Food Notes for November 12, 2012

I had so much I wanted to accomplish over the long weekend: getting a leg-up on my Christmas shopping, catching up with family, chronicling our fall travels. But instead, I’ve been sidelined with a pretty bad flu, so I haven’t been doing much of anything besides huddling in front of the television with bowls of chicken soup and tea. Hope you had a better weekend! On to this week’s food notes:

Liane posted about a “breakfast for dinner” pop-up that will be taking place at The Common on November 20, 2012 with Chef Jesse Morrison Gauthier.
De Dutch (10030 Jasper Ave), noted for their pannekoek, opened on November 6, 2012. Based on their Facebook page, it looks like they have received a warm reception so far!
The Makk, the new restaurant in the space formerly occupied by D’Lish, opened last week. They are hosting a launch party featuring a sampling of menu items on November 15, from 5-9pm. Liv blogged an early review of The Makk here.
Creole Envie held a VIP opening last week. Cindy covered it here.
Vue Weekly published a review of Smokehouse BBQ’s new Edmonton location on 124 Street.
The Journal reviewed Cafe Amore last week. Mack and I will have to make it back there some day – the last time we tried, the restaurant was closed for a private function.
Liane wrote a very interesting piece about “freegans” – those who dumpster dive for food and other necessities. I had no idea it was such a subculture in Edmonton.
Eat St. is launching a cookbook of food truck-inspired recipes, due out next spring!

The Cooking Chronicles: Bits and Bites

To be honest, I haven’t really tried all that many new recipes as of late. In between our travels this fall, we’ve fallen back on tried and true dishes when at home – mostly due to a lack of time to bookmark new recipes, but also because there are more than a few wintery soups I’ve been inkling to revisit.

That said, there have been a few experiments here and there – one that recalls fall memories and a second perfect for our current season.

Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding

Who among us hasn’t turned to fridge staples of eggs and bacon for a crunch-time evening meal? For that reason, I love that Giada’s newest book, Weeknights with Giada, devotes an entire chapter to breakfast for dinner, but offers alternatives to that basic combination.

We made her tomato-basil bread pudding several weeks ago. It’s a savoury take on bread pudding that incorporates tomatoes, basil, and parmesan in place of sweeter flavours. We used Dauphine’s onion and sage bread as a base (one of my favourites), Greens, Eggs and Ham duck eggs and tomatoes and basil from Gull Valley Greenhouses.

Tomato-basil bread pudding

The result was pretty good, though I probably would have preferred a bit more bread and tomatoes. Giada recommends using a multigrain bread, but given how fragrant the onion and sage loaf was, I can’t imagine choosing any other bread to use.

Pulled Pork & Beans

When I first flipped through Spilling the Beans, Julie and Sue’s recipe for pulled pork & beans was one of the first that caught my eye because I knew it would be right up Mack’s alley. I don’t have any explanation for why it took me so long to get to it, however.

We purchased a boneless pork shoulder from Irvings Farm Fresh, and cheated a little by using canned beans, having run through my freezer inventory. Topped off in the slow cooker with ketchup, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, mustard and a bit of sriracha (my addition), we let it cook low and slow for eight hours.

When we arrived home tonight, the house smelled marvellous, sweet and porky. The meat was moist and easy to pull apart, and we served the pork and bean concoction over toasted multigrain buns.

Pulled pork & beans

This recipe definitely earned Mack’s seal of approval. He thought it would be too sweet, but found the beans mellowed it out a bit, as did the bread. We probably could have put in a dash or two of Tabasco though, something we will keep in mind for next time.

South West Sophistication: XIX

Restaurants are made up of many factors. The ones most often referred to include menu, service, decor and ambiance. But location is frequently left off that list, in spite of the fact that it contributes to the overall experience of the establishment. Convenience, ease of access, and neighbouring attractions do determine, to an extent, the frequency with which a diner returns.

That’s why it was curious to me when it was announced that Chef Andrew Fung’s new venture, Nineteen, would be located in the far-flung southwest neighbourhood of MacTaggert. Although Nineteen is located within the same quadrant as his most recent restaurant, the Blackhawk Golf Course, there is probably more to be said about being first to the post. Nineteen is breaking new ground in an area of the city dominated mostly by chains, and brings more sophisticated dining to suburban residents who may be accustomed to commuting for a refined meal.

Still, in anticipation of a complimentary preview event on Monday evening, I was most looking forward to how Chef Fung would “redefine dining” (Nineteen’s catchphrase). Without much in the way of surrounding street life or a critical mass of restaurants, the expectations for Nineteen are high – in order to attract patrons outside of the immediate area, the restaurant has to be considered a dining destination.

For us, it was a bit of a harrowing journey to Nineteen. From our downtown home, it took us over an hour’s drive to reach the restaurant, the Whitemud at a crawl due to two accidents. It was a reminder of why we generally don’t venture beyond a certain perimeter in a vehicle, especially at rush hour, but we recognize that it was an experience isolated to us among the diners that evening. As a result, we were late for the start of the tasting, but happy that we fortuitously ended up seated with Edmonton Sun columnist Graham Hicks and his lovely wife, Maria.

Our first impressions of the restaurant were positive. The dining room connotes warmth, achieved through a combination of the incandescent light fixtures and the organic, leather material throughout the space – in wall panels and gold-coloured chairs. It felt almost like a smoking lounge, comfortable, but polished. Nineteen also has a lounge, dressed similarly and separated by a wall.

Dining room

That said, my favourite feature of the dining room was the open window into the kitchen. It’s always great to have a visual connection with those preparing your food, and at Nineteen, clearly they have nothing to hide.

Peek into the kitchen

The menu sampling was generous, with ten separate courses served over a span of three hours. The dishes were to give us an idea of the breadth of the menu, though the final version for the restaurant’s opening night of November 7, 2012 was yet to be finalized. We were told that the menu would likely change on a bi-weekly basis, to allow for the inclusion of seasonal and rotating dishes. At least on the menu presented, there weren’t any local suppliers highlighted, though I didn’t have a chance to ask Chef Fung if this would change.

Our favourite dishes were served in the first half of the meal. Among them was the one-bite ahi tuna twist, with a surprisingly fiery finish, and gloriously fatty blueberry duck sliders with chipotle aioli.

Ahi tuna twist

Duck sliders

Chef Fung also showcased quite a bit of his flair for seafood. His miso marinated Atlantic salmon was bright and briny, a flavour carried on in the wasabi miso dressing on the accompanying spinach salad. Mack really enjoyed the ahi tuna & scallop ceviche, gorgeously presented on a pedestal with fresh thyme crackers. The ponzu and wasabi pea foam were subtle but ideal enhancements.

Miso marinated Atlantic salmon

Ahi tuna & scallop ceviche

The Japanese baby back ribs were also a hit around the table, glazed with sake soy. They had just the right amount of sweetness for my palate, and the meat easily flaked off the bone, textured with the right amount of fat.

Japanese baby back ribs

Less successful was the confit chicken waffle. The sweetness of the grilled peppers were the highlight among the muddled flavours of chicken and the quinoa-potato waffle. As well, the duo of Alberta pork featured an overly dry tenderloin, and an undercooked, chewy king oyster mushroom.

Confit chicken waffle

Duo of Alberta pork

Without a doubt, Chef Andrew Fung has crafted a menu that plays to his strengths, which include incorporating Asian ingredients in inspired ways. But what I guess I was hoping to find at Nineteen was a more defined identity, one that would occupy an upscale niche not yet found in Edmonton to help make it the destination restaurant in an otherwise bleak independent dining district. For example – Corso 32’s obsessive approach to Italian cuisine, or the refined interpretation of a steakhouse by Charcut in Calgary. Of course, as I mentioned above, perhaps it doesn’t matter – Nineteen’s niche may simply be serving upmarket cuisine in an area starved for it. Only time will tell.

Thanks again to Chef Fung and the staff at Nineteen for the invitation. Best of luck in these opening weeks!

Nineteen
5940 Mullen Way

Check out some other perspectives of the evening from Linda and Chris.

Food Notes for November 5, 2012

I was hoping things might slow down a bit at work, but the pace has kept up, which leaves me feeling like I haven’t been as on top of things for this blog as I would like. I’m doing my best to juggle things though, even though with the pending holiday season I’m sure life will just get a bit crazier! On to this week’s food notes:

Underground Edmonton, billed as the city’s “first authentic craft beer lounge” celebrated its grand opening on November 1, 2012. Anyone been?
Chef Andrew Fung’s new venture, Nineteen, opens on November 7, 2012. Mack and I were lucky enough to preview the menu tonight, which I will write about more this week.
The North Edge Business Association is celebrating a launch of its new website and directory from 5-7:30pm on November 13, 2012, with an event called Taste of the Edge. There will be samples of food from the area’s restaurants, as well as an Eritrean coffee ceremony. Check it out at the Queen Mary Park Community Hall (10844 117 Street).
Central Social Hall has taken over the revolving door storefront on Jasper Avenue and 109 Street, and is set to open in mid-December.
Jacek Chocolate Couture, having freshly christened their new boutique store, was featured in Vue last week.
It was great to see a familiar face gracing the Journal Food section last Wednesday. If you didn’t have a chance to read all about Karlynn (aka The Kitchen Magpie), check it out here!
There were quite a few food personalities included on the list of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40, released on Thursday. Congrats to Amy Beaith, Kevin Kossowan and Andrew Parker!
Speaking of Kevin, his new venture called Shovel and Fork, with fellow local food enthusiasts Jeff Senger (of Sangudo Meats) and Chad Moss (formerly of Transcend), among others, sounds amazing. They will be leading classes in topics such as butchery, foraging and cob oven construction.
Executive Committee accepted the Food and Agriculture Strategy at a vote on November 2. I’m disappointed they did so without pointing out the document’s lack of teeth.
Jacquie Lycka, a blogger who writes the blog Garneau Home Kitchen, participated in a project that helped raise food donations for the MacEwan Food Bank by picking apples with Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton. The video they made to summarize their work is worth a look.
We were in the neighbourhood of Wine & Beyond today, so took the opportunity to check out Western Canada’s biggest liquor store in Windermere. It was indeed massive, almost overwhelmingly so, though their tasting bar area was pretty impressive. We tried our best to locate an Alberta-made wine, but didn’t find one at a cursory glance. We did find an Eskimo-branded wine, though!

Wine & Beyond

It’s back! Mack and I are suckers for Starbucks’ annual “red cup” campaign. We had our first Christmas drinks this weekend.

2012 Red Cup

On tour at West Edmonton Mall was the Tim Hortons Tassimo crew. We are bringing more and more of that commercial convenience home, so I guess this was the next logical step for Tim Hortons…

Tim Hortons Tassimo

While at WEM, we came upon a new-to-us cupcake kiosk called Once Upon a Cupcake. I have to say, I know Liane’s been taking about the downward trend of cupcakes for a while, but I think I have to agree that they’ve finally plateaued.

Once Upon a Cupcake

I’ve really been craving pho since the weather started turning south. That craving led us to Pho Hoan Pasteur last week. As much as I love Pho Tau Bay, it’s nice to be able to order a side of green onion cakes on occasion.

Pho Hoan Pasteur

Date Night: Highlands Kitchen and Carriage Ride

I feel a bit sheepish posting this so late, especially because the restaurant has since changed hands. But Mack encouraged me to do so anyway, as it does provide a snapshot of a great neighbourhood-based date. Plus, the restaurant has turned over to another independent company, so the bones of the evening are still very much a possibility.

At the end of July, Mack and I took the bus over to the picturesque neighbourhood of Highlands, the only community in Edmonton that we know of where you can have dinner followed by a carriage ride.

We started our evening at Highlands Kitchen (which has since become the location of Creole Envie). This was our first visit since its transformation from Culina Highlands, but we understood the menu preserved the Eastern European comforts that had been its hallmark.

We chose to sit outside on the charming patio, lined with herb planters and shielded from the bustle of 112 Avenue. For dinner, as has become custom for us, we decided to share several dishes, all of which we enjoyed.

Patio

Mack’s favourite was the bacon wrapped dates ($10), swayed as he was by the sweet-salty touchstones. My favourite were the pork crepes ($12), featuring tender pulled pork in a Saskatoon berry BBQ sauce.

Bacon wrapped dates

Pulled pork crepes

The quinoa salad ($12) was also noteworthy, as it became the inspiration for several subsequent salads of my own. I loved the different textures in every bite – from crispy chickpeas to sweet cranberries and crunchy seeds.

Quinoa salad

For dessert, a simple but delicious pound cake topped with berries and a scoop of Pinocchio ice cream. Perfect for two to share.

Eating it too

After dinner, we headed up the block to Mandolin Books to pick up our reserved tickets for the horse-drawn wagon ride with Anjl Horse & Carriage Company. Those who have frequented the Alberta Avenue and Highlands Farmers’ Markets might be familiar with the proprietor behind Anjl – Arie Jol is a resident of Highlands, and vends meat and eggs under the banner of Ma-Be Farms.

The rides start from the bookstore on the last Friday of every month, approximately every half hour between 7-9pm. They take place year round, so long as the temperature holds above –15C. Our adult tickets were $10 (teens are $8, and seniors and children 12 and under are $5).

Anjl Horse & Carriage

The ride was a leisurely one, though perhaps not as educational as we would have hoped for. Arie isn’t a historian, but given he had been conducting these tours for some time, we thought he would have been able to answer more of our questions about the neighbourhood.

Sharing the road

Still, he did point out some neat features, such as plaques that had been put up on buildings in the area by the Highlands Historical Society, indicating the home’s original residents or business.

Plaque on Mandolin Books

As well, Arie made sure we were able to get a good look at the homes of Highlands’ founding fathers. One in particular, the Macgrath Mansion, is absolutely stunning.

Macgrath Mansion

That summer night, with the canopied streets in full bloom, Mack and I marvelled at how unique it was to be riding through the streets of Edmonton in a horse and carriage. Only in Highlands.

Horses!

2012 Sturgeon Valley Food & Wine Festival

The newest food and wine festival on the scene is the Sturgeon Valley Food & Wine Festival, held this past Saturday for the very first time. Given the rising number of these types of events, it was very important that the Sturgeon Valley edition differentiate itself somehow. At first glance, it definitely edges out the others in terms of venue. The Enjoy Centre, with its glass ceiling and gorgeous sconces, outdoes both the Shaw and Expo Centre.

Sturgeon Valley Food & Wine Festival

Mack and I were invited to attend for free, and were also lucky enough to receive $20 in sampling tickets. That said, I am not sold on this model (which is the same as the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival), which charges admission cost and additional dollars for sampling tickets. As a patron, I’d much rather pay a steeper ticket price for an all-inclusive event.

For our admission period of 4-6:30pm, we found the crowds a bit sparse, but this was to our advantage – no lines, ample seating, and we felt we had more time and space to converse with the reps. I know at the Rocky Mountain Festival in the past, I have felt a bit claustrophobic at times, and somewhat rushed at certain tables with others jockeying in for samples.

Enjoy Centre (can you spot Phil and Robyn?)

There were about two dozen liquor and food vendors, but only three tables sampling wine. This was likely due to the fact that the festival ran over the same weekend as Co-Op’s Grape Escape, which featured sixty wine and spirits producers.

Because wine was not as prominent, it definitely drew our attention to the range of beers and spirits highlighted. Notably, this was our first encounter with Ribstone Creek Brewery, which, although no longer Alberta’s newest beer (that distinction probably belongs to Hog’s Head now), we were happy to learn about. It seems the founder wanted to build some sort of business in his hometown of Edgerton, Alberta, and settled on a brewery. It has already won some awards (silver for best domestic lager at the Calgary Beer Fest), and based on our taste, did find it to be quite a light beer (even for me, as a non-beer drinker).

Ribstone Creek Brewery

We were also introduced to Solstice Botanical Vodka, a new vodka distilled by Yukon Brewery, which makes it the first craft brewery in Canada which is now also a craft distiller. The company wanted to make a unique spirit that combined herbs and berries available in the area, and with the guise of a local herbologist, steeped raspberries, rosehip and sage with the vodka to create the final product. It was noticeably smoother than more mainstream vodkas, though still probably a bit too harsh for me to sip straight up.

Solstice Botanical Vodka

The first of the two wine vendors we patronized featured BC wine blends from Backyard Vineyard under the name Nosey Neighbour. Both the red and white we tried were pretty easy drinking wines.

Nosey Neighbour

On the other side of the spectrum was Chinese Happy Wine. A blend of white wine and Osmanthus flower, the vendor described it as a dessert wine. While it was sweet, the lingering aftertaste was not a memorable one (I also had to wonder at the price point – I’ve never seen a dessert wine priced at $8.70 a bottle).

Chinese Happy Wine

Of course, we were also able to try some of the food offerings. Most of the restaurants represented are located in St. Albert, great for us given we don’t often frequent eateries in that area. First up was a teaser of mac and cheese and baked beans from La Crema Cafe and Smokehouse. Mack commented on the Velveeta-like consistency of the sauce, but we both really enjoyed the smoky-sweet beans with bits of bacon stirred in.

Mac and beans from La Crema Cafe and Smokehouse

Darcy’s Meat Market enticed us with their display, and we chose to try their applewood smoked pulled pork slider and handmade beef jerky. Neither was the most elegant to consume at an event like this, though we did our best. The slider could have used more sauce to bind and flavour the meat, while I prefer my jerky a little more dehydrated.

Honey garlic jerky and pulled pork slider from Darcy’s Meat Market

The star of the food samples was from The River House (though I don’t have a usable photo, unfortunately). Their braised short rib was hot, tender and delicious.

As a whole, we had a great experience. The Sturgeon Valley Food & Wine Festival has ample room to expand, both in the areas of food and drink. That said, hopefully they can manage their growth and maintain their great hospitality and the intimate nature of the event. Thanks again to the organizers for the invitation!

Food Notes for October 29, 2012

The annual Chili Cookoff, one of the proceedings of River City Round-Up, has expanded from Scotia Place onto Churchill Square this year. 24 competitors will be vying for your votes, at $2/bowl. Look for it on November 2, 2012, from 11:30am-1:30pm. For more on the chili cookoff, check out Jennifer Crosby’s blog this week.
There are a few opportunities to win admission tickets to the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival on this weekend at the Shaw Conference Centre – check out Karlynn, Chris, Diane, Lillian and Michelle’s blogs for your chance to win!
Zocalo debuted their new glassed-in courtyard space this weekend, which will feature some cafe tables. Check it out the next time you’re in Little Italy!
Both Liv and Marlow Moo gave Social Modern Pub the thumbs up.
EnRoute Magazine announced their list of Canada’s Best Restaurants 2012 last week. Although Edmonton was shut out, two Calgary establishments made the cut: Model Milk and Borgo.
Come Dine with Me Canada shines the spotlight on Edmonton this week, featuring dinner parties thrown by five different local foodies. Check out the program on the W Network.
If you were at all on Twitter on Friday, you would have no doubt seen all of the chatter about Edmonton’s Food and Agriculture Strategy, which was being discussed at a non-statutory public hearing that day. The Journal has a summary of the proceedings, which will be continuing on November 2.
Mark Bittman wants to see better labels on foods. He knows it is a bit of a dream at the moment (though it is now under the purview of the FDA), but I have to say the mockups are an amazing start, covering three categories: nutrition, “foodness”, and welfare. See for yourself.
It was great to see Angie at the City Market on Saturday! Angie has resurrected her sister’s label Kerstin’s Chocolates, who chocophiles in Edmonton would be familiar with. Find them at the market until at least Christmas.

Angie of Kerstin’s Chocolates

I caught up with some girlfriends at Blue Plate Diner on Saturday, and had their Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich ($15) for the first time. I loved the idea of turkey, bacon and tomato layered on top of sourdough, then baked with a mornay sauce and cheese. The sauce was a bit unevenly distributed, resulting in overly saturated bread in half the dish, and crackling dry crust in the other. But as a whole, I did enjoy it, and I can’t say enough about their yam fries!

Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich

I love introducing my favourite restaurants to friends. Last week, it was Pho Tau Bay to one of my coworkers who has never had beef noodle soup before. She loved it!

Pho from Pho Tau Bay

Mercury Opera’s Fiamma

On Friday night, Mercury Opera turned a downtown parking lot on 104 Street into a veritable opera stage. You may remember Mercury Opera from their innovative 104 Underground event last year, that saw a live performance orchestrated on the LRT platform of the Bay/Enterprise Square station. This year, Director Darcia Parada brought the opera out and onto the street with Fiamma (Italian for “flame”).

Performers at the Eyecare Group

It wasn’t clear on the website what the “gala” preceding the performance entailed, so we had a full supper before purchasing the $25 tickets at the Armstrong Building. At that time, we were given a passport that would be honoured at nine different locations around 104 Street for drinks and treats.

Mack tries on some velvet shades at the Eyecare Group

We didn’t end up having enough time to patronize all of the sites, but were able to sample from several of the businesses. The flow of food and drink was much more controlled this time around when compared with the 104 Underground as we had to redeem our passports to imbibe and eat.

The crowd at Dauphine

We enjoyed the return of Skinny Legs and Cowgirls (now as a “roaming chef”, or caterer), who served tasty wild mushroom crescents, snacked on fresh pretzels from Cook’s Corner, and satisfied our sweet tooth with cupcakes from Delish. I think the organizers did a fantastic job of engaging small caterers and businesses to supply the food for this event.

Skinny Legs and Cowgirls

Evoolution also participated, serving sweet concoctions of drinking vinegar and club soda. We’d heard about this use for their flavoured vinegars, but hadn’t tried it ourselves yet. It was definitely an interesting spin on an Italian soda.

Evoolution

It was great to see Amber’s Brewing Company out and about, serving their first batch of beer produced at their new location of Hog’s Head in St. Albert.

Jim Gibbon of Amber’s Brewing Company

At 8pm, we gathered in the Melcor parking lot, admiring the lights that transformed the space. Then, led by a stilt walker, paraded down the Alley of Light to the other side of the parking lot.

Parade

A cube van was curiously parked in the lot, but the mystery was soon revealed – the back door rolled up and exposed the musicians gathered inside. With that, the show began, a spotlight directed at an opera singer situated on the top of the Armstrong Block fire escape.

All the world’s a stage

The performer must have been freezing, but didn’t show it at all, her voice penetrating the cold night.

Spotlight

The show progressed to include other performers, located in the lot itself, and elevated slightly on mechanical lifts. At this point, the vantage point for spectators suffered a bit. The risers helped, but for any audience members not situated in the front row, the view was obstructed by the parking arch.

An aerialist from Firefly Theatre

But in a way, the location couldn’t be as perfect as a typical opera stage because of its guerrilla nature, and it was a suitable trade-off for this unique presentation of opera. Vibe Tribe, known for their fire dances, was a great inclusion, adding more visual interest with their flaming displays.

Fire and song

With the rousing applause granted to the performers at the conclusion of the show, there was no doubt the crowd enjoyed Fiamma! We can only look forward to whatever Mercury Opera dreams up next, but surely, it will again be opera “where you least expect it”. Bravo!

Calgary Birthday Round-up: The Big Cheese, Model Milk, Blue Star Diner and Una Pizza

Back in June, well-timed with my birthday, Mack and I took a mini-break in Calgary. I relish any opportunity to further explore their culinary scene (something impossible for visitors to keep up with), but I think we made a fair dent that weekend.

The Big Cheese Poutinerie

The Big Cheese Poutinerie was voted “best poutine” in Calgary in the recent FFWD poll, so we thought it was worth checking out.

The Big Cheese Poutinerie

They had quite a few more options than La Poutine, many with an intense variety of topping options, such as mac and cheese, Scottish curry and corn dogs. We ordered the most basic traditional (just curds and gravy) and the Notorious P.I.G. (Carolina pulled pork, double smoked bacon and
Italian sausage).

We brought our poutine boxes to their adorable backyard patio, fenced in and graced with trees, and dug in.

Mack loves poutine!

The fries weren’t as crispy as we would have liked, and the Quebec curds didn’t squeak, but the Notorious P.I.G. was still darn tasty (and our favourite of the two). I liked the sweetness from the bacon, which helped offset the rest of the meat.

Traditional

Notorious P.I.G.

Model Milk

We’d heard some great things about Model Milk, which at the time, seemed like Calgary’s “it” restaurant. As a result, we were really looking forward to try their spin on Southern comfort food.

Look for the cow!

We loved the name upon hearing its origins – Model Milk is an homage to the building’s history as Model Dairy. Some of the plant’s fixtures, such as the viewing window into the bottling area, were preserved in the conversion to a restaurant. As a result, the dining room presents as a gorgeous marriage of the industrial with rustic. The pendant lights above were a lovely touch above our table, but the best seat in the house was undoubtedly at the chef’s table beneath a skylight.

Interior

Chef’s table

Q Water (a water filtration system sold as an alternative to imported bottled water) seems to be all the rage, but the administration of it (i.e., the cost) varies greatly between restaurants, to the point where it’s entirely up to the diner to clarify. I was reminded of this at Model Milk, when we accidentally ended up with pricey Q Water because I didn’t ask when given the choice between “sparkling” and “still”. The tab? $3 a person for water.

Q Water

Their menus had similar numbered iterations to what we were familiar with at Three Boars, and similarly, although there were a few vegetarian options to choose from, the chefs appeared to like all incarnations of meat.

The veal croquette starters ($12) were crispy without being oily, and we loved the texture and the interplay of sweet and spicy in the apple chili glaze.

Veal croquettes

My dish, named pig ($28), was quite the showstopper. Aptly put, tenderloin was wrapped in sausage then wrapped in bacon, and presented so moist and tender that it literally fell to pieces when sliced. Even more a compliment to the chef, it didn’t leave me with a fatty mouth feel. I also enjoyed the refreshing sides of crushed edamame and mint and a pea, celery and apple salad.

Pig

Mack liked his halibut cheeks ($27), prepared with a crunchy potato crust and a creamy tartar sauce. The underlay of potatoes were a bit of a hit and miss – some were well cooked, while others were hard and glassy.

Halibut

Given the menu changes so frequently, I’d be hard pressed to say what’s for dinner at Model Milk today, but based on our experience, I’d love to be surprised on our next visit!

Blue Star Diner

Opened by the same folks behind Dairy Lane, we knew we would be in good hands at Blue Star Diner, a relatively new restaurant in the quaint community of Bridgeland.

The crowd outside told us we were in the right place, and though it was a cold and drizzly out, we didn’t mind the half hour wait, tempered by the offer of hot coffee to sip.

A typical Calgary brunch line-up

Once inside, we marvelled at the charming interior – baby blue paint, crisp glass display shelves, funky chalkboard walls, and perhaps my favourite accent – framed photos of the farmers Dairy Lane sources from.

Interior

Local was definitely all over the menu as well – I really appreciated that the names of producers were highlighted prominently. The newest producer to join the ranks, Broek Farms, was even profiled on a tabletop card.

The servers were friendly and efficient, though Mack’s one small complaint was that the coffee refills petered out after our plates were delivered (his litmus test for brunch service). But in a way, the food more than made up for that minor misstep. My order of stuffed French toast ($12.75) was one of the best brunch dishes I had in recent memory, an irresistible combination of Sylvan Star gruyere, mushrooms, herbs and hollandaise.

Stuffed French toast

Mack’s Broek pulled pork eggs benedict ($15) featured perfectly soft poached eggs, and pork that kicked back and complemented the tangy hollandaise.

Pulled pork eggs benedict

Though I have quite a few diner favourites in Calgary, Blue Star Diner is now hovering near the top. It most definitely deserves another visit the next time we’re in the city.

Una Pizza + Wine

We had enjoyed our meal at Ox & Angela earlier this year, so wanted to try its brother establishment with an equally good reputation, Una Pizza.

At 5:30pm on a Sunday, it was already hopping, and we snagged just about the last of the open seats. We elected to sit outside to drink in the rays, given it was the only sunny break that entire weekend. With its vantage of 17 Avenue however, it also made a great people watching spot.

On the patio

Una Pizza is actually open until 1am every day, quite a feat and commitment by the owners to ensure quality late night dining exists in Calgary. The menu offered quite a range of non-pizza dishes, many with a Spanish flair, but we stuck with the pizza side of things.

Two-tiered pizza

I chose the mushroom pizza ($20), layered with roasted criminis, smoked mozzarella, truffle oil and arugula. I could taste the time taken to cook down the mushrooms, and the flavour combination was good enough to inspire me to replicate it at home.

Mushroom pizza

Mack’s red pizza to my white featured san marzano tomato sauce, prosciutto, provolone and arugula ($18). He noted the crust was much different than Edmonton’s go-to independent pizza joint, Famoso, firmer, crispier and not wood fired. That day, it really hit the spot.

Prosciutto pizza

We loved the vibe of Una – fun and vibrant, it reminded us of Tres Carnales. Though the food took a little longer than expected (we had ordered just after the small party next to us, but by the time our food arrived, they had already finished their meal), Una is the type of place where you linger over a glass of wine and catch up. We’ll be back.

A much belated thanks to Mack for a great birthday weekend!

Date Night: 104 St Grill and Edmonton Opera’s Storm the Stage

Since Ric’s Grill became 104 St Grill earlier this fall, Mack and I have been meaning to give this new incarnation a try. I had signed up for the electronic mailing list early on, which entitled me to a $60 gift certificate, really giving us no better excuse to have dinner there. We finally had the chance to do so on Saturday.

We arrived just after it opened, and were seated in a booth towards the back. What struck us most at first was how the interior remained remarkably unchanged. Sure, the bar area was a little more open, but the rest of the space retained its formality. I guess it was most surprising because we had heard that the location was originally in talks to become Soda Jerks, but when that didn’t pan out, I assumed the final plan for 104 St Grill would still based on a more casual upscale model, instead of nominal adjustments.

Interior

The menu, however, in both dish selection and price really communicated that not much had changed at all. Entrees, ranging from $17-29 were very traditional plates, and really didn’t excite or interest us. We instead chose to share several of the starters.

The best of the four appetizers was no doubt the poutine ($11), though not named as such on the menu. The potatoes was prepared well, flecked with crunchy bits of bacon.

“Poutine”

The risotto ($12) was quite a generously sized appetizer, served with an (overdressed) side salad. Again, the bacon popped, and the risotto was creamy enough, but not exceptional.

Risotto

The carrot and ginger daily soup ($6) had a great texture, smooth but with some body, though I was hoping for a little more zing. The order of Brussels sprouts ($10) was probably enough for four people, but could have probably used a bit more of the brown butter sauce.

Carrot and ginger soup

Brussels sprouts

Although service was professional and attentive (we were familiar with the server from The Copper Pot, which used to be in the same family of restaurants), 104 St Grill just doesn’t offer a menu that would invite us to return on a regular basis. Only time will tell if the rebranding will result in success, but for us, it isn’t the type of restaurant we would frequent in the neighbourhood.

After dinner, Mack and I headed to the Jubilee Auditorium for Edmonton Opera’s annual Storm the Stage party. Though we’ve attended a few of Edmonton Opera’s productions in the past, I will admit that it is an art form that hasn’t appealed to us as strongly as others. That said, we have enjoyed Mercury Opera’s attempts to make opera more successful (with another, Fiamma, coming up on October 26, 2012), and was curious about Edmonton Opera’s attempts at trying to broaden their audience.

Aida set

I’d read that Storm the Stage was literally that – an opportunity to have party on the set. It seemed like a great behind the scenes peek, though we weren’t really sure what to expect.

Treats from Duchess

Well, that’s not entirely true – I suppose we anticipated some opera-related content, especially given the audience may not often frequent opera productions. As a result, the highlight of the evening for me was the two short performances by two members of the Edmonton Opera chorus.

Edmonton Opera chorus members

Given we were on the gorgeous set of Aida, in the shadow of an imposing sphinx, it really would have been neat to have a tour of sorts, learning how the set designer came up with his ideas and executed them (I did want to run up and touch the “statues”). It seemed like a missed opportunity to connect the audience with the show in a more direct way.

F & M

That said, the evening was enjoyable enough, with performances by alternative folk trio F & M and the always energetic and engaging Mitchmatic. Thread Hill also put on a fashion show, utilizing the tiered stage as a visually interesting runway.

Mitchmatic

Thread Hill fashion show

Mack mentioned that the evening could have been improved with a host to unify the performances. It was a little strange that both F & M and Mitchmatic had to introduce themselves, while the fashion show and opera performance just seemed to spontaneously begin.

In all, it was an interesting experience, though one that could have used more opera.

104 St Grill
10190 104 Street
(780) 429-4333

Edmonton Opera

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