I hope everyone had a great weekend, making the most of summer! I’m sad to have missed the Dragon Boat Festival (again), but in a season where there are multiple things going on every weekend, a choice must be made! On to this week’s food notes:

• Who doesn’t love a free barbecue? The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation is hosting an “I [heart] yegdt” lunch on Churchill Square from 11:30am-1pm on August 24, 2011.
• In support of the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, Lux is hosting the second annual Bacon Day on September 3, 2011. The $65 ticket price includes a bacon infused Bloody Caesar and a family style 3 course meal inspired by bacon.
• Help Birds & the Bees Organic Winery (formerly EnSante) celebrate their new identity by visiting their farm on September 4, 2011! Tickets include a tour, tasting and pie!
• Valerie checked out this year’s Tomato Fare – and found that there was something missing.
• Foodie Suz wrote about her incredible experience at the Okanagan Feast of Fields. I wish I was there!
• The ‘big’ incident that swept through Eater last week involved a diner at a Houston bar tweeting that her bartender was a “twerp”, then promptly getting a call from the bar’s owner that she was no longer welcome at the establishment. Read all about it here.
• Tutti Frutti, a self-serve frozen yogurt shop, finally opened at 10420 82 Avenue this weekend. We checked it out between Fringe shows on Saturday. At 49 cents an ounce, it is on par with Twisted Yogurt, the other self-serve fro-yo establishment in town. On that particular day, they had 11 yogurt flavours to choose from, and a variety of toppings. We love the self-serve aspect, and really, it’s about time for something like this to finally open up on a pedestrian-friendly street. Of course, it’d be better if it were a local chain, but if there are two cupcake shops on the Avenue, perhaps there could be rival frozen yogurt shops as well?

Tutti Frutti

Can you guess which one is mine and which one is Mack’s?

• Not food-related, but Mack and I had a great time at the Taylor Swift concert on Thursday (alongside families and too many screaming tweens to count). Though her show featured pyrotechnics, aerialists and lots and lots of confetti, I actually preferred the quieter moments of the concert – just her and a guitar, strumming away at the base of an illuminated tree. You can check out Mack’s pictures (and videos) here.

Taylor Swift

I guess Fringing all day on Sunday took more out of me than I thought – I had to go to bed early last night just to recover (so, no food notes until today). I’m looking forward to spending most of this week on the grounds though – there’s just so many more plays to see! On to this week’s food notes:

• I have yet to write about the fabulous Old Strathcona Red Shoe Crawl that Mack and I enjoyed last week, but if you missed it, Yelp is organizing something along the same lines – a crawl of East Whyte Ave. It’s on from August 14 to 21, 2011, and includes deals such as 2-for-1 cupcakes at Flirt!
• If the Fringe isn’t your thing, the annual East Meets West Festival starts this weekend, starting August 20 and running until August 28. The festival just seems to get bigger every year – check out the schedule of events here.
• Kerstin’s Chocolates will be selling their Vahlrona ice cream at the City Market on August 20, 27 and September 3.
• I might be in denial that summer is rapidly coming to a close, but it does mean that harvest season is just around the corner: the Prairie Bistro will be celebrating fall with a harvest dinner on September 1, 2011.
• Rumour alert: Remedy Cafe is said to be opening another location in the downtown space currently held by Health Fare (10279 Jasper Avenue).
• Look for popular Ethiopian restaurant Langano Skies to re-open at the end of the month.
• Transcend’s new food menu is now in full swing! Check out their new food and liquor menus (the food is available at all three locations, while the alcohol is only available at the downtown and Garneau locations). Chris also wrote about the food here.
• Battista’s Calzones also debuted two new additions to their menu: a savoury pesto calzone, and a nutella dessert calzone!
• An enterprising young Edmontonian is looking at jumping into the local food truck scene – follow along on this blog. Good luck!
• Slow Food Edmonton held its first ever “canning bee” on Sunday – it looked like a lot of fun! Read all about it on Valerie’s blog.
• It was great to see wood-fired ovens featured in the Journal (and even better to read what Colleen, Vince and Kevin had to say)!
• I had no idea there was a locally-made series called The People That Touch Your Food until I read about it in Vue. It was filmed at Upper Crust and chronicles the “adventures of a dysfunctional restaurant staff.”
• I was excited to see that the Taste of Trucks event in Calgary, put on by YYCFoodTrucks was a huge success. I think we can learn from our neighbours, but I also think there is some great momentum in our province that we can build on in Edmonton.
• There was a huge outpouring of support on the blogosphere for a mother of two who just lost her husband. How? Food bloggers all across North America responded to her call to make Mikey’s favourite chocolate peanut butter pie to share with a loved one.
• Whyte is getting some new additions: one chain, and one local chain.

A DQ/Orange Julius will be opening up in the vacant Death by Chocolate space (8137 104 Street)

Famoso will be opening up in the Le Chateau space at 10421 82 Avenue (and also adding a West Edmonton Mall location to boot)

• Marilyn had Mack and I over for dinner last week (she now has a blog too; check it out!). We had cake for dessert…well, sort of. She made a delicious cauliflower parmesan cake, and green beans with bacon. I brought a blueberry buckle – it was similar to a coffee cake, but I could have done with half the amount of sweet crumble. Still, we loved the cake itself, and I would make it again. Thanks, Marilyn, for the invitation!

Blueberry Buckle

The countdown to the 30th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival is on! Mack and I bought our Frequent Fringer passes and the program last week, so we’re all ready to go. The fun starts in Old Strathcona on August 11 and runs until August 21, 2011. On to this week’s food notes:

• Help spread the feeling for the Edmonton Food Bank! For every hug sent, Kraft will donate one jar of peanut butter to the food bank!
• The Queen Community Garden (11112 109 Ave) is hosting an open house on August 12, 2011 from 12-3pm. Tours will be offered on the hour.
• Madison’s Grill is hosting a farm to fork dinner on August 24, 2011. Producers will also be on hand to answer questions – check out the menu on the “features” tab.
• Congrats to Transcend Coffee baristas Ben and Josh for placing first and third, respectively, at this weekend’s Prairie Regional Barista competition.
• Speaking of Transcend, they just launched their exciting new food menu, which includes in-house made pastries like a savoury squash brioche. Street food-inspired items, including pupusas and arepas, will be introduced on August 10, 2011.
• We were sad to have missed the Drift and Molly’s Eats food truck meet-up on August 1, so it was great to read about it on Twyla and Carmen’s blogs.
• On the topic of food trucks, I really wish I could be in Calgary on Thursday for the official launch of their Food Truck Pilot Project. I’m optimistic that Mayor Nenshi’s efforts will help make it easier for trucks down south. And though it’s slow going here (something we’re hoping to change soon), I recognize that it could always be worse – we could be in Winnipeg.
• Jacquie shared her recent experience with Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton (OFRE).
• There was a great piece about Johnson Family Farm in Taste Alberta last week. I hear it caused quite the line-up for their products at Salisbury Farmers’ Market the following day!
• Musings on the slippery slope of local, sustainable food: “At a certain point, when only the relatively rich can afford to not ingest bovine growth hormone on a regular basis, appreciating food and where it comes from becomes a bourgeois endeavor akin to collecting Fabergé eggs.”
• This was one epic resignation letter from a disgruntled Whole Foods employee. You know it won’t be puppies and rainbows when it starts out like this, “I appreciated and respected what the company said it’s philosophies were at that time…However, it didn’t take long to realize what complete and utter bullshit they are.”
• Are you ready for The Chew, a daytime talk show all about food? It starts airing on September 26, but I’m excited to see Top Chef alum Carla Hall back on TV.
• No one’s happier about this than Mack: Oodle Noodle is expanding downtown, and will be opening up a location in the Birks Building on Jasper Avenue just off 104 Street. Look for it November 1, 2011.

Another Oodle Noodle, coming soon!

• Mack and I had dinner at Niche on Friday. It was quieter than I expected, especially compared with my last two experiences there. I was sad to see they had taken my favourite dish – the beef cheek and egg noodles – off the menu, but I didn’t mind trying something new (it was great to see that they’ve added a vegetarian entree to the menu, too). The cheese plate ($22) was okay but nothing special (and we were a bit surprised our server didn’t introduce the cheeses to us). My Spanish braised Pembina pork ($22) was a monster of a serving, but was just meltingly tender and easy to eat without a fork. I could have done with less Israeli couscous though, and more of the slaw. Mack ordered the special, halibut crusted in cornmeal and paprika ($25). He enjoyed it, but preferred to sneak bites off my plate. We’ll be back at some point, but in the meantime, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the beef cheeks will return to the menu…

Cheese plate

Spanish braised Pembina pork

Halibut crusted in cornmeal and paprika

• On Saturday, our lovely dinner companions treated Mack and I to dinner at Bistecca. Our server was very patient with us as our party assembled, and great throughout the night. If I thought my serving at Niche was large, I’m not sure what to say about the veal osso buco. Though the meat was tender, the sauce definitely helped keep everything moist and tasty, and the side of risotto was cooked just perfectly. Mack ordered the night’s special, a house-smoked Nathan’s hot dog, served with lobster and risotto – there aren’t too many steakhouses that serve up hot dogs in Edmonton! The ‘dog ended up being the star of the show. Three of us ordered the crepes for dessert, mostly for the show. The crepes themselves were okay (the fig filling wasn’t our favourite), but the flame? Well, see for yourself.

Veal osso buco

Nathan’s Famous hot dog and lobster

Fire!

Crepe

I hope you enjoyed this long weekend! It was one of those weekends where we weren’t home very much, but with such beautiful weather, and so many things to do in the city, it just felt like summer! On to this week’s food notes:

• Who doesn’t love ice cream? Kerstin’s is hosting a summer ice cream party on August 3, 2011 from 3-7pm. Try their Pinocchio Valrhona ice cream three ways: au naturel, as a milk shake, and as a float.
• Tomato Fare, another alternative “taste” event, is happening on August 14, 2011 at Salisbury Greenhouse. A minimum of 50% of the dishes will incorporate the tomato. I went two years ago – recap here.
• An annual harvest tradition, the Edmonton Horticultural Society invites you to “Show What You Grow” at Fort Edmonton Park on August 27-28, 2011. This year, they’ve even introduced a local food category.
• Based on this photo on The Edmontonian, things are looking up for the return of Langano Skies!
• Culina Highlands is now known as Highlands Kitchen.
• I think this is old news now, but Zen Sushi has opened up a south side location at 7618 104 Street, the former Gino’s Italian Kitchen space (and most recently housed David’s).
• Chris reviewed Spring Roll Kitchen, a new restaurant located in Century Park.
• Liv wrote about Drift Food Truck – if you’re in the area, definitely stop by for a sandwich!
• Great profile in Vue last week on Absolutely Edibles, a restaurant on 118 Avenue.
• Thanks to Keri for a tip about Real Deal Meats: on Saturdays, the shop is offering a special smoked meat special every Saturday that is ready to be picked up after 5pm.
• I knew we missed out on a great dinner: check out Valerie and Kevin’s recaps on the fabulous dinner at Nature’s Green Acres.
• Red Rooster, the uber-hip restaurant in Harlem, will soon be offering free bike rentals to customers to explore the neighbourhood! Too cool.
• After attending a wedding at the Art Gallery of Alberta on Sunday, Mack, myself and a few friends wanted to grab a bite to eat nearby. It was more difficult than it should been (with so many restaurants either typically closed on Sundays, or closed for the long weekend). We ended up at Doan’s on 107 Street. The food was okay, but the service was poor – no water refills, and a very long wait for the bill.

My special beef noodle soup

Mack’s combination plate with grilled beef

• We experimented more with our new charcoal barbecue this weekend, and we (okay, Mack) is finally getting the hang of it! Rib eyes from Nature’s Green Acres was first, and though the coals still weren’t as hot as they should have been for a nice sear, marinating them for a few hours saved us. Next, was some halibut from Ocean Odyssey, sprinkled with a Moroccan spice blend I had picked up in Toronto. Turns out third time’s the charm (or at least the fish was) – it was perfectly cooked, with that hint of smoky flavour.

Steak and potatoes

Halibut

All vacations are fun, but this one was particularly great because I got to hang out with Amanda, who moved to Toronto back in April. I’ll be writing about it at some point (I realize I said that about San Francisco…), but suffice to say, I kind of miss the humidity! The heat definitely beats the rain. Anyway, a belated and abbreviated food notes this week, while I catch up on things:

• Via Connect2Edmonton, look for Noorish, a “conscious eatery and superfood elixir bar” to open at 8440 109 Street.
• If we weren’t out of town, Mack and I would have been among those lining up at Alberta Avenue last Thursday to try Edmonton’s newest food truck, Nomad. They served up smoked pulled pork sandwich, with apple and fennel slaw and a curried, pickled carrot. Looking forward to what they serve up next!
• Speaking of barbecue, Linda sent me some information about a new food option in Leduc, from La Pisana: “We are ready to go with the BBQ Trailer , starting July 12th we will be on location in Nisku serving BBQ out of our unit , we will be just off Sparrow Drive north of the Ritchie Brothers site, we will have the trailer there Tuesdays through Friday from 11:00 – 1:30 or till we run out of food , stop by to get your BBQ lunch on the fly, we will have a different menu every day, Tuesday will be Smoked Turkey Legs and Italian Sausage , Wed. we will have BBQ beef on a bun , Thursday our signature “Bacon Bomb” sandwich and pulled pork and Friday is undecided at this time , so come and see us for a great lunch for less
  than $10.00, hot and ready to go.”
• Battista’s Calzones has created a number of new flavours, and will be featuring a different one every Saturday. The “Pesto Presto” was featured this past weekend – what will come next?
• Liane wrote about some changes happening at Culina Highlands – the restaurant will no longer be a “Culina” outpost because of the confusion and only open Thursday-Monday, but will still serve the same Ukrainian fusion diners look for.
• I can’t wait to read more about Blair Lebsack’s outdoor dinner held at Nature’s Green Acres on Saturday. I was sad to have missed it – when I toured the farm a few years ago, and saw the space they intended on hosting the meal, I knew it’d be a magical experience. I hope Blair does it again!
• Twyla reviewed the new downtown Lebanese restaurant Chateau Beirut – looks like it will be a welcome addition to the neighbourhood!
• Queen of Tarts is going on a short holiday! They will be closed August 1 – 8, 2011, and will reopen on August 9.
• Liv filed a profile on Tres Carnales last week.
• My parents bought us a charcoal barbecue for my birthday, and we were finally able to put it to good use today. Unfortunately, it’s a steeper learning curve than we thought, and it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing – we couldn’t get the charcoal hot enough, and had to finish the burgers on the stove. Better luck next time!

Burgers made with Nature’s Green Acres ground beef and a Queen of Tarts French roll

• I thought I didn’t take as many photos as I usually do on holidays, but I guess I was wrong! Just one for now:

Amanda and I at the Blue Jays game

I had the best of intentions to recap more of our San Francisco trip, but just ran out of time. Perhaps, after I return from Toronto? I won’t be blogging in the next week while I’m away, but please check out the revised list of Culinary Counterparts on the sidebar – I (finally) updated it. Have a good week!

• You have just a few more days to get your Taste of Edmonton at a discounted rate – 10% off if you purchase them by July 20.
• Connect 2 Edmonton is buzzing with the possibility of a second Cactus Club location in Oliver.
• It was announced that the river valley has its first cafe, located in Louise McKinney Park! Mack and I often wondered if the building was meant for more than just washroom facilities, but glad to hear that thirsty visitors can now grab a drink. Hope to check it out soon!
• This week’s issue of Vue Weekly is all about beer! Check out profiles on Alley Kat, Yellowhead and a history of beer in Canada.
• More Tres Carnales talk in the blogosphere, this time from Courtenay and Sarah. I really had no idea there was such an underground love of tacos in Edmonton; the response has been quite amazing. And I still haven’t been to try them myself…
• The Journal reviewed a Vietnamese restaurant Rice Paper last week. My parents went to try it after reading the article, and thought it was just okay.
• In this age of Yelp, food blogs, Twitter and Chowhound, one has to wonder if books like Where to Eat in Canada are still relevant, or if anything, how much longer they will last.
• In recent weeks, there have been a rash of crackdowns on food trucks in midtown Manhattan, so much so, that people are saying that if this trend continues, it may chase out the very pioneers who made food trucks popular in the first place. Zach Brooks had a great take on this.
• I think we already knew this, but new research tells us that we are physically incapable of resisting fried chicken.
• Chateau Beirut (102 Ave and 107 Street) is now open!

Chateau Beirut

• The Devonian Gardens’ 4th annual Green Festival runs on July 17, 2011. Expect sustainable gardening lectures and cooking demonstrations, among other things.
• Fork Fest, which starts July 17, has a few menus up.
• Have you checked out the menu for Sip! at Capital Ex? It looks pretty tasty!
• The 2011 gluten-free pancake breakfast will be held on July 23, 2011.
• There was more love in the blogosphere this week for Tres Carnales Taqueria – from Twyla, Baconhound, Edmonton Foodie and Cream and Sugar.
• Transcend’s long-anticipated street food-inspired menu will be ready on August 1 and 2 at Transcend Garneau and Downtown, respectively.
• Read all about one of Edmonton’s newest food trucks, Shaka Boys Shave Ice.
• Vue Weekly wrote a great profile on Early Bird Cafe.
• Liv and two friends rounded up cupcakes from bakeries all over town for the ultimate taste test (with graphs!). Delish Custom Cakes & Sweets came out on top.
• How about a picnic? Avenue Edmonton pairs delis with parks in a spin on al fresco dining.
• Ever want to peek into someone’s pantry? Liane’s article last week allows you to do just that. It features Michael Avenati of Mo-Na Foods and food writer Twyla Campbell.
• Speaking of Twyla, she was involved in preparing the foods served to William and Kate at the reception in Ottawa on Canada Day.
• Andree visited Top Chef Canada winner Dale Mackay’s Vancouver restaurant Ensemble. Good food, she writes, but “what bothered me most was that a lot of the menu wasn’t easy to share despite what they insisted was Ensemble’s focus.”
• Did you pick up a free slurpee from 7-11 today? It turns out the promotion is actually a boon for the chain – they’ve found the tasting cup actually convinces most customers to purchase a larger size.
• TV fame doesn’t necessarily lead to success. Take the example of Soul Daddy, the “winner” of America’s Next Great Restaurant.
• Mack and I stopped by to check out SOS Fest yesterday. The rain dampened the crowd during the time we visited, but it looks like it picked up later in the day. It was great to see food vendors from the area on site too!

The Pack A.D. performs

Peds on the street!

Food vendors

Mack even met the Biebs!

• We haven’t been dining al fresco as much as we would have liked this year, so it was nice to grab the opportunity last week.

Dining outdoors

Hope you had a good Canada Day, and enjoyed the festivities! I feel like I’m again so behind with my posts – so much to write, so little time! But my goal is at least to capture a bit more of San Francisco (only ten months after the fact, sigh) before we leave for Toronto in a few weeks. On to this week’s food notes:

• Press’d is celebrating the grand opening of their second location at 112 Street and Jasper Avenue by offering a chance to win free sandwiches for a year: simply head down and buy a sandwich on July 8 or 9 for one of five chances to win. In addition, from July 4 – 9, they are donating $0.50 from every sandwich sold at both locations to the Youth Emergency Shelter Society.
• I thought I had posted about it earlier, but it seems I missed mentioning the opening of the Green & Gold Garden at the U of A. It works on a pay-what-you-choose model, but all funds collected support a not-for-profit organization that supports socially and economically marginalized women in Rwanda. Produce available this week includes lettuce, arugula, Chinese cabbage, pak choi and kale.
• Kevin’s first From Local Farms video of 2011 is up! Featured is Tangle Ridge Ranch. Congrats also to Kevin for being named one of Alberta Venture’s “Next 10”.
• There’s now an Asian food option in Century Park – Spring Roll Kitchen (2395 111 Street, 780-437-5547) was set to open on Canada Day.

Spring Roll Kitchen

• Cupcakes are still going strong in Edmonton – Flirt Cupcakes just opened their second storefront downtown at 105 Street and Jasper Avenue. I stopped by this afternoon for a treat, and Michelle told me the renos aren’t quite done (the location was a former Treats Cafe). Expect more seating to come!

Flirt Cupcakes

• I stopped by Pho Tau Bay for soup last week, just in time before their annual summer vacation. They will be closed July 4, and will reopen on August 25, 2011. Alternatively, you could always check this handy site to see if the restaurant is open.

I heart beef noodle soup

• Mack and I picked up some bubble tea from Bubble Buzz to accompany our evening walk last week. I’d never had Hong Kong-style milk tea before – it was a nice, balanced alternative to iced coffee. Mack, who isn’t the biggest fan of bubble tea, couldn’t get over the bursting mango bubbles – his look of sheer glee every time he bit into a mango surprise was too funny. Liv checked out Bubble Buzz recently too.

Bubble Buzz

• We met up with Mack’s Dad (and Thom) for dinner on Saturday while he was in town. His restaurant of choice? Origin India, which we had introduced him to about this time last year. As always, we thoroughly enjoyed their buffet.

Plate #2 at Origin India (the karahi paneer was particularly tasty that night)

• Mack had lunch at Tres Carnales today, which opened over the weekend. Chris powered through the menu, and wrote an extensive review here.

Tres Carnales

• While Mack dined on tacos, I had lunch at Taipan Cafe. The rice noodles with beef were okay (I think I prefer the Garden Bakery version a little more), but even more exciting, it was the first time in a long while that I had an iced Horlicks! Cold drinks made from powder always seem to transport me back to Asia…

Taipan Cafe

• It’s a bit of a miracle I haven’t yet killed the tomato plant on our balcony, so the fact that we were able to harvest our first tomato last week was a bit of a personal victory. I have Jennifer and James at Sundog Organic to thank, for growing a hearty variety that can survive the likes of me!

Our first tomato!

It was a bit of an exhausting week (but in a good way!). Between my Agency’s 50th anniversary, my birthday and of course, What the Truck?!, I could barely keep up! Thankfully, I have the long weekend to fall back on – Happy Canada Day, everyone! On to this week’s food notes:

• Advance tickets for the Taste of Edmonton, which runs July 21 to 30, are now on sale. They have two new restaurants joining the fray this year, ZINC and Lit, and a number of new menu items from stalwart participants. Going forward, restaurants apparently will only be able to repeat menu items for two years – that will help spice it up for annual patrons.
• Mark your calendars for Fork Fest, July 17-21 and 24-28, 2011.
• As I mentioned last week, “taste of” events seem to be abound this summer, and I continue to learn about more! Ronald McDonald House is hosting a Taste of Whyte – Red Shoe Crawl on August 7, 2011. You’ll be able to sample food from area restaurants, all while supporting a great cause! I think it’s a great idea.
• The second location of Press’d opened last week. The new location looks beautiful – they took great advantage of the high ceilings.
• Twyla wrote a great report on Lobsterfest, the annual fundraiser for the Canadian Culinary Federation at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• Undercover Gourmet will be catering in the fall! I met Evonne at the Susur Lee lunch back in March, and found out at that time that she is a trained chef! Best of luck with your new endeavour, Evonne.
• Happy belated birthday to The Carrot!
• Bubble Buzz (10140 – 104 Street) opened for business on June 25, meaning in addition to great coffee, we now have a bubble tea option on the street! The owners have done a great job renovating the former Taco del Mar space into a clean, modern storefront. Check out their menu here (they only use real fruit for their drinks), as well as their opening week specials!

Bubble Buzz

• Though I often snap pictures of forthcoming restaurants, I haven’t done much in the way of documenting restaurants that close (Eater does it in a regular roundup called “The Shutter”). That said, there seem to have been a number of closures as of late, so I think it is worth mentioning – including Luzzara, which will be closing as of July 17, 2011 and possibly the second location of Health Fare (according to a letter posted on the door, they are in arrears, and are locked out of their downtown location).

Soul Soup (a sign on the door reads that you can still purchase their soup next door at Cafe da Gama, or at MRKT)

Timothy’s in City Centre

Don Antonio’s on 124 Street

• I remember Liane writing about Madison’s Grill’s great new patio. I hadn’t walked by it until the other day – it looks like it would be a great spot to grab an after work drink.

Madison’s Grill, al fresco

• Mack and I stopped by the Callingwood Farmers’ Market on Sunday. I had only ever seen photos, but heard that it was quite a lively market, so I wanted to see it for myself. We loved the use of the breezeway – it would definitely help shelter patrons in inclement weather – but found a definite lack of produce vendors. There were a few, but given the choice and variety we are used to at the City Market, I would find it challenging to do my weekly shopping there.

Callingwood Farmers’ Market

In the breezeway

Outside

• As I mentioned, our Agency celebrated its 50th anniversary this past week. Our AGM was held at the EXPO Centre this year. The romaine salad was forgettable (and really, a bit unforgivable…limp and dry, it looked as if it had been plated several hours before), but the chicken entree was quite good, given the size of the crowd.

The requisite conference chicken…but well done!

• The highlight for me was our annual Party in the Park, bigger and better this year. Fun for me – I got to play with the cotton candy machine!

I really am just a little kid on the inside

I finally broke and traded up for a smart phone. I’m not sure it will mean I will necessarily be tweeting more, but it will definitely be useful for communicating with my family (hurrah for Facetime)! On to this week’s food notes:

• “Taste” events abound this summer! First up, Sturgeon County is planning to showcase their Sturgeon County Bounty on July 1, 2011 at the Edmonton Garrison. The menu includes alpaca burgers, beef sliders, a beet stacker with goat cheese and dill, and saskatoon-rhubarb pie.
• The burgeoning Alberta Avenue community has also organized a Taste 118 event, to showcase the restaurants on the Ave on July 9, 2011 (one has to think perhaps Todd Babiak’s article pushed MP Peter Goldring into action, as he is listed on the flyer as a “Taste 118 supporter”).
• The Al Fresco fundraiser for E4C at Hardware Grill, originally scheduled for June 21, 2011, has been postponed.
• Taste of Ukraine will be moving closer to the core: their new digs will be in the Icon II, 10152 – 104 Street.
• Valerie wrote a great post about why gardens are so critical to schools.
• Thumbs down for Vancouver: superstar chef Daniel Boulud regrets even trying to succeed in the Vancouver market.
• Grub Street featured a piece on shutterbugs in restaurants – and the growing movement against allowing cameras in dining rooms.
• The Wall Street Journal had a piece on the fact that for some food trucks, a significant amount of revenue is generated not from street sales, but from private catering events. It’s not hard to imagine the same might be true for Edmonton’s food trucks one day.
• Move over, deep-fried Coke: the new darling of the county fair scene is deep-fried Kool-Aid!
• This isn’t new, but if you need a laugh, take a look at a recipe for boiled water (yes, you read that right) on Serious Eats.
• Mack snapped a picture of a forthcoming Good Earth Cafe on the main level of Scotia Place.

Good Earth Cafe

• Sushi is coming to Bourbon Street at West Edmonton Mall – look for Oranj in “summer 2011”.

Oranj Sushi Bar

• There’s also lots happening on Whyte Avenue – City Donair opened up in the former Megatunes (10355 Whyte Avenue). They’ve really opened up the interior; it looks great!

City Donair

• The Whyte Avenue branch of V Sandwiches I wrote about last week will be housed in the old Friend’s Nest Eatery space.

V Sandwiches

• And look out for Tutti Frutti on Whyte as well – it’s an international chain that’s looking to expand to over 100 locations!

Tutti Frutti

• At Africa Connect, Jill and I had Mas Pasta at the EXPO Centre for lunch. The portion size was generous (for $9.25), but the cream sauce I had wasn’t that flavourful (and much too thin). It wasn’t seasoned at all, however, leaving the salt control up to the diner.

Mas Pasta

• I also attended a coworker’s baby shower on Saturday. The organizers did a great job with the decorations (everything pink!), including this beautiful cake.

For Baby Victoria