Author: Sharon Yeo

Sharon is an Edmonton-based blogger who has been writing about food since 2006.

Food Notes for June 22, 2009

I really don’t do well with the hot-cold game the weather likes to play, but hopefully I am on my way to recovery, just in time for my birthday. Here are my notes:

  • A reminder about Edmonton’s second Foodie Meetup, taking place this Friday, June 26. If the weather holds up, come join us for a potluck at Dawson Park; if it is raining, we’ll be meeting at Suede Lounge for some warming cocktails. Hope to see you there!
  • Attention all Rob Feenie fans: upload a photo of your favourite recipe and send it to NAIT for your chance to win an autographed copy of Feenie’s: Brunch – Lunch – Dinner. Details here.
  • The Greater Edmonton Alliance has created a plan titled “The Way We Eat”, a blueprint to create a vibrant and sustainable local food economy. To show the community’s support in preventing the agricultural lands in the north east from being developed, the GEA is encouraging supporters to head to City Hall on June 23, from 6:30-9:30pm.
  • There was a great article about rooftop gardens in NYT this week. Alongside conversations about more urban greenspaces and farmland adjacent to cities, why can’t there be parallel conversations about rooftop farming?
  • Dahlia’s Mediterranean Bistro opened on 124th Street, just off Stony Plain Road – it looks to offer meals just in the daytime. A sign on Mikado’s downtown location says to watch for a westend outpost this summer.
  • Serious Eats had an interesting piece about 140 character Twitter recipes this past week.
  • Before meeting up with Mack for Pecha Kucha 4 at Shaw last week, I stopped by Blue Plate Diner for a solo meal. The curried chickpeas with saffron rice and grilled vegetables ($12) was a great dish – light, but so satisfying.

Curried Chickpeas from Blue Plate Diner

  • I received an e-mail from a local marketing company last week, who wanted to invite me to the upcoming grand opening of the new T&T Supermarket on Edmonton’s north side (9450 137 Avenue) taking place on July 2 at 9am. They were nice enough to deliver a bamboo steamer filled with Asian products – Pocky, wasabi peas, tea, a mangosteen, and others. I’m not sure I can make the grand opening (it’s unfortunately during the day), but you can join many other excited patrons at the store for a ribbon cutting ceremony, and lion dances.

Bamboo basket from T&T

  • Mack and I drove out to Sherbrooke Liquor Store for the first time last week – they have an awesome selection of local products, so I have a feeling it won’t be long before we’re back. We picked up Grog by Amber’s Brewing Company, a locally-made lime cooler that contains only 5 ingredients (water, lime, sugar, alcohol, rum). While we thought the packaging could be a little more attractive, we liked the tang and fresh taste of the cooler.

Amber’s Brewing Company Grog

  • We also bought Raspberry Fruit Wine by Field Stone Fruit Wine (a winery near Calgary). Super-sweet, it went down easy, and was a great accompaniment to my guilty pleasure: Tuxedo cake from Save-On Foods.

Dessert of champions: Raspberry Fruit Wine and Tuxedo Cake

The Cooking Chronicles: Chickpea Patties with Salad

I’m just about finished with Mark Bittman’s Food Matters, and I have to say, I’ve never been more inspired to cook with lentils and beans. Food Matters implores readers to reduce their overall meat intake, citing health benefits, the unacceptable conditions of industrial meat production, and the impossibility of the world to support the growing demand for meat. I respect Bittman’s philosophy primarily because he does not call for a radical shift – instead, he advocates for a gradual change, and a diet that can accommodate meat and other guilty pleasures – just in smaller and occasional quantities. It is an approachable method that doesn’t seek to alienate the public (or worse, be easily dismissed as “elitist”), and of course, it helps that the book contains both practical advice and actual recipes to follow.

I didn’t think I would be attracted to recipes without any photos, but I immediately bookmarked a handful of them, primarily the ones featuring chickpeas, which are my current ingredient-of-the-moment. Bittman’s recipes are also great because he lists dozens of substitutions – that knowledge is often assumed in cookbooks, and I appreciate that he spells it out for readers who need it like me.

I had printed off a recipe from Real Simple a few months ago, and didn’t get to it until this week. It coincidentally features, – you guessed it – chickpeas!

The chickpea patties were to be pureed in a food processor with garlic and seasonings, but as we are without a blender or a processor, we used Mack’s Magic Bullet instead. It worked all right, though for the consistency we were looking for, it was uneven (some too mushy, others left whole). We also ended up incorporating the additives by hand in a bowl, which seemed to work out fine. Our difficulty with the recipe, however, was actually forming the patties – they were on the dry side, and the flour dusting didn’t help. We imagined the patties would cook up crispy on the outside, pan-fried in olive oil, but the reality was that they were simply browned, and warmed through.

Chickpea patties with salad

Served with a fresh salad dressed in just olive oil and lemon, it was a light but filling supper. We are open to suggestions on how to improve the recipe though! Best of all, our supper also meant we were allowed to indulge in chocolate covered bacon without guilt, heh.

Sustainable Comfort: Founding Farmers

“Local” and “sustainability” are two of the key buzzwords in the restaurant industry right now, so it wasn’t surprising that Founding Farmers, a fairly new addition to DC’s restaurant scene, seems to live and breathe both of those practices. After reading their mission statement on their website, I was hooked, despite seeing both hit-and-miss reviews on Chowhound:

“The Founding Farmers name represents a combination of ideas: it is a celebration of the land, and the American family farmer; it is a nod to the founding fathers of our country, many of whom owned and farmed land that surrounds Washington, DC; and it is a place where true, sustainably farmed, grown and harvested American foods reminiscent of traditions from across the land are brought to our guests.”

Pig and bird light fixtures

I had made a reservation for us about a week prior through Open Table, and boy, was I glad I did. On a random Wednesday, the wait for a party of two was 35 minutes (recession, what recession?). We should have asked if any tables were available on the first floor, as it was bordered by two sides of windows, and sharing the space with a large bar made the dining area a little more casual. Upstairs, where we were led, was more formal: window shades, casual-cool dark wood furniture, and rounded banquets with some semblance of privacy. There were some rustic touches sprinkled throughout though – a shelf of large coloured jars of fruit and vegetables stood in one corner, while the same tungsten-baring light bulbs as seen in Proof hung from the ceiling. And too cute – water served from old-fashioned milk jars. Our table was known as the “communal table”, a beautifully lacquered piece formed from a section of a single trunk. Though Mack initially resented our placement, when a large, friendly group joined us later that night, we did end up interacting with them throughout our meal, as they asked us for dish recommendations.

Our communal table

The menu was massive, filled with crowd-pleasing comfort food favourites, from chicken pot pie to pot roast to shrimp and grits. Dishes were a little on the pricey side, but understandable given their sourcing of local ingredients. Based on the Chowhound chatter, the baby cheeseburgers (6 for $14) were non-negotiable, and to round off my beef intake for the week, I decided on the farmer’s meatloaf ($16) – it wasn’t until later that night that I realized how much ground beef I had consumed that day. Mack, a sucker for macaroni and cheese, gave their version a spin, which involved handmade macaroni and lobster and gouda-gruyere cheese ($25). Founding Farmers does not serve a complimentary bread course, following in the tail wind of other upscale eateries in the U.S. that charge for a then-necessarily high-quality bread basket. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long for our appetizer plate, with six mini burgers and (a bonus) fries. They were easily the best sliders I’ve ever had – with soft house-made bread that cushioned the patty. The ground-to-order beef had been cooked to medium (slightly pink inside), and the crunch of the sour pickle inside was a nice touch. The fries were great, though slightly too salty.

Baby Cheeseburgers

When our entrees arrived, we knew finishing our meal would be difficult. My thick slice of meatloaf, made with ground beef and mushrooms, was accompanied by two gravies, which helped bring out some of the inherent flavour in the meat. Though the dish itself was very good, by the end of my serving, it became a little redundant.

Farmer’s Meatloaf with Yukon Gold Potatoes and Today’s Vegetable

Mack found the kitchen to have been quite generous with the lobster, but faced a similar obstacle with a very rich dish. He commented that the cheese was a bit like cheese whiz, actually, and was disappointed that there wasn’t any crispy, melted excess on top.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

It is worth noting that service was both hit and miss that night – our server was quite eager and attentive, right up until we put in our order. It took us a while to finally get a needed water refill.

As a whole, I applaud Founding Farmers for the concept behind the restaurant, and their commitment to sourcing quality, local ingredients. Something was missing for me, and though I can’t put my finger on it, I know Mack disagrees with me – it was his favourite restaurant experience in DC.

Founding Farmers
1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC
(202) 822-8783

Capitol Escape: Jimmy T’s Place

While Mack and I consistently bemoan the lack of diners in Edmonton, we take every opportunity to patronize neighbourhood diners when out of town.

Jimmy T’s Place was such a diner, located just ten minutes away from the hustle and bustle of Capitol Hill, it afforded a temporary refuge from fellow tourists and busyness.

Jimmy T’s Place

A Fodor’s recommendation, like Teaism, I was drawn to this restaurant primarily because of the price, but also for its diner billing. I loved the interior, which appeared as if it hadn’t been retouched since it opened – pipes were exposed, paint was chipped, seat cushions were ripped – and yet, combined with the vaulted metallic ceiling and counter service, it looked like it had been lived-in, endearingly cozy.

Interior

Unfortunately, the food didn’t quite live up to our affection for the décor. Mack’s eggs benedict (they serve all-day breakfast), was serviceable, with a crisp English muffin base, but the potatoes were sorely undercooked. My burger was moist, but really nothing special. Our biggest beef was actually how long we had to wait for the food – we watched as several walk-ins received their orders long before ours had even reached the grill.

Eggs Benedict

Cheeseburger and Fries

I’d recommend Jimmy T’s for the escape, but not for the food.

Jimmy T’s Place
501 E Capitol St SE
Washington, DC
(202) 546-3646

Day 3 in DC: Capitol Adventures

While we found most of DC to be accessible regardless of home country, the reality is that arranging tours of two of the most high-profile attractions are easier as a US citizen. We did our best to try “back channels” to obtain a White House tour, but without a Congressional or Senate representative to turn to, we were out of luck. The same was true for advanced tour tickets to the Capitol Building.

Capitol

As a result, directed by our fallback advice from the guidebooks that recommended waiting in line an hour and a half before the Visitor Centre’s 8:30am opening, we arrived at the nearly empty grounds of the Capitol at 7:30. Unlike the Washington Monument, however, not only did the Capitol website not provide any details as to when and where to line-up, it also did not have any visual placards or signs positioned at the centre to orient tourists. We approached one of the security officers, who directed us to the west entrance of the centre, but as not a single person was around, we doubted his instructions.

Site of our waiting game

At about 8, the east side of the centre (each end was equipped with their own security checkpoint) started to draw a crowd, but it turned out that those individuals had already been granted tickets for a specific timed tour. Reassuringly though, at around 8:15, schoolchildren started to arrive in herds, and dutifully joined the line behind us.

While we waited for the doors to open, we watched curiously as one of the security guards methodically combed the grasses by the stairs, every 10 minutes or so. The motive behind his actions was explained when he pulled out a water bottle and a pack of snacks, sneakily stashed there by one of the teachers supervising a group of youth (food and drink, including water bottles, are not allowed inside the building). The guard immediately directed the gentleman to dispose of the goods. One would almost think the greenery isn’t worth planting for the temptation it allows.

When the doors opened, we passed through the security check, and down a set of stairs into chaos. Blinded by the dozens of brightly colored t-shirts worn by school groups (to allow for easy identification and round-up), there was again a lack of signage to direct those without tours arranged in advance. We eventually found our way to a line on the west side of the building, and were told that any tickets uncalled for would be distributed on a first come, first served basis. It turned out I owed an apology to the external guard, and after another half hour of patience, we were awarded with tickets to the 9am tour.

Lady Liberty (the statue atop the dome)

The Capitol tour started with a 13 minute film titled “Out of Many, One”, which, although sounded cheesy and unnecessary at the outset, was a reasonably well-produced film that provided a good introduction to both Congress and the building itself.

Film completed, we were ushered by an enthusiastic, trivia-minded guide through select hallways of the Capitol. Apparently tours are shorter in the spring and summer due to the higher demand, but we didn’t notice. Highlights included: finding out that each state has two statues of prominent figures in the Capitol (and if we had a home state, we would have been craning our necks to find them too); the “whispering room” where words spoken were “magically” amplified (similar to the “waterfall” spot in the Alberta Legislature); and seeing the artwork underneath the great dome, and the surrounding pieces lining the room directly underneath. While it wasn’t as awe-inspiring as the Vatican, it was neat to be able to tour such a prominent landmark.

Room beneath the great dome

Great dome

The guide encouraged us to take advantage of the fact that both the House and the Senate were in session that day, and obtain passes to enter the galleries. This was one area where international visitors had an advantage over domestic visitors – all we had to do was request the passes directly from the respective desks located in the same building, while domestic visitors had to travel to their state representative’s office contained in a separate facility across the street.

Success!

We ended up at the House Gallery. Sadly, the number of tourists in the Gallery outnumbered the politicians on the floor – the credit card regulation bill was up for discussion, and only three members, staff, and guests were present. We stayed only long enough to watch the acting speaker likely put in his lunch order with numerous aides, then headed to look at the newly renovated Capitol exhibit. Because we had the benefit of a verbal tour, most of the displays were superfluous by that point, but for those unable to obtain tickets, would have provided good background on the history and politics of the building.

Before lunch, we quickly explored both the Library of Congress and Supreme Court buildings, located just across the street. The Library was unexpectedly stunning, with several notable exhibits, including a recreation of Thomas Jefferson’s personal library. Mack thought the Library’s “virtual passport” program was pretty innovative, allowing visitors to create an account and access files they have “downloaded” at home.

Inside the Library of Congress

Unfortunately, we had just missed a guided tour of the Supreme Court, meaning that we were not able to see inside the courtroom itself. That would have been the only area of interest, as the exhibit in the basement was unimpressive.

A model of the courtroom

For lunch, we consulted my food map and jointly decided that we wanted to venture off the tourist path to Jimmy T’s Place. The walk to the restaurant was nice, shaded and quiet, and punctuated with charming storefronts and houses.

So charming!

Our next stop was the Newseum, something Mack had been looking forward to for some time. Next to the museum, on cushy Pennsylvania Avenue, was the Canadian Embassy. It looked great on the outside, with grand stone columns, but inside, all we had access to was an underwhelming photo display and several maps detailing U.S.-Canadian trade.

Canadian Embassy in DC

We did notice a difference in patron make-up at the Newseum, primarily, we were sure, due to the $20 vs. free ticket price – a stark lack of children! The building was beautiful, which can be assessed from the outside – six levels with glass panels typically reserved only for office complexes. The natural light flooded the museum with optimism that matched the ideal of the endless possibilities of journalism.

Newseum

Front pages of newspapers from all over the world

There was simply too much to see – exhibits detailing the history of the newspaper, media coverage of 9/11 (including a display of one of the fallen satellite towers from one of the World Trade Centre buildings), the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall (including a section of the wall itself), and the hunt for Lincoln’s killer. The Newseum was definitely built with a new generation in mind – there were countless interactive displays and computer screens all over.

Section of the Berlin Wall

9/11 exhibit

Newseum balcony (Capitol in the background)

Mack particularly liked the photo exhibit capturing both amateur and professional shots of President Obama, in the campaign and in his first days in office, and I was drawn to the Pulitzer Prize exhibit, showcasing photos that have won the prestigious prize since its inception.

President Obama photo exhibit

Pulitzer Prize exhibit

We left the museum at closing time in dire need of rest. Like a marathon, we probably should have built up our walking stamina prior to the trip – between the early mornings and countless miles, we were exhausted. We recuperated at Starbucks (where I saw this amusing sign – why not have a “customer of the month”?).

Ready to tackle the last leg of the day, we took the Metro back to Foggy Bottom with the intention of visiting the supermarket to pick up goods for breakfast, but even better, had unintentionally timed our trip to coincide with the weekly FRESHFARM Market at Foggy Bottom!

I wrote about how great the “neighbourhood” farmers’ market is a few weeks ago, but I’m still entranced by the idea of a small, but varied number of vendors, gathering together on a weekly basis in a strategic, high-traffic location. In this particular instance, the market was in a small park just behind a Metro stop, next to a hospital, on the greater George Washington University Campus, and surrounded by walk-ups. How great would it be to be able to pick up needed groceries, on the way home from work, directly from producers without having to make a weekend trip to a market potentially far from home?

Browsing at the market

We marveled at the array of spring produce (remember, it was still snowing in Edmonton when we left), including strawberries and asparagus, and toured the other vendors that included a baker, bison and chicken farmers, and a Mexican food stand.

The best thing about FRESHFARM Markets (they operate several within the DC area), is that in each location, they support a non-profit agency in that neighbourhood – in Foggy Bottom’s case, it is Miriam’s Kitchen, an agency that provides homemade meals to homeless men and women.

We couldn’t resist picking up some strawberries (they were unbelievably ripe) and a lavender teacake to share for breakfast the next day.

Our market purchases

After dropping off our market goodies at the hotel, we headed by foot to our dinner reservation that night – Founding Farmers (with a name like that, how could we resist?).

We ended off the night continuing to push our pedestrian boundaries by walking over to the Watergate complex and The Kennedy Centre.

With all of the spin-off “Watergate” terms now ubiquitous to describe various scandals – political and pop culture alike, and all the infamy associated with the site of Nixon’s downfall – the seemingly everyday, concrete-toothed complex was remarkably unremarkable.

Watergate

The photo actually captures one of the apartment buildings – we only realized later that the break-in happened in the office building within the complex

Next door was the stunning Kennedy Centre. It was built to honour John F. Kennedy, and is, in fact, a “living memorial”. As he was a great supporter of the arts, the Kennedy Centre hosts free concerts every night, which are open to the public.

Plane over the Kennedy Centre

It is a building meant to be seen at night, the gold-tone columns illuminated, and the portico offering a romantic stroll along the serene Potomac.

Kennedy Centre

Mack and me

The interior was a sight to see as well (with some additional TV glee as well – the Kennedy Centre was the setting for part of an episode of The West Wing). Between the lush, regal red carpets, forever ceiling and crystal chandeliers, it is definitely a performance hall fit to pay tribute to a fallen President of the United States.

Kennedy Centre interior

We returned to our hotel, utterly spent. Thankfully, the following day allowed for a slightly later start – almost enough time for our feet to forgive us.

You can read Mack’s Day 3 recap here.

Kerstin’s Chocolates’ Chocolate Covered Bacon

Today I brought home a gastronomic gem never before seen in Edmonton: chocolate covered bacon.

Chocolate Covered Bacon

To commemorate Father’s Day, Kerstin’s Chocolates pulled out all the stops – sourcing prized Berkshire bacon from local farm Sunshine Organic, they created a treat worthy of conversation. Crispy strips of bacon are dipped in Venezuelan single origin 49% dark chocolate, then sprinkled with Madagascar cocoa nibs – a sweet and savoury confection that would certainly add something special to the Sunday brunch table.

I picked some up after work this afternoon (limited quantities are available at The Cocoa Room until Saturday, June 20), with the intent to share the discovery with Mack. The two strips cost me $5.25 at $15.00/100g. While I am a huge fan of Kerstin’s Chocolate (my favourite Chocophilia Bars are Mocha Bean and Educador 72%), Mack’s love of bacon is unrivalled. We thought it might be best to capture both perspectives in one post.

Cross-section

On the idea:

Sharon: I was intrigued, though I know from past experience, sweet and salty combinations are hit or miss for my palate – salty caramels: yes. Chocophilia’s Fleur de Sel: no.

Mack: Did someone say bacon?

On first glance:

Sharon: I’m not sure I was expecting whole slices of bacon, but I suppose they are more presentable, and pleasing to the eye that way.

Mack: Somehow a strip of chocolate covered bacon looks underwhelming relative to the idea.

On initial contact:

Sharon: Cutting to divide the strip in half with a knife, I didn’t expect the resounding crunch.

Mack: Looking at the cross-section, I was happy to be able to distinguish the layer of bacon in between chocolate.

On first taste:

Sharon: Nothing beats Kerstin’s dark chocolate! But I’m not sure about the chewiness…

Mack: First the chocolate, then a hint of bacon, and an unfamiliar texture. Interesting.

Aftertaste:

Sharon: I can’t say the bacon really came through for me – the star of the show was definitely the chocolate. The nibs were supposed to add another element I suppose, but they weren’t necessary.

Mack: I wish I loved chocolate as much as I love bacon.

Conclusion:

Sharon: It’s definitely a conversation starter (or shocker). Mack Twittered that he was about to try chocolate covered bacon, and received numerous replies in a matter of minutes!

Mack: I’ll stick to plain bacon and deep-fried Mars bars, but cool concept.

Kudos to Kerstin’s for highlighting a local farmer, and for getting people excited about an unusual product. Who knows what they will cover in chocolate next? Send your requests to Kerstin’s via Twitter. Sunshine Organic will be offering samples of the bacon at their City Centre Market booth on Saturday.

Kerstin’s Chocolates, The Cocoa Room
10139 112 Street
(780) 990-0011

Culinary Q & A with Isabelle Gallant

Occupation: I’m a journalist. I work for CBC Radio as a researcher/producer. I think I like writing about food best of all! Someday I’d love to be a full-time food writer. 

What did you eat today?

I had a very strange breakfast: some leftover waffle batter that I had turned into cake because it wouldn’t stop sticking to the waffle iron. I spread it with almond butter so it actually tasted pretty good, despite a strange texture. And half a grapefruit.

For lunch I had some leftover roast chicken and sweet potato fries. Supper was a green salad with cucumber, chick peas and almonds on top.

What do you never eat?

I’ve tried to like oatmeal so many times … just ask my husband. I think it’s a texture/taste combination, but I just can’t get into it.

I’m also not a fan of anything gelatinous or soggy … like any form of Jello, or bread in soup. And I really don’t like Miracle Whip or Cheez-Whiz … I’m a bit of a food snob.

What is your personal specialty?

I don’t think I really have a specialty … although I love making scrambled eggs and they were the first thing I learned to cook, from my Dad. I think I’ve been making them long enough that I’ve mastered the technique! I also make a mean cornbread, and a delicious chocolate vegan cake.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

Fresh vegetables, soy milk, a heel or two of Parmesan, a jar of jam, half a lemon stored in a ziploc and shoved into the door, and a bunch of leftovers.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Something with eggs. Usually fritatta because you can throw lots of different kinds of vegetables and cheese in it.

I’m getting healthier with time … in university my go-to if there was nothing good to make was frozen french fries with ketchup and grated cheese. Unhealthy, but delicious! I still crave it sometimes.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I love wooden spoons. We have a lot of them, including some that are warped and and one that I took from my Mom’s house a while back. It’s starting to get a crack in it but I just don’t want to throw it away. I also think I would find it hard to live without our microplane grater.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Brunch the way my Dad used to make it: scrambled eggs, biscuits, Lunenburg pudding, bacon, fresh grapefruit, lots of sharp cheddar cheese, toast, peanut butter. (One of my favourite food combos ever is toast with peanut butter, cheese, and bacon.) Maybe throw in a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes for good measure. In a perfect world, I would eat this meal on a sunny Sunday morning with my family.  

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Probably the Blue Plate Diner. It’s close, has an interesting menu and most of all an awesome atmosphere.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

I don’t know if I can pick just one. There are still so many restaurants I want to try, but of the places we’ve gone the Red Ox is one of the best. It’s elegant and special, yet simple and cozy. The food is wonderful too! We’ve been trying a lot of ethnic places that we love too, especially Padmanadi, Langano Skies, Boualouang, and this great Chinese hot pot restaurant in Chinatown. It’s called King’s Noodles and Hot Pot (I didn’t even know what it was called so I just googled it!). I would, however, recommend eating there with someone Chinese. It’s a lot to take in for a Westerner!

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I would definitely go to Paris and gorge on croissants, pains au chocolat, and baguettes. And probably visit all the city’s chocolate shops too. I would love to visit Italy – never been there – and discover all the food it has to offer. And I would for sure find out the best places to eat in Asia and visit all of them. I think I would pretty much go on a world food tour if I could.

Isabelle blogs at The Little Red Kitchen.

Fresh Inspiration: Eatery at the ARTery

After some leisurely window shopping at City Centre Mall, I wandered over to the Eatery at the ARTery (9535 Jasper Avenue) for lunch. As it was an absolutely gorgeous day, the stroll to the ARTery provided an opportune moment to take in our scenic river valley.

Edmonton in bloom

I had heard about the Eatery at the ARTery  in early May before the City Centre Market opened for business. Julianna Mimande, formerly of Bacon, was heading up this new weekly endeavour, which would serve lunch from 12-4pm every Saturday, using fresh ingredients picked up from the farmers’ market that morning. It’s the kind of thing locovores should embrace, and I applaud Julianna’s initiative that not only celebrates Alberta’s bounty, but also practices the idea of inspiration and creativity inherent in fresh ingredients. My only doubt was about the timing of the lunch – it is almost set up best for those who don’t make a trip through the market, unless they either lived close enough to drop off the goods afterwards (as I did), have a car to store their purchases in, or don’t mind going later in the day when popular goods may already be sold out.

The ARTery

Through the bright red door, I encountered a blackboard menu that listed the day’s creation: an omelette made with Arnold’s Eggs, Edgar Farms asparagus, and Sylvan Star aged gouda, accompanied by a Greens Eggs and Ham salad and baby potatoes ($12) – a pretty great lunch, if you ask me. Two types of dessert were also available – Portuguese egg tarts ($2) and chocolate mousse ($5). Coffee was $2, with (wait for it) a shot of Baileys for an additional $3 – you have to love a place that serves coffee with Baileys at noon.

Menu board

I paid for my order, passed it off to Julianna, and was told that my lunch would be brought to me. I wondered how the kitchen managed when it was busy, as it looked like it could barely accommodate two. I headed into the seating area, where I found a guitarist performing on stage, surrounded by artwork and just a handful of tables.

Afternoon entertainment – Mo Lefever

Artwork at the ARTery

This was my first time at the ARTery, though I knew that the space hosted craft fairs and musical performances, among other things. I took a seat at the bar along the side wall, grateful for the breeze passing through the slightly ajar emergency exit, and settled in with my magazine.

I didn’t even get through an article when my food was brought to me, accompanied by two slices of toast. I remember Liane’s comment that the meal that she had was rather light – perhaps Julianna took that into consideration this week, as I was quite satisfied with the portion size. The omelette was a dense yellow colour, wrapped around still-crisp stalks of asparagus. The kitchen was a little light-handed with the cheese, but the richness of the eggs helped offset that deficiency somewhat. The toast was also notable – I found out later the bread was from the Italian Centre.

Asparagus and gouda omelette with salad and potatoes

It was a relaxing, pleasing lunch, and the thought of a menu that reflects the season will keep me coming back.

The Eatery at the ARTery
9535 Jasper Avenue
(780) 441-6966
Lunch served every Saturday, 12-4pm

Food Notes for June 15, 2009

I’m so glad it finally seems like summer in Edmonton! I do feel like I’m still catching up with things that happened in May though (namely, my DC trip), so thanks for your patience – my trip posts are forthcoming! In the meantime, here are my notes for this week:

  • A day after Liane reported in Bistro that David Cruz left his Executive Chef post at Sage, she posted a follow-up post on her blog containing her brief interview with him. Great use of your blog, Liane! It seems that he felt that his creativity was stymied, and will be looking at launching his own venture in Edmonton some time. It will be interesting to see if Sage continues to appeal to the masses with a “safe” menu after Cruz’s comments.
  • Kevin Ostapek, formerly of Flavours Modern Bistro, is the Chef at a new venture called The Bothy, a wine and whisky bar (5482 Calgary Trail). They will have cheese and charcuterie (yay!), as well as the city’s first enomatic wine system (which helps preserve the quality of by-the-bottle pours) – I’m looking forward to their opening!
  • Kerstin’s Chocolates will be offering chocolate covered Berkshire-pork bacon for Father’s Day, from June 17-20. Need I say more?
  • Speaking of liquor, Hanne of Supper in Stereo wrote a great piece for Vue this week covering some of the fresh summer cocktails available around the city!
  • Transcend Coffee just hired a marketing director! There is definitely a demand to increase their ability to offer coffee education (their cuppings are booked solid until November), so I am eager to see how they experiment to meet the public’s interest in quality coffee.
  • Century Hospitality is conducting a promotion that asks “local celebrities” to share their favourite burger recipes in the hopes that their burger will be chosen as a special addition to the Delux menu for a month. For July, CityTV’s Ryan Jesperson’s “Thai One On” burger will be featured.
  • There was a good article in the Journal on the weekend that provides an overview of the northeast agricultural land debate, which City Council will vote to potentially rezone on June 22-23.
  • Mack pointed me to an article of interest in Time about “cow-pooling” (buying an animal in bulk with others), of interest to me because my family and I will be receiving our first-ever 1/4 cow (grass-fed, hormone-free) this week, from my coworker’s family farm. It’ll be more beef than any of us have ever seen (heh).
  • There was an interview with Michael Pollan in the Globe last week. Nothing particularly new, except his comments about the much-talked about documentary Food, Inc. Not sure if the movie will be screened in Edmonton, but I’ll keep an eye out.
  • A curious blind tasting was conducted to see if a panel could identify dishes created by male versus female chefs. The verdict? The preconceived notions (such as women prepare more delicate dishes; men cook food to impress) were disproved.
  • I passed by a new vegan/vegetarian product store in Chinatown called Whole Vegetarian Food (9738 107 Avenue,  780-756-6186) that just opened on June 12. The store owner eagerly ushered me inside to show me the contents inside the deep chest freezers, but I wasn’t in the market for goods that day. They do seem to have quite the variety though, including shelves of dry goods.

Inside Whole Vegetarian Food

  • I’m just getting back into the cooking swing of things, and really, there is nothing like a trip to the farmers’ market for inspiration! Using some fresh veggies and herbs I picked up from the market, I made a batch of summer rolls to take to a meeting on Sunday (they travel well on the bus). The leftovers made a great side to my brown bag lunch.

Summer roll with carrots, bean sprouts, bell peppers, arugula, and cilantro

  • Chris from Eating is the Hard Part made my day when he brought me a loaf of fresh challah bread (if you’ve been reading his blog lately, you will know that he has been participating in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge). There’s nothing like homemade bread – the challah was great plain, but I also made French toast with it over the weekend, and it was delicious. Thanks, Chris!

Mack admires the challah

French toast made with challah and Greens Eggs and Ham duck eggs

“Big Night” at Al Fresco on 104th

deVine Wine and Spirits organized a great day of fundraising for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters called Al Fresco on 104th, with activities on the street ranging from an outdoor fashion show to yoga (on grass to boot!), and indoor wine and port tastings.

104th Street

After visiting the City Centre Market on Saturday, however, I didn’t stick around for the activities, choosing instead to run errands with a plan to return for their outdoor movie screening at 10pm. We really enjoyed the family-friendly Movies on the Square experience last year, and thought this would be a good opportunity to take in an adult-oriented drama instead.

Mack and I brought along chairs, and when we arrived, found that much of the good viewing real estate was taken up by a fenced patio that jutted out from TZiN. We ended up setting up our chairs just beside the patio, and threw in a donation for satisfying ice cream sandwiches, which we enjoyed while waiting for the movie to start.

2.5 storey inflatable movie screen

Big Night was a pretty good movie, with some food-centric scenes (I told Mack I now want timpano for my birthday, heh). I can’t say that I enjoyed the experience of watching it at this particular venue though – adjacent to the boisterous patio crowd who paid no attention to the fact that there was a movie screening, it was like trying to watch a movie next to a beer garden. In the end, it was just a poor set-up, something I hope the organizers will keep in mind should they attempt this again.