Chef Jonathan Gushue, a returning Newfoundlander, tells a very eloquent food story. “We’re trying to take traditions and interpret how they would look in a contemporary setting,” he says. “We build on how people aged meat, how they dried fish, how they made sandwiches—throwing small salted fish pieces into a wood stove, then putting them on molasses buns with partridge berry jam and some aged cheddar.”

HOTEL REVIEW: FOGO ISLAND INN

The same thrill comes with suppertime. Root vegetables are popular (because they can be cellared), as are all manner of wild mushrooms, greens and berries—and cod cooked in every way possible. Guests tuck into pickled scallops with rhubarb and sweet cicely; poached halibut with smoked tomatoes and lobster cream. Things like moose tartare, salt-water lamb and roast duck thrill the carnivores, while squash dumplings and heirloom beets satisfy the vegetarians.

“We focus on flavours like a little view to the past, a taste of the past.”

The lamb bacon is incredible and so is the salt beef sandwich I mow down at luncheon. Now if I could only learn how to cure a moose…

TASTE TO TRY: COD SOUNDS
WHERE TO STAY: IN ST. JOHN’S
NEWFOUNDLANDANDLABRADOR.COM

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The hospitality here is sublime. Guests get a feeling they’re at Grandma’s house and can do as they please. As a charitable, socially conscious business, the Inn reinvests profits in the Fogo Island community.

Vibe: Sweeping contemporary architecture is contrasted with interiors based on the history, traditions and cultural icons of Newfoundland. The result is an upscale take on the fishing village leitmotif, an unfussy prettiness that is understated yet sumptuous—a meeting of new and old. Colourful furniture, quilting and crafts punch up white-painted wood floors, walls and ceilings. A thought toward the essence of Newfoundland culture can be found at every turn.

Rooms: Ranging in size from 35 to 100 square metres, the 29 rooms and suites sport floor-to-ceiling North Atlantic views, handy binoculars, heated wooden floors, hand-crafted quilts and rugs, and locally produced furnishings. Toile wallpaper designs spotlight local architecture. Bathrooms feature electronic toilets and walk-in showers. Twenty-one rooms have wood-burning stoves and 11 rooms have soaker tubs.

F&B: The local Fogo Island flavours never stop. But don’t expect a larder full of the usual North American staples—you eat what is available in Newfoundland at that particular time of the year, with limited outside ingredients involved. Think foraged berries, mushrooms, wild greens; produce procured from neighbourhood community gardens; the freshest seafood, including the province’s ubiquitous and delicious cod; salt-cured meats and some wild game. Absolutely everything is homemade with menus changing frequently.

TASTE TO TRY: LAMB BELLY

Extras: The Inn features a lobby lounge and bar, tea room, art gallery, library and cinema. Wellness facilities include a gym, and rooftop saunas and hot tubs.

Off-Site: This part of the province is famous for parading icebergs, cavorting whales, wild storms and the Northern Lights. The resort’s Community Host Program matches local people with incoming guests to help orient them to the region and to its heritage. Free excursions include a range of natural, cultural, marine, and artistic activities: things like guided geological hikes, berry-picking and jam-making, boating and fishing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling, bike rides and bonfire nights.

Rate: $$$$$

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