Sims Corner Steakhouse and Oyster Bar, Charlottetown

Make no mistake: Montreal might be the best city for food in Canada or the US at the moment (this was the opinion of GQ food critic Alan Richman a few years back, and the scene has only improved since then). That said, it is refreshing to go elsewhere and eat—especially when it comes to seafood.

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Case in point, I had a great meal with friends at Sims Corner Steakhouse and Oyster Bar ( @simssteakhouse ) here in Charlottetown.

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This is a steakhouse and if it’s steak you want, you’re going to pay steakhouse prices (they start at around $45 and go up and up and up). According to the menu, they source their meat carefully and age the beef for a minimum of 45 days.

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I can’t speak to the steak, however; in an attempt to try as much as I could, I shared a variety of starters with my dining companion and, thankfully, got to taste some of the things our friends ordered. The food was, almost without exception, very good or excellent.

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They cultivate oysters in PEI, so you would expect them to be good in an oyster bar. They are—phenomenal, in fact. Clean, cool, slightly briny (pick your clichéed oyster adjective). The seafood chowder I loved, as well: creamy, yet balanced and light, with a variety of tender fish and shellfish.

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Delicious also was the smoked salmon, properly smoked and seasoned. Same goes for the lobster mac and cheese, actually a pasta course with rigatoni, pieces of lobster meat and cheese, gratinated. (Order this to share; it’s a must.)

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My favourite may have been the beef tartare and bone marrow, a starter that could easily serve as a main. Classic, well-seasoned tartare and classic, buttery marrow with good bread—an obvious winner.

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The only flop was the Caesar salad, which had been terribly underdressed. Skip that one. But otherwise: a wonderful meal. Highly recommend.