Month: January 2010

Food Notes for January 4, 2010

Mack and I made it back safely from Yellowknife on Sunday afternoon, just in time to watch the Canadian Juniors defeat Switzerland! Unfortunately, a volunteer commitment will prevent me from watching the final against the US (sniff), but Mack has faithfully agreed to update me via text. On to this week’s food notes:

  • Looks like Melting Pot, the US-based fondue chain, is targeting Valentine’s Day for its grand opening (117, 2920 Calgary Trail, next to Cora’s).
  • Lea’s handy site reports that popular Chinatown eatery Pho Tau Bay is closed January 3 – March 5, 2010.
  • In case you missed it, watch for Original Fare’s Fork Fest later this month, January 17-21 and 24-28. Hopefully the menus are released a bit earlier this time.
  • Local bloggers Chris at Eating is the Hard Part and Valerie at A Canadian Foodie started off the new year with new blogs. Go check them out!
  • Liane wrote a good piece on educating Edmonton about food, published last week.
  • Vue Weekly also had a wrap-up article – the best and worst trends of the last decade.
  • Besides being in the press for their abysmal season thus far, the Edmonton Oilers were also in the news for a disputed bill at Osteria de Medici, an upscale Italian eatery in Calgary. Their disputed bill rang in at $16,796.39, including tax and tip. Interesting related thread on Chowhound about the restaurant – and it isn’t positive.
  • I watched the lobster episode of Lynn Crawford’s new Food Network series Pitchin’ In and was not impressed. I was hoping it would be a sort-of farming counterpoint to Bob Blumer’s very well done Glutton for Punishment, but Crawford comes across whiney and condescending. I think it is partly due to choppy editing, but there was nothing of value in the episode – I didn’t learn any more about lobster fishing (techniques or sustainability), cooking techniques, or recipes. I guess it can only get better from here, but I won’t be watching.
  • I finally perused Maple Leaf’s Republic of Bacon site and have to say, it is darn amusing (the “bacon porn” is worth a look, as are the restaurant menus). And though it’s not the same focus as the Hellmann’s Eat Real, Eat Local site, I think it is a better campaign because even though Maple Leaf is behind it, their logo and name aren’t stamped everywhere.
  • Is Christine the new Jared? She could be, with a ridiculous campaign called the Drive Thru Diet from Taco Bell.
  • Food Network Humor has some cute photos of your favourite Food Network chefs when they were younger.
  • I’m sure the Vancouver 2010 merchandise will be even more ubiquitous as the Games approach, but I couldn’t help but snap a photo of the cute bottles of maple syrup bearing the Olympic logo that we saw at a Co-op in Yellowknife.

 

Does it taste like the Olympics too?

  • Mack’s parents are tea aficionados, and have an entire cabinet devoted to loose leaf teas. In addition to a selection of fine teas, their brewing system also involved a cool Teavana tea maker that, once steeped, would dispense tea into a matching cup placed underneath.

 

Teavana Perfect Tea Maker

  • Mack’s parents also have a Breville Keurig single-cup coffee maker. While I won’t be giving up our grind and brew system any time soon (nothing beats the smell of fresh-ground beans), it was neat to have a selection of over a dozen coffees at any given time. Mack was particularly blown away by how quickly the K-cup was able to brew a cup of coffee.

 

Breville single-cup coffee maker

  • Seeing the new Skinny Legs and Cowgirls sign up, Mack and I stopped to check if they were open. While they aren’t yet offering lunch (they will be on January 9), they have been offering dinner and brunch since December 17! It looks beautiful inside, with the tinned ceiling and tiny chandeliers. Can’t wait to try out our new neighbourhood eatery!

 

Skinny Legs and Cowgirls (12202 Jasper Avenue, 780-423-4107)

January in Edmonton is for Winter Fun!

I debated whether or not to put together a post of events for January, but here it is – remember to check out ShareEdmonton as well!

  • The second annual Winter Light Festival kicks off on January 6 with the Mispon Winter Light Gala. If it is anything like last year, I highly recommend you attend – it was an awesome evening! The Winter Light Festival continues until March 13.
  • The second Winter Light event of the year is Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival in the Alberta Avenue community on January 9-10. In addition to family-friendly activities and entertainment, look forward to a suckling pig roast and maple sugar on snow!
  • Santa may not have come to Edmonton, but the Olympic Torch will, making a stop in our city on January 13.
  • Ice on Whyte, a celebration of carving and sculptures is on January 14-24. I didn’t make it out last year, but did in 2008.
  • Hope you’re hungry! Original Fare’s biannual Fork Fest runs January 17-21 and 24-28, with great pre-fixe dining deals at many of the Original Fare establishments. Check the website closer to the date for more details. Mack and I had a great meal at Red Ox Inn last year during the fest.
  • Edmonton’s “alternative theatre performance festival”, the Canoe Theatre Festival, returns January 19-31, courtesy of Workshop West.
  • Pecha Kucha 6 is taking place on January 21 – the last one I attended in October was great.
  • Another Winter Light Event, Snow Daze and Baba Yaga trail sound pretty cool – the opportunity to walk along a trail transformed into a magical forest. Check it out January 22-23.
  • The First Lego League Alberta Robotics Competition takes place on January 23 at NAIT.
  • The Edmonton Rush hosts their first home game on January 23. Gameday tickets start at just $19!
  • Though the Oilers could be doing better, their annual Superskills competition is a great, inexpensive way to see your favourite players. This year’s incarnation runs January 24 at Rexall.
  • The sparkly new Art Gallery of Alberta finally opens to the public on January 31. You will need a ticket for admission, but luckily, they are free! They will be available starting January 18.

Culinary Highlights: 2009 Edition

Scanning my posts from the past year, I was reminded again of how fortunate I am to be a part of a great culinary community in Edmonton and to have experienced (and eaten!) what I did in 2009.

So as in years past, here are a few of my culinary highlights from 2009, in no particular order:

 

Food: Today, Tomorrow, Together organizers

 

Pigs at Nature’s Green Acres

 

The greenhouse at Greens, Eggs and Ham

 

Me and Mack with our potato bounty

  • Attending my first ever Indulgence, and finding out that the evening really does live up to its name.

 

My favourite dish of the night – a Carmen Creek Ranch slider, prepared by Botanica

 

Wild Boar and Beer 2009

 

With the bell that I got to keep

  • Doing a lot of cooking (at least for me), including one of my favourite dish discoveries, cassoulet.

 

Mark Bittman’s version of cassoulet with lots of vegetables

With Chef Rob Feenie (Mack made me take the photo)

Mack occupies POTUS’s seat at Ben’s Chili Bowl

Melt-in-your-mouth gnocci at Proof

Jessie Radies of The Blue Pear, one of the three people I interviewed for the story

Latkes!

  • Attending two Foodie Meetups, and getting to meet some of the wonderful local food bloggers in person.

 

Foodie Meetup #1  at Blue Plate Diner

 Foodie Meetup #2 potluck at Dawson Park

  • Continuing to find diners to love – and still hoping for more of them in Edmonton.

Stuffed French toast from Dairy Lane in Calgary

Here’s to more eating in 2010!

Epicureous in Edmonton: 2009 in Review

I thought it was another great year for Edmonton’s food scene, though I probably sound like a broken record. However, it’s hard not to get excited when small, local businesses are getting the recognition they deserve in supplying the city with specialized products.

Tomatoes from Sundog Organics

Here are a few of the year’s notable trends and events:

  • A second Edmonton restaurant family was profiled in the third season of Family Restaurant early this year. Food Network Canada viewers were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the Quons, the family behind local institutions The Lingnan and Chicken for Lunch. Unfortunately, the show left something to be desired.
  • While the effects of the recession were somewhat muted in Canada, people in Edmonton were still looking for dining deals to be had. As a result, several local restaurants, including The Blue Pear and Hardware Grill introduced menus with lower price points to entice patrons.
  • In spite of the economic downturn, several local establishments expanded their business in 2009. Health Fare opened its second location downtown, Famoso christened a third branch in South Edmonton Common, a third Mikado is now in the west end, and a new Transcend cafe will begin operation in Garneau in January 2010.
  • 2009 also saw several chains move into the city, including Cora’s, Cactus Club Cafe, and opening in early 2010, fondue restaurant Melting Pot.
  • Frozen yogurt shops, akin to their US cousins, have finally arrived in Edmonton! Twisted Yogurt opened up its first parlour in August, while Kiwi Kiss joined the fray in October. Expect many more storefronts in the first half of 2010.
  • As Eater would say, two’s a trend – both Vinomania and The Bothy are equipped with state-of-the-art Enomatic Wine Serving System. I wouldn’t be surprised if more restaurants go this route in the nest year.
  • Specialty bakeries were also launched in full force, with no less than four cake shops and cupcakeries popping up – Cake Couture, The Cake House, Flirt, and a second Fuss Cupcakes outlet on Whyte Avenue. Of course, who could forget Duchess, whose opening was the equivalent of a culinary earthquake in Edmonton.
  • A trend going into 2010 will undoubtedly be more transparent menus and accommodating kitchens, as more people require or choose gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan diets, but in 2009, Backstairs Cafe was already ahead of the trend, showcasing vegan cuisine and giving Edmonton its first culinary speakeasy in the process.
  • Local food producers continue to gain a foothold in the market, with the Good Food Box and new Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market providing more opportunities to support area farmers, the Eat Local First initiative helping consumers to identify goods made by local purveyors, the Meet the Locals Festival connecting shoppers with producers, and the successful launch of We Eat Togethershowing the appetite for local food.

I’m looking forward to what 2010 has in store already!