2 Doors Down, is exactly what it sounds like it should be. A relaxed casual dinning experience all made with local food that makes you feel like you’ve just popped two doors down for a bite to eat at your neighbours who just happens to be a fabulous chef. It’s also handily two doors down from its parent restaurant, Chives Canadian Bistro. Don’t let that fool you though, it might be more casual than it’s parent but that by no means makes the food any less scrumptious and the service anything less than perfectly friendly and knowledgeable.

 

Monday evening in Halifax, I have discovered, is the night where an annoyingly large number of restaurants close their doors for the week. Fantastically, 2 Doors Down is not in that category which is why this past Monday, I found myself heading there for my friends belated birthday dinner, who adores the place and said that as I had never been there before it was obligatory that we try it. As we perused the menu, she offered me suggestions on all her favourites, which didn’t leave out much to be honest.

She went with The Smokehouse Cheeseburger, a mouth-watering juicy hamburger topped with smoked gouda and a chorizo BBQ sauce. I stole a tester bite and as a complete hamburger snob am happy to say that I was immediately won over. My indecisive self went for two starters, the Kale Caesar Salad and the Snow Crab Shrimp Stuffed Shittake Caps. A fine decision. The Kale Caesar Salad is a healthy sized portion looking all the healthier due to the rich forest green Kale staring back at you with just the right amount of dressing, freshly grated parmesan and smoked bacon lardoons. The stuffed Shittake Mushrooms came smothered in bubbling cheese, gratin style and were utterly rich and bursting with flavour. Served with a toasted baguette I could have eaten them forever if my stomach would have allowed it.

By the end I was too stuffed for dessert but vowed to come back and save room the next time. It was a delicious meal; casual food with flavoursome twists on local favourites. While it’s not really a new restaurant, it opened in 2013, as I’m still discovering the Halifax foodie scene since moving back, it is new to me and I’m ever so grateful for being pointed in their direction.