The Northside always remembers when we don’t feature one of their businesses, With the influx of new openings primarily downtown, the Fredericton Word has been neglecting the other Hoods’s new openings or big changes. This issue we look at Northside additions, a former Northside joint grows up and moves downtown. Plus, news from Fredericton’s best suburb, New Maryland.
If you want to keep up to date on interesting new business openings or local events happening around the Fredericton area in between newsletter issues, follow our Facebook page
In the Hood : Northside
A Half-Cut Happy Ending
Half Cut Brewing Company is well known for its big flavour flagship beers Tickle Fight and JackHammer (available around the province), but their taproom is perhaps lesser known than the ones down the street. The venue is small and perfect for a cold pint with friends. The entire lineup of beer punches above its weight, and its guest taps are the best the Province has to offer (they often have the delicious Saint Andrews Brewing on tap, which is a big win).
They offer some live music options throughout the year, and you can now view events on their new TV. The bar and its large summer patio are steps from the trail system. But what sets Half Cut apart is the staff. Because of the size and location of the tap room, it feels like a neighborhood pub. Great service and quick-witted bar staff make everyone feel welcome. Owner Matt’s own philosophy about hiring staff is “no assholes allowed”.
Half Cut’s taproom is home for the Happy Ending kitchen. From the creative culinary minds of Fredericton’s best brunch food, The Feel Good. For such a small menu, it has all you need for a light bite, snack, or even a meal to pair with your beverage.
Try the brisket!
Are you interested in writing for The Fredericton Word? Email and let us know what you have in mind. We are always looking for new voices from across the community.
In the Hood: New Maryland
As everyone knows, New Maryland is (in)famous as the location of the last fatal duel in New Brunswick. For some reason, the village on the outskirts of Fredericton embraces this strange fact and even has its own highway signage approaching the village (only to disappoint visitors if they are looking for some sort of Last Duel theme park). Alas, New Maryland does have something better to offer: a pub named after the two combatants, The Wetmore Street Pub
The pub has been in existence for years but has recently been purchased by three local owners who hope to breathe new life into this great local pub. Here is our exclusive interview with one of the owners, Marco Bonadie:
Marco, what do we need to know about the new owners of Wetmore Street Pub?
I lived in Fredericton for a short period when I was younger. I moved back during COVID-19 as we wanted a slower pace and safer community for my wife, Lisa, and I to raise our two teenage children. I spent years working in the industry and in a family-owned cafe and sports. I decided to follow a dream of restaurant ownership, and could not think of anyone better than Rick to partner with.
Rick Howe, a friend since elementary school, is Fredericton-born and raised. He has spent most of his life working in the hospitality and restaurant business. Rick is my son's godfather and a very good friend. He has had a lifelong dream of owning and operating a restaurant of his own.
Ed Gallant is my father-in-law. Retired in his early 50s as a Bay Street banker. He then decided he was too young to fully retire, so Ed built a fish and chip restaurant from the ground up in Shelburne, Ontario, and was very successful as an owner-operator for 20 years before retiring again. Ed and his wife Sharon moved to New Maryland with us. When discussing purchasing Wetmore's, Ed decided to join the venture and invest.
Wow, lots of experience and background. Welcome to New Maryland!
Why Wetmore Street Pub? What kind of opportunity do you see with the pub and the location in New Maryland?
Since moving to New Maryland almost four years ago, I have been a customer of Wetmore's. Rick had also visited many times with friends in the past. We felt like Wetmore was truly a local business, and we quickly became aware of the positive impact Wetmores has on the community and surrounding areas.
We felt there was an opportunity to bring back a place that serves great food to the greater Fredericton area and provide a friendly place for families, friends, and date nights. We want to build a culture of excellent, caring service for our customers.
What are your near-term plans for the pub? I am sure you want to put your stamp on the place.
Wetmore's is fortunate to have amazing talent in the kitchen. Chef James has been an important part of our menu planning. With his experience and connection to Wetmore's, we have worked to improve the quality of our favorites (including moving to fresh-cut fries, a major improvement to our fish n chips, and some other surprises. We will be replacing a few items on the menu with some popular past specials. However, our staples such as burgers, nachos, and of course our incredible Mozza Sticks will remain (Editor’s Note: The mozza sticks are the best I have ever had).
Rick Howe has taken the lead on improving Wetmore's drink menu. His many years of experience working in drink service in the Fredericton and Ottawa areas allow us to create signature drinks and introduce some favorites that Wetmore's has been missing.
We have hosted a very successful wine-tasting event. This included samples of over 12 red and white wines. The groups discussed favorites, and in this process, Wetmores will be expanding our wine list and planning on building on wine culture in our community.
As our readers know, The Fredericton Word loves beer….
Wetmore's will continue to support and showcase local breweries and offer a rotation catering to seasonal brews. I have attended Beer College in Toronto and will educate our servers on the types of beers we offer and which beer is best to complement our food menu. We will be changing our glassware to be specific to the beer ordered. This will complement the aroma and flavour of the beer. We will be increasing our bottle/can beer selection as well to have a little more international variety.
We are also working to rebuild the culture of live entertainment (music, trivia, paint and sips, whiskey and wine nights, comedy, etc.), as well as food theme nights and a huge focus on live sports. We are very excited about these improvements.
Do you have any plans to change the space? I know the patio is under utlized
Our goal is to rejuvenate Wetmore's. We have completed a deep cleaning of the restaurant and renovated the washrooms. We have made some improvements to the flow of the lounge, which offer better sightlines to the stage for live events. Moving forward, we are planning on improving the bar area, starting with the presentation and functionality of the back bar. However, as a commitment to the staff and customers, Wetmore's has remained open throughout renovations and is utilizing our current closed days (Mondays and Tuesdays) to complete the work. This will mean renovations will take longer than hoped, but this is the promise we made to our dedicated staff and loyal customers.
As warmer weather approaches, we will assess the patio. We are planning on showcasing local musicians on the patio throughout the summer evenings and having amazing drink and food specials that will be well received for an afternoon or evening on a patio. Fortunately, Wetmore's patio is amazing, and we want to share this with everyone to come and see for themselves.
Thanks Marco, for your time. All the best in this new venture!
Folks, stay tuned for some grand re-opening celebrations coming in April. Watch their Facebook page for details.
In the Hood: Downtown
Coastline Pizza (& More!)
Coastline Pizza was born on the northside at Half Cut Brewery. It quickly became known as having the best pizza in town, with the unique Detroit-style pizza, fresh ingredients, and special recipes receiving rave reviews. Owned and operated by Jennie and Peter, the amazing husband-and-wife team from renowned downtown restaurant The 11th Mile, they decided it was time for Coastline to grow up and find a bigger space to offer a full sit-down experience (while maintaining takeout and delivery options).
Coastline (and more!) opened its new location last week in the TD Tower at 77 Westmorland Street. The bright, inviting front of house was designed from an empty space and a blank canvas. With the support of the building management, they converted this main floor area into a kitchen and restaurant while planning for future options such as a grandiose patio for summer.
Focusing on their famous pizza, their menu has expanded to include some northern Italian baked dishes, bowls, meatballs, and other specialities (editor’s note: the marina and meatballs are a must-have). Chef Peter curated the expanded menu. The front-of-house staff includes some familiar faces from the 11th Mile and some new staff as well.
At the bar is a selection of wines chosen for the menu as well as their own Coastline Pilsner brewed by local brewery Graystone. Spritzes are also a feature.
Coastline will be open for lunch and dinner service Monday to Friday and for Saturday dinner service. In addition, Coastline wants to be a good neighbour, so they will be hosting special events and coffee service for the tenants of TD Tower. A great partnership between landlords and tenants.
The Fredericton Word's first impressions of Coastline and More were amazing. Granted I had high expectations, and they lived up to them.
Special thanks to owner Jennie Wilson for being so kind with her time and answering all my questions. I appreciate the support.
Wetmore Street Pub is the absolute best. Thanks for featuring such a hidden treasure in our community. I'm glad it's the same staff, and I'm looking forward to trying out the new menu items. Great update on the fries!
I'm so happy to know where Coastline Pizza landed....we've been missing it.