Austrian Dumpling Night at Elm Cafe

Mack’s Dad was in town last week for work, so we planned to have dinner together on Friday. When a call to one of the newest restaurants in the city yielded no prime time reservations, it was serendipitous for me to come across a tweet about a special supper being held at Elm Café. Allan Suddaby (one of Elm’s chefs), would be preparing an Austrian dumpling dinner at the café’s catering space on 118 Avenue. Though Mack and I have gotten to know Allan over the past few years by co-organizing Eat Alberta, we’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy a coherent meal he’s put together.

We’d been to the space before, but for an informal gathering. It’s been nicely redone by the Elm staff, sleek and modern with sparse enhancements and angled metal chairs.

Dining room

The set four-course menu was a very reasonable $30, not including drinks. We were able to choose from one of three entrees, so between our party, we were able to try every dish!

In a way, it felt like we were eating in Allan’s dining room, being treated to a meal he would prepare for himself at home. His straightforward style, highlighting good ingredients in comforting dishes was the perfect way to warm up on a chilly winter night.

The dinner began with a soup made of beef broth and thin strips of pancake. The pancake was more crepe-like than the fluffy versions served at breakfast, though cut in lengthy pieces, made it difficult for me to eat tastefully.

Frittatensuppe

The salad plate was a combination of several different textures (a big hit with me!) – fresh tomato and cucumber, cabbage with strong notes of fennel and a potato salad sprinkled with dill.

Gemischtersalat

Martin ordered the potato dumplings stuffed with ham and onions, then deep fried. As with the other entrees, it would be hard not to like anything deep fried (or in the case of the other dishes, baked with cheese or fried in butter).

Fleischknodel

We learned later that the bread dumpling was Allan’s personal favourite. He described it to be similar to a savoury bread pudding mixture that is boiled, then sliced and fried in butter. Served alongside a gravy-laden beef goulash, I could see why – they were a tastier accompaniment compared with a typical potato side, absorbing the sauce without losing its form. The celery leaves in the goulash were a beautiful touch.

Serviettenknodel

Mack enjoyed his Austrian mac and cheese, but did comment that he would have liked a side dish similar to how our plates were presented.

Kasespatzle

The final course involved a stewed rhubarb served with a sweet dough and vanilla ice cream. Mack is not usually a fan of desserts, but really took to this one.

Kaiserschmarrn

Our only minor quibble with the meal was the pacing. The kitchen was almost too efficient – the subsequent dishes were brought even before our previous plates were cleared. Four courses was a lot of food to consume in an hour!

It looks like Elm Café will be planning more one-off meals for the space. Follow them on Twitter to yourself apprised of the events. I look forward to attending other special events at this venue!

Food Notes for November 25, 2013

Less than a week out from December, folks! It’s my favourite time of year, and I’m looking to finally put up the tree this weekend (Mack’s Christmas tolerance begins, of course, at the conclusion of American Thanksgiving). Hope you’re enjoying the start of festivities as well! On to this week’s food notes:

Looking forward to attending the first ever Hawker’s Market in Edmonton on November 30, 2013! Get your admission tickets in advance and save $5.
The Parlour (10334 Capital Boulevard), the newest Century Hospitality Group restaurant, will finally be opening up this weekend.
It looks like we can look forward to a December 19, 2013 opening of the Craft Beer Market downtown.
Liane gives us a sneak peek of the forthcoming North 53 restaurant. Their menu will offer “progressive Canadian” cuisine.
Lillian visited Coco Deep Fried Chicken, where the “K” in KFC stands for “Korean”!
Not surprisingly, the Journal wrote a positive review for the newest Cactus Club location in the city.
The Journal also profiled the GF Diner in Old Strathcona, the first restaurant in Edmonton offering an exclusively gluten-free menu.
Two Montreal-area servers share their twenty pet peeves about restaurant diners.
Was a documentary about jet-setting foodies really necessary? I guess it’s not too much of a stretch from the excess already shown on television.
We took in the first annual All is Bright on 124 Street on Saturday. They really went all out, with a street closure, massive stage, and a good-sized food and beverage area. It was great to see so many families out enjoying the activities, and several businesses participating as well.

Sleigh ride

Food trucks are still alive and well!

Ice sculptures

I met up with Mack at Pho Tau Bay last week for lunch. Needless to say, it hit the spot.

Pho for two

Blink: Parkade Party Recap

Things really came together for our Blink: Parkade Party in August. For years now, I’ve been eyeing the parkade on 104 Street just south of Jasper Avenue, wondering how we could program the space. Thankfully, Vinci Park 103 was open to our use of the rooftop, and by working with a great team, we were able to make something happen!

The decision to screen the 50s classic Grease helped to establish the carnival theme that pervaded the rest of the event. Fat Franks and Cookie Love were on hand to dole out summer treats, while DJ Thomas Scott helped us set the tone with a spirited soundtrack from the era.

DJ Thomas Scott

To continue the party atmosphere, Alex of E-Town Salsa led a zumba session to great success. It was really cool to see the number of people who joined in!

Whoo!

We also worked with Cookie Love to host their inaugural cookie eating contest, featuring a number of Edmonton’s social media superstars. Brittney, Su and Mack were great sports, participating in a public challenge to see how many cookies they could eat in two minutes. Mack was the winner, however lightweight, winning the competition by consuming a total of three cookies.

Our brave competitors (photo by Alistair Henning)

Before the movie started, and during intermission, the fabulous Sugar Swing Dance Club taught the crowd Grease-inspired dance moves (I will admit now that this was somewhat inspired by a cheesy scene in The Wedding Planner, where the two romantic leads dance during a movie screening in Golden Gate Park). While our dance sequences were a little less spontaneous, they were equally inspirational!

Julie and Ben were fantastic instructors, upbeat and encouraging. Their first set involved pairs of dancers grooving to tunes of the era.

Let’s dance

At intermission, Julie and Ben led “Team Sandy” and “Team Danny” in a fun dance off. Based on the crowd’s cheers, I think it was “Team Danny” that was declared the winner.

Dancing showdown!

The main event was a screening of Grease onto the side of a parkade directly adjacent to the rooftop. With the help of Owen Brierley of Guru Digital Arts College, we were able to secure a projector that worked well in spite of the glaring parkade lights.

#parkadeparty

With the help of Media Architecture Design Edmonton (MADE), we were also able to provide some park-like seating options in the form of grass tiles! They were still a bit damp from the previous night’s rain storm, but brought a pop of unexpected green to the decidedly urban surroundings.

Grass tiles

We were happy with the turnout for the movie, realizing that the novelty of the screening location had something to do with it!

Grease is the word (photo by Alistair Henning)

As a result, we’re not certain this event can be replicated as such, but you can be sure we will always be on the lookout for underutilized spaces that have the potential to be so much more!

The event was free of charge to attend, and was only possible because of Edmonton Awesome Foundation’s seed money. The funding provided us with the opportunity to not only focus on putting on a good event open to all, but also retain our commitment to donate part of the proceeds to the Boyle Street Community Services’ Downtown Proud, a program that provides employment opportunities for formerly homeless individuals. With further sponsorship from Edmonton Economic Development Corporation and the Downtown Business Association of Edmonton, we were able to collect donations that would go straight to the cause. All told, with the generous help of those who attended, we raised over $2,100 for Downtown Proud.

We also want to thank the Downtown Edmonton Community League, Oliver Community League and Cask & Barrel for their support of Blink. We also had a number of fabulous volunteers who gave their time to help us out – thank you!

And lastly, having been involved in a variety of events and projects over the past few years, I can honestly say that it was a dream to work with Hannah McDonald and Stephanie Chai. And it wasn’t just the coincidence that our meetings always took place over wine! Thanks to you both for your creativity and endless energy – I hope our collaborative paths cross again in the future!

We’re with awesome!

Food Notes for November 19, 2013

I feel like I’m still catching up from being away last week, but it was nice to be able to visit Ottawa for the first time. Sadly, when we left for Edmonton, it was +14. On to this week’s food notes:

I’ve been looking forward to 124 Street’s All is Bright for some time! It’s a winter festival with food, hot drinks, sleigh rides and light displays. See you there!
Just in time for Christmas, Knifewear is back with a pop-up in the city, at 10816 – 82 Avenue. The shop will be open from November 23 through to January 28.
Hawkers Market is a Vancouver-based event that’s coming to Edmonton on November 30, 2013. The event gives food businesses, “a platform to cook, test ideas, meet customers”. It sounds a lot like the Toronto Underground Market I attended last year, which seemed to be a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to gain traction.
It’s winter all right! Celebrate the season by submitting your best brew (alcoholic or non alcoholic) in the Winter City drinks competition! Prizes include a staycation package and in-home tasting parties. The deadline to enter your recipe is December 8, 2013.
Sushi Sugoi will be opening soon in the former Outback Steakhouse on the south side (2874 Calgary Trail).
Liane had some more information about the forthcoming Glass Monkey gastropub in Lendrum (5842 111 Street). It is set to open in mid-December.
La Oliva, a gluten-free kitchen, celebrated its grand opening this past weekend at 10575 114 Street. The business offers catering and cooking classes.
Liv checks out the new Rock Wood Fired Pizza.
It would be wonderful to see a restaurant in the building adjacent to Beaver Hills House Park.
Love chocolate? Check out Choklat’s series of tastings, called Choklat Snobbery 101, featuring tastings and wine pairings. Tickets are $40.
Don’t click on this post hungry – Valerie’s sixth Canadian Food Experience Project round-up features numerous photos of comfort food.
Did you know about Coca-Cola’s “assault on tap water”?
On our way to the Italian Centre on the weekend, we noticed signage for an Allegro Italian Kitchen on 95 Street and 108 Avenue. Anyone know if this is a second location or if the restaurant is moving?

Allegro Italian Kitchen

Recap: 97 Street Night Market

Over the summer, I worked with a team of volunteers to put on an event that we hoped would encourage Edmontonians to rediscover Chinatown. The neighbourhood is so full of history and possibility, but has largely been overlooked over the last number of years. While we recognized that the Business Revitalization Zone and to a greater extent, the McCauley Revitalization Strategy, had attempted to facilitate positive developments, we believed that something different was needed to foster the imagination of what Chinatown could be.

From there, the 97 Street Night Market was born. With a generous grant from the City and some committed supporters, we were able to transform a vacant parking lot into a welcoming space that introduced or reacquainted patrons with the dynamic nature of night markets right in the heart of Chinatown.

97 Street Night Market

Vendors were the commercial anchor for the event, and we were happy to have engaged some area businesses, including Universal Music and Pacific Café, as well as others from around the city. The range of trinkets to fashion items was varied enough for visitors of all ages!

Gama

No doubt, one of the most popular booths that day was actually one of ours – we had borrowed a set of fortune sticks from the Edmonton Chinese Bilingual Education Association, and volunteers sold fortunes for $1 a pop. That night, nearly 200 fortunes were told!

Step right up!

We were fortunate to have The Lingnan Express, Molly’s Eats and Swich on-site, offering Asian-inspired dishes, including oyster omelettes, curried fish balls and matcha green tea ice cream sandwiches. Though not from the window of a food truck, Gama was able to offer another night market staple – bubble tea.

Food trucks

Char siu pulled pork sandwich from Molly’s Eats

In addition, the market provided us with an opportunity to highlight many young performers. Some were more traditional, such as 5 Elements, who opened the evening with an engaging lion dance, while others displayed a fusion of cultures, including Nanyen Lau, who played the Titanic anthem of “My Heart Will Go On” on an erhu.

5 Elements

Edmonton Chinese Dance Academy

My favourite act was the energetic Convergence Dance Crew, who drew the biggest crowds to the stage with their infectious K-pop covers of Psy’s recent hits.

Convergence Dance Crew

Patrons also had the chance to participate in three different walking tours of the neighbourhood that highlighted various facets of Chinatown. The first had nearly thirty participants so engrossed in the tour the guides ended up doubling the originally-intended length! No question, we learned that tours of all varieties should be offered of Chinatown on a regular basis; people are curious, and want to learn about the neighbourhood’s rich history and hopeful future.

Tour group

For me, it was the creation of a neutral, safe space that most excited me. The perceived “ethnicity” of Chinatown is daunting to some who aren’t familiar with its businesses, while for others, the stereotype of an unsafe, neglected neighbourhood discourages exploration. That night, it was heartening to see people of all generations from many different backgrounds convening in a single parking lot, feasting, shopping, and otherwise socializing. It was a gathering place not normally found in Chinatown, and one that I hope will be replicated in the future.

Beautiful sunset

There are a litany of people to thank who helped make this event a reality. Qualico and Ledcor generously donated the site, and worked around our request, in spite of the ongoing demolition of the building directly south of the lot. Jane Molstad of the McCauley Revitalization Strategy immediately recognized the potential of this idea, and worked tirelessly to ensure the grant came through! We also couldn’t have done without the enthusiastic and hard working day-of volunteers. Lastly, thanks to all those who came, taking a chance on a first time event!

I’ve been asked more than once if the night market will become an annual event. Although I can’t answer the question definitively yet, I can say that a few of us are working to continue the momentum we began that day in some form or another. Stay tuned!

Food Notes for November 11, 2013

I spent most of last week in Calgary attending a work conference, and am leaving tomorrow for Ottawa, again for work. Though I still have intentions to post things other than food notes, it’s going to take some time! On to this week’s food notes:

Don’t miss the annual Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up, this Saturday, November 16, 2013!
I love that Cally’s Teas is partnering with their neighbour The Briefing Room to host a ladies night full of tea, and, well, underwear. The event is taking place on November 23, 2013.
Shanghai 456 has found a new home at 14456 118 Avenue, due to open in January 2014.
Jeff posted a picture of a forthcoming barbecue joint – Chic-Hog-O’s Social Roast House on Jasper Avenue and 112 Street.
It’s been a bad month for independents in Edmonton – first Bistro Saisons, and now The Makk on 124 has announced its closure.
Dishcrawl hosted its first ever “secret supper”. The dinner took place at Creole Envie, and Cheryl and Liv recapped the meal in all its glory.
Vue Weekly explores the meaty offerings of Fired Up Southern Barbecue.
Collecting Culinaria is an exhibit at the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library at the University of Alberta that showcases over 100 recipe books. It will be displayed until February 7, 2014.
I didn’t know that the Highlands Farmers’ Market has now moved indoors – but as Cathy posted, the market will operate inside St. Mary’s Anglican Church (11203 68 Street) from 4-8pm on Thursdays between October 3 and April 24, 2014.
I immediately thought of Su when I read about this: The Kitchen Library in Toronto is a “non-profit lending library of small to medium size kitchen appliances…Just like a traditional library, you can check out appliances (instead of books) for short periods of time to experiment with new recipes and cooking techniques.” How cool is that, especially for those who are space-starved in condos.
While in Calgary, we finally made time to check out the newest farmers’ market to Calgary, Symons Valley Ranch. I loved the wooden beams, and it’s not hard to argue with a market that features Phil & Sebastian’s as a vendor! Though they could have used more produce vendors, Symons Valley had a decent selection of local goods for a winter market.

Symons Valley Ranch

On our way back home, Mack and I stopped at Cross Iron Mills for some shopping, and ended up at the Nathan’s Famous for some sustenance (they have two locations in Canada – in Airdrie and Cross Iron Mills). Needless to say, the poutine dog, with its artificial cheese sauce and hickory sticks didn’t exactly live up to expectations, but the hot dog itself was enjoyable.

Poutine Dogs

Over the weekend, we also stopped over at Pagolac, one of our old haunts for some late night pho.

Pagolac

We also had a family dinner at Tasty Noodle. It was my first time at the restaurant, and the food was definitely good enough to plan for repeat visits in the future. Hopefully we can return for dim sum soon enough!

Mu shu pork

Food Notes for November 4, 2013

Doesn’t it feel like we’re deep into winter now, even though the snow only fell this past weekend? All the more reason to indulge in hot drinks and make pots of soup, I say! On to this week’s food notes:

It looks like North 53 has tentatively set their opening date as December 4, 2013!
The Jack’s Grill space (5842 111 Street) is being renovated to become The Glass Monkey, a gastropub to be run by Darcy Radies, formerly of The Blue Pear.
Look for Century Hospitality Group to open Hart’s Table & Bar in the new year, replacing the Ric’s Grill in Terwillegar (14229 23 Ave).
Unfortunately, another local restaurant has shuttered: Bistro Saisons has now closed. Cheryl wrote a post honouring the restaurant, and encouraging diners to patronize small businesses.
Speaking of closures, Omar dug deeper into the curiously fast failure of Plow & Harvest, and uncovered that the restaurant was perhaps a purposeful flop.
Liv reviewed Jack’s Burger Shack in St. Albert.
I was wondering when Edmonton would get another upscale olive oil and vinegar store, given Calgary has several: Oliv Tasting Room (Calgary has three locations) is opening up in Crestwood at 9656 142 Street.
Congratulations to Chefs Nathin Bye and Blair Lebsack on making this year’s list of Aveue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40!
Avenue Edmonton has a story this month about how local restaurants deal with serving celebrity guests.
I love recipes that seemingly repurpose single-use appliances: 12 things you can make using a waffle iron. I need to try those hash browns.
Great article from the NYT about broccoli’s extreme makeover.
Churchill Square was packed with crowds taking in River City Round Up on Saturday. It was a great event, with a food truck corral, lots of children’s activities, and entertainment.

River City Round Up

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