02 Aug 2011 No Comments
The Middle Spoon
When I heard that Halifax had finally been 
blessed with a dessert bar, my first thought was thank God, it’s about time! After a nice supper downtown, Dave and I decided to walk down to Barrington to see how The Middle Spoon was doing in its first week open and as part of the reawakening of Barrington Street. We walked in and were shown to a window seat – I love how the windows protrude from where the entrance is so you really feel like you’re eating on the sidewalk. The booths were high and comfortable and the whole place was strewn with stylish pillows, dark colours and low lighting, complete with snowball chandeliers. The full package gave me a Sex and the City vibe and I felt like I should run home and change into stilettos and a cute dress but I own neither of those things.
After being seated, we browsed the dessert menu which was full of standards but nothing really surprising or out of the ordinary. Dave ordered the Brownie Cookie Sundae at $9.99 and I went with the Blonde Bombshell for $8.99. One thing I did really like was that most of their sundaes could be upgraded to the ‘share-able’ size for a dollar or so to make for a treat for two for around $10.The mixed drinks ran around the $9 mark, so we opted for coffee at $2.50 a pop and settled in to wait for our delicious treats.
…what a wait it was. After shifting around uncomfortably and trying to get a member of the wait staff’s attention for fifteen minutes (I only wish that was an exaggeration), one server finally noticed us. She approached the other staff members who were congregated behind the bar, presumably to ask who our server was and why we were just sitting there. Apparently no one knew because she ended up coming over and taking our order herself, bless her. Dave was ready to get up and leave but I was not leaving without dessert, darn it!
Our coffees came first with milk
but there was sugar nowhere in sight and we weren’t about to try to track down a server again so we made do. Our desserts arrived not too long thereafter and we dug in, our spoons a flurry of activity, hardly stopping to breathe between bites. My blondie was crispy on the outside and just cooked inside, melt in your mouth yum! It was served with a tiny scoop of vanilla bean ice cream which although it could have been bigger, was a nice complement to the brown sugar goodness of the blondie. The blondie itself was covered with walnuts which added great texture. The maple butter sauce that was drizzled on top was nice but in no way reminiscent of maple. It was so sugary that it in essence, made up for the lack of sugar in my coffee. Dave’s brownie cookie sundae was just that, a brownie, a cookie, and ice cream. It looked good but we both remarked afterward that we could have made one at home that was just as good.
All in all, we were disappointed with our first experience with The Middle Spoon. Although the atmosphere was great and the desserts good, it was lacking in service and originality on the menu. Granted they just opened, I’ll give them another go down the road, and hopefully I’ll find the service better and the desserts slightly more tantalizing.
Cheers,
Kristin
My name is Kristin and I've lived my entire life in Nova Scotia. I love to eat, especially when the food is local, organic and fresh. I believe that here on the East coast of Canada we have a multitude of delicious ingredients at our fingertips, and world-class chefs making incredible dishes with them, drawing from both local and international inspiration. That said, I like unpretentious eating that makes you lick your fingers and loosen your belt because that's the kind of food that makes me feel good. If you've got delicious eats, paired with a great Canadian craft beer and some good company then I'm there.