Month: June 2008

Family-Style Disappointment: Santa Maria Goretti Centre

To cap off a gluttonous week of eating out, I took my family to the Santa Maria Goretti Centre (11050 90 Street) for their famous seven-course weekly brunch on Sunday.

7 courses!

With its status as a media darling (written up once in See Magazine, twice in Vue Weekly, and just recently in the Journal), attending the pranzo (lunch) feels a bit like a rite of passage for foodies in Edmonton. Their menu changes every week, but from the website (and all of the echo chamber praise), I was expecting “Italian cuisine in the Santa Maria Goretti style…based solely on the precept of superior ingredients over fancy preparation.” From the pieces I had read here and there, I knew to also anticipate a large, lively Italian crowd of regulars, family-style platters, and more food than the stomach could handle. And though it pains me to pan a non-profit that cradles repeat business and has nothing but the best intentions, this just wasn’t a good day for first timers to the Centre.

Santa Maria Goretti Centre

We drove up and parked our car in the shadow of Commonwealth Stadium. There was a bit of confusion as there were numerous functions going on that morning, but we eventually found ourselves in the correct main hall, and after paying $19 per head (cash or cheque accepted only), settled in at our table.

The hall itself is beautiful, with burnished wooden floors, majestic chandeliers, and an audiovisual setup that allowed the Euro2008 game to be broadcast and clearly viewed by all in the room. I can only imagine the glorious weddings and celebrations that have taken place here, especially with free access to a large parking lot (so long as a major event isn’t occurring next door).

Felicia and Amanda in the hall

We had been sitting idle for about fifteen minutes when I decided to approach the hostess about when the coffee and food would start being served. She assured me that our server would be taking care of us right away; I hoped so, as my Mum and I were getting pretty antsy without our morning cup of joe.

Thankfully, our waitress came by shortly after with a carafe, a basket of bread, and an antipasto platter. The latter contained scoops of potato salad, cheese, and an assortment of cold cuts. We all dug in right away, and though none of it was particularly noteworthy, we were definitely ready to eat at that point.

Antipasto platter

The second platter (also chill to the touch, not unexpected in what was essentially a banquet function) featured veal with tuna sauce and capers. I was underwhelmed, though the veal, tasting like roast beef, wasn’t bad.

Veal with Tuna Sauce

Our third dish was one that Amanda had been looking forward to all morning – pasta. This incarnation of rotini with tomato sauce and basil hit the comfort food spot, and was probably my favorite of all seven courses.

Amanda helps herself to some pasta

By the time the bulk of our mains were served, the hall had filled up to capacity, with families from the church next door taking up the remaining tables. These courses included a salad with Italian dressing, a side platter of cheddar-roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables (the frozen variety), pork rolls with gravy, and roasted chicken breasts in white sauce. Because this was the heartiest portion of food we received, it left the biggest impression on us – the potatoes, pork, and chicken had all been overcooked, rendering them dry, tough, and virtually tasteless. It’s worth noting that we were offered seconds of all entrees, but other than the pasta, we wouldn’t have wanted to have to eat any more of the disappointing mains.

Lots of food

Felicia smiles suspiciously at the camera

My parents

Dessert was a slice of cherry cake, and like the dishes that preceded it, the crumbly cake was devoid of moisture and best consumed with a cup of coffee.

Posing with the cherry cake

While I did enjoy the “family-style” way of dining, and passing around platters (instead of the accustomed ease of a Lazy Susan at Asian restaurants), I was expecting so much more from this supposed best-kept secret in Edmonton. Given the rotational menu, however, perhaps we just experienced a off-day in the kitchen, and should offer the Centre a fair second opportunity leave us with a better impression.

“The Coffee Shop”: Wild Tangerine

Annie introduced me to Wild Tangerine (10383 112 Street) two years ago, but I haven’t been back since. I thought the portions were small for the price, but the decor and the atmosphere were the closest I have ever found to duplicating the fictional Sex and the City “coffee shop” in Edmonton. When a window opened up on Friday to meet up with Bettina for dinner, I jumped at the opportunity to take her there.

Wild Tangerine is part of a very small group of restaurants that are considered darlings of the Edmonton food scene (Culina and Soul Soup are two others). Part of that reason is chef Judy Wu’s presence on the national stage (for example, just recently winning bronze at the Mystery Wine Pairing event at the Canadian Culinary Championships in Toronto). The other is because of its whimsical interpretation of fusion fare using locally-sourced products.

I’ve always been sceptical of the movement towards Asian-Western “fusion”, especially because with that word anywhere near the menu, restaurants seem to believe it grants them a license to automatically increase the prices. At any rate, I was ready to give Wild Tangerine a fair shot that night.

At 5:30pm, we were just one of three parties at the restaurant, but by 7pm, nearly every table had been taken. My initial impression of the decor still held true – I loved the muted, earth-toned walls, orb-like pendant lighting and the IKEA-esque plastic white chairs. In all, with its dark floor and open space, it reminded me of a funkier version of Culina.

I also appreciated the unexpected little touches, like the stamp on the brightly-colored napkin, the mini-clipbord menus, and the smooth pebble stones at the base of the bathroom sink. I thought the plastic water cups were a little inelegant and out of place given the setting, but that was a minor nitpick.

Their selections of mains is small, almost always a good sign of a restaurant trying to focus its energies on doing a few things very well. I had heard rave reviews on their Shrimp Lollipops ($8 for 3), so we ordered that to start. For entrees, Bettina opted for the Peppercorn Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna with Organic Hemp-Oil Tomato Coulis ($20), while I decided to try the Cha-Siu Organic Pembina Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Tangerine Glaze ($22).

The Shrimp Lollipops were beautifully presented, carefully placed in a white ceramic cup. Neither of us cared for the wasabi yogurt they were served with, but I loved the crispy coating on the shrimp. They were undoubtedly messy to eat, with bits of fried noodle ending up as unfortunate casualties with every bite, but each savoury crunch transported me to an upscale midway where beautiful food tastes as it should.

Our mains were timed right, both delivered shortly after our starter plates had been cleared. Again, the artful arrangement of the food should be noted, with ribbons of carrots and slivers of chives adorning the tops of both our dishes. The bok choy was perfectly prepared, crispy, with the natural juices of the vegetable palpable. Unfortunately, both her tuna and my pork had been overcooked (the tuna to the point where it stopped tasting like fish and had a firm, meat-like consistency). Luckily, the sublime, sweet-spicy tangerine glaze saved my dish somewhat, ensuring that I used all of the conveniently pre-sliced pork as a vehicle to soak up every last ounce of the sauce.

Service was attentive throughout, and again, with my adoration of the ambiance, I know I will be back. Likely next time, it will be for tapas and desserts instead.

Wild Tangerine

Interior

Place setting

Menu

Shrimp Lollipops

Peppercorn Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna

Cha-Siu Organic Pembina Pork Tenderloin

Italian in Banff: Timbers Food Company

This guest post was written by Mack, an Edmonton-based geek who fancies himself a part-time foodie. You can find him online at his blog, and on Twitter.

I’m in Banff this weekend for the nextMEDIA conference, and despite not having my restaurant buddy here with me (that would be Sharon, of course) I’ve checked out a couple of local establishments. Last night I did two things that I pretty much never do: I ate somewhere chosen at random, and I ate alone.

While wandering around downtown Banff, I came across Timbers Food Company, located just off Banff Avenue at 204 Wolf Street. From the outside you might think that Timbers sells logs or camping equipment, but it’s actually an Italian restaurant inside a converted house. The log deck outside seats 60 patrons during the summer months, while the inside has room for 50.

I walked in to find the restaurant about half full, a good sign in my book. I opted to sit at the bar near the front of the restaurant, so that I could watch both the restaurant inside and the busy street outside. The waiter brought water and fresh bread as I got settled in.

After a quick look at the menu, I decided on the Beef Tortellini with Cream of Tomato sauce ($14.95). My first impression after it arrived was that the portion size was quite small, but I was deceived. The tasty dish was really quite filling! I wouldn’t go so far as to call it the best tortellini I’ve ever had, but it definitely hit the spot.

I’m not sure if my waiter was just really friendly or if he guessed that I was some sort of food reviewer (maybe because I was taking photos), but he was very attentive, friendly, and seemed genuinely concerned about whether or not I enjoyed the food. It made my “eating alone” experience much more enjoyable than it would otherwise have been.

If you’re in Banff and and in need of a hearty meal, give Timbers a try.

Timbers

Outside

Inside Timbers

Inside

Beef Tortellini with Cream of Tomato Sauce

Beef Tortellini

Just One of Many: Pho Tau Bay Restaurant

Convinced by coworkers that Pho Tau Bay Restaurant (10660 98 Street) would soon become my new favorite pho haunt, I met Dickson, a fellow pho enthusiast, for lunch there this afternoon.

Like most restaurants in Chinatown, both the storefront and interior are nothing to write home about. The decor is dated, furniture worn and floor in need of a makeover. But for the supposed authenticity and cheap prices, much can be overlooked. Well, it seems their prices went up recently – a medium bowl is now $6.20 (up from $5.60), while an extra large bowl is priced at $7. Of course, for the serving size, it is still very reasonable (and cheaper than Pagolac and Golden Bird), but it seems they will have to do more to differentiate themselves from the crowd at this point.

My coworkers weren’t kidding when they said that there was nothing but pho on the menu – twenty varieties, with combinations of beef flank, tendon, brisket and tripe all available. I was disappointed with a lack of rare or medium rare beef, so ended up ordering a medium bowl of pho with beef balls, while Dickson opted for the extra large with steak, well done brisket, flank, tendon and tripe. This was the only non-dim sum meal I’ve experienced where ordering on paper (checking off the quantity desired next to the dish name) was called for.

Our dishes took no more than five minutes to prepare (reminding me very much of Pho Hoa), which was either really efficient or, as we were joking, cause for suspicion. Dickson thought my serving was rather small when compared with others like Hoang Long and Pagolac, but for a lunch meal, I was satisfied with the size. The dish itself though was a bit disappointing – the broth was a tad salty, and overall, we both longed for bowls from any of the other eateries mentioned above.

While we may have been let down by Pho Tau Bay in part because of extremely high expectations, with so many other great pho spots in the area, I’m not sure we’ll be back to give it a second chance.

Pho Tau Bay

Interior

All-pho menu

Beef Ball Pho

Special Pho

Blogging at FoodTV!

I’m really excited to share that I will be contributing to Bazaar, one of the two FoodTV.ca blogs:

“Bazaar is a blog dedicated to those extra things that make dining and eating a great experience. Entertaining plays a big part in the whole thing. This blog is about the tools, items and venues that add to our food experiences.

“We’ll be taking a closer look at restaurants and markets from coast-to-coast, we’ll be reviewing and covering the latest cookbooks and kitchen gadgets, and keeping our eyes on the houseware items that bring your everyday and dinner party table together! “

Focusing on what Edmonton has to offer the culinary world, I will be submitting a series of posts over the next few months. My first piece will appear later this month, where I reveal the treasure that is Edmonton’s Original Farmer’s Market.

Things I Love

Window displays

The Globe & Mail

Brick

My el-cheapo shoes that not only survived three weeks in Europe but also two years with a known shoe-killer

Chinese take-out shaped boxes

Working within walking distance of the downtown core

Poutine from Route 99

Card shopping

Spring greenery

Fish Heaven: Billingsgate Lighthouse Cafe

Mack’s Grandma always recommends two places when we ask for suggestions of where to buy seafood: Boyd’s (103, 979 Fir Street, Sherwood Park) and Billingsgate Seafood Market and Lighthouse Café (7331 104 Street). We decided to let the experts prepare the fish and headed to the latter on Wednesday.

On a gloomy, cloud-ridden evening that Mack thought fittingly cast an east coast feel, we entered the market. It may have been the foreboding weather, but we seem to have missed the dinner rush, as the market was devoid of shoppers. We did a quick round through the cases and freezers, but our empty stomachs soon drove us to the end of the hallway and into the Lighthouse Café.

Our reservation wasn’t necessary, and we were seated right away in the circular lighthouse-shaped dining area. It was very dimly lit, relying heavily on the natural light from the gradually darkening sky. From the outside, I thought the interior would be quite kitschy, but instead, the décor was charming and tasteful. A small lighthouse-shaped candle holder was on the table, and pictures and figures of various sea creatures were plentiful yet not dominating in any way.

I appreciated the short introduction of the café on the inside of the menu, detailing the history of market having to evolve to meet customer requests for prepared seafood. As expected, the menu contained a few dishes entirely devoid of seafood (pasta, risotto, chicken, steak), and a variety of fish, scallop, shrimp and lobster entrees that drew from the market’s fresh inventory.

Both of us knew our order even before the menu was opened – the Lighthouse Fish and Chips, made with pacific halibut filets prepared with a light batter, served with coleslaw, tartar sauce and fries (one piece for $10.95). Mack also wanted to give their Lighthouse Calamari a go ($8.95).

Service was consistent through our meal, and our waitress was always just around the corner ready to fill up our water glasses. The calamari arrived after a short wait, topped with red onions and served with a chipotle aioli and a marinara sauce. I preferred these buttermilk-coated rings to the heavier batter found at the likes of Earls and Mr. Mike’s, but Mack disagreed.

We were still snacking on the calamari when our mains arrived. The bloated halibut, unfortunately resembling a corndog, looked like it had just been picked up from a midway vendor. I was hoping the fish hidden inside the crispy, glistening crust would taste fresher than the frying oil used, and though it was fork-flaky, it was also disappointingly dry.

We received two Ovation mint chocolates with our bill, which was a nice touch, but still didn’t make up for our lacklustre entree. Mack acknowledged that we probably ordered a dish not demonstrative of their seafood catalogue, so we may be back in the future for fish not fried.

Billingsgate Seafood Market

Lighthouse Cafe

Seafood Market

Dining area

Lighthouse Calamari

Lighthouse Fish and Chips

The Cooking Chronicles: Grilled Stuffed Pitas

Though for a brief moment we flirted with the idea of having a primary party to end all primary parties (building on our Chicken Enchilada experiment), we copped out and opted for a simple meal instead.

With CNN in the background, Mack and I put together stuffed pitas as inspired by a dish I had at Cafe Mosaics a few months ago. Sauteed onions, green peppers, mushrooms and spinach formed the first layer in our sliced pita, followed by shredded rotisserie chicken and mozzarella. We then grilled the halves in a pan, primarily to melt the cheese, and topped them with diced tomatoes for some sweetness.

While filling, neither Mack or I were too impressed with our version of the pitas. Both of us would have much preferred a quesadilla made with similar ingredients.

Grilled Stuffed Pitas

Food Notes

  • Vintage (10124 124 Street), the new lounge that replaced Mangiamos, is now open. I peered in the windows on Sunday, (very Eater of me, I know), and it looks very much like Suede Lounge – movable ottomans and low tables – but about half the size. Pick up the NextFest program in this week’s See Magazine for a coupon that entitles you to a free tapa at Vintage.
  • I love this concept of  deVine’s “Taste the Season: A Traveling Tasting” event. Partnering with local eateries, guests will sample plates from Ric’s Grill, Characters, and TZiN, all paired with exquisite wine selections. $90 seems a bit pricey to me, but it’s a great way to walk your way through one of Edmonton’s great food districts.
  • Kerstin’s Chocolates recently started their own blog! The Cocoa Room will be offering a special $5 tasting plate on Saturday, June 7, with a sample of very special chocolate made from a rare variety of cacao, and as well as a new Chocophilia variety. They will also be offering free hot chocolate all day. Head to their shop at 10139 112 Street to check it out.
  • See Magazine released their annual “Best of” survey results this week. It’s a mixed bag of results to me (glad to see that Route 99 was recognized for the 2nd Best Poutine, and the Italian Centre for Best Deli, but the fact that Taco del Mar placed at all for Best Mexican, and  the Wok Box earned number one as the Best Take-out makes it hard to take too seriously). I did like Scott Lingley’s personal list, however, and many of the restaurants he included are on my hit list to try (Tau Bay, Handy Bakery, Viphalay).
  • Judy Schultz contributed to the Bistro section again this past week with a story on asparagus producers Edgar Farms. I’m not sure whose decision it was to have Liane Faulder start in the summer and not the fall, but it really does take away from her new take on things with Judy’s columns appearing on almost a weekly basis.
  • Mack sent this to me (who else would?) about a “BarCamp” style cupcake tasting called CupcakeCamp. Too cool.
  • Alex Witchel wrote a great nostalgic piece on those iced cakes of our childhood – reading it made me want to go to a bakery straightaway to relive the delicious magic.
  • Speaking of cake, has anyone tried the Tuxedo Truffle Mousse cake from Save-On Foods? I bought a small one for a dinner I attended recently, and though I find that cake and icing alone are enough to satisfy me, I loved the variety in this case.
  • I purchased a Fruit Flan from Sobeys Urban Fresh, hoping that it would be as good, if not better, than one I had from Sunterra. Unfortunately, it looked better than it tasted, though it may have been my fault for leaving it too long in the trunk of a car.

 

Fruit Flan from Sobeys Urban Fresh

Film: “Sex and the City”

(Spoilers ahead)

I did my best to avoid reading reviews for the hotly-anticipated Sex and the City movie, which opened on Friday. But from the few snippets I saw (such as the screaming headline of “NO STARS” from the Globe’s Rick Groen), I was only cautiously optimistic as I settled down in my seat for a Sunday matinee.

By the end of it, I wasn’t as disappointed as I thought I might be, and I realized having extremely low expectations was one of the two reasons why I enjoyed the movie. The second was having watched (and re-watched, in many cases) all six seasons of the show, I had a thorough knowledge of each character and relationship backstory  – something those new to the series would not have.

Janice and I chatted about this on our way home this afternoon, and felt that the movie didn’t do the men justice at all. Big was much too serious all the way through, barely cracking his trademark grin at all. It’s a shame the editors decided to cut out the scene where he serenades Carrie in bed, because that’s quintessential Big! For those unfamiliar with how sweet and charming he can be, I wouldn’t blame them for cheering Carrie on as she strove to forget him and reconnect with her single self. As for the other men: Harry’s inclusion was essentially holiday and special-occasion driven, while poor Steve looked like he wanted to throw himself off of the Brooklyn Bridge every time the camera panned to his face – I wanted more of the Silly(!)Steve we saw a glimpse of in the Italian restaurant. And Smith? Mandatory viewing for those new to SatC is “Let There Be Light”, which shows his patience and understanding after Samantha’s Wright-slip – otherwise, the audience automatically assumes that Smith is just another young Hollywood write-off.

Also, as much as I loved seeing the parade of sometimes ridiculous outfits worn by the girls in the show, the naming of labels and the in-your-face product placements were just a little too obvious and self-indulgent in the movie. This was probably unavoidable – I’m sure they were just trying to cram as many designers into a two and a half-hour movie in place of several years of episodes as they could.

In this vein, though the film was long, I thought it felt rushed – they shuffled through several plotlines that in TV-land, would have developed over the course of a season. Miranda and Steve’s separation (and subsequent reconciliation, in a scene way to sweet for Miranda, in my opinion), Samantha’s waffling over her frustrations with Smith and her LA life, and of course, Carrie’s woeful “why did I fall for it again” cyclical fall from grace followed by a too-quick resolution (the time devoted to her inability to get out of bed would have been better spent highlighting why Big was such a great man to begin with, instead of a denouement demonstrating his ability to retype letters).

With the bad, there was also some good – Jennifer Hudson (playing Carrie’s assistant, Louise), was a surprisingly welcome screen addition, warm and genuine when playing opposite the sometimes over-the-top Sarah Jessica Parker. Second, my favorite scenes in the movie involved Charlotte. While she didn’t really have her own meaty storyline to contend with (just getting pregnant and living the perfect life), her upset stomach in Mexico and Big confrontation (“I curse the day you were born!”) were hilarious moments in the movie.

While it seems there was more to dislike about the film, I think as a whole, it would be impossible for any movie to replace 94 episodes of emotion, drama, and friendship. See it, but know you’ll always have the box set to go back to.