“A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.”—Chinese Proverb
“Customer service is the new marketing.”—Derek Sivers, Founder CD Baby
“Bienvenue,” she stated enthusiastically with a broad, warm smile. We were tired, chilly, and hungry as we entered 748 Restaurant in Beresford, New Brunswick. We had spent a total of over 24-hours of driving in the past two days—14 hours the previous day, and 10 hours on this particular day. We arrived to a cloudy, blustery evening. It was nearly 8:00 in the evening, and we had not taken time to eat much that day.
My family and I were arriving on what would be the first night of a two-week stay in the nearby village of Petit Rocher. Literally, we had walked through the gorgeous bay-side home that would be our residence during this time, talked briefly to the owner of this home, Denise, by phone, carried in our luggage, and based upon her reference, drove to this dining establishment. We were told they would serve dinner until 9:00. Would the resent us entering an hour before closing? That did not appear to be the case as Nathalie, our waitress for the evening, quickly switched to English when it became apparent we did not speak French.
New Brunswick is the only province in Canada that is officially bi-lingual. Both French and English are spoken by nearly all residents. As I would observe on this night, and throughout the week, residents of the Acadian Coastal region in which we were staying switched so effortlessly between the two languages, it appeared to be as automatic as their proud Acadian heartbeats.
We explained to Nathalie that we had not visited 748 Restaurant before as we took in the expansive menu. She had no problem giving us plenty of time to look over the menu as well as make recommendations based upon our taste preferences. From traditional burgers and sandwiches, to salads and soups, from stir-fries and fried fish, to all variety of entrees in between, 748 had something for everyone! Additionally, they had what looked like an assortment of homemade pies and cakes for dessert. Plus, if that wasn’t enough, they had an additional breakfast menu that I just happened to notice at the entrance as we walked in.
Looking around the restaurant, I saw one large party, of perhaps 20 or so people, as well as several tables of smaller groups. As we observed the plates being served, we noticed sizeable portions that looked appetizing, and smelled tasty. Later, a resident would tell me that 748 Restaurant was the place to go when you were in the mood for good ol’ home-style meals with truck stop serving sizes!
To be honest, on that first night, I was so tired; I forgot to take pictures of all the wonderful food on which each of us dined. I did, however, think to get a picture of Nathalie. That said, I do recall how superb we all thought the food and service was on the bleary, weary evening.
John, my husband, enjoyed a big ol’ burger, cooked to his taste preference and served with poutine. What is poutine, you may ask if you are an American? Poutine is popular dish across much of Canada. It is made with French fries, topped with cheese curds with a light brown gravy poured over the top—although, we saw numerous variations of poutine offerings as different restaurants enjoy creating and serving their own special twist on this traditional dish.
Meanwhile, our daughter, Maddie, and her friend, Gracie, split an order of fish and chips with a side of fresh scallops. They were glad they decided to split the order as the portions were more than generous, and they each were able to sample a two different style/types of seafood.
Finally, I started with what was supposed to a small house salad. My goodness, it was loaded with fresh greens and topped with a variety of colorful vegetables. Then, for my main course, I chose vegetable stir-fry—oh my. If I thought the salad was heaped with vividly crisp vegetables, I was overwhelmed (with joy of course!) to see my plated overflowing with vibrant vegetables, covered in a light savory sauce, and served over perfectly cooked rice. My mouth is watering recalling that wonderfully cooked dish as the stir-fry veggies were neither overcooked nor undercooked.
To end a perfect dinner, John and the girls ordered pieces of sugar pie, another Canadian delicacy we have learned to enjoy. Okay, well, I cannot enjoy it because it has gluten (wheat) in it, but it looks and smells heavenly to me! (It is also a popular dessert in Northern France, Belgium and other western European countries as well as in a few Midwestern United States where it is often called sugar cream pie.)
In fact, our experience was so positive at 748 that we returned on another day to try out their breakfast menu, and we were not disappointed! We were preparing for a visit to Miscou Island, the most northeastern point of the Acadian Coast of New Brunswick. It was a beautiful, but windy (chilly) day, and a big breakfast sounded like the perfect start to our adventure on this breathtakingly beautiful island with its expansive, secluded beaches.
Once again the effusive 748 staff greeted us as we entered. Our waitress was gregarious and helpful with suggestions. (I remembered to take her picture, but did not write down her name—so, I unfortunately do not remember it.) Looking over the expansive breakfast menu, it was certainly a tough decision.
As it turned out, Gracie and Maddie ended up eating blueberry pancakes. They were close to the biggest pancakes I have ever seen. Once these blueberry-filled golden cakes of joy arrived, the normally talkative girls did little talking as they attempted to eat the entire serving; but alas, their eyes were bigger than their stomachs.
I tried their vegetable omelet. The omelet was cooked to perfection, and it was served with a gigantic portion of potatoes. Additionally, the omelets are served with toast too, but as they did not have any gluten-free bread, I had to, sadly, decline it.
Meanwhile, John thoroughly enjoyed his over-sized breakfast. He selected the ham and cheese omelet. Like my omelet, his was served with a generous portion of potatoes and toast. Plus, our waitress was always at the ready with a coffee refill for John and me as well as water refills for Gracie and Maddie.
Overall, our family highly recommends the 748 Restaurant. It offers a varied menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The staff is friendly, efficient, and quite obliging. Plus, did I mention the overflowing plates of food? If you live in the Beresford area, or just happen to be visiting like my family, give 748 a try, and tell them Steph simply sent you!
Steph Simply 