Tastes from the Tour Bus: Nfld.'s the Once recommend road-tested restaurants CBC Music - Free Streaming Radio, Videos, Songs, Concerts & Playlists

CBC Music

Espace.mu

Buy this track on iTunes ADD Add Favourite

What's the next most important thing to performing when a band is on tour? Eating, of course! Every band that has hit the cold road of Canada, and roads beyond, has their favourite restos, diners, coffee shops and steakhouses. Tastes of the Tour Bus features these road-tested recommendations.

Today, the Once.

If you are lucky, you may have heard the St. John's, N.L., trio the Once on Drive from time to time. If you haven't heard them, know that they are the current toast of the Canadian folk scene, are more fun than a plate of cod tongues and scrunchions and are definitely easier to take than being Screeched in. Hungry yet? That's just the point!

I caught up with Geraldine Hollett, Phil Churchill and Andrew Dale earlier this summer at the Mariposa Folk Festival, where they were performing on the main stage. The group met six years ago, working in the theatre biz. They hardly thought their little musical experiment would see them touring Canada and the world, but that's exactly what happened.

Like any modern act, touring is vital. CDs don't fly off the shelves like they used to, so the road is where a living is made. When we got to talking about food, the trio lit up. As I mentioned cities across the nation, Newfoundland's buzzworthy folk heroes had a specific recommendation for every location. Bon appetit!

St. John's, N.L. (hometown)

Raymonds

Dale: "If you've got some money saved up, you are going to Raymonds. It was recently rated as the top restaurant in Canada. What Jeremy Charles, the head chef there, does with homegrown local sheep, they have a sheep island, but it's what they do with everything. Meat, produce, cheeses, it doesn't matter, everything is top quality. We've been to a lot of places, eaten a lot of good food. The best dining experience I have ever had, by far, was actually at Raymonds."

Honorary St. John's mentions

The Sprout, Bacalao, Aqua, Atlantica, Basho, India Gate, The Duke, The Ship Pub.

here

To hear the audio from this conversation, click "play" to the left.

Winnipeg

Stella's Cafe and Bakery

Dale: "The airport! Stella's is wicked. They started off downtown and they opened up a spot at the airport. Airports can be hit or miss. It's really good home cooking, all natural and organic. Really good coffee. Really good wine and beer. Winnipeg is so brilliant for Ukrainian-type foods, perogies, borscht, salt fish. Stella's does it perfectly."

Churchill: "And kick-ass service!"

here

To hear the audio from this conversation, click "play" to the left.

Calgary

Bolero

Churchill: "Meat on swords! Brazilian barbecue. Mind-blowing. The first time we went in there, we were totally amazed by this, and the guy was like, 'Your table's over here, that's the salad bar.' There's a wooden stick, red on top, green on the bottom. Flip it over to green when you want them to bring more meat on swords. When you want them to stop, put it on red and they will bring you some grilled pineapple to cleanse the palate and it really helps with digestion."

here

To hear the audio from this conversation, click "play" to the left.

Charlottetown

Baba's Lounge, Traditional Canadian and Lebanese cuisine.

Vancouver

Hollett: "If we go to Vancouver, we have to eat at every sushi place there is."

Saskatchewan

The Olive Tree Restaurant

Dale: "There's an amazing Greek place, just outside the airport. It's just along the highway."

Churchill: "It looks like a '50s roadside diner, and it's full-on upscale Greek cuisine."

Dale: "They make their own olive oil!"

here