Fid Resto

When word that one of Halifax’s perennial «Best of» restaurants announced that they’re shutting down at the end of May, I knew I had to make at least one more trip before that fateful day arrived. That trip turned out to be when my dad was in town recently and I would be eating for free. Sha-​bang! I sadly haven’t been to Fid since they switched from fine dining to a slightly more casual setting, but the room was basically the same, with a relatively small space that had a more casual feel than it used to, which is A-​OK with me.
Being that it was early on a Saturday afternoon and I had just finished a night shift a few hours earlier, I was keen on a satisfying brunch. To the wonderment of my eyes and belly, I saw that they had the elusive Scotch egg on their brunch menu — a boiled egg wrapped in sausage, lightly breaded and fried. I’ve only had it once before at a brew pub in St. John and haven’t seen it anywhere else in Halifax, so it was a happy find.
The restaurant only had customers at a couple of other tables so it was a short wait for our food. My Scotch egg came, golden brown and crispy, nestled on top of a crumpet, along with a rosti and mixed greens with a sprinkling of Fid’s signature salad topping, popcorn. The last Scotch eggs I had were served cold, so a hot one was a nice contrast. It certainly does wonders for the breading, which was nice and crispy, and the sausage was nicely seasoned, similar to an Italian sausage, but not quite the same. All in all, a fantastic way to eat your eggs and sausage. The homemade crumpet was buttery, airy and soft without being spongey, re. another hit out of the park. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with the rosti, but it turns out it is similar to a hashbrown patty or latke, as it’s shredded potato formed into a disc and fried. With a crispy exterior and moist inside, and a mild onion flavour, I don’t care what it’s called as long as I can have more.
With Fid still pumping out the inventive and great quality food that I remember, it’ll be sad to see them go, but maybe I can get another free meal there out of my dad before they close up shop. Or pay for myself if it comes to that.

Fid Resto is a fine dining establishment that is pretty unique. Its small but has a very good setting and food is pretty good. What I love most about it is the fact that they source local food the best can for their dishes. With exception to the price (but I guess that is what is expected for a fine dining sort of place), everything else is a thumbs up for me.

We went to Fid about a year and a half ago at the end of a memorable and gorgeous hiking trip around Cape Breton. It was the perfect conclusion to a beautiful week — warm atmosphere, great service, creative menu with local organic ingredients. I had a special that evening — tender beef cheek on a bed of silky smooth puréed potatoes. My husband had the shepherds pie complete with savory chunks of lamb and parsnips and potatoes. The meal stands out starkly in my memory because of how delectable it was, but also because the ambiance was warm, our server made excellent wine suggestions, the prices were not exorbitant and my aching muscles were thrilled for a chance to sit down and enjoy a gorgeous meal. My experience that night was 5 stars. If I’m ever back in Halifax, I’d be eager to try Fid again… to see how it measures up under other circumstances.

I like restaurants which can be eclectic without compromising on quality or service. Fid Resto does that for me. They had a little bit of everything on the menu, with quite a bit of innovation.
We started with caramelized sea scallops ($ 11) — which isn’t so eclectic — but also the lobster poutine ($ 12), which I guess would be. The scallops included the muscle part, something you don’t often see. The lobster poutine had chunks of claw and tail accompanied by fries which were somewhat gently cooked and then allowed to steep in the juices in the bowl.
Our entrees were the espresso-​braised beef cheek ($ 25) and the Atlantic halibut ($ 29). The beef broke apart with your fork and had a subtly sweet flavor which reminded us of a balsamic vinegar influence. The espresso was evidently heated until reduced in the braising process. The waitress informed me the halibut would normally be cooked «medium,» and would that be ok? I requested slightly more done, and the fish was cooked perfectly to my liking. It was accompanied by sauteed fennel and hunter’s beans, which I had never previously had.
Desserts were grilled peaches with crème fraîche ($ 7) and a deep-​roasted coffee crème brûlée ($ 6). I had expected the peaches to caramelize and have a distinctive taste, but in this case they did not. Normally, I would have ordered coffee with a crème brûlée; I definitely didn’t need it for this. Besides the coffee flavor, it had a deep-​roasted coffee topping.
If I lived locally, I would probably take advantage of their «back door» option as often as I could.

This is based totally on the back door experience. I have no idea what the front looks like.
My first visit to the backdoor was during opencity, where the 6 $ banh mi was being served. We were the first ones in line and was just blown away by this spicy sandwich.
Since then the 10 $ pad thai has been made available for the last 2 months and judging from twitterverse there seems to be a regular stream of people getting it daily.
So I finally made it again to the back door on a rainy day. You never know what to do… Do you knock the door? should you help move the recycle bins? If the door is open, do you stick your head in? Do you really need to wash the dishes while waiting?
What you do get is a chance to stick your head in the kitchen and see the meals being prepared and hard working staff creating these fine meals.
The pad thai in hand (it was steaming hot) I brought it back to the office and opened it up. Oh man, really good stuff. This might be the best priced/​quality/​quantity/​fresh pad thai in the city.
Maybe I’ll have a sit down meal, but for now… the back door 5 min wait to get the meal ready — no fuss — pad thai is my thing. Even waiting in the rain :)

My boyfriend and I ate here during our vacation to Halifax, and our experience could not have been better. In fact, after 10 days on vacation through Canada, this was by far the best meal we had.
The food was amazing – not just in its preparation but in its inventiveness. The Lobster Poutine made with chickpea «fries» and other non-​traditional ingredients was superb. Everything we ate tasted beyond words, making us literally giddy with excitement. On top of the that, the wine suggestions were great and the service could not have been better.
We had our dinner reservations narrowed down to two places and I couldn’t have been happier we chose this place. A must-​visit!

My first ever visit to Fid and it just happens to be Small Plates night!
Small Plates night features a special menu with about 20 different items ranging in price from $ 3 to $ 7. The menu is set up something like an all-​you can-​eat sushi restaurant, where you check off the items you want to try and they are brought out to the table when they’re ready. It’s a really great way to try new and different things.
I was at dinner with two other people so I got to try a lot of the items on the menu. The highlights were the lobster mac n’ cheese, acras (salt cod fritters), key lime pie and UFO chocolate cookie. I also had an excellent strawberry mojito. The only thing I really didn’t like was the duck scrunchin, which was too greasy/​salty for my taste.
The service was great, all of the servers were friendly, attentive and well informed about the dishes. The atmosphere was nice as well, not too crowded or loud, although the dining room was only about half full.
All in all, Fid was great. I can’t wait to go back and try their full menu and I will be keeping an eye out for future Small Plates nights!

I was starting to think this place didn’t exist, instead was just fantastic graffiti! For the past 4 months we’ve struggled to get dinner reservations, so one afternoon we were off and POPPED in for lunch! Success!
I was so excited I could hardly sit still– I was about to taste their ever so raved about Pad Thai! It comes out in a huge bowl and yup, filled to the brim! It has real chuncks of nuts, a kick to it (though, I will ask for much more spice next time), and much to my surprise it is home to some very baby shrimp. The wife lived on the edge and ordered the F. burger. Unique to Fid they grind their own meat, big deal you say? Well, you can then order your meat to your taste. Medium rare hamburg is a no-​no most everywhere as they are never really sure how the meat is ground or what preservatives have been mixed in, however Fid knows the deets. so you can. This means a flavour filled. juicy burger. Good job, Fid.
The ‘ingredients’ to their dishes aren’t outlined on their menu so I wasn’t prepared for the baby shrimps, but it was a welcomed surprise. So if you’re not into the seafood make a note to say no-​no on the eenie weenie’s!
Definite hidden gem in the city. I can’t wait to hit up dinner… mostly because they have churro’s on their dessert menu. eya mama!

Under the Radar
So what I love about Fid is that during Open City, when demand was higher than expected and they sold out of sandwiches, they adapted, switched it up and started offering their awesome Pad Thai. What I love even more about them is that they’ve kept it up and are now offering Pad Thai out the backdoor anytime.
On Saturday I found myself talking to the owner Dennis who cooked up my myself and 2 friends some delicious Pad Thai. Even though Fid is not a Thai restaurant, they make my fave P.T. in the city, because they have a nice balance between the noodles and other ingredients. Very flavorful as well!
I can’t wait to hit them up again to get another Thai food fix!

Fid is one of my favorite restaurants in the city and I’ve been here many many times. During the recent OpenCity event however, I discovered a different side of the resto… literally. Their back door banh mi was the best we ate that day and when I heard they had continued with pad thai after running out of the delicious sandwich, and that they are continuing to make every day, I had to go!
Renovating my kitchen meant no cooking tonight so my daughter and I headed across the bridge and my mouth was already watering. Got to the back door, knocked, and asked for the pad thai. The kitchen was busy with supper service starting and we could see quail eggs and duck confit being prepped.
Our pad thai arrived and the smell was heavenly. We headed to the public gardens to enjoy this fresh, light and wonderfully fragrant dish. Wow.
Keep it up Fid, this back door deal is awesome. 10 bucks, including taxes? How cool is that?

I should note before I start this review that as a new Unilocaler, I am choosing to review some of my favourite spots to build up my reviews. I do not award every experience with a gold-​star review; should I come across a bad experience now that I am Unilocaling, I shall of course not hesitate to write up a bitch-​fest. But for now, I am working my way through my version of Halifax Gold.
I am notoriously bad at making decisions; you’ll often find me in the aisles of Barrington Street Superstore struggling to decide which pattern to go for on my paper towels. But if you asked me to choose my favourite overall place to eat in Halifax, I’d choose Fid Resto without hesitation.
Is there ‘finer’ food in Halifax? Probably, yes (but not much). Is there a fancier dining room? Definitely. More adventurous cuisine? Absolutely. But when you consider the nuts and bolts of food, its sourcing, its preparation, its pricing and its presentation, Fid is the cream of the crop. This place is truly a food-lover’s Nirvana.
So many reasons why. I’ll give you my top three.
1) The menu. Oh, the menu. Always deliciously simple, and that’s where this resto delivers the goods — utter, unadulterated, fabulous simplicity. As with any good locally-​sourced establishment, it changes up depending on the season and the specials are too wondrous and varied to list (plus they may not be on the menu whenj you go — and you should. Like, now.) But there are some staples I urge you to go try (like, now).
First off, lunch and brunch. Hands-​down the best lunch spot downtown. D’s Pad Thai is without doubt the best in the city and maybe even the best I’ve ever had. I’ve travelled in Thailand and eaten Pad Thai all over the world, and this dish is a stand-​out. Melty noodles, a sauce that will kick your taste-​buds’ ass without singing them into oblivion, succulent baby shrimp, toasty peanuts and fresh, fresh beansprouts and lime garnish… it’s a knockout. In other lunch news, the Kao Soi is outstanding and the smoked haddock with poached egg and potato-​spinach mash made me want to weep. And brunch. Brunch! If you want tenderly caressed plates of awesome without the line-​ups (although that makes me sad) then this is your new favourite place.
This is going to be a looooong review…
Dinner. Five words: seven-​day marinated hanger steak. It will blow your mind. And the kitchen makes mashed potatoes (this time with roasted garlic) that will make you question reality. I’ve tried a number of dinner items, and not one has left me anything short of ecstatic. But I gotta tell you, when I’m in for lunch I hit up that Pad Thai’s tush, and I own that steak at dinner.
2) The people. A joy. Honest-​to-​goodness good eggs with a passion for their craft (and that’s the servers!). The passion for food and life is almost tangible here. My fave thing is that, in this lovely, bright, airy and modern dining room in a resto that features on all the ‘best of’ lists, there are two stuffed animals that move around the space; the two rats from the movie ‘Ratatouille’. I don’t know the story, but it’s obviously a nod to one of the owner’s French roots (and I’m sure a very personal anecdote). It sums up the lack of pretension perfectly.
3) The ‘special nights’. Whether it’s the special menu for ‘Nocturne’, the regular ‘small plates’ evenings or the wonderful ‘supper clubs’ (where you get to hang out in the kitchen and cook with the man himself, Chef Dennis Johnson) Fid is always changing it up and seeking to provide foodie experiences that go beyond the norm. I attended the ‘Thai Throwdown’ supper club recently and learned not only how to make the most amazing green curry and spring rolls but came away with tips for making infused-​oils, sticky rice… and I made the first ever soufflé that didn’t collapse. That was a good night!
I didn’t know Fid in its previous incarnation (I belive it was a fine-​dining establishment) but I am happy to know it in its current guise — friendly, passionate, socially-​aware and just generally fantastic.

Fid is a location that has come highly recommended and we have been meaning to try for some time. Last Friday, with family visiting, it was our lunch spot before a skate at the Oval.
Fid is clean, modern, and bright. For a Friday lunch, there were several other tables occupied, but it was not overly busy.
The down stairs wash-​rooms make interesting use of the exposed brick walls and deep narrow space while being clean. The high speed hand dryers are a plus, while no paper towel is a negative when one wants to clean a spill from your dress shirt.
Myself along with another family member ordered the D’s Pad Thai which was fresh and delicious. Plenty of noodles, shrimp bites and not too soupy for my liking.
My husband enjoyed the Kao Soi which he did find very rich — I also enjoyed some and kind of wish I had personally ordered it, as I love curry and this was an terrific dish. (I did share a few bites of my dish in return).
Two other family members ordered the Fid burger with pork belly bacon and local cheese. They were very pleased with the option to choose how done their burger would be. Their side of super skinny frites where much like hickory sticks and shared among the table.
The seasonal soup and sandwich combo was a hit with my mother-​in-​law too. There is a nice diverse menu which is perfect for groups.
Over all, we were pleased with the food, the service, our waters were always full, we received just enough attention and we would be happy to return for a future down-​town lunch!

The space was comfortable, and only about half full on a Friday night. It appeared to be a converted house. Service was attentive, helpful and friendly.
The lobster poutine appetizer was terrific. Succulent lobster in a savory broth with cheese curds and chickpea flour bread sticks. The other appetizer, the chef’s version of prosciutto, which he was curing for 2 years in his basement according to our waitress, was OK. It was thick, fatty and lacking in any flavor depth.
The bread served was good, but would have been better for brunch as they all were rather sweet and/​or had nuts and/​or raisins.
For entrees, we had venison and swordfish. The swordfish was good, and came over bok choy and spicy corn relish, that I think was made from dried corn, which gave it a very strong corn flavor with interesting heat and spices. The venison came with kale and potatoes dauphinois. The venison was juicy and flavorful (not dry as many venison tends to be). Good dish.
We were surprised by the size of both of the entrees. We did not leave hungry.
I would go back and try different things.

Have been there twice now, once for dinner and once for brunch.
For dinner I had a custom veggie bento box thing which was simply divine. They were very acomedating to my veggie ways and made me up a great combo of in season veggies perfectly cooked and plentiful so that I did not feel like I was missing out on a decent meal in comparison to my meat eating cohorts.
For brunch I had a cheese tart, which was so amazingly good! It’s not a quiche, let’s not get those confused it was literally a cheese pie and was it ever awesome! I have not had one since I lived in the UK and they certainly did it justice! It came with a nice little salad which was lightly dressed and not too much, which was topped with an interesting garnish of spiced popcorn! Unexpected yes, but good nonetheless.

I’ve taken on The Coast’s Food and Drink Halifax guide as my own personal summer conquest. After checking off all of the places I’ve been and highlighting the ones I’m eager to try, I set out on my mouth-​watering mission.
First off the mark was Fid Resto on Dresden Row. Known for their local and sustainable fare, I was eager to sink my teeth into their French-​Asian inspired dishes.
The spot itself is very cozy. I felt more like a guest at a bed and breakfast, than a random off the street patron. Our server was extremely knowledgeable about their products, processes and off course had great expertise on wine pairing. You could tell she was passionate about the food and really took pride in satisfying the customer — which unfortunately these days is a rarity.
My friend and I shared an appetizer of scallops covered in an olive dust… delish. She had the Artic Char with fresh vegetables and I devoured the 7-​day marinated hanger steak, served rare. The steak was gorgeous, but the true star of the show was the roasted garlic mashed potatoes and greens. Seriously, these potatoes were crush worthy, literally playing love games with me.
To top it all off, we shared churros with a side of chocolate and caramel sauce. I more a fan of the super rich, mega-​calorie, dairy-​filled deserts, but the churros were a nice end to a fantastic meal and experience.
Next mission: Try their brunch.

Brunch: if it were a religion, I would study to become ordained.
There are few things in the world that I respect more than the tradition — nay… the very EXISTENCE of brunch and those who do it well. And that, my friends, is what usually brings me to Fid.
Known as a high-​end bistro throughout the city, not as many people realize that on the weekends they put on a gourmet brunch for a shockingly reasonable price. And, since most people are in the dark as to their brunchery domination, the place is usually quiet, calm and relaxing. No lines, no yelling, no having to put your name down on a list.
Also? They have morning booze. So keep that in mind.
This past weekend I enjoyed a fresh cooked eggs benny for just $ 11. Most delicious deal ever. Two poached eggs sitting proudly on bucket loads of spinach atop fresh-​baked english muffins that were OUTRAGEOUS. They were actually so good that I pretty much paid no attention to the fresh greens topped with popcorn (ummk?) on the side.
Things covered in hollandaise trumps just about everything else.

I was super excited to eat dinner here! So excited that I had made my decision based on their online menu 2 weeks before we even planned on going.
The day of, I was still so excited to eat that I was triple checking the online menu, making sure that the tuna that had so piqued my interest was still on the menu.
Imagine my surprise when I was seated and saw a different menu!
Needless to say I was kind of disappointed, and when I inquired about the menu change, the lady mumbled something about the menu changing Tuesday, but did inquire if the kitchen had any tuna left.
The meal I did end up having was freakin’ delicious– Halibut with roasted fingerlings and leeks. The man friend had the hanger steak and declared it to be meat-​gasmic.
The service was decent– polite but not overbearing.
Not to be that guy– but it was really disappointing to find a discrepancy in the menu– especially for a resto that does such a good job of being plugged in through their twitter and facebook pages.
I would definitely go back, but maybe wouldn’t check the online menu before hand.

Simply the best!
This is by far my favorite restaurant in the city. It’s my go to, fail safe, sure to impress restaurant when taking people from out of town.
The menu is composed of fresh local ingredients, changes in a regular basis, and caters to a variety of tastes.
If you have the chance of going to one of their brunches, you’re in for a treat. My only regret is that I now live outside the city and don’t get there often anymore…
A must go to if visiting from out of town!

I had a fantastic meal here. My waiter knew her stuff and was great at recommending wines. I love that the place is committed to serving local and in season foods.
I was a little underwhelmed by my appetizer — the goat cheese with apples and walnuts. I liked the idea, but the end result was more goat cheese than I could eat with a little bit of apple sauce and a sprinkle of walnuts and cranberries. Less goat cheese and more other stuff would have made it better.
I had the chicken with gnocchi and tried the tuna — both were amazeballs. I had a sticky toffee pudding (I think that’s what it was… must remember to review immediately after eating) and tried the molten chocolate (we were big on sharing) and enjoyed both.
Everyone in my group left happy and I’d definitely go back and try it again.

I love eating at local restaurants where chefs are concerned with sustainable, seasonal fare and support local producers, and Chef Dennis Johnston is that in spades. In fact, he recently won the «Local Food Hero» award from RANS (Restaurant Association of NS) for exceptional support for Nova Scotia agriculture producers and products through the restaurant’s menu. I particularly love that his menu doesn’t just tell us the dish, but also included the name of the producer. Wool ‘n Hart lamb ribs, for example.
I’ve bumped into him more than once at the Saturday Farmer’s Market with something wonderful for dinner. And I love that this is a very haute cuisine experience… plating, to tasting it’s a visual as well as taste delight… at a more affordable price for those of us who can’t/don’t want to spend $ 200 for dinner for two.
So let me tell you about the dining experience… I loved the service, very helpful in choosing the dishes and the wine. Everything was delicious, my two favorites were the appetizers — lobster roll FID style, which really should be on there permanent menu. Think sushi rolls or cold Vietnamese rolls but filled with cold cooked lobster and frankly, a couple of plates of that could be my dinner! Don’t even get me started on the smoked duck prosciutto that they make at the restaurant or the crème brûlée for dessert and everything in between.