A stay on prince edward Island is the closest most of us will ever come to a sojourn in a fairy tale. Made famous by Louisa May Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables stories, the island is a preserve of tiny fishing communities and historic small cities, wildflower fields and windswept beaches. Visitors come for the slow pace, the enduring quiet, the beauty of the island, and the innovative and delicious food of chef Stefan Czapalay. His top-rated restaurant, Seasons in Thyme, is the only restaurant east of Montreal to earn a coveted top three-star rating in Where to Eat in Canada, and one of only 13 across the nation.

Czapalay began his own fairy-tale culinary story at Chez La Vigne, Alex Clavel's top-ranked Nova Scotia eatery. He cooked at Montreal's Grand Hotel and Ritz-Carlton, and at a series of highly regarded Maritime restaurants. In 1994, he worked briefly at a small restaurant in P.E.I.'s remote Tyne Valley before embarking on a culinary tour. After a turn in Charlie Palmer's Aureole kitchens in Gotham, he headed for Europe, where he worked at a number of Michelin-starred restaurants, including Serge Knapp's Restaurant Julien in Strasbourg and Michel Troisgros's legendary Roanne establishment. When he returned to the Island, Czapalay heard that the little Tyne Valley restaurant was vacant. Two short months later, he and his wife opened Seasons in Thyme. Critical kudos from Epicure, Canadian Living, and other top magazines followed, and soon the Czapalays expanded to a 100-seat, year-round space in Summerside, overlooking the Atlantic waters where fishermen harvest Malpeque oysters. In his spectacular gardens, Czapalay grows many of the herbs for his kitchen, including 19 varieties of thyme. This month, Czapalay brings his superb food from his tranquil island to our bustling one. Don't miss it.