While I enjoy volunteering for a variety of causes, what excites me most are opportunities to get involved in the community where I live. So I’m really excited for the coming year, as I’ve joined the board for the Downtown Edmonton Community League! Looking forward to getting to know my fellow board members and the work involved. On to this week’s food notes:
- May 28, 2011 sees the launch of the City’s Food and Agricultural Policy Project. Learn more by attending the event at William McIntyre Park from 11am-2pm.
- While you’re in the neighbourhood, make sure to check out the East Whyte Block Party, also on May 28 from 11am – 4pm. 100st from 81 Ave to 82 Ave will be closed to traffic and filled with events and vendors. Expect Fat Franks and Eva Sweet to feed the crowd, and yoga, art demos, and a scavenger hunt.
- Mark you calendars for a special grand opening street party on June 4, 2011: Chai Pani, along with Lola Apparel, are celebrating their grand openings by hosting a street party on 105 Street, just south of Whyte. Festivities will include music, a fashion show, and plenty of traditional Masala Chai and authentic East Indian snack foods for sale from Chai Pani.
- To meet the Father’s Day demand, Sweet Lollapalooza will be offering three chocolate making classes in the next few weeks. On the menu: Robbie Burns Scotch pave, an Anejo Tequila bonbon and a Lambic Belgian Beer truffle.
- Foodie McPoon reviewed the relatively new restaurant Soda Jerks: “the restaurant conveyed a confusing concept of retro-modern, without any retro feeling at all, except for the sodas…with nothing special to the menu and without a clear concept to focus on, I’m not sure how long this restaurant will last.”
- The Southwest Edmonton Farmers’ Market kicked off its season on May 18. Check out a gallery of photos here. For those interested, it will run every Wednesday, rain or shine, from 5:30-8pm at the Lillian Osbourne High School parking lot (2019 Leger Road).
- I don’t normally post job openings here, but the Arbour Restaurant at the Rutherford House is one of the city’s treasures, and they’re looking for a new head chef.
- If you need to see a second burst of spring (the first being the green outside your window), check out Valerie’s post on her greening garden. Just beautiful!
- Two editions in, and new Bon Appétit Editor-in-Chief Adam Rapoport is already stirring the pot – June’s issue will, for the first time, feature a celebrity on its cover, instead of a chef or a dish. But will it matter, asks Grub Street? “If Gourmet was ‘the magazine of good living,’ then Bon Appétit has become the magazine of fashionable eating.”
- It’s always great when supermarkets start stocking local products – and I know it isn’t easy, and those that are making an effort should be recognized. But sometimes, I wish the signage marking it as “local” was more prominent and cohesive. I know Eat Local First had a good thing going (and are probably too busy focusing on their home delivery service at the moment), but I think much more can (and should) be done to help consumers easily identify local product alternatives.
The Irvings display at the Italian Centre
- It was just gorgeous last week, and one of my teams at work took advantage of it by hosting a barbecue at lunch!
Dogs and patties on the barbie
Only Here for the Food 
Sharon!
Let me tell you about the power of your site. I have, as you are aware, not been posting regularly at all. From two to three posts a week, I have gone to about two a month since Eat Alberta went into full tilt. As a result, my stats have sunk to an all time low (averaged out) – well – all time for this year… until they sky rocketed Tuesday. What is that about? Ah-ha. It is Tuesday. I checked your site as I have been out of town and hadn’t got to it yet, and sure enough – a referral to my garden. I hope to keep these posts up this year. That is my goal. I took a ton of garden pics last year and got only one on line after our return from Europe. So thanks! Hopefully, while you do your market visits weekly, I will be doing my garden and we will see how it grows as this is my first summer at home in years!
🙂
Valerie
Valerie – I’m not sure it’s all attributable to my site, but thank you for your kind words! I’m looking forward to seeing your garden blossom…and of course, reading about what you do with it all!