Amby’s Eats

You know a trend is getting big when it makes it’s way to Pictou County, and with Amby’s Eats some local entrepreneurs have brought the gourmet food truck scene to small town Nova Scotia.
Opening up earlier this summer, I just had to watch Amby’s from afar on the internet before I finally made my way home to New Glasgow for a week to take in the Jubilee and spend time with friends and family.
Luckily for me, Amby’s was set up on the concert grounds for the Jubilee and my girlfriend and I hit them up two out of three nights that we were there. Being such a large venue, they pared down their menu to an efficient size, with just chicken tacos, pulled pork sandwiches and fries. I went for the chicken tacos, while my other half went for one of her favourite foods, the pulled pork sandwich.
My tacos arrived piled high in a tray with two soft shell tortillas to each taco, only somewhat containing the deliciousness within. The chicken was moist and flavourful, topped with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole and crushed, plain potato chips which added a nice crunch and saltiness to the tacos. My only mild complaint was that the guac was kind of bland and didn’t make itself known amongst the many toppings.
As good as the chicken tacos were, the pulled pork was the big winner, going so far as to usurp my girlfriend’s previous favourite pulled pork sandwich and having her craving it in the days to come. The meat was loaded onto the bun and topped with a creamy apple slaw. The meat was sweet and smoky with just a bit of tanginess to it, and had a great texture, moist without being a stringy pile of mush. The apple slaw was a nice complement, adding good flavour and just a bit of crunch from the julienned apples. Unfortunately for my girlfriend, her new favourite sandwich is now a two hour drive from where we live.
Later that week, I convinced my family to swing by for lunch so that I/​we could try Amby’s regular menu, in particular their arancini in Pictou County brown sauce. I ordered the blackened fish tacos and split an order of arancini with my sister and soon we were on our way home to eat on the picnic table in my parents’ yard.
Having only come across arancini on food TV shows that I’ve watched (appropriately enough I believe it was Eat Street), I was eager to try them, especially in the famous Pictou County brown sauce which is a staple for the pizza at home. For those unfamiliar with them, arancini are rice balls filled with cheese, meats or other foods and then breaded and fried, getting a crispy, golden brown exterior. Their name is a result of their shape and colour, being derived from the Italian word «arancina» or «little orange». While it may not fit into the Canada’s Food Guide fruit and vegetables category, they are right up my alley. Coming in somewhere between golf and tennis ball in size, three arancini sat in a thick pool of brown sauce with some mixed greens on the side. They were still quite crisp, even after the drive home, and were filled with soft rice, spinach and mozzarella. The rice itself could have used some more flavour, but each bite was a nice mi of the crisp outside and all the fillings, making for a great combination of textures and flavours.
Capping off my food truck foray at home were the fish tacos. Not quite as over loaded as the chicken ones, these are still a light, tasty meal. The unbattered haddock was flaky and spread well throughout each taco and the watermelon salsa was a unique, and delicious, addition. Rounding it out was the apple slaw which was equally as good on the fish tacos as it was on the pulled pork.
With reasonable prices at $ 10 taxes in or less for everything, Amby’s Eats is a fantastic addition the Pictou County food scene and is a great example of the sort of things people in the county will embrace once enterprising and creative people take on the task.