Hazel’s Simple Good Food
October 10, 2026
Words by Laura Oakley | Images by Michelle Doucette
Jim and Diane Buckle brought something a little different to the Peggys Cove area when they took over Rhubarb Restaurant back in 2012: simple, good food that catered to locals just as much as tourists. They developed a strong following at that location in Indian Harbour, with live music nights, warm service, and tasty food. The tagline has lived on at their new venture in Liverpool. Hazel’s Simple Good Food opened this past July on Main Street, in a restored home with plenty of character. “Jim and I fell in love with Liverpool years ago [...] we always thought we would retire here,” says Diane. “The universe had different plans for us!”
We visited the new spot just a few weeks after opening, surprised to walk into a crowded dining room in the late afternoon – what’s usually a quiet time for any restaurant. Jim was in the kitchen and Diane was running around greeting guests, serving tables, and making drinks. Business as usual, just further south down the shore.
It was wonderful to see Hazel’s quickly earning a solid reputation serving the Buckles’ style of comfort food. Some were regulars from Rhubarb, some tourists, and many were grateful Liverpudlians, happy to have this option for delicious, locally-sourced food in their hometown. “We have been very warmly welcomed by the people of Liverpool and we are always so thrilled to see our Rhubarb regulars,” says Diane. “ I can't believe how many folks have made the trip to see us; it means so much!” Former customers will be happy to know there are a few menu items that made the commute to Liverpool along with Jim and Diane (I, myself, am a huge fan of the crispy haddock with chickpea salad).
Past Rhubarb clientele will also notice familiar-looking artwork adorning the walls of Hazel’s (hello, Pedair, the beautiful highland cattle), which, much like the Buckles’ former business, has a feeling of an art gallery-slash-dining room. The space features hardwood floors, mismatched vintage kitchen chairs and wooden tables; above the fireplace mantel is a painting of the namesake Hazel. Hazel is the grandmother of the artist Andrea Redmond (who also painted Pedair). The Buckles bought this piece of artwork years ago at a gallery inside the Tantallon Library. They soon found out after befriending Andrea (who has since passed away) that they were living in the former home of Hazel. This story inspired the naming of the new restaurant, also honoring Andrea’s life and art.
We taste and photograph a spread of dishes at Hazels. First is the kale caesar with full leaves of crunchy romaine lettuce dressed in an excellent roasted garlic dressing, whole strips of well-done bacon, parm, kale chips and croutons. I love a caesar salad and this one had all the flavours and textures I was looking for. The jalapeño cornbread with hot honey is a delightful starter paired with nutty aged Welsh cheddar, and sweet roasted mixed nuts. This is the perfect dish to pair with a local craft beer from Liverpool’s Hell Bay Brewing – may we suggest the dark cream ale? (Though I was sipping on the haskap cosmo – which was going down way too easily.)
The fish tacos were bright with shredded carrot and radish slaw, crunchy fried haddock, pickled red cabbage, all drizzled with green onion crema, and sriracha mayo. The accompanying thick-cut fries were super crispy, well-seasoned and utterly satisfying.
What restaurant on the South Shore doesn’t offer seafood chowder? (And, no pressure, but it better be good.) This was supple, rich, with a robust creamy base loaded with lobster, haddock, hot smoked salmon, potatoes and carrots, sprinkled with fresh parsley. It’s served with a soft pat of butter and a homemade buttermilk biscuit. Perfection for any chowder lover. I paired it with Lightfoot & Wolfville Tidal Bay for the ultimate taste of Nova Scotia (shout out – Taste of Nova Scotia).
“We have always been about simple good food but now that we are smaller, we are able to make things on a smaller scale and by using more local suppliers,” explains Diane. “Once a week we make a trip to a local farm for our produce. Being there lets us see what's available, and then we can create weekly features based on that. It's been a lot of fun.”
Aglio olio is one of my favourite pastas for its simplicity. Here it’s prepared with linguine cooked with garlic, tossed with chili flakes and parmesan cheese. We opted for seared scallops on top (amazing upgrade). The pasta had bite and the simple sauce had a fiery kick; the sweet, succulent scallops were a great decision. This didn’t leave much room for dessert, so we opted for a simple butter tart. I loved the rich, caramelized butter flavour and perfectly crumbly crust. Don’t leave without trying this tart, or take one to go.
We made a little pit stop before we left Liverpool, a visit to Hell Bay Brewing, which was not even a five-minute walk away (gotta love small towns). This may have been inspired by the chalkboard cheering on other Liverpool businesses, which was on the bathroom wall. Hell Bay’s small tap room and water-facing patio offer pints and flights, plus an impressive collection of board games. We tried samplers of the pilsner, English ale, and dark cream ale – a nice little way to cap off a trip to Liverpool.
Hazel’s will be open year-round at 343 Main Street in Liverpool, and is definitely worth a journey to the South Shore.
