Maze Runners and Marsh Explorers: Edmonton Corn Maze and Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary

It’s been six years since Mack and I last visited the Edmonton Corn Maze located in Spruce Grove. Over the September long weekend, we were looking at some outdoor attractions to explore, and it seemed like a good time as any to return.

The Edmonton Corn Maze

Over the past few years, the Corn Maze has grown to encompass activities outside of the maze itself, and now features a petting zoo, jumping pillows, and spud guns. We encountered more people in these areas than in the maze, so it’s definitely a place where families can spend the better part of a day. Admission has also changed in this time, likely to cover the expanded fun; in 2010, we had a Groupon offer that discounted admission to $8 for two people. In 2016, the cost is $12 per adult.

Petting zoo

A visit to the maze when the stalks are still in their prime makes a huge difference to the overall experience. I’d recommend checking it out in the next few weeks while the corn is still standing tall.

Exploring the maze

As we have in the past, we used one of the question guides to help us navigate through the ten checkpoints in the maze. Mack was annoyed that there were several errors in the Edmonton trivia (including a misspelled “Blanchford” Field and the incorrect fact that West Edmonton Mall is still the largest mall in North America), but it was all in good fun.

Mack in the maze

Never wanting to waste a trip outside of the city, Mack had looked up a nearby park just 10 minutes away from the Corn Maze in Parkland County. The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is a 28 acre wetland preserve that is open to the public.

Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary

It features a combination of meadows, treed areas and marshes. Because of the marshy terrain, some of the trails are built on elevated boardwalks, making it an ideal place to walk after a rainstorm (as in, most of this summer, it seems).

Elevated boardwalks

We only encountered a handful of people on our way through, and stopped frequently along the way to look for wildlife and listen for birds.

A place to recharge

In many ways, this volunteer-run park is better equipped with benches, garbage cans, and a restroom than many City of Edmonton parks we visit.

Big sky

The Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary is a gem not to be missed, especially if you’re in the area!

Recap: 2016 Alberta Open Farm Days with Northlands

Last year, Mack and I were invited to enjoy a long table dinner in the evening at Northlands Urban Farm during Alberta Open Farm Days. This year, we decided to spend most of the day with them.

For just $5 per person, Northlands had organized bus tours that would visit Edmonton-area farms. Mack and I signed up for the morning tour, which featured Gold Forest Grains and Horse Hill Berry Farm.

We boarded the coach across the street from Northlands Urban Farm, joining about two dozen other people already on the bus. Quite a few of them had been on the tours led by Northlands the year prior. Although both farms we visited were open to the public that day, it was a much more efficient means of transportation to go with a group – if they decide to organize a third year of tours I can only hope even more people take advantage of this deal.

Gold Forest Grains

Gold Forest Grains has been a fixture at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market for many years. John Schneider and his family grow heritage and ancient varieties of certified organic grain on 300 acres near Morinville. Unlike other grain farmers, who typically have to farm between 2000-3500 acres, they can make it work on a smaller scale by selling directly to consumers.

John Schneider

Gold Forest Grains mills their own flour (they had a small hand mill on display, but most is done in large quantities now), but they offer value-added products as well. For many, their introduction to Gold Forest Grains is through their excellent pancake mix or Sturgeon River Cereal. John also mentioned that they continue to experiment with other varieties, including corn he obtained from local farmer Deb Krause that matures on the stalk, which may mean an unprecedented source for non-gmo, local cornmeal in the future.

Corn

While we didn’t venture too far onto the farm, John toured us around the perimeter of their straw-bale home, featuring a small fruit garden (including heritage apples and haskaps), poultry coop, and a cob oven.

Park wheat is one of the grain varieties they grow, and John shared that he has some gluten intolerant customers that can eat this type of wheat. This is the type of flour used to make the whole wheat crust at Love Pizza. As a treat, he had put together some park wheat-based dough, which he used to fire up some focaccia in the 800 degree cob oven.

Park wheat focaccia

I would have appreciated it if John had also spoken about some of the other products they grow, including lentils and farro, but I recognize that we didn’t have much time.

Next up, we headed to Horse Hill Berry Farm in northeast Edmonton. Operated by Dave & Jackie Wilson, the 10 acre u-pick farm opened in 2010.

Horse Hill Berry Farm

They currently offer six different types of raspberries, but have been thinking about adding other fruit. Although they are not certified organic, they do not spray their crops. They will be putting in drip irrigation (the plants require about 1 inch of water a week) and will continue to prune using machinery, though labour-intensive hand pruning is more effective. The ideal air and sunlight penetration Dave described is similar to what grape vines need to thrive.

Dave demonstrates pruning

It was actually the last day of operations for the farm this year, what they termed the “bonus” week as the growing season typically only lasts five weeks. As their gift to us, we were all given a carton to fill with raspberries.

My bounty

Until Dave mentioned it, I didn’t realize that they had deliberately planted grass between the rows to make the raspberry patch more patron friendly (so parents and kids alike wouldn’t have to worry about trekking through the dirt or mud). This, combined with their raspberry guide of the types of berries better suited for canning, freezing or wine-making, points to the thoughtful design of many aspects of their farm.

Mack and I also wandered to the look-out on the property (where you can see the North Saskatchewan River), featuring an old family heirloom. The rusted truck is also apparently a haven for snakes, which I found out first hand (it was one small garter snake, but I wasn’t expecting it).

Family heirloom

The bus ended where we started, and by that time in the afternoon, the Northlands Urban Farm activities were up in full swing.

Northlands’ beekeeper Patty Milligan was leading a honey demonstration, and crafts and a petting zoo provided entertainment for the young ones.

Family activities

We also swung by the newly-installed chicken coop, where the heritage chicken breeds were happily picking at apples and greens.

Northlands’ chicken coop

Before we left, we had a bite to eat from the Northlands 1879 food truck, and regretted choosing to share the garlic fries instead of ordering our own.

Meatball sub and garlic fries

Thanks to Northlands for organizing an economical and seamless way to visit a few of the region’s farms – check out the Alberta Open Farm Days website for more ideas next August on how you can meet some of our rural neighbours.

Let Your Garden Grow: Workshop Eatery

Given it was far from the growing season during our last visit, Mack and I knew we wanted to return some time to see the gardens outside Workshop Eatery in their full splendor. The occasion came up when Mack’s parents were in town in early August, and we were looking for some place special to take them.

Workshop Eatery

We spent some time wandering the raised beds, admiring the variety and abundance. I’m not sure I would have predicted just how much they could grow outside their front door! There are few restaurants in Edmonton that can say they have access to fresh produce within arm’s reach. Make sure to follow along on Instagram if you’re curious as to the day’s garden haul.

Abundant garden

At any rate, the restaurant was nearly full on a Friday night. Even though the patio was beckoning on that warm summer evening, the floor to ceiling windows made the dining room a very pleasant setting. Equally lovely was our personable and polished server – she ensured all of our needs were taken care of in a warm and professional manner.

We started by sharing the daily arancini ($12 for 3), which on that night was made with ham and peas, and served with a fun sriracha and brown sugar sour cream. The arancini were a hit around the table, crispy and well seasoned.

Ham and pea arancini

My miso glazed ling cod ($28) was prepared well, and I loved the textures of the bok choy, carrot ribbons and baby potatoes. The shiitake broth was a nice base, but if intended to be consumed on its own the salt should have been toned down somewhat.

Miso glazed ling cod

Mack’s main combined two of his favourite things: salmon and risotto ($29). He had no complaints, and dispatched the plate in no time at all. On a side note, it’s unusual to see a restaurant offering three fish options on a regular menu (there was also a halibut). But Mack and I both appreciated this – more often than not, we have to fight over who can order the fish.

Pan roasted salmon

Martin and Patti enjoyed their dishes as well – Martin, swayed by the accompanying gnocchi, had chosen the chicken supreme ($28). Patti ordered the potato and goat cheese perogies ($24), topped with roast tomatoes, asparagus, pickled onions and basil creme fraiche.

Chicken supreme

Potato and goat cheese perogies

Dessert couldn’t have been more photogenic – a cream and berry tart ($10), with a loose lemon curd topped with fresh berries and mint.

Summer berries and cream tart

It was great to see Workshop flourishing as well as their garden. They’re already starting to change up their menu for the fall – so make sure you get there soon if you’re hoping for a taste of our dwindling summer!

Workshop Eatery
2003 91 Street SW
(780) 705-2205
Monday-Wednesday 11am-10pm, Thursday-Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday 10am-3pm and 5-11pm, Sunday 10am-3pm and 5-9pm

Recap: 2016 Grand Taste Tour with Northlands Urban Farm, Brix ‘N Berries, Triple M Dairy and Tangle Ridge Ranch

At the end of July, Mack and I were honoured to be asked to be among the hosts of the third annual Grand Taste Tour. It was the second year of the event where attendees were bussed to the various farm locations, as opposed to a self-guided tour. This allows participants to meet and break bread with other folks interested in learning about local agriculture, all while taking advantage of more efficient group-based transportation.

Linda and Brittney headed up one bus, while Mack and I led another. The first stop was within city limits – a one acre lot cultivated in partnership with Northlands. The farm is a part of the Northlands Urban Farm, intended for educational purposes and to support innovative practices. 600 students from local schools have already toured the farm this year, and 26 children will be selected to take part in their junior beekeeping pilot this fall. Northlands also successfully applied for an urban chicken permit which will allow them to add eight hens to the property.

Northlands Urban Farm

We spent some time with Travis Kennedy of Lactuca, whose crops make up most of the one acre. His enthusiasm and pragmatism make him a wonderful urban agriculture ambassador. While Lactuca began its business in a backyard garden, it now has the chance to produce 200-300 pounds per week at Northlands. New challenges have come with that opportunity in the form of supply exceeding demand, so much of his focus this year has been on developing new markets for their products. Lactuca currently supplies to 15 restaurants in Edmonton and area, including Farrow and Three Boars.

Travis

Salad greens (primarily kale, lettuce and arugula) make up most of the crop. The reason these were chosen relates to their short 7 day production cycle to make the most of Edmonton’s 100 growing days, their lightweight nature (Travis used to transport his crop to farmers’ markets on a bicycle), and that all restaurants have a salad on their menu, increasing his market potential. That said, greens require an incredible amount of water to flourish – on hot days, Lactuca can use up to 7000L of water. Northlands was permitted to run below-ground water lines to help with this.

Although Lactuca does experiment with other crops (corn and French fillet beans, to name a few), they’ve embraced salad greens because they want to stay true to seasonality. They haven’t ruled out hydroponics in the future though, so stay tuned!

Lactuca relies on organic practices, using City of Edmonton compost, and Travis doesn’t mind the holes he finds among the leaves. He believes it speaks to their terroir and lack of pesticide use. That said, he recognizes that what may sell to consumers at a farmers’ market will not pass inspection with restaurants (pointing out the odd dichotomy between the success of “ugly produce” campaigns and the unchanged expectations of diners eating out).

Demonstrating the drill-powered harvester

I was particularly amazed by the method in which they now harvest their greens. When Travis started, they relied exclusively on hand-harvesting, which is laborious and time consuming. They’ve since moved to using a drill-powered aluminum harvester, which can harvest up to 150 pounds an hour.

The group then listened to Patti Milligan, who is the beekeeper for urban hives at Northlands and the Shaw Conference Centre.

The hives at Northlands are kept primarily for educational purposes. Patti explained that Alberta is the largest honey producer in the country, due to the abundance of sunlight and flowers. In our province, clover, alfalfa and canola dominate, but Patti did mention a movement towards manipulating where bees go through timing of blooms and placement of plants. She said we should watch out for locally-sourced borage, raspberry, fireweed, and dandelion honeys in the near future.

Patti

It’s great to have such a rich resource centrally located in Edmonton, available for children and adults alike to learn about agricultural practices, especially when it is helmed by passionate connectors like Travis and Patti. Northlands is offering free public tours on September 10 – pre-registration is required.

Our second stop took us just outside of city limits to Brix ‘N Berries in Leduc County. Operated by Greg Moline and Laurie Erickson, Brix is primarily a berry u-pick garden, though they also offer limited vegetables as well.

Greg and Laurie do have off-farm income – their main work is in the area of soil amendments, assisting farmers who are looking to transition from using fertilizers to relying on other practices. They highlighted the difference between great soil and poor soil on their own land – a portion of their farm has naturally enriched number one grade soil (where they joked that seeds germinate even before they hit the ground). The Saskatoon bushes here grew without restraint, full and unwieldy. Across the field, bushes planted in the same year in sub-par soil struggled to fruit, branches spotty and inconsistent.

Greg points out the number one grade soil

Brix began with 50 acres of Saskatoons, but soon added strawberries, raspberries, a greenhouse, then a market garden. Greg shared that it has been challenging for operations like theirs to stay in business without an agri-tourism component such as Prairie Gardens. Brix doesn’t charge an overhead for consumers to pick their produce because they just focus on growing food, and perhaps because of that, they can’t keep up with the demand. In the face of several other u-picks that closed this year (Roy’s Raspberries on a permanent basis and Happy Acres for 2016), Brix has had to close from Sundays to Tuesdays this season to allow the fields to regenerate. Even then, that previous Wednesday, they found that 250 people picked the field clean in a day.

Linda picks some raspberries

My sisters and I, city children through and through, benefited from the u-picks we visited with our parents growing up. I’m not sure I would have been able to identify field-grown produce as a kid without those experiences, and through the relationship we had with the farmers, learned to appreciate how difficult it was to grow food for the masses. With development pressures and the work involved in maintaining a public farm, I’m sure more of these operations may fall by the wayside, but I really do hope the tide turns – these u-picks are a valuable community asset for the next generation.

Our third stop was Triple M Dairy in Calmar. Genzinus Martins runs the farm along with his sons, comprised of 180 cows. Considered a medium-sized operation, they produce 1.3 million litres of milk per year sold through Alberta Milk.

Mack and I were fortunate to have toured Bles Wold a number of years ago, and had already seen an example of a mechanized milking machine. For many on our bus however, this was their first encounter with a machine that can milk up to 60 cows per hour. The technology also monitors the health of an individual cow through a transponder in their neck, tracking their production over a period of time. Most animals supply 40L of milk per day.

Genzinus explains how the milking machine works

Genzinus was proud of their operation, as they are constantly striving to improve the health of their cows and ensuring the animals continue to produce for 4-5 years. Their cows get a two month break from milking every 12-13 months to wander the fields. He emphasized that Alberta Milk provides incentives for better quality milk, so farmers aren’t just driven by quantity alone.

What are you looking at?

Our last stop was Tangle Ridge Ranch located in Thorsby. Vicky and Shane Horne are first generation farmers, and when they purchased 60 acres they knew they wanted to have a strong connection with consumers. Although they had experience with cattle farming, they wanted to start out with smaller animals, and thought they could find a niche with grass-fed lamb, a product not widely known in Alberta. 50% of lamb sold in the province is imported, something Vicky and Shane hopes will change in the years to come.

The best kind of tour!

Vicky and Shane carefully selected the breeds of sheep they would raise. Katahdins and Dorpers are “hair” sheep that naturally lose their coats and thus don’t require regular shearing, with their energy going into meat instead. Without wool, believed to produce lanolin oil, the meat from these sheep breeds are much milder in flavour. Currently, Tangle Ridge raises 70 sheep per season, but want to eventually grow to a flock size of 250. They sell direct to consumers every fall through their website, and are now taking orders for November 2016.

Hair sheep

The foundation of their farm is pasture management, as they believe healthy soil is the key to healthy animals. They seeded their land with a mix of alfalfa and clover, and manage with temporary fences for rotational grazing. A portable water truck follows the flock so the animals always have access to water.

The story of Tangle Ridge Ranch wouldn’t be complete without mentioning their dogs. Virgo, Mojito and Bailey protect the sheep, circling them night and day to deter the coyotes in the area.

A sheep dog in his element

After the tour, all guests were ushered onto the second floor of the barn on the ranch. It’s been transformed into an event space that’s used for long table dinners and private functions. With the overhead lights and mismatched chairs, it was a rustic setting that befit the closing of the day.

Barn dinner

The food is where the Grand Taste Tour sets itself apart from other farm-related events. Whereas other events focus on either tours or meals alone, Grand Taste successfully marries both for an unmatched value. Last year, they brought in Chef Daniel Costa of Corso 32 fame. This year, not to be outdone, Chef Frank Olson from the Red Ox Inn and Canteen prepared a six course meal utilizing ingredients from producers we had met along the tour. This was also the first year where alcohol was available for purchase at dinner.

Chef Frank Olson and crew cooking up a storm

To start, we sampled three Winding Road cheeses, accompanied by a compote made from Brix ‘N Berries cherries, and Coal Lake Honey. Winding Road is a small cheesiry that began selling its products at the French Quarter Market this year.

Winding Road cheeses

Pork ribs glazed with a Saskatoon berry barbecue sauce with an underlay of kohlrabi were up next, food meant to get your hands dirty.

Pork ribs

Lactuca and Sundog Organic supplied the vegetables in the salad course, made up of radishes, greens, carrots, pumpkin seeds and a green goddess dressing.

Green goddess salad

My favourite dish was the gnocchi, served with basil and tarragon from Reclaim Urban Farm, pecorino from The Cheesiry, and peas from Erdmann’s. Selfishly, I was thankful this had been served family-style, as some of my dinner companions chose not to eat their full share.

Gnocchi

Many had been awaiting the main course – Tangle Ridge lamb was served two ways: cumin-scented meatballs, and slow roasted for 8 hours with horseradish and nettle. Perhaps it was the knowledge from the tour, but the meat was noticeably mild in flavour, outside of the spices imparted by the kitchen.

Lamb served two ways

As if we weren’t full enough, the dessert course was too good to pass up, a glorious canola oil cake dolloped with whipped cream and Brix ‘N Berries raspberries.

Canola oil cake

Thanks again to Kirsta, Amy and the rest of the Grand Taste Tour organizers for a fantastic day full of learning and great food. I’m looking forward to next year already.

Iberian Flavours: Sabor Seafood Festival

While Edmonton is still firmly regarded as beef country, there’s been a rise in the profile of seafood in our land-locked city. With better access to airlifted catch, seafood-focused restaurants such as The Black Pearl offer a rotating menu of fresh options, and home cooks can have their pick of Icelandic fish caught two days earlier from Ocean Odyssey. Closer to home, Effing Seafoods made a splash this year with a number of collaborations and pop-ups with local restaurants showcasing their Canadian sourced seafood.

As such, Sabor has been ahead of the curve, as they are onto their third annual Seafood Festival this year. The festival highlights Sabor’s ongoing partnership with Ocean Wise, a conservation program operated by the Vancouver Aquarium that promotes sustainable seafood through education. You may have already encountered their fish head symbol on local menus, which denotes that the seafood used in that dish is considered ocean-friendly (for those who want to learn more about the subject, I’d recommend Taras Grescoe’s Bottomfeeder). Some quick facts:

85% of the world’s assessed fish stocks are currently over-exploited or at full capacity
4 or every 10 fish caught are bycatch
91% of Canadians want their seafood to be sustainable but only 11% buy sustainable seafood every time they shop

This year’s festival runs August 5 – September 3, 2016, and features a wide range of seafood. A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to preview the festival menu as a guest.

Unlike previous years, Sabor Chef Lino Oliveira collaborated with Calgary-based Chef Jan Hansen of Hotel Arts for the dinner, and we learned that Chef Jan is originally from Edmonton! The collaboration also took Chef Lino down to Calgary to host a dinner at the Kensington Riverside Inn in early August. It’s always great to see chefs working together, particularly across cities.

The supper was served family style, and over the course of the evening, we sampled a variety of tapas and mains. Through his choice of flavours and cooking techniques, Chef Lino transported us to the Iberian coast.

Though not featuring seafood, I loved the heirloom tomato & queijo fresco montadito, a bruschetta-like serving of fresh market tomatoes and Portuguese cottage cheese atop Chef Jan’s bread.

Tomato and fresh cheese crostini

Another standout was the meaningfully messy gambas al ajillo, featuring BC spot prawns almost comically large in size. Chef Lino delighted in his recommendation to imbibe in the juices inside the head as well.

Shrimp

Even the surf & turf had a Portuguese twist: a charred octopus served alongside a chorizo-stuffed lamb that had been rolled in caul fat and cooked sous vide for three and a half hours.

Portuguese surf & turf

My favourite dish of the elaborate menu was the Caldeirada de peixe, a sablefish (black cod) served in a saffron-lobster broth. The skin had been perfectly crisped, and all I wanted to do was make sure the rest of the broth didn’t go to waste (even if it meant throwing decorum out the window).

Sablefish in saffron-lobster broth

Although the final dishes that ended up on the Seafood Festival menu are slightly different, the ingredients, flavours and combinations are very similar to what we tried that evening.

Thanks again to Sabor for a wonderful evening of food and hospitality! The Seafood Festival runs August 5 – September 3, 2016.

Check out Andrea, Cindy and Linda’s snapshots of the evening.

Generous Portions: Kazoku Ramen

Mack and I had been meaning to visit Kazoku Ramen for some time. The west end eatery opened back in October, adding to the growing inventory of restaurants serving ramen in Edmonton. On a random Wednesday in July, we happily ceded our cooking responsibilities to Kazoku, located in a non-descript strip mall.

Kazoku qualifies as one of the larger ramen establishments in Edmonton. Like Nudoru, a fun mural adorns the dining room, conveying the power of ramen to sway even the toughest of monsters. We were told the owners’ daughter-in-law was the artist behind the painting.

Interior

Besides a handful of appetizers, the menu also offered rice-based dishes and seasonal items in addition to ramen. We typically avoid starters in favour of drinking up every last drop of broth, but we couldn’t pass up the spicy chicken karaage ($9). Based on the price, we thought we could handle a few bites of fried chicken. Imagine our surprise when we were presented with five large pieces of karaage. We liked the crispy batter and sweet chili dipping sauce, but we had to wonder how the portion size was possible given the cost of food.

Spicy chicken karaage

Neither of us were adventurous with our ramen orders – Mack had his usual shoyu ($13) and I selected tonkotsu ($14). The bowls were deceivingly deep (something Linda had mentioned), and both of us enjoyed our respective broths, served piping hot. The egg had also been perfectly prepared, with a deliciously runny yolk. Our only quibble was with our choice of the leaner pork shoulder (instead of the rolled pork belly) – it was severely overcooked and was not only tough but surprisingly fatty.

Shoyu

Tonkotsu

The service was friendly and attentive, and though we were the last table to leave, we never felt rushed. The experience as a whole was pleasant enough to warrant a return visit – give Kazoku a try if you’re hit with a ramen craving in the west end!

Kazoku Ramen
16518 100 Avenue
(780) 483-0448
Sunday-Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Tuesday

French Canadian Charm in Beaumont: Chartier

A trend on the rise in the Edmonton region is the number of independent restaurants staking their claim in surrounding towns. Nineteen and Sorrentino’s are perhaps the best examples of this, choosing to open up additional locations in St. Albert, but they are among a multitude of others, including Farm to Fork in Sherwood Park and The Downtown Diner in Fort Saskatchewan. In some ways, in order for these establishments to thrive, they must draw upon potential customers outside the immediate community and become a destination in their own right. Chartier, a French Canadian restaurant that opened up in Beaumont back in March, is already working towards that status.

Chartier

Chartier has the distinction of being the most successful restaurant Kickstarter project in Canada, having raised over $100,000 from nearly 600 backers. Many were taken with Darren and Sylvia Cheverie’s passion project to bring a French Canadian restaurant to their hometown. Chartier has captured the community support in the form of a map located on the back wall of the restaurant, charting out the names of friends and strangers alike that helped make the restaurant a reality.

Wall of supporters

It took us a while to make it down to Chartier, but a trio of family birthdays (my dad, mum, and I were all born in the month of June) seemed like a good reason to carpool to Beaumont to celebrate. On that Sunday night in June, the restaurant was not quite half full.

Dining room

Although the building itself is brand new, they’ve done a great job with the interior. The wood beams and mismatched chairs contribute to a warm and cozy atmosphere, and I loved the rustic bar that anchors the open room. We were seated right by an open window that looked out onto the quiet street outside, reminding us again that we weren’t in Downtown Edmonton anymore.

Bar

The menu is focused but has enough variety to satisfy many tastes. We decided to try a couple of appetizer plates, which were large enough to be shared amongst a group. The poutine serving size was very generous, cheese curds and a tasty dark gravy ladled by a heavy hand. We were hoping the triple-fried potatoes would have been a tad crispier, however.

Poutine

The pork torchon was a nice surprise. The bite-sized pork morsels were flavourful and complemented well by the black pepper jam (made with the chef’s secret recipe, we were told).

Pork torchon

As for the mains, my beef bourguignon ($28) was so tender, a knife was unnecessary. The meat was delicious accompanied by the potato puree, though I probably could have done without the sweetness of the poached pear. My dish was also served with an adorably named “bread napkin”.

Beef bourguignon

Felicia and my dad both ordered flank steak ($26). They had requested a medium rare preparation, and unfortunately, their steaks were further along the spectrum than they would have liked. Felicia did really enjoy the underlying potato pave.

Flank steak

Mack couldn’t pass up the roasted hen ($26) when he read that it was served with ratatouille and his favourite dressing: a fried egg. The chicken was well prepared, and served with charred brioche, it was reminiscent of a dish that could be served at brunch.

Roasted hen

The meal was so rich we likely should have opted for lighter starters, as we couldn’t even think about dessert.

It is obvious that Chartier is a labour of love – from the kitchen’s brand of comfort food to the delicate china used for service – a lot of care and attention has been paid to the small things. That said – the trek required outside of the city may make it difficult for Chartier to garner the traffic it needs to be sustainable. To that effect, Chartier now offers brunch on the weekend (which can be more of a destination meal) and lunch on Fridays alongside a “bread window” from Wednesdays to Sundays to attract the local population.

Chartier’s already gained wide acclaim, along with the supportive foundation that helped build the restaurant. With a unique perspective to offer the Edmonton area food scene, I do hope Chartier can make the location work on a long-term basis.

Chartier
5012 50 Street, Beaumont
(780) 737-3633
Tuesday-Thursday 4pm-close, Friday 11am-close, Saturday-Sunday 10am-close, closed Monday

A Summer Tradition: K-Days 2016

K-Days really couldn’t have asked for better weather to kick off the 10 day Edmonton summer mainstay. Mack and I joined the thousands of festival revelers on Saturday for our annual pilgrimage to the midway. Mack had accepted an offer from Northlands to visit the grounds as their guest, which included special passes to the TD South Stage and cash to eat our way through some of the new items. We invited my sister Felicia to join us, at least for the food portion of the afternoon.

Felicia can’t resist soft serve

It was interesting to see a number of local food trucks among the mix of vendors, including Smokehouse BBQ and their sister truck Stuffed Gourmet Sausage, Cuisine on Wheels, and Native Delights. While we have our fill of food truck cuisine elsewhere, it is great to see more Edmonton-based vendors present.

Our food choices were ultimately guided by the new food flyer that can be picked up at information kiosks on site. They list all of the items that are new to the festival. Unlike previous years, no insects were harmed in the making of this list, so the shock value was minimized to items such as rainbow grilled cheese and Oreo fried rice.

Our favourite item that we sampled that day was actually also the winner of the new food award – the meatball sub on a stick. Pizza dough was woven in between three skewered meatballs, then broiled with cheese and seasoned. As midway fare goes, this was actually on the healthy side, given it wasn’t deep fried. The meatballs themselves were quite tasty, balanced out with just the right amount of dough and cheese.

Meatball sub on a stick

The big pickle dog had been voted the runner up of the new food competition. Mack, being a corn dog aficionado, was quite excited to try this, as it was a marriage of two of his favourite things: pickles and corn dogs. Alas, it was just too hard to eat, as the pickle retained too much of its crunch, and the hot dog slid right out from the pickle’s empty core. He doesn’t recommend this one.

Big pickle dog

Continuing the "food on a stick" theme, Felicia tried the chicken waffle on a stick. It looked promising, with a crisp, made to order waffle exterior. But it contained chicken with little flavour, and unnecessary breading since the crunch was lost underneath the waffle batter.

Chicken waffle on a stick

Perhaps our biggest disappointment was the mac ‘n cheese stuffed burger. The concept had much promise, but the execution needed work: the patty itself was overly charred, and the toppings were hastily assembled. We could barely eat the burger and derived no pleasure from doing so.

Mac ‘n cheese stuffed burger

We were pleasantly surprised by the poutine perogies, which substituted deep fried perogies for potatoes. It was a healthy serving meant to be shared, with salty gravy and a generous amount of cheese.

Poutine perogies

Of course, we had to indulge in mini donuts at K-Days as well, as much of a tradition for us as anything else.

Those Little Donuts

The best thing about K-Days is being able to partake in the variety of shows and activities in between food. Our favourite show was Canine Stars, featuring rescue dogs in a high-energy demonstration of agility.

Canine Stars

We also enjoyed the expanded Tech Life exhibit (which, on July 30-31, will host the first ever Canadian Drone Championships). In addition to the retro video game systems they’ve had in years past, they also included an extensive selection of board games. We opted to challenge Giant Jenga.

Jenga!

The main K Days music stage has typically been located right off the midway. But as an example of how the Northlands Vision 2020 could play out, organizers decided to relocate the stage to the infield of the race track. The result is a defined, enclosed area, which promoted an atmosphere more conducive to a proper show. The simple act of departing from the midway signaled the transition to a dedicated concert space. Mack had been given VIP passes for the TD Comfort Zone, which meant we could watch the musical act for the evening from the vantage of an elevated tent.

TD Comfort Zone

The tickets, which would have cost $100 (including gate admission to K-Days), includes access to a spread of appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages. The platform is licensed though, and most patrons took advantage of this. No doubt, the price enables exclusivity, and is a way for Northlands to generate additional revenue from an existing festival component.

Matthew Good

Matthew Good put on a great show, and played right up until the fireworks began. An unintentional benefit of the new stage location is the natural expansion of the fireworks viewing area. The west side of the race track is in close proximity to the launch site, so I’d recommend heading over there for an even better view of the light show.

Fireworks

We finished our night with a bit more Bowler Roller, my amusement addiction. For the record – Sharon: 2, Mack: 0.

Midway magic

Thanks to Northlands for a great evening out to our summer tradition.

Check out Mack’s experience here.

Sri Lankan Comfort Food: Sambol

Sambol is a restaurant I would never have discovered without social media. Tucked away and invisible from the main thoroughfare, Sambol has nonetheless gained a number of fans online. Along with Grandma Male, who is always up for a taste adventure, Mack and I headed to the south side to give this hidden Sri Lankan gem a try back on a Saturday in May.

The interior is modern but cozy, with warm lighting, wood surfaces, and comfortable cushions. When we entered, we were the first party in for an early supper, but were soon joined by a young family and a group of regulars.

Sambol

Champa Pathirana, the proprietor of this family-run restaurant was welcoming, and in some ways, it felt like we were having dinner in her extended kitchen. She explained that they had moved to this space after closing Razzelberries, a restaurant located downtown on 104 Street. She was patient with our menu questions, and we were definitely intrigued by a few dishes that we had never encountered before, including the interestingly named string hoppers (cooked rice pressed into noodle form, then steamed and served with a sauce – see how they’re made here). Their menu offers the best of both dining worlds – small plates perfect for groups to share, and one bowl wonders for those on their own. We decided to sample from all of the above.

Of course we had to try the string hoppers ($5). Even with the apt description we were provided with, I’m not sure I fully expected the noodle "patties" that arrived, slightly pink in colour and accompanied by a coconut gravy. Although the textures were interesting, the flavours weren’t particularly pronounced. They were fun to eat though, dousing the porous hoppers with sauce.

String hoppers

The lentil patties, deep fried and served with a mint sambol, were a nice surprise. I loved the refreshing mint accompaniment, which tamed the heat level and served as an addictive dip on its own.

Lentil patties

Mack couldn’t get enough of the stuffed roti ($8), pan-fried packets of spiced beef and potato. It is the perfect street food – portable, easy to eat, and packed with flavour. They were so good we briefly considered buying another order to freeze at home.

Stuffed roti

We also ordered two bowls to sample – the banana leaf bowl ($18) and the chicken biriyani bowl ($15). No question, the portions are beyond generous; Grandma Male barely made it halfway through before calling it quits and packing the rest for home. Mack and I particularly loved the rice, and ended up shredding the chicken leg and mixing it in to allow for more seamless sharing. We also packed some of this for lunch the next day, and it was still fantastic reheated.

Banana leaf bowl

Chicken Biriyani bowl

I hope Sambol doesn’t remain under the radar – the food is excellent and offers great value. It’s a restaurant worth seeking out – not only for the food, but for their warm hospitality as well. We’ll be back for the roti soon enough.

Sambol
9261 34 Avenue
780-309-3199
Wednesday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 11am-8pm

The Future of Edmonton’s Chinatown: 2016 Chinatown Conference

Three years ago, I was part of a group that organized the 97 Street Night Market in Chinatown. The idea was inspired by conversations and observations made by my market co-organizer Kathryn Lennon at the first ever Chinatown Conference held that spring. In some ways, the market was our way of trying to grapple with the generation gap in the neighbourhood, and an attempt to enliven the streets and encourage Edmontonians to rediscover their Chinatown.

97 Street Night Market

The event gathered vendors and food trucks, created a stage for cultural performances, and offered walking tours of the neighbourhood. Overall, we felt the market was a success, and although it was a lot of work to pull together, I felt inspired to continue the momentum with another event.

The following summer, I was part of a team that hosted a second 97 Street Night Market. The event built upon the foundation of the previous year, and though the turnout was comparable, we decided the challenges we faced in mounting the market weren’t worth the returns.

97 Street Night Market, 2014 edition

It was an incredibly eye-opening experience, learning firsthand about the complexities of the neighbourhood and the numerous parties involved in the community. Chinatown has many players – the BRZ, individual businesses, community associations, McCauley Revitalization, the Quarters Revitalization – just to name a few, and they don’t all agree on how to approach the issues surrounding Chinatown:

How can Chinatown leverage the positive developments of the Royal Alberta Museum, Ice District, and the LRT Connector?
Should the old (cultural) and new (commercial) Chinatowns be linked?
How can Chinatown better work alongside social service agencies?
How can Chinatown attract more businesses and amenities?
Is Chinatown still relevant?

These are just some of the questions that the community is grappling with, and there are no easy answers. Consensus is unlikely, but one thing is true – Chinatown will change, but who will lead this change? Will the players be able to come together to move forward with solutions in a meaningful way, or will external forces dictate the change?

Edmonton’s Chinatown

As a follow-up to the first Chinatown Conference, the 2016 Chinatown Conference hopes to answer some of these questions. On June 11-12, 2016 Chinatown advocates, researchers, planners and youth from across North America, will gather in Edmonton at the University of Alberta, including 15 representatives from Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. The intention is to exchange ideas about how to preserve, celebrate, and ensure Chinatowns remain relevant in municipalities amongst demographic shifts, changing civic priorities, and gentrification efforts.

I’m particularly excited to hear from C.W. Chan from Chicago, as they have reversed the trend of diminishing Chinatowns, and instead, have continued to expand and and garner city investment in infrastructure. The conference will also host respected Toronto Chinese historian Valerie Mah and Washington, D.C. filmmaker Yi Chen, who will screen her documentary Chinatown. The second day of the conference aims to build a plan for Edmonton’s Chinatown. The full conference schedule is here.

Registration is now open, and tickets are $50.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: