A giant statue of a lobster welcomes visitors to Shediac, New Brunswick. Its big red body and giant claws make this mascot hard to miss. Canada is known for “world’s largest” mascots that lay claim to our country’s biggest, best, and most bountiful places, and in Shediac the world’s largest lobster statue is there to remind visitors that Shediac is the lobster capital of the world.
Shediac is located 30 minutes outside of Moncton. This small town is home to lobster fishers and processing plants and the famed Shediac Lobster Festival. But it isn’t all lobster boils and beaches. The food is more French-influenced than the lobster statue might lead you to believe.
And it was chocolate, not seafood, that brought us to Shediac.
Adorable Chocolat:
Adorable Chocolat is owned by husband and wife duo Frédéric & Fabienne Desclos. Their story is simply and sweetly written on the walls of their cafe…
The two owned a shop in France for many years before making the move to Shediac. Adorable opened in 2011 and has become a fixture in the community ever since.
There’s something special about handmade chocolate. The time, skill, and patience required is a work of art and passion. Chocolate like this is worth slowing down for, so we pulled up a seat, ordered an espresso, and prepared our taste buds for a little adventure.
There are rows of chocolates and truffles to choose from at Adorable. The selection felt a little overwhelming, but our drinks came with a strawberry basil truffle, a pretty great place to start. We followed it up with sea salt caramel, hazelnut, and fennel caramel selections.
It’s an airy, bright, and comfortable space. The walls are filled with local books for purchase, and there are French and chocolate themed paraphernalia around the room. Between the espresso and chocolate, I could spend many relaxing afternoons at Adorable. The chocolates aren’t cheap, but a little goes a long way, and dessert comes with an informal show.
The kitchen where Frédéric & Fabienne craft their chocolates is open to be viewed, so you can better appreciate the love that goes into every bite. On the day we were there they were in full-fledged Easter production, masterfully making a line up of chocolate bunnies and ducks.
La Boulangerie Francaise:
From Adorable we headed up the street to La Boulangerie Francaise, a darling little bakery and restaurant located in a converted yellow house. Light floods through the windows in this small shop, making every baguette, cream puff and macaroon look even more irresistible.
It took a few minutes to stop ogling the baked goods and come to a decision on what to order. In an attempt not to only eat dessert for dinner, we ordered the soup of the day, and a lobster and blue cheese quiche, paired with a petit chouquette, a small, light pastry topped with large grains of sugar.
Everything was good, but the quiche was best – a perfect flaky pastry crust filled with succulent lobster and surprise bites of blue cheese. The soup was simple perfection – nothing too fancy, just a fresh carrot taste, not over-spiced, and deeply satisfying.
The shop also stocks a few specialty goods like candies, tea, oils, and dried vegetables.
We couldn’t get to Maison Tait, a stop we’ll save for another trip, but our first taste of Shediac has made us keen to return. Come summer, these stops would be the perfect place to pick up picnic goods before heading to the beach – Shediac borders the Northumberland Strait, where you’ll find some of the warmest ocean water temperatures in Canada!
We’ve been eating our way along New Brunswick’s Bay of Fundy (doing a little sight-seeing along the way):
The Chocolate Museum
Saint John Ale House
St. Martin Sea Caves
Manuka Restaurant
Our trip was made possible through financial support from New Brunswick Tourism. We chose our final itinerary, and are excited to share our favourite New Brunswick adventures from our recent trip with you here on The Local Traveler.