After being sick on and off for the better part of a month, I think I’m finally back to being myself! I feel like I need to get back into routine, but more importantly, get into the holiday spirit. I hope you’re enjoying your December so far! On to this week’s food notes:
- Marianne wrote about some great new lines of small batch chocolate available in Edmonton, including The Jones Chocolate Company and The Violet Chocolate Company.
- Lillian posted about a value-laden fine dining buffet available at Ernest’s for just $25.
- First there was Burger King’s meat-scented cologne. Now, Pizza Hut has released a pizza-scented perfume.
- Safeway announced their support of a “Buy Alberta” campaign last week, launched by the Alberta Food Processors Association (AFPA). The campaign aims to help consumers more easily identify food processed at home (not unlike the Eat Local First campaign that started in 2009). Led by the AFPA, it is no surprise that a recent walk through a Safeway store emphasized products in the belly of the store (not a single item in the produce section was flagged with the “Buy Alberta” label), though to be fair, some of the items weren’t as glaringly away from point of origin as the juice below – Sunny Boy for example, is a great line of local flour that Safeway carries. At the very least, the “Buy Alberta” campaign does help to raise awareness, but only time will tell if it does help influence consumer habits.
Buy Alberta markers
- We finally had the chance to check out Knifewear’s pop-up shop on the weekend! We weren’t ready to commit to buying a knife that day, but we think we will be back before they pack up for the year on December 31.
Knifewear
- After a nearby meeting on Sunday, Mack and I had brunch at Urban Diner off Whyte Avenue. There was a bit of a wait to get in (they were serving some huge parties), but after that, service was pretty smooth sailing. The poffertjes were delicious!
Poffertjes
Traditional eggs benedict
Two eggs any style
- Earls (formerly Tin Palace) reopened on Saturday to much fanfare, revealing their $5 million renovation. Mack and I missed the weekend opening, but were invited for a complimentary dinner tonight. The interior feels much more open now, with low banquet seating in the dining room. As a whole, the leather, dark metal finishings and Edison bulbs reminded me very much of Charcut. The food, as per the Earls standard, was approachable and consistent, though we were particularly happy to try some items such as the soft baked pretzels that can only be found at that location. For a Monday night, the restaurant was bustling – I’m sure the secret’s already out that this Earls is back.
Soft baked pretzels with a three cheese dip
Albacore tuna poke nachos
My buttermilk fried chicken sandwich
Mack’s Bronx Burger with onion rings
Only Here for the Food 