soup and panini combos, a lemonade, a cappuccino, and two desserts, the bill came to approx. $55 with tax and a tip, which I thought was perfectly reasonable. I would absolutely return to the Two Whales Coffee Shop but until I do, I will be scouring the recipes on their website and attempting to recreate those delicious brownies.