The Inn at Bay Fortune
Not just an inn, not just a restaurant—foodies book a stay at this inn so that they can have the complete Chef Michael Smith experience. Smith is one of Canada’s most acclaimed chefs, with TV shows (some taped here), more than 10 cookbooks, and a flair for making meals an event—and that’s what guests get. Called the “Fireworks Feast,” the nightly, multi-course meal starts with a tour of the grounds and craft cocktails, moves on to an oyster bar bar in the “old kitchen” (local oysters are often topped with a scrumptious play on the Bloody Mary) and then shifts to several communal tables where guests watch the cooking action and interact with the chefs, all of whom seem as if they’re having as much fun as the diners. The food is revelatory and changes nightly, but could include a salad with 30 types of greens, or smoked lobster, or rutabaga fried in duck fat. Tip: The square table has the best view of all the activity in the kitchen.
Most guests then bed down for the night at the cozy inn, a series of cedar-shingled sections, including rounded towers, set across the street from the bay. Built by a playwright and an actress in 1910, the inn became the location for The Inn Chef, just one of the TV cooking shows created by and starring Chef Smith. Walkways wind through perennial flower gardens to the 17 rooms and suites furnished with sturdy antiques and modern amenities like new gas fireplaces. It’s not super-luxe, but the digs feel warm and welcoming—like you’re staying at the home of a favorite aunt (the one with good taste).
Not just an inn, not just a restaurant—foodies book a stay at this inn so that they can have the complete Chef Michael Smith experience. Smith is one of Canada’s most acclaimed chefs, with TV shows (some taped here), more than 10 cookbooks, and a flair for making meals an event—and that’s what guests get. Called the “Fireworks Feast,” the nightly, multi-course meal starts with a tour of the grounds and craft cocktails, moves on to an oyster bar bar in the “old kitchen” (local oysters are often topped with a scrumptious play on the Bloody Mary) and then shifts to several communal tables where guests watch the cooking action and interact with the chefs, all of whom seem as if they’re having as much fun as the diners. The food is revelatory and changes nightly, but could include a salad with 30 types of greens, or smoked lobster, or rutabaga fried in duck fat. Tip: The square table has the best view of all the activity in the kitchen.
Most guests then bed down for the night at the cozy inn, a series of cedar-shingled sections, including rounded towers, set across the street from the bay. Built by a playwright and an actress in 1910, the inn became the location for The Inn Chef, just one of the TV cooking shows created by and starring Chef Smith. Walkways wind through perennial flower gardens to the 17 rooms and suites furnished with sturdy antiques and modern amenities like new gas fireplaces. It’s not super-luxe, but the digs feel warm and welcoming—like you’re staying at the home of a favorite aunt (the one with good taste).
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