“Macbeth” at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival

The Freewill Shakespeare Festival provides a great excuse to get out and enjoy one of the Bard’s plays in one of Edmonton’s most beautiful parks. I adore the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park, and love seeing how the tone of the production can change depending on the weather.

Shakespeare!

Mack and I were lucky enough to get tickets to attend the show this year, courtesy of Bottom Line Productions. This year, the Company is staging Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth (set in Cold War Eastern Europe) – the latter won out as my pick this year.

Mack and I at the Festival

Back in June, I had written about a “picnic in the park” promotion the Festival had organized, offering two tickets and a $100 Sunterra gift certificate to the creator of the best picnic basket using Sunterra goods. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to participate, with the deadline for submissions falling right around the time of our move.

So although I couldn’t enter the contest, I thought our trek out to Hawrelak Park would be a good opportunity to put a picnic basket together, and have an easy dinner at the Park prior to the show. We found out later that patrons can actually order a pre-assembled basket through Sunterra, which would be delivered to the show – how cool is that?

I met Mack at the Sunterra in Commerce Place after work last Friday, and though much of the deli inventory had been devastated by the lunch crowd, we were still able to pull together a nice warm-weather supper – a chicken, cucumber and tomato baguette sandwich for me, and a beef teriyaki wrap for Mack. We supplemented our mains with drinks, chips and a strawberry Napoleon from the bakery.

Pre-show dinner

The sandwiches were a bit disappointing – while there was a fair amount of chicken and vegetables, as a whole, mine wasn’t very tasty; Mack said the same thing about his wrap. They also exceeded our $5 limit for cold sandwiches.

We did better with dessert – between puff pastry, icing, pastry cream and fresh strawberries, we couldn’t lose. I am glad to have shared it with Mack though – as you can guess, it was pretty rich.

Strawberry Napoleon

By the time we finished our meal near the ticket tent, the line-up had tripled in size. The volunteers (who were all friendly and so helpful), said they had seen much worse, particularly on Tuesdays where the price of admission is pay-what-you-will (this past Tuesday, attendance was 1,200!).

Eager crowd

There were still plenty of good seat options by the time we were through the gates though, so our dawdling went unpunished. Settling in our seats, we got a good look at the stage: a stunning, tiered wood structure with metal accents, including a balcony, winding staircase and a fireman’s pole – talk about a modern set-up. We both also really liked the round feature at centre stage that acted as the Witches’ cauldron, and doubled as the banquet table in the scene where Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost.

Stage

As I mentioned, this production was set in Cold War Eastern Europe, which was a time period director John Kirkpatrick thought was very much in line with the original setting, rife with suspicion and corruption. While the execution didn’t work as well as we had hoped (without changing the place references – not that we are advocating doing so – the transposition seemed a bit strange), it did allow for some striking costumes, including Lady Macbeth’s dazzling black gown worn to celebrate her husband’s ascension, and ghost Banquo’s stark white dinner jacket, marred with blood (the haunting, Shining-like appearance of John Ullyatt’s Banquo is something I won’t soon forget).

Though none of the actors really blew us away (though I will always have a soft spot for Lady Macbeth, played well by Melissa MacPherson), the happiest surprise for me was to recognize Peter Fernandes up on stage in a supporting role. I had taught Peter back during my student teacher days at Louis St. Laurent (no, not in drama), and even caught one of his performances at the Citadel Theatre when he was a student in one of their development programs. It’s great to see that he has not only continued with his studies, but is also securing roles in top Edmonton productions – congrats, Peter!

The Festival is in its final weekend, with two matinees and two more evening performances. If you’re not yet ready to dive into the frenzied crowds at the Ex, Indy or Taste of Edmonton, this is a great summer alternative.

Alberta Backstage Culinary Dinner at Wild Tangerine

I sometimes wonder what tourists that visit Edmonton ultimately think of the city. Festival central? Expansive river valley? Pedestrian unfriendly? Dominated by big box stores (and a monolithic mall)?

I suppose a lot of it comes down to what the visitors are interested in (and as a result, what they seek out), and who, if anyone, recommends certain attractions over others. For that reason, I was delighted to be asked (alongside Mack) by Bin of the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation to attend a dinner at Wild Tangerine two weeks ago to “share my Edmonton” with travel writers from other parts of Canada, the United States and Germany. Chef Ned Bell (of Cabana in Kelowna) was leading the group of six writers through Alberta over an eight day period.

We received the journalists’ itinerary a few days before the function. They would be on the second (and final) night of a whirlwind tour of the Edmonton area. Their time in the city was jam-packed, including stops at the Yellowhead Brewery, dinner at Skinny Legs and Cowgirls, a walk through the Victoria Promenade, a visit to the Little Potato Company, and a drive to Pigeon Lake for lunch at Eco Cafe.

I realize how time is of the essence, and geographically speaking, that not all attractions are in close proximity to one another, but remembering my own experiences on a Contiki tour bus in Europe, I know I would have preferred more time exploring by foot instead of traveling from place to place by vehicle, and based on their comments that night, they would have liked the same. Given the amount of time they spent driving in circles as well (Judy Love Rondeau, the Travel Alberta liaison on the trip, is originally from Edmonton, but has been living in Texas for several years now, and while Ned spent many years in Calgary, he wasn’t at all familiar with Edmonton), it was curious why EEDC didn’t arrange for a local guide for the Edmonton leg of the trip. Mack and I also had to wonder why at least one of the meals weren’t scheduled for Wildflower Grill, given the guests were staying at the Matrix Hotel, and Nathin Bye’s award-winning reputation (he earned the top prize at the Gold Medal Plates in 2009).

As for our dinner at Wild Tangerine, Wilson and Judy pulled out all the stops. They closed the restaurant off, and presented a meal comprised partly of dishes off their regular menu, but mostly conceived just for this function, utilizing ingredients purchased at the City Market as a means of highlighting our local bounty.

I am all for supporting local producers (Madison’s Grill is one of my favourite restaurants partly because of their commitment to area farmers), and Wild Tangerine is a good example of another Edmonton restaurant with ties to Alberta producers, an off-menu meal isn’t the best representation of what tourists – on a random weekday – would be able to order. One of the journalists said as much, noting that she wouldn’t be able to focus on dishes that her readers would be unable to ask for.

My only other grievance was the lack of producer names on the menu. Wilson chose to go the route of listing where the product had come from in place of the farm name (Leduc instead of Greens, Eggs and Ham, for instance – something I know the regular Wild Tangerine menu does as well). Perhaps this was borne out of a necessity to appease writers who would be overwhelmed by the names of individual producers, but especially having sourced many of the ingredients from the City Market, they should have emphasized the sheer breadth of local producers they used.

That said, Judy is an absolutely amazing chef, and the meal showcased her kitchen abilities above all else. Ned was particularly impressed that the menu was conceived after a routine walk through down the aisles of the City Market.

Wilson Wu and Chefs Ned Bell and Judy Wu

It is a meal I will remember for a long time – not only because of the company (it was only after the meal that I realized why Ned’s voice was so familiar – Mack and I see his clips of It’s Just Food every night before we go to bed, in between commercials during our late night programming), but also because every dish was so exceptional, it was difficult to pick a favourite. Each course had something exquisite, unique and memorable, and with the chatter at the table, it was evident the guests felt the same thing.

You can’t be a food writer these days without a camera

We started off with Wild Tangerine’s famous shrimp lollipops, which are an absolute must at the restaurant. Wrapped in phyllo pastry, they are one of the most creative and delicious appetizers I have ever come across. Messy, but worth every explosive bite.

Shrimp Lollipops (fabulous presentation)

The next dish, a Pacific octopus salad with Greens, Eggs and Ham mixed heritage greens and an oregano vinaigrette, totally changed my view on octopus. I most often avoid octopus because of the rubbery texture I associate with the protein, but here, it was tender, with a consistency similar to chicken! I also loved the crunchy taro root fries – they were a fun addition.

Pacific Octopus Salad

A Slave Lake pickerel (from Fin’s), served with a Mo Na morel mushroom-butter glaze, was stunning. If not for decorum and common decency, I would have licked the plate – seasoned perfectly, and velvety rich, it enhanced the fork-tender fish. We seriously did something wrong with the morels that we purchased – they tasted nothing like that. But then again, I’m far from a chef.

Slave Lake Pickerel with Morel Mushroom Butter-Glaze

The jasmine tea, wok-smoked Greens, Eggs and Ham duck breast with a spicy tangerine aioli was also not a regular menu item, but it should be. It was Judy’s 2008 Gold Medal Plates-winning dish, and it was easy to see why. Gorgeous presentation aside, the duck was moist, with crisp skin encasing an even layer of delicious fat, the sweet heat from the aioli punching up the flavour. The accompanying chanterelle and duck confit wonton was just as good, and was better than any other fried wonton I’d ever had.

Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck Breast with Spicy Tangerine Aioli

Amber Lane elk, done two ways, was next. The “Lions Head” meatball, stuffed with Sylvan Star gouda and pan-seared tenderloin with a Saskatoon berry compote, was a dish to conquer. I appreciated the tenderloin, well-cooked as it was, but really, I probably could have eaten a second meatball in its place – the cheese surprise was the icing on the cake.

Amber Lane Elk Two Ways

The penultimate dish of Siang Hseng wine slow-cooked Rimbey bison short ribs is thankfully on the regular menu, and is one that I will have to order next time I’m in – they were meltingly tender (and without the egregious fat sometimes seen on beef short ribs). The coconut gnocchi were also really good – light and refreshing, Janet, the journalist across from me commented on how it combined two things she really liked, but had never thought to put together.

Slow-cooked Bison Short Ribs

Dessert that night was an en Sante Green Envy-infused “double-yolk” crème caramel, made using eggs from Sunshine Organic, and raspberries from Wilson’s backyard. Crème caramel isn’t something I’ve ever ordered, but it was a nice, fairly light alternative to my usual choice of a rich, heavy cake. Ned was impressed by the texture and consistency of the flan, and commended Judy for choosing to make such a dessert for food writers.

Green Envy-Infused Crème Caramel (Mack had a few bites before he remembered to take a photo)

I should mention that each dish was paired with a lovely wine, but being the lush I am, I wasn’t able to keep up, and ended up only tasting the last few glasses of wine.

Wilson called the meal a “Dinner of True Love”, because of Judy’s sincere, honest cooking. I couldn’t have agreed with the description more. Thanks again to Bin for the invite, and I do hope the journalists enjoyed their time in Edmonton!

Culinary Q & A with Bianca Osbourne

Occupation: Cook at the Common Lounge, deejay- with my 2 best girlfriends, we’re called Girls Club- and, of course, aspiring food writer!

What did you eat today?

Curried Corn soup, cucumber salad (at a candle party, no less) and grilled shrimp and tofu with rice. It was a great day for food!

What do you never eat?

Bananas, the texture and the shape conjure up dastardly images in my head. I’ll leave it at that.

What is your personal specialty?

Months ago, it would have been soup; but being the middle of summer, I am quickly becoming a salad gourmet.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

Condiments, my roommate and best friend loves condiments. Need a sauce? Come to my place!

What is your weekday meal standby?

I eat terribly during the week, with work and dj commitments; I tend to eat on the run. So my weekday meal standby is anything fast, smoothies are a big weekday feature. I use my weekends for cooking, so leftovers also play a big role in my weekday meals.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

I don’t own a lot of kitchen gadgetry, but I would have to say the Magic Bullet. That little gem makes smoothies possible; and clean up is a breeze. And no, I wasn’t paid to say that!

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Surf and turf with the works. Lobster, Shrimp, Halibut, Mussel Meuniere, French bread; and the juiciest T-bone steak, the size of my head. And DQ ice cream cake for dessert, but the crunchy fudge center would be half the cake, instead of the standard 1 inch thickness.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Doan’s, my friends and I love the downtown Doan’s patio. You will find us there most Saturday’s afternoons, restoring ourselves with huge bowls of Pho, green onion cakes, spring rolls and Vietnamese coffee.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

That’s a toughie, Edmonton has some great spots. I really like Viphalay’s Tom Yum Pho. I recently had brunch at Murrieta’s and it was amazing. I could go on forever, but those were the first to come to mind.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

Greece, Mediterranean food is the bee’s knees. Enjoying minted lamb, lemon-y potatoes, and a Greek salad with juicy kalamatas and fresh feta with a view of the ocean, is what I call heaven.

Bianca blogs at What’s for Dinner.

Food Notes for July 19, 2010

I still can’t believe The Hills pulled that kind of ending on us. Six seasons and four years later, they choose the series finale to tease the audience with the suggestion that everything was staged? Sure, I’ve acknowledged that it was a “scripted reality” from the start, but why not just continue the charade? Sigh. On to this week’s food notes:

One more week to work on your entries for the Wild Boar & Beer Scavenger Hunt! If you’re not inclined to participate, you can purchase tickets for the event online here.
Does the Taste of Edmonton menu excite everyone? Something needs to change about the event – it seems to be the same every year. Also – interesting to see Krua Wilai still participating (as The Marc is taking over their storefront) – did they move?
Capital Ex released the details of their take on marathon food last week – the Monster Burger, made of 1kg of Spring Creek Ranch beef, plus bacon and other toppings, takes 20 minutes to cook, and costs $39.50…unless you can finish it all on your own (it is meant to feed six to eight people).
Kelly wrote a great post about the limited edition chicken and Eva Sweet waffle sandwich Elm Café offered on Saturday. It sounds like it will be back, due to popular demand!
A new Vietnamese sub shop is coming soon to the space next to Sweetie’s Cafe on Rice Howard Way.
Looks like Press’d in Edmonton City Centre is targeting an August 2010 opening.
The Dish is expanding into the Electrum Design Studio! They will have additional seating room, or if the doors are closed, private space for up to 30 people
MRKT, the newest lunch spot in the core, gets more blog love, this week from Liane.
The Journal wrote an article about the first location of a Tim Hortons in Edmonton that has been equipped with a Cold Stone Creamery.
Also in the Journal, the newest foodie profile – on the Edmonton Community Foundation Executive Director, Martin Garber-Conrad.
Did you know people are knocking down the doors of Dahlia’s Mediterranean Bistro for their meatballs? I didn’t, until I read the profile of owner/operator Fadi Smaidi in Vue.
The Queen, a community garden in Queen Mary Park (111 Street and 109 Avenue, just north of the Edmonton Chinese Baptist Church) is having an open house on Sunday, July 25, from noon-3pm! Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions, and the CommuniTea Infusion Van will also be there for the festivities.
Also on the subject of community gardens, Jennifer Cockrall-King continued her series on urban gardens in Edmonton, with posts about two gardens just west of downtown (I love the Oliver garden, for the record!).
Marianne wrote about Country Cuisine’s Taste of Summer event (a great alternative to the Taste of Edmonton) that took place recently. Look for their other popular event, Tomato Fare on August 15 – I enjoyed it last year.
Always great to see new local blogs pop up – welcome, GourmAndrea!
Are cupcakes saving New York’s economy?
How’s this for a foodie twist on the traditional matching sites – Salad Match strives to pair you up with someone based on your salad affinity. Would the Alberta equivalent be “Burger Match”?
Eva told me about Teaopia that opened in Kingsway a few months back. We finally came across it while shopping at the mall on the weekend. We didn’t explore it (I will freely admit I don’t know much about tea), but on a different day, I’ll be back.

Teaopia

Mack and I are such suckers for novel potato chip flavours (not a new topic). This time, we were sucked into buying a bag of “Late Night” Doritos, which are supposed to taste like cheeseburgers. The verdict? There are hints of ketchup, cheese, mustard and pickles – and the combination does remind us of cheeseburgers!

Mack poses with our new favourite chip flavour

We haven’t been eating out on the balcony as much as I would like, but we did take a moment outside with some treats I picked up from Whimsical Cupcakes the other day. Yum!

Hurrah for cupcakes!

City Market Report: Week 10

I have faith that one of these Saturdays, we’ll actually make it to the City Market when it opens at 9am! I think part of why we drag our feet now has to do with it being right outside our door – the urgency is no longer there.

Always busy intersection

A new concession vendor started this week, called The Fork and Spoon Brigade (how cute is that?). They’re hard to miss, in a shiny orange truck, and they feature bacon from Irvings Farm Fresh in their dishes!

The Fork and Spoon Brigade

The menu isn’t extensive (it is a food truck after all), but there’s hearty fare, including a breakfast crepe and egg sandwich for those early risers, and a BLT crepe and a vegetarian chili for those seeking lunch options. Alan Irving showed us his BLT crepe that he picked up – it looked delicious.

BLT crepe

Between The Fork and Spoon, Eva Sweet, Filistix, and of course, the venerable Fat Franks, the City Market is shaping up to be food cart and truck central!

Also new this week was Inspired Market Gardens’ herb sorbets, made exclusively for them by local ice cream maker Pinocchio. Gwen had four flavours this week (they may change from week to week), including basil, rose and raspberry tarragon. We picked up a half pint to try, particularly because we missed out on the lavender sorbet at Indulgence.

Herb sorbets from Inspired Market Gardens (yes, we sampled some too)

While shopping, we ran into Gail Hall’s Market Fresh cooking class, who was busy learning about the difference between” certified organic”, “organic”, and “natural” from Sunshine Organic’s Sherry Horvath. It seems like an eternity ago since I participated three years ago.

Market Fresh cooking class

Between all of our socializing with friendly faces, I didn’t do the best job of documenting the week’s fresh produce. And our tardiness probably meant we missed out on much of it too. I hope for an earlier start next week!

Beautiful carrots from Kuhlmann’s

Radishes from Kuhlmann’s

Cabbages and kohlrabi from Riverbend Gardens (the latter made it into my basket this week!)

With a full fridge after our visit, we’re all set for the week. See you there next Saturday!

The Cooking Chronicles: Cooking with Spinach

Most of the spinach I buy inevitably ends up in a salad. I have gone so far as to wilt spinach, but those instances are few and far between.

So, with the markets bursting with spinach, I thought I should change it up a bit, and be a little more creative. Two recipes featuring these greens caught my eye.

Carrot, Spinach and Rice Stew

After a few meals that unavoidably left me with numerous dishes to wash (I don’t know why I complain about dishes so much…I honestly don’t mind doing them, but the less there are to clean, the better), I immediately gravitated towards Mark Bittman’s one-pot carrot, spinach and rice stew. It’s another gem of a recipe that features under ten ingredients, combined and allowed to simmer away happily on the stove, thickening and intensifying in flavour all the while.

The comments recommended adding chickpeas, which I did, as well as a dash of cumin, which was Bittman’s suggestion. I also finished it with some dill (fresh from a coworker’s garden!), which was just the pop that a dish like this, served in the middle of summer, needed. I probably could have added more spinach (I used the remainder of a bag of Greens, Eggs and Ham mixed heritage spinach), as it does wilt down an incredible amount, and here, was given the time to cook and lose that stringy texture. Mack really liked that the chickpeas had ample time to soften (I added them with about fifteen minutes to go).

Carrot, spinach and rice stew

All in all, another successful Bittman recipe!

Pea and Spinach Soup with Coconut Milk

I’m not sure what inspired me to make vegetable stock for a soup recipe, but I did. And guess what? It wasn’t difficult at all! With guidance again from Bittman, I had a decent stock in half an hour.

Before and after

Though I haven’t made too many things from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavours, I love flipping through it periodically – with recipes that embrace seasonal cooking, it’s a good starter book for ideas on how to use fresh ingredients available at farmers’ markets. A recipe for pea and spinach soup with coconut milk provided the perfect opportunity to marry two seasonal ingredients – peas from Edgar Farms and spinach from Sundog Organics.

Unlike the spinach in the stew, however, I thought it could have been given a little more time to cook, and unfortunately, the curry overwhelmed the subtle cilantro flavour. That said, I really liked how the coconut milk and sweet peas balanced the heat from the curry, and all of the different textures in the soup, especially the peas (how could anyone not love sweet peas?).

Pea and spinach soup with coconut milk

What are your favourite ways to cook with spinach?

Baseball Night in Edmonton with Homeward Trust

Last week, Homeward Trust treated their Homeless Connect volunteers to an Edmonton Capitals game. It was a very different kind of volunteer appreciation evening, but one that provided a refreshing change from the usual appetizers and drinks, and as Mack said, the formal thank-you speeches. And really, what’s better than a local agency supporting another local organization?

Batter up!

As Mack said in his write-up, this was our first visit to Telus Field in a number of years. I know the last time I attended a baseball game, the team that played here was called the Edmonton Trappers! Much has changed since then – the team that calls Telus Field home is now the Edmonton Capitals, a part of the Golden Baseball League. Their season has been great so far, with a record of (as of today) 29-15.

That night, they were playing the Tijuana Cimarrones (I had no idea the GBL included teams from as far away as Mexico and Hawaii). The Capitals pulled into an early lead, and helped along by a few home runs, won easily 14-5.

Let’s play ball!

Though baseball is far from my favourite sport, I thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace and the venue (with a perfect line of sight of both the High Level Bridge and the Legislature). However, it felt a bit like the opposite of what we experienced at our last Eskimos game – instead of being underdressed, we were overdressed – in jeans and without any sun protection, we absolutely baked in our west-facing seats.

It was HOT

To escape the heat, we spent a lot of time wandering the innards of Telus Field to check out their reasonably-priced food menu. We had eaten a full meal at home before the game, but couldn’t resist a slurpee and an ice cream as efforts to keep cool. And, well, when I saw their gourmet hot dog offerings (which they claim to be the most extensive in the city), I just had to try one.

The perogy dog ($4.50) came topped with cheese, bacon, onions, fried potatoes and loads of sour cream. I could have done without the latter, but other than that, it was pretty tasty, and definitely something creative that I wouldn’t have expected to be sold at the ballpark (Telus is no Citi Field).

Perogy dog

I also have to applaud the Capitals for being ahead of the curve when it comes to promotions. Though their regular tickets are quite affordable at just $10 each, between their 4 for $44 Thursdays (4 tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 drinks for $44), movie nights (watch a movie screening out on the field following the game), and innovative ideas such as offering free parking to those who carpool with four or more individuals, I think the Capitals will be around for years to come.

Mack and mascot Razzle

Thanks again to Homeward Trust for the tickets! It was a great way to unwind on a summer evening in Edmonton.

Valley Zoo: Onward with the Master Plan!

The Valley Zoo was one of those attractions that had been on my list to re-visit for some time – I had trouble even remembering when I last ventured out there. So I was delighted when I found out one of our board meetings was scheduled to take place at the Zoo, with a behind the scenes tour to precede the more formal portion of our monthly gathering.

A sunbathing alpaca (it had just received a haircut)

The Valley Zoo just celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. When it was originally built, it was conceived as the Storyland Valley Zoo, in line with most of the other zoos built in North America during that time period. Remnants of the original design can still be found around the site, but will soon be retired in favour of a more modern facility.

Storyland aspects

Humpty Dumpty won’t be put together again

Dean Treichel, the Operations Supervisor of the Zoo, was a fantastic guide, and was obviously passionate about his job and the facility. He was just bursting with pride, and keen to share his knowledge about the zoo with us.

Wallabies and rabbits – too cute!

Tigers, oh my! (we were led into the building where the animals are fed…I have never been that close to a tiger in my life)

Adorable red panda

The piece de resistance of our visit, and what I was most looking forward to, however, was Lucy. There has been much controversy in the past year over the zoo’s lone elephant, but above all the rhetoric, what shouldn’t be lost is how much her keepers care about her. Maureen, for instance, has been with Lucy for 21 years, and cheekily said, “I will be crazy glued naked to her body” if they ever take her away. I’m sure a sense of humour would be imperative to remaining sane under all the scrutiny.

Lucy on one of the seven walks she takes every day

After the tour, Dean presented the Master Plan for the Zoo, which was passed by City Council in 2005. So far, $43 million dollars have been earmarked for capital development over the next two years. What most impressed me about the plan was how the designs will not only provide more learning opportunities for visitors (a key, said Dean, for small zoos), but how they chose to really embrace animals of our northern climate. Moreover, they have incorporated several sustainability features, including a green roof on the sea lion retreat building and an Arctic marshland that will help filter and reuse water, with an end goal of net zero water usage (except for loss due to evaporation).

Master Plan

Many of the habitats he showed us were still in their conceptual stages, such as “forest homes”, which would be built on tree canopy platforms to allow patrons to watch animals in their natural, tree-bound environment. Or, eye-to-eye viewing of prairie dogs and their underground tunnels.

That said, construction has already begun on one of the most impressive planned upgrades – a new habitat for pinnipeds. Dean was confident that the design would lead to award-recognition for the zoo, and based on the slides, I’d have to agree. The 750L seal and sea lion saltwater pool will be stunning, with details that elevate the design from straightforward to remarkable – including theatrical northern lights on the buildings and an acrylic panel that will mean the animals can swim beneath the feet of visitors.

Arctic Shores model

Another project is The Wander, a central trail system through the zoo mimicking the North Saskatchewan River in design that will be lined with play and demonstration areas, and will help visitors navigate the facility.

Though some funding has been secured, the Valley Zoo Development Society is committed to raising $12 million towards the renovations.

Bravo to the Valley Zoo staff for re-imagining what Edmonton’s zoo can be. Best of luck with the fundraising campaign!

Breakfast Value: Madison’s Grill

I’ve raved about lunches and dinners at Madison’s Grill, but there was still one meal they serve that I hadn’t yet sampled – breakfast. A birthday brunch with the girls provided a good opportunity to finally do so, on a sunny morning in June.

When I initially looked at their breakfast menu online, I just couldn’t believe what they were charging. Just $10 for a customized omelette? $12 for French toast? $14 for Alberta beef hash? What made the low prices even more incredulous is their use of local products – from eggs to bacon to cheese. And in their well-appointed dining room, I would think brunch at Madison’s offers one of the best values in the city.

The only downside was their limited hours (being a hotel after all) – they only serve breakfast until 11am. May and I arrived just after 10, and after settling in with beverages, awaited Annie’s arrival. We called her half an hour later, and it turned out she had our meeting time confused, and asked me to order something for her. Plates were served to May and I not long after, while the kitchen tried to keep Annie’s dish warm in her absence. They ended up having to make her dish again because they deemed it not fit to serve – a testament to how accommodating and understanding Madison’s is as a whole.

In terms of the food – both May and Annie enjoyed their dishes. May had asked for one each of their crab cake and smoked salmon Benedicts ($14; which our server happily combined), while I had ordered Annie a regular eggs Benedict ($12).

Crab cake and smoked salmon Benedict

Eggs Benedict (I love the cups bursting with fruit)

My omelette ($10) included three fillings of my choosing from a list of ten options – Irvings bacon, mushrooms and Sylvan Star Gouda. Though the eggs were prepared quite nicely – fluffy and light – the fillings were distributed inconsistently throughout, with the cheese concentrated on one end and the bacon on the opposite end. Also, this was personal preference, but the mushrooms were chopped a little too finely for my taste. I did like the pan potatoes, however, flavoured with some fresh herbs.

Omelette with bacon, mushrooms and cheese

There are several other dishes I’d like to try off the Madison’s breakfast menu, and with their fantastic service and demonstrated value, I know I’ll back in the future.

Madison’s Grill (in the Union Bank Inn)
10053 Jasper Avenue
(780) 401-2222
Weekday breakfast served 7-10am, weekend breakfast served 8-11am

Food Notes for July 12, 2010

Sometimes it feels like I’m going to be back-blogging for ages. I know one day I’ll catch up, but until then, thanks for being patient with me! On to this week’s food notes:

Some of the Fork Fest menus have been released – hopefully the rest will follow fairly soon! The pre-fixe food festival runs July 18 – 22 and July 25 – 29, 2010.
Advance tickets to the Taste of Edmonton, which runs July 23 – August 1, 2010, are now on sale (they will save you 10%, and time in line).
I’m not sure how long these hours have been in effect, but Tree Stone Bakery has new hours (they’re open at 8am on weekdays now!).
We spotted a new festival food vendor at the Works and at the Street Performers Festival called Twice as Nice. May said they have a new storefront location as well, offering Caribbean cuisine (10049 156 street, 780-757-7550).
Marianne reviewed the new location of Padmanadi – it looks gorgeous inside! Also, a sign up in the window of the original location on 97 Street states that it should have re-opened today, July 12, 2010.
Marianne also wrote about the revamped Parkallen Restaurant, as did Sarah (though I’m linking to it a little late) – I want to see that wine case in person!
On the subject of closures, Kabsa on Jasper Avenue and 104 Street has now closed – no notices, but all signs of life has evaporated from the storefront. I had the chance to visit them for the first time earlier this year, and had enjoyed my meal.
Jennifer Cockrall-King has a great post on community gardens in Edmonton, and an interesting piece on the rooftop hive on the Royal York in Toronto. She’s also taking registrations for the 2010 Okanagan Food and Wine Writers’ Workshop.
This is pretty cool – the new Kingsland Farmers’ Market in Calgary offers free coffee to the mayor of FourSquare!
I’ve never heard of Where to Eat in Canada, but Liane posted that the book just released their 2010 edition, which seems to feature a random smattering of restaurants in Edmonton. I’m glad she’s following up to see what the criteria is.
Vancouver just announced the winners of their food cart lottery – insane to think they received 800 applications for a coveted 17 spots. The carts are to be operational on July 31, 2010.
The Opener, David Adjey’s new show about first time restaurant owners, is looking for interested Edmonton restauranteurs who would like some assistance with their opening. Take a look at the trailer here.
Ben & Jerry’s released the finalists in their contest to name their newest ice cream flavour. You can vote for your favourite here.
Eater posted their round up of the 5 biggest bar and cocktail trends – Treasury, the vodka bar and eatery on Jasper Avenue, would fall into their trendwatch…if it were to ever open.
A forthcoming restaurant called 4Food opening up in New York is right up Mack’s alley, featuring crowd-sourced burgers, a giant screen highlighting relevant Tweets, and iPads replacing traditional pen and paper systems. Wonder if it’ll survive the novelty, in spite of their claims of quality food.
Mack snapped a photo of a Breyers ice cream truck that stopped on Jasper Avenue and 103 Street on Friday. They were handing out free ice cream samples – better than coffee for an afternoon break!

We all scream for ice cream!

Our agency held its annual “Kick Off to Summer BBQ” on Tuesday, having been rescheduled from a blustery day in June. Nothing says summer like a parking lot cookoff, right?

Free lunch!

Not related to food at all, but timely – I helped organize a soccer game at the office, to help commemorate the World Cup final. We had an awesome turnout, and though the skies poured a half hour before our game was set to start, the sun appeared just in the nick of time. It was a wonderful way to spend a lunch hour, soaking up the rays as a spectator (to have played myself would have equalled death by cardio).

I love it when the weather cooperates

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