Cape Breton - an ocean's worth of seafood

We decided to drive the Cape Breton Trail, stopping in Mira River, Ingonish, and Cheticamp. As we were camping our culinary expectations were simplified: all we wanted was a good net's worth of shellfish, some butter and a fire. What we got was the best quality seafood, at the most reasonable price, and the need for a new exercise regiment.

Gourmet Cooking: potatoes, carrots, caramelized onions and hotdogs. A camp favourite, "Fresh Dinner".

 The second day we ate in town at Ingonish's Main Street Restaurant. We had a salad with scallops, and a crab cake with a cocktail sauce. The salad was drenched in dressing and not very good, but the crab cakes quality was impeccable - chock full of crab, no filler.

 The cold seafood platter was a steal at $12, including 6 mussels, 6 prawns, a half lobster, smoked salmon. Perhaps an East Coast thing, I again did not need the cream sauce drizzle and would have preferred it to be just the fish.

 A pasta ($18), with the a hefty portion of seafood making the fish the star and the noodles a second fiddle. The sauce was light, and full of fresh herbs. Mussels, scallops, shrimp and the other half of the lobster we had eaten in the cold platter. The pasta also had huge chunks of crab and lobster meat which was a pleasant surprise. A+.

 The next morning we drove up to Asby Bay's Hideaway Camp Ground and Oyster Farm. We ordered a half a crab ($10) with the thickest, juiciest meat that made it worth the struggle (we broke a pair of lobster sheers). The crab was so fantastic we ordered several more. The crab was caught by the owner of the campground, and was so fresh - absolutely divine.

 We also ordered about 24 oysters, farmed on the campground. Perfect texture and smooth taste. A wonderful start to the day.

We also ordered 3 lobsters for the next evening at the camp, which we had the fisherman steam and pre-cut for us. We sat around the fire and dipped our lobster chunks (which we broke away using an empty wine bottle - always classy) but the photos were too messy to share :)

Seafood in it's most unpretentious environment, caught by the most down to earth people, and prepared letting the meat speak for itself - all a gal can ask for.