The Wooden Monkey

Last Friday we had a staff development day off-site. While we spent the morning in a gorgeous boardroom overlooking the harbour, we spent an even better lunchtime sampling the fare at The Wooden Monkey. This spot focuses on using fresh, organic ingredients- and it shows. Their menu screams local with brews from some of Halifax's breweries, wine from NS vineyards and meat, seafood and vegetables from the province's farmers.


I had the Sweet Apple Salad and added a side of plump, juicy scallops to add a little heft to the meal. Though I'm by no means vegan, this salad is one of the many vegan and vegetarian options available on the menu. Sweet apples combined with piquant daikon, tangy goat cheese and rich, meaty walnuts allowed for a wonderful contrast of sweet and spicy, creamy and crunchy.

Sweet Apple Salad

Organic greens, sliced apple, carrot, daikon, scallions,
goat cheese and walnuts, accompanied by a grain mustard maple dressing

A side order of scallops :)

For dessert, there were a variety of desserts around the table. I didn't have room for an ice cream sammy, but our server did bring me a couple of their ginger cookies to try. Sweet, spicy and soooo tender, they were the perfect small ending to my meal when paired with a hot cup of tea.

Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches
Locally crafted ice cream from Dee Dee’s in Peggy’s Cove,
between two housemade ginger cookies

A tofu cheesecake with Merlot- stewed berries served as a dessert for one on my colleagues. Though the sauce was spectacular, I have to say that I actually prefer my cheesecake with cheese! The texture was a little odd, but more importantly, it lacked the tangy bite that I've associated with cheesecake. It's a great option for a vegan diet, however, and I know several vegans who are quite fond of this sweet treat!

This was my first experience at The Wooden Monkey, but it certainly won't be my last. Looking around at the many different dishes at my table, I'm sure that I would be equally pleased with any of them. The burgers, pastas, sammies and nachos were all mouthwatering. Add to that the fact that the ingredients used were healthy not only for me, but for healthy for Nova Scotia's economy and I was sold. It's hard to resist a restaurant with an message as good as it's menu.