The One about the Four-poster Bed, 365 Islands and a BBQ Sauce

I like things that have an air of mystery to them; I think it adds to the excitement and romance of an occasion.  So when my husband and I decided to explore the Southern most part of our province, despite the foggy and rainy conditions, I was filled with visions of old inns and hotels nestled closely to the water, blurred and mysterious with the fog.

So you’ll imagine my surprise when we pulled into the parking lot at the Ye Olde Argyler Lodge and the picture in front of me was right out of Wuthering Heights – a beautiful, distinguished house, blurred slightly by the mist and fog, with an expansive garden reaching out in front of it, and the sound of close-by water. I threw the car door open (why end the dramatics now) and was hit immediately by the fresh, salt air.  As we carried our bags inside, we realized that the expansive garden was a mix of flowers, various lettuces, countless herbs and even some vegetables – this was certainly a good omen of things to come.

We were greeted at the door by Jonathan Joseph, one of the Inn’s owners, who warmly welcomed us (the remaining owners are rounded out by Jonathan’s parents, Jay and Lois and his wife Elana).  While we got our room details settled, I had the opportunity to take a look at the inviting dining room, which is just past the lobby.

Despite the foggy conditions, it was clear that view was nothing short of spectacular.  Just past the back end of the Lodge, and through the entire side of the windowed dining room, was a bay with 365 islands.  Even with the fog it was possible to see the outlines of some of the closer islands, and I could imagine what it would look like eating dinner in a room with that sort of view!

Once all details were taken care of, we were shown to our room.  We stayed in the Captain’s Quarters, and were very impressed by the high ceilings, the gorgeous windows making up the entire far wall of the room and the beautiful woodwork on the furniture – especially the detail on the four-poster bed.  The accommodations were nothing short of lovely, and felt very cozy despite the expanse of the ceilings.  After getting settled we took a walk around the property and could easily envision how busy a spot like this would be on a summer weekend.  Close to the shoreline was a fire-pit that would make the ideal marshmallow roasting spot, and there was a wharf to the other side of the Lodge that housed several boats.

We came back into the dining room for dinner and met Jonathan’s wife, Elana, and we had a chance to chat about the property.  The family is originally from Florida and they purchased the Lodge five years ago.  Elana confirmed what I had guessed – that this would make an exceptional spot for a wedding.  She took us on a quick tour of the Inn, which included a huge space downstairs complete with a massive, stone-hearth fireplace and bar (again, this would be ideal for people having a wedding, especially for guests staying on-site).

We came back to the dining room for dinner, and took a spin through the menu.  As a quick heads-up for anyone traveling in this part of Nova Scotia: when you sit down and see “local scallops” on the menu, do yourself a huge favour and order them. And then send me a comment telling me how good they were.

On this particular evening my scallops would be seared with a dusting of five-spice and a light miso glaze.  Once my decision was made, I peeked over my menu at my husband.  His menu was down, and boy did he look satisfied.  Ribs – there must have been ribs on the menu.  He confirmed my suspicion and went one step further, letting me know that they had been snuggled by a root beer BBQ sauce.  BBQ is something my husband loves, and he prides himself on his own well-crafted root beer sauce.  I sensed a challenge, but said nothing.

Prior to round one of the rib showdown, we ordered a bottle of the Jost Avondale Gold Reisling, which Elana kindly brought to the table (and I will say, for a girl originally from New York and then Florida, she’s very well-versed in Nova Scotia wines).  We filled her in on the root beer BBQ sauce challenge – I hope she was as entertained by the idea as we were – and we enjoyed the view while we waited for the food.

It had cleared up a little bit (only so much that you could actually see the first island) and it was lovely to be inside a cozy dining room.  Once our food arrived, I would officially say round two of the Great Root Beer BBQ Sauce Challenge began.

But enough about the ribs for a second – the scallops had their own moment in the sun.  They were plump and juicy and sweet, which was a great contrast with the distinctive flavour of the spice blend. The accompanying sides of rice and vegetables were very well done, and didn’t detract at all from the stars of the show.  I could have had another plate.

By this point my husband was already well into the ribs, which he confirmed were crumbling off the bone.  He also managed to mumble through mouthfuls that the root beer sauce was very well done (I’m fairly sure he was taking mental notes).  It was a fantastic dinner – well-sourced, quality ingredients, simply and well prepared. We managed to roll ourselves up the stairs to our room and enjoyed a wonderful night’s sleep (I honestly thought about sneaking away with the quilt).

When we woke up the next morning, the fog had yet to roll in and we had a perfect view of the bay and islands from our window.  This would certainly make a wonderful spot to moor a boat and enjoy either a brunch or a dinner  (they do have a weekend brunch at the Olde Argyler in case you are in town!).  In addition to the lovely view of the islands, we were also treated to a wonderful breakfast that included a sensational granola made on site at the Inn and fresh pancakes.

There are so many opportunities to travel to places like this in Nova Scotia. The hospitality, fantastic service, wonderful people and amazing vistas will certainly make Ye Olde Argyler a repeat stop on our travels to the South Shore.  And I would say we’re due for another round of the Great Root Beer BBQ Challenge soon!