Author: Sharon Yeo

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

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.

Company’s Coming Scratch & Dent Sale 2009

I dragged Mack to the Company’s Coming Scratch & Dent Sale, that took place today, and continues tomorrow (he’s a trooper – it was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals after all). While we didn’t spend that much time there, we did make the trip worth our while.

Cookbooks were priced at up to 80% off, and really, the deals were better than I anticipated. All of the Original Series titles were just $4, while the hardcover Lifestyle, Moved Loved Recipes and Special Occasion titles were $6.

Pallets of books!

After completing a simple survey outside the tent, I collected a free copy of Company’s Coming Cooking Tips. To that, I paid for Muffins & More (a classic!) and a book brimming with colour photos called Cooking at Home: The Magazine Recipe Collection. The only downside was that their offerings were not comprehensive (as it wouldn’t be), but a few titles that I was looking for weren’t there (here is a shot of what they do have for sale).

Happy additions to my cookbook collection

The best thing about the event, however, was the opportunity to have Jean Paré autograph my cookbook! (Limited to one per person though). It was quite interesting, as she had a list of comments pre-drafted, and depending on the cookbook presented, she would insert a specified line.

Autograph!

They also had a few random utensils on sale – I picked up a vegetable peeler and a small knife for $1 (yes, I’m a sucker for cheap deals).

The sale continues on Saturday, June 13, from 9am-3pm at the Company’s Coming warehouse located at 2311-96 Street.

Culinary Q & A with Maki B.

Occupation:  A stay at home mom for now but I’m a former chemist, bookkeeper and cafe-owner who is not sure what I want to be when I “grow up”. 

What did you eat today?

Breakie:  Eggs over easy & bacon.
Lunch:  Falafels with tzatiki and bbq’d balsamic veggies in a pita.
Dinner:  Panko crusted chicken fingers with baked fries, green salad and freshly churned mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert.  All homemade!

What do you never eat?

I’m not a fan of seafood.  I wish I liked it and I try and try but I’m just not there yet.  Also, you will never see me drinking milk or using it in cereal.  It’s as rare as a yeti sighting.

What is your personal specialty? 

I can’t say I have a specialty but I will say that I’m a fan of trying out my hand at cuisines from all over the world. If you’re invited to my house for dinner, you never know what country’s food I’ll be serving. 

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

lots of food.  I’m always cooking and baking so I’m like a small scale supermarket really.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Some sort of stir fry to clean out my refrigerator. 

What is your favorite kitchen item? 

I’d have to say Bullet, he’s my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and he rocks my world.  I keep meaning to blog about him and his amazing talents.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal. 

I don’t have a favourite food or cuisine so this is a tough question.  Probably a big “mezze” or “antipasto” platter full of a variety of cheeses, meats, veggies, olives and fresh breads. Of course I would need to finish off with a rich chocolate dessert.  (Oh, actually, a very last meal might need some curry and a plate of bacon too!)  Don’t forget the wine!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

We rarely eat out but if we do my kids usually choose that place with the golden arches and indoor playground.  Other than that, we go to fast, casual places like Tokyo Express and Oodle Noodle.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

My mom’s house.  I rarely eat out at restaurant due to the kidlet factor but my mom makes some pretty amazing Mediterranean food.  She’s the reason I love cooking and entertaining as much as I do.

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

As I said above, I don’t have favorites.  It’s so very hard so bear with me… I’d probably pack some bacon and maple syrup to eat on my way to some Mediterranean countries for my mezze, then hop over to Thailand/India for some curries and finally end up in Switzerland so I can make a complete pig of myself and eat enough chocolate that is humanly possible.  Oh, but a fresh croissant in sweet Paris would be lovely and then I know I’d get a hankering for some Mexican food too.  Really, it goes on and on.

Maki blogs at In My Element.

Edmonton Foodie Meetup 2!

Since the first Edmonton Foodie Meetup took place in February, many people have told me they wished they could have made it. Well, there will be another opportunity for those who love to eat and cook to get together with other passionate local foodies!

Who: Local food bloggers and any interested foodies!

Where: If it’s nice out (not raining), Dawson Park for a potluck; if it’s miserable, Suede Lounge – check this wiki on June 24 for the final location

When: June 26, 2009 at 6:30pm

Why: to put a face to a blog, and to talk all about food!

I canvassed people for opinions, and a large number indicated they wanted a potluck picnic this time around. Unfortunately, not being able to predict the weather means having a necessary backup plan, and the more casual, no-reservations-necessary venue of a lounge seemed to be a good fit.

If you are interested in coming, please add your name (and blog!) to the wiki, so we can expect you. Hope to see you there!

Conference Weekend in Calgary

I spent the past weekend in Calgary attending a conference, and judging by the fact that the venue served us popsicles during one coffee break, they also didn’t anticipate the snow that fell in June. I do hope that was the last of it.

Convention centres always amaze me with their logistical abilities to feed a thousand people in a fairly efficient way. The Telus Convention Centre was great for the most part, but I had a nitpick about their neglect of tea drinkers on the first day.

Carafes, from left to right: coffee, decaffeinated coffee, hot water (the latter was empty – at all stations)

Thankfully, they improved on day 2, as I’m sure they received their share of negative feedback.

The gala dinner was quite the spread (I am certain the conference is heavily subsidized – our registration price would have gone to food alone). Someone should have decided to call table numbers, however, as the wait in the free-for-all lineup for the buffet was half an hour for those who arrived to the hall late.

Dessert table (the “cherry almond martinis” were visually engaging, but tasted to me like whipped cream…I didn’t finish it)

The second day was filled with sessions that focused on wellness, a nice change from the content-heavy day prior. I really enjoyed Judy Atkinson’s community drumming workshop. It was incredibly satisfying to spend an hour and a half getting accustomed to the different instruments (African, Cuban and First Nations drums, as well as percussion), and was a great stress reliever.

My starter drum

As Saturday was a half day, I was able to wander a bit around the core before catching my bus back to Edmonton. I stopped in at Art Central for some window shopping, then to deVille Cafe for something to eat. It’s a nice space, chic and modern as you’d expect from an upscale cafe, but their microwave-equivalent breakfast sandwich left something to be desired – it was rubbery and had me wishing for Starbucks’ sandwich instead. I guess at $3.50, I shouldn’t have set my standards too high (particularly knowing that coffee was their specialty, not food), but shouldn’t small independents focus on quality?

deVille Cafe interior

Ham, Egg and Cheese Sandwich

After more shopping, I ended up at Avenue Diner for an early supper. I haven’t been back since my visit nearly two years ago for brunch, and I was eager for an opportunity to try the tempting macaroni and cheese, a large print of which is displayed in the lobby. The servers were lovely throughout, and took a little pity on me as a lone diner as they tidied up for the day. The food was fairly tardy, unusual also because I was the penultimate party to order. It did arrive with a golden, crunchy, cheesy crust though, and probably could have fed two people. At the same time, given the price ($16.29), perhaps that’s what they had in mind.

“Dad’s famous aged white Cheddar mac and cheese” from Avenue Diner

There are still so many Calgary eateries I’d like to try – I look forward to my next trip down, hopefully minus the snow!

Food and Wine Fit for Royalty: Indulgence 2009

I don’t think I’ve ever been more filled with pride about our local food scene than on this night. I just returned from the 8th annual Indulgence 2009 at the Delta Edmonton South, an event organized by Slow Food Edmonton to benefit the Junior League of Edmonton.

Tickets

Billed as “a Canadian epic of food and wine”, I thought the phrase was a bit ambitious, but I really shouldn’t have underestimated the local food community, who banded together for the most amazing tasting event I’ve ever had the privilege to attend. Working closely with a local producer, seventeen restaurants created menus utilizing the best ingredients Alberta had to offer. Each dish was then paired with a VQA wine. And though tickets were on the pricey end of things – $60 each – we recouped more than our share in the experience.

We arrived just before the 7 o’clock start time, and were forced to head to the roof of the parkade for empty spaces. That should have alerted us to expect the enormous crowd to expect that we found lined up in the lobby, a crowd that snaked through and around the entire first floor. Though my Mum and I wished for more systematic line control, as the hallway was narrow to begin with, I don’t know what they could have done anyway.

Thankfully, most of the initial chaos dissipated as soon as the doors opened, and once our ticket stubs had been collected, we were given an Indulgence booklet (which would supply our “eat passes” for the night), a wine glass and reusable bamboo fork. These last two items were a nice environmentally-friendly nod – something I hope other tasting events take note of.

Food and wine pairing stations were set up throughout the Grand Ballroom, with round cocktail stands placed at random intervals in between and along the periphery of the room. These tables were our saving graces – even though a wine glass and plate attachment were provided to us, there was no way we could have juggled eating and drinking without half of the menu ending up on our wardrobe.

Grand Ballroom (about half empty)

Entertainment

The atmosphere was jovial and light, and with jazz floating through the air, the only difficulty was deciding which dish to tackle first. Now in its eighth instalment, the organizers have the format down to a science – for each pairing, we were to simply rip the numbered corner associated with that station from our books, preventing overeager patrons from seconds.

There were definitely a few stand outs for my Mum and I – the Carmen Creek bison slider with red onion confit and gorgonzola cheese was on the top of our list (prepared by Botanica), while my Mum also adored the Irving Farms Berkshire pork belly with truffled apple salad (prepared by the Bothy Wine and Whiskey Bar).

Carmen Creek Bison Slider with Red Onion Confit and Gorgonzola Cheese

Irving Farm Berkshire Pork Belly with Truffled Apple Salad (one of the few non-micro green vegetables served)

We also raved about some of the sides that came along with a main player – the polenta served with the Waskwei Venison Cassoulet (prepared by the Red Ox Inn – I will have dreams about the creamy polenta, perfectly seared on the outside), and the bed of beluga lentils underneath lamb and butternut squash (prepared by Characters).

Waskwei Venison Cassoulet

Lamb Skewer with Beluga Lentils and Butternut Squash

A few unique dishes also satisfied our palate. The braised alpaca with Chimichurri (prepared by Suede Lounge) surprised me with its tenderness and strong flavour. The fresh petal sorbet, made by Leva Cafe using flowers from Inspired Market Gardens, was a welcome palate cleanser, particularly because of the meat-centric dishes at the event. As a result, d’Lish’s Mo Na wild mushroom shot also supplied needed variety.

Braised Alpaca with Chimichurri

Fresh Petal Sorbet with Black Pansy Syrup

Mo Na Wild Mushroom Soup Shot

We did enjoy several of the other meat dishes, though I can say if they they would probably make a stronger impression if presented on their own. These included Mexico Lindo’s Chicken Pibil, Spring Creek Ranch natural beef flank steak (prepared by Madison’s Grill) and Amberlane Farm Elk Tartines (prepared by Flavours Modern Bistro).

Chicken Pibil

Spring Creek Ranch Natural Beef Flank Steak with a Blistered Gull Valley Tomato and Olive Relish, Heritage Greens in a Fairwinds Farm Goat Cheese Vinaigrette on a Corn Tuile

Amberlane Farm Elk Tartines

There were a few dishes that I was expecting more from, though for reasons not relating at all to quality. The chocolate base in the mousse tart from Kerstin’s Chocolates was divine, but the jam contained within was too sweet for me. The Harvest Room-prepared Greens Eggs and Ham duck confit served with almond waffle potatoes was delicious (the crispiness of both the duck and the crisps was lovely), but we wished for a larger serving size. The shepherd’s pie from Lux, made with Latago Cattle Company Wagyu Beef, had great imagination, incorporating edamame beans and onion crisps, but the texture didn’t hold well for a mass event like this one. Lastly, neither of us being a fan of goat cheese, I think it would have been virtually impossible for us to enjoy the Fairwinds Farm goat cheese tart prepared by Cafe de Ville.

Kerstin’s Chocolates Mousse Tart

Greens Eggs and Ham Duck Leg Confit served with Baby White Almond Waffle Potatoes on Micro Sprouts in a Basil Aioli

Shepherd’s Pie made with Braised Latago Cattle Company Wagyu Beef, Edamame Beans, Celeriac Puree, Saffron Onion Crisps

Fairwinds Farm Goat Cheese, Lobster Mushroom and Leek Tart with a Riesling Reduction

Though the above may seem to be an exhaustive list of dishes, we actually failed to sample two courses, as they had run out by the time we had made our rounds.

You may have noticed by now that I haven’t really made mention of the wine. To be honest, though my Mum and I indulged in some of the wine (and one beer) pairings, we were so overwhelmed with the food choices that we were hard pressed to get through even one pour. The one wine I sampled that I would like to return to was the 2008 Gewurtraminer by the Cedar Creek Estate Winery – the wine was as clear as water, with a clean, crisp flavour.

It was great to see many familiar faces again – both in the crowd and behind the stations. A special mention goes out to Chris from Eating is the Hart Part, Marianne and Zed from Loosen Your Belt and Eat Around Edmonton, and Jon, who ensured I was on top of this year’s Indulgence details.

Thanks to Slow Food Edmonton for organizing such a memorable event that showcases and truly celebrates what we have to offer in Alberta. I am looking forward to Indulgence 2010 already.

Finis!

You can see my photo set here.

Food Notes for June 8, 2009

  • A reminder about the upcoming Al Fresco on 104th Street, taking place this Saturday. In addition to an open door wine tasting, a handful of all-day vendors and a fashion show, the organizers will be screening Big Night outdoors at 10pm, with Sobeys supplying popcorn. I’m looking forward to it! Remember to bring a donation for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters.
  • To celebrate Portugal Day, deVines will be hosting a Portuguese Olive Oil Tasting on June 10 from 5-7pm. Admission is free, but those interested are being asked to bring a donation for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters.
  • I remember growing up thumbing through my Mum’s worn copy of Company’s Coming: Muffins & More, so the Company’s Coming Inventory Clearance couldn’t have been timed better, as I’m looking to expand my cookbook collection: “Stop by our Edmonton warehouse at 2311-96 Street on Friday, June 12 from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 13 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. for incredible savings on out-of-print and overstocked Company’s Coming titles.” You’ll even have the opportunity to meet Jean Pare and get your cookbook signed!
  • A few new-ish openings: Original Joe’s Whyte Avenue outpost (8404 109 Street), Karma the Indian Bistro (10523 99 Avenue, 780-498-2992), and an upcoming “Friends and Neighbours Delight”, which will take over the space formerly occupied by Nokomis (10838 82 Avenue).
  • Anyone know what’s up with the Cargo & James tea chain in Edmonton? Several months ago, before the one in Edmonton Centre shut down for good, appeared a sign that said the store was “temporarily closed”. That same sign is now on the door of the Old Strathcona location.
  • Speaking of tea, City Palate Calgary writes that Good Earth Coffee House and Bakery is pioneering something called “red tea espresso”. The “espresso” is made from ground rooibos tea to be used in espresso machines. I hope their Edmonton locations have it too – would be interesting to try.
  • Liane wrote about the Eatery at the ARTery last week in Bistro. I love the fact that each meal is centered around a theme. However, someone else also made a similar comment about how expensive the lunch was (relative to the amount of food obtained), but I’d like to see for myself how large a dish is.
  • Pretty please with icing on top – can Edmonton have a cupcake truck?
  • Before an evening meeting last week, I stopped by Ah Chin’s Kitchen (6224 99 Street, 780- 438-8218), a favourite of my parents, for dinner. It was a bit awkward dining there, as I was the only one in the restaurant the entire night, but the staff were courteous, and didn’t mind me too much. I have to say, it was one of the most economical meals I’ve ever had in the city – my bowl of won ton soup was chock full of noodles, gai lan, the pork dumplings, and best of all – only cost $4.95! Unreal.

 

Won Ton Soup from Ah Chin’s Kitchen

Roxy Theatre: “Hey Ladies!”

We had been meaning to go to Hey Ladies! at the Roxy Theatre for some time, particularly because two of our favourite local actresses, Davina Stewart and Leona Braunsen, were involved, but it wasn’t until late May that we managed to make it to a show.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, except that my standard for such variety/talk shows has been set by the high energy, off-the-cuff hilarity of Oh Susannah. Hey Ladies was billed as:

“your favourite daytime lifestyle show meets your favourite night time comedy jam. The final show of the season promises to be a unique evening filled with comedy, music, fashion, make-overs, ridiculousness, chit-chat, prizes, information, opinions,  possible law-suits, special guests, audience sauciness, experts, rejects, lovers, losers and much, much more.”

Though the theatre was pretty full that night, it wasn’t quite sold out. Mack was a bit uncertain about the show, as he could count the number of men in the audience on two hands.

At curtain, the ladies came out (introduced by a young Education grad named Noel, whose presence could be compared to Ellen Degeneres’ DJ sidekick), and though Stewart and Cathleen Rootsaert were present, Jana O’Connor was standing in for Braunsen, who was currently starring in a play at the Varscona. We weren’t sure how O’Connor would fare, being young and new to the ensemble, but she found her feet quickly, and supplied some of the best zingers and one-timers of the night.

Over the course of the night, several local guests were interviewed, in addition to a game and vegetarian burger taste-off. Guests included:

  • Michael Berard, a local hairstylist, who was asked about the timely subject of highlights;
  • a representative from Wine Runners, who discussed a cheeky line of California wines called Mad Housewife (available at the Sherbrooke Liquor Store);
  • a representative from Ambers Brewing Company, who introduced a coffee-rum liqueur to the audience;
  • Rick Krupa from Flirt Cupcakes; and
  • Sugar Swing, who performed two upbeat and catchy dances and talked about their lessons and weekly dances.

It really was “infotainment” (a word that was up on the marquee to describe the show), and is a perfect venue for those seeking to learn more about events and new trends happening in Edmonton. Best of all, from the liquor and food representatives came free samples – at intermission, the audience was treated to wine and liqueur samples, as well as a free mini cupcake!

The sauciness of the humour surprised me (Rootsaert’s “halter” was a running joke of the night), but really, given that there were Hey Ladies-wrapped pantyliners in the women’s washroom, I should have expected anything. By 10:30, when the show wrapped, Mack and I both had no idea that so much time had gone by – it was definitely an enjoyable way to spend a Friday night.

Stewart announced that Hey Ladies will continue next season, but details have yet to be determined. Do look for it in the fall – I know Mack and I will!