Category: food

“It ain’t no value menu”: Burger Baron

Whenever we would pass by a Burger Baron, those shady-looking drive-in or cottage-shaped fast food parlours, Mack and I would always verbally state our intention to give it a try at some point. On Friday, we finally did.

Blue sky and Burger Baron

This location (9908 70 Avenue) seemed safe enough on the outside, in terms of cleanliness anyway. The open kitchen provided some relief, and the interior was well-kept. We perused the extensive menu, spanning not only the expected burgers, but fried chicken, grilled cheese, and donairs as well. In addition to slightly discounted combination meals, Burger Baron also offers daily specials. On this day, 2 cheeseburgers were priced at $7, a deal too good for Mack to pass up. I opted for the Dad’s Burger ($4.75), minus the questionable “special Baron  sauce”, and we added a large Strawberry Shake ($3.75), and sides of both onion rings and fries to our order. It was a sizable portion of food for two, but we didn’t expect the total to ring in at $21 – it was definitely not priced to compare with McDonald’s value menu.

Extensive menu

A small seating area was available to patrons eating in, though with the steady stream of drive-thru customers (the majority of them individual males), I can imagine their take-away business to be quite sizable.

After our order was announced, we picked up our tray and couldn’t wait to dig in. The thin beef patties were dwarfed by the fluffy nature of the bun, a ratio Mack quite enjoyed. My burger was fine, though the bacon was disappointingly limp and not crisp. The fries, which had been tossed slightly in a seasoning salt, were fresh, and darn tasty. The onion rings could have used a bit of oomph, however, as they tasted like they had been pulled from the very back of the freezer, but I still enjoyed their deep-fried goodness. The shake was a winner with Mack as well.

Fries and Dad’s Burger (bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles)

Onion Rings and Cheeseburger

Mack devours his first cheeseburger

Though our dining experience was a positive one overall, and didn’t disappoint despite the long build up of expectations, we agreed that the price wouldn’t justify frequent visits for the Baron’s fast food.

Burger Baron
9908 70 Avenue (plus 10 other locations in Edmonton)
(780) 433-7634
Monday-Saturday 11 am – 9pm, Sunday 12 – 8pm

Food Notes

  • Salisbury Greenhouses recommences their farmer’s market on Saturday, September 4, and from then on, will be Sherwood Park’s first year-round market. The vendor list isn’t up yet, but check their website for updates.
  • I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the small Italian Cafe that was sandwiched between a Sorrentino’s and the Italian Centre in Little Italy, but it the space has been taken over and will reopen as Spinelli’s – the cafe owned and operated by the folks behind the Italian Centre.
  • A coworker of mine said that the Blue Nile (10875 98 Street) is closing due to increasing rent prices. The restaurant has been on my list to try for some time, but I never made it out.
  • The Globe did a piece on the phenomenon of elusive supper clubs in large metropolitan centres. I wonder if any exist in Edmonton?
  • The paper also featured the Forbes list of the top-grossing chefs. Any guesses for who graces the top? It’s the EVOO-queen herself, Rachael Ray, coming in at $18 million. Oprah would be proud.
  • Until Liane Faulder pointed it out, I had no idea that 2008 is the year of the potato. Find out more here.
  • Mack sent me a list to this site, all about the unusual things people eat, and I came across this post about pasta available in interesting shapes. What would TJ Dawe say?
  • Would you pay more money if the menu listings didn’t include a dollar sign? A recent study says yes.
  • Los Angeles has put a moratorium on new fast food restaurants for one year. This New York Times piece briefly explores the question on whether or not cities should legislate personal choice.
  • Mack is nuts about Melona, when he can find it that is. A “South Korean melon-flavoured creamsicle” (or so says Wikipedia), it’s a little expensive, but a unique alternative to the sugar-based popsicles. We found some at the Italian Centre recently (79 cents for one bar), though they’re also sold at T & T at West Edmonton Mall and the Korean Central Market (9271 34 Avenue).

 

Mack thinking someone is going to steal his banana Melona

Not Worth the Trip: Three Amigos

On a quest to find Mexican that would duplicate the cuisine she fell in love with in California, May has been to seemingly every Latin American eatery in Edmonton. I went along for the ride on Thursday, where she was finally able to test Three Amigos (4035 106 Street), nonchalantly tucked away in a Duggan strip mall.

Primarily known for take-out, the tiny space was packed when we arrived at 6pm. Thankfully, by the time our food was ready, the crowd has dissipated, likely chased away by the sweltering dead heat in the place – I could only wonder how hot it was in the kitchen. A take out bar/order assembly area took up the majority of the space, with five cramped tables situated against the free walls. Handwritten signs above the counter detailed the menu, accompanied with photos of prepared dishes for those unfamiliar with the cuisine. Many of the typical “Western” favourites were available, including flautas, empanadas, tamales, nachos and quesadillas, priced from $5.99 (without sides). In preparation for a week of Fringe site gluttony, I shied away from the very tempting deep-fried items in favour of the enchilada ($12.99, served with refried beans and Mexican rice).

The wait for our food was agonizingly long – and probably felt longer because of the temperature of the room, and the stress of watching the clock tick down closer to curtain time of the show we were due for. Thankfully, the cool drinks we picked up from the cooler (May a $2 Papaya Pineapple juice, and I a $2.49 strawberry Jarritos, an imported Mexican soft drink) helped relax our wait somewhat.

Jarritos and Papaya Pineapple juice

When our orders were up, presented on plastic plates with disposable cutlery on the side, we were more than ready to chow down. Because they had run out of chicken, the server asked if we would mind a substitution of steak for one order, and of course we didn’t – the more variety, the merrier. Thus, each of us were able to try two types of meat fillings. Unfortunately, the steak was too salty, and quite difficult to cut with a plastic knife (perhaps they could have actual silverware for those planning to eat in?). The chicken enchilada was much better, and I did enjoy the creamy rich mole sauce covering both wraps.

Enchiladas

In the end though, May rated Three Amigos below other similar establishments in Edmonton (El Rancho, Acajutla, Mexico Lindo, in descending order), and likely won’t make the trip back again. I agreed – for the price, the interior, and the food, Three Amigos isn’t worth the trip.

Three Amigos
4035 106 Street NW
(780) 490-6394
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 11am-9pm, Wednesday 11am-8:30pm, Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday 12pm-9:30pm, Sunday 1-8pm

Food Notes

  • Edmonton’s Expo Latino descends on Churchill Square this weekend, August 16-17. I couldn’t locate a website, and from what I hear, it pales in comparison to Calgary’s version. In any case, music, memorabilia, and food will liven up the pavement.
  • Next weekend, Churchill Square will host the Edmonton Turkish Festival. Entertainment, demonstrations, and food, glorious food (and Turkish coffee) will be on tap.
  • My paltry participation in 2008’s 24 Hours of Flickr event, this year called Flickr 888, can be seen here.The first edition of Fresh in the City, the City Centre Market‘s e-newsletter, went out last week. I like the “Meet the Market” section, where a Q & A is done with a vendor. Sign up here.
  • While Mack snacked on a Fat Frank at the City Centre Market on Saturday, I headed to the Holy Guacamole trailer to try Chorizo on a bun. I didn’t expect ground sausage, but it was fine, though I would have preferred a little less orange grease residue…

 

Holy Guacamole trailer

 

Chorizo and mozzarella on a bun

  • We also had a quick bite to eat at the Jasper 104th Bistro in the Sobeys Urban Fresh on the weekend. Lured by this sign, Mack couldn’t resist their macaroni and cheese ($10). Made with mornay sauce, shitake mushrooms, pancetta, panko and truffle oil, it wasn’t a version one would see on the corner diner. I thought it was a bit dry, but Mack disagreed.

 

Jasper 104th’s Mac and Cheese

The Cooking Chronicles: Lemon Tarts with Fresh Raspberries

When May asked me to bring a dessert for a lunch she was having on the weekend, I knew I wanted to make something to reflect the bounty of the summer harvest. I had a few shortlisted recipes, but flipping through the Style section in the Edmonton Journal on Saturday, a recipe for Lemon Tarts with Fresh Raspberries caught my eye.

I had intentions of going to a U-Pick farm to gather raspberries myself, but with poor timing (and a full day on the Capital Modern Tour), I ended up with a pint of fruit from Safeway. The pre-made shells made things easier, and the lemon filling was straightforward to make and set and in the par-baked tart shells. Something in the filling congealed after cooling the tarts down, but it didn’t seem to affect the taste. Finished off with four raspberries each and a dash of icing sugar, I was done. I loved their vibrant, contrasting colours.

I found the filling a tad sour for my taste (as did my Mum), but May and her guests seemed to like them enough. I’d make this recipe again, but there are too many others waiting in the wings for me to duplicate it again this year.

Lemon Tarts with Fresh Raspberries

Tofu Five Ways: Padmanadi

I shouldn’t have suggested another buffet (my third in six days) for a catch-up supper with Bettina, but a monthly event put on by the Vegetarians of Alberta at Padmanadi (10626 97 Street) was too irresistible to walk away from. Buffets in general are a great way to economically sample a multitude of dishes, but in particular, this “niche” cuisine of vegan food (in addition to no meats, no dairy or animal byproducts such as honey or gelatin can be used).

Padmanadi has quite the cult following in Edmonton and is very well-known for their vegetarian cuisine. The t-shirts for sale at the front of the restaurant, with the words “we (heart) padmanadi” were proof enough to me that their popularity had reached a critical mass.

“we (heart) padmanadi”

The restaurant was packed, but table turnover was fast – I’m sure the sauna-like conditions had something to do with the dine-and-depart mentality. The servers had big smiles plastered on their faces, and it was clear they were enjoying the work – their cheerful demeanours demonstrated what restaurant service strives to be – carefree but efficient.

We grabbed large plates off the communal table, loaded up with some rice, and proceeded to taste each of the eight vegan dishes. Bettina was disappointed with the small variety, but given that this was a fundraiser for the non-profit Vegetarians of Alberta, I didn’t mind. Beyond recognizable spring rolls, green beans, and stir-fried deep-fried tofu, I struggled with the tofu stand-in dishes of sweet and sour “pork”, deep fried “chicken” balls, “chicken” curry and stir-fried “beef” and vegetables.  

The vegan line-up

My plate

Bettina really liked the rich, coconut-milk infused curry, and both of us agreed the spring rolls were great. While we were stuffed at the end of our meal (two or three plates later), I couldn’t help but think the tofu, though disguised in sweet sauce, a battered shell, or adopting a similar consistency to beef, was still tofu. It was an interesting experience, but I’m much too used to the variety of meat to limit my consumption to tofu and vegetables.

Padmanadi Vegetarian Restaurant
10626 97 Street NW
(780) 428-8899
Tuesday to Sunday 4-10pm

Dessert is Always the Best Part: Red Ox Inn

On the occasion of a celebration dinner, May, Andrea, Shermie and myself were able to strike another Original Fare restaurant off of our “to try” list.

Red Ox Inn sign

We met at the Red Ox Inn (9420 91 Street NW) on Thursday, a tiny boutique restaurant with a capacity to hold around 26 patrons. The sleek banquets and simple furnishings reminded me of the Blue Pear, but the somewhat crammed design, which allowed for those extra few seats, in my opinion took away any potential streamlined elegance. Because of the size of the room as well, I kept harking back to the “Sound Level” category present at the end of each New York Times restaurant review – while levels weren’t unbearable, the close quarters definitely made an intimate meal an impossibility, save for the one lonely booth in the corner.

The menu and price points are similar to Madison’s Grill, and in effect also made deciding on just a single entrée difficult. I eventually settled on the Arctic Char (hoping it would emulate just some of the glory of Mack’s Blink entrée), while Shermie stuck with her benchmarking steak (Alberta tenderloin medallions, in this case) and Andrea and May began their reflective dining exercise with Duck.

Service was a bit slow throughout due to the fact that there were just two servers on hand (compared to the five at the Blue Pear), but the meandering attention seemed to match with the overall cool, leisurely vibe of the Red Ox – a place where diners are expected to relax and enjoy the food over wine and good conversation.

Eventually, our entrees arrived, each plate artfully arranged with a generous pool of sauce underneath each pile. Shermie thoroughly enjoyed her steak, and though Andrea had dish envy looking over at my char, I had to admit her duck looked pretty good – perfectly cooked, accompanied by a tart raspberry vinaigrette. My sherry vinaigrette, however, was much too sour for my liking. As someone who prefers to eat fish without a citrus adornment, it was probably the wrong dish to order. Thus, though I was hoping to be able to experience the distinct flavour of the fish, I couldn’t through the overpowering and ever-present sauce.

Pancetta wrapped char fillet, roast garlic stuffing, mashed potatoes, warm sherry vinaigrette

Grilled duck breast, mixed berry chutney, ricotta-spinach gnudi, balsamic-thyme demi glace

Alberta tenderloin medallion with cognac wild mushroom cream, roast root vegetables, mashed potatoes

Dessert for the dining twins was the lemon tart with a scoop of house-made raspberry sorbet, while Shermie and I opted instead for the warm chocolate cake accompanied with vanilla bean ice cream. Lovingly rich, but not cloyingly sweet, the oozing chocolate cake was extremely satisfying. Andrea and May also enjoyed their tart and in particular the fresh sorbet.

Warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream

Lemon tart with pinenut crust and raspberry sorbet

I will definitely consider the Red Ox Inn for a future special occasion dinner, but admit that it wouldn’t be high on my list if I was looking for an intimate, quiet space.

Red Ox Inn
9420 91 Street NW
(780) 465-5727
Tuesday to Sunday, 5-10pm

Indian Chalet: Khazana

In order to satisfy Mack’s midweek craving for butter chicken, we headed to Khazana (10177 107 Street NW) for their dinner buffet, offered only on Wednesday and Saturday nights. At $18.95 per person, it was a steep fee for Indian food in Edmonton, but with a willingness to see if it was worth it (and a 10% off coupon), we brought our empty stomachs and hoped for the best.

Interior

I was floored with the interior – it looked like no Indian restaurant I had ever visited. Instead of simple decor (in small family-run joints such as Maurya Palace) or lavish, bold tapestries and decorative artifacts (like New Asian Village), the wood paneling, overhead beams, and numerous open hearths suggested the inner sanctuary of a chalet retreat in the mountains. The faintly (and somewhat annoyingly repetitive) background music also made me imagine that an in-house piano soloist wasn’t too far out of this realm. The far right of the restaurant also included a chef viewing platform, with an elevated chef on display as he prepared various meats and dishes. While I am always happy to have my expectations for eateries defied, the decor didn’t seem congruent or complimentary to the cuisine.

At any rate, we were shown to a table, and provided with just about the only attention we received from the servers that night – initial drink service and a quick exchange that we were planning to utilize the buffet. Given that the majority of the diners in the restaurant that night were patronizing the self-serve buffet, I didn’t think it unreasonable to think that our water glasses would be refilled without request.

There were over a dozen hot entree items to choose from, but their dessert selection would be easily dwarfed by Punjab Sweets. We heaped our first plates full to get a good idea of their range of dishes, but of course, concentrated our efforts on their butter chicken. Unfortunately, the chicken wasn’t as tasty as the sample we had tried at Taste of Edmonton just a few weeks back – the sauce was all right, but the chicken itself was tough and dry in parts. Thankfully, the mutter paneer (a curry made with peas and cheese cubes) was delicious and made up somewhat for the first disappointment, just mildly spiced and interesting with a variety of textures.

Mack loads up

Mack’s plate

My plate

Not related to the food, but telling somewhat of the general neglect towards the experience of the customer was the comedy of errors patrons had with the metal lid of the naan bread container. Broken and thus without a handle, I couldn’t count the number of times a loud clang ran out through the restaurant because someone had accidentally flipped the lid completely off, or stood there for a confused half a minute trying to figure out how the opening was controlled. One would think the operators would bear the relatively small expense of replacing, or at least fixing, the lid.

While I won’t rule out future a la carte visits to Khazana, or perhaps a trial run of their lunch buffet, I won’t again be swallowing the dinner buffet expense again.

Khazana
10177 107 Street NW
(780) 702-0330
Lunch Monday to Friday 11:30am-2pm; Dinner Sunday to Thursday 5-9:30pm, Friday and Saturday 5-10:30pm

Ginger Beef Gluttony: Beijing Beijing

I’m not sure how we got onto the topic of ginger beef at Heritage Days on Saturday, but something propelled us to meet at Beijing Beijing ( 700, 3803 Calgary Trail) to satisfy a craving for the salty-sweet, deep-fried "meat".

Mack, Dickson and I went there last year after Heritage Days, so it could very much become an annual post-festival tradition. In any case, the dinner buffet was the draw, priced at $15.95 on Friday to Sundays (and $12.95 Monday to Thursdays). With around thirty items to choose from (including the salad and dessert bars), quality wasn’t the order of the day. But for picky eaters, or those who love variety, Beijing Beijing does a decent job at mass-producing Western Chinese food.

How can anyone pass up heat lamp-warmed goodness?

Loading up

Jane & Yi-Li (notice the different compositions of their plates)

My colourful (first) plate

I will admit to being partial to the crispy deep fried won tons and the saccharine sweet and sour chicken, so there was some enjoyment gleaned from my mass consumption of cheaply-prepared grub. Of course, as some meals go, it is the company and not the food that makes the meal.

Funny instances also help make meals memorable, and Beijing Beijing provided one of the best photo opportunities of late – Mack’s epic fail:

Is that ginger beef on your plate?

Greg, on the other hand, was able to chow down on a full plate of dessert, cream pie and all.

 

"I’d like a Blender Blaster with this."

As Megan would say, "Good times."

Beijing Beijing
700, 3803 Calgary Trail
(780) 430-7720

Food Notes

  • My third FoodTV post went live on Friday, about a recent excursion to the Arbour Restaurant in the historic Rutherford House for their High Tea.
  • What appears to be a City of Edmonton-funded initiative, The Edmonton Food Security Network (EFSN), is hiring a Community Coordinator. I couldn’t locate any information on the web, but from the posting the EFSN "is a network of individuals representing various organizations and interests with the following mandate: to help organizations in the Capital Region increase food security by acting as a central resource network; facilitating connections & collaboration; encouraging partnerships/initiatives; and increasing public awareness of hunger and malnutrition." Interesting; I hope to hear more about this in the fall.
  • Sherwood Park is hosting their own Beer & Wine Festival on August 22-23; tickets $15 in advance.
  • A second Edible Arrangements is in the works in the Duggan neighbourhood (4026 106 Street, 780-462-6767).
  • The Edmonton Journal had a profile on the family behind EnSante Wines, the organic fruit winery, as well as the most negative review I’ve seen in the Style section to date – Mike McCall’s pan of La Ronde.
  • I never noticed it before, but quite a few restaurants go on hiatus for weeks at a time in the summer (Thanh Thanh, It’s All Greek to Me, among others). Or, in the case of Kerstin’s Chocolates and downtown’s L’Azia, take advantage of the warmer months to renovate. I hope the latter takes into account the menu and the service, and not just the decor.
  • The Globe wrote a story last week about the self-serve City Cafe Bakery in Kitchener, Ontario where money is collected via the honor system. The best quote in the piece comes from co-owner Rudolph Dorner: "Payment is not optional…We price the bagel for you, but we trust you to pay it. Just like you trust us not to poison you."