I am so thankful for the long weekend – the beautiful weather and four day break was as relaxing as it should have been – hope you had a similarly restful Eater! On an unrelated note, if I can recommend one event to you for the month of April, it would be Catalyst’s Frankenstein, playing at the Timms Centre April 13-17. I was fortunate enough to have seen it two years ago, and will be going again, this time with Mack, who didn’t see it then – it is easily one of the top three productions I have ever seen in Edmonton. Tickets will be sure to sell out, so get yours soon. Onto this week’s food notes:

• Liane posted about a macaron throwdown as a part of a literary salon, to take place on April 8 at the ARTery.
• The Green & Gold Community Garden, an initiative that benefits Tubahumurize, a non-profit organization that supports marginalized women in Rwanda, is recruiting for volunteers to help with the garden this summer. Their volunteer orientation is taking place April 9 at noon, or on April 13 at 7 p.m. Both sessions will be in Room 1-38 on the main floor of the University Terrace building (8303-112 Street). I visited the garden last year, and found it to be a fantastic project.
• Whimsical Cake Studio will be celebrating their new digs next to the Garneau Theatre on April 17 with a grand opening celebration. Expect samples and more! Lillian over at Beyond Umami paid them a visit recently as well – check out her review here.
• Vue Weekly released this year’s Golden Forks ballots last week! Vote for your favourite local and chain establishments by May 2.
• Liane’s article on Edmonton’s signature dishes elaborated on an interesting concept, particularly because the idea can be interpreted in so many different ways, and really, at the heart of it, is so subjective and personal.
• The Journal also reviewed Melting Pot, Edmonton’s first fondue restaurant. I had to chance to try it over the weekend – I hope to write about it in the next few days.
• The Tomato (formerly City Palate) is now on Twitter.
• Expect to hear a lot more about the issue of raising backyard chickens in the next year or two – CBC’s Food Bytes posted an e-mail interview with Lesley Kelly, who raises chickens in Toronto.
• Sure, there were a lot of April Fools Day pranks last week, but College Humor’s attempt to make New Yorkers believe an In-N-Out was coming their way was my favourite.
• I had to laugh at this: Food Writer Bingo, inspired by Sam Sifton’s love of the word “bright”.
• Anyone catch an episode of the newest Food Network TV addition, Bitchin’ Kitchen? It was my first encounter with the popular-web-star-turned-television-host, and though I can see how the format of the show could have stayed true to her online roots, it was a bit jumbled and campy for my taste.
• My family and I had a quick lunch at our go-to Chinese food eatery on Friday – Garden Bakery (10019 106 Avenue). A little dodgy after dark, but a perfectly reliable establishment during the day (also great for baked goods and snacks!).

 

Rice noodles with beef (my Dad’s favourite)

 

Yangzhou fried rice (Amanda’s favourite)

 

Crispy noodles with vegetables

• Mack and I took advantage of a beautiful Saturday afternoon for a stroll on High Street, and couldn’t resist a warm weather hot dog from Fat Franks.

 

Mack at the condiment cart

 

A taste of summer!

It’s a little ironic that the weekend I was finally inspired to write about the food I ate in Banff and Canmore five months ago also happened to be the weekend where Mack and I ended up in Banff again. So – stay tuned for more Banff eats. On to this week’s food notes:

• Sorrentino’s kicks off their 19th annual Garlic Festival on April 1, and features black garlic this year. Funds raised from support a prostate health campaign.
• Tickets for this year’s Indulgence: a Canadian Epic of Food and Wine, go on sale after March 30 April 30. Call the Junior League of Edmonton at 780-433-9739. Possibly the best $50 you’ll ever spend on food and wine in Edmonton!
• On April 15, Trinity United Church (8810 Meadowlark Road) will be hosting a food, wine and beer tasting that showcases locally-owned food businesses and Albertan and Canadian-produced products (including Leva, The Dish, Alley Kat and en Sante). They will also be screening the Vancouver produced documentary, Tableland. Tickets are $30 (only sold in advance), and all proceeds go to support the Canadian Food Grains Bank. Contact Debbie Hubbard for tickets by e-mail or phone 780-458-9286.
• Kerstin’s Chocolates is hosting another Easter egg hunt for chocolate prizes, but this time,you’ll have to look for “four digital eggs inside four photographs from France recently posted to our blog. Find all of these digital Easter eggs by clicking on the pictures and looking closely at the larger versions of each photo, then figure what the letters on the eggs spell (in French!).” Claim your prize between March 30 and April 3, while supplies last.
• Looking for a grocery delivery service that specializes in local food? The Good Food Box is onto it’s second year, and is currently accepting customers for delivery to start in April.
• If you’re looking for something with a little less commitment, Locavoria is a good option. I’ve been on their mailing list for quite a while, and they’ve expanded their product line considerably. You have the option of only ordering what you want, so for smaller households, or for those just looking to slowly shift their dollars, it’s worth exploring. E-mail Locavoria here.
• Liane wrote that the Bistro Praha that was due to open this spring in one of the Icon Towers will be delayed – it’s almost expected that restaurants won’t open on time, so it’s not really a surprise.
• On the topic of closures: The Lingnan is closed for renovations from March 29 to April 29. You’ll have to get your Amy’s chicken fix at lunch!
• Looks like Calgary is following in the footsteps of Edmonton’s successful Grilled Cheese Olympics a few weeks back, with Janice Beaton kicking off her own competition.
• Oh yes, there is another food blog in Edmonton – welcome Lillian, author of Beyond Umami to the fray (Lillian was at the Foodie Meetup earlier this month).
• Chris blogged about his “5 bagel throwdown” – that’s an awful lot of chewing!
• Though I was sceptical (and still am, to some degree) of Hellmann’s Eat Real, Eat Local campaign that they launched last year, it looks like they are continuing to take steps for the better – they announced two weeks ago that their 1/2 the fat mayonnaise dressing will be made with Canadian free-run eggs.
• It’s probably my love of West Wing that makes me so delighted to read acronyms like FLOTUS being thrown around like everyday language, but I’m loving Eater’s chronicling of the First Lady’s food tour of NY.
• Speaking of New York, have you checked out NBC NY’s new food website, Feast? It’s nicely laid out, with some pretty good content to boot (an interview with Thomas Keller here and here), but what’s neat on first glance to me is Feast Rank: an algorithm that “will evolve to ensure that it represents accurately and distinctly the landscape of the web and the way people use their digital spaces to access and consume restaurant information.” Grand intensions, no?
• Fascinated, in a train wreck kind of way about competitive eating contests? You’re not alone – it’s a rising “sport” in America.
• Yes, Julia Child is getting another book deal: “Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will publish As Always Julia, a book of letters between Julia Child and her agent Avis DeVoto, this fall.”
• Has anyone been watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution? I only managed to catch the first episode so far, but it looks like an entertaining, if not eye-opening program. If you can’t get enough of Jamie, watch his inspiring TED talk.
• Watch for another Good Earth Cafe in the next couple of weeks to open up in Edmonton City Centre.

 

Good Earth Cafe

• I poked my head inside the new Sweeties Cafe on Rice Howard Way (10141 100A Street) and it looks promising, with cases of sweets and comfortable leather chairs to enjoy an afternoon coffee. I’ll have to come back to check it out on a different day.

 

Sweeties Cafe

• On our way back to Edmonton, we stopped at Crate and Barrel, which I couldn’t get enough of when we were in New York a few years back. Apparently, they’re talking about opening one in Edmonton, but the clerk wasn’t able to say when or where. I could spend a lot of money in their kitchen wares section, or at least, a lot of time, marvelling over the walls of single-use gadgets. My favourite:

 

An individual gravy boat, too cute!

• Crate and Barrel is located in Southcentre Mall, Calgary’s newest and swankiest shopping centre. Not only do they have beautiful water features and a huge food court equipped with LCDs and pretty light fixtures, but they also have a sports viewing area, complete with comfy chairs (with cupholders!).

At Southcentre Mall

I totally wasn’t prepared for this blast of winter, but then again, our seemingly early spring was too good to be true. On to this week’s food notes:

• You have just over a week to get your entry into the Edmonton Food Bank’s Expressions of Hunger Contest!
• I’m sure by now you’ve seen at least a few posts on David Adjey’s whirlwind few days at NAIT’s latest Chef in Residence. If you want to experience the Chef firsthand, NAIT has since posted the video, edited slightly for (PG) content.
• Whimsical Cupcakes celebrated their first day of operations in their new location (8716 109 Street, next to the Garneau Theatre) on Friday. Their grand opening will take place sometime in April.
• I had been wondering what the former Elkhorn Ranch & Resort space on Jasper Avenue and 114 Street was being turned into (a mishmash of banquets and chairs seemed to indicate some sort of restaurant was moving in) – thanks to Nate, I now know it’s the new location of CoCo Di’s.
• The Journal’s Alan Kellogg positively reviewed ZINC over the weekend. I do wonder what “trash talk…in cyberspace” he is referring to, and why he bothered to mention the Twitter incident without elaborating on what happened.
• Vue Weekly’s cover story last week featured the Enoteca wine system.
• Via Chris LaBossiere’s blog – Riverbend and Terwillegar communities are gauging public interest for a new farmers’ market in the area. Take the survey here.
• Mack sent me a link about a green roof that will be installed on the Williams Engineering building. While it won’t support produce, it’s a definite start.
• Congratulations to Laura Calder and her team at French Food at Home for their James Beard nomination – they’re up against some good company: Iron Chef America and Barefoot Contessa. Award results on May 2 and 3 (I also love that they actively use their Twitter account).
• Eater National compiled a list of “top 10 restaurant design trends that need to go”. I realize that we are behind the times (many of the trends haven’t even landed here yet), and I really do like Edison bulbs and chalkboard menus…
• My sister sent me a link to a coupon that will get you a free pastry at Starbucks on March 23 between opening and 10:30am. I think it’s neat that instead of printing the coupon, you can show it to a barista on your mobile device.
• Last week, I forgot to include a quick photo I snapped of David’s Tea, a new tea bar and shop in WEM. As soon as I stepped into the store, I was accosted by a perky sales clerk with a sample of a fruity rooibos tea. It looks like a sleek shop – I wouldn’t mind returning sometime to browse a bit more closely.

 

David’s Tea

• I mentioned last week that the old Way of Life/Mode de Vie (10203 116 Street) will soon be transformed into the city’s latest Indian restaurant. At the red light – a stop-by shot:

Forthcoming Bistro India

March is just flying by, probably due to a combination of the fabulous weather and too many meetings. On to this week’s food notes:

• Feel free to join in on the conversation between a few local food bloggers and Chef David Adjey on Tuesday – via Twitter, of course! See the teaser for the “Date with David”, March 16, from 6-7pm, here.
• Mark your calendars (and get on the phone!): the next Farmers’ Market Dinner at Madison’s Grill is set for April 23. Mack and I attended a dinner back in January, and were absolutely blown away – you won’t be disappointed!
• A reminder about Seedy Sunday, taking place at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall (9210 118 Avenue) on March 21, from 11am-4pm. It’s an opportunity to learn more about gardening (and to buy seeds for the upcoming season as well!).
• To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, deVine’s will be hosting a “Green Tasting”, featuring all organic wines.
• Save the date: the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues is planning for a city-wide festival on September 18.
• Original Fare launched their second Dine Local to Win contest recently – to enter, simply visit 10 member restaurants, have the entry form stamped, and you will have a chance to win a $250 gift card.
• Kelly wrote about the new Indian bistro set to open in the house formerly occupied by vegan cafe Way of Life/Mode de Vie (10203 – 116 St). Maybe this restaurant will host regular hours.
• Liane posted about the closure of longtime restaurant Mirabelle last week.
• Marianne over at Loosen Your Belt posted a very early review of Kabuki Sushi and Grill (8724 109 Street).
• I’ve been wondering about the “coming soon” signs in the window of the new vodka bar/lounge on Jasper Avenue and 100 Street, so it was nice to read about what was happening with The Treasury.
• An update about T2, Transcend’s forthcoming cafe in Garneau.
• I have to say I don’t frequent butcher shops very often, but with posts like Twyla’s about a new butcher called Real Deal Meats in southwest Edmonton, I know it’s only a matter of time before they become a regular stop.
• How about the ew factor: a New York chef made cheese out of his wife’s breast milk (really).
• A second Starbucks will be gracing West Edmonton Mall, in the space formerly occupied by Timothy’s, overlooking the Ice Palace.

Coming Soon…

• Flyers littering the ground around my work neighbourhood alerted me to the fact that Samurai Bistro (10003 107 Avenue, around the corner from Basil Leaf), is now open. I didn’t have a chance to peek my head in, but I am impressed that this little corner of Chinatown is cleaning up!

Samurai Bistro

I’m sure I’m jinxing it just by typing out the sentence, but I am loving this pseudo-spring weather! And even better than the sunshine and warm temperatures, I am glad to see many of the lake-sized puddles along my daily walk have since disappeared. Get out an enjoy it while you can! On to this week’s food notes:

• It’ll be an interesting couple of days at Grant MacEwan during Common Ground, March 9-11, “a week-long exhibition highlighting some of our community’s environmental stewards and their suggestions for finding local solutions to issues affecting our lives and our environment.” Greens, Eggs and Ham will be there on Wednesday!
• Mark your calendars – Seedy Sunday, an annual learning and seed sharing event, is taking place on March 21, from 11am-4pm this year. Speakers include Ron Berezan (aka the Urban Farmer) and Gwen Simpson of Inspired Market Gardens.  I checked it out last year – worth going if you’re a new or experienced gardener!
• Speaking of the Urban Farmer, Vue’s Education Issue this past week featured a piece on Ron Berezan, as well as on local foodie-about-town, Gail Hall.
• The Edmonton food blogging community just keeps on growing – let’s welcome Danielle (The Roving Taster’s Digest), Bianca (What’s For Dinner?) and Katie, who has just about the best blog name ever (For the Love of Nachos).
• Though the food blogging community just got together last week, some of us will be getting together again at NAIT on March 16, for a Date with Chef David Adjey. Join in on the conversation on Twitter!
• As seen on Chowhound – how not to communicate internal restaurant politics to the public.
• With the apparent success of the Valentine’s Day couples cooking class (Love is Free Edmonton), I’m certain more such activities are on the horizon in the city. Sorrentino’s Date Night Fridays and Saturdays cooking classes looks to pick up where Love is Free left off.
• On Tim Horton’s: Jon Lin’s fifth year of keeping track of his Roll Up the Rim To Win progress, and Paula Simon’s article on their touching commercial featuring a reunited immigrant family.
• Looks the fallout of the drama with the Calgary Farmers’ Market has led to the creation of a new market.
• The popular Vancouver-based Japadog is set to expand to New York.
• The Toronto Sun interviewed Susur Lee on his tough learning curve in New York.
• While the “secret menu items” at chain restaurants detailed in this post may not actually be available (according to the comments), it’s an interesting to scan to see what people will ask for (my favourite is the “hypocrite burger” at Fatburger).
• Eric Burkett asks, “Is food the new religion?”

I am totally going through Olympic withdrawal. I said I wouldn’t do it this year, the marathon hours in front of the television, and wouldn’t you know it, I did. Of course, if such marathons always included hockey games that involved beating the US in overtime, I would gladly sacrifice every weekend in a similar manner. Anyway, onto this week’s food notes:

• The location for the third Edmonton Foodie Meetup is set! For those who signed up on the wiki, I’ll see you at Famoso on Wednesday!
• A reminder that Downtown Dining Week gets underway on this Friday, March 5, and runs until March 14.
• The Melting Pot has scheduled their grand opening for March 10, 2010. On a side note, I love how active and responsive they have been on their Facebook page.
• As seen on Twitter – the long-awaited website for TZiN Wine & Tapas  is finally up! Nothing fancy, but at least we can see their menu online now!
• Avenue Edmonton released their annual food issue this month. It includes their second annual list of the “25 Best Things to Eat in Edmonton” (I think I like last year’s list better) and interviews with Shane Chartrand (of L2 Grill), Simon Smotkowicz (of the Shaw Conference Centre), Ajay Lala (of the Matrix Hotel), and Petina Haja (of The Dish).
• A profile I wrote about Chef Blair Lebsack of the Madison’s Grill was published last week in Vue. In the same issue, a lukewarm review of Skinny Legs and Cowgirls.
• Was it ever in doubt that Edmonton loves bacon?
• Liane posted about a new CSA listing for Alberta that is in the works.
• Twyla wrote about her foray into yak-cross meat – who knows, it might be all the rage in time!
• Worth a read: Calgarian John Manzo’s TEDx talk titled, “Coffee Talk: Calgary’s ‘Third-Wave’ Coffee Scene, and a Caffeinated Vision of our Future”. So interesting, and I love his perspective as a coffee aficionado grounded in his city.
• Back in August, I posted about the new Superstore on 17 Street and 44 Avenue, and in particular, about the community room available to groups that seemed built to house cooking demonstrations. Turns out, they actually do host cooking classes for both children and adults! At just $10 for an adult class, it might end up being a Loblaws commercial, but it’s probably one of the cheapest cooking classes in the city. E-mail Ashley for the schedule.

March is shaping up to be a busy month – but I guess that’s no excuse to let my weekly notes lapse until today. Anyway, better late than never…

• If you haven’t signed up for the Edmonton Foodie Meetup yet, but are intending to join us, please leave your name (and restaurant choice) on the wiki soon – should be a great evening!
• Edmonton’s seventh annual Downtown Dining Week runs March 5-14, 2010, and offers pre-fixe meals for $15, $25 and $50. Mack and I have a reservation at ZINC.
• Mark your calendars – Indulgence, a Canadian epic of food and wine, will take place on June 14 this year. I went last year, and well, the photos speak for themselves. Tickets are $50 and will be available after March 30.
• Mack posted about the second reading of the Municipal Development Plan, and the Greater Edmonton Alliance’s successful campaign to fill City Hall with supporters of local agricultural land.
• Liane wrote about Bon Ton Bakery’s completed expansion – in addition to a new oven, they’ve expanded their grocery section.
• Chris’s “breakfast sandwich throw down” is worth a look – he pits an Egg McMuffin up against Tim Hortons’ English muffin egg sandwich.
• Another local food blog joins the fray – welcome, Lea!
• Company’s Coming has started a new home-based business opportunity called Kitchen Parties. 
• New York’s current “pizza in a cone” craze is pretty strange, but they look better than the pizza-on-a-stick I saw at Capital Ex.
• I guess nothing is sacred these days: I recently saw an ad for Joy of Cooking frozen dinners.
• Suspicious about the validity of expiration dates on food packages? You should be.
• I’m a little surprised it didn’t come about sooner, but Scripps, the people behind Food Network, announced last week that Cooking Channel, a second all-food network, will launch on May 31.
• Oh how I’ve missed you, Bruni: Frank’s take on the current level of gastronomic excess impeding a conversation near you.
• Another NYT article, but this time on the wave of chefs on Twitter (it’s definitely a trend, but I’m sure the next group to be written about will be farmers – perhaps we are ahead of the curve, with Irvings Farm Fresh leading the pack?).
• Perhaps all you need to get a book deal nowadays is to learn how to cook: a young woman in NY ate in for two years, and wrote about it (and estimates she saved $7,200 in the process).
• I wasn’t able to attend the City Hall event last night because I was at a volunteer appreciation dinner, held at Tazza Cafe in LeMarchand Mansion. It was my first time at the restaurant, and I had a great experience. Though we weren’t the largest group (18 or so), each course was delivered promptly to all of us, and service throughout the night was great. My favourite dishes included the hummus and pita, and the chicken kabob. What was best about the restaurant were the portraits on the wall – a young woman on a horse in Egypt, and a suave young man seated on the steps of a hotel in Syria. It turned out the photos were of the chef’s father and mother, a silent homage to his parents who taught him how to cook. It’s hard not to love a restaurant with stories like that.

Appetizer plate

 Fattoush salad (loved the pomegranate)

Kabob platter

Chocolate cup with Belgian chocolate and pecan pie

Though I wouldn’t expect anything less, Canada is embroiled in Olympic Fever! I have to say I am enjoying my share of the Vancouver coverage, but there seems to be a daily limit of how much I can watch. In other news, have you taken a look at the plan for Fort Edmonton Park yet? It proposes the inclusion of several new restaurants, among other additions. I encourage you to take the survey – it’s a piece of the puzzle that will help shape the future of one of the city’s attractions. On to this week’s food notes:

• Jeff and Sally of The Edmontonian posted a great article on Culina – definitely worth a read. Also on the Culina front – the family of restaurants has started a blog. Knowing that this is their second attempt at this (the “blog” link on their revamped website was rarely used), I wish them luck with keeping it up!
• Farmers’ market news from Liane: Sparrow’s Nest Organics won’t be returning to the City Centre Market this year. However, interested consumers can still buy into their CSA program.
• Mary Ellen and Andres Gruenberg of Greens, Eggs and Ham are offering their pre-payment plan for a second year in a row – a minimum of $25o will guarantee you a great selection of products year round. I participated last year, and found it to be a convenient way to access local goods from a farming family that I trust. E-mail Mary Ellen for more information.
• Look out for a new Famoso to open soon in Christy’s Corner (13655 St. Albert Trail, 780-732-0222). The suburbs are just bursting with restaurants, aren’t they?
• I wrote a short profile on Brett Roy of Sweet Lollapalooza that appeared in this week’s Vue Weekly.
• Also on the subject of chocolate, Valerie wrote an exhaustive post about her recent single origin chocolate tasting at home. I think I experienced cocoa fatigue just reading it!
• Though I’ve seen online “cooking challenges” before (Food Network Canada has a monthly recipe invitation, for example), I think Valerie and BruleeBlog’s joint trial of a Momofuku recipe was a first at the Edmonton blog level. I hope to see more such challenges!
• Though Valentine’s Day is over – an interesting article from the NYT about new insight into the world of aphrodisiacs, and an amusing list of the ten most romantic restaurants in Edmonton from Urban Spoon that demonstrates the dire need for critical mass in some situations (Taco del Mar made it onto the list.  Twice.).
• I stumbled upon Ottawa Citizen food writer Ron Eade’s blog this week – it is fantastic. A notable post – his musings on the “Canadian credibility gap” between what the country says they buy…and what they actually buy.
• I forgot to link to this last week – Canadian Tire is venturing into food.
• I hope everyone had a good Valentine’s Day! Though Cookies by George has made a killing on their “Because you can’t eat flowers” slogan, someone should play on the cookie idea with bread. Who doesn’t love the smell and taste of freshly baked bread? Anyway, knowing my weakness, I came home on Friday to homemade bread. Given that it was his first attempt, Mack wasn’t expecting much, but his loaf turned out great! I especially loved the crust. The only downside is that I may now expect a loaf at every special occasion…

 

Mack’s first loaf!

• In lieu of our indulgent dinner at Madison’s Grill a few weeks back, Mack and I decided keep our expenses in check for Valentine’s Day. So we ended up at one of our favourite joints in the city to share a plate of poutine.

 

A Route 99 specialty

 

Fin!

Excellent, non-POTW (patient of the week) episode of House today – great to see Lisa Edelstein getting the opportunity to flex her acting chops. In other news, I’m happy to see America’s Best Dance Crew back on TV! But with the addition of a Canadian crew from Montreal this season, perhaps they should change the name to North America’s Best Dance Crew? Anyway, on to this week’s food notes:

• Chris and I are organizing the third Edmonton Foodie Meetup, to take place on March 3. Check out the wiki and add your name if you’re interested in attending, and let us know your restaurant choice!
• I’m looking forward to West Edmonton Mall’s celebration of Mardi Gras, taking place on February 16 from 4-9pm, called the Taste of Bourbon Street. There will be food samples, cooking demonstrations and entertainment.
• Think you make the best grilled cheese? Slow Food Edmonton just announced their first-ever Grilled Cheese Olympics, to take place on March 13. Judges include Chad Moss from Transcend and the Journal’s Liane Faulder. I think it will be a great event!
• Bravo to Julie van Rosendaal for putting together the Blog Aid cookbook for Haitian relief. 27 food bloggers contributed recipes and photos to the wonderful book, which, from the preview, looks gorgeous. To order, click here.
• Three local professionals are repeating their Working Poor Diet challenge in February – spending only $80 on food for a month, and doing their best to adhere to Canada’s Food Guide. Their hope is to raise awareness of the reality those working minimum-wage jobs face, in addition to raising $5000 for the Edmonton Food Bank.
• Kelly of Crazy White Girl with a Kitchen posted an early review of ZINC. On a related note, I’m disappointed that the restaurant didn’t opt to use OpenTable as their online reservation system.
• The Journal reviewed Avocado, the first of the Calgary-based franchises to open in the Edmonton area (expect a few more before the year is out). Verdict? Unremarkable.
• Alberta Venture has a great interview with Julianna Mimande on her side of the Bacon-fallout story (I interviewed Cindy Lazarenko back in November 2008 for Vue).
• I had read about the chicken + burger + fish + egg burgers at McDonald’s, but didn’t know they would actually serve it here – until Chris posted about his special request. What a combination.
• Liane wrote about the subject of plating design – L2 Chef Shane Chartrand provides home cooks with some useful pointers.
• An insightful, must-read piece by NY-based food critic Robert Sietsema on the evolution of the restaurant review in New York. And a response from Grub Street on the future of food media – in their opinion, the next step involves, “reviewers (or bloggers, at least) outright collaborating with chefs and restaurateurs.”
• With all eyes on Vancouver, NYT critic Sam Sifton provides visitors with a guide of the best restaurants the city has to offer. I’d be keen to visit the re-branded Refuel, and of course, dine again at Vij’s.
• Also on Vancouver – I couldn’t resist snapping a photo of the Vancouver Barista Bear at Starbucks. But shouldn’t it be wearing a parka, or at least a raincoat?

Too cute!

Anyone know what the “WHEN?” billboards all around the city are about? Though the campaign seems to be working because I’m asking the question, doesn’t it seem passé to use a similar technique so close to Southgate’s “August 5” campaign? At any rate, here are this week’s food notes:

• ZINC, the restaurant inside the sparkly new Art Gallery of Alberta, opened for full service today. Menus aren’t up on the website yet, but Liane wrote two articles about the establishment that provide an idea of what to expect. Also worth a read – a NYT article published this weekend about the trend of solid eateries in museums (partly as an effort to help make the museum some money).
• Though I liked Liane’s article about the current “rock star” quality of local butchers– I couldn’t help but think of this similar article in the NYT, published last summer.
• I forgot to link to this article last week, but I think it’s a clever idea – kitchen demos are the new showhome hook. Homes By Avi hired a chef to create appetizers for four different showhomes as a means of encouraging visits, and for potential buyers to see the kitchen “in use”.
• The second annual Winefest returns to the Shaw Conference Centre on February 27. Looks like tickets are available for the afternoon session at this point.
• Century Room, the revamped Century Grill lounge, is set to open this week.
• Unfortunate news – Sysco takes over Fin’s.
• To celebrate their one year anniversary, Flirt Cupcakes is giving away cupcakes to the first 100 visitors on Valentine’s Day!
• The Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market is hosting a Customer Appreciation Day on February 11.
• Speaking of farmers’ markets, this is pretty cool – the CBC Broadcast Centre in downtown Toronto will be hosting a farmers’ market every week until April. How great would it be to have access to local food year-round in the core?
• Valerie (aka A Canadian Foodie) is inviting prosciutto lovers to take her taste challenge – she picked up prosciutto de parma, Serrano ham and Iberico ham for a savoury taste-off.
• Second Cup is really pushing their coffee – we found a card in our mailbox that entitles one to a free medium coffee after each similar purchase…11 times. Too bad I didn’t have one close to my office, or I’d be heading for numerous coffee breaks during the day.

 

Second Cup’s new loyalty program card

• Sweet Lollapalooza announced that they will be hosting chocolate making workshops in the coming weeks (February 20 and March 9) – contact them to sign up. I swung by there this evening and picked up some of their chocolate chip cookies I’d been wanting to try. Though the chocolate coating wasn’t as overwhelming as I expected, I think the cookie would have been better if it had been soft and chewy.

 

Sweet Lollapalooza cookies

• Before the wine tasting last week, I stopped by Blue Plate Diner for a comforting bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese. It was a cheesy bowl of warmth, but surprisingly, the soup of the day (Southwestern potato and sausage), stole the show.

 

My blue plate special