The Inn At Bay Fortune - Eglington

The restaurant, Fireside, gets its name from the fact that all dishes are cooked using live fire. The executive chef of the restaurant is Michael Smith, a well-known TV chef on the Food Network.

I had a fantastic dining experience here! The food was exceptional, receiving a 5-star rating, but what truly set this restaurant apart was the one-of-a-kind overall experience.

The meal is $95, but it is absolutely worth it. Since we were staying at the Inn, we had the option to reserve a spot for dinner.

It has been almost a week since we ate at the Inn at Bay Fortune and I am still cannot believe the dining experience we had. I do need to call it an experience as it is not simply a dinner at the restaurant, it is an entire evening of food related activities set at a beautiful location. The evening begins with an hour on the property wandering to food stations. We had homemade sausages, pork belly, all you can eat oysters, and smoked salmon the night we were there; I don't know if this changes from night to night but they were all excellent. I would like to add that it was the staff during this hour which also made the experience. We spent 10 minutes talking to the gardener in the back garden as she was picking herbs for the next day. She was super friendly and willing to take the time to talk to us in spite of trying to get her work done. I found all the staff to be equal in this manner. The evening we dined Michael Smith was there (he is not always, don't count on it) and super friendly when we ran into him. He would take the time to talk to you as he went about checking on stations or cooking in the kitchen. However I am certain the place would be excellent in his absence as they all seemed very good at their craft. The sit down portion of the meal was excellent (don't eat too much in the lead up hour, you won't have room if you eat too may oysters)! in the 'farm to table' tradition. Food was incredibly fresh and well prepared. What impressed me most was not actually the food (although amazing) but the simple fact that they prepare everything over an open fire (I'm a guy, I like fire). I don't know if you have ever tried to cook something over fire but I have cooked many a meal myself over an open fire and even baked using fire. It is at best a marginal success if you don't give every bit of concentration to the process. I cannot believe the consistent quality of food which came from this difficult process, it also adds to the flavour of everything you eat in a wonderful way. A few things of note:-if you have an allergy tell them. I called ahead with mine and they provided good alternatives (no crab, lobster, shrimp) for the chowder with a smoked tomato soup. You don't lose out, but you will get something different, although a vegan or veggie would likely be hard pressed to get the same experience here. There was enough variety that I was never lacking for options. -the cost of them meal when we went was $125 including tip and tax. However this does not account for alcohol so be prepared to spend about $200pp if you are planning on having a few drinks or the wines which are paired with the meal.The only criticism I have was the booking experience which I feel could be improved upon. We called often in the winter and spring and again when they officially opened in the spring and left messages. On two occasions I called and spoke to someone who said they would "call back" but they never did so I had no conept if we were going to get in. I am not sure when they open for booking but the process seems somewhat shrouded in mystery. It was not until I dropped in two days before on my way by the Inn that I found out I was second on the waiting list (of 158 people on the wait list that night). This process needs to be revisited in some way so you can plan your trip to PEI accordingly, it seems they may expect that if you are on the wait list to be able to come day-of with a phone call. This seems impractical for people on holiday who may make alternate plans thinking they are not eating there.In all this was a wonderful evening and a lifetime experience. I will certainly try to eat here again when I return to PEI.

From the food, staff and our table mates, the evening was everything we had hoped for. The only complaint is the cost of the alcohol, even taking in the fact that you do not pay a gratuity, the prices are to high.