global GETAWAY
Tripping in Newfoundland
by Margaret Swaine
Columnist and Author www.margaretswaine.com
A trip to Newfoundland feels like a journey to another land and in many ways it is. While their history goes back hundreds of years, our tenth province only became part of Canada 75 years ago in 1949. Affectionately known as the “Rock”, the island is situated off our east coast in the Atlantic Ocean. Words and phrases, town names and a good number of local dishes are unique to say the least.
A traveller is known in Newfoundland as a “come from away”. Some of the phrases you might hear are “I’m gutfounded” (I’m hungry), fire up a scoff (make some food), I’ll put the old slut on (I’ll put the kettle on) and it’s a mausey day (a foggy, wet day).
Dildo Souvenir Shop
“Stay where you’re to ‘til I comes where you’re at.” We can start our journey in Dildo and then head to Spread Eagle and Come By Chance with a side trip to Little Heart’s Ease. Or we could take another direction to Heart’s Delight and Heart’s Content and end up in Conception Bay, after visiting Blow me Down and Cupids. Dildo, about 60 kilometres west of St. John’s, is perhaps the town that’s taken the most kidding about its name. After weeks of broadcasting Dildo jokes on his late night show in 2019, and officially declaring his candidacy, comedian Jimmy Kimmel was named “honourary mayor” of the community. Jimmy Kimmel’s Live correspondent Guillermo Rodriguez accepted the key to Dildo on behalf of the host after being “screeched in” by kissing a cod and downing a shot of rum.
Raspberry Flaky, Rocket Bakery, St. John’s
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As to the food – one way to get a quick run down of local fare is to take a food tour with St. John’s Walking tours. On the approximately three hour tour that I took with guide Melissa Hogan we started at Celtic Hearth with a moose meat slider and then stopped by Rocket Bakery for a raspberry flaky (whipped cream stuffed puff pastry). At O’Reilly’s Irish Newfoundland Pub we had touton (fried bread) and molasses and at The Ship Pub we ate fish cakes. The Duke of Duckworth served us cod nuggets along with fries covered with gravy and turkey stuffing. The wrap up dish was jam jams ice cream at Sweet Rock (Purity’s moist sponge cookies filled with jam are local favourites). Later in the trip I had cod tongues, a lobster boil up on the beach with Bonavista Tours and other traditional and seafood meals at the Wilds Golf Resort, The Dock Marina and the Twine Loft in Trinity, and the Quintal Café in Bonavista. On other trips I’ve enjoyed fish and brewis (made with hard tack and salt cod), Jigg’s dinner with pease pudding (salt beef and yellow split peas stew) and sides of scrunchions (crispy fried pork fat).
Fish Cake, The Ship’s Pub