Despite the brief periods of rain, we had a gorgeous weekend overall! I hope you took advantage of it in much the same way that I did – in the company of family and friends! On to this week’s food notes:

• The newest Italian Centre in the west end at 170 Street and 90 Avenue  opened its doors today, June 24, 2013.
• Smashburger will be opening its first Edmonton-area location on July 3, 2013 in Sherwood Park at #530, 5000 Emerald Drive.
• The Journal is organizing a Taste Alberta farm tour on July 21, 2013. Stops include Brown Eggs and Lamb and Rock Ridge Dairy.
• Cindy reviewed The Burg, the newest eatery on the 104 Street. Let’s hope it lasts longer than its predecessor.
• Speaking of burgers, Liv posted about the burgers from one of the newest food trucks, The Patty Wagon.
• Enzo’s on 76th received a favourable review from the Journal last week.
• The Taste of Edmonton unveiled their plans for this summer’s festival on Tuesday. You can look forward to nine new restaurants, the return of food trucks, and bite-size portions. More interesting, however, is the festival’s new direction: deliberate highlighting of chefs, local products and food preparation workshops. Get a taste of the event at their new website.
• It’s hard to believe some are already looking ahead to the holidays, but Christmas in November is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and launched their ticket sales last week. The line-up looks incredible, and though I’m sure the price of entry is worth the dollar amount, cost is a serious barrier to participation.
• Andrea recapped this year’s Indulgence event.
• Valerie rounded up some incredible posts as a part of her Canadian Food Experience Project. So much passion from across the country!
• Signs are up in the window of the tavern in the Alberta Hotel.

“From the great folks at Hardware Grill”

• Marlow Moo tipped me off that there is a new Hoang Long branch set to open downtown on 109 Street, south of Jasper Avenue.

Hoang Long

• Mack and I finally made it back to Izakaya Tomo on Sunday for dinner. We ended up ordering nearly everything we tried the first time around, except for the chicken karaage (fried chicken). It was crispy and seasoned perfectly – a must-try if you haven’t been to the restaurant yet.

Chicken karaage

I don’t know when it happened, but all of a sudden, we’re in the middle of summer! I hope you’re out enjoying it as much as I am (though on rainy days, for all you Mad Men fans, there’s nothing like a bit of Mad Style to perk up the week). On to this week’s food notes:

• Company’s Coming is hosting another Scratch & Dent sale on June 22, from 9am-3pm at 2311 96 Street. It’s been a few years since I’ve been myself, but I would expect nothing less than great deals on classic cookbooks.
• Liane posted about Savour Strathcona County, a tasting event taking place on July 7, 2013.
• Great to hear the Alberta Hotel finally has a tenant for their restored bar! Even better, that tenant will be Larry Stewart of the Hardware Grill!
• Food trucks are popping up left and right in Edmonton – the newest? The Crooked Fork, spotted at the French Quarter Farmers’ Market on Sunday.
• Liv reviewed one of the newest food trucks in the city – Swich.
• It looks like the first Red Shoe Crawl of the year was a smashing success! Check out Andrea and Robyn’s write-ups for a look at what you missed.
• The biggest food-related news this week was the sale of Safeway Canada to Sobeys.
• I saw this on Luisa’s blog and had to share it – how funny are these anti-theft lunch bags?
• The Burg was originally heralded to open on June 17, 2013 (taking over the former 104 Street Grill space), but it looks like the date has been pushed back to June 19.

The Burg

• Mack and I finally had the chance to check out the LIvingBridge over 97 Street. It wasn’t as intuitive to get on top of the bridge as we thought (use the stairs located next to the Remand Centre), but the space really has been transformed.

LivingBridge

Great view of Chinatown

• Makescape was a neat Make Something Edmonton project that transformed Centennial Plaza (the sorely underutilized space behind Stanley Milner Library) into a deliberate gathering place last week. Loved the framed boxes of grass!

Makescape

• I attended TEDx Edmonton for the first time on Saturday. Todd Babiak’s presentation on “The Future of Sabbaticals” was my favourite of the day, and definitely made me think about the possibilities of a year away from work. It was disappointing to see a slate of speakers so devoid of women though (just one, while other women on stage were limited to artistic pursuits). Still, the day, as expected, was meticulously organized, and the spirit of inspiration could be felt in the room.

One of the day’s highlights – Amaluna’s balance goddess Lara Jacobs

• June has been a month of milestones and celebrations for my family – I missed noting my Mum’s birthday a few weeks back. We had a casual dinner at Tres Carnales, where the tacos and the enchilada special were spot on!

Enchiladas from Tres Carnales

• Last week, we celebrated Felicia’s convocation and my Dad’s birthday all on the same day. We had a low-key lunch at the nearby High Level Diner (great food, even better service). We probably could have asked for a graduation candle too, but a birthday cinnamon bun seemed more fitting.

Felicia’s favourite grilled chicken and cheddar sandwich

Happy birthday, Dad!

Sorry for the belated food notes – I returned from Toronto late last night, and didn’t get a chance to post. I’m getting back into the swing of things though, including last-minute preparations for our first What the Truck?! this Friday – check out the menu here. Hope to see you there! On to this week’s food notes:

• The Art Gallery of Alberta started their Late Night Wednesday series on May 29, 2013. Admission includes a signature cocktail to be enjoyed on the terrace, and evening exhibition tours.
• A night market is launching in Edmonton in a few weeks, called Just a Little Somethin’. Their grand opening will take place on June 22, 2013, and it will run every Saturday from 7-11pm in a parking lot located at 10171 106^th Street until September.
• Sad news: Bee Bell Bakery will close its Old Strathcona retail location on June 15. I feel like a grew up on their banana cream pies – I hope someone decides to buy the bakery.
• Both Andrea and Linda reviewed Urban Shabu, the new hot pot restaurant in Chinatown. I did not know it was related to Urban China!
• Based on the Journal’s review, Café Amore has remained true to its roots in spite of its move to a larger location.
• It’s great to see gastropub chefs (Mike Scorgie of Woodwork and Jesse Morrison-Gauthier of The Common) competing amongst more traditional fine dining chefs in this year’s Gold Medal Plates.
• Gail Hall’s second farm tour in August heads to Central Alberta, and includes stops at Rock Ridge Dairies and Gull Valley Greenhouses.
• Annie sent me a story about the rise of pop-up patios in Calgary.
• Connecticut has made strides to label GMO food sold in the state, but will it ever come into affect?
• While in Toronto, we stumbled upon some interesting chip flavours at a Loblaws store.

Would you like a drink with those chips?

• At The Drake General Store off King West, we found a cool rendering of brunch hot spots nearby. Neat way to capture restaurant recommendations!

Brunch map

It feels like I was just in Toronto, but I’ll be there again in a few days to attend a work conference. It’s a nice excuse to be away, and to visit with my sister again! On to this week’s food notes:

• Downtown will certainly be a gathering place on June 8, 2013 for this year’s version of “Super Saturday”, with the City Market, Pride, and several parties. More details about what to expect here.
• Duchess Provisions promises to be bigger and better – check them out on June 9, 2013 when they re-open.
• The Sunday market scene just went from zero to sixty: Eden’s Market on 124 Street and 105 Avenue just opened on June 3, 2013 (interestingly, it is a fundraiser for YESS), and will operate until October 6 from 10am-3pm; La Cite Francophone’s year-round market will begin on June 16, 2013, and run Sundays from 12-5pm; and the Edmonton Petroleum Club will be starting their Browse & Brunch market series on June 9 – September 8, 2013. Of course, don’t forget about Callingwood, which runs 10am-3pm.
• I just looked at the list of Birch Patio Date Nights (out at the Devonian Gardens on Thursdays from June 6 – August 29). If you ever needed an excuse to go, how about themed nights, like Italian feast, summer in Paris, and my favourite, county fair? Count me in!
• The Edmonton Craft Beer Festival is on June 14-15, 2013 at the Expo Centre.
• Both Marianne and Sarah visited Belgravia Hub last week – looks like a great community spot!
• Robyn reviewed Café Amore’s new space downtown.
• It looks like Swichfood will be out on the streets tomorrow – I just can’t keep up with all of the new food trucks this year!
• Pure Kitchen now has a website! And they have coupons!
• Ninh Kieu (10708 98 Street) in Chinatown has now changed hands.

Cusina Ni Mutya

• This evening, I had an amazingly productive and energizing meeting about another pop-up event we’re planning for this summer. It probably had more to do with the company and the idea, but it may have also been related to the namesake dish at Café Tiramisu.

Iced latte and tiramisu

• Felicia and I had the privilege of attending Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna under the big top at Northlands with complimentary tickets. It was my first Cirque, and I was blown away. I expected acrobatics, but wrapped up in story, beautifully told, it was so much more. It’s a must see!

Under the big top!

Hurrah for rain! Hopefully we are in store for more moisture, but it’s still amazing how fantastically green everything seemed to become overnight. I relish my lunch hour walks when I get to drink it all in – hope you’re getting some fresh spring air as well! On to this week’s food notes:

• A new market debuts this weekend. Check out Eden Market on 124 Street and 105 Avenue every Sunday starting June 2, 2013 from 10am-3pm. It sounds like they will have several food trucks on hand, including Battista’s Calzones, Eva Sweet and The Food Fighter.
• I was too slow in posting a link to Elm Café’s first brunch that they are hosting in their brand new 118 Avenue space, but it sounds like they will be offering them on a regular basis in the future.
• It looks like Urban Shabu (9700 105 Avenue) in Chinatown is now open. Anyone been?
• Liv reviewed the freshly opened Belgravia Hub.
• Another corporate food truck is rolling into town (remember the visit by Kraft last year?) – this time, Sabra, offering samples of hummus and salsa from June 6-9, 2013. Check their Twitter for location updates.
• Top Chef Canada is recruiting for Season 4 (deadline June 11, 2013). What say we start drafting Edmonton chefs to represent?
• After work on Saturday, I swung by the Alberta Hotel to check out CKUA’s new space on Jasper Avenue. The music room was too packed for much of a peek, but the bar space (tenant still TBD) was beautiful. Hopefully someone takes it over soon!

Alberta Hotel

• On a rainy Friday, I grabbed some lunch at Bully Food Truck, parked in Churchill Square. The pizza burger (topped with pepperoni, mozzarella, caesar salad and bruschetta) was messy, but worth it!

Pizza burger

• In spite of our workout on the weekend, Mack and I gave into our cravings and ended up at Route 99 for a plate of poutine. It was worth every fry.

Poutine!

I had great intentions to catch up on writing and some other things this weekend…but then I found myself just enjoying the long weekend. I hope you were able to take in the sunshine as well! On to this week’s food notes:

• A reminder about Slow Food Edmonton’s Berkshire & Beer event at the Yellowhead Brewery on May 26, 2013. The menu is now up as well.
• Dishcrawl will be hosting their next neighbourhood crawl around Southgate Mall on June 12, 2013.
• Liv professed her love of the sandwiches at Pure Kitchen.
• Vue profiled Sailin’ On, the newest food truck to hit the streets in Edmonton.
• Sad news: the Arbour Room at the Rutherford House is now closed due to staffing and financial challenges.
• I missed this article last week – ever wanted to peek into RGE RD Chef Blair Lebsack’s kitchen? Now you can.
• I also missed linking to Omar Mouallem’s fantastic piece about the history (and his history) with Burger Baron.
• Mack sent me this amazingly nutty clip from a recent episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. The  owners are so stubborn and blind to their toxic behaviour that it’s hard to believe the confrontations aren’t staged.
• Valerie posted a recap about Eat Alberta 2013. Her pictures are gorgeous, and bring me right back to the day.
• Mack and I trekked across the High Level bridge over the weekend for dinner and dessert. The latter was made up of visits to Transcend and Menchies. Transcend was advertising their new cold brew coffee (something we’ve made at home, but are generally too lazy to do on a regular basis). Mack loved it, commenting that it actually tasted like coffee, though given it is filtered several times, we were surprised to see so many unidentified flecks in the mixture.

Transcend’s cold brew coffee

• Menchie’s, the newest frozen yogurt chain to land in Edmonton, is set up in the same way as other self-serve froyo establishments, with a wall of yogurt options and an adjacent topping station. I did appreciate the easy access to sample cups, though was hoping for more fresh fruit options. Overall, I enjoyed the strawberry sorbet, but probably wouldn’t be able to pick it out of a froyo line-up.

Menchie’s

• Felicia and I hit up Hundred for an Alley Burger last night. I don’t know what it is, but the burger always tastes better when consumed outside on a warm summer night.

Alley burger!

I hope you’re ready for the Ginger Beef Throwdown on Friday! Join us at the Royal Alberta Museum on May 17, 2013 from 5-8pm as four of Edmonton’s food trucks vie for ginger beef supremacy! Check out the menus here. On to this week’s food notes:

• Tickets for the first Red Shoe Crawl of the year are now on sale! Taking place on June 9, 2013, the event will showcase some of Old Strathcona’s best restaurants and businesses. Tickets are $40, with proceeds supporting the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta. We had a blast at the 124 Street crawl last October.
• The Edmonton Community Foundation’s upcoming Annual General Meeting on June 13, 2013 will feature Jeremy Isles, Chief Executive of the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens, UK.
• Beer Revolution (11736 104 Avenue) opened today.
• Look for Belgravia Hub (7609 115 Street) to open this week!
• La Poutine’s truck is now on the streets! Looking forward to our first mobile poutine.
• It also looks like Sailin’ On, Edmonton’s first vegan truck, will be on the streets on May 14, 2013!
• Marlow Moo wrote about a pop-up over the weekend with forthcoming food truck Switch.
• The rise of Italian in Edmonton continues with the opening of Enzo’s on 76.
• Liv also wrote about Amato Gelato in Lewis Estates, the first of a Vancouver-based gelato chain to open up in the city.
• The Makk was positively reviewed in the Journal last week.
• Vue’s annual Golden Fork Awards were announced last week! I found it interesting how many of the winners were concentrated in the Old Strathcona area – will we soon see a shift to more Downtown and Oliver-area restaurants?
• The same issue featured a Vue writer taking on the burger challenge at Soda Jerks – could you finish three monster burgers in thirty minutes?
• Valerie is looking to hone in on our “Canadian voice”, and is inviting writers to help her identify uniquely Canadian experiences and foods. Find out more about The Canadian Food Experience Project here.
• A call for Edmonton Food Council members is now open. Interested parties have until May 20, 2013 to submit applications.
• It looks like Remedy is expanding again, this time into the space vacated by Booster Juice in the Palomar Building on 82 Avenue and 104 Street.

Remedy – coming soon!

• The Burg announced their presence in a big way on the 4th Street Promenade – probably hoping to capitalize on all of the foot traffic the street garners when the outdoor City Market begins on May 18.

The Burg

• Kabsa is now open at 10332 82 Avenue – anyone know if it is the same folks behind the space that was taken over by Corso 32 downtown?

Kabsa

• We stumbled upon a new bubble tea shop just off the main Whyte drag, called Teapsy Café (9959 82 Aveue). They offer the variety of cold drinks found at similar shops, but enhance their menu with Peking dogs (think a Chinese-style Japadog). The peach slush we tried was very refreshing.

Teapsy Cafe

• After a meeting with the folks at The Next Act on Thursday, we stayed on for dinner. It was a good call – the omnivore grilled cheese hit the spot!

Omnivore grilled cheese

• We were happy to join other “Drift-ers” at Red Star today for a group viewing of their Eat St. episode! It was great, and showcased their food well.

Of course, Kara and Nevin made sure the audience was well fed!

Congrats to Karlynn who picked up the Best in Food Yeggie over the weekend, along with the rest of the winners (and nominees) at the first annual Yeggies, recognizing social media content creators. It was a great party – kudos to the organizers for a job well done! On to this week’s food notes:

• Should Canada tax unhealthy foods? That is the question that will be debated by a panel of experts on May 22, 2013 at the Westin, as a part of the Western Summit on Sustainable Health. Although the debate is open to the public, it is too bad tickets to the event are $55.
• Outdoor farmers’ markets are here! Salisbury (Thursdays) moved outdoors at the end of April, Highlands (Thursdays) opened its season on May 2, Callingwood (Sundays and Wednesdays) began on May 5, Beverly Towne (Tuesdays) starts May 7, the South West Edmonton Farmers’ Market starts next week on May 15, and my favourite City Market downtown (Saturdays) starts May 18.
• There are a ton of food events to check out in the next few months! If you love lobster, I’ve heard the annual Lobsterfest at the Shaw Conference Centre is an event not to miss. It takes place on May 26, 2013 this year, and tickets are $55. Take a peek at what’s in store on Twyla’s blog.
• Mosh Burger, the pop-up that celebrates medium rare burgers, is hosting a six course, Montreal-inspired meal on May 27, 2013 for $120, including wine pairings.
• Coffee more your thing? Chef Parker is hosting a food and coffee pairing event at Roast on May 30, 2013. Tickets are $60.
• RGE RD will be hosting several more farm dinners this summer: on July 7 @ Riverbend Gardens, and on July 14 @ Prairie Gardens. More details on the website.
• The next 10 Mile Meal is taking place on July 13, 2013, and will celebrate all things summer. Tickets are $80.
• Food trucks are back in the news! Liane had a great article about some of the new trucks on the street, including The Local Omnivore and the forthcoming Sailin’ On (the menu looks amazing!).
• Battista’s Calzones has a new website!
• The Shutter: Ousia on Whyte Avenue has closed.
• Has poutine jumped the shark? Jones Soda has released a poutine flavoured soda – unfortunately, it isn’t available in Alberta if you were hoping to try it.
• Spicy Garden (9700 105 Avenue) in Chinatown has been taken over by Urban Shabu – from peeking in the windows, it looks to be a modern interior for a Japanese staple.

Urban Shabu

• Patios are out in full force in Edmonton! Hurrah for summer!

 

Blue Plate Diner

This guest post was written by Mack, an Edmonton-based geek who fancies himself a part-time foodie. You can find him online at his blog, and on Twitter.

Sharon is in Toronto with her Mum this week, so I’m on food note duty! Here are this week’s food notes:

• Tickets for Indulgence go on sale May 1!
• Do you like beer? Pork? How about beer and pork together?! Slow Food Edmonton and Yellowhead Brewery are hosting Berkshire & Beer on May 26. Tickets are $60 for the nose-to-tail event!
• Bistro Saisons, located in the old 4th and Vine spot in Oliver Square, was reviewed positively in the Journal. Scott & Sandra Ards are the duo behind the new venture – I love that they met “on the kitchen line at the Shaw Conference Centre nine years ago”.
• Keep your eyes open for Localize stickers in a grocery store near you. Hopefully they last longer than the Eat Local First signage!
• The Next Act are looking to open a BBQ restaurant next door called Meat for Dinner, but they’ve run into issues with the zoning bylaws. Support them and let’s see this happen!
• Andrea reviewed Pure Kitchen, The Makk’s new sister restaurant located just down 124 Street. That Cheddar Apple Smoked Turkey sandwich looks good. She also reviewed Menchie’s, a new frozen yogurt shop located near Remedy on 109 Street.
• Tomorrow is TEDxEdmonton’s Salon Series event focused on Food for Thought. Green Drinks celebrates Local Food on Wednesday at The Common. Lots of opportunities to connect and talk food!
• Have you eaten at a food truck this season? There’s a number of them on the streets already!
• Marlow Moo reviewed Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus and really liked it. I did too!
• Credo, Transcend, Elm, and Leva all made this list of the 25 best coffee shops in Canada.
• La Cité Francophone is looking for a restaurateur to take over the dining room in the heart of the French Quarter. Here’s the RFP in English and French.
• The Callingwood Farmers Market reopens this Sunday at 10am!
• Liane posted some details today on Sip and Savour, a new feature coming to Taste of Edmonton this summer. I think it’s great that the festival is working to transform itself, but we’ll have to wait and see just how different Sip and Savour is (Paul Lucas, the new head of Taste of Edmonton, was the one who initiated Sip! at Capital EX).
• Sounds like SWICH is hosting a lunchtime Mother’s Day pop up on May 12. You need to DM them on Twitter to RSVP!
• Sharon was home for lunch last week (a rare occasion) so she made sure to take advantage of the opportunity to try The Cavern‘s grilled cheese sandwiches ($8.75). Each gooey and delicious sandwich was accompanied by some pickled vegetables and some chips.

Tempting pastries at The Cavern!

• I know how much Sharon loves pho, so I had to take a photo of this V Sandwiches sign the other day – pho is now available!

I’m really looking forward to a brief vacation this week, when I’ll be heading to Toronto with my Mum to visit my sister. I will likely not be blogging while away, so make sure to check out my culinary counterparts if you’re looking for reading material! On to this week’s food notes:

• TEDx Edmonton’s next Salon event is all about food, “from how it gets produced to how we understand it before making purchasing decisions.” Speakers include Carol Neuman of 10 Mile Meal and Meagan Dear of Localize. Check it out on April 30, 2013 at the Mercer Warehouse.
• Chop Suey on the Prairies, an exhibit at the Royal Alberta Museum about the history of Chinese restaurants in Alberta, opened on April 20, 2013. What the Truck?! has paired up with the exhibit to organize a special Truck Stop: Throwdown Edition, taking place in May. More details soon!
• Taste pairings are all the rage in Edmonton – we really enjoyed our wine and chocolate pairing a few months back. Now, Cookie Love and Alley Kat are hoping people might enjoy a cookie and beer pairing! Get your tickets to the May 17, 2013 event here, to be held at the Edmonton Petroleum Club. All proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House.
• Smokehouse BBQ’s Edmonton location is now re-open! Congrats to Terry and Sherry on getting the shop up and running again.
• Nearby, The Makk’s sister restaurant, Pure Kitchen (12325 102 Avenue), is also now open! Check them out for light breakfast and lunch fare.
• It looks like Menchies at 8705 109 Street, the newest frozen yogurt chain to open in Edmonton, will be open on April 23, 2013.
• Andrea wrote a review of Taste of Yogurt, another new fro-yo shop in Riverbend.
• Food trucks galore – I can hardly keep up! Liv posted a review on the newest truck to hit the streets, The Food Fighter, which specializes in all things parmigiana.
• The Cheesiry will be hosting a cheesemaking workshop on May 4, 2013.
• Speaking of cheese, we have wine and beer of the month clubs (courtesy of places like Sherbrooke Liquor), but how about a cheese of the month club? Check out Everything Cheese for more details on how you can sign up to receive a few different cheeses every month, starting in September.
• Congratulations to Sylvan Star for winning the awards for best gouda and farmhouse cheese at the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.
• Have you heard about FarmOn? It is a social media group trying to encourage young farmers to share their stories on social media.
• Michael Pollan has written a new book, called Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. It is his call for a return to the kitchen.
• A heads up that Pho Tau Bay will be closed April 29-June 30, 2013. A few coworkers and I made sure to visit last week to get our fill before the void begins.

My regular

• Eat Alberta 2013 is a wrap! Thanks to everyone who participated, from attendees, to presenters, to our fabulous volunteers. A special thanks to our MC Jennifer Crosby who kept things moving! I hope to write more about the conference in the next few weeks, but I have to say it was a pleasure working with my fellow committee members – we did it!

Allan’s brilliant tasting board

Have a good week!