When you book a stay at the Inn at Bay Fortune you’ll find the rooms are exquisite and the setting overlooking Fortune River delightful. But best of all is the inn’s red-hot culinary experience.
The island has lots of hotel choices, but there is only one with this level of gastronomic renown.
I made my reservation during the Prince Edward Island Fall Flavours festival, knowing that as a guest at the 15-room inn, I would be guaranteed a seat at its famous FireWorks Feast. The feast is also open to off-site folks, but those tickets are limited. The nightly event occurs from May through to October and people reserve months in advance.
FireWorks is the name of the Inn at Boy Fortune’s restaurant. Celebrity chef and owner Michael Smith works with a crack team of culinary experts he calls the “Fire Brigade.”
The inn is an hour’s drive from Charlottetown, on the eastern side of the island. When I checked in, I was told the feast started with a culinary farm tour at 4 p.m., followed by an outdoor Oyster Hour at 5 p.m. and dinner inside the restaurant at 6 p.m.
I had a bit of time to settle in and explore the property first.
The Rooms at Inn at Bay Fortune
My Classic Courtyard room was generous in size and overlooked the ornamental garden. All nine Courtyard rooms are on the ground level and have Queen beds. You can request a single cot as well. There was a sofa, propane fireplace and I was delighted to find that the black-and-white tiled bathroom had a heated floor.
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Smith’s wife, Chastity, is the innkeeper and designer. Every room is a little different and filled with whimsical art and antiques.
Amenities included a coffee machine, free Wifi, a flatscreen TV, and a robe and slippers.
The Inn at Bay Fortune’s other six rooms are in the North and South Towers. They are all different sizes, and the views are stunning.
A History of Drawing Celebrities
Over the years, celebrities of all stripes have been attracted to the inn. Built in 1913, it was originally the summer home of Broadway playwright Elmer Harris and his family. Later owners included actress Colleen Dewhurst and her husband, actor George C. Scott.
Chef Smith turned the restaurant into a celebrated culinary destination in the 1990s. Returning as the proprietor in 2015, he and Chastity now run the province’s only five-star country inn.
The Inn at Bay Fortune Farm
After scoping out some of the 75-acre property’s trails, I joined some of the other guests for the culinary farm tour. The inn’s farmer, Kevin Petrie, led us out back to his vegetable beds and explained how diverse microorganisms contributed to healthy soil. He had his hands full with supplying the inn’s kitchen with nutritious, organic produce.
In addition, the farm has a flock of laying hens and some Berkshire pigs that provide the meat for the inn’s pork dishes.
Indulging in Oyster Hour
Oyster Hour was next in the Fire Garden. Stations were set up outside, some with wood-burning ovens or pits with glowing embers. Staff members tended cast iron pans on the fires, serving pork belly twizzlers, smoked salmon, braised oxtail, and many bivalves.
Smith and an assistant shucked freshly harvested Bay Fortune oysters, which were plump and sweet and topped with a dab of Bloody Mary sorbet. My favorite hors d’oeuvre was the fire-roasted oysters on the half shell, covered in melted lovage butter.
A wine bar and a beer shack were also hopping. The cost of beverages was not included in the feast ticket price, though. After pouring a drink, a staff member would ask for your last name and ensure you got the tally when you checked out of your room.
Sparking Up the FireWorks Feast
Then came the five-course feast. Thankfully, I had paced myself and not gone overboard during Oyster Hour. Sitting in the restaurant with a roaring cookfire backdrop, we were ready for the show.
The Fire Brigade rushed about, and plates were garnished. Dishes of seafood chowder, roasted vegetables, salad, tri-tip steak, and smoked brisket were set before us.
The dinner they delivered was fueled with spectacle. Sliced warm bread was delivered atop a spiky metal tree. Cast iron pans were slid in and out of the fire. Flowers were tossed in the air before becoming part of the salad.
Did I have room for dessert? A resounding yes! The paté a choux with caramelized buttermilk ice cream was not to be missed and slipped down easily.
Breakfast Included in the Room Rate
Come morning, it was time to eat again. After a brisk walk around the property, I was ready. A hearty breakfast is included in the room rate.
The dining room was set out with coffee, juice, yogurt with fruit, and pastries. You could also order hot items such as farm-fresh eggs cooked any way you like, eggs benedict, sausages, bacon, and pancakes.
Rates at Inn at Bay Fortune
Classic rooms are $335 to $525 (double occupancy) per night, and suites are $550-$775 per night. Parking is included. Pets are welcome for $50 per pet.
Packages for special culinary events are available. The FireWorks Feast is $255 plus tax (gratuities are included), and beverages are separate.
Hotel feature by Toronto-based travel writer Maureen Littlejohn. Photos © Maureen Littlejohn. Tourism PEI arranged for her stay as she researched a larger piece. As always, her thoughts and opinions are her own.
