HALIFAX – It was a feast for the senses as a pop-up food festival shut down a popular downtown Halifax street and international, award-winning chefs rubbed elbows with Haligonians.
On Sunday, hundreds of people filled Spring Garden Road to celebrate the inaugural Right Some Good festival in Halifax. The event shut down Spring Garden from Queen Street to South Park Street.
The festival has run for three years in Cape Breton, but this is the first time it has made its way to Halifax and it seems foodies couldn’t wait to get their hands on some grub.
“It was delicious,” said Sean MacInnes, as he munched on a fish taco.
“It was light, tangy with a mild amount of spice.”
“I just had a fish taco that was so succulent and juicy. One was not enough,” said Emily Durant.
Those types of responses are exactly what Right Some Good Culinary Director Adorn Mofford hopes to hear.
Mofford said he was overwhelmed to see the number of people who came out to celebrate the pop-up food festival.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” he said. “It’s been fantastic. The turnout is incredible.”
Mofford said Right Some Good is meant to turn people on to local, sustainable ways of eating.
“Local is so important for the economy, for health reasons but also to know your farmer. The products are so fresh.”
It’s a sentiment Lunenburg chef Martin Ruiz Salvador agrees with. Ruiz Salvador is the chef at Fleur De Sel and is the only Nova Scotian chef involved with the pop-up festival.
He said he sees a difference when he cooks with local products.
“The real reason for me is flavour. It’s the taste of the food. No matter what you do, if you ship in asparagus from Mexico, it’s not ever going to be as good as if you get it from the Hutten Family Farm at the market,” he said.
“Food that travels less is healthier for you. It’s basically a win-win but the idea is first and foremost is flavour.”
Chef Michael Reidt is the owner of Miami based restaurant Pilgrim Culinary. He said eating local is even more important in an age where many people tend to use pre-packaged and processed foods.
“People lost touch with what’s growing around their area. We’re trying to go back to the old days where you only eat and consume what you grow and what’s around you,” he said.
“When you eat what’s around you and what’s available to you locally, this is how amazing it can be.”
Mofford said the reception from both chefs and foodies has been phenomenal and the event is already looking towards coming back next year.
The mayor’s office said this is the first time Spring Garden Road has been closed to vehicle traffic for the whole day for 15 years.
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