Category: food

Culinary Q & A with Isabelle Gallant

Occupation: I’m a journalist. I work for CBC Radio as a researcher/producer. I think I like writing about food best of all! Someday I’d love to be a full-time food writer. 

What did you eat today?

I had a very strange breakfast: some leftover waffle batter that I had turned into cake because it wouldn’t stop sticking to the waffle iron. I spread it with almond butter so it actually tasted pretty good, despite a strange texture. And half a grapefruit.

For lunch I had some leftover roast chicken and sweet potato fries. Supper was a green salad with cucumber, chick peas and almonds on top.

What do you never eat?

I’ve tried to like oatmeal so many times … just ask my husband. I think it’s a texture/taste combination, but I just can’t get into it.

I’m also not a fan of anything gelatinous or soggy … like any form of Jello, or bread in soup. And I really don’t like Miracle Whip or Cheez-Whiz … I’m a bit of a food snob.

What is your personal specialty?

I don’t think I really have a specialty … although I love making scrambled eggs and they were the first thing I learned to cook, from my Dad. I think I’ve been making them long enough that I’ve mastered the technique! I also make a mean cornbread, and a delicious chocolate vegan cake.

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

Fresh vegetables, soy milk, a heel or two of Parmesan, a jar of jam, half a lemon stored in a ziploc and shoved into the door, and a bunch of leftovers.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Something with eggs. Usually fritatta because you can throw lots of different kinds of vegetables and cheese in it.

I’m getting healthier with time … in university my go-to if there was nothing good to make was frozen french fries with ketchup and grated cheese. Unhealthy, but delicious! I still crave it sometimes.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

I love wooden spoons. We have a lot of them, including some that are warped and and one that I took from my Mom’s house a while back. It’s starting to get a crack in it but I just don’t want to throw it away. I also think I would find it hard to live without our microplane grater.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Brunch the way my Dad used to make it: scrambled eggs, biscuits, Lunenburg pudding, bacon, fresh grapefruit, lots of sharp cheddar cheese, toast, peanut butter. (One of my favourite food combos ever is toast with peanut butter, cheese, and bacon.) Maybe throw in a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes for good measure. In a perfect world, I would eat this meal on a sunny Sunday morning with my family.  

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Probably the Blue Plate Diner. It’s close, has an interesting menu and most of all an awesome atmosphere.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

I don’t know if I can pick just one. There are still so many restaurants I want to try, but of the places we’ve gone the Red Ox is one of the best. It’s elegant and special, yet simple and cozy. The food is wonderful too! We’ve been trying a lot of ethnic places that we love too, especially Padmanadi, Langano Skies, Boualouang, and this great Chinese hot pot restaurant in Chinatown. It’s called King’s Noodles and Hot Pot (I didn’t even know what it was called so I just googled it!). I would, however, recommend eating there with someone Chinese. It’s a lot to take in for a Westerner!

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

I would definitely go to Paris and gorge on croissants, pains au chocolat, and baguettes. And probably visit all the city’s chocolate shops too. I would love to visit Italy – never been there – and discover all the food it has to offer. And I would for sure find out the best places to eat in Asia and visit all of them. I think I would pretty much go on a world food tour if I could.

Isabelle blogs at The Little Red Kitchen.

Fresh Inspiration: Eatery at the ARTery

After some leisurely window shopping at City Centre Mall, I wandered over to the Eatery at the ARTery (9535 Jasper Avenue) for lunch. As it was an absolutely gorgeous day, the stroll to the ARTery provided an opportune moment to take in our scenic river valley.

Edmonton in bloom

I had heard about the Eatery at the ARTery  in early May before the City Centre Market opened for business. Julianna Mimande, formerly of Bacon, was heading up this new weekly endeavour, which would serve lunch from 12-4pm every Saturday, using fresh ingredients picked up from the farmers’ market that morning. It’s the kind of thing locovores should embrace, and I applaud Julianna’s initiative that not only celebrates Alberta’s bounty, but also practices the idea of inspiration and creativity inherent in fresh ingredients. My only doubt was about the timing of the lunch – it is almost set up best for those who don’t make a trip through the market, unless they either lived close enough to drop off the goods afterwards (as I did), have a car to store their purchases in, or don’t mind going later in the day when popular goods may already be sold out.

The ARTery

Through the bright red door, I encountered a blackboard menu that listed the day’s creation: an omelette made with Arnold’s Eggs, Edgar Farms asparagus, and Sylvan Star aged gouda, accompanied by a Greens Eggs and Ham salad and baby potatoes ($12) – a pretty great lunch, if you ask me. Two types of dessert were also available – Portuguese egg tarts ($2) and chocolate mousse ($5). Coffee was $2, with (wait for it) a shot of Baileys for an additional $3 – you have to love a place that serves coffee with Baileys at noon.

Menu board

I paid for my order, passed it off to Julianna, and was told that my lunch would be brought to me. I wondered how the kitchen managed when it was busy, as it looked like it could barely accommodate two. I headed into the seating area, where I found a guitarist performing on stage, surrounded by artwork and just a handful of tables.

Afternoon entertainment – Mo Lefever

Artwork at the ARTery

This was my first time at the ARTery, though I knew that the space hosted craft fairs and musical performances, among other things. I took a seat at the bar along the side wall, grateful for the breeze passing through the slightly ajar emergency exit, and settled in with my magazine.

I didn’t even get through an article when my food was brought to me, accompanied by two slices of toast. I remember Liane’s comment that the meal that she had was rather light – perhaps Julianna took that into consideration this week, as I was quite satisfied with the portion size. The omelette was a dense yellow colour, wrapped around still-crisp stalks of asparagus. The kitchen was a little light-handed with the cheese, but the richness of the eggs helped offset that deficiency somewhat. The toast was also notable – I found out later the bread was from the Italian Centre.

Asparagus and gouda omelette with salad and potatoes

It was a relaxing, pleasing lunch, and the thought of a menu that reflects the season will keep me coming back.

The Eatery at the ARTery
9535 Jasper Avenue
(780) 441-6966
Lunch served every Saturday, 12-4pm

Food Notes for June 15, 2009

I’m so glad it finally seems like summer in Edmonton! I do feel like I’m still catching up with things that happened in May though (namely, my DC trip), so thanks for your patience – my trip posts are forthcoming! In the meantime, here are my notes for this week:

  • A day after Liane reported in Bistro that David Cruz left his Executive Chef post at Sage, she posted a follow-up post on her blog containing her brief interview with him. Great use of your blog, Liane! It seems that he felt that his creativity was stymied, and will be looking at launching his own venture in Edmonton some time. It will be interesting to see if Sage continues to appeal to the masses with a “safe” menu after Cruz’s comments.
  • Kevin Ostapek, formerly of Flavours Modern Bistro, is the Chef at a new venture called The Bothy, a wine and whisky bar (5482 Calgary Trail). They will have cheese and charcuterie (yay!), as well as the city’s first enomatic wine system (which helps preserve the quality of by-the-bottle pours) – I’m looking forward to their opening!
  • Kerstin’s Chocolates will be offering chocolate covered Berkshire-pork bacon for Father’s Day, from June 17-20. Need I say more?
  • Speaking of liquor, Hanne of Supper in Stereo wrote a great piece for Vue this week covering some of the fresh summer cocktails available around the city!
  • Transcend Coffee just hired a marketing director! There is definitely a demand to increase their ability to offer coffee education (their cuppings are booked solid until November), so I am eager to see how they experiment to meet the public’s interest in quality coffee.
  • Century Hospitality is conducting a promotion that asks “local celebrities” to share their favourite burger recipes in the hopes that their burger will be chosen as a special addition to the Delux menu for a month. For July, CityTV’s Ryan Jesperson’s “Thai One On” burger will be featured.
  • There was a good article in the Journal on the weekend that provides an overview of the northeast agricultural land debate, which City Council will vote to potentially rezone on June 22-23.
  • Mack pointed me to an article of interest in Time about “cow-pooling” (buying an animal in bulk with others), of interest to me because my family and I will be receiving our first-ever 1/4 cow (grass-fed, hormone-free) this week, from my coworker’s family farm. It’ll be more beef than any of us have ever seen (heh).
  • There was an interview with Michael Pollan in the Globe last week. Nothing particularly new, except his comments about the much-talked about documentary Food, Inc. Not sure if the movie will be screened in Edmonton, but I’ll keep an eye out.
  • A curious blind tasting was conducted to see if a panel could identify dishes created by male versus female chefs. The verdict? The preconceived notions (such as women prepare more delicate dishes; men cook food to impress) were disproved.
  • I passed by a new vegan/vegetarian product store in Chinatown called Whole Vegetarian Food (9738 107 Avenue,  780-756-6186) that just opened on June 12. The store owner eagerly ushered me inside to show me the contents inside the deep chest freezers, but I wasn’t in the market for goods that day. They do seem to have quite the variety though, including shelves of dry goods.

Inside Whole Vegetarian Food

  • I’m just getting back into the cooking swing of things, and really, there is nothing like a trip to the farmers’ market for inspiration! Using some fresh veggies and herbs I picked up from the market, I made a batch of summer rolls to take to a meeting on Sunday (they travel well on the bus). The leftovers made a great side to my brown bag lunch.

Summer roll with carrots, bean sprouts, bell peppers, arugula, and cilantro

  • Chris from Eating is the Hard Part made my day when he brought me a loaf of fresh challah bread (if you’ve been reading his blog lately, you will know that he has been participating in the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge). There’s nothing like homemade bread – the challah was great plain, but I also made French toast with it over the weekend, and it was delicious. Thanks, Chris!

Mack admires the challah

French toast made with challah and Greens Eggs and Ham duck eggs

Culinary Q & A with Maki B.

Occupation:  A stay at home mom for now but I’m a former chemist, bookkeeper and cafe-owner who is not sure what I want to be when I “grow up”. 

What did you eat today?

Breakie:  Eggs over easy & bacon.
Lunch:  Falafels with tzatiki and bbq’d balsamic veggies in a pita.
Dinner:  Panko crusted chicken fingers with baked fries, green salad and freshly churned mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert.  All homemade!

What do you never eat?

I’m not a fan of seafood.  I wish I liked it and I try and try but I’m just not there yet.  Also, you will never see me drinking milk or using it in cereal.  It’s as rare as a yeti sighting.

What is your personal specialty? 

I can’t say I have a specialty but I will say that I’m a fan of trying out my hand at cuisines from all over the world. If you’re invited to my house for dinner, you never know what country’s food I’ll be serving. 

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

lots of food.  I’m always cooking and baking so I’m like a small scale supermarket really.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Some sort of stir fry to clean out my refrigerator. 

What is your favorite kitchen item? 

I’d have to say Bullet, he’s my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and he rocks my world.  I keep meaning to blog about him and his amazing talents.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal. 

I don’t have a favourite food or cuisine so this is a tough question.  Probably a big “mezze” or “antipasto” platter full of a variety of cheeses, meats, veggies, olives and fresh breads. Of course I would need to finish off with a rich chocolate dessert.  (Oh, actually, a very last meal might need some curry and a plate of bacon too!)  Don’t forget the wine!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

We rarely eat out but if we do my kids usually choose that place with the golden arches and indoor playground.  Other than that, we go to fast, casual places like Tokyo Express and Oodle Noodle.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

My mom’s house.  I rarely eat out at restaurant due to the kidlet factor but my mom makes some pretty amazing Mediterranean food.  She’s the reason I love cooking and entertaining as much as I do.

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

As I said above, I don’t have favorites.  It’s so very hard so bear with me… I’d probably pack some bacon and maple syrup to eat on my way to some Mediterranean countries for my mezze, then hop over to Thailand/India for some curries and finally end up in Switzerland so I can make a complete pig of myself and eat enough chocolate that is humanly possible.  Oh, but a fresh croissant in sweet Paris would be lovely and then I know I’d get a hankering for some Mexican food too.  Really, it goes on and on.

Maki blogs at In My Element.

Edmonton Foodie Meetup 2!

Since the first Edmonton Foodie Meetup took place in February, many people have told me they wished they could have made it. Well, there will be another opportunity for those who love to eat and cook to get together with other passionate local foodies!

Who: Local food bloggers and any interested foodies!

Where: If it’s nice out (not raining), Dawson Park for a potluck; if it’s miserable, Suede Lounge – check this wiki on June 24 for the final location

When: June 26, 2009 at 6:30pm

Why: to put a face to a blog, and to talk all about food!

I canvassed people for opinions, and a large number indicated they wanted a potluck picnic this time around. Unfortunately, not being able to predict the weather means having a necessary backup plan, and the more casual, no-reservations-necessary venue of a lounge seemed to be a good fit.

If you are interested in coming, please add your name (and blog!) to the wiki, so we can expect you. Hope to see you there!

Conference Weekend in Calgary

I spent the past weekend in Calgary attending a conference, and judging by the fact that the venue served us popsicles during one coffee break, they also didn’t anticipate the snow that fell in June. I do hope that was the last of it.

Convention centres always amaze me with their logistical abilities to feed a thousand people in a fairly efficient way. The Telus Convention Centre was great for the most part, but I had a nitpick about their neglect of tea drinkers on the first day.

Carafes, from left to right: coffee, decaffeinated coffee, hot water (the latter was empty – at all stations)

Thankfully, they improved on day 2, as I’m sure they received their share of negative feedback.

The gala dinner was quite the spread (I am certain the conference is heavily subsidized – our registration price would have gone to food alone). Someone should have decided to call table numbers, however, as the wait in the free-for-all lineup for the buffet was half an hour for those who arrived to the hall late.

Dessert table (the “cherry almond martinis” were visually engaging, but tasted to me like whipped cream…I didn’t finish it)

The second day was filled with sessions that focused on wellness, a nice change from the content-heavy day prior. I really enjoyed Judy Atkinson’s community drumming workshop. It was incredibly satisfying to spend an hour and a half getting accustomed to the different instruments (African, Cuban and First Nations drums, as well as percussion), and was a great stress reliever.

My starter drum

As Saturday was a half day, I was able to wander a bit around the core before catching my bus back to Edmonton. I stopped in at Art Central for some window shopping, then to deVille Cafe for something to eat. It’s a nice space, chic and modern as you’d expect from an upscale cafe, but their microwave-equivalent breakfast sandwich left something to be desired – it was rubbery and had me wishing for Starbucks’ sandwich instead. I guess at $3.50, I shouldn’t have set my standards too high (particularly knowing that coffee was their specialty, not food), but shouldn’t small independents focus on quality?

deVille Cafe interior

Ham, Egg and Cheese Sandwich

After more shopping, I ended up at Avenue Diner for an early supper. I haven’t been back since my visit nearly two years ago for brunch, and I was eager for an opportunity to try the tempting macaroni and cheese, a large print of which is displayed in the lobby. The servers were lovely throughout, and took a little pity on me as a lone diner as they tidied up for the day. The food was fairly tardy, unusual also because I was the penultimate party to order. It did arrive with a golden, crunchy, cheesy crust though, and probably could have fed two people. At the same time, given the price ($16.29), perhaps that’s what they had in mind.

“Dad’s famous aged white Cheddar mac and cheese” from Avenue Diner

There are still so many Calgary eateries I’d like to try – I look forward to my next trip down, hopefully minus the snow!

Food and Wine Fit for Royalty: Indulgence 2009

I don’t think I’ve ever been more filled with pride about our local food scene than on this night. I just returned from the 8th annual Indulgence 2009 at the Delta Edmonton South, an event organized by Slow Food Edmonton to benefit the Junior League of Edmonton.

Tickets

Billed as “a Canadian epic of food and wine”, I thought the phrase was a bit ambitious, but I really shouldn’t have underestimated the local food community, who banded together for the most amazing tasting event I’ve ever had the privilege to attend. Working closely with a local producer, seventeen restaurants created menus utilizing the best ingredients Alberta had to offer. Each dish was then paired with a VQA wine. And though tickets were on the pricey end of things – $60 each – we recouped more than our share in the experience.

We arrived just before the 7 o’clock start time, and were forced to head to the roof of the parkade for empty spaces. That should have alerted us to expect the enormous crowd to expect that we found lined up in the lobby, a crowd that snaked through and around the entire first floor. Though my Mum and I wished for more systematic line control, as the hallway was narrow to begin with, I don’t know what they could have done anyway.

Thankfully, most of the initial chaos dissipated as soon as the doors opened, and once our ticket stubs had been collected, we were given an Indulgence booklet (which would supply our “eat passes” for the night), a wine glass and reusable bamboo fork. These last two items were a nice environmentally-friendly nod – something I hope other tasting events take note of.

Food and wine pairing stations were set up throughout the Grand Ballroom, with round cocktail stands placed at random intervals in between and along the periphery of the room. These tables were our saving graces – even though a wine glass and plate attachment were provided to us, there was no way we could have juggled eating and drinking without half of the menu ending up on our wardrobe.

Grand Ballroom (about half empty)

Entertainment

The atmosphere was jovial and light, and with jazz floating through the air, the only difficulty was deciding which dish to tackle first. Now in its eighth instalment, the organizers have the format down to a science – for each pairing, we were to simply rip the numbered corner associated with that station from our books, preventing overeager patrons from seconds.

There were definitely a few stand outs for my Mum and I – the Carmen Creek bison slider with red onion confit and gorgonzola cheese was on the top of our list (prepared by Botanica), while my Mum also adored the Irving Farms Berkshire pork belly with truffled apple salad (prepared by the Bothy Wine and Whiskey Bar).

Carmen Creek Bison Slider with Red Onion Confit and Gorgonzola Cheese

Irving Farm Berkshire Pork Belly with Truffled Apple Salad (one of the few non-micro green vegetables served)

We also raved about some of the sides that came along with a main player – the polenta served with the Waskwei Venison Cassoulet (prepared by the Red Ox Inn – I will have dreams about the creamy polenta, perfectly seared on the outside), and the bed of beluga lentils underneath lamb and butternut squash (prepared by Characters).

Waskwei Venison Cassoulet

Lamb Skewer with Beluga Lentils and Butternut Squash

A few unique dishes also satisfied our palate. The braised alpaca with Chimichurri (prepared by Suede Lounge) surprised me with its tenderness and strong flavour. The fresh petal sorbet, made by Leva Cafe using flowers from Inspired Market Gardens, was a welcome palate cleanser, particularly because of the meat-centric dishes at the event. As a result, d’Lish’s Mo Na wild mushroom shot also supplied needed variety.

Braised Alpaca with Chimichurri

Fresh Petal Sorbet with Black Pansy Syrup

Mo Na Wild Mushroom Soup Shot

We did enjoy several of the other meat dishes, though I can say if they they would probably make a stronger impression if presented on their own. These included Mexico Lindo’s Chicken Pibil, Spring Creek Ranch natural beef flank steak (prepared by Madison’s Grill) and Amberlane Farm Elk Tartines (prepared by Flavours Modern Bistro).

Chicken Pibil

Spring Creek Ranch Natural Beef Flank Steak with a Blistered Gull Valley Tomato and Olive Relish, Heritage Greens in a Fairwinds Farm Goat Cheese Vinaigrette on a Corn Tuile

Amberlane Farm Elk Tartines

There were a few dishes that I was expecting more from, though for reasons not relating at all to quality. The chocolate base in the mousse tart from Kerstin’s Chocolates was divine, but the jam contained within was too sweet for me. The Harvest Room-prepared Greens Eggs and Ham duck confit served with almond waffle potatoes was delicious (the crispiness of both the duck and the crisps was lovely), but we wished for a larger serving size. The shepherd’s pie from Lux, made with Latago Cattle Company Wagyu Beef, had great imagination, incorporating edamame beans and onion crisps, but the texture didn’t hold well for a mass event like this one. Lastly, neither of us being a fan of goat cheese, I think it would have been virtually impossible for us to enjoy the Fairwinds Farm goat cheese tart prepared by Cafe de Ville.

Kerstin’s Chocolates Mousse Tart

Greens Eggs and Ham Duck Leg Confit served with Baby White Almond Waffle Potatoes on Micro Sprouts in a Basil Aioli

Shepherd’s Pie made with Braised Latago Cattle Company Wagyu Beef, Edamame Beans, Celeriac Puree, Saffron Onion Crisps

Fairwinds Farm Goat Cheese, Lobster Mushroom and Leek Tart with a Riesling Reduction

Though the above may seem to be an exhaustive list of dishes, we actually failed to sample two courses, as they had run out by the time we had made our rounds.

You may have noticed by now that I haven’t really made mention of the wine. To be honest, though my Mum and I indulged in some of the wine (and one beer) pairings, we were so overwhelmed with the food choices that we were hard pressed to get through even one pour. The one wine I sampled that I would like to return to was the 2008 Gewurtraminer by the Cedar Creek Estate Winery – the wine was as clear as water, with a clean, crisp flavour.

It was great to see many familiar faces again – both in the crowd and behind the stations. A special mention goes out to Chris from Eating is the Hart Part, Marianne and Zed from Loosen Your Belt and Eat Around Edmonton, and Jon, who ensured I was on top of this year’s Indulgence details.

Thanks to Slow Food Edmonton for organizing such a memorable event that showcases and truly celebrates what we have to offer in Alberta. I am looking forward to Indulgence 2010 already.

Finis!

You can see my photo set here.

Food Notes for June 8, 2009

  • A reminder about the upcoming Al Fresco on 104th Street, taking place this Saturday. In addition to an open door wine tasting, a handful of all-day vendors and a fashion show, the organizers will be screening Big Night outdoors at 10pm, with Sobeys supplying popcorn. I’m looking forward to it! Remember to bring a donation for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters.
  • To celebrate Portugal Day, deVines will be hosting a Portuguese Olive Oil Tasting on June 10 from 5-7pm. Admission is free, but those interested are being asked to bring a donation for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters.
  • I remember growing up thumbing through my Mum’s worn copy of Company’s Coming: Muffins & More, so the Company’s Coming Inventory Clearance couldn’t have been timed better, as I’m looking to expand my cookbook collection: “Stop by our Edmonton warehouse at 2311-96 Street on Friday, June 12 from 3 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 13 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. for incredible savings on out-of-print and overstocked Company’s Coming titles.” You’ll even have the opportunity to meet Jean Pare and get your cookbook signed!
  • A few new-ish openings: Original Joe’s Whyte Avenue outpost (8404 109 Street), Karma the Indian Bistro (10523 99 Avenue, 780-498-2992), and an upcoming “Friends and Neighbours Delight”, which will take over the space formerly occupied by Nokomis (10838 82 Avenue).
  • Anyone know what’s up with the Cargo & James tea chain in Edmonton? Several months ago, before the one in Edmonton Centre shut down for good, appeared a sign that said the store was “temporarily closed”. That same sign is now on the door of the Old Strathcona location.
  • Speaking of tea, City Palate Calgary writes that Good Earth Coffee House and Bakery is pioneering something called “red tea espresso”. The “espresso” is made from ground rooibos tea to be used in espresso machines. I hope their Edmonton locations have it too – would be interesting to try.
  • Liane wrote about the Eatery at the ARTery last week in Bistro. I love the fact that each meal is centered around a theme. However, someone else also made a similar comment about how expensive the lunch was (relative to the amount of food obtained), but I’d like to see for myself how large a dish is.
  • Pretty please with icing on top – can Edmonton have a cupcake truck?
  • Before an evening meeting last week, I stopped by Ah Chin’s Kitchen (6224 99 Street, 780- 438-8218), a favourite of my parents, for dinner. It was a bit awkward dining there, as I was the only one in the restaurant the entire night, but the staff were courteous, and didn’t mind me too much. I have to say, it was one of the most economical meals I’ve ever had in the city – my bowl of won ton soup was chock full of noodles, gai lan, the pork dumplings, and best of all – only cost $4.95! Unreal.

 

Won Ton Soup from Ah Chin’s Kitchen

Almost Al Fresco: Cosmos Greek Taverna

Greek cuisine is one of Mack’s favourites, so for his last dinner before his trip to London, I took him to Cosmos Greek Taverna on High Street.

Upon walking up to the restaurant, I was glad the venue allowed us to take advantage of a semi-summer day. Cosmos had removed the windows from the hinges, creating a patio feel in the front dining area, and between the murals on the walls and the cool breeze, the setting transported us to a locale far from Edmonton. The only downside to dining almost al-fresco was, of course, the layer of dirt on the table and plates (but nothing a quick dusting couldn’t fix).

Mack at Cosmos

The entree selections were fairly brief, though we could have built a meal out of tapas (and in hindsight, we probably should have). We opted to share an appetizer of homus and pita ($6.50), while Mack ordered the gyros with pita ($17.50) and I the chicken souvlaki ($21.50).

I should make mention, however brief, of the bread course – a small loaf of bread, warmed! Mack and I both love warm bread, and think it really should be a restaurant standard.

Happy Camel supplies our favourite hummus in the city, so we were eager to see how Cosmos’ version would measure up. Mack liked the consistency, but we both thought there was something lacking – perhaps they could have kicked up the garlic flavour a notch? I did like the fact that the pitas had been warmed and slightly toasted though – it made the dish seem more like a treat.

Homus and Pita

As expected, our entrees were enormous. Had my plate not been served with a side of potatoes and vegetables, I likely still would not have been able to finish my dinner. Mack enjoyed the gyros, but also found the portion size overwhelming. As for the souvlaki, again, the toasted pita underneath the chicken kabobs was a nice touch, but I didn’t care much for the potatoes or the overcooked and greasy vegetable medley.

Gyros

 

Chicken Souvlaki

Service as a whole was all right, but nothing exceptional. Mack noted at the end of the night that while he does enjoy Greek food, he always finds the prices in restaurants a tad expensive and the portion sizes too large. He suggested that Greek establishments should consider offering smaller versions of their popular dishes – not a bad idea, particularly in the current climate.

Cosmos Greek Taverna
10810 124 Street (2 other locations)
(780) 455-7474
4pm-12am daily

Piece-meal: Proof

When the trend of “small plates” began appearing in Edmonton, I was a little sceptical. Like many, I was used to the standard appetizer/entree/dessert meal (at least at restaurants serving Western fare), and I was resistant to any change deviating from that. After my experience at Proof, however, I can tell you that I have wholeheartedly embraced this new way of eating out.

My discovery of Proof came by way of DC Foodies, a website covering local restaurants, food events, and farmers’ markets, among other things. Proof was listed as one of the blog authors’ favourites, and as soon as I read that the restaurant had charcuterie on the menu, I slotted it into our plan, making a reservation using Open Table (a website subscribed to by most non-fast food DC eateries, it seemed).

When we arrived at 6:30, there were  only a few tables free of patrons. We learned very quickly that the dress code (though listed as “casual” on their Open Table profile), was elevated by the naturally dressy after work crowd, most of which were wearing suits and standard business wear.

The interior was elegant but understated – rich woods, metallic accent mirrors, dangling incandescent light bulbs, a beautiful glass wine case, and directly in my sight line, a charcuterie prep station. I wasn’t a fan of the woven chairs, though they did serve the purpose of ensuring the decor wasn’t too formal.

Interior

The name of the restaurant is derived from a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “Wine is proof that God loves us.” So although the food was our initial draw, we were more than happy to sample Proof’s wine program, with 2, 4, and 8oz. pours of over 40 types of wine available, and a novel of selections by the bottle. Mack and I also agreed that we should keep better track of the wines we liked, in an effort to be more systematic about our vino exploration (of course, our favourites are noted in Mack’s moleskine and not mine…).

To put together our cheese and charcuterie platter, we asked our server for guidance, who was great at explaining the virtues of the various meats and cheeses. And while he and the rest of the service at Proof was assembly-line efficient (wines would instantaneously appear), the service was almost too formal for us to loosen up and enjoy ourselves – my only (admittedly minor) complaint about our experience.

We ended up with two meats – speck ($9), similar to a smoked prosciutto, and saucisson de paris ($8), a sausage – and three cheeses – la serena, a sheep’s milk cheese from spain, mt. tam from California, and cabot clothbound cheddar from Vermont ($13).

The bread course was a welcome change from the standard bread and butter rolls – baked pita-like strips were served with a mixture of sour cream, olive oil and chives. I can’t say I cared for the concoction, but I appreciated the fact that they wanted to do something different.

Bread service at Proof

Our starter was best described by Mack, who called it “adult cheese and crackers”. Heightened finger food or not, it was a lovely sight to behold – the cheeses were rustic in presentation, on a wooden platter served with fig and nut bread, honey, applesauce and dried figs, while the shaved meats were accompanied by toasted baguettes (and not an olive in sight!). We had a wonderful time experimenting with flavours – one of my favourite combinations was the subtly sweet fig bread with the creamy sheep’s cheese, salty prosciutto, and a dollop of honey for balance. Mack really enjoyed the cheddar, aged to the point where it had the texture and sharpness of parmesan. I think the best thing about the platter, however, was having to slow down and take time to eat it (during that time, we ran through about 3 2 oz. pours of wine each) – something that helped elevate our meal to an experience.

Cheese Platter

 

Charcuterie

The menu directly encouraged patrons to share small plates, and since we had grazed over the platter to start anyway, we figured we might as well carry the sentiment over into the rest of our dinner as well. We decided to split three dishes: crispy pork confit ($13), spicy little meatballs ($10),and sauteed potato gnocchi with ramps and asparagus ($14).

Though service had been brisk thus far, we both weren’t prepared at the speed at which the dishes appeared all at the same time– the chef must have been right on top of his kitchen staff. I was also happy to see that the plating was appealing without being over-the-top.

I expected more from the pork confit, though it arrived exactly as billed – a soy-glazed slice of pork, skin crisp above a layer of fat, its crunch mirrored somewhat in the bed of jicima salad underneath. The level of spice to enhance the sweetness was perfect, but we both agreed there was something missing.

Crispy Pork Confit

Mack loved the meatballs (cooked so the meat was still a touch pink), and paired with goat cheese agnolotti, the dish was a bit like a gourmet edition of pasta and meatballs.

Spicy Little Meatballs

The gnocchi was by far my favourite – not the gummy dumplings I’ve found in my dining past, the gnocchi virtually melted in my mouth. Though the vegetables were appreciated, I probably could have done without them in favour of more gnocchi.

Sauteed Gnocchi with Ramps and Asparagus

If I ever came back to DC, I’d make a beeline back to Proof.

Proof
775 G St NW
Washington, DC
(202) 737-7663