Year: 2010

Music and More: Blue Chair Cafe

I’m always happy when I can finally scratch a restaurant off my “to try” list, particularly when the restaurant has been on the register for a number of years.

I had initially added Blue Chair Cafe onto said list when I started to hear great things about their vibrant, packed-to-the-rafters, story slam events. The Journal recently reported that the relationship has since ended, but the restaurant has now started hosting their own version of the off-the-cuff narrative competition (on the second Wednesday of every month).

So while it would be logical to think my visit there two weeks ago would have been to attend a story slam, instead, a group of us from my workplace went to support a musically-inclined colleague of ours. He plays in a band called Le Fuzz, who bill themselves as “Alberta world beat fusion”. The quintet are super-talented, vivacious and upbeat, and every time I see them perform, I am amazed at how seamlessly the band is able to transition from one style of music to another. Moreover, they are known for songs sung in languages other than English – including Spanish, Swahili and Mandarin.

A long history as a performance venue (I couldn’t get a clear shot of Le Fuzz…they don’t stand still!)

A coworker commented that the layout of the Blue Chair reminded her of the now-departed Sidetrack Café, with the stage set back into a corner, and a mezzanine level ensuring that even those seated far back had a clear view of the band. With a packed schedule that includes a different performer almost every night, the Blue Chair has to be one of the busiest live music venues in the city.

Interior

I loved the bold wall colours, eclectic art, and the globe light fixtures that had been hung at different heights. Combined, the décor made for a very cool but comfortable feel.

A cozy two-top

I had also heard positive reviews about the food, though, as stated on the menu (on the flip side of a record sleeve!), the restaurant is hampered by a small kitchen. I ended up ordering my second choice (they had already run out of turkey chilli), the pad thai ($16).

Cool menu

As it was an absolutely full house, I was expecting a long wait, but was pleasantly surprised. While it was not the most authentic pad thai I’ve had (saucy, mild, and made with vermicelli instead of a flat rice noodle – similar to The King & I’s version), I enjoyed it, and liked the rich peanut and coconut flavours in the sauce. There were also a fair bit of vegetables (julienned carrots, blanched green beans, bean sprouts) included, which added great crunch and colour to the dish.

Pad Thai

To enjoy their last song and encore, a few of us found our way to some empty space and made a dance floor (okay, I joined them only for moral support). The wait staff who had to make their way around our cluster were definitely a patient bunch!

In all, Blue Chair Cafe provided a great space to unwind after a long work week. I hope to be back in the future to finally witness a story slam!

Blue Chair Cafe
9624 – 76 Avenue
(780) 989 – 2861
Monday – Sunday 10am-10pm

City Market Opening Day 2010

I’ve been waiting for this day since the City Market wrapped up for the season last Thanksgiving. Though we did make more of an effort this year to visit the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market on a regular basis in the winter months, there really is nothing like this open air market in Edmonton’s warehouse district. The fact that we can walk to the City Market doesn’t hurt either.

Market Day!

We arrived just before nine, to cool air and still-quiet streets. We never typically arrive at the market this early, but since we missed the opening ceremonies last year, we thought it better to be early than late.

The calm before the storm

We started our day off with a quick stroll around the grounds, then headed off to Blue Plate Diner for some much-needed coffee and breakfast. We decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather (and opportunity to people watch) by sitting out on the patio – it was one of the best choices we made all day.

Mack twitters on the patio

Pancake breakfast

Mack’s breakfast special – an Italian scramble

We eventually left our comfortable spot and joined the crowds for the opening ceremony. Mayor Mandel, alongside Councillors Ben Henderson, Jane Batty, MLA Laurie Blakeman, MP Laurie Hawn, and oddly, Bob Black of the Katz Group, rang the opening bells (apparently, Black was there to explore the possibility of the EAD housing the market in the winter months…but I’m not convinced). Jon Hall, who is on the City Market Board of Directors, touchingly donated his mother’s antique brass bell to the market, which will now serve as the “official” bell.

Ring, ring!

It was great to see so many people out – an estimated 13,000 by 12:30pm. With the addition of the Southgate and Century Park stations, I am hoping that the foot traffic will grow considerably this year. In terms of the market itself, they have had a 30% increase in vendors in 2010, with over 145 vendors expected in 2010. Although Sparrow’s Nest will not have a booth this year, most vendors from last year are returning, and span the gauntlet of goods from produce, prepared goods, and crafts. Undoubtedly, fresh vegetables are a big draw, and we had to laugh at the twenty-deep line in front of the Edgar Farms booth – early bird patrons were absolutely chomping at the bit for the few bunches of asparagus available this week.

In the storm

In addition to my old favourites (Greens, Eggs and Ham, Irvings Farm Fresh, Doef’s Greenhouses, Kuhlmann’s, Sundog Organics among them), it was great to see already-established businesses utilizing the market as a means of heightening exposure to their products, such as d’Lish and Sweet Lollapalooza.

Though it’s not an exhaustive feature of all products available at the market, these photos highlight just some of the fresh, tasty and creative things to be found at the City Market.

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The Market is also hoping to draw crowds to the streets with monthly cultural festivals, particularly fun for families. A Chinese celebration kicked off this feature, with lion and dragon dances bringing appropriate energy to an exciting morning. You can see the schedule of upcoming festivals dates here, with the next one being a Portuguese Festival on June 12.

Lion dance

Great crowd on hand for the festivities

We ended our market trip with a brief visit to deVine’s. In honour of the Chinese Festival, they were sampling wines and beers from China. Though I’ve heard some negative things about Chinese wines in particular (especially because it is such a new industry in that country), I was pleasantly surprised with the Noble Dragon wine. And priced at just $13.95, we had to pick up a bottle to share with my parents.

Chinese beer and wine

It really was a great morning – I hope to do it all again next weekend!

Check out Mack’s Flickr set here, a post from Chris at Eating is the Hard Part here, a post and video clip of the market from Raffaella here, and Valerie (A Canadian Foodie)’s post here.

Capital City Clean Up: Fifteen to Clean Challenge

I first heard about the Fifteen to Clean Challenge (part of the City’s annual Capital City Clean Up campaign) at a board meeting a few months ago, and immediately thought it was a great idea. I’ve found fifteen minutes to be the perfect “amount” of time – the length of a coffee break, it’s a non-committal duration that can draw my busy colleagues out to wellness, appreciation, or in this case, community spirit activities at work.

I’ve posted about our little corner of the world before – the Avenue of Nations, Central McDougall, the North Edge – whatever you want to call it, it’s not the best neighbourhood, particularly after dark. Litter might be the least of the area’s problems, but I thought a group clean-up activity would be a great way to not only get my coworkers outside as a group for fresh air, but also show the community that we are stewards of the neighbourhood.

We bought gloves and bags, and announced the date a week in advance. Enter Murphy’s Law: the rain came. And then the snow. Pushed back three weeks, I didn’t think Mother Nature would cooperate. Finally, on Thursday, blessed with sunshine and a cooling breeze, we had our date with garbage.

Due to appointments, paperwork, and the sporadic nature of our work in general, I wasn’t sure how many of my colleagues would end up participating in the challenge, but I am happy to say that over twenty people showed up to pitch in. It’s cliché, but many hands do make light work, and you could see the difference instantly.

Doing their part

Teamwork!

Who said cleaning can’t be fun?

Govind and I take out the trash

In all, between twenty of us, we “raised” 300 minutes of cleaning time. Thanks to my coworkers for helping out and my office for being supportive of the idea. I hope we can make this a regular affair!

Ben & Jerry’s: We Are Waffling

With summer finally looking like it’s on the horizon in our city, Mack and I are more consistently stocking up on ice cream. While our favourites usually involve chocolate additions, we are always willing to try new variations (I remember Mack’s dad telling me that when he used to work for Palm Dairies, the entire staff would have the opportunity to participate in quality control tests, with everything from sour cream to ice cream. Can you imagine?).

It seems customer-driven product names are all the rage these days (Doritos and Mountain Dew, among others), and Ben & Jerry’s is doing something similar with their newest ice cream flavour in Canada, currently named “We Are Waffling”. Canadians are encouraged to visit their Facebook site to pitch their ideas, which will eventually be whittled down to a select few to be voted on in July. The winner will receive a year’s supply of ice cream (I wonder how they define that? Some people could eat their weight in ice cream…).

As CBC Food Bytes noted, many of the submitted names so far make no mention of the specific flavour, and instead, are an attempt to represent Canadian pastimes like hockey or play on Canadian nicknames. My favourites so far are “Oh Cone-ada!” and  “One Less Lonely Waffle” (heh).

The ice cream itself, sold in the pint-sized container everyone knows and loves, combines two of my favourite things. I am not a tidy eater on the best of days, and as a result, have never had positive experiences with ice cream cones. So, in spite of my love of the waffle cone, I have always had to forego it for that ever-efficient cup. We Are Waffling lets me enjoy the chewy-sweet cookie-like pieces without the mess.

I was lucky enough to receive a full value coupon from the marketing company working with Ben & Jerry’s, so brought a pint home with us last week. Though the ice cream was definitely not as creamy or smooth as Breyers Double Churn, the ripples of fudge and intermittent waffle pieces made up for it somewhat. Mack said he had hoped for more waffle pieces, but enjoyed it all the same.

We Are Waffling

And if you’re wondering if we came up with a name suggestion of our own – we didn’t. We were too busy savouring our ice cream to think constructively. Yum.

Cozy Retreat: The Bothy

I met up with Annie last Thursday after work at Southgate for some light shopping. For dinner, we thought it would be a great opportunity to finally visit The Bothy nearby, a place I have meant to try since it opened back in December, and that Annie had heard about recently on CBC.

The Bothy occupies the end unit of a strip mall just off Calgary Trail. In spite of its vehicle environs, the décor inside does wonders to transport patrons to another world, one filled with share plates and fine spirits.

I loved the interior. From the kitschy signs (“wine is bottled poetry”) to the warm-coloured walls, painted in autumnal yellows and reds, to the lounge-inducing leather chairs, I felt instantly welcome and comfortable. The music that night skewed in the direction of jazz, the ideal backdrop to float the evening away in a swell of conversation and food. My only misgiving about the cozy space was the two mounted television screens. Last year, Todd Babiak wondered why many bars felt the need for streaming electronic entertainment, and particularly with The Bothy, and its feel as a gathering place, why the televisions are necessary at all.

Interior

The food menu wasn’t large (especially when juxtaposed with the liquor menu), two pages featuring plenty of nibbles, cheese and charcuterie options, and some hot fare. It took some willpower not to order two of everything from the cheese and charcuterie selections, but I figured some room should be saved for dessert.

Loved the detailed description of the wine offerings

I had chosen the chicken and leek pie, as the savoury pies were the sous chef’s specialty. I was not disappointed. The flaky, buttery pastry was perfection, a crust that simply melted into the velvety filling of tender chicken, softened leeks and white wine and cream gravy. I was saddened with every bite, as it meant I was that much closer to finishing an absolutely enjoyable dish. The accompanying tomato and cream soup hit the spot as well, tangy and satisfying, particularly because I had been craving tomato soup for a few days.

Chicken & leek pie

Annie took the plunge with The Bothy’s haggis, something neither of us had tried before. I think we were expecting a plate that resembled a B-rate horror movie, so found the dish that arrived relatively benign. She said that it tasted like a fattier, more sumptuous version of ground pork, with a texture that paired with the underlying mashed potatoes very well.

Haggis with tatties (mashed potatoes) and neeps (turnips)

Service was stellar, though I’m certain we didn’t take full advantage of the server’s expertise. When we arrived at the final course, the server had remembered Annie’s brief mention at the beginning of our meal that she was thinking of ordering a dessert wine. As such, the server recommended a pairing with the apple pie we had selecting. Annie said the Moscato d’Asti was a great suggestion.

As for the apple pie? It was a tiny dessert that packed a big punch. After my entrée, I was already familiar with the kitchen’s deftness with pastry, but the filling – wonderfully spiced, it’s a pie made for dwindling summer nights as the season rolls into fall, and for cold winter nights, when sustenance is best in the form of sweet remembrances from warmer days.

Mini apple pie with Hercule De Charlevoix

As darkness fell, the ambiance of The Bothy deepened and matured, with tabletop candles flickering light and shadow. Though we probably would have liked to stay on, weeknight obligations beckoned, and we reluctantly exited the freeway retreat.

The Bothy after dark

I’m so glad I was finally able to try The Bothy. It is a fantastic addition to Edmonton’s dining scene, and one I hope to frequent again soon.

The Bothy
5482 Calgary Trail
(780) 761-1761
Sunday & Tuesday 5pm – close, Wednesday-Saturday 11:30am – close, closed Mondays

Volunteering for Homeless Connect 4

On Sunday, Mack and I joined a few hundred other volunteers at the Shaw Conference Centre for Homeless Connect 4. Coordinated by Homeward Trust, Homeless Connect is a biannual event providing a “one-stop shop” of services for those without a permanent home – everything from foot care to employment assistance to haircuts.

Ready to rock

Many of the service providers from previous events were present, though a big gap (unfortunately because of the Mother’s Day clash) was dental services. New this time around were artistic touches, including a vibrant art display from iPulse, and a volunteer pianist, who helped lighten the ambiance among the sounds of busy chatter in the hall.

Art display

Pianist

As this was our third time out (and my third in the capacity of a registration volunteer), we knew what to expect – the non-stop flow of guests for the first two hours, then inconsistent waves throughout the rest of the day. And though I’ve remained in the same role each time, I have to say I still enjoy it, and find it immensely rewarding.

The few minutes of sitting down with a guest, getting a mere snapshot of their situation, always reminds me of how fortunate I am to have a roof over my head. And with those guests who seem willing to share their story, I know I’m always torn between prolonging the interview for my own selfish desire to know more about their reality and getting them through the process so they can start accessing the services they need.

Registration area

I’m happy to say that Homeward Trust also did a great job of streamlining the form this time, eliminating the long list of questions regarding awareness of different organizations that appeared in the previous version. Also, offering a sticker to those who preferred not to have their image captured by media was another great addition.

My registration space

At the end of the day, over 1250 guests came through the doors, more than the last Homeless Connect held in October. As Homeward Trust succeeds with achieving the targets in the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness though, it is hoped that attendance numbers eventually start to decline (and with a great start, I am optimistic that this will happen).

Thanks again to Homeward Trust and Shaw for organizing such a valuable service to those less fortunate. I’ll be back again in October to help out.

You read my recaps of previous Homeless Connect events here and here.

Food Notes for May 10, 2010

Last week, Paula Simons wrote about the campaign to rename 104 Street. I think it’s a great time to talk about it, with the City Centre Market kicking off this Saturday, May 15. It should be a great day, with a Chinese-themed festival (the first of many this year) complete with lion and dragon dancers bringing an even more celebratory atmosphere to the street. See you there! On to this week’s food notes:

  • Want to learn more about urban beekeeping? Look no further than Lola Canola (aka Patty Milligan)’s Bust into Beekeeping, May 15-16. E-mail Patty for more information.
  • Liane reports that Food Network is currently recruiting Canadian chefs for Top Chef Canada. I’m willing to see how host Mark McEwan works out, but he’s no Tom Colicchio.
  • So happy we have Transcend here, not only for brewing superb coffee, but for asking questions like this about the difference between “direct trade” and “relationship coffee” that make me think.
  • Something on the horizon – the Health Hub, which will have space for a spa, cafe, bakery, and Hole’s Greenhouses.
  • Cool addition to the Edmonton Christian School, a solar-powered greenhouse!
  • Following up on her awesome post on Borough Market, Valerie wrote another must-read (preferably not on an empty stomach) on Neal’s Yard Dairy, with seemingly every cheese available on the planet. I love how each cheese is labelled with the name of the cheesemaker!
  • I’m not sure this upscale trend will ever hit our city, but who knows, if the demand is there: New York restaurants that cater to tots – everything from stroller parking to complimentary cookies.
  • Co Co Di, snug in their new location in Oliver (11454 Jasper Avenue, 780-425-1717), look about ready to open. I was a bit sceptical about the space, but from the outside, they’ve done much with curtains and paint to enliven the interior.

 

Co Co Di

  • Thanks to The Edmontonian, I found out that Fatburger is coming to Edmonton City Centre Mall (next to Carlton Cards). I’ll hold out judgement until they open, but can a diner atmosphere be captured in a mall?

 

Fatburger

  • Also coming soon, Sigma, which will replace the downtown location of Cosmos (10020 101A Avenue).

 

Sigma

  • After MediaCamp on Saturday, Mack and I were looking for a comfortable, low-key place to unwind. Not surprisingly, we ended up at Route 99.

 

Poutine! (Mack asks me why I still take photos of it, even though they are mostly identical. I don’t know, old habits die hard?)

 

Cheeseburger

 

Mack’s pizza

The Cooking Chronicles: Blueberry Dreams

Like Isabelle, I’ve been dreaming of the fruits of summer – luscious raspberries, lip-staining strawberries, fragrant peaches. I’ve been making do with apples, bananas and (a lot of) grapefruit, but I just can’t wait for the warm-weather treasures.

So instead of our usual breakfast sandwich (a variation of this) on the last few weekends, I’ve been involving the ever-versatile blueberry. Last year, I ran out of my supply of frozen BC blueberries in a few weeks time – this year, I have good intentions to freeze a great deal more. There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to enjoy fruit reminiscent of breezy summer days in the middle of winter, especially in a recipe that breathes life back into them.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

I’m not sure why it took me so long to try buttermilk pancakes, but there’s no going back now. Fluffy, light, and a recipe that requires no more effort than any other from-scratch batter, I think we’ve found our go-to pancakes! (I should say, unless someone can hack the Clinton St. Baking recipe – best pancakes I’ve ever had.)

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Blueberry Corn Muffins

I usually save muffin making for evening downtimes, but a recipe for blueberry corn muffins suggested that I serve them warm for breakfast. The cornmeal seemed like an unusual but intriguing ingredient, and ended up adding a distinct sweetness and crunchy texture to the muffins. Oh, and the muffins were great at room temperature also.

 Blueberry Corn Muffins

Bring on the fresh blueberries!

The Citadel Theatre: “The Drowning Girls”

I was drawn to The Drowning Girls at the Citadel, partly because I wanted to see a Bretta Gerecke design sans Jonathan Christenson, but also because the stories that inspired the play were fascinating:

Meet Bessie, Alice and Margaret: over a short period of time in the early 1900s, these three wealthy women were each seduced, wed, insured, and ultimately slain — all by the same man.

This was the first time Mack and I attempted to buy rush tickets – all remaining seats available at 50% off the adult price one hour before curtain (it’s quite a significant discount, with Rice Theatre tickets priced at $50). We lined up a few minutes before 12:30 p.m. for the matinee showing on Sunday, and with only a pair of people in front of us, getting tickets was not a problem.

After we settled in our seats (the theatre looked about three-quarters full), the lights dimmed, and the usual omniscient voice reminded us to turn off all electronic devices. New, however, was the announcement that the Citadel would donate money to the Actor’s Fund of Canada if the performance was entirely free of gadget-emitted sounds and lights – we thought that was an innovative approach to a frustrating issue.

As for the show itself – fabulous. I loved the clean set – the black reflective floor, divided into a grid, and three immaculate porcelain bathtubs, each with a polished silver showerhead positioned above. Water was used throughout the show as a prop, as a metaphor, for affect, so between the already-filled bathtubs and the showerhead that was turned on and off at different intervals, the three actresses performed the entire eighty minutes soaked to the skin. It makes me cold just thinking about it, but they did it with grace to spare.

The production was able to convey the women’s feeling of claustrophobia right from the start, the iron vice of familial and societal expectation cloistering all other possibilities, and brutally exploited by the man who appeared to be their saviour. One by one, each woman replayed their story, underlining the ties that bound them all to the same tragic thread – the whirlwind romances, the shotgun marriages, the isolation, the psychological manipulation, the cruel endings.

The trio of actresses were required to take on multiple parts in addition to their main roles as the three women, and all were versatile in embodying the vastly different personalities (Natascha Girgis’ molasses thick Scottish accent blew us away). Beth Graham impressed me the most with her commitment to each character and her electric energy throughout. And in spite of some pin-drop tone reversals (from moments of black humour to sombre remembrance), the transitions were seamless, and more importantly, remained authentic and believable.

I have to admit I was a bit jarred by the optimistic ending though, featuring a cascade of jubilant bubbles. Even if justice was served, the women were still dead, betrayed by a husband and a society unwilling to accept the women as they were.

At the conclusion of the performance, the actresses thanked the audience for supporting a play originally conceived for the Edmonton Fringe, and that has now toured as far as Toronto. It was their final show at the Citadel, and happened to be their 99th performance (or, as Graham called it, their “Wayne Gretzky show”). Bravo to the cast and crew for a fantastic show and a great run.

Culinary Q & A with Cathy Walsh

Occupation:  The job that pays me is with the Federal Public Service. I am an Advisor, which means I provide advice, guidance and instruction to do with policy and Federal legislation. Although I never consciously thought of this as a career choice when I was growing, it made sense that I did. As a child, I converted my closet into a cubicle by putting in a desk, chair and telephone. My Dad would bring home pads of discarded forms from his office, and I would spend hours filling them out and filing them in a box.

What did you eat today?

Coffee, yogurt parfait (unsweetened yogurt, blueberries, apples, granola), apple, veggie sub, Coke Zero, roast chicken with coupe ondulée frites enrobées faites avec du sel de mer, homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, and tea.

What do you never eat? Calamari, octopus, geoduck – basically anything with a slime-factor, has the potential to suction-cup onto my face, or looks like an enormous old-man penis.

What is your personal speciality?

Bolognese sauce. It’s a rich, meaty thing that allows a lot of flexibility depending on my mood and what’s available in the apartment to put in it. I don’t mean putting in house plants or remote controls, but whatever happens to be in the fridge and pantry. When I cook this I usually go through a bottle of wine, have the tunes cranked, and sing along with the likes of Lady Ga Ga to Tom Jones. It’s very fun and relaxing. The recipe is from my Auntie Anne, but it is suspiciously similar to one found in the red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

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

Milk, eggs, cheese, butter, yogurt, apples, oranges, onions, bagged salad, assorted veggies in the crisper, a bottle of white wine, beer, a jug of water, a jar of mayonnaise, maple syrup, and an assortment of condiments.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Campbell’s tomato soup, and/or, broiled cheese and tomato on toast.

What is your favourite kitchen item? 

Le Creuset enamelled cast iron French oven.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Wine. Medium rare prime rib. Wine. Yorkshire pudding. Wine. Roast potatoes. Wine. Perogies. Wine. Nalysnyky. Vodka shots. Pizza. Wine. Gnocchi. Wine. Sashimi. Sake. Bowls of rice with an unlimited supply of Japanese Village’s steak sauce. Sake. Gooey cinnamon buns with pecans. Coffee with more Bailey’s than coffee. A wafer thin mint.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

The honest answer is the Food Court at Canada Place. When we go out for supper, we frequent Japanese Village’s sushi bar, Furusato, and Route 99.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

I tried a nibbling the corner of the Hotel McDonald once, but it made my fillings vibrate so I stopped. Where’s the best place to eat, maybe? [Ed: Sigh, you caught my poor grammar.] Haven’t found it yet. Been here for 12 years, and haven’t found THE spot yet. In Calgary, we were regulars at a place called Gaston’s. It was run by Gaston Langlois, Pat and Val Arrotta and Pierre Langlois. The food was amazing. The service second to none. The ambience was relaxed, intimate, yet social and friendly. I don’t think the place still exists. Ever since then, haven’t found anything that comes close.

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

It sounds so cliché, but I’d love to be in the Italian country-side, maybe along the sea, and drink wine while watching the sun set, eating olives, prosciutto, fresh bread, fresh fruit, and different cheeses. That said, I’m happy buying this stuff from the Italian Centre Shop and sitting in the sun on our little patio at home.

Cathy blogs at Walsh Cooks.