Slow Food Edmonton’s 5th Annual Wild Boar & Beer BBQ

Last year, my involvement in planning Slow Food Edmonton’s 4th annual Wild Boar & Beer BBQ was nominal – I helped with some of the promotion, such as putting together their first ever Scavenger Hunt, but other than that, I was just happy to be able to attend one of my first events as an official Slow Food member. This year, Maria and I leapt with both feet and decided to plan the event ourselves.

We started back in February, if you can believe it, but were able to secure the date early on with Alley Kat Brewery. In the months that followed, we met with several Slow Food members who had planned past BBQs, and helped us work through other details (thanks again to Vince Roy, Colleen Ingoldsby, Jennifer Cockrall-King and Gail Hall!). We eventually got Leva Cafe and Cafe Haven on board to make the side salads, two restaurants who already source many of their ingredients from local producers, and booked Earl Hagman from Hog Wild Specialties, who would be the man behind the boar. As the event drew nearer, we secured Martin Kerr as the afternoon’s entertainment, applied for the necessary permits, purchased insurance, printed tickets, rounded up door prizes, arranged to borrow tents, organized another scavenger hunt and ordered everything from porta potties to non-alcoholic drinks to dessert to cutlery – it really was an education for me, as it was the first time I had a hand in putting together such a large-scale event where we would be feeding nearly 200 people. It really wouldn’t have come together without Maria though – with my day job, it would have been challenging to make connections during business hours, so Maria took on the brunt of the necessary calls.

We knew the date would be a problem for some – August 8, 2010 fell on this year’s Folk Fest weekend. Many people did express that the date did create a conflict, but in the end, it was as close to a sell out as we could have hoped for. All we had left to do was keep our fingers crossed for good weather.

On Sunday morning, the forecast was looking good. Maria and Jeff had generously taken the 4:30 a.m. shift, having met Earl at the Brewery at dawn to help move the barbeque. They were back at Alley Kat at 9 a.m. to meet up with Mack and I, alongside Neil and a few other brewery staff for set-up.

Checking on the boar (all 140lbs of it, and on the ‘cue since 4:45 that morning)

Many hands made light work, and we were finished in no-time. Of course, there were still plenty of things of things to do, and over the next few hours, we made our way through the task list.

All ready to go!

Yvan from Tree Stone Bakery had been kind enough to donate all of the bread for the barbeque, including a huge loaf that we nicknamed the “surfboard”, for how large it was.

Mack has fun slicing bread (we included Mighty Trio Organics canola oil for dipping)

Many started arriving even before 1 p.m., but the Alley Kat volunteers were ready to handle the thirsty crowd. Their beer is a fine choice on any day, but even more so on a hot summer afternoon.

There was also iced Toddy coffee from Transcend and lemonade from Homestyle Beverages for those not interested in beer

Martin Kerr was tasked with establishing the mood for the event, and I think he did a great job – there’s just something about an acoustic guitar that seemed to fit so well with the casual vibe that afternoon.

Martin entertains the crowd

Thea had brought Slow Food swag in case anyone was interested, and was also great in lending us a hand that day when we needed it.

The Slow Food table

We could sense the crowd was getting hungry, and planned to start serving food once it looked like most of the seats were filled.

The crowd

Jeff and Chad are ready to carve

Leva Cafe and Cafe Haven had delivered their salads earlier that afternoon, and they looked great!

Cafe Haven’s tri-colour carrot salad, featuring carrots from Riverbend Gardens and Greens, Eggs and Ham, and cilantro from their staff’s veggie patch (the sesame seeds were a nice touch)

Leva Cafe’s coleslaw featuring Caraflex cabbage from Riverbend Gardens (it was super-fragrant, from the sesame oil)

Leva Cafe’s mixed greens salad with Elderflower dressing featuring mixed heritage greens from Greens, Eggs and Ham, beets from Sundog Organics, and BC Blueberries from Steve and Dan’s (I really loved the blueberries)

Though we had originally planned for the food to be served buffet-style, we made a game-time decision to serve the food ourselves instead. It ended up being a great choice, if not only because it meant we were able to interact with every person who attended the event.

On the line

It was great to see some familiar faces – Liane from the Journal (who put together a very nice write-up of the event on her blog), fellow food bloggers Kevin and Lea, Jim and Elaine (who we met last year), and MP Linda Duncan.

Even my parents came out, and brought their friend Poh!

The line didn’t seem to diminish – every time we thought we were through, we looked up and saw that more people had joined the line. Really though, I probably just had no idea how many servings made up nearly 200.

The line

The carvers hard at work

After we were done serving (yes, there were seconds available for most who wanted them), Maria and I doled out the door prizes.

Maria announces the winner of a jar of Lola Canola honey

Finally, we were able to relax – for a while anyway. The four of us settled down in the shade with our plates of food.

Maria and I

Mack and Jeff

All that was left was takedown – though most of the crowd left just after 4, we had several tables linger until nearly 5. By 6 that night, we were finally done.

At the end of the day, Maria and I were really happy with the event – no one went hungry, and we avoided any major catastrophes! Of course, we both acknowledge that this event would not have happened without our volunteers, including Thea, Chad, Tara, Jeff, and the crew from Alley Kat. We also have to thank many local businesses who helped us out in other ways:

Mary Bailey of The Tomato for a full-page ad
Bob Robertson for designing the Beer & Boar ad
Yvan Chartrand of Tree Stone Bakery for donating bread
Riverbend Gardens for donating cabbage
Blue Plate Diner for donating potato-based plates
Credo Coffee for donating corn-based cups
Mary Ellen and Andreas Grueneberg and Patty Milligan for donating door prizes and lending us tents
Ed Fong of DeVine’s for donating door prizes
Julianna Mimande for donating a copy of We Eat Together
Kerstin’s Chocolates for donating a door prize
And last but not least – Neil and Lavonne of Alley Kat for hosting us and donating all of the beer.

Thanks to everyone who came out and helped to make the event a success!

You can check out Mack’s photo set here.

City Market Report: Week 13

So we did end up cruising the City Market early on Saturday, due to some last-minute shopping for the Wild Boar and Beer BBQ to take place the following day.

Great weather for a stroll

After the errands were completed, I made my rounds. It was good to see Julianna, Gabe and Zach out – they were selling the last of their We Eat Together inventory.

Julianna, Gabe, Zach

I know I’ve become a broken record, but I am continuously amazed with Sundog Organic’s selection of produce. I picked up some spinach, kale, basil and cilantro, but marvelled at the rest of the gorgeous goods. I was also happy to hear that their farm tour last week went over well; they hope to offer more tours in the future.

Eggplant!

Field peppers

At Greens, Eggs and Ham, I picked up some lean ground turkey that I had pre-ordered (a privilege of being a member of their Futures program). I saw their rat’s tail radishes for the first time this season – small green pods that resemble a cross between a pea and a chili pepper, but are crunchy, and taste like radishes. They are often eaten as a bar snack.

Rat’s tail radishes

Patty pan squash from Kuhlmann’s

Green beans from Kuhlmann’s

Sarah of Belua Designs made her biggest monster yet (he required 7 socks!)

I love seeing new vendors at the Market, and this week, there were two to meet. First, Barr Estate Winery actually chose the City Market to debut their product in their first official day of business (they were told by their marketing person that the City Market is the place to be – I have to agree!). They have a small fruit orchard on their property in Sherwood Park, and in their spare time (Rick and Amy work as heart researchers during the day), they make wine. At the moment, they have two varieties –raspberry and rhubarb. Between Barr and en Sante, I think it’s a boon for shoppers to be able to pick up local wines at the market to accompany their fresh produce!

Barr Estate Wineries

The second new vendor is Sugar Sugar Bakery, joining Whimsical Cupcakes to expand the Market’s cupcake offerings. I love the cupcake names, many of which have been given a moniker from the Archie series of comics. Though we picked up four cupcakes for a friend’s birthday, we didn’t try any ourselves yet. That said, Maria said the honey cupcake (topped with a honeycomb – too cute) was her favourite.

Cupcakes!

The buskers at the Market play such a huge part at setting the tone at the atmosphere, and one of my favourites, Martin Kerr, was back, for his first City Market date this year. He’s set to return next week, if you’re interested in his acoustics!

Martin Kerr

At the end of the day, Mack and I headed to Patty Milligan (aka Lola Canola)’s booth to learn how to take down her tent (she was kind enough to lend us the tent for us at the Boar & Beer BBQ). While awaiting her return, Mack managed to sell two jars of honey on Patty’s behalf! He was all smiles after that.

Downtown was a busy place on Saturday, also hosting the festive Cariwest parade that afternoon. We could hear the music from our condo, and headed out to Jasper Avenue to watch the colourful procession.

Gorgeous costumes

The flatbed trucks, toting towers of speakers, DJs spinning and a steel drum band, were interesting modes of transportation – more so because of their sheer number!

And another one…

The costumes alone were definitely worth coming out for, and everyone in the parade looked like they were having a great time! I have to wonder though – there was some very suggestive dancing in places – for a family-friendly event, I would have thought those in the parade would have kept it PG.

Steel drums!

We followed the procession down to Churchill Square, where the party continued.

Make room!

Councillors Amarjeet Sohi and Ben Henderson having a blast

Palance!

You can take a look at Mack’s photo set of the parade here.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Drumroll Please: Judging at the 35th Annual Heritage Festival

Mack and I were thrilled when the Heritage Festival asked us to be a part of their judging panel to help identify outstanding pavilions this year.

Heritage Festival

On Sunday, we took the bus to Hawrelak Park and met up with our two fellow judges – former City Councillor Michael Phair and CTV News Director Glenn Kubish. Though I knew it would be logistically impossible for the four of us to review 63 pavilions representing 85 cultures, I wasn’t sure how the cull would be taking place.

With our fellow judges

It turned out that the Festival administration had conducted a preliminary round of judging the afternoon before, and had whittled the massive list down to seven or eight finalists in each of three categories: arts and crafts, entertainment and food.

Board Vice President Sue Ooraikul Thomas oriented the group and provided each of us with a binder outlining the judging guidelines, and sheets we would be using to record our scores and comments. We decided that by splitting into two teams, we would be able to cover more ground (particularly in the performance category, as shows are not continuously offered).

Michael and Glenn get ready to roll

One of the highlights was undoubtedly getting to use a golf cart for the duration of our judging duties. I was always envious, on those scorching hot afternoons, of the people who would zip nonchalantly by in their covered cart. Well, for a few hours, we got to experience the joys of such convenience ourselves!

The view from the golf cart

It was funny though – we were stopped by numerous people who assumed that we were staff or volunteers (which, I suppose, we were). We had to learn the lay of the land pretty quick in order to direct people to washrooms, ATMs, and specific pavilions.

Mack hearts the cart

It’s no surprise, really, but the judging criteria really made us more aware of certain things, aspects of pavilions that even after years of attending the festival, I had never really noticed. It was an interesting exercise, and as Mack agreed, made us look at all of the pavilions (after our judging duties were over) in a different way.

Chris cooks up a storm at the French pavilion

After about four hours, we met up with Michael and Glenn to compare notes. Though I thought it would be more of a challenge to come up with our top-three in each category, it wasn’t difficult at all:

Arts and Crafts

Iraq
Thailand
Scandinavia

Entertainment

China
Philippines
Thailand

Food

Borneo
Scandinavia
Arab

We both really enjoyed the experience – thanks again to the Festival Board for thinking of us!

Our judging duties over, we took our time and wandered through the grounds, stopping at pavilions we didn’t get a chance to see the first time around.

Dancers at the Thailand pavilion

Three tenors at the Italian pavilion

Lion dances on the Taiwanese stage (yes, we were hit by the lettuce)

Finger puppets at the Chilean tent

The Scandinavian pavilion in Lego!

Vuvuzelas at the Africa OYI pavilion

Creative marketing

Cooking up chicken skewers at the Japanese pavilion

So much corn

We were happy to hear that the Festival was “going green”, with Earth Friendly Distributors providing biodegradable plates, bowls, napkins and utensils, and Waste Management providing receptacles for biodegradable materials. Unfortunately, the system needed some improvements, as several pavilions we visited were doling out Styrofoam plates and plastic cutlery. Also – some of the bins could have definitely used emptying, in order to encourage the diversion from regular waste.

Overflow

Though many of our food tickets went toward drinks to keep us hydrated and cool, we were able to try some interesting items, including an arepa from the Venezuelan tent, and fried plantain from the Congolese tent (I thought Mack would like plantain, given his love of bananas…but ultimately, the starch was too much for him).

Shaved ice from the Hong Kong pavilion

Arepa

Fried plantain

My annual Heritage Festival treat – langos from the Hungarian pavilion

Mack’s annual treat – perogies from the Ukraine pavilion

The Heritage Festival is one of the those events that really represents the best of Edmonton – its diversity, its energy, its spirit. Richard LaSueur, Past President, indicated that they are at capacity at Hawrelak Park (with a limited number of outlets to connect power and water), and will need to expand in order to accommodate all of those who apply. I do hope they can achieve this in the coming years – the Heritage Festival is a vibrant celebration that shoots for the moon, and reaches it.

Capital Ex 2010

There’s something about Capital Ex that keeps me coming back. In spite of its inescapable associations with teenage excess, there I am, every summer, pounding the midway pavement like clockwork.

Round and round

It’s not any one thing – not the food or the exhibits, not the fireworks or the talent shows, and certainly not the rides – but the atmosphere, the energy, the collective joi de vivre that pulses through the fairground. It’s exhilarating being among a crowd that is living in the moment, searching out the next thrill.

Whee!

We had picked up our gate admission from Ticketmaster in advance (it actually only saves you $2, but between the two of us, that’s enough for mini doughnuts!), bypassed the ticket lines, and headed straight to the grounds.

We had big plans for deep-fried gluttony, but first, we were fortunate enough for a behind-the-scenes detour. A few weeks ago, Mack had been contacted by Sandra Pysklywyc, Public Relations Manager for Northlands, in order to arrange for a tour of the kitchen, as Mack had expressed interest in their promotional Monster Burger.

Sandra introduced us to Arlindo Gomes, Director of Hospitality and Client Services for Northlands, who actually conceived of Sip!, the Food and Wine Experience at Capital Ex. He said that from a merchandising point of view, most liquor trade shows don’t provide the opportunity for consumers to connect with both the sales representative and the product at eye level, and Sip!, with its bar-height counters, does. He also crafted the feel of the event, intimate and sophisticated, using floor lighting, table accents, and art displays to his advantage.

Sip!

One of my favourite aspects of Sip! has always been their demonstration stage – it was where I first met Sebastian Lysz two years ago at the inaugural Sip (who has since become an up-and-coming figure to watch in Edmonton’s food scene). This year, the rock stars of the schedule included internationally-renowned mixologists Gavin MacMillan and David Jennings.

Cocktail hour

Arlindo eventually led us into the basement of Northlands, where the kitchen is located. It had been recently renovated and expanded, with Arlindo ensuring that the design would allow for flexibility in equipment set-up as needed. As a result, all of the machines (flattops, grills, ovens) are on wheels, and save the fume hood, can be moved.

Hot kitchen

The prize of the kitchen was undoubtedly the combi ovens. The practical ability to cook with both steam and dry heat was demonstrated with some of the food being served at Sip upstairs – beef jerky and a whole roasted pig (which apparently takes only four hours in their oven). Mack and I thought the coolest thing about the oven was the fact that the same cart that holds pans of food can be wheeled out of the oven and directly into the blast chiller, or vice versa.

Blast chillers

Arlindo explained that for large-scale functions, this is exactly what happens – food is pre-cooked, plated, loaded up onto a cart (below), then cooled in the blast chiller. Just before the food is served, the entire cart is wheeled directly into the oven to finish cooking. Amazing!

Ready for the next event

Another fairly new feature of the kitchen was their Code Green initiative, seeking to recycle all organic material that comes through the kitchen. The plastic bins were everywhere in the kitchen, filled with everything from coffee grounds to boxes to vegetable peels, to end up in a composting pile. Arlindo said he would have numbers of how much waste has been diverted in November, exactly a year since the program began.

Code Green

In the cold kitchen area, we spotted racks of hibiscus flowers drying atop slices of lemon. Arlindo explained that a few years ago, he had ordered 200 jars of hibiscus flowers, thinking that they would be all the rage (at the time, they were a popular addition to cocktails and other drinks). Unfortunately, the hibiscus flowers didn’t take off as he had planned, and the kitchen is still working its way through his massive order, and remind him every day of his mistake (chefs at Sip were actually using them to make a floral-scented ice cream).

Hibiscus flowers

Of course, I had to take the opportunity to ask Arlindo what Northlands was doing to source products from local businesses and producers. On the subject of coffee (and buying from local roasters), he explained it was an economical decision – Starbucks provided and maintains all of their brewing equipment at no charge, and is able to service the machines quickly and efficiently.

Coffee equipment

On the subject of local producers, Northlands did just recently start using beef from Spring Creek Ranch. Arlindo said that the 20-30% mark-up on the premium beef does make it difficult for them to use it on a large scale (although they do utilize Alberta beef in all of their facilities), but they have been able to experiment with it upstairs in their Monster Burger outlet. Though the 1kg burger is a promotion specifically for Capital Ex, the outlet will be in operation during all conferences and events, and features not only a 7 oz. Spring Creek Ranch beef burger (priced at just $9.75, with fries), but the first premium Spring Creek Ranch hot dog (with no preservatives, hormone and antibiotic-free, in a natural casing). It was fortuitous that Bern Kotelko of Spring Creek Ranch was having a meal there during our tour.

Monster Burger

Bern and Arlindo

Next to Monster Burger is maspasta (“mas” means “more” in Latin). Another one of Arlindo’s initiatives, the pasta outlet is a fast but tasty option for conference and event attendees.

maspasta

Once the tour was over, we headed back into the hall to use our Sip! tickets (Sandra was generous enough to give us 50 tickets to use at our own pace). We were happy to see local breweries Alley Kat and Yellowhead present, but Mack ended up trying beer from Yukon Brewing Company for the first time (he gave the Yukon Gold a thumbs up). I steered clear of familiar wine brands and found Warrego Wines out of Australia. Their Half-Way Wine lived up to its promise of being semi-sweet.

Yukon Brewing Company

In terms of food, the selection this year of savoury dishes seemed better than in past years, and to add to things, Northlands even prepared recipe cards for patrons to take home if they wanted to recreate the dishes at home.

Recipe cards for pulled pork panini

The Alberta barley paella was a great way to start off, textured and satisfying, but my favourite was the Cuban-inspired pulled pork panini.

Huge paella pan

After seeing his (or her?) poor cousin in the combi oven downstairs, we also had to give the roasted pork a try. I have to say it was difficult to eat without a knife (I try to keep the savage table manners to a public minimum), but the meat was moist, albeit on the fatty side.

Some pig

Though I can see why beef jerky was on the menu (no need to keep it hot or cold, and keeps well to boot), it was a bit out of place in the elegant setting. That said, out of the three flavours, Mack liked the sweet and sour best.

Beef jerky

We ended our experience with a treat from the fun ice cream bar that not only featured fresh ice cream, but also a variety of candy toppings.

We all scream for ice cream

By the time we were ready to hit the midway, the heat of the evening sun had dissipated. In the dwindling light, we soaked up the fair.

Mack’s Capital Ex tradition

I could have watched the poor souls forever, but we were unfortunately positioned in the splash zone

On our walk through, we passed by the outdoor Monster Burger kiosk. For those who didn’t hear about it, it was a 1kg Spring Creek Ranch beef burger topped with 1/2 lb of bacon, onions, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes, and would cost $39.50…unless the person could finish it in one hour. I have to say I love that they took and posted photos of every person who successfully completed the challenge.

Monster Burger challenge

I really do hope it is something they continue in future years – I think it helps expose Spring Creek Ranch to a wider audience, and also benefits the Edmonton Food Bank (1kg of beef was donated to the Food Bank for every Monster Burger purchased).

We were really hoping for fireworks that night, but the skies threatened to open up, so we hustled to our other Capital Ex tradition – a bag of Those Little Doughnuts.

Looks like a vortex is about to open up, doesn’t it?

All I need are doughnuts

Thanks again to Sandra and Arlindo for their hospitality. We had a great time, and are looking forward to next year already!

City Market Report: Week 12

For a second week in a row, we actually made it down to the City Market early (don’t expect to happen again).

No crowds!

Saturday was Food Day Canada, a “national celebration of restaurateurs, suppliers, growers, farmers and citizens.” To recognize the day, the Market had organized a full day of chef demos, and had put a call out to local food bloggers to volunteer. I agreed to help out, in addition to staffing the Slow Food Edmonton community tent, where we would be selling Wild Boar & Beer BBQ tickets.

Jo and Thea from Slow Food Edmonton

Five chefs demonstrated dishes throughout the day, all that had been put together using ingredients from the market.

Chef Brad Smoliak

Chef Elaine Wilson

Chef Blair Lebsack (of Madison’s Grill)

Blair’s salmon with corn succotash and potatoes

Blair’s guinea fowl clubhouse (one of the special features on Madison’s Food Day Canada menu)

Chef Julianna Mimande and Bianca

Carrot dip from Julianna’s We Eat Together

Chef Duane Hicks from Blue Plate Diner cooks with a blowtorch

Before I started my shift, Mack and I did our shopping. Our first stop was at Sundog Organics, to once again marvel at their beautiful produce, and pick up some beets, cabbage and garlic.

Leeks!

Onions!

Tomatoes!

Steve & Dan’s is another weekly stop. Blackberries went into our bag this time around, but their stone fruits were looking delectable.

Plums!

When I saw zucchini at Kuhlmann’s, Mack could tell you I stopped in my tracks – I love zucchini! Last year, we weren’t able to buy the monstrous zucchini, knowing that we would have to lug it home eighteen blocks. This year, being just upstairs, I anticipate my fridge and freezer to be full of zucchini!

Zucchini!

Perusing the monsters at Belua Designs this week, we came thisclose to adding another monster to our family. We also saw Sarah’s first two-headed creation a couple of weeks ago, and saw that she had another one this week – too cute!

Belua Designs

It was great to see some new-to-us vendors as well, including Shannon and Danny Ruzicka of Nature’s Green Acres. When I visited their farm last summer, they were discussing eventually having a booth at the market, but I didn’t know it would be so soon – apparently, this was their third week already! Visit them for great pasture-raised, hormone and antibiotic-free chicken, beef and pork.

Danny and Shannon

O Sol’ Meatos, purveyor of air-dried charcuterie, was also at the market. I tried their product at Indulgence this year, and it was tasty.

O Sol’ Meatos

Last week saw the first time the veggie valet was introduced at the Market – a complimentary service at the information tent where patrons can leave their purchases until they’re ready to leave the street. On Saturday, a pair of shoppers were the first to use the service!

Veggie valet in action

Though it was a long day, the best thing about being at the market for that length of time was running into people – coworkers, friends – and being able to leisurely chat with my fellow Slow Food members. I was also fed well – some fatty pork belly and slaw from Filistix kept me going.

Filistix

After an exhausting day, I was looking forward to unwinding at a dinner out. Mack and I met up with Maria and Jeff for a late meal at Madison’s Grill, where they had a special menu commemorating Food Day Canada. With entrees starting at $10, it made sense that Madison’s had more than 100 reservations that night.

Maria’s Peas on Earth organic salad with Bles Wold dressing (the strawberries were picked specifically for Blair the day before!)

Jeff’s amuse bouche trio with cold Doef’s cucumber soup, hummus crostini, smoked Greens, Eggs and Ham guinea fowl tart

When I had seen the menu, I immediately gravitated towards the Big Rock-battered Alberta whitefish fish and chips ($10), with a malt vinegar gastrique and a sweet pea aioli (their play on mushy peas). It was everything I was expecting – a crispy coating, fork-tender interior, and a welcome sweetness from the gastrique.

Alberta whitefish fish and chips

I also ordered the duo of sliders ($10) – a Spring Creek Ranch beef slider with Sylvan Star gouda and apple-cherry compote and an Irvings pulled pork slider with coleslaw and Brassica mustard. The pulled pork slider was darn messy to eat, and was worth every bite, but I liked the beef slider better, with its melted layer of cheese and sweetness of the fruit compote.

Duo of sliders

Mack and Jeff also ordered the steamed PEI mussels ($16), Mack with the Irvings habanero sausage and rose sauce, and Jeff with the spicy Gull Valley tomato compote. They both had fun comparing popping the generous serving of mussels to eating pistachios.

PEI mussels

We ended the meal with a “made in Canada” cheese cart, with two soft cheeses from Quebec, two Sylvan Star cheeses and a blue cheese (for Maria, heh, the rest of us abhor blue). Of the condiments, Maria and I liked the apple-walnut compote the best.

Cheese tray

It was a day full of food – just as it should have been.

Teatro la Quindicina: “The Ambassador’s Wives”

The Ambassador’s Wives, Stewart Lemonine’s newest play that just wrapped up its run at the Varscona Theatre, is one of the best Teatro la Quindicina productions I’ve seen in a while. Unlike some reviewers, I’m not smitten with every Lemoine piece – there are some that ring truer, or happen to entertain me more than others.

The Ambassador’s Wives fell in the latter category, a super-charged ride through a farcical murder mystery:

“When the Monte Carlo embassy of the tiny yet volatile Balkan nation of Panonia is besieged by treacherous beauties as a result of a diplomat’s abundant political and romantic indiscretions, lethal consequences are simply inevitable.”

What was most refreshing about this production was the balance between Teatro favourites and newcomers to the Teatro team. Though I adore Davina Stewart and Jeff Haslam (Haslam played his typical sassy, impervious character, and Teatro regular Julien Arnold was outstanding as the infallible embassy attaché), it was nice to see the change of dynamics brought about by recent graduates Jenny McKillop, Kristi Hansen and Vincent Forcier. Hansen and Forcier were especially impressive – Hansen, as the effervescent aviator/Countess of Lichtenstein, had great comic timing, and Forcier, as the playboy to wealthy older women, seamlessly shifted from starry-eyed puppy dog to tactful investigator.

I think it also helped that the theatre was absolutely buzzing. The Ambassador’s Wives was the first Lemoine show I’ve attended outside of the Fringe that has sold out – the tone of the play can definitely be influenced – good or bad – by an audience’s response, or lack thereof.

In all, it was a good night – lots of laughter, fresh licorice, and the chance to see some young performers shine. You can catch Teatro at the Fringe Festival August 13-28 with another new Lemoine work titled Witness to a Conga. Should be fun!

Pre-Theatre Dining: Packrat Louie

I had a bit of a harrowing end to my Friday last week, and as a result, made the game-time decision of foregoing a home cooked meal in favour of eating out. As we had tickets to a show at the Varscona, and would be taking public transit, dining at the neighbouring Packrat Louie just made sense.

I haven’t been to the restaurant in a while, but in the past, have found them to be quite consistent, in both service and food. When we arrived, we asked if they could accommodate an hour-long meal – I’m sure it wasn’t an unusual request (located in the theatre district an all), and we were ushered inside the cool, air conditioned dining room.

I’ve said before how much I love their brick walls and posh setting with elegant furniture and white tablecloths. I still have to wonder about their decision to top every table with butcher paper though – not only is it wasteful (our table lining was drenched with condensation rings almost immediately), I think they detract from the room’s natural elegance.

Interior

Our server had already been informed about our post-meal plans, and was certainly efficient in ensuring our orders were seen through to the kitchen, but I have to wonder if the time pressure didn’t translate into his abrupt, almost dismissive actions with us. But I guess you probably can’t have it both ways – either a extended stay, or a curt server.

As I’ve fallen into favour with ordering several small plates instead of individual entrees, we ended up sharing three dishes between the two of us. It’s worth noting that the food, besides being delivered impressively fast, was absolutely piping hot.

The lamb crepe was sensational. Braised and tender, the meat just melted into the soft crepe. The added texture of the smoked Portobello mushrooms, and the savoury sauce drizzled overtop enhanced the dish even further.

Lamb crepe

The duck Wellington was significantly less successful. Where the lamb had been perfectly cooked and flavourful, the duck had been stripped of moisture to the point of being gristly. Where the meat should have been the star of the show, we found ourselves thankful that at least the puff pastry was edible.

Brome Lake duck Wellington

The spicy Hawaiian pizza was mostly good – Mack would have preferred a little more bacon (when doesn’t he?), but as a whole, liked the balance between the smokiness from the bacon and the heat from the banana peppers. We both agreed, however, that they shouldn’t have used canned pineapple – apart from the wood-fired crust, what else would distinguish their product from that of a pizza delivery service?

Spicy Hawaiian pizza

In the end, we were impressed by their ability to prepare and serve our meals within our requested time frame. As pre-theatre dining goes, Packrat Louie will continue to be one of the most convenient and solid choices for patrons.

Packrat Louie
10335 83 Avenue
(780) 433-0123
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Soccer Night in Edmonton: Portsmouth FC vs. FC Edmonton

I’ve attended more sporting events this summer than I did for the whole of 2009; I’m not sure what spurred it on, except to say that it has been a nice change of pace.

Last Wednesday, we joined Mack’s parents, Thom and Lana to watch the city’s North American Soccer League pro team, FC Edmonton, compete in the inaugural Edmonton Cup against Portsmouth (a team, which I am told, just fell from the premiere tier to the second tier of professional soccer in the UK – meaning they are pretty darn good). For this year, FC Edmonton is playing exhibition games, warming up to their first full season with the league to start in March 2011.

Go FC Edmonton!

The crowd on hand totaled nearly 9,000 – organizers must have been expecting as much, as they had closed off half of Commonwealth to better concentrate the crowd (thankfully, they chose to seat us on the east-facing side, protecting us from the harsh evening sun).

Mack and me

Though I knew Edmonton had our share of hard core soccer fans (evident with the outpouring of emotion during the World Cup), I didn’t think they would manifest at the FC Edmonton game – I was wrong.

Conga line of painted fans

This was my first time witnessing a game played on Commonwealth’s newly-installed artificial turf. It looked pretty good to me – much more realistic from afar than the flat, neon-green Astroturf I remember from the 90s. What was difficult to get used to was watching the spray of rubber pellets spring up in the wake of any hard pressure to the turf.

Game on

I always cite the lack of goal scoring during a match as the primary reason for my lack of interest in soccer, but in person, it was a little more interesting, being able to people-watch in addition to watching the game. Count me surprised when FC Edmonton managed to get on the board in the sixth minute.

FC Edmoton celebrates

Conversely, I wasn’t surprised that the next goal took another thirty-two minutes to score, bringing Portsmouth even with Edmonton.

The game was ultimately decided by penalty kicks, which was probably the exciting ending everyone was hoping for anyway. I still wonder how the goalkeeper is supposed to stop the rocket shots, but the Portsmouth keeper managed to save one, and helped his team defeat Edmonton 2-1.

Penalty kick

While I’m not sure I’d become an ardent fan of FC Edmonton, I know many people are looking forward to having a local, professional soccer team to cheer for again. Their next game is against the Victoria Highlanders on August 11, 2010 at Foote Field.

Refinery at the Art Gallery of Alberta

Two weeks ago, the Art Gallery of Alberta hosted their second Refinery Late Night Art Party, a new series of events with music, food and drinks aimed at making art more accessible for the “next gen” set. I love the idea, particularly because I think the gallery space, with such a fantastic location, is underutilized in the evening hours. And, really, who doesn’t love a good party?

In place of a welcome sign

Mack was offered two free tickets in exchange for twittering during the event – a fair request, and one he happily accepted. We arrived promptly at 8pm, then realized it was one of those functions where it was chic to be fashionably late. On the bright side, it meant we had ample time to explore the exhibits before the other guests arrived, and had the gallery spaces mostly to ourselves.

Perfect night to enjoy the terrace

Each Refinery party is themed around one of the current gallery exhibitions – this one highlighted The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons, which will be displayed until October 11, 2010. Related activities included: the opportunity to contribute to a film reel, which would be screened later that night; a lecture from artist Josh Holinaty, who had created fun “ACME pocket companions”; an improv show out on the terrace featuring Rapid Fire Theatre’s Amy Shostak and Arlen Konopaki; and amusing condiment portraits with Sarah Jackson, one of our favourite local designers (she was a trooper, drawing non-stop for several hours).

Working on the collective film reel

Amy Shostak and Arlen Konopaki, improvisers extraordinaire

Sarah hard at work

We even had our photo taken in front of a Warner Bros. backdrop, complete with props!

In our own cartoon

ZINC Catering took care of everyone with non-stop trays of food. We were a little aghast at the constant flow of servers who doled out over a dozen appetizers. Most were variations of crostini, but there were some other interesting bites, including rabbit and wild boar patés, and a jicama slaw. The best food item of the night was hands down the ice cream bar – it was difficult to choose between chocolate, strawberry, and strawberry banana flavours, so I took one for the team and sampled all of them (strawberry won out).

Caramelized onion and goat cheese crostini

Jicama salad

Though tickets were on the pricey side ($55, and $45 for AGA Ultra members), between the food and drink, opportunity to view the exhibits and added entertainment, I think it works out to be a pretty good deal. I’ll definitely consider attending the next Refinery party, slated for November 20, 2010.

The crowd after dark

Thanks to the AGA for the tickets and to the organizers for a great night!

You can read Mack’s recap here, and see our photoset here.

Announcing the 2nd Annual Wild Boar and Beer BBQ Scavenger Hunt Winner!

Congratulations to Nicole Nytchay, who earned 211 out of a possible 260 points in Slow Food Edmonton’s second annual Wild Boar and Beer BBQ Scavenger Hunt! Nicole and a guest will be treated to wild boar and a host of other local, seasonal dishes at the Wild Boar and Beer BBQ on August 8 at the Alley Kat Brewery (tickets for the BBQ are still available, and can be purchased at Alley Kat , or online here).

Nicole said she had a lot of fun completing the scavenger hunt, and it shows in her photos! I am amazed she was able to capture 24 out of the 25 items on the list – the only one she missed out on was the iced drinking chocolate at Kerstin’s Chocolates because the shop was closed last week! Here are some of her photos: