Author: Sharon Yeo

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

Notes on Food

  • The “supper club” concept seems to be picking up steam down south. And by south, I mean Calgary. Restaurant by day and club at night, Blink Restaurant and Supper Club opened up a few months ago to lukewarm reviews. It has since revamped its menu (via Alberta Venture), which is improving its reputation some, but perhaps Albertans just aren’t able to wrap their brains around fine dining-then-dancing all in the same place.
  • Though probably not as accurate as Vue Weekly‘s Golden Forks, voting for Where Edmonton‘s “Most Memorable Meals” has begun. Cast your ballot here.
  • The third in Scott McKeen’s series highlighting his favorite haunts was published last week, but it’s hard to give a guy who would recommend Pho Hoa to the unsuspecting public credibility.
  • The photography in Australia’s Donna Hay Magazine makes Martha Stewart Living look like amateur hour. The pictures are so beautiful I’m tempted to get a subscription to look forward to drooling on a bimonthly basis.
  • More on coffee than food, but has anyone else noticed that Starbucks is now producing greeting cards? On a visit a few weeks ago, I saw Father’s Day cards for sale next to their display of baseball and golf-themed mugs. First toys, then music, now cards. What’s next?

Retro Chic: Leva Capuccino Bar

Since our failed attempt to try them back in December, I’ve been itching to visit the newly-renovated Leva Capuccino Bar (11053 86 Avenue). So on a windy Friday, Bettina and I ventured back in the direction of the University campus.

It turns out their grand re-opening took place on March 24, and in addition to renovations, they also revamped their menu. As this was my first time at Leva, I’m not sure what it looked like prior to its facelift, but I can say that the new space is very chic. With a clean black and white color scheme, accented with orange chairs and fabulous crystal chandeliers, it has a younger, but similar vibe to Caffè Sorrentino. The order counter (save the LCD panels), is designed with a 70s touch, anchoring the cafe with a retro feel. Also of note is their selection of food magazines, including Gourmet Traveller and Donna Hay – definitely not your average coffee shop collection!

In addition to the baked goods and artisan gelato, Leva also offers several salads, panini sandwiches, and pizzas. Never being able to pass up a good Margherita, I gave it a try. Made to order, the pizza was great (and better than the one I had at Earls a few weeks ago), in large part due to the light and crispy crust. The creamy bocconcini cheese was a delicious alternative to the more commonly used mozzarella, and really served to make this pizza special. My accompanying iced coffee was just that, but included just the right amount of added sweetener, cutting through the usual bitterness associated with the drink.

Just a short walk from the University, Leva is worth a try if you’re in the area.
Cafe exterior
Interior
Order counter
Margherita Pizza
Bettina’s treats (of which I sampled as well – the blueberry ricotta tart was the best of the three)

Art Gallery of Alberta: China Sensation

One of the city’s best kept secrets is the Art Gallery of Alberta‘s free admission on Thursday evenings from 4-8pm. So on Thursday I headed to the temporary gallery location (100, 10230 Jasper Avenue) with a few friends to view the current exhibits.

As the Enterprise Square space is merely provisional, I wasn’t expecting much. As it turns out, with expansive white walls and bright spot lighting, it is a definite improvement upon the dingy, dark halls of the previous building.

I was especially interested in the pictures that were a part of the China Sensation display, as I had read some of the media coverage surrounding these “cutting edge” works. Though I can’t say I understood most (okay, almost all) of the pieces, it was definitely interesting to be exposed to Chinese art that was anything but landscapes and flowers. Between the flamingo-human hybrids, cannibalistic pigs, and neon portrayals of child pest slayers, it was quite the barrage of images. I had no idea art on this plane was being produced in China.

The exhibit runs until June 10.

Off to Glutton-Land: Urban Diner

On Wednesday, after a rather tumultuous day at work, I joined Annie, Dickson and Mack for a round of comfort food at Urban Diner (12427 102 Avenue).

Probably my second favorite diner in the city (following, of course, Blue Plate), I quite enjoy the food and ambiance there. Typically more happenin’ on weekend mornings, the restaurant had a moderate number of customers when we were seated. Though I had initially craved their Diner Meatloaf, I was torn when I remembered they also had Fat Franks on the menu. Luckily, Mack agreed to split the latter dish with me, so off to glutton-land I went.
The food took longer than expected, which was likely a blessing in disguise, allowing me to build-up my appetite to accommodate a dish and a half. I was floored when our orders were delivered – the meatloaf was easily twice the size of Blue Plate’s offering (but with steamed, not grilled, vegetables – boo). Without tomato sauce to blanch the flavor, and the added pizzazz from the cranberry chutney and creamy mushroom gravy, I think I’ll have to admit that Urban Diner wins the meatloaf round of the “diner war.” The hot dog was also quite good; Mack wasn’t so impressed, but I found the char marks lent much flavor to the meat.
I can honestly tell you that although I thoroughly enjoyed my meals, I will never again order so much food: it turns out gluttony can be a form of self-punishment.
Restaurant interior
Diner Meatloaf
Hot Dog
Shepherds Pie
Fish ‘N Chips

“Gilmore Girls” Movie?

That’s right, folks! Though I will remain cautiously optimistic at least until the actors have been tied to a contract, TV Guide’s David Ausiello seems to think a Gilmore Girls movie to conclude the show, Amy Sherman-Palladino-style, is a viable possibility:

“In the next year or two, she hopes to make — wait for it — a two-hour Gilmore Girls TV-movie that ties up all those loose threads! I nearly fell over when she said it — especially given what she told me back in December. (BTW, lest you think Amy was pulling my leg, her partner in life and in showbiz, Dan Palladino, confirmed that a GG reunion pic is something they’re interested in pursuing.)”

There is precedence for this (FOX’s cancelled Firefly spiraling into a major motion picture), but I’m not sure it would work as well, even on the small screen, for this little show that could. Personally, I had made amends with Gilmore‘s cancellation, so the false hope such a teaser brings is disrupting my mourning process.

So as with the up-fronts, all we can do is wait…

Impact Advertising

Though it’s a bit backwards to have found out about media campaigns through secondary means, I suppose for public awareness purposes, the medium itself doesn’t matter.

These are two PSAs worth checking out:

  • Toronto-based marketing firm BBDO produced this ad, among others, for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. It’s unsettling and uncomfortable, just as it should be.
  • This is just a very cool use of sunlight to paint a picture of rising ocean levels. As mentioned in the Globe piece, the physical placement of the billboard would be dependent on the location, and wouldn’t be suitable for all thoroughfares, but still should be commended for its creativity.

Have you been exposed to any memorable campaigns lately?

How Not to Play a Fangirl

I attended a workshop last weekend alongside one of my favorite Edmonton playwrights, Marty Chan. Though not as prolific as Lemoine or Belke, I credit Chan’s Bone House as the play that started it all for me – after watching it that cool, fall night many years ago, I began my yearly pilgrimage to the Fringe the summer following, and my love of theatre has grown ever since.

Anyway, I felt that I should communicate the impact that his work had on me, so I essentially accosted him at the buffet table and told him so. Keeping in mind that The Bone House centers on the hunt for a serial killer, it wasn’t surprising that his immediate response was something along the lines of, “Really? But that was a pretty disturbing play…” Perhaps I should have made it clear why I enjoyed it as much as I did – stellar acting from Chris Fassbender, great use of space and circumstance to heighten the tension (and fear) in the room, and clever manipulation of audience imagination with the use of everyday sounds and objects. Of course, none of this came out in that moment of stilted verbosity, so all I ended up uttering was “Thank you.”

I do hope he remounts it soon – it’s about time more of the Edmonton community be exposed to his genius!

Tidbits: Notes from Edmonton’s Epicurean Scene

  • Two Asian restaurants have recently opened up in the city – Sweet Mango (9120 82 Avenue) and Moon Garden (10117 Jasper Avenue). They haven’t received as much press as their also-green counterparts Bacon and Skinny Legs and Cowgirls, but hopefully once the hype of those two bistros die down, more attention can be paid to these eateries.
  • Gleaned from Where Edmonton, Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse & Bar, apparently Canada’s oldest steakhouse chain, will be setting up shop in West Edmonton Mall in June. With the success of The Keg, Lux, and Ruth’s Chris, it seems Edmonton’s appetite for steaks is growing.
  • It seems I was mistaken in my assumption that Leva Cafe (11053 86 Avenue) had been taken over – it was simply under renovation. Check it out for their artisan gelato!
  • In other coffee shop news, da Capo Caffe (8738 109 Street) is now open, courtesy of City Palate. According to their blog, they are in the midst of expanding their food menu: “we are introducing Vino, Prosecco and Antipasto Fridays, Pizza Napoletana Saturdays and a breakfast frittata panino.” Sounds delicious!

The Cooking Chronicles: Everyday Lighter Macaroni and Cheese

As I have mentioned previously, I am now leaning towards recipes that can be made with what I have available in my fridge and pantry on a day-to-day basis, and after catching a segment on America’s Test Kitchen this morning, I decided to duplicate their Everyday Lighter Macaroni and Cheese recipe for dinner tonight.

Annie stayed over for supper, so she helped me put it together. Substituting mozzarella for light cheddar, and omitting the dry mustard, it was a fairly easy recipe to follow. I only realized after the fact that I only added about half of the required cheese, and as I didn’t have enough corn starch on hand, should have looked for a starch alternative to thicken the sauce with. This resulted in a sauce with a water-like consistency, but besides that, was a decent modified béchamel.

While taking a little more effort than Kraft Dinner, this macaroni and cheese from scratch has more body than its instant cousin.

Everyday Lighter Macaroni and Cheese

What do they mean by “lonely?”

My Europe-bound girlfriends came over for a pre-trip planning session this afternoon. In addition to the Internet, they brought over various guidebooks, they have been collecting over the last few weeks. Flipping through one of them, Lonely Planet’s Best of London, I came across this text in a section titled “Women Travellers”:

“Aside from the rare wolf whistle and unwelcome body contact on the tube, women will find male Londoners reasonably harmless. If you’re over 16, you can buy the morning-after pill over the counter in many pharmacies.”

I would have been okay with the information if it was delivered with a little less insinuation, or mirrored with a section titled “Men Travellers” addressing the availability of condoms or other birth control options.

I think I’ll be sticking with Frommers.