Salty Digest: Pier 15 at Fisherman’s Wharf
This article first appeared in Salty: The Island's Food Digest on May 1st, 2017.
New owners reimagine the location’s full-service restaurant
New owners of the Fisherman’s Wharf, Amy and Forbes MacPherson, are opening for the season on Mother’s Day, May 14th, 2017. To shake things up at the North Rustico hot spot, they’re putting some elbow grease into fine-tuning the location’s second restaurant, the newly-named Pier 15. Some may know the location as “the small restaurant on the left hand side when you walk in the main doors”, but the MacPhersons want to breathe some new life into this little-known gem.
Seasoned chef, Andre Kinnear, will be continue at the helm of the restaurant’s kitchen. “This will be his third season. We are super excited to have him stay with us. He has a ton of experience with 20 years under his belt. He has been a big part of the changes we are making at Pier 15. He has some really great things on the menu,” MacPherson said.
Local hand-crafted ales from PEI Brewing Company and Upstreet Craft Brewing will be available on tap along with a selection of wines to complement the revamped menu. Live entertainment will take place on select evenings throughout the summer as well.
Lobster. // Photo credit: Paynter & Co.
“We would really like to showcase raw local talent. Not the centerpiece of the restaurant but something to make the experience of coming that much better,” MacPherson said.
“We are super excited about the menu. You’re going to see a lot of seafood, but more eclectic. We are trying to go back to the roots of Rustico a little. Rustico is the oldest Acadian settlement in Prince Edward Island, so what better than a shrimp po’boy? Trust me when I say it’s mouth watering good. We will also be putting lobster to good use in our lobster poutine. There will be the traditional options as well like the served lobster supper, fish & chips and our famous surf & turf. We will still have options for the non-seafood lovers, as well as a kids’ menu.”
Aside from the changes at Pier 15, Fisherman’s Wharf will remain largely unchanged. The elements that locals and visitors love will remain, including the main restaurant’s claims to fame: a 60-foot salad bar and all-you-can-eat mussels.
“We both have been in business for years and we were looking for our next project. The Fisherman’s Wharf World Famous Lobster Suppers kinda came to us. It’s a big deal but we are up for the challenge. We have great support from family and friends and especially from our employees, they are sticking by us in this new adventure. We see so much potential, but keeping the same feel as it has always had – a traditional lobster supper in the authentic fishing village of Rustico, PEI. Pier 15 will be a nice addition,” MacPherson said.