Fresh from farm to plate. The 2019 Taste our Island Award was presented to seven of the best chefs and restaurants in Prince Edward Island. These winners are all examples of the outstanding cuisine this province is now famous for thanks to the presence of the Culinary Institute of Canada and the incredible chefs it produces and attracts. The Taste our Island Award goes to restaurants and chefs who create exceptional products using local Island food.
2019 AWARD WINNERS
- Polehouse Café - (Cardigan Market) Lunch with fine coffees and rustic delights created with seasonal ingredients by Chef Leif Hammarlund. 902-940-7007
- Eden’s Gate - (Georgetown) Chef Bobbi Jo MacLean’s striking and diverse menu features delicious meals at affordable prices. www.edensgateinc.com
- Blue Mussel Café - (North Rustico) Chef Jamie Power specializes in superb seafood and strives to provide food that is fresh and local. www.bluemusselcafe.com
- Top of the Park - (Charlottetown) Chef Andrew Smith produces an amazing buffet where guests dine overlooking a century-old race track! www.redshores.ca/top-of-the-park
- Pure Kitchen - (Charlottetown) Chef John Pritchard is dedicated to providing ‘top shelf’, environmentally conscious catering solutions. www.purekitchenpei.com
- Local Supper Club. - (Charlottetown) Chefs Hunter Guindon and Lucy Morrow combine to create delicious, multi-course gourmet meals. facebook.com/local.supperclub
- Famous Peppers - (Charlottetown) Chef Brad MacDonald creates an outstanding selection of farm-to-table, healthy, gourmet wood-fired pizzas. www.famouspeppers.ca
Taste Our Island Award - Past Winners
- 2018 - The Dunes Studio Gallery and Café - Surrounded by vibrant art and spectacular botanical gardens and inspired cuisine makes The Dunes one of the most amazing culinary destinations.
- 2017 - The Table Culinary Studio - For an exquisite dining experience that embraces the heart and soul of the Island, head for The Table Culinary Studio in New London where fabulous cuisine combines with local food to give you the very best.
- 2016 - The Inn at Bay Fortune Chef Michael Smith is Prince Edward Island’s food ambassador and a long-time advocate of the province’s incredible food culture. In 2015 Michael and his wife Chastity became proprietors of his alma mater, The Inn at Bay Fortune.
- 2015 - The Mill - Owned by Chef Emily Wells, and winner of the coveted 2015 Taste Our Island Award, the restaurant is located in a beautifully restored grain mill in the heart of New Glasgow farming country and near the fishing harbours of North Rustico.
- 2014 - Shaw's Hotel & Restaurant won the 2014 PEI Adapt Council's "Taste our Island" Award. Striving to produce fabulous food in concert with the region's agricultural season, the partnership of fourth-generation hotelier Robbie Shaw and chef extraordinaire Peter Angus has taken the concept to a whole new level. Shaw's Hotel & Restaurant is open from early June to late September, and is located at 99 Apple Tree Road, overlooking the bay in Brackley Beach.
- 2013 - Terre Rouge-Bistro Marche - located on Queen Street in downtown Charlottetown and is fully licensed with changing seasonal menus, all produced in-house by renowned chefs Dave Mottershall and John Pritchard. The marche offers a full selection of charcuterie, rotisserie, preserves, breads, and desserts.
- 2012 - The Inn at Bay Fortune - The restaurant is renowned for its menu that includes seafood, meats and a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. The Inn at Bay Fortune is located 45 minutes east of Charlottetown.
- 2011 - Papa Joe's - Papa Joe's menu changes with the availability of the seasons, but the family's ongoing passion for freshness, beautifully seasoned seafood, meats, and some of the tastiest comfort cuisine, remains constant. Papa Joe's restaurant is located at 345 University Avenue in Charlottetown.
- 2010 - The Pearl - The Pearl welcomes guests to its rustic elegant, art-filled dining room, and nourishes them with unforgettable food and drink. The building itself has been completely renovated with paintings, sculpture, fixtures, and furnishings from all over PEI.
- 2009 - Victoria Village Inn - At the Victoria Village Inn, dining guests can meet the chef who prepared their grilled Atlantic salmon, pan roasted chicken breast, or Argyle Shore green salad.
- 2008 - Merchantman Pub - In 2008 Chef Shirleen Peardon and Pub owner Peter Hyndman fulfilled their goal of creating a menu that is made up of 100 percent local foods. Here's a sample of what appeared on the award-winning menu: PEI Colville Bay Oysters, North Shore Halibut, Island Striploin, Seared Sea Scallops, and of course PEI Blue Mussels.
- 2007 - The Maplethorpe Cafe