Revisiting the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market

After October, farmers’ markets are harder to come by in Edmonton. Thankfully, in the past few years, Salisbury and the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Markets have joined the year-round fray. And while Old Strathcona has been our go-to source for local food in the winter months, Mack and I had wanted to revisit Alberta Avenue for some time (I stopped by back in June). We finally had the chance to do so this past Thursday.

Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market

While fairly centrally located at 93 Street and 118 Avenue (and just one bus from downtown), the market’s hours of 2-7 p.m. make it a little challenging for those who don’t live or work in the area to patronize it before closing. That might be changing in the future, however – Mary Ellen Gruneberg of Greens, Eggs and Ham (who joined the market after the conclusion of the City Market this year) is on the steering committee, and said they are strongly considering shifting the hours to 4-8 p.m.

Mary Ellen behind the always welcoming GEH table

That said, it may not be the hours alone that are keeping shoppers away. While nearly half of the thirty vendors last Thursday were food vendors, the majority of those were selling prepared food.

Inside Alberta Avenue Community Hall (love the festive balloons!)

Of course there is a place for crafts and ready-to-eat food, and there should be a balance between fresh goods and other merchandise. But with no produce besides what Greens, Eggs and Ham was offering that day, I can see that as a deterrent for some would-be shoppers (you can check out the list of weekly vendors here – it is updated late Wednesday/early Thursday).

That said, as Mary Ellen pointed out, it’s a bit of a chicken-egg argument – without a strong customer base, farmers will not consider Alberta Avenue as a viable option – making the trip has to be worthwhile for them. At the same time, without interesting products, customers will choose to take their business elsewhere – to Salisbury, or Old Strathcona, for example.

Some producers are optimistic that the tide will be turning soon, however. Rosemarie Jordan of Rainbow Covenant Ranch also moved to the Alberta Avenue market at the close of the City Market (she sells wagyu beef, prized for its marbled nature). She said some weeks are slow, but as customers become more familiar with her beef, she is confident that sales will improve. I bought some of her breakfast sausages to try – they’re her top selling product!

Rosemarie from Rainbow Covenant Ranch

Other vendors were brand new – Amanda and Jessica (aka The Chocolate Doctors – their business cards are too cute) were selling vegan-friendly, raw chocolate. After switching to a raw diet (one where foods are not heated beyond 46 °C), they weren’t able to find any chocolate to suit their specifications, so decided to make their own. In my opinion, niche-products like theirs are perfect for farmers’ markets – at least until they are able to find other outlets to sell their chocolate.

The Chocolate Doctors!

We also chatted with Katarina of Red Barn Pekin Duck (it’s a wonder that such a small market has not one, but two duck purveyors). Katarina had a small slow cooker with samples of roasted duck ready to offer customers – she said most people were not very accustomed to eating farm-raised duck, so it was helpful to be able to introduce people to the taste.

Katarina of Red Barn Pekin Duck

Mack and I will be making more of an effort to incorporate a visit to Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market during our work week – and we hope you will consider doing so as well – there’s definitely a need to have more year-round markets in our city!

Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market
118 Avenue & 93 Street
Open Thursdays, 2-7 p.m.

Baby (Sushi) Steps: Mikado

Ellen was shocked when she found out I had an aversion to Japanese food. Well, at least to “authentic” Japanese food (on the off-chance colleagues or friends choose to dine in a Japanese restaurant, I’m probably happier than I should be with an order of chicken teriyaki and tempura). Ellen had lived in Japan teaching English for a few years, and understandably, grew to love the cuisine. She wanted to share that appreciation with me, and with an able guide, I was willing to experiment.

We agreed to meet at the downtown location of Mikado – one of Ellen’s favourite Japanese restaurants in the city – and fortuitously, within walking distance of where I live. On a Saturday afternoon, it was also much busier than I had expected, but then again, with three successful branches in Edmonton (the newest and most modern in the west end), that shouldn’t have been a surprise.

We were seated in a cozy booth that conveyed a sense of privacy, perfect for catching up, as well as completing the trials at hand that day. Service was pleasant throughout our stay – and though the colourful garments that enrobed some of the servers were visually appealing, I’m not sure they were necessary.

I was most excited about what was essentially Japanese pub food. We asked about okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake of sorts), but unfortunately, rumours about this location serving it off-menu were unfounded. Still, an order of deep-fried tofu and chicken kara-age was a good introduction to dishes in this category, and we supplemented our meal with several other plates, including (drumroll please) raw fish.

The fried tofu ($5.95) turned out to be my favourite dish, likely because it was the least foreign, and is something I really enjoy regardless of its preparation. The salty, almost umami tempura broth gave it a nice depth, and I loved the shredded seaweed garnish – so pretty.

Deep-fried Tofu

Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for the chicken kara-age ($8.95) – they were comparable to dry ribs, but too dry and without much flavour.

Chicken kara-age

Ellen made fun of how I squealed when certain dishes came out – the plating was certainly a marvel to me. The spinach goma-ae ($5.95) was a good example, particularly as quantity seemed to go by the wayside in favour of presentation. The black sesame dressing underneath each spinach bundle was tasty, but I’m not sure I would order it again; I was just left wanting more.

Spinach goma-ae

Ellen chose an order of “dragon eyes” ($11.95) to ease me into sushi, knowing my squeamishness for raw seafood. Though Mack probably still wouldn’t try it (he despises seaweed), the combination of the cooked salmon, the light coating of batter, and slightly sour sushi rice was enjoyable. But then again – a bath in hot oil will improve the appeal of almost anything.

Dragon eyes (the spicy, rich dressing underneath was delicious)

But the moment of truth – my encounter with the raw. I saved my pieces of sake (salmon) and toro (tuna belly) for last – partly to psych myself up, but partly because of dread. My first bite of sake was comical – without warning Ellen, I sank into half of the roll, without first dipping it into the soy sauce/wasabi mixture (I had no idea eating sushi was so complicated). Granted, it did allow me to experience the marked improvement the condiments had on bringing out the flavour of the fish.

Serious chopstick/sushi fail! (Ellen warned me not to let the rice touch the sauce, which is of course what I promptly did)

Between the two types – toro was definitely my favourite, but only marginally so. Although Ellen tried to convince me of the creaminess of the belly, it was still difficult to overcome my psychological aversion to raw fish. As I chewed, the dialogue between my brain and my taste receptors was more of a one-sided taunt than a conversation: “What are you eating? Why are you eating that? Keep chewing…it’s not like the texture is getting any better…Can you smell it? It tastes like the ocean. You hate the ocean! Say it with me, ‘fish is meant to be cooked’…” and so on.

Sake and toro

Overall, it was a fun afternoon, even if it wasn’t wholly successful – of course it wasn’t realistic to think I would be converted in one instance. The big victory to me, however, is the fact that should I find myself in a Japanese restaurant in the future, I would actually feel comfortable ordering something beyond a bento box – thanks, Ellen!

Mikado
10350 109 Street (2 other locations)
(780)425-8096

Culinary Q & A with Jeff Samsonow

Occupation: Non-profit broadcasting coordinator/Editor-in-Chief of theedmontonian.com

What did you eat today?

For breakfast: Coffee (Some Level Ground Peruvian medium blend)
Some delicious bacon cooked in the oven, and bought at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market from First Nature Farms. A banana.

Lunch: Minestrone and a two-cheese sandwich from Bistro 112. This is my (day-job) work coffee place and I’m grateful to have it so close. A couple of crunchy B.C. apples (forget which kind).

Dinner: At The Hat
Canadian sliders (double-smoked bacon, chedder and monteray jack cheeses, yum)
Caesar salad (with more double-smoked bacon)
Amber’s Brewing’s Australian Mountain Pepper Berry

What do you never eat?

I’m not a fan of artichoke.

What is your personal specialty?

I’m becoming fond of a 3-cheese macaroni and cheese recipe we found in a clean living magazine. I also dig roasted chicken and gravy as per Jamie Oliver’s specs.

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

Orange Juice. We love orange juice.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Chicken and rice. The chicken cut and preparation may vary, but it seems like we tend to have these two items on hand quite a lot. Bless our steamer.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

The good knife. (We have two cutting/chopping knives and one is better.)

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

It’s going to be an amazing steak, with lots of baked potatoes (and butter), peas and bacon, and a bottle of red wine. (Yes a whole bottle. The world’s ending.)

Where do you eat out most frequently?

It used to be the old Next Act. Now, we’ve been in flux. So, I’m open to people’s ideas. (Since I started writing this e-mail I’ve found we’ve been to The Pour House a handful of times – it’s the old Flavours.)

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Madison’s Grill (I say that even though I haven’t been in some time.)

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

I’m going to go with New York City. It seems like the kind of place I could actually get a taste of most of the world’s food.

As Jeff mentioned, he is the EIC of The Edmontonian – my go-to website to get a round-up of the day’s headlines.

Food Notes for November 8, 2010

It was a bit of a whirlwind week at work – a (too) tight proposal deadline (thankfully, we made it), and my first ever (co)presentation at a conference (it went really well!). Unfortunately, this wasn’t the storm – instead, it is the beginning of a month-long sprint…but at least there’s Christmas to look forward to! Onto this week’s food notes:

I am so looking forward to the Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up on Churchill Square. Not only is the 5pm fireworks show one of the best in the city, but this year, expect nearly 50 City Market vendors, starting at 11 a.m. Hope to see you there!
The Local Food Values Chain workshop is being held on November 19, 2010. RSVP by November 12.
Congrats to November’s Delux Burger Celebrity Chef, Jerry Aulenbach! Chris has some great photos of the launch at the Bourbon Street Delux on Friday.
Nick Lees mentioned last week that Corso 32, Daniel Costa’s new restaurant at 10345 Jasper Avenue should be open at the end of this month. It’ll be nice to have another option close by.
Saturday’s Journal mentioned a new-ish south Indian restaurant called Shudh (3464 93 Street).
Liane wrote about her new favourite hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Won Jung Gak in the Journal last week – I would imagine it has been inundated with new customers in the same way Bubba’s BBQ and Smoke House was following its review.
Both the Journal and Twyla reviewed The Marc – in the former, I liked the honesty from Patrick Saurette that things “take a long time to come together”. So short of their signature dishes like their beef cheek and lamb shank, it’s likely the loyal patrons that are the repeat customers at this point.
Twyla also reviewed Battista’s Calzones, a new restaurant on Alberta Avenue – it sounds delicious, I hope to try it soon!
We are very lucky to have our very own local test kitchen – aka Valerie’s home. This past week, she experimented with duck vs. chicken egg crème brulee.
A great gift for the person in your life that strives to cook sustainably: the Ocean Wise cookbook.
Is a Kobe beef burger not upscale enough for you? How about shaved white truffles on your burger then – and all for just $45!
Bon Appetit just announced their new Editor-in-Chief, to replace long time editor Barbara Fairchild: Adam Rapoport comes from a pedigree that most recently included a decade at GQ.
The brown paper has finally gone up at the newest location of Bistro Praha. The countdown to December begins for fans of this restaurant!

Coming soon…

Kathryn and I had lunch at Culina Millcreek this week. They changed the ham & cheese sandwich ($13) since my last lunch visit – I loved the Sylvan Star cheese, and couldn’t believe the amount of roasted pork in my sandwich. And of course – the sweetness from the Prairie Mill raisin bread just elevated the sandwich that much more. Kathryn equally enjoyed her house sandwich

Ham & cheese with vegetable barley soup

House sandwich

You know Christmas is coming soon when Starbucks releases their annual Red Cup! I’m not sure I’m a huge fan of the designs this year, but I love the season that this ushers in!

2010 Red Cup

Mack and I had a great time at Kat Danser’s concert on Friday night – she just released her third CD, called Passin’-a-Time. It was fun to be able to attend the show with a few other coworkers! It was also our first time at the Arden Theatre, which we found to be a beautiful venue.

Inside the Arden Theatre

Me, Swamy and Kathryn (we’re going to miss Swamy – she’s leaving us for a volunteer placement in Peru with CUSO in two weeks)

The coolest “perk” about presenting at the conference this weekend was to be able to get a glimpse of the Royal Suite on the 23rd floor at the Crowne Plaza (it served as the hospitality room for presenters) – I had no idea Chateau Lacombe even had a balcony!

Gorgeous view – the photo doesn’t quite do it justice

The Cooking Chronicles: Cold Weather Comfort

It’s a little comical to me that every time I seem to get to posting about cold weather comfort foods, it actually ends up being unseasonably warm outside. Not that I’m complaining or anything – I’d welcome a continuation of such mild weather well into December! Anyway – should the temperatures start to drop again, I’ll likely be drawn again to dishes similar to the two below.

Potato and Leek Soup

A recipe for Molly Katzen’s potato and leek soup was a recent recommendation from Marilyn, and easily incorporated mostly local produce – leeks from Kuhlmann’s, potatoes from Greens, Eggs and Ham, carrots from Sundog Organic, and, well, celery from Superstore.

Pureed soups look so much nicer in the pre-blender stage

I loved the consistency of the soup, achieved from the addition of milk instead of cream, and the ratio of the liquid to puree in this recipe. Sometimes I crave the stick-to-your-ribs kind of soup, but not on that night.

Potato and leek soup

Chic Macaroni and Cheese

Though our favourite macaroni and cheese recipe is courtesy of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, I was curious about a recipe for chic macaroni and cheese that was printed in the Journal a few weeks ago – not only did it call for eggs, but evaporated milk instead of cream. The only modification I made was doubling the amount of pasta – it seemed a little absurd to use just 1.5 cups of macaroni to 6 cups of cheese.

Chic macaroni and cheese (I’ve got to get a new brand of panko – it never seems to brown for me)

The addition of eggs meant the macaroni and cheese resembled a casserole. It was cheesy, but not in the creamy, saucy way that I prefer (I realize it may also have had something to do with my cheese-to-pasta shift). It was all right, but next time the mac and cheese craving hits, you better believe I’ll be “Triple D”-ing it up again!

The 2010 Annual Chili Cookoff

On Friday, I convinced Ellen to ditch the lunch being provided at the conference we were attending in favour of walking over to Scotia Place to meet Mack and take in the 20th Annual Chili Cookoff, organized by the Downtown Business Association.

To the left for chili!

Though Mack has attended before, I’ve never been able to make it. After this experience, I can see why this event is so popular. It’s the closest we have to Calgary’s Sun & Salsa event in Kensington – food sampling that goes to a good cause. In this case, all proceeds would be donated to the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters.

Twenty organizations put their best chili forward to vie for the 2010 title of “ultimate chili”. Competitors included the obvious suspects like hotels and area restaurants to companies such as Hemisphere Engineering, and not-for-profits like the Kidney Foundation and Boyle Street Co-op.

It was a pretty efficient setup – two tables in Scotia Place were devoted to selling chili receptacles for $2 a pop (unfortunately, they were styrofoam, accompanied by plastic spoons) so no money was changing hands at each of the sampling stations. The narrow aisles were somewhat congested, but thankfully, we were able to park ourselves in the “overflow” areas outside the main thoroughfares to consume our samples.

Chili frenzy

Entertainment was provided on a small stage, which definitely lightened the mood, and matched the festive decor around the foyer.

Loved the little chefs!

I couldn’t imagine having to be a judge (Karlynn Johnston of Kitchen Magpie wrote about her experience) – to have to determine the best of twenty chilis would be challenging, with palates easily overrun by the heat. Thus, it was no surprise that the varieties that distinguished themselves from the common ground beef base were the ones that were memorable, and rewarded for being unique.

Scott Lingley of See Magazine, one of the judges, was nice enough to pose for a photo (covering up his scores though, of course!)

We agreed with the judges’ top three, though not necessarily in that order. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra placed third with their smoky chili that tasted like baked beans (it also didn’t hurt that their recipe included bacon).

L2 nabbed second place with my favourite – a chicken-based chili, with a strong hint of lime. After several spicy samples, it was refreshing to encounter the citrus twist. They also had the best booth, hands down, with all servers dressed up in Hollywood costumes.

L2 getting their star power on!

As for first? Drumroll please…Hardware Grill took top honours with their amazingly tender stewed beef-based chili. Scott shared that their recipe also featured some “exotic” ingredients, including tamarind and anchovy. Mack also really loved the corn muffin that topped the sample.

Chili from Hardware Grill

Other notable chilis included Zinc’s alpaca version (the ground alpaca was much better and more flavourful than in the meatball format that we tried earlier this week), Hemisphere Engineering’s chocolate chili, made even more complex with a hint of Danish blue cheese (Ellen and I joked about finding her a “dessert chili”, and this was as close as we could get), and the Westin’s vegetarian chili, a bold, meatless choice that didn’t suffer for flavour at all.

The Westin’s vegetarian masterpiece

Our least favourite was, sadly, from one of our favourite shops in our neighbourhood – deVine’s. Ellen described it as bland, then unnecessarily spicy, but worst of all was the texture – we all agreed it was akin to baby food.

I thought I wouldn’t be full – but even between the three of us, we weren’t able to finish 12 small samples, in spite of the fact that consuming a large bowl of chili in one sitting for dinner hasn’t ever been a problem. Perhaps it was the variety?

More chili?

It was also great to see that some stations had utilized local ingredients in their recipes, such as the inclusion of alpaca by Zinc, and the use of TK Ranch beef by CBC.

All in all, it was a fun event – I was happy to have finally been able to see what the Chili Cookoff was all about – here’s to twenty more years!

Location, Location: Viet Huong Noodle House

In September, I noticed that Viet Huong Noodle House would be moving a few blocks east into the Chinatown space that had been vacated by Hoang Long. Knowing a makeover of their restaurant on 107 Avenue was in dire need, it seemed a move into a more modern and frequented street would do them well. After a lunch date with Jill and Swamy at the new Viet Huong last week, I’m happy to say the change was definitely for the better!

The walls, a deep, autumnal yellow, were left untouched from the previous tenants, as was the furniture, and both were a definite improvement over the dated interior of their former location. Both the flat screen television and fish tank of blood parrots migrated here, and the bright tank in particular looked very much at home in a space bathed in natural light.

The restaurant was also notably half-full, but it didn’t drastically affect our wait time. The pho was good – the broth was the same – solid, but not spectacular – and the serving was as generous as I remembered. Of course, food somehow always tastes better with good company, and this instance was no exception!

Beef noodle soup with beef balls

Spicy seafood noodle soup

Chicken with cashews over rice

It’s always nice to have more options in Chinatown, especially because of the unpredictable hours of some restaurants nearby like Pho Tau Bay. I’ll be back!

Food Notes for November 1, 2010

Only AMC could get me to watch a television show featuring zombies. In spite of the fact that I am averse to all things horror and fear-inducing, last night, after a barrage of previews during the Mad Men finale, there I was, watching the premiere of their new series, The Walking Dead. And inevitably, I am now hooked. Anyone else see it? Onto this week’s food notes:

A reminder that the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Show takes place this weekend, November 5-6, 2010, at the Shaw Conference Centre.
Gordon Ramsay will be in Edmonton on November 13, at WEM’s Chapters (thanks Lisa for the Tweet!)
Christmas stock-up alert: Company’s Coming is having their next scratch & dent sale on November 13, 2010 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 2311-96 Street, with an opportunity to meet Jean Pare!
There’s a new cheesemonger in town! Everything Cheese opened up in Riverbend on October 29, with their grand opening slated for November 6, 2010.
Thanks to A for a comment about a forthcoming Brazilian churrascaria restaurant called Pampa that she says be moving into the space formerly occupied by Mirabelle. Looking forward to the all-you-can-eat meat!
Looks like Edmonton will soon get its first Beard Papa in West Edmonton Mall (they serve cream puffs – we sampled a few in San Francisco).
Manna Noodle (3212 Parsons Road) seems to have changed hands (or at least their name?) – driving past I noticed the sign now reads Hanuri Korean Restaurant.
The Marc got a few hits from local bloggers this week: from Jean Poutine at May Contain Nuts; and from Marianne: “ Overall, we had a good experience; that said, Charles brought up this morning that with their limited and static menu (save the daily fish and desserts), there’s nothing drawing him back any time soon.”
Marianne also reviewed Pourhouse last week.
This was fun: City and Dale posted the results of a blind cupcake tasting – I’m glad to see that Whimsical and Flirt both did well!
I’m really looking forward to the opening of the Enjoy Centre – Liane posted that Julianna Mimande has just found her chef, Shaun Hicks.
Congratulations to Andrew Fung of Blackhawk Golf Course for taking the top prize at last week’s 2010 Gold Medal Plates (you can see the Journal’s photos here). Interestingly enough, three of the last four champions have won with Asian fusion dishes.
Congratulations also to the team behind the Green & Gold Garden, who raised $21,587.00 for the Tubahumurize Association to help women in Rwanda. They will be planning on operating a garden next year.
GMO-salmon have been in the news lately – CBC has a great interview with John Buchanan, director of research and development for AquaBounty.
A belated send-off – Mack and I had lunch at Madison’s Grill a few weeks back to wish Chef Blair Lebsack well on his European travels, and more importantly, to get him on Twitter. He was nice enough to treat us to their Sylvan Star grilled cheese sandwiches as promised (the spicy tomato ketchup could be eaten with everything), and though we are sad to see him go – he will be back next year, hoping to have his own restaurant open in fall 2011. Safe travels, Blair!

Sylvan Star gouda and gruyere grilled cheese sandwich

With the demand for gluten-free options, it was no surprise to see a sign advertising a forthcoming GF bakery on 109 Street and 105 Avenue called Auntie B’s.

Auntie B’s

After a media dinner at ZINC tonight (you’ll be seeing many write-ups of it around the blogosphere in the next few days), Mack and I stopped by City Hall to check out the revised version of the Capital City Downtown Plan. Of note: the plan makes mention of providing assistance to growing food downtown, as well as a multi-purpose arts/city market space. The plan goes to City Council on December 6, 2010.

Capital City Downtown Plan display

The Cooking Chronicles: Inspired Failure

Liane mentioned recently that Inspired magazine by Sobeys is useful in getting out of a cooking rut. I’d have to agree. Unlike some store-produced publications, it doesn’t lean heavily on the use of processed products, and the colour photos are engaging and inviting. Best of all, it’s free!

We recently tried two recipes out of their Fall 2010 issue – but to varying levels of success, unfortunately.

Chicken Stew with Oat Dumplings

First, a recipe for a chicken stew with oat dumplings caught my eye.

I should not have used such a large Dutch oven to start with, as I ended up adding more broth to make up for the fact that the oat dumplings weren’t fully immersed in liquid. It turned out that was a good choice anyway, since the dumplings absorbed so much of the stock as they cooked.

The dumplings themselves (a combination of flour, oats, baking powder, thyme and salt) were flavourless, however, chewy and tasting like partially-cooked dough. I’m not sure if my substitution of regular Highwood Crossing rolled oats instead of quick-cooking oats was the cause of the poor outcome or not (or the fact that I made them too large), but my preference for next time would be a simple chicken stew without the dumplings.

Chicken stew with dumplings (the dumplings look almost like cauliflower florets in the picture)

I served the stew with savoury cheddar cornmeal muffins from Muffin Mania – I’d definitely make them again. They were a nice alternative to the usual bread accompaniment.

Cheddar cornmeal muffins (I omitted the additional cheese on top)

Acorn Squash with Harvest Rice Stuffing

I had picked up a beautiful acorn squash from Kuhlmann’s on the last day of the City Market, as well as a bag of wild rice from MoNa, intending on combining the two using an Inspired recipe for acorn squash with harvest rice stuffing.

Our first error was to have used (again) too shallow of a pan to cook the rice – the rice started to stick before it had a chance to fully cook. More than anything though, we probably should have prepared the rice following the package directions instead of a straight substitution, then adding the aromatics after. I will say that the cranberries were a lovely addition, offering an unexpected burst of sweetness.

The squash, on the other hand, roasted up perfectly in the oven, fork tender and ready to be devoured. What we found, however, is that we much prefer this type of squash in purees, soups or as ravioli filling – the slightly stringy texture was a bit off-putting to us. We finished our halves, but it was a chore.

Acorn squash with rice stuffing

Not all is lost though – there are still a few more recipes I’d like to try from the issue, including one for blueberry & brown butter squares.

LitFest: Genu-Wine

I was happy to be invited to LitFest’s Genu-Wine this year, though I have to say I didn’t know what to expect. The festival program was vague: “LitFest tackles serious global issues, accompanied by samples of seriously good wine”, but I was looking forward to seeing how it would all come together.

Mack and I walked over to the Kids in the Hall Bistro on Saturday night, and encountered a packed venue. A few stand-up cocktail tables were set-up, but halfway through the evening, patrons moved them aside to make room for more chairs. The room, with a buffet table, a wine station and a podium, was unfortunately arranged without proper flow – I had to think the organizers didn’t anticipate such a large crowd.

The spread (there was actually quite a bit of food)

Associate producer Shauna Sisson told us later that LitFest had always wanted to put on a “schmoozing” event, and this was their first attempt at combining wine with snippets of literary works. While festival organizers deserve kudos for trying something new, the format of Genu-wine probably needs further tweaking.

It seemed straightforward enough – the host would introduce one of the four authors and the wine to be sampled following the reading, the author would talk about their work, and end with a reading from their book. The audience was then invited up to help themselves to glasses of Yellow Tail wine (which had all been donated for the event), while enjoying upbeat tunes from Don Berner. Repeated three times, with brief moments to network in between authors, it felt choppy.

Alice Major

The authors themselves accomplished what they needed to do, however – provoking discussion in the crowd. Andrew Potter, musing on the idea (and fallacy) of “authenticity” and Dan Gardener on the nonsensical belief in predictions incited the most debate in our group, but Alice Major was undoubtedly the most eloquent and Lawrence Scanlan the most poignant (and my favourite of the evening), with his excerpt on the rebuilding in New Orleans.

Andrew Potter addresses the crowd

And though they were the cheesiest portions of the evening, I loved how the organizers cheekily tried to connect random varieties of wine with the authors (I will never think of “bubbles rose” in the same way again).

Yellow Tail line-up

I’m not sure what I would suggest to make the event better (two readings in a row? more time between readings?), but I think the casual, informal vibe of the evening is worth maintaining. I’ll be interested to check out Genu-Wine next year, whatever its incarnation.

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