King’s Plate: Lunenburg’s Culinary Crown Jewel

Summer is finally upon us, and with it, a number of great “staycation” options exist within an hour drive of downtown Halifax. Last week, Kel and I decided to embark on an overnight getaway to Lunenburg to escape the hustle and bustle of the HRM for date night at King’s Plate. The romantic cooling effect of the salty sea air set the perfect tone for a relaxing evening after a hot day in the city.

Kel and I arrived at the Mariner King Historic Inn in downtown Lunenburg early on a Friday evening after a surprisingly short (just under 100kms from downtown Halifax) and incredibly scenic drive along the south shore through Queensland, Chester, and Mahone Bay.

The Inn offers beautiful modern accommodations in three downtown buildings. Kel and I opted for a room in the newly renovated Cranberry Addition, named for its charming colour and were pleased to arrive to find a mini-bar stocked with Nova Scotia beverages, including Propeller Honey Brown and Jost Marechal Foch.

The Mariner King is home to two restaurants: the King’s Plate (fine dining) and Trattoria Della Nonna (Italian and Mediterranean cusine). Kel and I opted for the King’s Plate, drawn by the reputation of Chef Konrad, known for his ability to blend European flavours with traditional Nova Scotian dishes.

Appetizers
The meal began with appetizers fit for a king – Chef Konrad’s “Lobster Cappuccino”, a rich lobster bisque served in a café cup. Words that come to mind to describe this treat include icantbelievehowgoodthatwas and pleasesirmayihaveanother. Delicious and creative, this was easily the best appetizer I’ve ever experienced.

Kel and I also ordered Smoked Salmon Three Ways, which included melt in your mouth smoked salmon tartar in puff pastry, salmon-wrapped asparagus and stand alone smoked salmon, all made more delicious by a dill-Dijon dipping sauce. We were floored… simply put, the appetizers alone were worth the trip from Halifax.

Main
The main course featured Annapolis Valley-raised duck, pan-seared to perfection and complemented by a traditional orange sauce, steamed veggies and some absolutely delicious corn pancakes. The duck was tender and full of flavour and paired nicely with a glass of crisp Blomidon Estate L’Acadie Blanc.

Having recently returned from a trip to North Carolina, home of the corn fritter and corn pudding, I have developed considerable expertise in the area of corn-based dishes, a self-proclaimed Kernal Cornucopia. Chef Konrad nailed the corn pancakes, offering up a sweet and crispy treat that Kel and I shared. Perhaps sharing isn’t quite the right word, as it was more of a competition. Luckily, I was able to negotiate a solid deal that involved nabbing two of the delicious Pistachio-crusted scallops. Talk about a win-win situation.

Dessert
I closed out the meal with a dessert worthy of chocolate royalty, the Chocolate Marquise. A light chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce, this served as the end to what certainly stood out as one of the best meals I have ever had.

Chef Konrad
We were lucky enough to meet Chef Konrad after the meal and chat about his love for Nova Scotia and his entrepreneurial spirit. Chef Konrad is a man whose smile radiates as much warmth as the delicious Lobster Cappuccino. A 3-Star Michelin Chef trained in Germany, he fell in love with Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, and his wife during a 1999 visit to the province, ultimately prompting a move to the region (this province has a habit of making people fall in love with it). He welcomed us to return later in the summer to attend Cilantro Culinary Classes, which will most certainly warrant another visit to Lunenburg later in the summer.

Breakfast
Also very noteworthy was the delicious breakfast available to guests of the Mariner King as part of their stay– a fantastic spread of meat, cheese, fruit, freshly baked bread and made to order omelets and eggs benedict – it will have you jumping out of bed!

Make a point of booking a night off from the hustle and bustle of whichever big city you are in and make the trip to Lunenburg to indulge in dining fit for a king.