September 29, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Charlotte Lane.

I don't know what pleases me the most; the wonderful food, or the fact of this restaurant in Shelburne. Now I love eating excellent food, but having such a fine place in this little town pleases me even more. It all came about because of two people, Kathleen and Roland, who are married. They thought about it and dreamed about it and finally did it. The plan was to open a fine restaurant in a small town and keep it open for six months a year. The rest of the year they planned to travel.

At first, to raise capital, they both worked, Roland as the chef and Kathleen as the manager in the same restaurant in the big city. And they saved their money. They chose Shelburne because the prices were affordable and the tourists stop coming all winter. They bought a house, refurbished the place and lived in the apartment over the restaurant and hung out their shingle. They were fortunate. The second year of operation, their restaurant, Charlotte Lane, was named the best eating establishment in Nova Scotia. It became a destination. Two years ago they bought the house next door, fixed it up and now live there. But they still maintain their high standards of food and service. They still have space for 26 people at a time. Roland does all the cooking while Kathleen trains and hires the staff and manages the small gift shop.

I am always so impressed not only with the taste of the food but also with the execution of the plan. They dreamed it up and and put their plan into action. It is very admirable indeed. Today at lunch at Charlotte Lane, I could not decide what impressed me most, but I know Ken and I loved our Anniversary lunch, hosted by my friend Beverley.