It’s been a whirlwind of a long weekend, but a good one. Hope you’ve been enjoying the sun, as we go into our last month of summer (too soon, I know!). On to this week’s food notes:

• The 12th Summer Latin Fest takes place on August 9, 2015, from 10am-5pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (11310 111 Ave), with 10 outdoor pavilions featuring food and entertainment.
• Sabor Divino’s annual Seafood Festival runs from July 31 – August 30, 2015. Lillian highlights some of the dishes you can expect.
• Northlands will be hosting an outdoor dinner at their Northlands Urban Farm in conjunction with Open Farm Days on August 23, 2015. Tickets are $80, excluding fees.
• The Red Shoe Crawl is hosting its next event on 124 Street on September 13, 2015. They haven’t announced the participating businesses yet, but stay tuned!
• Gail Hall has organized another local tour highlighting several Alberta farms, including Beary Berry Honey and Irvings Farm Fresh. The tour runs September 12-13, 2015.
• Good news for coffee lovers Downtown: Da Capo will be opening a second location at 9888 Jasper Avenue, some time in December or January.
• Great to know that there will be a solid pho option on the south side, with Pho Hoan Pasteur opening up another location in Mil Woods.
• Liv is the latest food blogger to review 12 Acres.
• CBC Radio collected some “hidden gems of Edmonton” from some local personalities, including Brittney who shared her favourite hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and Cindy who shared her secret coffee spots.
• Linda recapped her experience at Knifewear’s Cut Like a Chef knife skills class.
• Sugared & Spiced’s Cake Club is now live: limited to 50 members, the cake subscription lets you pick out 3 special dates in advance and will have a cake ready (and delivered to you, within the city) that day. Such a great idea.
• One of the latest local food-related Kickstarter Projects has been launched by Frickin Delight Donuts, who are seeking support to move into a bigger space. They’re hoping for $55,000 that will go towards increasing their production
• Cindy started a new blog series that will feature different vendors at farmers’ markets. First up: Serben’s Organic Farm.
• Vue Weekly updates the progress of the MacKinnon Ravine, the city’s first food forest, as it celebrates its first birthday.
• Why cry over spilt coffee if it can be turned into art like this?
• Mack and I joined his family to take in the Heritage Festival earlier today. It was a bit surprising that the festival didn’t do more to celebrate its 40th anniversary (there were some placards showcasing some of its history and photos from earlier events), but in a way, it is fitting, seeing as it would rather allow the pavilions and cultures speak for themselves. We did our best to try as many of the new pavilions as possible.

Lebanon was a big disappointment – the chicken shawarma was expensive at 8 tickets, but was small and cold.

The samosa from Rwanda (6 tickets) were hot, and filled to the brim with beef, onions and peas.

The mula beled, mulukhia (3 tickets) from South Sudan wasn’t listed on their signage, but was worth asking for from the program, as it was the best deal. The spinach and beef stew served over fufu could have used a bit of salt, but that was our only critique.

Haiti could have better advertised their pork (8 tickets), which was essentially deep-fried pork belly. It was a healthy serving that was meant to be shared among many.

Hope you enjoyed your Heritage Festival visit, too!

• The Mercury Room is hosting the Crossroads Pop-up Restaurant on August 9, 2015, with a farm-to-table event inspired by the story of “The Three Little Pigs”. Tickets are $55 each.
• Chef Christine Sandford (who just won the most recent Edmonton Food Fight) will be kicking off an interactive Dinner Club series at Get Cooking, with a sit-down, multi-course menu. It takes place August 11, 2015, with tickets at $100 each.
• The sixth incarnation of Jennifer Cockrall-King’s Okanagan Food & Wine Writers’ Workshop runs September 11-13, 2015. The early bird registration deadline has been extended to July 31.
• Sometimes you have to plan far ahead – Jacek has added new chocolate and coffee tasting dates for the fall – October 2 and November 18, 2015 at Credo Coffee on 124 Street.
• Jason shared that a new craft brewery and restaurant is in the works for Old Strathcona, called Situation Brewing.
• Andrea checked out Cured Wine Bar, and was impressed with their house-made charcuterie.
• Phil couldn’t get enough of fried chicken so put together another blind taste test of some of the city’s offerings.
• The Journal reviewed Memphis Blues Barbecue, which now has three locations in the Edmonton area.
• John Gilchrist, the restaurant critic from the Calgary Herald, stopped in Edmonton and named four restaurants worth the drive: Share, RGE RD, Glasshouse Bistro and Ampersand 27.
• It’s not great to hear about the potential closing of Burrow located in the Central LRT station due to security issues. I really hope something can be done to keep it open.
• T & T’s newest southside location (3451 Calgary Trail) is now open, and it’s no surprise the parking has been a gong show.
• Diner en Blanc will be back again on September 3, 2015. I’m happy to say I’ve done it once, and won’t need to do it again.
• Mack has me hooked on John Oliver’s long-form video commentaries on Last Week Tonight. Here are two food-related segments worth watching on food waste and chickens.
• Another State & Main is coming to Edmonton, this time at First & Jasper.

State & Main

• Spotted at the City Market: Reclaim Urban Farm is getting into the “ugly vegetables” movement, with some discounted hail-damaged greens on offer.

#uglyistastytoo from Reclaim Urban Farm

• Mack and I stopped by the start of the Burger Finals of the Canadian Food Championships at Centennial Plaza. I’m not sure what we were expecting, but based on the name “kitchen stadium”, we were anticipating a somewhat more raucous crowd. In some ways, it was too bad the competitors weren’t on a raised platform, or at least in a space with tiered seating so the feeling of a battle arena could be staged. It was just the first year, so hopefully the competitions are highlighted even more publically in the future. Congratulations to the winners!

Burger Finals at the Canadian Food Championships

• We also took in K-Days on the weekend, including our share of gluttonous food. I tried the glazed donut grilled cheese from Vancouver’s Melt Town Grilled Cheese, and was left disappointed. There wasn’t enough sweet-salty contrast for my taste.

Glazed donut grilled cheese

• I’m not the biggest football fan, but it’s an experience to attend a live game now and then. It was great to watch the Eskimos win their third in a row, and perhaps even sweeter that we were able to do it in the comfort and shelter of the President’s Suite (thanks, Mack!).

Go Esks Go!

• The second SalvagED pop-up is scheduled for July 24, 2015, from 11am-2pm at Earth’s General Store downtown. Taste how some of Edmonton’s best chefs transform produce that would otherwise be designated for the rubbish bin!
• The annual Pupusa Festival is taking place on July 25, 2015 from 12-8pm at the Alberta Avenue Community League.
• The Italian Centre invites you to join them for a Picnic in the Park on July 26, 2015 at Kinsmen Park from 11am-2pm. There will be activities and games for young and old, and of course, goodies from the Italian Centre for sale.
• Local author Kathryn Merrett has written a new book called Why Grow Here, about Edmonton’s horticultural history. The book launch is scheduled for July 27, 2015 at 7:30pm at the Central Lions Seniors Centre (11113 113 Street), with a talk about gardening in Edmonton and a reception.
• Cured Wine Bar (2307 Ellwood Drive), “specializing in cured meats, cheeses and locally sourced vegetables” is now open.
• Buco (Boudreau Road & Bellerose Drive), a Neopolitan pizza concept from the Sorrentino’s Restaurant Group, opens on July 27, 2015.
• It looks like HUMA Mexican Comfort, from the chef who brought us Taco Day at Expressionz Café, might be another solid addition to the city’s Mexican cuisine roster.
• A wave of Japanese restaurants has opened recently, starting with Sushi Park in St. Albert – Jonny had a very positive experience.
• Cindy checked out Ikki Izakaya, the newest restaurant in Oliver, on their first weekend.
• Phil organized a blind fried chicken tasting to find his favourite – who came out on top? I won’t spoil it for you.
• Mother’s Market has closed from July 18, 2015 until a to be determined date in September: “At this point we at Mother’s Market are striving to gain a good foundation, put our best foot forward to make the changes necessary, and give the market a clean break between what was and what will be.”
• Diane shared a Kickstarter Project she would back – twentyfour coffee, a Canadian craft coffee advent calendar. Neat idea!
• Chris tried Soylent – the meal replacement system that is engineered so you wouldn’t have to eat anything else ever again. Too good to be true?
• This was an eye-opening article about how California’s drought has changed some practices in home and restaurant kitchens. It is a reminder about how much more cognizant we could all be about our water use.
• We stopped by the Shaw Conference Centre on the weekend to check out Curtis Comeau’s exhibit “Off the Menu”. They were great photos, but we wished all of them had been labeled with the name of the restaurant or kitchen they were taken in. The free exhibit is on until August 16, 2015.

Off the Menu

• Relish Gourmet Burgers, a New Brunswick-based chain, opened its first western Canadian location on Saturday (10704 124 Street). While we didn’t have a chance to try the burgers yet, we took a look at the menu. All restaurants have one signature burger, and theirs is named after their dearly departed neighbour, The Roxy, because the theatre staff had been so supportive of the business.
  

  Relish Gourmet Burgers

• Mack and I spent a leisurely Saturday exploring some of Edmonton’s newest coffee shops on foot. First up was Rogue Wave Coffee (10517A 114 Street) in Queen Mary Park, the newest roasting business in the city. Their beans are still fairly exclusive to the café, but we enjoyed the single origin iced coffees that we tried that day. Cindy has a more in-depth write-up on the two Davids behind the business.

Rogue Wave Coffee

• We walked on to Barking Buffalo Café (10842 124 Street), a business that combines a love of fashion and coffee. The space is the retail front for Salgado Fenwick, but is also the only Edmonton café to serve up Pilot Coffee Beans from Toronto. We’ll be back!

Barking Buffalo Cafe

• Mack’s been picking up a lot of the dinner prep lately because of my late nights at work. It’s nice to come home to a home cooked supper after a long day at the office!

Yankee Fish Cakes (made with cod from Ocean Odyssey, over Sundog Organic greens and Gull Valley tomatoes)

• I stopped in at Spring Roll Kitchen (2395 111 Street) for lunch last week. Points for the hustle of their kitchen, as it may have been the quickest vermicelli bowl to appear in front of me! The portion was quite decent as well.

Vermicelli bowl with grilled chicken and spring rolls from Spring Roll Kitchen

• On a rainy day, a few coworkers and I were craving soup. So with Pho Tau Bay closed, we headed to King Noodle House for some Bun Bo Hue. It hit the spot.

Bun Bo Hue from King Noodle House

• We’ve been meaning to go back to Corso 32 for some time (shame on us), so we finally made a reservation (way in advance, of course). We didn’t regret it.

Mack when encountering arancini again

It’s that time of summer where I lament at how fast the season is progressing – it’s already mid-July. Hope you’re out making the most of it! On to this week’s food notes:

• Time’s running out to get your discounted Taste of Edmonton tickets – they’re 10% off until July 15 at 6pm. The festival runs July 17-25, 2015.
• Daore is Edmonton’s newest Korean eatery. Both Cindy and Jonny have already paid it a visit.
• Stephanie checked out a new Filipino restaurant in Riverbend, called The Teaket Eatery.
• Twyla is the latest to review St. Albert’s 12 Acres.
• The Journal reviewed a restaurant off the beaten path – Salvadorean Mamenche’s.
• Karlynn and Phil released their latest episode of Sweet Tooth and Meat Tooth, on the topic of what they think Edmonton needs.
• The Downtown location of Hudson’s is closing this week.
• Congratulations to Michelle for her Taste Canada award nomination for The Tiffin Box!
• Genius – local bakery business Sugared and Spiced is starting a Cake Club: pick three special dates in advance and have a cake delivered to you in the city in time for your celebration. Great for those last minute shoppers who need a reminder! Sign up to be notified of the Club’s launch.
• Smokehouse BBQ’s sister business The Pie Eatery is launching this fall! We haven’t seen their associated food truck out and about yet, but hopefully it will happen soon.

The Pie Eatery

• Also in the neighbourhood is the relocated Acquired Taste Tea Company, just a stone’s throw from their previous location, at 10122 124 Street.

Acquired Taste Tea Company

• I’ve been looking forward to peaches all summer – they’re back at Steve & Dan’s!

Peaches for me!

• Weekend breakfasts for us are usually eggy affairs, but we opted to stop by Coffee Bureau instead on our way back home on Saturday morning. It was a good choice: their Leva-baked fontina and ham croissants are worth getting up for.

Coffees and croissants at Coffee Bureau

• We had a partial family dinner at RGE RD tonight. Tonight’s kitchen board was probably the best we’ve had (elk terrine, bison sliders and fish sticks), and Mack and I both couldn’t pass up the Arctic char special with beurre blanc. Of course, an order of perogies was also warranted for the table. Thanks to Blair, Caitlin and team for a great meal! Looking forward to the meat shop and expanded space next door in the fall.

Arctic char with Great Northern beans and beurre blanc

Perogies for the people!

• Hope to see you at out at the next What the Truck?!, taking place Friday, July 10, from 5-10pm at Northlands Park. The menus are now up, and we’re introducing a new system to help us manage lines better.
• Great to see Chinatown is changing it up somewhat, hosting a different type of festival this year in place of their usual East Meets West. The Summer Market is taking place on July 11, 2015, from noon-8pm. Expect food, a fashion show, live entertainment and vendors.
• The fifth Edmonton Food Fight is moving to an even bigger stage at the Taste of Edmonton, involving 4 chefs on July 19, 2015. Tickets are $63.
• It’s already that time of year – the August 1-3, 2015 Heritage Festival’s menu is now online. If you can believe it, they’re celebrating their 40th anniversary!
• I love al fresco dinners, and Chef Brad Smoliak has a unique location for his upcoming events – Elk Island Park. Tickets for the August 22 and September 12 suppers are $145.
• HUMA Mexican Comfort, a new restaurant brought to you by Mariel Montero-Sena formerly of Expressionz Café and Taco Day fame, is now open (9880 63 Avenue). Learn more about her restaurant here.
• Expect a new coffee and beer lounge to open in August called BRU Coffee + Beer House, located in the Pearl (11965 Jasper Avenue).
• It’s the end of an era: Chef Paul Shufelt is leaving Century Hospitality after a decade to open his own restaurant, The Workshop Eatery. Best of luck, Paul!
• I’ve never heard of Nando’s, but apparently they have quite the following. They’re opening an Edmonton branch in the fall.
• Who knew rolled ice cream was a thing? Scoop n Roll has brought this concept to Edmonton. Rebecca and Stephanie have the details.
• Jonny is the latest to give St. Albert’s newest eatery 12 Acres a try.
• Cindy offers a peek at some of the new menu items offered at The Denizen Hall.
• Diane was invited to a pizza party at Urbano Pizza, and shares her favourite creations.
• Phil had to eat his way through a ton of pizza to find the best – check out his final wrap-up Pizza Odyssey post to see which pies ended up at the top of his list.
• Avenue Edmonton’s annual 25 Best Things to Eat list is now live, featuring dishes chosen by local celebrities.
• Mary Bailey is this month’s Edmonton Woman of Vision.
• Congratulations to Alley Kat on winning Beer of the Year for Scona Gold at the 2015 Canadian Beer Awards. Speaking of beer, Jason Foster is optimistic about the city’s craft beer scene.
• You Gotta Eat Here was busy filming in Edmonton last week, with stops at Battista’s Calzones, MEAT and Rostizado. Great to see more local restaurants featured on a national show.
• It’s interesting that the Youth Council decided to make eliminating meat from their catered meals an issue for City Councillors to consider. The vote is Tuesday.
• Another establishment is moving into 124 Street and 107 Avenue – Selam Café.

Selam Cafe

• It was definitely a food truck kind of day at the Legislature on Canada Day, with nearly 40 vendors set up around the grounds. We indulged in our first mini donuts of the summer at Jackie O’s. They were larger and more substantial than the donuts we’re used to, so much so that we could have used a third person to share with!

Mack loves minis

• We also headed to 124 Street’s Mardi Gras festival on Sunday. It wasn’t as well attended as I would have anticipated, but the swing dancers and big band were mighty entertaining! The chicken shawarma we sampled from Dedo’s Food Truck was the delicious cap to the afternoon.

Mack feels like an Avenger

• I had the most intense craving for Izakaya Tomo on the weekend that couldn’t be ignored.

Bring on the carbonara udon!

• The Green and Gold Garden, which raises funds for charitable projects based in Rwanda, is into its seventh year. Located at the U of A South Campus, it opens to the public on June 30, 2015, and will be open the remainder of the summer on Tuesday evenings and Saturdays.
• Staff Meal is back! Their first event of the summer is a stand-up 4-course tasting on July 6, 2015 at Get Cooking. Tickets are $60.
• Did you want to learn more about Ramadan? Al Rashid Mosque is hosting a family-friendly Taste of Ramadan on July 10, 2015, from 6:30-9:30pm at Centennial Plaza. Yes, there will be food!
• Ikki, Edmonton’s newest izakaya at 11931 Jasper Avenue, opens on July 18, 2015 at 6pm.
• Need a way to keep cool during this heat wave? One of Edmonton’s newest food trucks is Scoop n Roll, which serves up rolled ice cream (yes, you read that correctly). Check their social media for updates on their location.
• New restaurant alert – Workshop Eatery, which will feature rooftop beehives, looks like an exciting concept to keep an eye on!
• Prairie Noodle hosted its final ramen pop-up last week – Diane and Cindy recapped what you missed. But don’t worry – the organizers are working on moving into a permanent storefront on 124 Street.
• Liane covered the SalvagED pop-up lunch at Earth’s General Store last Friday featuring reclaimed ingredients donated from local farms. Their next pop-up is slated for Friday, July 24.
• I had to laugh at Liane’s headline for her story that Col. Mustard’s Canteen on 124 Street won’t be returning: Col. Mustard, killed in the kitchen, with a sewer pipe. The owners will be rebuilding on the land, however, and hope to have a restaurant move in.
• K-Days released their annual list of indulgent food to look forward to. Midway treats will include lobster corndogs, glazed donut grilled cheese (I’d try that, yes), and mini-donut popsicles.
• Congratulations to Teresa and the rest of her team ahead of the grand opening of their first Italian Centre in Calgary on July 2, 2015. The location features Western Canada’s largest deli, offering over 600 items. It is located at 9919 Fairmount Drive SE.
• Speaking of neighbours to the south, Gasoline Alley in Red Deer is also home to a branch of Pete’s Drive-in.
• There’s been a lot of debate about the Canada Food Guide. Two Global reporters followed it for a week and shared the experience and challenges. For something completely different, take a look at Brazil’s “guide”, which is simply a series of ten best practices.
• Given Edmonton will be home to a Whole Foods soon, buyer beware: investigators have found that Whole Foods stores in New York and California have routinely overcharged customers by mislabeling packages.
• Mack and I headed to Tzin this week to celebrate my birthday. As always, we were floored by their hospitality, and the food was wonderful. Thanks to Kelsey and Corey for a great night!

An off-menu seared tuna – looked and tasted like art

Tzin’s bacon – the best two bites in Edmonton

June has dwindled so quickly I’m afraid the rest of the summer will go by equally fast. I guess that’s why we should all make the most of it – hope you’re enjoying all Edmonton has to offer! On to this week’s food notes:

• A unique pop-up, to be sure: SalvagED will combine the talents of Get Cooking Chef Eric Hanson and Mercury Room Chefs to  prepare food using ingredients that would have otherwise been discarded. Check it out at Earth’s General Store downtown on June 26, 2015 from 11am-2pm.
• Little Italy is hosting a street festival in conjunction with the Women’s World Cup called Kick It Up on June 27, 2015, from 10am-9pm. There will be food, games, and a street dance party!
• Robert Rogers’ popular river valley medicinal plant walks are taking place in July and August. For $50, learn all of the natural remedies available in our own backyard.
• 124 Street Grand Market is again partnering with Taste Alberta to produce a series of farm tours that will provide a peek into some of your favourite (or soon-to-be-favourite) local producers. The July 10, 2015 tours will end with a catered lunch prepared by Chef Daniel Costa. Tickets are $90 for adults.
• New Korean restaurant alert: Daorae (9334 – 34 Avenue).
• La Mademoiselle Bakery is new to the Oliver neighbourhood, having just opened last week. They took over the space formerly occupied by Fresh Cafe at 10038 116 Street.
• Cindy paid a visit to Barking Buffalo Café (10842 124 Street), one of Edmonton’s newest cafes, tucked in a space alongside Salgado Fenwick’s latest collections.
• Liane has more information about the mobile coffee cart, Nomad Espresso, coming to a caffiene-starved place near you.
• Massimo’s, the restaurant next to the southside Italian Centre, won’t be returning. Instead, the space will be used as a commissary to prepare take-away meals.
• Can you believe it? Phil’s come to the end of his Pizza Odyssey, concluding with a battle between Rosso and Packrat Louie.
• Hurrah for Rostizado, the latest local restaurant to be featured on You Gotta Eat Here. Filming will take place in July.
• I love that Jacek is partnering with other local businesses for their chocolate – with their Credo bar (which in taste reminds me of the Kerstin’s/Transcend Chocophilia), and their beer-infused collection for Father’s Day.
• Speaking of Alley Kat, congratulations to the homegrown brewery, who just celebrated their twentieth anniversary.
• Do you think the green onion cake should be considered Edmonton’s official dish? There’s a petition for that.
• Taste of Edmonton tickets are already on pre-sale – get them for 20% off until July 15, 2015.
• Who doesn’t love photos of food? Curtis Comeau will be releasing an exhibit called “Off the Menu”, documenting the diversity of Edmonton’s food scene. Check it out at the Shaw Conference Centre from July 15 – August 16, 2015.
• Feeling stressed? Then reach for fermented or pickled foods – they might make you feel less anxious, according to a recent study.
• There’s finally something going into the base of the old farmers’ market building on 97 Street.

Massawa Café & Bistro

• Mack and I took in the China vs. Cameroon game on Saturday. Our late arrival meant we missed the flash downpour, but we also didn’t get to see the lone goal in the game. Still, it was an exciting match to watch alongside fervent fans.

Commonwealth Stadium

• On Sunday afternoon, Mack and I took a leisurely stroll across the river and down through Mill Creek. Along the way, we encountered the “Save the Footbridge” pop-up (why aren’t bridges more often used as musical venues?). We stopped at Wild Earth Bakery, which was a welcome rest stop.

Cloverdale Footbridge

Mill Creek Ravine

Wild Earth Bakery

• For Father’s Day, my Dad chose Co Do Hue (12819 140 Avenue), a restaurant that serves up his favourite bun bo Hue in the city. It was a little on the spicy side for me, I have to admit.

Bun bo Hue from Co Do Hue

I was a little under the weather yesterday, so couldn’t get to my notes until today. Lots to catch up on:

• Don’t want to fight the crowds at Porkapalooza this weekend? Solstice is hosting a “backlot bbq” on June 21, 2015 with a pig roast and drinks.
• Get your computers ready: the Prairie Noodle Shop’s last pop-up is taking place on June 27, 2015 at NAIT. Seats will be released on June 20 at 1pm.
• I love the idea of the Sunset Soiree on July 5, 2015 – dinner and a movie outside on the beautiful La Cite Francophone grounds. Tickets are $22 for adults, and include a glass of wine and hors d’oeuvres.
• It looks like an izakaya has taken over Jono’s Bar in the Illuminada Building (11931 Jasper Avenue). Looking forward to the opening of Ikki.
• We could have used a coffee vending cart at our brunch What the Truck?! this weekend, but better late than never – great to see Nomad Espresso is going to make great coffee available in unexpected places. Check them out at the Drawing Room (10253 97 Street) the rest of the week from 8am-4pm.
• Evonne reviews the newest Thai option in Strathcona County – Sawaddee (664 Wye Road).
• Stephanie visited Brooklyn Tomato in their new location at 2920 Calgary Trail.
• The Journal reviewed The Black Pearl, the new seafood restaurant downtown opened by the family behind Café Amore.
• Cindy’s love of ramen took her to North 53’s recent ramen pop-up.
• If you didn’t attend Indulgence this year (as I did not), Andrea and Cindy captured what we missed.
• Great to hear that Battista’s Calzones is the latest local restaurant to be featured on Food Network Canada’s You Gotta Eat Here.
• Ever consider making your own croissants from scratch? Then Lillian’s croissant bake-off post is a must-read – she and a few friends tested four different recipes, including the one from Duchess.
• Ramen seems to be increasing in popularity in Edmonton, but I’m not sure we’ll ever have the opportunity to have baths in ramen broth, as they do in Japan.
• I met up with some friends earlier last week at Gui Lin Noodle House (10626 97 Street). If you love preserved vegetables, this is the place to go – the flavours imbue the broth. We also found the portions to be huge and the service unassuming but friendly.

BBQ pork with vermicelli in soup, Gui Lin style

• Our large team of staff descended on Padmanadi for lunch on Wednesday, and it always amazes me how well they handle big groups – all orders were correct and the food was fast. Bravo.

Ginger beef at Padmanadi

• A cancelled Pecha Kucha meant an excuse to linger at Tres Carnales with Annie on Thursday. It’s been too long since I’ve had their fish tacos.

Pescado tacos Tres Carnales

• Mack bought me an early birthday present in the form of tickets to Ed Sheeran’s concert. He was amazing, only backed up on stage by his loop pedal. Thanks, Mack!

Ed Sheeran at Rexall Place

• Our next What the Truck?! is coming up this Sunday, June 14 at Capital Boulevard (108 Street & 99 Avenue) from 11am-3pm. And it’s brunch themed! Check out the menus tomorrow.
• The third Edmonton Food Fight that took place tonight may have sold out, but the fourth is free – check out the battle between Chef Andrew Cowan of Packrat Louie and chef Eric Hanson of Get Cooking at Porkapalooza on June 20, 2015.
• The second annual edition of Baconfest is taking place on June 30, 2015 in the lobby and grounds of the Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets are $55 and include all food and drink samples.
• Urbano Pizza Co., the third restaurant operated by the proprietors of Sabor Divino and Bodega, opened on Friday. It is located on the Boardwalk at 10220 103 Street.
• Is pizza the new burger? Buco is the newest in the Sorrentino’s family, with a location in St. Albert opening soon.
• There’s another Browns Socialhouse in Edmonton already, located at 2, 1010 Webber Green Drive.
• Sailin’ On is taking over the menu at The Buckingham on Whyte, adding another vegan-friendly bar to the list that starts with Arcadia.
• In honour of the FIFA World Cup, a few Edmonton restaurants and bars have created themed dishes and drinks to celebrate.
• Cindy shared her experience sampling the menu at Sofra’s underground Cellar (10345 106 Street).
• Twyla is the latest to review NongBu.
• I loved Liane’s article about diners – there’s just something about comfort food! It also reminded me that I should get out to The Downtown Diner before their feature on the Food Network airs.
• It was so neat to be able to see the Rush take the NLL Championship on Friday. Here’s hoping the team sticks around.

The Rush win the Cup!

• Café Amore has an underrated patio – so much so that for most of our meal last Wednesday night, we were left alone to enjoy it.

My favourite truffle chicken pasta

• Melina and Nathan had a gorgeous dessert bar at their wedding this weekend, furnished by The Art of Cake.

Fabulous dessert bar

• The Edmonton Craft Beer Festival runs this weekend, June 5-6, 2015.
• Latitude 53’s patio series kicks off next week on June 11, 2015.
• The Mac is already looking forward to their Canada Day celebrations, inviting revelers to enjoy their fabulous patio on July 1, 2015.
• Mark your calendar – the annual Savour Strathcona County event will be taking place on July 5, 2015. It’ll be an opportunity to sample from 17 different restaurants and food trucks.
• Everything’s coming up St. Albert, it seems – Liane shared the big news that Nineteen will have a second location in the former Hole’s Greenhouse.
• Tracy shared that Urbano Pizza (10220 103 Street), operated by the folks behind neighbouring Sabour Divino and Bodega, should be open in mid-June.
• More sandwiches, anyone? Calgary’s Chiachi’s Sandwiches is opening up in West Edmonton Mall this summer. They’re aiming to be ready mid-August.
• Some may be familiar with South Street Burger from their Cross Iron Mills location in Southern Alberta, but it’ll be closer to home when a branch opens up at 127 Avenue and 153 Street.
• Summerside residents can look forward to Cured Wine Bar (2307 Ellwood Drive), shooting for a summer opening as well. Cindy’s on top of all of the new places to look for!
• Phil’s latest Pizza Odyssey is a triple-header, featuring Capital Pizza, Chicago Deep Dish and Versatos.
• Vue has a great profile on Upson’s Cordials, a locally-made beverage option perfect for summer cocktails.
• Sayonara, Urban Spoon – Zomato has taken over the brand it purchased, changing the review system, among other things.
• It looks like the Chinatown location of Wong Jung Gak has closed (10023 107 Avenue). In its place, It’ All (which must be related to It’ Dog somehow) is poised to open as a “well being Korean buffet and Japanese all you can eat”. I have to say I’ve never seen gluttony associated with health, but hey, why not?

It’ All

• It was an honour to be recognized as a “True Friend of McCauley” on Saturday, alongside Maria and Roxanne, my Chinatown Night Market co-organizers. It was humbling to be included on a list with some of Edmonton’s prominent social justice advocates and long-time community volunteers. Thanks again to Jane for the acknowledgement.

A True Friend of McCauley!

• Because of the damage done by last year’s hail storms and this year’s dry spring, Edgar Farms has decided to stop picking their early. So there are only two more weeks to enjoy their amazing asparagus – make sure to get to Strathcona or the City Market soon!

Asparagus will make it into many of our meals this week…

• To mark the end of a long day, Mack and I headed over to Parlour on Thursday for an old favourite pizza (the Gamberi) and tried a new favourite (the Sonny Boy, with soppressata and mushrooms).

Double header at The Parlour

• On Sunday, Mack and I helped Gramdma Male celebrate her birthday with brunch at Canteen. It was the best dish I’ve had at Canteen – milk-braised turkey, egg, crispy onions and gravy over thick-cut toast. Delicious.

Milk-braised turkey, egg, crispy onions and gravy over thick-cut toast at Canteen