Tapas Tuesdays at Art Gallery of Alberta’s ZINC Restaurant

In mid-May, the Art Gallery of Alberta announced an initiative called “all access evenings”, offering free admission to the gallery between 5-8pm every Tuesday and Wednesday night. This replaces their previous promotion of once monthly free admission evenings; museum officials hope this will encourage even more people to take advantage of the cultural institution.

In conjunction with this, the gallery’s in-house restaurant, ZINC, has developed a special “tapas Tuesday” menu to entice patrons to include a meal along with their visit. All of the items are priced under $20, and though most dishes can be found on their regular lunch or dinner menus, a half dozen dishes are exclusive to Tuesday evenings.

In early July, I met up with Mack after work on a Tuesday night for a bite to eat and a walk through the gallery. Signage signifying the dinner deals would be helpful to their cause, either outside the restaurant or at the gallery desk; the menu wasn’t visible until it was presented to us at the table.

ZINC interior

We chose to share the weekly mac and cheese ($16) and the sweet spicy prawns ($12.50). Given the pulled pork burger was just $4, we opted to order two.

Linda wasn’t a huge fan of the mac, but we both enjoyed how creamy it was – it’s a quality many other local versions surprisingly lack. This incarnation featured lots of bacon, mushrooms, and kale, and left us satisfied.

Mac and cheese

I ultimately ordered the prawns because my favourite dish at ZINC remains their prawns over risotto, and this didn’t disappoint. The prawns were well prepared (as always), and we liked the punchy flavours of the accompanying tomato ginger chutney.

Sweet spicy prawns

We expected slider sized pulled pork sandwiches, but instead, were each presented with a full-sized burger. Mack loved the soft, pliable pretzel bun, and we both commented on the generous portion of pork. It’s notable that the locally-sourced Bear and the Flower Farm pork is not doused in sauce so it can stand on its own, though it was paired with cabbage for texture. Chef David Omar confirmed that they are taking a loss on this dish with the hopes that it will bring diners in.

Pulled pork sandwich

During our stay, there were only four other tables occupied. While ZINC is a beautiful space, with its vaulted ceilings and grand windows overlooking City Hall, the atmosphere may be too formal for more casual diners seeking to share a few small plates. If ZINC is serious about attracting a different crowd, could they consider carving up the dining room to include a few communal tables or feature some less conventional seating? Or (recognizing that this is easier said than done), set up some makeshift seats in the foyer just outside of ZINC, and perhaps reduce the menu offered in this space to just a handful of items (potato skins, pulled pork, sausage, a feature cocktail and beer)? It’d help make ZINC much more approachable, which seems to be one of the motivations behind the idea of “tapas Tuesdays”.

At any rate, we did enjoy our night out – we walked off our meal with a spin through the gallery (in time for Canada 150, most of the current exhibits feature Canadiana, including my favourite of the bunch, Gretzky is Everywhere). Hopefully this promotion does encourage more Edmontonians to consider visiting the gallery – and to take a chance on the restaurant as well.

Food Notes for July 10, 2017

The weather has been scorching this last week – hope you’ve been finding ways to keep cool. On to this week’s food notes:

Mark your calendar for Prairie Pigeon’s latest pop-up on July 14, 2017 at Icon Hair & Body in Commerce Place from 4-7pm.
Did you want to meet local Masterchef competitor Mai Nguyen? She’s hosting a 5-course dinner at Prairie Noodle on July 17, 2017. Tickets are $75.
Canada’s biggest mixology competition, Made with Love, will be in town on July 24, 2017. 14 local finalists will compete to represent Edmonton in the May 2018 national finals. Tickets to the event are $65, and include tastings, food pairings, and a welcome cocktail.
Wine pairing dinners are common, but not necessarily paired with vegetable-focused dishes. Canteen is hosting an “Eat Yer Veggies, Drink Yer Wine” event on July 25, 2017 to highlight what’s in season. Tickets are $125.
Food tours seem to be popping up everywhere – the latest to be announced are the Edmonton Brewery Tours, which take patrons through 5 local breweries. Transportation and lunch are provided. Tickets are $150.
Biera, the long-awaited brew pub in the Ritchie Market (9570 76 Avenue) is in its soft opening stage.
To beat the heat, consider visiting Snowy Dessert in Old Strathcona, at 10209 82 Avenue, with a soft opening starting July 10, 2017.
For the Korean cuisine-starved north side, Hansik might be a welcome addition, located at 13727 127 Street.
Liane has the details about Porc Sale, a new charcuterie shop open downstairs from The Almanac on Whyte Avenue.
Speaking of Liane, she also had a great feature on one of my favourite local bakeries, Boulangerie Bonjour.
Graham enjoyed his sampling of the revamped menu at Packrat Louie.
This might get a bit confusing, but there’s another food blogger in town named Sharon, and she recently reviewed Vaticano Cucina.
Jonny likes the simplicity of Otto’s menu and vibe.
Sharman recapped the recent Schwein & Stein dinner held at Workshop Eatery in June.
Did you know Edmonton has its very own honey sommelier? I love how Mel described each of the neighbourhood-based honey samples she received.
Just in time for summer, the province announced that they relaxed some of the more restrictive policies governing patios. Paula has examples of how local restaurants will be taking advantage of these changes to encourage more vibrant streets.
Transcend now offers courses in home espresso making and milk steaming and latte art.
Women Chefs & Restauranteurs are hosting a one-day educational conference in Calgary on September 16, 2017. Speakers include New York’s Chef Elizabeth Falkner and Vancouver’s Meeru Dhalwala, co-owner of Vij’s and Rangoli. Early bird tickets are $179.
McDonald’s is now available for delivery in Edmonton (and 4 other cities in Canada) via UberEats.
I’m not averse to hot soup on hot days, so Mack and I found ourselves at Kazoku Ramen over the weekend. We’ve really come to appreciate their consistency and the good service.

Tonkotsu and shoyu ramen from Kazoku

Fit for the Neighbourhood: Pho Boy

After a few rounds at The Batting Cages for my birthday in late June (and realizing there were many muscles Mack and I haven’t put to use in some time), we needed some restorative sustenance. It seemed like the time was right to finally try Pho Boy nearby, the newest Vietnamese restaurant on Whyte Avenue.

Located east of the more well-worn Old Strathcona strip, Pho Boy has taken over the former B’s Diner space. We chose to sit on the enclosed patio at the front of the restaurant, set back from the busy street just enough to feel shielded from most of the traffic noise. A quick peek inside revealed an intimately lit space, laid back with a retro Street Fighter arcade game and a train set table to keep even the smallest diners entertained. While it wasn’t completely full on that Saturday night, business was steady.

On the patio

The menu is small but interesting, with the appetizers standing out the most. As a whole, the restaurant seems to cater to a wide variety of dietary needs, as they have the option of building your own pho (including a rarely seen vegetarian soup base). We ordered a couple of appetizers to share.

Of note is Pho Boy serves freshly fried shrimp chips to start the meal! Mack isn’t a fan, so I happily indulged in our table’s serving.

I love shrimp chips

The legend rolls ($6 half order) were incredibly addictive, crispy and full of flavour. They’re served with a side of fresh vegetables (which you could presumably use to wrap each roll) which we deemed unnecessary.

Legend rolls

The banh xeo ($10) isn’t a dish easily found in Edmonton, so we gravitated towards it when we came upon it on the menu. The crepe was nicely browned, but a little on the crumbly side. We loved the filling of creamy mung beans, shrimp, and pork.

Banh xeo

For our mains we both ended up with the same build your own pho combination – beef broth with steak, flank, and beef balls, with cilantro and green onions ($10 regular). While the broth was aromatic, I was hoping for a bit more depth. Of the meats, the meatballs and steak were fine, but the flank was noticeably fatty.

Build your own pho

Service was great throughout, and we never felt neglected or rushed. Pho Boy definitely has the right vibe for the neighbourhood – a modern Vietnamese establishment targeting a younger demographic to gather, unwind, and graze.

While Pho Boy wouldn’t replace my Chinatown standards of Pho Tau Bay and King Noodle House, if I was in the area, or had a hankering for some of their appetizers, I wouldn’t hesitate to come back.

Pho Boy
10037B 82 Avenue
(587) 521-2444
Tuesday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm [summer hours Sunday 12-9pm]

Food Notes for July 3, 2017

It sure was a beautiful weekend to commemorate Canada’s sesquicentennial – hope you made the most of the gorgeous weather, too! On to this week’s food notes:

The third annual Feast on the Field (a fundraiser for Capital Care) at Commonwealth Stadium will be held on August 23, 2017. Tickets are $195.
Liane has more details about forthcoming Old Strathona restaurant Holy Roller – they’ll be offering Detroit and New Haven-style pizza, as well as a chocolate program.
Blind Enthusiasm will be opening any day now in July, but until then, learn more about what you can expect from the brewery and brew pub.

Montreal Hot Dogs downtown has announced an opening date of August 7, 2017. Consider picking up a Groupon if you’re thinking of trying it.
Bottega 104, the Crudo family’s second 104 Street venture, finally opened on the weekend.
New cafes are sprouting up everywhere in Edmonton – one of the latest is Hanjan, which celebrates Korean cafe culture. It is located at 3735 99 Street.
Ace Coffee Roasters also has brand new digs in Old Strathcona at 10055 80 Avenue. Leigh has some photos of the space.
Diane is on top of the new Korean fried chicken joints in Edmonton, posting about a new chain that has just landed in Edmonton – Pelicana, located at 106, 2920 Calgary Trail.
Nonna’s Bistro at 10061 Jasper Avenue just had their grand opening a few weeks ago.
Wishbone received a pair of positive reviews this week, from CBC and the Journal.
I hadn’t heard of a “Boodle Feast” before, but thanks to Linda, I learned that it is a hands-on dinner you can have at Mama Nita’s Binalot Filipino Cuisine.
Cindy has the low-down on which of ‘Ono Poke’s bowls are her favourite.
Jonny noticed a second Gong Cha location now open Edmonton just off Whyte Avenue at 10342 81 Avenue.
Liv enjoyed the flavours and experience at Baijiu.
Graham reviews Woodwork for the first time in three years, after Chef Lindsay Porter took over the kithen.
Avenue Edmonton just released their list of 25 Favourite Eats of 2017, as shared by 25 different Edmontonians. Also from Avenue, they’ll be opening the voting on their first ever Avenue Burger Challenge on July 4, 2017 – take a look at the list of the competitors in the first round.
I’m glad to hear that Smokehouse BBQ was able to recover their stolen food truck.
Phil shares photos from a farm dinner hosted by Chartier that took place a few weeks back.
Don’t want to wait for your food order? Some restaurants (including Remedy and Zenari’s) have joined ClickDishes, which allows you to order and pay in advance so pick-up is more seamless.
I just noticed that Robyn (who relocated to Ottawa from Edmonton last year), has started up a series of Food Notes for her new adopted city. Check it out if you’re looking to stay on top of Ottawa’s food scene!
Thanks to Montreal Hot Dogs, Mack and I won tickets to the Edmonton Prospects game on Friday. It was a closer game than it needed to be, but thankfully the Prospects came out on top! We were able to try a few things from the new Remax Field food provider, Prairie Catering, including their deep fried perogies (not as crispy as I would have liked, but still pretty satisfying). I couldn’t find their menu online, so here are their grandstand and lounge menus in case they’re helpful.

Deep fried perogies at Remax Field

What better way to celebrate Canada Day than with a limited edition poutizza from Love Pizza? We’re still holding out hope that they’ll bring back the mac and cheeza, too.

Poutizza from Love Pizza

Food Notes for June 26, 2017

MacEwan University is offering free noon hour tours of their urban beehives over the next month (June 30, July 14, and July 28).
Tickets for REDx on July 6, 2017, an international indigenous speaker series (which will also feature a showcase of indigenous foods) are now on sale.
There are so many Canada Day (or Canada Day week, as it were) festivities to choose from. Here’s another: the Shaw Conference Centre is holding its annual summer patio party on July 6 from 4-7pm with a Canada Day theme. Admission is free, but food tickets will be required to taste their regionally-inspired appetizers.
The next Fresh MEAET was postponed until July 11, 2017 – this iteration will focus on food and urban agriculture ideas. Tickets to the micro-funding event are $15.
Chef Brad Smoliak is returning to the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village to host another long table dinner on July 15, 2017. Tickets are $130 for the dinner, cooking demonstration, and tour of the village.
YEG Anthology is organizing a hands-on event inspired by Edmonton Cooks involving a chef, mixologist and a florist. The evening takes place at Cafe Linnea on July 18, 2017. Tickets are $80.
Chefs Paul Shufelt and Andrew Fung are collaborating to put on a garden party fundraiser for the High School Culinary Challenge on August 24, 2017 at Workshop Eatery. Tickets are $100.
The second Culinary Lab is a special Canada 150 dinner that will bring together chefs from across Canada to serve dinner on the Manulife Place rooftop garden. Tickets for the multi-course dinner are $150 per person and must be purchased in pairs.
So great to see so many local restaurant companies flourishing – the latest to add to their rosters are the El Cortez/Have Mercy group, with Holy Roller Cafe & Restaurant opening this summer, and the Next Act/Meat duo who will expand into a third with Pip, a wine bar with food.
Cindy spotted a forthcoming Thai chicken eatery on Jasper and 109 Street called Chix Shack.
Good Stock Restaurant is a new vegan option on the south side at 11409 40 Avenue, offering a whole food plant-based menu.
Sumo Sumo’s second location is now open at 3975 Calgary Trail (the former Plates Buffet).
Just in time for summer, Get Cooking has opened up their patio from Tuesday to Saturday for bar snacks from 3-5pm and brunch on Saturday from 11am-3pm.
You may have heard that the AGA offers free admission on Tuesdays and Wednesdays evenings, but did you know Zinc has a special Tapas Tuesday menu, with dishes as low as $4? Linda has the details.
If you’re looking for another brunch option, Bodega’s Highlands branch has you covered – they’re now open for brunch on weekends at 11am.
Need a primer on poke, appearing everywhere on menus at quick-serve to casual upscale restaurants? Here’s one from Chef Lawrence Hui of ‘Ono Poke.
Vue Weekly was impressed with El Mariachi’s reincarnation as a Mexican restaurant.
Jonny checked out a new-ish Indian restaurant Get Curried 12413 118 Avenue.
Also from Jonny – a visit to South Silk Road, the newest Northern Chinese restaurant in Edmonton at 5552 Calgary Trail.
Graham is the latest to review Vaticano Cucina.
Chris has high praise for Tokiwa Ramen in his photolog.
If you’re hungry, do not click on Cindy’s photolog of brunch at Bundok. You’ve been warned.
The folks behind Secret Meat Club are expanding to a retail outlet called Meuwly’s, to open downstairs from Northern Chicken.
Congratulations to all of the 2017 Foodies of the Year on Western Living’s list, but especially to Edmonton’s own Kevin Cam (of North 53 and Baijiu), who cracked the top 10.
So great to learn about Hope Mission’s non-profit food truck hitting the streets.
Mack and I had the privilege of attending a tasting organized by Honest Dumplings last week. They were looking for feedback as they plan to expand their operations. Our favourites were their traditional and maple pork belly dumplings, but it’s great to see that they’re continuing to experiment with flavours.

Honest Dumplings tasting!

There’s nothing quite like a hot, fresh calzone from Battista’s. The New York Mama was just as good as I remembered.

New York Mama calzone from Battista’s

We made the most of a beautiful Friday evening with a birthday dinner out at Tres Carnales. I was missing their guacamole.

Guacamole from Tres Carnales

Food Notes for June 19, 2017

I hope you’ve been able to take advantage of the weather (and the long days) as much as possible! On to this week’s food notes:

The first Prairie on the Plate Taste Alberta dinner of the year will be hosted at Bundok. Four courses for $60. Reservations are necessary.
The Grand Taste Tour is back with two events this summer – July 23 and August 19, 2017, with visits to local farms, breweries, distilleries and epic meals to look forward to. Tickets for the all-inclusive tours are $115.
Culinaire Magazine’s 2nd Annual Edmonton Treasure Hunt will take place on September 9, 2017. A pair of tickets cost $65, while individual tickets are on for $45. We participated last year, and hope they make some changes to improve the event.
The Shaw Conference Centre is hosting the FEASTival of Fine Chefs on September 20, 2017. Early bird tickets are available for $137 until July 1, 2017.
Knifewear is offering a 2-for-1 special on their Cut Like a Chef classes from June to August.
K-Days has released their new food menu for this year’s festival (which runs July 21-30, 2017). There’s really nothing too shocking or out of the box – examples include jalapeno lemonade, deep fried chicken feet, and mashed potato fingers.
Tickets for Taste of Edmonton (on July 20-29, 2017) are now on sale – $50 for sheets of 40 tickets, a savings of $10 until July 19. Menus are also up for your perusal.
Edmonton will soon be getting a location of Regrub, a Calgary-based burger joint, in Old Strathcona (thanks Su for the heads up!).
Congratulations to Arno’s French Pastry, one of the vendors at the City Market and Old Strathcona Market, which moved into a brick and mortar space located at 10038 116 Street.
Buono Pizza on the west end (8764 149 Street) is now open.
Urbano Pizza Co.’s second location at 10326 124 Street is now open.
Packrat Louie’s soft opening (following their renovations) took place on June 16, 2017.
Smokehouse BBQ is closing their 124 Street location this week, so they’ll be going out in style with a party on June 24, 2017. They hope to be re-open in their new location at 17820 107 Avenue by June 29.
Edmonton can add another cafe to its roster – Awake Cafe is open at 11029 9 Avenue.
Twyla was very impressed with Ono Poke.
Graham thinks Tang Bistro is a great addition to Edmonton’s food scene.
Crystal checked out vegan darling KB & Company, as well as Have Mercy.
The Journal visited 50s-style Rockin’ Robyn’s Diner.
I hadn’t heard of Branches, located in the Greenland Garden Centre, until this post on YEG Date Night.
Twyla put together a great round up of some of the bakeries that have opened up in Edmonton over the last six months.
It’s great when local businesses partner with one another: Confetti Sweets and Pinocchio Ice Cream teamed up to make cookie dough ice cream (one of my favourite flavours!).
Fort Saskatchewan’s Downtown Diner is now offering a special “diner after dark” food and retro cocktails menu from 8:30pm-1:30am.
Did you know St. Albert is finalizing its food forest, which will offer free organic food for the community?
We won’t know the ultimate results of Amazon’s deal to purchase Whole Foods for some time, but brace yourselves.
Mack and I tried Blaze Pizza in the Brewery District for the first time over the weekend. The crust was better than I anticipated (chewy and fairly thin, but able to support the toppings) and the service was good (they automatically offered to remake our pizza when realized it had burnt, and threw in dessert). I’d consider returning again in the future to try out a different pie.

Green stripe from Blaze Pizza

We’d be planning our next visit to Cafe Amore for a while – and my usual truffle chicken did not disappoint.

Truffle chicken from Cafe Amore

Food Notes for June 12, 2017

We had a great time in Seattle – it is a city with many facets, great food, and lots to do! As always, there’s much to catch up on (though I likely missed some things), so on to this week’s food notes:

Knifewear is hosting a customer appreciation party on June 14, 2017, with free beer and hot dogs – just RSVP!
The annual Mercer Super Summer Party takes place on June 17, 2017. Festivities kick off at 11am.
Prairie Pigeon is popping up at Hive Fit Co (10343 Jasper Avenue) on June 18, 2017 from 9am-12pm.
Congratulations to The Next Act who is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year! They’re hosting a customer appreciation party on July 2, 2017, with a throw-back menu (with 1992 pricing) and an anniversary collaboration brew with Alley Kat.
RGE Rd released their farm dinner schedule for this summer – act fast if you’re hoping for tickets!
Ever wanted to learn how to make your own gin? You can do so under the instruction of Hansen Distillery on July 13, 2017. Tickets are priced at $150.
On September 11, 2017, the Shaw Conference Centre is hosting a 5-course meal led by Executive Chef Serge Belair. Tickets are $100, and proceeds will go to the High School Culinary Challenge.
Block 1912 is opening up a sister cafe north of the river – look for Monument later this summer on Jasper Ave and 108 Street.
Wishbone officially opened on May 31, 2017! Find them at 10542 Jasper Avenue.
Nudoru has debuted a new menu, featuring different ramen and burger selections.
Both Twyla and the Journal reviewed Vaticano Cucina, the newest Italian restaurant on the south side.
Cathy returns to her blog to share her enthusiasm about Crum Coffee Bar, located at 4640 Calgary Trail South.
Linda is the latest to review Ono Poke Co.
Cindy reviews Splash Poke.
Crystal enjoyed her meal at Nuovo Bistro.
Graham recaps his recent dining experiences at Alder Room and Little Village.
The Cone may still be around in Edmonton, but it won’t be on 99 Street because it’s been sold.
Confetti Sweets is closing their Terwillegar location at the end of June, but may be opening a branch in Windermere.
Small gelato company Da Vinci can produce up to three-quarters of a tonne of gelato each day.
An interesting app called Waitless is coming to Edmonton – it’s designed to help consumers order additional items, or pay their bill without the need of a server. We’ll see how many restaurants sign up.
I’m late to the party, but if you’re out and about looking for a patio, the Patio Buzz app can help with that.
Great to see lots of Edmonton and area representation on Western Living’s tenth annual Foodies of the Year shortlist: Kevin Cam (North 53/Baijiu), Darren and Sylvia Cheverie (Chartier), Matthew Garrett and Simon Underwood (Moonshine Donuts/Doughnut Party), Kelsey Johnson (Cafe Linnea), Jake Lee (Seoul Fried Chicken).
Consider supporting the Youth Restorative Action Project’s CIY: Cook It Yourself program, which teaches youth basic cooking skills.
Avoiding gluten for those without celiac disease may put people at risk for other diseases, a message shared at the national conference for the Canadian Celiac Association, held in Edmonton on the weekend.
Recent survey results released by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry indicates that Albertans increased their spending on local food by 25% from 2012 to 2016.
Just before we left on vacation, I met up with my parents for dinner at Golden Bird. It’s been some time since I’ve been there, but besides featuring a generous sprinkling of cilantro, the pho just wasn’t up to par for me. The meatballs were unfortunately on the sinewy side.

Pho from Golden Bird

Back in town, I returned to Chinatown, but this time to satisfy my craving for King Noodle House’s bun bo Hue.

Bun bo Hue from King Noodle House

Introducing: Edmonton Chinatown Walking Tours

Back in 2013 and 2014, I was part of a small team of volunteers who wanted to bring some vibrancy to the streets of Edmonton’s Chinatown. Our solution was to program a night market that involved food, vendors, and a variety of performances to help bring more foot traffic to the area and celebrate some of the distinct cultural aspects that Chinatown has to offer.

97 Street Night Market
2014 Night Market

Both markets were successful, and some who attended appreciated the encouragement that brought them to a neighborhood they did not normally have cause to explore. While we weren’t able to continue the night market, we have been thinking about ways to continue highlighting Chinatown that are more sustainable.

97 Street Night Market
Lion dance at the 2014 Night Market

One of the more popular aspects of the night market we had included in both years were walking tours. Led by volunteer community members with expertise in different areas such as history, public art, and food, the tours provided participants with the opportunity to see Chinatown with a different lens, or gave them a reason to return again on their own.

97 Street Night Market
Tour at the 2013 Night Market

In May, Kathryn Lennon and Claudia Wong-Rusnack organized a Chinatown-themed tour as a part of Jane’s Walk this year. More than thirty people turned up, so the interest in learning more about this area of the city is definitely alive and well.

Jane’s Walk tour

In this spirit, we will be offering a series of free Chinatown walking tours this summer, in the hopes of being able to introduce even more people to an area of the city that is sometimes overlooked and underutilized.

Dates: June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, 2017 (second Sunday of the month)

Time: 10:30am – 12:30pm

Location: meet at Edmonton Tourism, 9990 Jasper Avenue (rain or shine!)

RSVP on Facebook: June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10

If you’ve ever wondered why Edmonton has two Chinatowns, learning more about some of the development pressures faced by the neighbourhood, or have been curious about which businesses you should visit, please consider coming for a tour! We’re open to feedback as well, and will be adding information to the tours as they happen.

Hope to see you there!

Road Trip: Exploring East of Edmonton

A few weeks ago, we picked up the twentieth edition of the Go East of Edmonton guide from one of those free magazine boxes. It was the push we needed to finally explore some of the communities just east of the city, with a visual map that aided us to plan a day trip away.

Fort Saskatchewan

We started our morning at The Downtown Diner. It was our second time, and we were reminded again of their incredible hospitality. The service was warm and consistent – they kept pace with the way in which I drink my morning coffee; not an easy feat.

At this point, I should remark that the Diner is more highly regarded for their lunch and dinner plates, though they do have a few all-day breakfast specials. I always prefer to have eggs for brunch, so chose the basic eggs, meat and toast platter. Everything was fine, but the breakfast plates never pop as much as the other dishes.

Breakfast platter

Mack’s mac and cheese, for instance, was a rich and creamy delight, topped with a crunchy bread crumb crust. He also appreciated the accompanying garlic toast.

Mac and cheese

Bruderheim

After brunch, we were off to neighbouring Bruderheim, a small town of 1,300 known for being the site of Canada’s largest recovered meteorite (back in 1960). More recently, they are among a handful of Alberta towns that have instituted a curfew for teenagers.

One of the downsides to exploring small town Alberta on a statutory holiday was most of the family-run businesses we encountered were closed. One of the exceptions in Bruderheim was Theil’s Greenhouses, a small but charming greenhouse with a good selection of flowers, planters, and vegetables.

Theil’s Greenhouses

I was particularly impressed with their array of tomato varieties (we picked up one of our perennial favourites – sweet baby girl) and a planter for Grandma Male.

Mundare

It’s always been on my bucket list to plan a road trip based around the unusually large monuments all over Alberta. We were able to hit up two on this trip, so it’s a start!

Mundare’s giant sausage ring (commemorating and erected by Stawnichy’s, the well-known Ukrainian meat shop) is set up just beyond the welcome gates on the town’s main street. It was built for photo ops, with a staircase in the centre to ensure tourists can be captured within the ring.

The sausage

Just steps away from the monument is Stawnichy’s itself, one of the only shops on the street open that day. They were still doing brisk sales – their products are available at Mundare Sausage House in Edmonton, but it was nice to get it from the source; we bought some Ukrainian sausage and jerky to take home.

Vegreville

Vegreville was next on our list of towns and massive monuments. The pysanka is one of the most frequently cited large-scale sculptures, and though I had seen it in photos many times, it took visiting it in person to realize it rotates.

The pysanka!

Although the pysanka isn’t accompanied by a staircase, it’s actually situated in more picturesque surroundings. Nestled in a park, we stretched our legs in the green space that featured a decommissioned caboose, playground, skate park, gazebo, and picnic areas. The playground even featured the exercise equipment that Mack and I so enjoy.

Onto the train!

Last year’s Vegreville Country Fair is actually featured on the cover of the Go East of Edmonton Guide – it definitely caught my eye, and is something I hope to get to later this summer (it runs August 10-12, 2017).

Elk Island Park

Last June, we took a turn through Elk Island Park and were besieged by mosquitos, so we thought a visit earlier in the year might result in better conditions. While this was true, I don’t think we anticipated as many people as we encountered. Although there were a steady stream of cars leaving as we drove in, the parking lot was oversubscribed.

It was great to see so many families taking advantage of the gorgeous weather over the long weekend. There were line-ups for boat rentals, blankets pitched every which way, and many groups set up for picnics.

Busy day at the park

We weren’t dressed for an intense hike, so we took some of the more leisurely trails just off Astotin Lake. And though I was an initial sceptic about the Parks Canada #sharethechair campaign, I have to say I’m now a happy convert.

Sharing the chair, again

Sadly for Mack, we didn’t happen upon any wildlife on our walk that day, but I’m sure we will be back to Elk Island before the summer’s end. They are hosting quite a number of special events over the next few months, including Parks Day on July 15, the annual Bison Festival on August 19, and Dark Sky Preserve Party on September 2-3, 2017.

Sunny skies

It was a fun way to spend a day exploring the communities just outside of Edmonton. I’d recommend the Go East of Edmonton guide if you’re looking to plan your own daytrip!

Food Notes for May 29, 2017

It’s been a crazy month at work, so I’m really looking forward to our Seattle vacation coming up. A heads up that there won’t be a Food Notes post next Monday. On to this week’s food notes:

Food4Good is hosting their next fruit and veggie sale on May 30, 2017 at the Glenwood Community League (16430 97 Avenue) from 10am-2pm.
The Downtown Edmonton Community League’s annual pancake breakfast is taking place on June 17, 2017. Swing by before your trip down to the City Market.
Tickets for the second Eats on 118 this year are now on sale – the June 28, 2017 crawl will visit Lan’s Asian Grill, The Blind Duck, and Plaza Bowl.
In conjunction with REDx Talks on July 6, 2017, Chef Shane Chartrand is organizing a meal that will celebrate the heritage and culinary roots of participating chefs.
‘Ono Poke Co. is the second poke restaurant in Edmonton (opening within a few weeks of Splash Poke), with a soft opening scheduled for June 3, 2017 at 10142 104 Street. The Globe & Mail has a preview of what to expect.
Su gave me a heads up that there’s another bakery in store for Old Strathcona – Fan Fan Patisserie is coming soon to 10330 80 Avenue.
Chachi’s is open in South Edmonton Common.
Bundok is now open for brunch on Saturdays starting at 10am.
Burrow Cafe in the Central LRT station is temporarily closed while its future is decided.
Ms. Hangry Foodie reviews the latest Korean fried chicken joint in Edmonton, Yummy Chicken, at 6111 28 Avenue.
Graham gave a positive review to St. Albert’s Privada Wine and Tapas. Last week, I missed linking to related news that Privada’s chef Tony Krause will also lead the new restaurant stepping into the vacant Alberta Hotel space.
Linda’s hoping for more dog-friendly patios in Edmonton, and shared how restaurants can apply for the required permit.
On the heels of Alder Room’s opening (who sells advanced tickets for their set-course meals), the National Post published a piece on why more restaurants are moving in this direction.
Alberta Food Tours is running a contest to showcase the best of Alberta’s food scene with an Instagram contest. 150 prizes will be awarded to photos hashtagged #eatalberta150 on Instagram submitted between May 23 to August 7, 2017.
The chef line-up for the 2017 Gold Medal Plates competition is set. The event runs October 12, 2017.
Cindy’s latest Edmonton Cooks post is up – she made Sugarbowl’s cinnamon buns.
If you’re still looking for fall vacation ideas – consider Liane’s culinary tour to Chicago in October.
Bottega, the new restaurant from the family behind Cafe Amore and Black Pearl, is near completion at 10181 104 Street. Though they’re not quite ready to serve yet, they were open on Saturday to take advantage of the City Market foot traffic. They hope to open in June.

Bottega

Mack and I took Grandma Male for her first ever dim sum experience on the weekend! She particularly enjoyed the spring rolls and shrimp dumplings at Tasty Noodle.

Dim sum!

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