The most delicious guide to P.E.I.: Star chef and innkeeper Michael Smith shares where to eat, drink and relax

While the culinary rep of Canada’s smallest province may be rooted in potatoes, there’s far more growing in Prince Edward Island’s famous red soil than just spuds. At the Inn at Bay Fortune, a boutique hotel and dining destination near P.E.I.’s eastern tip, chef and former Food Network Canada host Michael Smith is creating an organic farm-to-table showcase of the area’s diverse terroir.

With herb gardens, greenhouses, an orchard and a flock of free-roaming hens on-site, most of the food served at his restaurant, FireWorks, is sourced right from the inn, or nearby from a close-knit community of farmers and fishers. The region’s bounty is also the topic of Smith’s new book, “Farm, Fire & Feast,” which details everything from the local lobster and foraged sea vegetables to cocktails infused with petals from a prized wild rose bush.

A departure from his previous, more recipe-centric titles, the book’s essays read like love letters to a way of life that Smith has spent his career working towards. “My full-circle story brought me back to the inn seven years ago,” says Smith, who started out as a chef at this same property back in 1991. “I wanted to get back to the roots of real cooking and start learning again.”

He and his wife, Chastity, bought the Inn at Bay Fortune in 2015, and opened a sister location, the Parisian-style Inn at Fortune Bridge just down the road, in 2019. Beyond his own grounds, there’s much to explore around town, including towering dunes, cosy brew pubs and some of the best seafood in the country. Here are just a few of Smith’s favourite places to eat, drink and relax.

For the freshest clams: Clam Diggers (6864 Water St., Cardigan)

A bowl of Georgetown steamers at this waterfront pub is “the epitome of perfection and simplicity,” says Smith of the soft-shell clams (available tides and weather permitting), which are freshly dug and then steamed in white wine butter, garlic and cream. “I’ll fight ya for the slurping rights to the broth at the bottom of the bowl,” adds Smith.

For unforgettable views: Prince Edward Island National Park

No visit to P.E.I. is complete without visiting this park’s massive parabolic dunes, accessible via a scenic boardwalk. “They’re epic,” Smith says. “Forget travelling for food — those dunes are among the nicest destinations you’ll ever visit in your life.” With more than a dozen trails and one of the area’s best beaches, it’s an idyllic place to spend a summer afternoon.

For the perfect lobster roll: The Lobster Shack (8 Main St., Souris)

What makes an ideal lobster roll is the subject of vigorous debate on P.E.I., but the one served at this picturesque shack on the edge of Souris Beach Provincial Park is a perennial favourite with islanders and visitors alike. “It’s mayo, a whole bunch of good, fresh local lobster and just enough dressing to hold it together,” describes Smith.

For tasty craft brews: Bogside Brewing (11 Brook St., Montague) and Copper Bottom Brewing (567 Main St., Montague)

Squaring off along opposing banks of the Montague River, two of the island’s favourite craft brewers offer competing takes on stouts, sours and pale ales. At Bogside, on the north side, Smith is partial to the bracing hoppiness of their Nor-Easter IPA. Across the river at Copper Bottom, he recommends the Broadside APA with notes of citrus and pine. “They’re friendly rivals,” Smith says, “and you can go back and forth across the bridge, which makes it more fun.”

For a stiff drink: Myriad View Artisan Distillery (1336 Rt. 2, Rollo Bay)

The product of a local doctor, a coast guard captain and more than a few late nights of gin tasting, Myriad View makes a wide range of spirits and offers sampling at their Rollo Bay distillery. To flavour their bestselling Strait Gin 51, the makers rely on a 200-year-old recipe featuring eight organic botanicals, for a smooth, herbaceous finish.

The Star understands the restrictions on travel during the coronavirus pandemic. But like you, we dream of travelling again, and we’re publishing this story with future trips in mind.