Food Notes for March 12, 2012

I hope to write more about this soon, but I’d like to announce that Eat Alberta 2012 tickets will be on sale on March 13! Our second annual conference that brings producers, chefs, local food advocates, and those interested in learning how to source and prepare local ingredients is taking place on April 14, 2012 at NAIT. Check out the program here! Onto this week’s food notes:

• The Palestinian Bazaar is taking place on March 17, 2012 at the TransAlta Arts Barns – it’s a full-day festival celebrating the cultural richness of the Palestianian people, including art, music and of course, food!
• The annual Seedy Sunday is taking place at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall on March 18, 2012. Look forward to informative learning opportunities!
• Carmen had a great potluck party idea: “around the world with dumplings”. She invited bloggers and foodies to contribute a kind of dumpling so people could learn from and share with one another.
• Twyla reviewed Nola – although not perfect, it seemed to be written more fairly than the Journal’s review published a few months back.
• Another plus from our mild winter – food trucks are already back on the streets! Pay Drift a visit, several weeks earlier than this time last year would have allowed.
• Transcend Downtown introduced The Elevation Room today: “Every Friday and Saturday, starting April 13, 2012, we’ll host some of Edmonton’s (and Alberta’s) best bands. It’s a place to enjoy fine music as well as fine coffee, beer and wine.”
• A review of Olive Garden, of all places, went viral this week. Read about one woman’s excitement about the chain arriving in her place of residence to find out why.
• I guess in some cities posting photos of food may have jumped the shark, but I don’t feel that’s happened in Edmonton yet. But then again, I’m a little biased, heh.
• Starbucks is joining the single cup brew revolution: they will start to sell their new Verismo this fall.
• Also from Starbucks: they opened a concept store in Amsterdam which has the look and feel of a “local” cafe. The interior incorporated art from area designers, and the shop even offers in-house baked goods daily. I’m sure this is the wave of the future – chains disguised as independents.
• Clever Rabbit (10724 124 Street), a vegetarian/vegan cafe just down from Duchess, opened about two weeks ago. Mack and I popped inside just as they were closing (they open from 9:30-4:30 daily) to take a look inside. Apparently the response from the community had been great so far – it looks like another welcome addition to the strip! Take a peek at the menu here.

Clever Rabbit interior

• Mack attended a lunch at the Shaw Conference Centre on Wednesday honouring the winners of the High School Culinary Challenge (congrats to the students from Queen Elizabeth who took home the gold!). Check out Liane’s write up here.

Mack’s favourite course: the absolutely gorgeous dessert

• On Wednesday, Yelp celebrated its first anniversary in Edmonton with a prohibition-themed party at Suede! Mack and I stopped by to check out all the well-dressed flappers and had the opportunity to try out some free liquor and sample new items on Suede’s menu. Brittany, Yelp’s Community Manager and party planner extraordinaire, also made sure there was entertainment on hand, including swing and burlesque dancers. It was a good time – thanks again for the invitation!

Appetizers

Cafvino (a coffee-infused wine) was interesting, but the liquor reps on hand sampling it couldn’t answer basic questions like how it was made

Dressed in not-quite period-appropriate wear