City Market Report: Week 21

In contrast to last year, the end of the 2011 season of the City Market on 104 Street doesn’t feel as final. Although Mack and I will miss having all of the vendors and festivities just out our front door, we are comforted knowing that the market is continuing indoors at City Hall next week (they also debuted their new website this week!).

One of the signs taped to the street as a reminder

I really hope the word spreads far and wide so patrons will still think of the City Market as a new year-round shopping option. Though I know it will take some time to embed this fact, I don’t think enough has been done to promote the seamless transition to City Hall. We just ran into a woman in our building this morning, a regular market shopper, who didn’t know about the continuation.

City Market

The other half of the battle is convincing shoppers that this year-round City Market will be populated with enough vendors to make a trip there worthwhile (instead of, say, heading to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market where one would be certain of the vendors present). It is a bit of a chicken-egg argument (vendors need a critical mass of patrons to purchase their products, but patrons need a good variety to be enticed), but I really think it would have been great if even a partial list of vendors who had committed to the City Hall edition was released. Again, as I mentioned last week, I realize that the City Market still hasn’t received applications from all vendors, but I think it would help people plan their shopping trip, and create a concrete buzz for next week.

Irvings Farm Fresh will be at City Hall all winter

Regardless, as far as a wrap-up to the outdoor portion of the market year, the weather was brilliant. Sunny and warm, it almost made up for the many rainy and miserable Saturdays this summer.

Riverbend Gardens could even go without a tent!

Mack and I always love to see events that tie-in to the market, either right on the street or in the area, and the studio sale in the Great West Saddlery building was no exception. We popped upstairs to see designers Bridget Smatlan, Jessica Halabi, Gabrielle Cruz and Corinna Chow in their element. It was good to meet all of you!

Corinna and Gabrielle in their studio

As I did in my last City Market report post in 2010, I wanted to again pay homage to the dedicated producers who work to bring us fresh produce, proteins and wares week in and week out, whatever the weather. Here are just some of the producers:

Andres and Megan of Greens, Eggs and Ham

Jen of Jen’s Organic Garden

James of Sundog Organic Farm

Irvings Farm Fresh

Patty of Lola Canola (in her last market appearance!)

Rick of Barr Estate Winery

Ed of Sunshine Organic Farm

Mathias and Gerda of Green Valley Farm

Thanks for a great outdoor season, and see you at City Hall next week!

Street Food for Lunch: Truck Stop

This afternoon, from 11am-2pm, we hosted our inaugural Truck Stop, a smaller offshoot of What the Truck?! at Churchill Square.

At this point, we’ve resigned to the fact that the weather won’t be on our side. We recognize that it could have been much worse – the rain held off until the very end – but after three events in less than ideal weather, we don’t know what we have to do to get some sunshine on our side!

Anyway, set-up this morning was seamless – 102A Avenue in front of City Hall has been closed to vehicular traffic for a few years now, and as we found with What the Truck?! 2, curbside is the best way to go with food trucks. By 11am, all five vendors were ready to go – but would Edmontonians brave the elements for street food?

Ready to go

Of course they would! The crowds didn’t swarm in droves as they did for WTT, but we didn’t expect them to, given the lack of notice and the inherently smaller nature of the event. We had pulled some of the colourful bistro tables from the centre of the Square to create a more inviting space, and were happy to see the slight chill didn’t deter people from al fresco dining.

Lunch time!

Smokehouse BBQ, with its wafting aromas of wood smoke, had a pretty solid line up during the noon hour lunch rush. They tweeted later that it was indeed a good day – they sold more today than they would have over four days in their usual spot in Nisku! So fans of Southern BBQ – if you give them a reason to come back – they will!

The line at Smokehouse

Mack and I had been looking forward to trying Smokehouse BBQ ourselves – and they didn’t disappoint! The three rib mac and cheese was my definite favourite – the meat just slid off the bone! And the creamy mac and cheese was especially comforting in the cold.

The bacon bomb and the three rib mac and cheese

But the beauty of food truck gatherings is the variety – and it was great to see groups of diners arriving together, but ultimately choosing the truck that would best fit their craving, whether it was from Bo Thai, Drift, Fat Franks or Eva Sweet.

Jill enjoys her pork belly sandwich from Drift (and tries not to look cold!)

At noon, a zumba class on the Square definitely enlivened the atmosphere. Mack and I weren’t sure that the dance class would go forward with the numbers that were anticipated, but boy, were we wrong. Upwards of forty people joined the instructor for an up-tempo work out right in Churchill! Unfortunately, this was the last zumba class of the year, but given its success, it sounds like programmers will want to continue it next year.

Zumba on the Square!

Halfway through the event, we noticed some fire pits and heat lamps on the Square. It’s too bad we couldn’t have put them into use today – I’m sure it would have encouraged more people to stick around to have lunch outdoors – if places like Earls and Joey’s can extend their patio season with heat lamps, why couldn’t food trucks?

Chris and Brit are content with al fresco dining

Thanks to everyone who came out to Truck Stop today – you helped us prove that food trucks aren’t just a warm weather phenomenon! Thanks to the City for helping us to make this happen. And a big thanks to the vendors who stuck with us through the rain – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Mack and I don’t have plans for any more food truck extravaganzas this year, but that doesn’t mean food trucks are disappearing from Edmonton streets. Drift, Molly’s Eats and Bo Thai will be out at the Movies on the Square on Friday, and Bo Thai will continue to serve in Churchill Square on weekdays until October 21. For the whereabouts of Eva Sweet, Drift and Smokehouse, be sure to follow them on Twitter!

You can see Mack’s photoset here.

Great for the Neighbourhood: Pho Huong & Mama Pizza

Although there are many restaurants within walking distance of my office, some which are quite good (Padmanadi, Basil Leaf and Pho Tau Bay included), when winter descends, I often wish for a closer alternative that is equally consistent. The day may have finally arrived!

Ellen’s Aunt and Uncle, Ken and Lisa Quach, took over Pho Huong & Mama Pizza (10531 107 Avenue, 780-422-6262), which reopened on September 30. Prior to this overhaul, I hadn’t set foot in the establishment – coworkers had warned me that it wasn’t exactly the most welcoming place.

Now, Pho Huong & Mama Pizza is a gem in the neighbourhood, reminding me very much of Absolutely Edibles on 118 Avenue. Ken, a carpenter by trade, redid the entire interior, installing the wood fixtures he built himself, and lining the walls with cozy but classy booths. I especially loved the photos of farmers with their fresh produce along the wall – a visual link to the ingredients that inspire the cuisine.

Interior (thanks to Suman who lent me her camera)

It has always been Lisa’s goal to open a restaurant. Having perfected her recipes after years of cooking (including that of fish sauce!), her dream has finally come true. Although Vietnamese cuisine is Lisa’s forte, because of the neighbourhood’s taste for pizza (they still get calls for delivery), they maintained the pizza side of the menu; hence the two names of the restaurant.

New bar and flat screens

A few of my coworkers had lunch with Ellen at Pho Huong & Mama Pizza on Tuesday. The patrons that were inside were already tucking into their dishes – and there was not one pizza in sight.

As Ellen knows, my personal “litmus test” for Vietnamese restaurants is an order of green onion cakes followed by an order of pho. The green onion cakes ($4.25) were golden and crispy, but weren’t quite salty enough for me (but then again, I prefer my green onion cakes very salty!).

Green onion cakes

The beef brisket pho ($8 for a large bowl) was absolutely a standout. The broth had great depth of flavour – meaty and substantial, fragrant but not overpowering. The brisket was served rare (just the way I like it), and cooked to shredded perfection in the hot soup. It was also a huge serving – I am rarely defeated by pho, but I was that day.

Pho with brisket

The rest of our table ordered a wide range of dishes, from grilled pork chop and grilled chicken on rice to the 5 colour vermicelli bowl to the seafood rice noodle soup. Everyone was very happy with their dishes, and Astrid wasn’t even able to finish her serving!

Grilled pork chop rice plate ($8.75)

Grilled chicken rice plate ($8.95)

5 colour vermicelli bowl ($10.50)

Seafood rice soup ($8.00 for small)

Businesses like Pho Huong & Mama Pizza are key pieces of the revitalization puzzle, they can become a draw to residents and visitors alike, invigorating the area in the process. I can only hope more enterprising people like Ken and Lisa choose to invest in Central McDougall – and in the process, we may get even more tasty restaurants in the neighbourhood.

Food Notes for October 3, 2011

At the Edmonton International Film Festival’s 24/ONE screening last year, I voted for the film that made me laugh out loud the most. I ended up using the same measure this past Friday at this year’s 24/ONE. 6 Hours by Fourth Wall Productions got my vote (I couldn’t . It seemed others in the audience enjoyed it just as much, and they took home the coveted Best Picture prize, which is determined by the audience. It was a good time – check it out next year if you get the chance! On to this week’s food notes:

Congrats to Transcend baristas Josh Hockin and Ben Put who took home both first and second place at the Canadian Barista Championships today!
Liv wrote about Engrained, a new eatery on the U of A Campus in the Edmonton Clinic North building.
Chris reviewed The Burger Joint on the south side.
I wasn’t able to make it out to the Fall Sturgeon County Bounty at the Prairie Adventure Gardens this weekend, but Andrea was! Live vicariously through her delicious pictures here.
Marilyn wrote about a lovely potluck dinner she had with fellow gardeners of the Edmonton Organic Growers Guild.
The Journal staff were up to their elbows in pie judging which pie would take home the prize in The Great Pie Project. Congrats to Ruth Reay and her strawberry rhubarb pie! Find her recipe and nine others here.
Looking for a unique Christmas gift? Valerie has updated her schedule of 2012 Taste Tripping classes.
Love this: a photographic retrospective of food trucks! (Maria, the chuckwagons are for you!)
I heart Gail Simmons! Here’s an interview she did recently with the Huffington Post. I’ll have to try her fish sauce/risotto trick some time.
Will this be a trend that moves to Edmonton soon? Catch down in Calgary now has their wine menu on iPads!
We had another one of our epic potlucks at work. It probably is a good thing we don’t have them too often, or else afternoon naps would become a standard, too!

Too much food!

While Mack’s Mom was in town on Saturday, we had lunch together at Famoso. It was my first time having the pizzetta/soup combo, and I loved the fire-roasted tomato bisque! The sharpness from that sprinkle of cheese really helped bring out the flavour.

Sweet BBQ chicken pizzetta and tomato bisque

We also attended a lovely wedding on Saturday – congrats to the newlyweds Mag and Joey!

The cupcake tower mirrored the colours of the wedding

Mack and I also finally visited the Fort Edmonton Footbridge this weekend. A coworker commented to me that she doesn’t normally deem bridges to be a destination, but this one, tucked in the Wolf Willow neighbourhood, should be. The view from the top, with the sound of the creek bubbling away, reminded us more of Banff (minus the mountains) than of Edmonton.

Fort Edmonton Footbridge

Wolf Willow Ravine

View from the top

I hope you have a good week!

Truck Stop, presented by What the Truck?!

Although food trucks in our city are likely to be associated only with warm weather, there’s no time like the present to change that! What the Truck?! 2 on September 16, 2011 brought out a sizable crowd in spite of the overcast and breezy conditions, and we’ve been told by some vendors that they will continue to operate as long as patrons are game to dine.

So, inspired by the pods of Portland, Mack and I are organizing Truck Stop, presented by What the Truck?!

Date: October 6, 2011
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: 102A Avenue, in front of City Hall

Truck Stop is a gathering of a smaller number of food trucks, with the goal of highlighting the idea that trucks can complement one another. Besides offering diners the beauty of savoury choices, the availability of dessert vendors also mean that a meal can be capped off with a sweet treat as well!

We are aware that a number of trucks already vend on 102A Avenue on a regular basis, and we want to build on their presence. So in addition to Bo Thai, Eva Sweet, Fat Franks and Drift, we are happy to welcome Smokehouse BBQ, a barbecue truck usually found only in Nisku, to the streets of Edmonton. Smokehouse BBQ is the brainchild of the couple behind La Pisana in Leduc, and offers pulled pork, barbecued beef, sausages and their signature “bacon bomb” sandwich. Given the general dearth of good barbecue in Edmonton, it’s great to have a mobile vendor specializing in this!

Smokehouse BBQ (thanks to Tanis for the photo!)

As with the previous events, there is no admission fee, but come hungry! Hope to see you there on Thursday!

You can RSVP to the Facebook event here.

City Market Report: Week 20

If last Saturday was a little burst of summer, today saw a full-on shift to fall – breezy, overcast and chilly.

Fall at the City Market

The final cultural festival, celebrating African culture, took place today, but as Mack and I were attending a wedding later this morning, we weren’t able to stay to take in the performances. I’m sure they were fantastic though!

We ducked around to pick up our week’s groceries, and of course, snapped a few pictures along the way.

Carrots from Sundog Organic Farm

Kohlrabi from Sundog Organic Farm

Blueberries from Steve & Dan’s

Brussels sprouts from Green Valley Farm

Flowers from Kuhlmann’s

Turnips from Kuhlmann’s

Pattypan and summer squash from Kuhlmann’s

Massive zucchini from Kuhlmann’s

Gourds at Riverbend Gardens

Though next week will see the last outdoor City Market of 2011, I’m excited that the move to the indoor venue won’t skip a beat – the City Market begins at City Hall on October 15, 2011! Though I realize that not all of the vendors have put in their applications for the indoor market yet, it would be helpful to shoppers to know which vendors have already planned to continue with the City Market this fall. Some vendors like Sundog Organics and Irvings Farm Fresh have taken marketing their presence into their own hands, but it would have been great if a blackboard at the info tent could feature the confirmed list of vendors moving into City Hall (or even better, the website could be updated with that information).

Sundog will be at City Hall!

See you next week at the last outdoor City Market of the year!

Food Notes for September 26, 2011

Hope you enjoyed the lovely weekend we were treated to! And if not, do take time this week to take a walk through your neighbourhood to soak up the light reflected off of golden trees, and to marvel at the beauty of wind-swept leaves. On to this week’s food notes:

Bubba’s back! My Dad, the fan/stalker of the popular BBQ trailer, chatted with Bubba last week at his new set up just south of the Superstore on Calgary Trail and 51st Avenue. He’s just getting the power sorted out, and is expecting to be open at the end of September. He has signed a six month lease.
Skinny Legs & Cowgirls has moved: Chris passed along a sign he saw at a cafe at Pender Island, BC, while he was vacationing there. It looks like the chef has relocated to the picturesque island. I wish them well!
I’m excited to hear that the new Epcor Tower will be housing a Wild Earth Cafe, but am so disappointed to hear that there is no street-level access. Fountains don’t cut it.
Congrats to Amanda Babichuk of d’Lish, who was recently honoured with a University of Alberta Alumni Recognition Award.
Liane reported that Ethiopian favourite Langano Skies has reopened.
Did you know there is a “secret” menu at Starbucks?
Grub Street asks: is a restaurant responsible for your food allergies?
Some grocers are phasing out self-checkouts. Nooo!
The Chew, ABC’s new food-lifestyle daytime talk show, debuted today. I didn’t watch it, but after reading running commentary on the episode, I may not need to: “The concept of trying to watch somebody cook while three or four other people stand around and talk over the person cooking makes it really hard to pay attention to anything. It’s like one of those joke-y late-night-talk-show cooking segments, except it isn’t funny and it lasts an entire hour.”
Speaking of food television, the new season of Top Chef: Texas will debut on November 2, 2011. New this season – Tom Collichio will be hosting online competitions that “will pit two previously eliminated contestants against one another.” The final winner will get to return to the on-air finale. Interesting way to bring people to the website.
I just spotted a “Proudly Local” sticker associated with some of the apples in the produce section of the Italian Centre the other day. Given they also have the Eat Local First markers throughout the store, perhaps some streamlining is in order of its supplementary signage?

Proudly local

Mack and I were craving comfort food on Friday night, and so found ourselves at The Bothy. Their chicken and leek pie is easily one of our favourite things to eat in the city, but I’ve also never been disappointed by their soups. That night, their wild mushroom soup was just perfect – seasoned well, with just the right amount of truffle oil to enhance but not stifle the earthy mushrooms. Delicious!

Chicken and leek pie and wild mushroom soup

Drift was set up in the evening for the first time on Thursday, serving up burgers and soup. We loved their twinkle lights and outdoor seating! Check their Twitter feed to find out when their next evening service will be!

Drift for dinner

Speaking of Drift, we caught up with Kara and Nevin again on Saturday, at the opening of the new Creekwood community in south west Edmonton. And when we say southwest, we mean fifteen minutes away from EIA. It was a bit disheartening, driving past acres of farmland that in a few short years will become another tract of development. Our reason for visiting was wanting to check out the “food truck promenade” that Creekwood had so heavily promoted on Twitter, one of the many attractions for their grand opening. Food trucks in both Edmonton and Calgary, because of their mobility and popularity, are starting to be used as a draw for new developments – it’ll be interesting to see how this continues. Anyway, Drift, Wannawafel, Fat Franks and Uncle Milt’s were all on hand, with patrons receiving food tickets in exchange for monetary donations to the Edmonton Food Bank. All items were priced at 1 ticket, so with the suggested donation being just $1/ticket, food was a steal. Our favourite item that day was Drift’s poutine, with so much melted cheese it was almost criminal! The jerk chicken sandwich was also very good. Wannawafel’s Belgian waffle wasn’t crispy on the outside, unlike Eva Sweet’s consistent creations, but it was good to have finally tried their product.

Trucks in Creekwood

Drift’s poutine

Drift’s jerk chicken sandwich (loved the pineapple)

Wannawafel’s Belgian waffle

I went to Kuhlmann’s for the first time last week with a coworker. It is a beautiful greenhouse, and even this late in the season, is bursting with colour.

Gorgeous mums!

Beautiful flowering kale

Sculpture garden

Produce selection

On a walk through the river valley yesterday, Mack and I passed by Shaw’s bountiful garden. Look at their gorgeous tomatoes!

Grow, tomatoes, grow!

We went as far as the grounds around the Muttart Conservatory, where we were pretty sure a squirrel was actively trying to deter us from invading its space – namely, its stockpile of apples.

Patience, young squirrel

Don’t you just love Edmonton in the fall?

Enjoy your week!

More Food, More Trucks: What the Truck?! 2

In the time since the last What the Truck?! in June, two more trucks joined Edmonton’s mobile food scene, and a third was serving up worldly flavours at farmers’ markets in Sherwood Park and St. Albert. The time was ripe for another food truck extravaganza.

Planning for the second WTT, Mack and I knew we wanted the event to be bigger and better. The addition of Drift, Nomad and Molly’s Eats (bringing the total number of trucks to nine) meant Beaver Hills House Park was no longer an option. So instead of fighting with a similarly challenging space that would require trucks to jump the curb, we approached the City about closing 102 Street, just south of Jasper. It is adjacent to Abbey Lane Park, a lovely, often-overlooked green space downtown.

Road closed

The fee for the street closure was not inexpensive, due in part to the need to re-route several buses. But thanks to Responsible Hospitality Edmonton, the fee was taken care of. Moving forward, it is likely the City won’t pick up such a large tab again; sponsors for future curbside events will be essential.

Mack and I were perhaps too confident that the two of us alone could handle ushering in the trucks as well as setting up the park space that afternoon. Luckily, a last minute tweet for some help was answered by Sandra, Walter and Brittney, who graciously helped us move some tables in anticipation of the crowds.

Sandra, Walter and Brittney to the rescue!

Felicia and Jeff made use of the tables

Though the weather could have been much worse, we couldn’t believe that WTT happened to fall on a Friday that was bookended by two gloriously hot summer days. That said, thankfully, the overcast and windy conditions didn’t seem to deter hearty, hungry patrons at all.

The crowds

It’s difficult to know how many people attended WTT 2, but the number was at least double the first event. We did know, however, that the line-ups were rampant and long – up to an hour at some trucks. We thank everyone for their patience that day, and for demonstrating to us that Edmonton indeed has an appetite for food trucks!

There was lots of photo sharing that day – Jessica takes a picture of her prized Drift sandwiches

It was so gratifying for both of us to see the wide range of people at WTT – particularly the families that brought their children to the event. Given that Abbey Lane Park is typically empty in the evenings, it was fantastic to see children making use of the green space.

Linda made sure Zoe was well fed!

In an effort to try to improve the event, we did our best to incorporate the feedback we received after the first WTT. More recycle receptacles were made available, and we ensured that lines were distributed throughout the space instead of concentrating the crowds in one area. It seemed to work well overall, though I know the fence along the park did restrict a few of the lines.

Drift had one intense line

We know some people were frustrated with the length of the lines, or with some of the trucks running out of food, but we hope this might encourage you to give the truck a try the next time you see them.

We really appreciated that several of the trucks crafted dishes specifically for WTT. It definitely made it easier to market!

Bamir brought the bacon…literally

It was our own fault, but Mack and I actually didn’t end up eating much that day. We really should have made more of an effort to attack the trucks at the beginning! Anyway, I did get to sample one of the dishes I was looking forward to – the Hong Kong-style wonton noodle soup from The Lingnan. The soup did much to warm me up from the chilly breeze.

HK-style wonton noodle soup

Mack and I also couldn’t pass up Eva Sweet’s bacon waffle! Bamir definitely didn’t skimp on the crispy bacon, but call me old fashioned – I have to say I actually prefer the sweet waffle.

Mack and Sharon

Waffles! (photo courtesy of Brittney Le Blanc)

As a whole, we were also able to garner much more media attention this time around. The Journal, AOL and CBC previewed the event while Global, CTV and the Sun covered WTT on the day of. We’re hoping many more people in the city are aware of this phenomenon now!

Mack being interviewed by Global

In addition to raising awareness about food trucks, Mack and I were happy to learn that we also accomplished our second goal of encouraging a vibrant downtown. Two separate business owners reported that they benefited from the spillover of WTT patrons into their establishments: Tres Carnales had one of their best days that Friday; and Credo was packed that evening, contrary to typical Friday nights. It was great to hear concrete examples of the neighbourhood directly benefitting from increased foot traffic – what other things could we do to animate downtown after 5?

Hungry for food!

There is no doubt that What the Truck?! would not have happened without the support of many people. Thanks to our sponsors Responsible Hospitality Edmonton, the Downtown Edmonton Community League, Eat St., Edmonton Economic Development Corporation and Yelp. Thanks to all nine of our vendors, who worked tirelessly that night and continue to work every day to raise the bar of street food in Edmonton. And a special thanks to Thomas Scott and Marc Carnes (aka the Urban Monks DJs) for earning their badges in “extreme dj-ing” by battling the wind tunnel-like conditions to provide us with the perfect beats to dine by!

DJs Thomas and Marc

We don’t yet know when WTT may again rear its tasty head again, but if you’d like to see more of such events, let us know! Thanks to everyone for coming out!

You can read Mack’s post about WTT here, and see his photoset here.

City Market Report: Week 19

It’d be very easy to get used to autumn mornings like the one we were treated to today – a touch chilly in the shade, but sunny and bright and full of optimism for the season ahead.

Unlike most Saturdays, I was actually up early this morning, staffing the Downtown Edmonton Community League booth for the fall membership drive. Thanks to everyone who came by to say hi!

Chris and I ❤ yegdt! (DECL’s last day at the market selling memberships is October 8, 2011)

It was a busy day at the City Market, as the teams competing in the Edmonton International Film Festival’s annual 24/One Challenge descended on the street to sign in for the competition.

Kerrie Long, Festival Producer, was this market’s bellringer

EIFF program, anyone?

As a tie-in, the market invited vendors and patrons alike to dress up in their favourite 80’s movies characters. Though only about a half dozen people did so, it still added to the day’s festivities!

The Blues Brothers at The Bangle Box

Owen (of Prairie Mill)’s homage to Top Secret

August Studio Ceramics is Pretty in Pink

Mack and I were lucky enough to have been asked to be the judges in the competition, and although The Bangle Box, Prairie Mill and Studio Ceramic rounded out our top four, there was no doubt who had our favourite costume.

Three Ghostbusters fans, members of the Alberta franchise of Ghostbusters Canada, brought their proton packs, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Ecto-1 and their passion for the films to the market, to the delight of adults and kids alike (though I think the younger ones were just excited to see an inflatable mascot). It turned out the trio had set up at the market to entertain the crowds, but deservingly, walked away with the top prize – two VIP passes to the film festival.

Who you gonna call?

We also came across a poster that will be used in an upcoming marketing campaign for the winter continuation of the market in City Hall (which starts October 15). I love the tie-in of the transit ticket.

Hurrah for a year-round City Market!

Oh, and let’s not forget the produce!

Bok choy from Jen’s Organic Garden

Concord grapes from Steve & Dan’s

Sunflower shoots from Little Shoots Neighbourhood Farm (really worth trying if you haven’t already)

Radishes from Sundog Organic Farm

Carrots from Sundog Organic Farm

Fairytale eggplant from Sundog Organic Farm

Garlic scapes from Sundog Organic Farm

Brussel sprouts from Kuhlmann’s

Parsley from Kuhlmann’s

Patrons attack the corn at Kuhlmann’s

It was also great to see Patty Milligan again at the City Market for the first time in a few months – she’s back for the remainder of the outdoor market dates, but then that’s it for Lola Canola! Patty will be moving on to other things – so make sure to stop by and say hi in the next few weeks!

Patty’s back!

Next week, the City Market is hosting it’s final cultural festival of the year – Africa Fest. See you there!

Food Notes for September 19, 2011

Thanks to everyone who came out to What the Truck?! 2 on Friday! We thought the wind and overcast conditions might deter the crowds, but we should have known better than to doubt the hardy nature of Edmontonians! On to this week’s food notes:

Sturgeon County is hosting another one of its taste events, called Sturgeon County Bounty, on October 1, 2011 at the Prairie Adventure Gardens. The menu is full of harvest favourites, like roasted pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie, and intriguing dishes like saskaturkey (turkey from Saskatchewan? Turkey stuffed with Saskatoons?). Mack and I attended the Bounty event back in July, and based on that experience, would definitely attend it again.
The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival is on October 21-22, 2011.
Undercover Gourmet Catering is now open!
Twyla’s review of Vivo was much less praise-worthy than the Journal’s.
Phil wrote a great post about Drift Food Truck: “While Drift has mastered the art of the gourmet sandwich, it’s the teal beauty’s affable owners, Kara and Nevin, and their mastering of those little intangibles of business that make for ultra loyal, ultra valuable, repeat customers that really sets them apart.”
Speaking of food trucks, Vue also had good piece on Nomad.
The biggest news out of NY this week was the announcement that Sam Sifton is moving to a different position at the Times. Already, there are retrospectives on his two year tenure as the Dining Critic, and the speculation begins on who will be his replacement.
As much as I love Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Food Network is taking the genre of “vicarious eating” a little too far – with The Best Thing I Ever Ate, and now, Sugar High and Heat Seekers, what happened to the cooking side of things?
While at Superstore this weekend, I came across a “Buy BC” logo for the first time. It’s not new, but I hadn’t noticed it before. Anyone know if there is an Alberta equivalent?

Buy BC

I stopped in at Transcend for lunch last week, and finally got to try their Latin American street food menu. The arepas ($7.50) were delicious, luscious pulled Irvings pork perfectly balanced with a fresh, slightly sour sauce. I’d probably need to order two plates for a full meal, however.

Arepas

On Monday, I headed to watch Mack Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. It was a good excuse to eat from Bo Thai, the tiny trailer that has been parked at Churchill Square for a number of weeks. The green curry ($8) didn’t quite have the kick that I was hoping for, but the chicken was tender and on that chilly morning, it hit the spot.

Bo Thai

Green curry

And I know you’re all dying to see Mack in high heels (and yes, he rocked the walk too!)

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