The lobster fishing season varies depending on Nova Scotia’s lobster fishing district. Districts 33 and 34 run along Nova Scotia’s south shore from Peggy’s Cove to Barrington. These districts fish from the last week in November through the last week in May. It’s during this time that about 40 percent of Canada’s annual lobster catch occurs.
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To add some fun to the season, the whole month of February celebrates lobster with Nova Scotia’s South Shore Lobster Crawl. During this time, the water is cold, resulting in an incredibly succulent lobster. While you’ll find lobster rolls, chowder, and boiled lobster dinners in many restaurants throughout the United States and Canada, Nova Scotia’s lobster festival takes it to a whole new level, with lobster in beer and gelato. When planning your trip, be aware that many of these lobster delicacies are only available during February during the Nova Scotia South Shore Lobster Crawl.
Note: Visit Nova Scotia hosted my visit to Nova Scotia’s South Shore Lobster Crawl. The opinions are mine based on my experience.
1. Lobster Fondue
Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack, Barrington Passage
Barrington Passage is home to Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack, where it serves some of the tastiest lobster dishes in southwest Nova Scotia. One of the distinctive dishes here is the lobster fondue.
Fondue comes in many varieties, but they all have two things in common: a dipper and some sauce. Fondue can be sweet or savory. Typically, you dip small pieces of food in a warm dip or a hot cooking liquid like oil or broth. So when I think of fondue, I think of warm melted cheese with a bit of alcohol and some toasted bread. On the sweet side, it might be pretzels, strawberries, or marshmallows as dippers in warm, melted chocolate. In Nova Scotia, they took it to a whole new level with lobster fondue.
The dippers with this dish are skewers and are as much a part of lobster fondue as the dipping sauce. The chef skewers sautéed cubes of fresh Atlantic lobster with alternate cubes of savory garlic toast made from homemade white bread. There are five skewers to an order, arranged artfully around the warm pot of lobster cream for dipping. Decorating the plate with arugula leaves adds a pop of color to the dish.
Pro Tip: When cooking a live lobster at home, use one hand to criss-cross the lobster claws and then use the other to remove the rubber bands from the claws as you ease them into boiling water. You don’t want to cook the lobster with them on, or it will taste like rubber.
2. Lobster Chowder
Fo’c’sle, Chester
During the festivities, Chester is home to the “Lobster Chowder Chowdown Showdown”. In 2019, Fo’c’sle won the Golden Ladle Trophy in the first Lobster Chowder Chowdown Showdown.
At Fo’c’sle, the chowder begins with celery and onions sautéed in butter. As with most chowders, it featured potatoes, which in this dish were tri-colored potatoes. The cooks mixed in charred corn for added flavor. The blend of heavy cream and milk created an award-winning lobster chowder. They garnished the dish with a lobster-claw, to bring home the lobster theme.
Pro Tip: If you decide to try making lobster chowder at home, don’t let it come to a boil, or it will break the creaminess of the chowder.
3. Lobster Rolls
Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack, Barrington Passage
While I was on my Nova Scotia South Shore Lobster Crawl, I had the opportunity to judge a Lobster Roll-Off challenge. As judges, we ate our way through portions of 12 lobster rolls, each representing a restaurant from the south shore. The competitor had to serve the lobster roll as it does in the restaurant. We judged each of the 12 entries on taste, presentation, and the wow factor. We sampled Bahn mi-style rolls, a deep-fried variety that reminded me of a New Orleans-style Po’boy, and of course, the classic lobster rolls. But with the many styles, all the top three rated were in the classic Nova Scotia style. The host announced the first-place winner as Captain. Kat’s Lobster Shack. It served a buttered, toasted bun loaded with fresh chunks of lobster, a dab of mayo, lemon, and seasoning.
The Kiwi Café, Chester
The Kiwi Café serves its lobster roll with large chunks of lobster combined with dill mayo; then, the cafe piles it on a toasted and buttered brioche bun.
Pro Tip: Lobster meat should smell like the ocean and never be fishy. Lobster tastes slightly sweet and is a nutritious protein and a terrific source of Omega-3.
4. Lobster Dinner
Rhubarb Restaurant at Oceanstone Seaside Resort, Indian Harbour
The chef at Rhubarb Restaurant in the Oceanstone Seaside Resort cooked the final dinner for our Nova Scotia South Shore Lobster Crawl. The lobster dinners are a burst of color. At Rhubarb Restaurant, the chef infused the lobster with flavor by poaching it in a court bouillon with onions and celery. Lobster dinners frequently come with corn on the cob, where the subtle, sweet taste of the lobster marries well with the corn’s sweetness. You’ll also find individual pots of melted butter for dipping your lobster. My lobster dinner featured green beans and roasted potatoes to complete the platter.
5 Fishermen, Halifax
Another version of the lobster dinner is the Five Fish Experience at 5 Fishermen, which includes a lobster tail and local scallops, seared jumbo shrimp, salmon, and halibut. The meal is served with mushroom and dashi risotto, kabayaki, and nori crackers for some Asian flavors. While some may not consider this a lobster dinner, I like the variety: You get some lobster and also have the chance to experience some of the other local seafood.
Pro Tip: If you’re hesitant about ordering because you’re uncertain about how to deconstruct a whole lobster, ask your server if someone is available to provide guidance.
The Sou’Wester, Peggy’s Cove
The Sou’Wester features a fresh steamed lobster dinner with garlic butter for dipping that succulent lobster. The chef serves it with a housemade potato salad, coleslaw, and a roll. This restaurant features a view of the photographic lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, making the view as pleasant as the dinner.
5. Creamed Lobster
Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack, Barrington Passage
You’ll find creamed lobster mainly in southwest Nova Scotia. The dish is truly a comfort food made with butter, heavy cream, milk, and a splash of vinegar. While a typical way to serve it is on toast with mashed potatoes, I generally prefer fries over mashed potatoes, so I opted for the Fisherman’s Delight, accompanied by fries. I sampled this dish at Capt. Kat’s Lobster Shack, where the creamed lobster is a component of a haddock fish sandwich. They top the fish with a giant onion ring and then add the creamed lobster inside the onion ring. They also serve it on toast with mashed potatoes, which is indeed comfort food.
Pro Tip: Creamed lobster is a versatile component of many dishes. Another way to serve creamed lobster is over fries and make it into one of Canada’s signature dishes, poutine.
6. Lobster Gelato
Acadian Maple Products, Upper Tantallon
Even though Acadian Maple Products focuses on maple, the company wanted to be part of the February lobster action. It produces maple gelato year round, but it switched it up and created lobster gelato. It combines a two-cup mixture of knuckle and claw meat into four liters of vanilla gelato. The lobster is finely chopped, so while it adds texture, the sweet lobster meat complements the sweetness of the gelato. As a result, the lobster flavor is delicate.
Pro Tip: Maple is another famous Nova Scotia product. While you’re at Acadian Maple, sample its variety of maple syrup and take some home to enjoy a reminder of your Nova Scotia vacation.
7. Lobster Beer
Saltbox Brewing Company, Mahone Bay
The first year of the South Shore Lobster Crawl was 2018, and the Saltbox Brewing Company wanted to get in on the fun. So, it launched Crustacean Elation. The brewmaster used a double-infusion brewing process. First, he used both whole lobsters and fire-roasted shells to impart the lobster aroma and taste. It results in a lightly colored and hoppy beer with a trace of citrus. The slightly sweet, salty finish is the essence of the sea and lobster. Pair it with a lobster roll to enhance the lobster flavor.
Pro Tip: This pilsner that celebrates Atlantic Canada’s lobster industry sold out within a week, the first year. While it is making larger quantities, get there early in the month if you want to try this unusual treat. It’s only available during February.
Lobster and other seafood dishes are a staple in Nova Scotia, but there is so much more to this destination:
