In the heart of Quidi Vidi Village, the historic fishing community in St. John’s, 300-yearold Mallard Cottage is officially recognized as one of the oldest wooden buildings in North America. But inside the 65-seat dining room, chef Todd Perrin’s reimagined Newfoundland cuisine is anything but traditional. With a daily menu written on a chalkboard near the open kitchen, the eatery feels more like a down-home kitchen party than a serious restaurant. And yet the food and attentive service fall decidedly in the latter camp. Perrin uses the best seafood, wild game and produce available to create a selection of sharing plates, which are available à la carte or as part of a highly recommended family-style tasting menu. Think cornmeal-dusted, deep-fried cod cheeks, their outsides as crispy as good tempura, served alongside lamb with spaetzle and a vibrant salsa verde. Or monkfish roasted on the bone, with ice shrimp, guanciale and fingerling potatoes. The legendary weekend brunch features an overladen dessert table of treats, from peanut butter bourbon cream puffs to caramel apple scones and house-made doughnuts. Late Sunday afternoons, traditional music shakes the exposed beams.
Photos: FOOD / JOHN CULLEN, INTERIOR / ANJA SAJOVIC
