City Market Report: Week 7

Mack and I weren’t sure we’d even get to the City Market today, as it was moving day for two of our friends. As we should have expected though, many hands make light work, so we were finished loading and unloading by the early afternoon! We made it back before closing, but it was clear the early birds snapped up most of the produce by the time we arrived.

Radishes from Sundog Organics

Cucumbers from Kuhlmann’s

The large crowd today were likely partly due to the long weekend, but also due to the fact that for the first time in three weeks, the sun shone down on the market.

Shoppers out in full force

On to next week!

Edmonton’s Food Truck Extravaganza: What the Truck?!

It’s not often that an event you plan actually comes together in the way that you imagined. What the Truck?!, for that reason, was magical.

Mack and I first started talking about the idea of a food truck festival in March. Inspired by San Francisco’s Off the Grid, we knew our version wouldn’t be nearly as big, but we also had different goals we would want to accomplish with such an event. While raising awareness of Edmonton’s burgeoning food truck culture was a big part of that, we also knew that such a gathering could also be a way to bring vibrancy to a corner downtown that would otherwise be deserted on a Friday night.

When we look back, I think 2011 will be Edmonton’s year of food trucks, given the number that have or are set to hit the streets this year. But in the planning of What the Truck?!, we started with those that we knew of, and approached seven vendors in total to participate: Carnival Cravings, Eva Sweet, Fat Franks, Filistix, The Fork and Spoon Brigade, Funky Pickle and The Lingnan. We were very fortunate that all of them said yes!

I will be writing more about how Beaver Hills House Park at Jasper Avenue and 105 Street came to be chosen as the location, but suffice to say, it fit the bill of a central, accessible space. We knew there would be some challenges in ensuring the trucks would be able to safely manoeuvre onto the concrete surface, but we had faith that it would work out in the end.

Loading up the trucks themselves was definitely the most harrowing part of the day. Made more difficult because of a few things beyond our control, the vendors, some who had to make multiple attempts to ease into place, were patient, steady and calm. It was the perfect storm of qualities to get us through the set-up, and by 3:45, all of the vehicles were appropriately parked.

The Fork and Spoon Brigade entrance, take one

Though it wasn’t a mirror image of the site plan, it was pretty darn close! I had envisioned a ring of food trucks, with the crowds converging somewhat in the centre, allowing for mixing and mingling. I read later that some people didn’t appreciate this, but I have to say, I loved it. Standing in the midst of the trucks and people chatting away, the park felt more alive than I had ever seen it.

Chatting away

Overhead shot by Devin Serink (it’s great to have friends in high places! Or at least, friends that live in the Icon)

It was also great to see people utilizing the green space on the north end of the park. Families, pairs and groups spread out on the park benches, along the water feature and on the grass.

Hurrah for green space!

People had started trickling in at 4pm, but it really didn’t get going until close to 5. Filistix easily had the longest line throughout the night (I have no idea how Ariel and Roel didn’t collapse with exhaustion later on), but the great thing was, most people didn’t mind the wait! After all, good food is worth the wait, isn’t it?

The Filistix line

It also helped that we had DJs Thomas Scott and Marc Carnes on hand to provide some beats to accompany the eats. The party atmosphere was on!

DJs Thomas Scott and Marc Carnes

Unlike the vendors, Mack and I were able to enjoy the event, taking photos, catching up with friends, and of course, eating!

After devouring Filistix’s southern biscuits with gravy and bacon, I forgot to eat anything else

Brittney with her order of biscuits

Thom with his first taste of The Lingnan’s dry spicy chicken!

Bruce and Sarah, with their adorable puppy

The Critical Mass riders rang their bells when going by on Jasper

With some of my friends from work – Jill, Leigh and Ellen

Even my parents came out!

At about 6, the sky started to threaten rain. We were a little worried that the crowd would disperse, but we really should have given people more credit – they were fully prepared to stay, rain and all!

One of Mack’s favourite shots – umbrellas ready!

By 8pm, it was clear the event was winding down. But given five out of the seven vendors had sold out, it was the right time to close up shop! The vendors all reported having a great time, and deemed What the Truck?! a success – Mack and I were thrilled.

Of course, the success of this event is attributed to many people who helped out behind the scenes. First off, hat’s off to designer Gabe Wong who immediately understood the whimsical nature of a food truck event, funnelling that into the logo that ultimately set the tone for the website. It’s easier to sell something that looks professional and polished, and without Gabe, that would not have been possible.

Similarly, thanks to Thomas and Marc for coming on board quite early on. They too knew what we were trying to achieve right on the outset.

Third, the budget for our event was quite small, but we did have a few expenses. As we didn’t have any sponsors step up initially, we accepted the fact that we may have had to finance the event ourselves. However, due to the generosity of three sponsors, we didn’t have to do so. A big thanks to the Unknown Studio, Citizen Experience, and Responsible Hospitality Edmonton for supporting What the Truck?!.

Next, we were grateful to have four fantastic volunteers on hand that Friday. Whatever we threw their way – whether it was playing traffic cop, relocating picnic tables or take down – they were game. Thanks to Kara and Nevin Fenske, Thom Male and Su Dennis for being our go-to people!

Our volunteer crew (Kara and Nevin will have their own food truck up and running soon!)

To the vendors, who jumped in with both feet when I’m certain even they didn’t quite know what to expect – thank you! Your unwavering enthusiasm and dedication to mobile cuisine in Edmonton is an inspiration.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who came out to What the Truck?! The vendors were blown away by the energy and excitement of the crowd, and it seemed that even weather wouldn’t be a deterrent!

In a few weeks, will be updating the What the Truck?! website so that all of the information you need to satisfy your street food fix will be in one place. We’ve also been asked whether or not this will be a repeat event. We hope so, and are planning for a September edition, so stay tuned!

Read Mack’s recap of What the Truck?! here. Chris, Karlynn and Cathy also wrote about the event.

White Night and The Works

Last Thursday, Mack and I spent the evening at two different events downtown – it’s great to be able to just wander out our door to the next summer festival!

I love events that repurpose spaces – there’s something about embracing the uncommon that adds that bit of je ne sais quoi to an otherwise ordinary activity.

That’s one of the reasons why I was so drawn to White Night, a fashion showcase that took place last Thursday at the Edmonton City Centre Mall. The location? The pedway above 101 Street. I couldn’t wait to see how they would transform the space into a runway.

I secretly hoped that the conversion would also involve opening up the bridge’s second floor as a viewing platform (how cool would that have been?!) but no dice. Still, it was neat to see how the pedway could be used for something other than retail and café seating.

More than just a pedway

White Night was a part of White Out, a week of events to bring awareness to domestic violence, and the work done by the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS). White Night commissioned ten local fashion designers to create garments inspired by a white ribbon, a symbol of domestic violence. The dresses would be available for bidding through a silent auction, with all proceeds to benefit the ACWS.

At White Night

Local dignitaries, including Mayor Mandel, were on hand to mark the occasion. Although many in the audience had incorporated white into their outfits, I think someone forgot to send that memo to Minister Thomas Lukaszuk.

Minister Lukaszuk (I think I just liked how loud his shirt was)

When the show began, it wasn’t immediately clear that the fashions weren’t those created by the local designers. It turned out that the first part of the show was meant to highlight clothes available from merchants at City Centre Mall – for their own marketing purposes, though it may have been a little cheesy, it would have been better if an announcer was stating where each outfit could be purchased.

Retail showcase

Thankfully, the event MC did announce when the special dresses started rolling down the runway.

Dress by Trish Pasnak

Dress by Genette Salgado

Dress by Kelsey McIntyre

Dress by Cherie Howard

Our favourite, without a doubt, was the gown designed by Nomin Gantumur. Fitted and petite, the detail in the dress was exquisite.

Dress by Nomin Gantumur

Those interested can continue bidding for the dresses (and other goods and services donated by City Centre merchants) until June 30 (you can see the rest of our photo set here). Congratulations to the ACWS and City Centre Mall for organizing a great night for fashion and a good cause!

After the event, we walked over to Churchill Square to check out the opening night party of The Works.

The Works

Ian Johnston

OKA (the didgeridoo was great for the dancing crowd)

The Works is on until July 5. I know we’ll be back at least once more – I want to check out the coffee cup by Ben Sures.

Hope you’re able to enjoy this long weekend too!

Food Notes for June 27, 2011

It was a bit of an exhausting week (but in a good way!). Between my Agency’s 50th anniversary, my birthday and of course, What the Truck?!, I could barely keep up! Thankfully, I have the long weekend to fall back on – Happy Canada Day, everyone! On to this week’s food notes:

Advance tickets for the Taste of Edmonton, which runs July 21 to 30, are now on sale. They have two new restaurants joining the fray this year, ZINC and Lit, and a number of new menu items from stalwart participants. Going forward, restaurants apparently will only be able to repeat menu items for two years – that will help spice it up for annual patrons.
Mark your calendars for Fork Fest, July 17-21 and 24-28, 2011.
As I mentioned last week, “taste of” events seem to be abound this summer, and I continue to learn about more! Ronald McDonald House is hosting a Taste of Whyte – Red Shoe Crawl on August 7, 2011. You’ll be able to sample food from area restaurants, all while supporting a great cause! I think it’s a great idea.
The second location of Press’d opened last week. The new location looks beautiful – they took great advantage of the high ceilings.
Twyla wrote a great report on Lobsterfest, the annual fundraiser for the Canadian Culinary Federation at the Shaw Conference Centre.
Undercover Gourmet will be catering in the fall! I met Evonne at the Susur Lee lunch back in March, and found out at that time that she is a trained chef! Best of luck with your new endeavour, Evonne.
Happy belated birthday to The Carrot!
Bubble Buzz (10140 – 104 Street) opened for business on June 25, meaning in addition to great coffee, we now have a bubble tea option on the street! The owners have done a great job renovating the former Taco del Mar space into a clean, modern storefront. Check out their menu here (they only use real fruit for their drinks), as well as their opening week specials!

Bubble Buzz

Though I often snap pictures of forthcoming restaurants, I haven’t done much in the way of documenting restaurants that close (Eater does it in a regular roundup called “The Shutter”). That said, there seem to have been a number of closures as of late, so I think it is worth mentioning – including Luzzara, which will be closing as of July 17, 2011 and possibly the second location of Health Fare (according to a letter posted on the door, they are in arrears, and are locked out of their downtown location).

Soul Soup (a sign on the door reads that you can still purchase their soup next door at Cafe da Gama, or at MRKT)

Timothy’s in City Centre

Don Antonio’s on 124 Street

I remember Liane writing about Madison’s Grill’s great new patio. I hadn’t walked by it until the other day – it looks like it would be a great spot to grab an after work drink.

Madison’s Grill, al fresco

Mack and I stopped by the Callingwood Farmers’ Market on Sunday. I had only ever seen photos, but heard that it was quite a lively market, so I wanted to see it for myself. We loved the use of the breezeway – it would definitely help shelter patrons in inclement weather – but found a definite lack of produce vendors. There were a few, but given the choice and variety we are used to at the City Market, I would find it challenging to do my weekly shopping there.

Callingwood Farmers’ Market

In the breezeway

Outside

As I mentioned, our Agency celebrated its 50th anniversary this past week. Our AGM was held at the EXPO Centre this year. The romaine salad was forgettable (and really, a bit unforgivable…limp and dry, it looked as if it had been plated several hours before), but the chicken entree was quite good, given the size of the crowd.

The requisite conference chicken…but well done!

The highlight for me was our annual Party in the Park, bigger and better this year. Fun for me – I got to play with the cotton candy machine!

I really am just a little kid on the inside

City Market Report: Week 6

It was another overcast day at the City Market on Saturday. Thankfully, the rain wasn’t coming down in sheets quite like last week, so for the most part, it was still a pleasant visit.

Almost dry again

We were tuckered out from What the Truck?! the night prior, so gave ourselves the morning to sleep in. By the time we made it to the market that afternoon, most of the prime produce had already been snapped up!

Beets from Riverbend Gardens

Cherries from Steve & Dan’s

We came across a new vendor, though perhaps not a new company to those who have investigated home grocery delivery services. The Organic Box, a business similar to Eat Local First, but with a focus on organic produce, was at the market selling fruit. Most of what they had wouldn’t be considered local (strawberries, cantaloupe and watermelon from California, though they also had BC apples), but they were all clearly marked. We picked up some strawberries – The Organic Box will tide us over until the BC and Alberta strawberries start coming in!

The Organic Box

We also noticed for the first time (although they’ve been at the market for a few weeks) a vendor selling cake pops! Though I think these bite-sized treats became mainstream when Starbucks started selling them, it’s nice to see some local entrepreneurs trying to capitalize on the trend as well!

Adorable cake pops

To help promote the Feats Festival of Dance, which had started two days prior and runs until July 1, 2011, the main market square hosted different dance demonstrations throughout the day. From above, we caught a sampling, including salsa and belly dancing!

Salsa

Belly dancing (with audience participation!)

It’s also great to catch those seemingly spontaneous moments at the market – like a wedding party using the market as a photographic backdrop. It turned out the bride was a cousin of Bamir’s – hence the Eva Sweet love!

Who doesn’t love waffle trucks?

I really hope the rain lets up next Saturday – it’s the long weekend, after all. See you at the market!

Night and Day: Five Guys

Looking back, one of my most vivid food memories from our visit to Washington two years ago was a late night dinner at Five Guys. On the plane ride to DC, we had overhead pilots discussing what they would be eating after they landed – Five Guys was their food of choice.

That first night, we wandered over to Georgetown, a bit disoriented, but eager to explore the neighbourhood, and finally came upon Five Guys. It was dimly lit, and truth be told, a bit of a dive, with peanut shells littering the floor in a restaurant showing signs of wear and tear – but the welcome we received was second to none. If the staff didn’t enjoy their jobs, they did an excellent job of hiding it, with orders being taken and hollered out, reminiscent of Fatburger, doling out efficient yet friendly service. Signs proudly labelled the origin of the day’s potatoes (Idaho), while open boxes of peanuts were strewn throughout the dining area, a thumb against the movement of nut-free zones. While the burgers were good (not great), our meal was forever coloured by the reception we received – and the environment it was consumed in. So when we visited the first Five Guys location in the Edmonton area at the end of May, it’s no surprise that Mack and I would be drawing comparisons to our DC experience.

Unlike the Georgetown location, tucked in a thoroughly walkable neighbourhood resplendent with historic walk-ups and charming boutiques, the Sherwood Park Five Guys was almost the opposite, situated in a sea of box stores and strip malls along Fir Street.

Interior

The contrast didn’t end there. Where the DC Five Guys was comfortably worn around the edges, this Five Guys was understandably new and squeaky clean (I did appreciate the open kitchen though – there’s nothing more reassuring than having the option of seeing your food prepared in front of you). Sacks of potato bags and boxes of peanut oil were used as a divider of sorts at the order counter, adding a bit of fun to the otherwise standard quick-serve décor. I also liked the bulletin boards where customers were invited to draw a message about their love of Five Guys.

Open kitchen

Bulletin love

Mack doesn’t appreciate peanut oil

The boxes of peanuts that Five Guys is so known for was relegated to the tops of the trash bins. We made sure to have a nutty appetizer.

Bulk peanuts served in open containers

Mack + peanuts?

My parents appreciated the extensive toppings menu offered by Five Guys, all at no extra cost. It’s a value add that aligns Five Guys with places like Rodeo Burger and Fulton Market).

I don’t know what happened though, as neither Mack, my parents, or myself read the fine print on the menu, and all ended up ordering regular burgers. A regular at Five Guys includes not one, but two beef patties (note to self: order the “little” next time). Needless to say, there was no need for the two large fries we also ordered.

My burger

The burgers were pretty good – thin patties, soft bread, and packed with our chosen fixings, they were satisfying, if not overkill because of our blind ordering. As a whole, compared with Rodeo Burger and Fulton Market, I have to say I enjoyed the Five Guys burger more.

Mack’s burger

The fries, however, were far from crispy. Fried in peanut oil, Mack wasn’t certain he should be indulging in the fries, but the rest of us were a) too overwhelmed by our double burgers and b) not enjoying the limp fries. The Cajun seasoning may have helped with the flavour, but not with the texture (we couldn’t recall whether or not the fries in DC had been made using peanut oil).

Fries

This location of Five Guys is too far out of the way for us to visit on a regular basis, but if we were looking for a quick bite to eat, we’d consider coming back.

Five Guys
993 Fir Road, Sherwood Park
(780) 416-7710

Food Notes for June 20, 2011

I finally broke and traded up for a smart phone. I’m not sure it will mean I will necessarily be tweeting more, but it will definitely be useful for communicating with my family (hurrah for Facetime)! On to this week’s food notes:

“Taste” events abound this summer! First up, Sturgeon County is planning to showcase their Sturgeon County Bounty on July 1, 2011 at the Edmonton Garrison. The menu includes alpaca burgers, beef sliders, a beet stacker with goat cheese and dill, and saskatoon-rhubarb pie.
The burgeoning Alberta Avenue community has also organized a Taste 118 event, to showcase the restaurants on the Ave on July 9, 2011 (one has to think perhaps Todd Babiak’s article pushed MP Peter Goldring into action, as he is listed on the flyer as a “Taste 118 supporter”).
The Al Fresco fundraiser for E4C at Hardware Grill, originally scheduled for June 21, 2011, has been postponed.
Taste of Ukraine will be moving closer to the core: their new digs will be in the Icon II, 10152 – 104 Street.
Valerie wrote a great post about why gardens are so critical to schools.
Thumbs down for Vancouver: superstar chef Daniel Boulud regrets even trying to succeed in the Vancouver market.
Grub Street featured a piece on shutterbugs in restaurants – and the growing movement against allowing cameras in dining rooms.
The Wall Street Journal had a piece on the fact that for some food trucks, a significant amount of revenue is generated not from street sales, but from private catering events. It’s not hard to imagine the same might be true for Edmonton’s food trucks one day.
Move over, deep-fried Coke: the new darling of the county fair scene is deep-fried Kool-Aid!
This isn’t new, but if you need a laugh, take a look at a recipe for boiled water (yes, you read that right) on Serious Eats.
Mack snapped a picture of a forthcoming Good Earth Cafe on the main level of Scotia Place.

Good Earth Cafe

Sushi is coming to Bourbon Street at West Edmonton Mall – look for Oranj in “summer 2011”.

Oranj Sushi Bar

There’s also lots happening on Whyte Avenue – City Donair opened up in the former Megatunes (10355 Whyte Avenue). They’ve really opened up the interior; it looks great!

City Donair

The Whyte Avenue branch of V Sandwiches I wrote about last week will be housed in the old Friend’s Nest Eatery space.

V Sandwiches

And look out for Tutti Frutti on Whyte as well – it’s an international chain that’s looking to expand to over 100 locations!

Tutti Frutti

At Africa Connect, Jill and I had Mas Pasta at the EXPO Centre for lunch. The portion size was generous (for $9.25), but the cream sauce I had wasn’t that flavourful (and much too thin). It wasn’t seasoned at all, however, leaving the salt control up to the diner.

Mas Pasta

I also attended a coworker’s baby shower on Saturday. The organizers did a great job with the decorations (everything pink!), including this beautiful cake.

For Baby Victoria

City Market: Week 5 (plus Africa Connect!)

Oh, it was a miserable day at the City Market on Saturday. The rain was spiteful, coming down hard that morning.

Rain, rain go away

Jill had joined me, and probably regretted doing so when it became clear a poncho, wellies and waterproof shopping bags would be necessary. Still, she kept me in good spirits – the market is always better with friends!

Jill tries a dolmade at Theo’s Greek Kouzina

We came across a new vendor on Saturday – Jen’s Organic Garden is a family-run booth, selling produce grown in the garden of a regular city lot. Between this vendor and Little Shoots Neighbourhood Farm, I have to wonder if the trend of basing a viable business in one’s home has finally hit Edmonton?

Jen’s Organic Garden

We heard that the final numbers of the day were around 4,500 (compared with the usual 12,000 that visit the market). There’s no question those that made it down had their pick of a great selection of products though!

Spring onions from Kuhlmann’s

Parsnips from Kuhlmann’s

Radishes from Greens, Eggs and Ham

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the rain lets up next week!

After dropping off our groceries, Jill and I headed to Africa Connect, a one-time event the City of Edmonton organized to celebrate African cultures, and to encourage learning exchanges.

Art

There were over 100 exhibitors, including non-profit organizations, City departments, and market vendors (some were more decidedly out of place than others – like Tupperware). Jill and I wished African cuisine could have been on the menu, but the EXPO Centre doesn’t allow external food to be served on the premises.

Marketplace

These gorillas made me laugh

The Hall was definitely spirited, and those who were in the crowds seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Romeo & Group Hip Hop performs

An article in today’s Journal pegged the overall attendance to be 3,000 – double what the City expected. Given the resources dedicated to the event, it’s a shame that more people didn’t attend!

Next weekend will be an equally busy one in the city – make sure to check out ShareEdmonton for a list of events if you’re interested!

The Cooking Chronicles: Variations on Poutine

I’ve written many times about our love for poutine – what’s not to love about fries topped with cheese curds and gravy? This love pushed me to create some variations on poutine – based on dishes that we’ve enjoyed while dining out.

Asparagus Bacon Breakfast Poutine

Wake Bistro’s breakfast poutine was an excellent way of integrating poutine with a dish fit for brunch, substituting hollandaise for gravy, and skillet potatoes for fries. I decided to cross that idea with an asparagus bacon hash, to create an asparagus bacon breakfast poutine for supper.

I cooked up some Irvings bacon, then in the bacon fat, browned baby potatoes from Kuhlmann’s, then added some diced onion. Edgar Farms asparagus was the last vegetable to go in, cooked only for a few minutes. This mixture was transferred into bowls, topped with Cheese Factory cheese curds, our favourite yogurt-based hollandaise recipe (made with Bles Wold yogurt), and a poached Greens, Eggs and Ham duck egg.

Asparagus bacon breakfast poutine

No question, it was a pretty rich dish, so the addition of asparagus helped brighten each bite. Mack thoroughly enjoyed it, but you would be hard pressed to find a meal featuring bacon, cheese and eggs that Mack doesn’t like!

Poutine Sandwiches

A sandwich I still think warmly of is the chip butty from Free Press Bistro, featuring fries and melted cheese sandwiched between pressed ciabatta. My only suggestion was for them to serve it with a side of gravy instead of an aioli, making for the perfect poutine sandwich. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Free Press Bistro, but I was inspired to make our own poutine sandwich tonight.

In the process of making this dish, we made two recipes that I can see becoming staples in our kitchen. First, Ina Garten’s recipe for homemade gravy worked amazingly well, and was incredibly flavourful given I did not have any meat drippings to incorporate. It also had a wobbly sort of consistency, ideal as a sandwich spread. Second, an adapted Cook’s Illustrated recipe for baked fries was without question the easiest and most successful we’ve tried for fries (we didn’t add garlic or cayenne because we wanted a neutral flavour), with the potatoes turning out wonderfully crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside.

We assembled the sandwiches using our remaining Cheese Factory cheese curds and butter buns from Bee Bell Bakery, then toasted them on the stove for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Assembling the sandwiches

Oh, this is not for the faint of heart. Nor should we have made the serving size two sandwiches each.

Poutine sandwiches

The butter buns were the wrong type of bread to use; something closer to the Free Press’ ciabatta would have been better, but other than that, the poutine sandwich tasted exactly how I imagined it would: salty and squeaky. Mack declared them “money”, then promptly fell into a food coma.

They’re something we’d consider making again, but very sparingly. I think our hearts will thank us!

Birthday Brunch: Bistro La Persaud

May had told me that she had a good brunch experience at Bistro La Persaud, so I thought it might be a nice place to take Grandma Male for her birthday. The restaurant has garnered quite the reputation in the blogosphere for dinner, but I hadn’t read much about its brunch offerings. Still, based on its standing alone, I was quite certain we’d be in for a quality meal.

Bistro La Persaud patio

I had made a reservation for our party of three, but it wasn’t necessary. Though it took us a few wrong turns to finally make it to the restaurant (the signage wasn’t clear that the eatery was, in fact, at the bottom of the stairs), we found ourselves in a dining room with two other parties.

The space, modern in shades of steel and red, looked great at first glance. The artwork (including a stunning painting of the Edmonton skyline alight with colour by Con Boland) were also great choices. But after a while, both Mack and I felt that there was something faintly institutional about the room. We were only able to articulate it later that day – it was the fluorescent lights, likely a carry over from the campus design. Though it didn’t impact our experience (because of the flood of natural light from the open patio), it did make us wonder about the setting for evening meals.

The menu items have a familiar brunch air to them, but with a refinement that we weren’t used to. For example, instead of a diner-style French toast, meant to be slathered in butter and drenched in syrup, the La Persaud version is served with foie gras morsels and cherry verjus compote. Grandma Male and Mack both opted for the eggs benedict ($15), while I was swayed by the eggs ravioli ($16), something I’d never seen on any menu before.

Included in our meal were warm(!) croissants and corn muffins served with red pepper jelly and a lovely jam, along with an adorable pot of fruits in a light syrup. It felt like a little gift!

Warm croissants and cornbread

Fruit

Our food arrived in good time, but we wished our server had been a little more consistent with the coffee refills. Mack wasn’t sure how he would eat his towering stack of egg and bread, but after cutting into it, he realized the bread was softer than it first appeared. The eggs were soft poached, as promised, and he loved the lavender hollandaise as well. He didn’t care for the salmon mousse, though.

Eggs benedict

My eggs ravioli were as elegant as I expected, garnished with microgreens (is it just me, or have microgreens come back in a fierce way?). The truffle & brown butter sauce was delicious, soaked into the morels underneath the ravioli. I was hoping the ravioli yolk would be a little less cooked (they were medium and not soft poached), but as a whole, I enjoyed the dish.

Eggs ravioli

At the end of our meal, we were given another small treat – chocolate truffles!

A sweet ending

In all, our meal at Bistro La Persaud was pleasant. Based on this experience, I’d definitely be back for dinner.

Bistro La Persaud
11821 145 Street
(780) 455-1888
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30am-3pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-close; Brunch: Sunday 11am-3pm

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