At the very least, compiling a list of some of my favourite food moments over the past year reminds me of how grateful I am to live where we do! It’s also a good opportunity to reflect on our travels, and how fortunate we were to be able to explore a bit more of our country.
Here are some of my favourite food-related memories from 2017:
Our favourite new restaurant was Otto. Mack and I love their approachable menu, simple but well-made food, friendly service, and accessible location (just one bus from work or home).
I love the Otto dog and fries
Zwick’s Pretzels was another new favourite – there’s nothing better than a fresh, savoury pretzel warm out of the oven.
Trio of pretzels
We also had a fabulous meal at the chef’s table at Baijiu with Amanda and Jason in the fall.
Braised pork bao from Baijiu
My office moved to Alberta Avenue in the spring, so it was great timing that Eats on 118 continued this year. I had a blast at each of the food tours, but I had a soft spot for the bowling edition, where I was introduced to the wonderful Plaza Bowl.
Plaza Bowl
Mack and I had a great time exploring more of our backyard last year as well, with trips to Lake Louise, Lacombe, East of Edmonton, Calgary, and Smoky Lake.
Selfie at the Bowden Sun Maze
Continuing with the theme of visiting farms, a highlight was a tour of the Sunworks Farm, one of the producers we purchase from regularly.
Chickens at Sunworks Farm
Similarly, it was an special experience to be able to visit Doef’s Greenhouses as a part of this year’s Grand Taste Tour.
Doef’s Greenhouses
Alongside a small team of volunteers, I enjoyed introducing many Edmontonians to Chinatown (and some of its culinary gems) through a series of walking tours. I’m happy this will continue into 2018 with Chinatown Dining Week.
Edmonton Chinatown walking tours
We did some travelling as well, with visits to Montreal, Toronto, Seattle, and Vancouver Island.
Schwartz’s smoked meat sandwich was the best thing we ate in Montreal
Although I wish I had gone back for a second croissant from Maison Christian Faure
We did not expect to find a restaurant like Wild Mountain in Sooke on Vancouver Island
The tacones at Red Fish, Blue Fish in Victoria lived up to my expectations
There is a lot to look forward to in 2018, so we’ll see what makes the cut next year!
Only Here for the Food 