Food Notes for May 18, 2009

I won’t be blogging while in Washington, but if you want to keep up with what we’re up to, check out Mack’s blog, Flickr photo stream, or Twitter feed. I do have some notes to share this week though:

Vue Weekly released the results of the 2009 Golden Forks awards this week. Categories include best restaurants, best dishes, and other. Some consistent winners continue to baffle me: Creperie for most romantic, Route 99 for breakfast (I love their poutine, but their breakfast offerings are pretty weak), Lingnan for Chinese (although I suppose the category didn’t specify “authentic Chinese”).
My cover article on how some restaurants are coping with the economic downturn was also published this week. Thanks everyone for your kind comments over the past few days!
Liane has been really pushing Teddy’s – it was featured in her piece about the city’s best sandwiches back in April, while its desserts were highlighted this past week. Maybe it’s my perception, but those ads with the woman in the leopard print dress probably give me the wrong impression about the place. That and the fact that the stodgy brown building looks a bit foreboding from the outside.
The latest edition of City Palate mentioned a fairly new restaurant called Easy Burger and Bar, located at 11172 – 87 Avenue (the old Windsor Pub, which was shut down for health violations).
Chris over at Eating is the Hard Part posted about Harvey’s upcoming “free hamburger day” on May 24. Brulee Blog also has a great compilation of deals to be had.
Apparently the Calgary Farmers’ Market is considering becoming a for-profit organization. A great post on where this might lead.
The NYT has a great article about corporations attempting to jump on the local food bandwagon.
I’m still reeling from the announcement that Frank Bruni will be leaving his food revising post at the Times in August. On the bright side, I’m loving all of the coverage, and the chatter about who might replace him.
Our version of pre-theatre dinner on Thursday was Oodle Noodle on Whyte. We needed a quick dinner preceding wine and cheese night at the Varscona for our first show as Teatro la Quindicina subscribers. Mack ordered his usual combo box while I decided to try something new – the penang laksa. While the creamy coconut sauce was fragrant and tasty, I wished the noodles would have soaked it up a little better.

Combo Box and Penang Laksa boxes

I tried the new Tim Hortons iced coffee ($1.39 for a small) over the weekend. While it isn’t bad, and cheaper than the iced brewed coffee from Starbucks, I would still head to Starbucks on most days.

Tim Hortons’ Iced Coffee

Mack and I took his grandma out to the Arbour Restaurant at Rutherford House yesterday to celebrate her birthday (I’ve written about it before). As a tea lover, we thought she’d love their selection of teas, in addition to their small dessert plates. We ended up with probably too much to eat, but it was a lovely meal nonetheless. Both Grandma Male and I had their turkey pot pie ($13), while Mack opted for their sandwich of choice, a ham and swiss on brioche bread ($11). For dessert, Mack and I shared the afternoon scone plate ($12 for two), which included a pot of tea, mostly because I had a hankering for their always delicious raspberry butter. Mack’s grandma opted for the chocolate pot du creme ($6), which she enjoyed as well. If you’ve never been, I’d recommend the Arbour Restaurant as an alternative to your usual Sunday brunch standby.

Turkey Pot Pie

Ham and Swiss Sandwich with Broccoli Soup

Chocolate Pot du Creme (in the background) and Afternoon Scone Plate for Two

Scone with Raspberry Butter and Monk’s Blend tea (I love their delicate china!)

Crumb Explosion: Van Loc

I needed a quick lunch stop en route to Lucky 97 for a few groceries, so decided to take the opportunity to visit Van Loc in Chinatown.

My usual banh mi haunt is Nhon Hoa 2 on 97th Street, but after two recent reviews in Vue and the Journal, I was curious to see what Van Loc had to offer, as both pieces noted that the baguettes they used were second to none.

I stopped in just after noon, and it was clear they were in the middle of their lunch rush – customers continuously filtered in for take out orders. The space was definitely larger than either Nhon Hoa or Kim Tuyet, and its predominantly white interior gleamed even brighter with the natural light provided by the bank of windows. I was happy to see there were three tables to allow for eating in, though they probably could use a good scrubbing (the disadvantage of having white furniture).

I looked at the menu briefly, but already knew I wanted my usual variety, the shredded pork banh mi ($3.50). After a brief wait, I received my sandwich in a white paper submarine bag. The sandwich I was given definitely beats their competitors in the size category. The amount of cilantro, pickled carrots and cucumber included also seemed more generous than others I’d received. As for the bread, I actually found it to be the weak link of the sandwich – it had been over-toasted to the point of being too hard, making it a little difficult to eat (and definitely messy; the requisite crumb explosions made me thankful I was eating alone).

Shredded Pork Banh Mi

As the other elements of the sandwich were good, I’d definitely be willing to give Van Loc another try, with perhaps a request to keep the toasting time down to a minimum.

Van Loc
10648 98 Street NW
(780) 413-8887

City Market Opening Day!

I’ve been looking forward to the May 16 City Market kick-off for a while – there’s nothing like starting off your weekend with an outdoor stroll through the core, surrounded by the optimism of spring.

Market Day!

We arrived just after noon, and ran into Paula, who told us that opening ceremonies had taken place earlier that morning (you can see her photos here). Mayor Mandel was even on hand to welcome patrons to the ever-expanding market, which this year will play host to 95 different vendors.

It was great to see that organizers were finally able to shut down 102 Street to allow for pedestrian-only traffic. It seems they also put out more tables and chairs, great for those needing a seat to eat their vendor-gleaned goodies.

104th Street

A stiltwalker and juggler made it even more festive

As we are departing for our vacation on Monday, we couldn’t stock up on too much. That said, as it is only mid-May, there wasn’t much fresh produce available anyway, save some winter vegetables and hot greenhouse bounty. The market featured mostly non-produce vendors, including those selling bedding plants, crafts, and prepared foods. I was happy to see En Sante Winery out, as well as Happy Camel – both of which we will patronize another day.

Buying tomatoes from Doef’s Greenhouses

We came across a booth for Original Fare and Keep Edmonton Original – while we are very familiar with both groups, we didn’t know about their VIP card program. After a VIP card holder has dined at an Original Fare restaurant, it is swiped, and at the end of the year, the accumulated “points” are converted to cash, and sent to the card holder in the form of a gift certificate that can be redeemed at any of the restaurants. We signed up on the spot. There is a link to the VIP card on the website, but it doesn’t seem to allow new registrants – I hope they add this function to their website.

We read on the Belua Designs blog that Fremly would be at the market today, so we brought Netty along for the ride for a photo opportunity. Unfortunately, Fremly had to stay behind today, but Netty was able to take a picture with all of the monsters that were still looking for a home.

Netty at the market

We also took the opportunity to drop off our contribution to the newly-established Greens, Eggs and Ham CSA. Mary Ellen clarified how it works – the $250 or $500 contribution to allow the farm to expand is essentially a deposit, so whatever I pick up from her stand that week at the market will simply be deducted from my initial contribution. If you frequent their booth anyway, why not consider supporting the farm even further? Further information here.

Netty stands guard over our duck eggs

The City Market is open rain or shine every Saturday until October 10. See you there!

Solid Choice: Back Home Fish & Chips

On a lazy weekend when I didn’t feel inspired to cook, Mack and I decided to finally patronize Back Home Fish & Chips, just down the street from his apartment. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been tempted by the wafting, intoxicating smell of good ol’ grease when passing by, but the circumstance to visit them didn’t present itself until now.

Back Home Fish and Chips

The restaurant always looked so quaint from the outside, with their checkered tablecloths and large bank of windows letting in a healthy amount of natural light. When we walked in, we found it to be much the same as our external impression, and found a seat in a cozy booth. The rest of the diners in Back Home seemed to be made up of regulars, which didn’t surprise me. I find that most stalwart fish and chip fans will have one joint they believe to have the “best” product above all others in the city, and deign to listen to any other opinions (you would be hard pressed, for example, to convince my parents that anything other than Joey’s Only would offer them the quality and value for their dollar).

Menus

Our efficient waitress brought us menus and took our drink orders straightaway. While the menu did offer their namesake dish, they unfortunately did not offer a choice of fish – haddock was the only type available. On the bright side, I was surprised to find all types of seafood listed, from calamari to clams to cod tongues and cheeks. Their prices were fairly reasonable, meaning we probably could have split an appetizer without breaking the bank. We decided in the end to just proceed to the main course; I opted for the small fish and chips ($11.95), which contained three pieces of fish, while Mack was easily swayed by the shrimp and chips ($15.95).

Our dishes arrived in speedy fashion, helped by the fact that we were the only ones who put in an order at that point. Though both my fish and fries were a bit dark (perhaps signalling a need to change the oil), both for the most part were crispy. The kitchen definitely did not scrimp on portion sizes, and even with their smallest plate, I struggled to finish my meal. The light batter concealed an flaky and moist fish, fork tender underneath its shell. Mack also enjoyed his shrimp, which were flavourful and satisfying.

Small Fish and Chips

Shrimp and Chips

Final verdict: while our experience wasn’t unexceptional, it wasn’t particularly memorable either. So if a fish and chip craving were to hit us, we wouldn’t hesitate to return, but Back Home won’t become a destination restaurant either.

Back Home Fish & Chips
12323 Stony Plain Road NW
(780) 451-7871
Monday-Thursday 11:30am-9:30pm, Friday 11:30am-10pm, Saturday noon-9:30pm, Sunday noon-8pm

Culinary Q & A with Brittney Le Blanc

Occupation: I work in the newsroom for 630CHED/iNews880. I write, report, and do web site stuff. Basically, if it’s in the newsroom… I probably do it at one point or another. I also run the @iNews880 Twitter account.

What did you eat today?

So far? Just two cups of hot chocolate. I’ve had my vanilla yogurt sitting beside me at work for about 4 hours now… so, hold on one second. Okay, I’ve had two cups of hot chocolate and a spoonful of vanilla yogurt.

What do you never eat?

I don’t ever eat nuts or peanuts due to allergies. But I also try to never eat onions or potatoes. I have a hate for green onions which I find places tend to add onto EVERYTHING. It’s not a welcome surprise on my plate.

What is your personal specialty?

I can cook a mean Mu Shu spin off. I use chicken instead of pork and add peppers, mushrooms, and rice noodles.

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

Ketchup. Which goes perfectly with my weekday meal standbys.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Either Chicken Nuggets, Fries, and Green Beans or Mac and Cheese. Both easy and fairly cheap.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My dishwashing brush. I hate washing dishes, but don’t have a dishwasher… this handy brush is efficient and allows me not to touch gross dishwater.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Chicken Mushroom Lasagna, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, a slice of carrot cake (without nuts) and a glass of ice wine. Alternatively, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. The world ends tomorrow — if I die from my allergies, it’s only speeding the process.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Probably the southside location of Silcilian Pasta Kitchen. My family discovered it a few years back and we go there for family dinners from time to time.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

I would have to say the Bul Go Gi House. I’ve been going since I was a little girl. Service is almost always fast and friendly, and the food is absolutely delicious!

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

I’ve never given it much thought. Maybe I’d go to Hell’s Kitchen… I would order scallops and risotto. Those always seem so difficult to cook, but I’d love to try the finished product.

Follow Brittney on Twitter here.

Catalyst Theatre: “Nevermore: The Imaginary Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe”

Mack and I went to see Catalyst Theatre’s Nevermore on Saturday afternoon, one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the season. Jonathan Christenson and Bretta Gerecke, the Sterling Award-winning creators of Frankenstein collaborated again, this time on a tale about the life of writer Edgar Allan Poe. From the website:

“Nevermore is a playful and inventive 21st Century exploration of the mind and life of a 19th Century artist whose tormented life and dark imagination inspired him to create characters and stories that have taken on an almost mythical stature in contemporary culture.”

In a word – it was captivating. Nevermore enthralled in the same way Frankenstein did – everything from the lighting design and musical direction to costumes and dialogue were seamlessly integrated together, where each element was inseparable from the rest.

Playing on variants of black, Gerecke’s costumes (several made from paper mache), coupled with gothic makeup, were both playful and dark. Every prop, including the delicate paper tea cups and creaky pop-up books, helped create a dreamlike world around Edgar where it was easy for the audience to see where his conscious world blended with his nightmares. The use of shadow and the semi-transparent screens for narrative scenes and chorus support were brilliant, and demonstrated Christenson’s adeptness in visual storytelling.

All of the actors (except Scott Shpeley who played Edgar) were required to perform multiple roles, each needing to be distinct in voice, stature and movement. I found no weak link in the cast, as all were skilled at the crisp scene changes. Two members did stand out for me – Vanessa Sabourin was particularly haunting as Edgar’s fleeting mother, and Beth Graham’s comic relief as “wee Rosalie” was always a welcome presence.

Nevermore runs until May 17, but has added an additional two shows on May 22 & 23. Go see it! You won’t be disappointed.

Food Notes for May 11, 2009

In exactly a week, I’ll be in D.C. with Mack! So looking forward to a vacation long overdue. In the meantime, I have some notes to share:

It seems Ching’s Asian Kitchen and Dim Bar (10154 100 Street) was not meant to last – we caught a sign taped up on its door thanking customers for their patronage.
Boualouang has relocated to their revamped, larger space down the block! Their new address is 10569-97 Street.
Mack and I swung by La Piazza Dasee (8004 Gateway Boulevard) over the weekend, and we both wondered why they bothered opening at all – nearly half of the store (and all of the cafe) is still under active construction. Perhaps check them out in a few weeks to see how they’ve progressed.
If you were waiting for another opportunity to try out Eric Ng’s veggie donair (I tried one back in November), you’ll have it on May 12.
There are so many opportunities to get involved in the local food system right now. Take a survey about how committed you are about buying local over at the Greater Edmonton Alliance website (until May 15), sign up for the Good Food Project, or support the newest Community Supported Agriculture endeavour in Edmonton, Greens Eggs & Ham.
The Journal wrote about the coffee cupping experience at Transcend over the weekend. It’s sure to just heighten the demand for their monthly tastings. You can read about the experience Mack and I had last July here and here.
Some of the city’s premiere cake creators are featured in an article in Avenue Magazine this month.
Congrats to the marketing team at NAIT for their national award from the Canadian Public Relations Society in the social media category. They are being recognized for their innovative approach in engaging the public during Chef Rob Feenie’s whirlwind time in Edmonton.
I was following the live tweets from the James Beard Awards last week, but it seems I only caught the tail end. The Edible Prairie wrote about Jennifer McLaglan, this year’s winner for Best Cookbook, Fat: an Appreciation for a Misunderstood Ingredient with Recipes.
This is too cool: the green pizza box of the future.
I prefer Pagolac’s southside location to their Chinatown haunt, and I was reminded why when I stopped by for lunch last week. I ordered my usual dish (medium rare beef), and was presented with a bowl of lukewarm soup. It was so mild in temperature that the beef didn’t have the opportunity to lose its pink hue. I’ll be sticking to the southside branch in the future.

Pho from Pagolac

There’s nothing like kicking off the warm weather with Fat Franks, eaten fresh off the grill outdoors. Yum!

My Jumbo Dog (the toasted bun makes all the difference)

Mack is happy with his Cheese Dog

It also just doesn’t seem like summer without an iced brewed coffee from Starbucks, and I was able to have my first of the season last week. I have to remember to get a shot of sweetener in it the next time I order it though!

Ah, a coffee and a book out on the patio

The Cooking Chronicles: Mother’s Day Barbeque

My Mum requested a barbeque for her Mother’s Day supper, so of course we complied. I decided to make apple cheddar turkey burgers (which I’ve made before) and a side of grilled fiesta stuffed peppers, with Mack’s help.

Fiesta Stuffed Peppers

It really was a family affair – my dad helped out on the grill, and I enlisted my sisters to round out the meal: Amanda contributed a salad (with a citrus vinaigrette made from scratch, a first for her) and Felicia and Jeff made dessert – strawberry chocolate crepes.

Full plate

Dessert

We probably should be pampering my Mum more often than once a year, because she does more for us than we often realize. Thanks Mum for everything!

Raising Awareness: Eat Local First

When I had heard that the folks behind Eat Local First had “put up signs” at Wild Earth Foods, I wasn’t sure what that meant. I was already familiar with their pamphlet that describes the benefits of eating local, so I didn’t know what else they had prepared to increase consumer awareness on area producers and products.

Liane Faulder posted a more concrete description of their new campaign last week, and I was finally able to grasp what they were trying to do – label all of the store’s local products with an “Eat Local First” tag. So on our way home from Whyte on Saturday, we decided to stop by and check out these markers in person.

While I have been to Wild Earth Bakery in the past, I hadn’t set foot in their sister grocery store before. It’s a small store not meant to be a one-stop shop, but like Sobeys Urban Fresh, it’s a place for neighbourhood residents to pick up small necessities.

Right as we entered the store, there was a sign advertising the “Eat Local First” campaign, with pamphlets people could take with them. And then the hunt began.

Signage

We didn’t make an exhaustive inventory of the store, but wanted to take note of the variety of local products available in stock. From Spring Creek Ranch beef to Highwood Crossing pancake mix to Pinocchio sorbets, I think the “Eat Local” tags are unobtrusive but effective in helping the consumer seamlessly identify which product will support a home-grown company.

Products from Highwood Crossing

Pinocchio ice creams and sorbets

Bread from Italian Bakery

I can’t see why other stores wouldn’t be jumping on this campaign to promote local goods, particularly with the heightened public awareness about the benefits of buying local (sustainability, food security, among other reasons).

As we were checking out our purchase, we noted a sign that read “Yesterday, 120 people said no to plastic bags”. It reminded us that the small changes we make can add up and do make a difference.

Sweets on Whyte: Fuss Cupcakes and Coney Island Candy

After a quick trip through the always bustling Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, we had some time to kill on Whyte before a matinee play, so we took the time to visit a few new additions to the neighbourhood.

An article in the Journal on Saturday pointed to the recent cupcake explosion on Whyte Ave – Flirt Cupcakes opened their doors in February, and Fuss Cupcakes followed with an Old Strathcona outpost that opened this past Wednesday. I have been pretty impressed by Flirt so far (I like their online ordering system, and their beautiful pink gift boxes), but to be fair, having met and interviewed the proprietors probably lends some bias in their direction.

Fuss has been in cupcake business at their flagship west end location (17298 Stony Plain Road) for nearly three years, and was originally known as The Cupcake Bakeshoppe & Cafe. I visited back in the fall of 2006, and was less than impressed with the cupcake – it had been refrigerated (a cupcake faux pas in my book), and the icing tasted artificial. I hadn’t been back to give them a second chance, which probably had more to do with their location than anything else, but was eager to see if they had improved their cupcakes during my time away.

Fuss Cupcakes interior

Fuss sets themselves apart from Flirt primarily by their distinction as being the only “nut free” cupcake bakery in the city, and by offering a large eat-in space. In addition to their cupcakes, Fuss also offers specialty coffees, teas, and floats. Branded merchandise was on sale, including this cheeky shirt:

“Legalize Frostitution!”

There were handy color postcards next to the counter, listing the sixteen standard cupcake varieties offered daily. For the Mother’s Day long weekend, Fuss was offering an additional strawberry and chocolate ganache special.

Order counter

I have to say Flirt does a better job with making their cupcakes look attractive to the customer – while Fuss definitely seemed to have an edge on ensuring a healthy supply of all flavours, I found their fluorescent-lit display a bit sterile and as Mack noted, made the cupcakes seem mass-produced.

Cupcakes

At $2.95 a pop. Fuss shares Flirt’s price point per cupcake. We decided to get one each (to be consumed while waiting in line at the theatre) – The Diva (strawberry icing) for me, and The Flawless Carat (carrot cake with cream cheese icing) for Mack.

Our cupcakes

The clear clamshell definitely loses out to Flirt’s recyclable packaging, and Mack didn’t like that the cupcake wasn’t firmly held in its place, rolling around as we walked. We both really liked the moist and airy cake however (and I was happy to find that they were at room temperature). Mack’s carrot base had a nice cinnamon aroma throughout, while my vanilla cake had just the right amount of flavour. The icing-to-cake ratio was something to be desired though. Mack liked the icing, and said it was less sweet than Flirt. I found it all right, but as someone who would choose something other than buttercream every time, that was no surprise.

It will be interesting to see how the “cupcake war” plays out as the months get warmer, and each shop experiences a fair bit of foot traffic from both tourists and regulars alike.

Our next stop was Coney Island Candy (10345 82 Avenue), a shop we wouldn’t have seen had it not been for the sandwich board on the sidewalk.

Coney Island Candy

It’s a shop for the visual sense, that’s for sure, filled with fun carney-inspired posters and bright displays reminiscent of the 1920s midway at Fort Edmonton Park.

Interior

The shop steps in to fill the void left when Carol’s Quality Sweets was forced to relocate after the fire on Whyte Ave. With over 500 varieties of candy (continuously being added to), including over 200 bulk options, Coney Island is a kid’s dream.

Even better, Coney Island also stocks novelties perfect for gift giving – I’m sure I could have spent more time peering at the various displays, but I did spy bacon mints and bacon floss – the perfect present for any bacon lover.

Open since March, I’m sure Coney Island will continue to draw in the young, and the young at heart.

Fuss Cupcakes
10441 82 Avenue NW
(780) 761-3877

Coney Island Candy
10345 82 Avenue
(780) 438-9003

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