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Sure, we've got spectacular scenery and untamed wilderness,
but with the country's burgeoning wine regions and
regional cuisines drawing international accolades,
Canada has a lot to offer the travelling gourmand

Every year, when my husband, two daughters and I make our annual trek to Prince Edward Island, I take the "seafood pledge" -- that no meat shall pass my lips for the duration of my stay in this seafood paradise. It's a pledge I keep happily and, with the exception of an occasional turkey sandwich or a burger, almost successfully. PEI is awash in mussels, oysters, clams, lobster and fish, including Atlantic salmon, char, haddock and cod.

Because we were once campers and now own a cabin on the island, we've done most of the cooking of grilled, fresh fish ourselves.

The island offers the ubiquitous battered-and-fried fish joints and a number of fine dining establishments, but for budget-minded travellers like us with kids in tow, the perfect compromise -- offering fresh seafood, family-friendly atmosphere and excellent prices -- is the PEI lobster supper.

Lobster suppers, which are held roughly from mid-June through mid-October, are an island tradition, offered at 10 locations on the 225-kilometre-long, crescent-shaped island. Some are sponsored by churches and non-profit community organizations, and some by private enterprise. They are no-frills affairs that perfectly showcase unadorned, local seafood and the friendly service that characterizes even the most touristy attractions on the island. While you are more likely to rub elbows at the table with someone from the mainland than with a PEI native, islanders make up the kitchen and wait staff and are adept at making visitors feel relaxed and welcome. A lobster supper is a place to gorge on chowders, lobster, salads and pies; non-alcoholic beverages are included in the price of the meal, and wine and beer are available for an additional cost in some locations.

And they are great places to take kids: no one frowns when an errant elbow tips over the milk glass, and waitresses nimbly sidestep crawling toddlers.

The granddaddy of all lobster suppers is the New Glasgow Lobster Supper in the town of New Glasgow, smack in the centre of the island. We went there after a day spent hiking the cliffs and walking the beaches of the spectacular PEI National Park nearby. The large, low-slung hall provided just the place to shake the red island soil from our shoes, and to slake appetites made ravenous by sun and salt air. New Glasgow served the first lobster supper on the island in 1958, as a fundraising project for the Junior Farmers organization. The price was $1.50.

The price has risen since then (it's now $25.95 for a one-pound lobster supper, more for larger lobster) and the enterprise is now privately owned by two of the founding families, but New Glasgow -- with an estimated 50,000 diners each season -- is arguably the most popular lobster supper on the island. Dinner includes fish chowder, mussels, lobster, rolls, potato salad, coleslaw, pickles, cake and five different pies served with Elmer's ice cream, a local brand.

The mayonnaise for the potato salad -- which showcases the island's best known crop -- is made from scratch daily, as are the chowder, pies and breads. The folks at New Glasgow, like those at other lobster suppers, offer alternatives to lobster (roast beef, ham, haddock or scallops) as well as reduced-price meals for children (kids under 3 eat free). Service extends daily from 4 to 8:30 p.m.; arrive early if you want a window table overlooking the River Clyde.

There are two lobster seasons on the island: The first runs on the eastern end during May and June and the second runs on the western end from Aug. 10 to Oct. 10. During the off-season, lobsters are kept alive, in a nearly dormant state, in huge lobster pounds dotting the island. New Glasgow Lobster Suppers has its own pound, housing 20,000 pounds of live lobster and ensuring a season-long supply of fresh crustaceans.

A picturesque village in the heart of the lushest, greenest part of the island, New Glasgow also serves as the home of the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company, where a 1914 buttery has been recently expanded to include a large restaurant with spectacular river views and an outdoor eatery. Those sated with lobster may choose to make a return visit for a full meal or a simple scoop of homemade ice cream, or may want to stop in to purchase some of the excellent jams and specialty foods produced on the premises.

The village's biggest advantage is probably its proximity to Cavendish, the location of Green Gables House of Anne of Green Gables fame. Tourists by the busload roll up for a walk through the 19th-century building, which was once home to author Lucy Maud Montgomery's relatives and which inspired the setting for the book. The restored home is maintained by the National Park Service.

On this western end of the island are also North Cape (the site of a wind-generation installation and a great place to fly kites) and numerous lighthouses and museums.

During our first stay on the island we spent a delightful day in Victoria, a small village on the south shore with a turn-of-the-century feel, the tiny Island Chocolates Company, and a number of craft shops and small restaurants. In the capital city of Charlottetown, our kids took in a musical production of Anne of Green Gables,offered several times a week at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.

The cabin we now own on the eastern end of the island, north of Souris, has the added attraction of being close to the lobster supper at St. Margaret's Hall, a Catholic Church near Naufrage offering the traditional menu, with the exception that the lobster served out-of-season (we've gone in July) is frozen, for lack of a lobster pound. The homemade lemon meringue pie and strawberry shortcake, biscuits, salads (potato, carrot, macaroni, slaw) and Father Bud's fish chowder are enough of a reason to go, however, and the price is right: $23.95 a person (less for kids).

On PEI, visitors can claim small certificates for having toured the North Cape and West Point lighthouses. Perhaps a certificate honouring those who have eaten at all the lobster suppers is also in order -- our family already has a head start.

Marialisa Calta, who lives in Calais, Vt., is a syndicated food writer and co-author of The River Run Cookbook.
If you go
New Glasgow Lobster Suppers: Route 258, New Glasgow; (902) 964-2870; http://www.peilobstersuppers.com; open 4 to 8:30 daily, reservations required for groups of eight or more.

St. Margaret's Lobster Suppers: Route 16, St. Margaret's; (902) 687-3105; open June 15 through Oct. 12, 4 to 9 p.m. Reservations required for groups of 10 or more.

For a listing of more lobster suppers contact P.E.I. Visitor Services: (888) 734-7529; http://www.peiplay.com.
-- M.C.