Haligonians, as Halifax natives call themselves, are quick to sing the praises of the mighty donair, which is said to be better here than anywhere else in Canada. Halifax donairs are somewhat legendary; there are even stores in Ontario that claim to sell Halifax style donairs.
For the uninitiated, a donair is a spiced and seasoned mystery meat compound roasted vertically on a spit, then sliced upon order and served in a pita bread with a variety of accompaniments. You can get donairs anywhere there is a Greek population (my best ever donair was eaten in a suburb of Sydney in Australia) but in Halifax there is an extra special touch: donair sweet sauce. The sweet sauce served at donair vendors in Halifax is creamy and addictively delicious. It tastes like tangy cake frosting, and seems to work perfectly with the spicy and greasy donair meat. Donairs aren’t exactly health food, and seem to be at their most delicious after a night of drinking, which makes it fortunate that just around the corner from Argyle Street’s myriad of bars you’ll find King of Donairs, which is a local chain that first brought donairs to Halifax (and Canada) in1973, and is very popular with locals.
For an interesting twist, you can pick up a slice of donair pizza at the Island Greek on Gottingen Street, which is handily in staggering distance from the Paragon dance club. The slice looks a bit scary, but is really very good, and comes served with lashings of that wickedly delicious sweet sauce.