Tidbits: Notes from Edmonton’s Epicurean Scene

One of the city’s oldest continuously operating restaurants has closed. The Silk Hat, established in 1912, has shut down due to the planned demolition of the building in favor of a new tower.

Vue Weekly printed a retraction last week for writing an incorrect story that El Rancho was closing. Mistakes happen, but I hope El Rancho doesn’t lose any business from that unfounded rumor, especially since they are tucked and hidden away from the sight of a main thoroughfare.

There’s a new cafe on the block: Axis Cafe (10349 Jasper Avenue) just had their grand opening on June 1. With positive press already, and a storefront that opens up onto the sidewalk, it may be worth a visit when you’re looking for a cup of joe on a warm summer night.

CBC Centre Stage in Edmonton City Centre is presenting a series titled “Food Fight: Local vs Global” this week. Events of interest include restaurant cooking demos from 3:30-4PM with local chefs (June 12 – Home Fire Grill; June 13 – Wild Tangerine; June 14 – Bacon), and a celebrity taste off on June 15 to determine whether local, organic, or supermarket produce is tastier. Drop by if you’re in the area!

The Cooking Chronicles: Quesadillas

Guided in part by a recipe I picked up at Save-On Foods a long time ago, Mack and I made Quesadillas for supper yesterday.

We decided to try Maple Leaf’s Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Strips, though after opening the package, I wouldn’t recommend it. It was just enough for two quesadillas, and when an entire rotisserie chicken could be purchased for a few dollars more, even the ease of thirty-second preparation wasn’t worth the expense. In addition to the meat (salami was our other base), we added provolone and marble cheeses, tomatoes, green pepper, green onion, and (for Mack) sour cream. After a light brushing of olive oil and 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven, they were done.

Crispy, filling, and a great way to use up leftover meat and raw vegetables, the quesadillas are a quick lunch or supper idea that’s definitely worth a try.

Quesadilla (cool shot by Mack)

Mass-Produced Comfort Food: Chianti’s

My sisters and I used to play a game called Edmontonopoly, a spin-off of the popular board game substituting local companies for properties up for sale. Two such properties were restaurants Chianti’s and Fiore’s, and I remember always wanting to go there in typical childhood idealization fashion. Well, I’ve been there numerous times since, but it has almost always been underwhelming.

Mack and I chose Chianti’s (10501 82 Avenue) on Tuesday for its proximity to the Varscona Theatre (where we were heading to see a show afterwards) and its Pasta Frenzy deal, when over forty of their pasta dishes are priced at $7.99.

It was surprisingly busy, with about a ten minute wait for a table, despite the weather being drizzly and cloudy. With the number of large parties inside, it seems Chianti’s is hard to beat in terms of accommodating all types of tastes and budgets. Their menu never ceases to amaze me – though I would imagine the A + B + C ingredient substitution formula is likely heavily utilized, I’m sure the cooks in the kitchen don’t necessarily appreciate the variety. As an unfortunate result with such menus, quality is most often the first casualty, and Chianti’s is no exception.

Mack ordered the Alla Marchese (veal filled noodles with pepperoncini in a cream pesto sauce), while I opted for the Cannelloni (rolled pasta stuffed with veal, vegetables, topped with mozzarella then baked in tomato sauce), if not only to compare it to Moxie’s version. The wait for the food was long, despite taking the large crowd into consideration, but was tapered with our cesar salad and baked onion soup appetizers. The pastas themselves were all right – my cannelloni was on the dry side, and I preferred the sweetened tomato sauce found in Moxie’s equivalent to the more tart sauce used by Chianti’s.

Chianti’s isn’t a bad choice (especially dining al fresco during Fringe season), but in particular during Pasta Frenzy, you get what you pay for.

Insalata Di Cesare (Cesar Salad)

Zuppa Di Cipolla (Baked Onion Soup with Cheese)

Alla Marchese

Cannelloni

The Cooking Chronicles: Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

As a practice run before my (fingers crossed) dinner party this month, I decided to make Giada’s Herb Stuffed Tomatoes for my Mum’s birthday potluck this weekend.

Guided by many user comments that indicated that parsely was too strong, I substituted the recommended spinach instead. But who knew spinach was so hard to wash? Besides that challenge, I found the task of hollowing out the tomatoes more time-consuming than anticipated, and likely ended up with less pulp simply due to my ill-experience.

The final product was all right – the dish was presentable, but I received mixed reviews on the amount of provolone I included. As well, the breadcrumbs made the filling a tad dry, so I’d be sure to pour in some of the excess tomato juice (seeds strained out, of course) next time.

Not a bad vegetable side dish, but one I’ll have to play around with a few more times to get right.

Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

Like “Quizno’s for pizza”: Famoso Neapolitan Pizzaria

Having been introduced to Famoso Neapolitan Pizzaria (11750 Jasper Avenue) by Where Edmonton, Mack and I decided to give it a try on Friday. Claiming to produce authentic Neapolitan pizzas, training with the Associazione Verce Pizza Napolentana, an Italian organization dedicated to preserving the standards of “True Neapolitan Pizza,” and using only imported Italian flour and San Marzano tomatoes, Famoso seemed like a good bet for quality food.

Upon reading the restaurant’s description in the magazine, both Mack and I were expecting a dining room aligned with a European bistro – quaint decor, bustling but quiet – but instead, we got, in Mack’s words, “Quizno’s for pizza.” While the self-serve seating and ordering at the counter concept was fine, the white booths and LCD TV seemed out of place, as was the baritone order announcer, who could easily be slumming as a nightclub DJ in the evenings.

That said, their menu was filled with a great selection of pizzas, sandwiches, and sides, making it difficult to narrow down our choices. In the end, I couldn’t resist the classic Margherita (fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil), while Mack opted for the Siciliana (fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, Italian sausage, Italian ham and baked prosciutto).

Our orders were up fairly quickly (though celebrity spotting Edmonton Rush’s Jimmy Quinlan distracted us a bit). The pizza crust was like none I’d ever had before – soft, chewy, and very much like fresh pita bread, it probably was better suited to being eaten as they recommended, folded as a sandwich. The pizza itself had a bit of a sour, tangy after taste, likely attributed to the uncooked sauce used. Lastly, I would have preferred roma tomatoes in place of cherry tomatoes (and really, it wasn’t worth the extra $1.50 for the four tomatoes on my pizza). Mack was similarly underwhelmed with his dish.

Though most of their ingredients are imported, the franchise nature of Famoso ultimately cheapens the feeling of authenticity somehow. The pizza was decent, and I may return (in particular for their Nutella dessert pizza), but Famoso will not be replacing my delivery standbys anytime soon.

Margherita

Siciliana

The Cooking Chronicles: Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries

Hands down my favorite back pocket, make-in-advance dessert, Giada De Laurentiis’ Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries is a saving grace when striving for easy elegance. I started experimenting with it last summer, and have been cooking up batches ever since.

Needing a red-and-white themed dish for a potluck at work in celebration of Anna’s new status as a Canadian citizen, I thought individual servings of panna cotta served with raspberries would be perfect. Using disposable plastic wine glasses purchased at a dollar store, I allowed the mixture to cool overnight in the fridge. Though transporting the glasses to work on the bus was a bit of a challenge, they remained thankfully in tact come lunch time.

Great with raspberries, blueberries, and even sliced strawberries or kiwi, this is a no-fail recipe that I will be making for years to come.

Panna Cotta with Raspberries

“What are our other options?” Denny’s

Edmonton has a dearth of late night dining spots, especially early on in the week (I am vainly hoping for a time when Edmonton can support late night hot dog stands a la Toronto). So after Die-Nasty, Mack and I resorted to the southside Denny’s (3604 Gateway Boulevard) for a bite to eat.

I don’t really have anything against Denny’s (unlike, say, Earls), but given the choice, I’d pick other family-friendly establishments like Boston Pizza or Swiss Chalet any day. Still, nothing beats reasonably priced all-day breakfast plates.

I can’t remember a time where I’ve ordered anything but breakfast at Denny’s, and I didn’t think to buck the trend this time, opting for the Meat Lover’s Scramble (two eggs scrambled with chopped bacon, diced ham and crumbled sausage, and topped with Cheddar cheese, served with two strips of bacon, two sausage links, hash browns and three fluffy buttermilk pancakes). Mack ordered the new Slamburger, unique for the inclusion of an egg cooked to order.

The food wasn’t anything special, but as to be expected, was reliably filling. And though I wouldn’t describe the fare as “high quality,” there’s something to be said for their consistency.

Slamburger and Seasoned Fries

Meat Lover’s Scramble

The Cooking Chronicles: Vanilla-Fudge Marble Cake

I had been craving cake for a while, and remembering a quote from Ricardo Larrivée that I read somewhere about how people should only eat the sweets they make themselves, decided to buck just heading to the store and bake myself a Vanilla-Fudge Marble Cake.

I really liked the use of chocolate syrup in the recipe – simplifying the chocolate additive by at least a step or two (instead of say, having to melt baking squares). The batter came out thicker than I expected, but it didn’t seem to affect the final product. As I couldn’t locate our fluted pan, I had to use a spring foam pan in its place. It wasn’t a bad choice for ease of removing it from the pan, but I would have preferred a decorative and not plain circular shape. In the end, it didn’t really matter – the cake was moist, sweet, and contained just the right amount of chocolate flavor. I can see it working quite well as a birthday cake.

I will be bookmarking the recipe for future reference.

Slice of Vanilla-Fudge Marble Cake

Notes on Food

The “supper club” concept seems to be picking up steam down south. And by south, I mean Calgary. Restaurant by day and club at night, Blink Restaurant and Supper Club opened up a few months ago to lukewarm reviews. It has since revamped its menu (via Alberta Venture), which is improving its reputation some, but perhaps Albertans just aren’t able to wrap their brains around fine dining-then-dancing all in the same place.
Though probably not as accurate as Vue Weekly‘s Golden Forks, voting for Where Edmonton‘s “Most Memorable Meals” has begun. Cast your ballot here.
The third in Scott McKeen’s series highlighting his favorite haunts was published last week, but it’s hard to give a guy who would recommend Pho Hoa to the unsuspecting public credibility.

The photography in Australia’s Donna Hay Magazine makes Martha Stewart Living look like amateur hour. The pictures are so beautiful I’m tempted to get a subscription to look forward to drooling on a bimonthly basis.
More on coffee than food, but has anyone else noticed that Starbucks is now producing greeting cards? On a visit a few weeks ago, I saw Father’s Day cards for sale next to their display of baseball and golf-themed mugs. First toys, then music, now cards. What’s next?

Retro Chic: Leva Capuccino Bar

Since our failed attempt to try them back in December, I’ve been itching to visit the newly-renovated Leva Capuccino Bar (11053 86 Avenue). So on a windy Friday, Bettina and I ventured back in the direction of the University campus.

It turns out their grand re-opening took place on March 24, and in addition to renovations, they also revamped their menu. As this was my first time at Leva, I’m not sure what it looked like prior to its facelift, but I can say that the new space is very chic. With a clean black and white color scheme, accented with orange chairs and fabulous crystal chandeliers, it has a younger, but similar vibe to Caffè Sorrentino. The order counter (save the LCD panels), is designed with a 70s touch, anchoring the cafe with a retro feel. Also of note is their selection of food magazines, including Gourmet Traveller and Donna Hay – definitely not your average coffee shop collection!

In addition to the baked goods and artisan gelato, Leva also offers several salads, panini sandwiches, and pizzas. Never being able to pass up a good Margherita, I gave it a try. Made to order, the pizza was great (and better than the one I had at Earls a few weeks ago), in large part due to the light and crispy crust. The creamy bocconcini cheese was a delicious alternative to the more commonly used mozzarella, and really served to make this pizza special. My accompanying iced coffee was just that, but included just the right amount of added sweetener, cutting through the usual bitterness associated with the drink.

Just a short walk from the University, Leva is worth a try if you’re in the area.

Cafe exterior