Birthday Brunch: Bistro La Persaud

May had told me that she had a good brunch experience at Bistro La Persaud, so I thought it might be a nice place to take Grandma Male for her birthday. The restaurant has garnered quite the reputation in the blogosphere for dinner, but I hadn’t read much about its brunch offerings. Still, based on its standing alone, I was quite certain we’d be in for a quality meal.

Bistro La Persaud patio

I had made a reservation for our party of three, but it wasn’t necessary. Though it took us a few wrong turns to finally make it to the restaurant (the signage wasn’t clear that the eatery was, in fact, at the bottom of the stairs), we found ourselves in a dining room with two other parties.

The space, modern in shades of steel and red, looked great at first glance. The artwork (including a stunning painting of the Edmonton skyline alight with colour by Con Boland) were also great choices. But after a while, both Mack and I felt that there was something faintly institutional about the room. We were only able to articulate it later that day – it was the fluorescent lights, likely a carry over from the campus design. Though it didn’t impact our experience (because of the flood of natural light from the open patio), it did make us wonder about the setting for evening meals.

The menu items have a familiar brunch air to them, but with a refinement that we weren’t used to. For example, instead of a diner-style French toast, meant to be slathered in butter and drenched in syrup, the La Persaud version is served with foie gras morsels and cherry verjus compote. Grandma Male and Mack both opted for the eggs benedict ($15), while I was swayed by the eggs ravioli ($16), something I’d never seen on any menu before.

Included in our meal were warm(!) croissants and corn muffins served with red pepper jelly and a lovely jam, along with an adorable pot of fruits in a light syrup. It felt like a little gift!

Warm croissants and cornbread

Fruit

Our food arrived in good time, but we wished our server had been a little more consistent with the coffee refills. Mack wasn’t sure how he would eat his towering stack of egg and bread, but after cutting into it, he realized the bread was softer than it first appeared. The eggs were soft poached, as promised, and he loved the lavender hollandaise as well. He didn’t care for the salmon mousse, though.

Eggs benedict

My eggs ravioli were as elegant as I expected, garnished with microgreens (is it just me, or have microgreens come back in a fierce way?). The truffle & brown butter sauce was delicious, soaked into the morels underneath the ravioli. I was hoping the ravioli yolk would be a little less cooked (they were medium and not soft poached), but as a whole, I enjoyed the dish.

Eggs ravioli

At the end of our meal, we were given another small treat – chocolate truffles!

A sweet ending

In all, our meal at Bistro La Persaud was pleasant. Based on this experience, I’d definitely be back for dinner.

Bistro La Persaud
11821 145 Street
(780) 455-1888
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30am-3pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-close; Brunch: Sunday 11am-3pm

Walk it Off: La Poutine

Some restaurants like the Copper Pot or La Ronde draw in diners partly based on the views that they boast, but what about establishments that can play up the view en route?

All the talk of poutine at the CHG Top Chef competition on Saturday got Mack and I thinking about finally going to try La Poutine across the river (in an area apparently now referred to as “The Bridge District”). And on a beautiful evening after such a long, hard winter, we couldn’t really justify any mode of transportation besides our own two feet.

Running man!

The mosquitoes were pests to be reckoned with, but they were worth tackling in order to be reminded of how beautiful our city really is. We always mean to trek across the High Level Bridge, but it’s not something we do that often – but we should.

Coke slushees – my guilty summer pleasure

Sunbursts

Follow the trail

We arrived at La Poutine just before a long lined flowed out the door – the attendant indicated that it had been busy since they opened that afternoon. With their prime location near the University, residential towers and the Whyte Avenue bar scene, it’s not hard to think their focus on poutine would be a sure thing.

Offering over fifteen varieties in two different sizes, La Poutine joins places like Battista’s Calzones and Soul Soup that have chosen to specialize in just one item. So their success, in addition to location, also hinges on how well their poutine is executed.

Sizes

We opted to try their traditional poutine with the beef-based sauce ($5.95), as well as the Quebecois poutine featuring Montreal smoked meat with the traditional sauce ($7.50).

There are a few bar-style seats in the tiny storefront, but we opted for roadside seating. We appreciated their use of paper-based containers (instead of styrofoam), but we wondered why they didn’t continue the environmentally-friendly theme with corn or other plant-based cutlery.

Roadside dinner

The cheese curds were authentically squeaky, and the gravy actually hot enough to partially melt through them. Between the two gravies, we preferred the rich beef version; we found the traditional was too salty.

Traditional

Though both of us were hesitant about the Montreal smoked meat addition, it was a bit of a revelation for us. Paired with the mustard, it added an extra layer of flavour that elevated the poutine to a gourmet level.

Quebecois

Mack and I agreed that the Cheese Factory was more generous when it came to portion sizes and doling out of curds, but in terms of accessibility of location and hours, La Poutine can’t be beat. As Twyla indicated, walking off the poutine is highly recommended. And when the view is spectacular, all the better.

High Level

At the Legislature grounds

Bridges (Mack’s money shot!)

La Poutine
8720 109 Street
Monday-Wednesday 11am-10pm, Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-2am, Sunday, 11am-8pm

Pedestrian-friendly Snack: Crepeworks

When group discount site Good News burst onto the scene back in January, their initial deal couldn’t be beat. Crepeworks had sponsored an introductory offer that would allow shoppers to snag one of the crepes (retail value $5-8) for just $1. And best of all, in keeping with the Good News policy of donating at least some of the funds to a local charity, all of the money collected would actually go towards the Edmonton Food Bank. Talk about win-win.

Unfortunately, Good News announced their withdrawal from Edmonton a short time after (one would imagine operating with the current landscape of multiple deal sites would be a very competitive one), but coupons purchased would still be honoured.

After the Jane’s Walk on Saturday, I ducked into Crepeworks for a break, hungry after the tour and a trip through the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market.

Though Crepeworks has been in Edmonton since 2002 with an outlet inside West Edmonton Mall, this was my first experience with them. The same carnival-esque, plastic crepe display graces this location as well, and for whatever reason, it’s hard not to like the whimsy of it. It reminded me very much of the “food” I cooked up as a child in those pint-sized play kitchens.

Display

The benefit, of course, is that customers know exactly what they are getting, down to the plastic drizzle of sauce. Based on the display, I opted for a chicken Caesar crepe.

Made to order

My crepe was made and assembled to order, the employee skilfully using a flat spatula to artfully fold the crepe so it fit perfectly inside a paper cone. In this way, Crepeworks is an especially great addition for Whyte, which can now add crepes to its portfolio of portable foods including pizza, hot dogs and ice cream, all meant to be consumed on the street.

Portable crepe

The crepe, containing chicken, romaine, Caesar salad dressing, parmesan and a dusting of “bacon” bits, was actually not bad. The crepe itself had a slightly chewy texture, and was fairly neutral in taste – I could see how it would work equally well with sweet and savoury flavours.

Chicken Caesar crepe

If not for the coupon though, I’m not sure I would have found value in the crepe. At nearly $7, I would expect it to fill the void of a meal, instead of just a snack, as I was hungry a few hours later. On future trips, I’d much rather indulge in a dessert crepe, preferably outside, while walking down Whyte.

Crepeworks
10352 82 Avenue
(780) 484-7975
Monday-Thursday 10am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-11pm, Sunday 11am-7pm

Fourth Time’s the Charm: The Cheese Factory

Back in December, I needed to secure a reservation for one of my teams (20 staff in all) for a Christmas lunch. One of my colleagues recommended The Cheese Factory, and it worked out beautifully. Our entire group pre-ordered so our food arrived almost immediately after we were seated. As a result, we were able to enjoy our meal but still return to the office in a timely fashion.

It was at that lunch that I first encountered their poutine. Given the affiliation Mack and I have for cheesy, gravy-strapped fries, I know it is quite inexcusable that we had overlooked The Cheese Factory for so long. That said, after one bite into their delightfully squeaky cheese (I honestly had no idea cheese could actually squeak!), I knew I’d be returning, with Mack in tow.

Four months later, we finally made it back together (and not for lack of trying – this was our forth attempt after being thwarted by their hours, a holiday closure, and an illness…we were almost ready to give up!). Those unable to get to the restaurant during the daytime should note that they only extend service into the evening on Friday and Saturday. But calling ahead is recommended – sporadic and extended holiday closures are not uncommon, as we encountered.

We dined on a Saturday evening, among two other parties already in the restaurant. It was quiet, in a pleasant sort of way, where the space provided by the server made it seem all the more intimate (and really, in our world, poutine is our Lady and the Tramp spaghetti equivalent). Our server was great though – she was friendly, prompt and made us feel like regulars.

Interior

We split an order of burek ($7.99), a dish made of phyllo pastry stuffed with spiced ground beef (though a vegetarian feta and spinach version can also be had). I have been told that The Cheese Factory makes their phyllo from scratch, and that attention to quality helps make this a savoury, flaky, perfectly seasoned marvel.

Burek

But of course, the main reason for our visit: poutine! The Cheese Factory offers five different kinds, all topped with their fresh, house-made cheese curds (if you come early enough in the day, you can watch the cheesemakers at their craft from behind the glass). The varieties include ground beef, chicken and galvaude (chicken and green peas). We opted to share a small regular poutine ($5.99), and a small Italian poutine ($6.99).

Boy, does The Cheese Factory honour their name – the curds were piled high (with a fry to curd ratio of 2:1), and stood up, in all its squeaky glory, to the poutine sauce. The fries were hot and fried to order too. Mack’s only quibble was a personal preference for a thicker gravy.

Poutine

The Italian poutine was interesting. We both liked the tomato sauce – not too tart, with a thick, chunky consistency. It was also thick enough that it clung and did not steep into the fries, ensuring every bite to the last was crispy. Still, we did prefer the classic poutine – there’s something about the salt that’s a necessary part of the experience!

Italian poutine

On our way out, we saw a couple making a beeline back home with their take-out poutine bounty. I can imagine that might be in the cards for us as well, given it might be a more solid bet than trying to have a sit-down dinner in the restaurant. But next up, in the poutine line of things, will be La Poutine.

The Cheese Factory
8943 82 Avenue
(780) 450-2143
Monday-Thursday 11am-4pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Sunday

Ladies who Lunch: Queen of Tarts

Annie and I got together for lunch over the long weekend at the Queen of Tarts. She hadn’t been to the charming bakery and cafe before, and though I’ve been popping in sporadically since it opened to satisfy our needs and cravings (bread and sweets, respectively), I hadn’t yet sampled their lunch menu.

The lunch crowd was steady at Queen of Tarts – not surprising because the bright and airy room is the sort of space made for leisurely weekend afternoons. The French-inspired menu is short but accessible, with the cafe taking full advantage of their bread case and pastry expertise.

Dining area

I chose the croque monsieur ($14.95), made with local ham, béchamel, dijon mustard and gruyere on miche bread and served with organic greens. I probably could have done with a third piece of croque monsieur (who can pass up melted cheese and ham?), but I will admit that the mustard layer was a bit too potent for me – especially because the vinaigrette atop the salad was also mustard-based.

Croque monsieur

Annie chose the day’s special, a French onion soup served with a side of organic greens ($12.95). Her soup was absolutely packed with onions; she also commented on their sweetness, a testament to their lengthy cooking time.

French onion soup

Though the portion sizes are modest, it did mean adding a dessert course to our lunch (not something we normally do) was possible. We shared a pot of Earl Grey tea ($6.95), a thunder brownie ($3) and a chocolate dacquoise ($3.50).

Dessert!

The rich, decadent thunder brownie has crossed my paths many a time (it’s Amanda’s favourite dessert), but it was Annie’s first encounter with it. She appreciated its chocolate depth. The dacquoise, on the other hand, was new to both of us, and surprised us with its delicate meringue sandwich. Its texture was absolutely perfect – just the right amount of chew and sweetness, enhanced with a thin layer of chocolate in between.

The Queen of Tarts started offering high tea this past Friday, and will run daily until May 7, 2011 (with 10% of proceeds being directed to The Bissell Centre). After that, the high teas will be held on a monthly basis. Based on this lunch experience, I would be happy to return again to check out their high tea – especially if I can find a way to work in a dacquoise into the meal.

Queen of Tarts Bakery & Bistro
10129 104 Street
(780) 421-4410
Tuesday-Wednesday 9am-6pm, Thursday-Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday 8:30am-6pm, closed Sunday & Monday

Let’s Meat for Lunch: Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse

A belated birthday lunch, compounded over three months, can only equal one thing: reparation in the form of a gloriously gluttonous meat buffet.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I’m pretty sure Dickson only chose Brazilian steakhouse Pampa, the newest darling of city carnivores, as our lunch destination as a reaction to my suggestion of a vegetarian café. Regardless, the more inexpensive daytime meal seemed like the ideal way to determine whether or not the $45 per person dinner tab would be worth the splurge (you can read more about the dinner service on Twyla’s blog).

Pampa is the kind of restaurant that makes a bang-up first impression (and one that, all shiny and new, would present very well in that patented then-and-now camera pan on Food Network renovation shows like The Opener, which Pampa took part in). The glass wine case gleamed in the muted daylight that streamed through the bank of windows, and the black, white and red scheme felt modern and clean. I loved how open the room felt (necessary too for the roving servers), and Dickson felt the need to comment on the large cowboy canvases that graced the walls – a reminder that vegetarians really need not apply.

Interior

I had made a reservation on Open Table just in case, but it probably wasn’t necessary. And though the restaurant wasn’t entirely full, I was still surprised at how busy it was – I had to wonder if the patrons were return customers, or curious first-time diners like us?

Both Dickson and I were already familiar with the rodizio restaurant – he has been to both Gaucho and Bolero in Calgary, and I had visited one several years ago in Montreal. Essentially, itinerant servers offering different cuts of meat will continue to pay a visit to your table until you flip your meat passport over to signal “Stop the pain!”.

Yay or nay?

Before launching into Pampa’s universe of meat though, we thought it best to at least peruse its salad offerings. It’s worth noting that Pampa does have a beautiful salad bar, accented with more glass, and garnished with touches of fruit. Some of the bowls were in need of refreshing during our turn, but there was enough variety of vegetable and grain-based dishes to satisfy most. A very unique carrot and pink peppercorn salad stood out for me.

Salad bar

But the main event began almost immediately after we sat down. Lunch sees only five different varieties, and we had our initial exposure to them, one right after the other – grilled chicken, grilled pork, pork sausage and two kinds of sirloin. I know Dickson was disappointed with the spread – friends who had attended the dinner service the night prior had identified a few of their favourites, none of which were on the menu at lunch.

The house-made pork sausage was quite tasty, with a casing that crackled and meat that was both juicy and well seasoned. I liked the grilled chicken, but Dickson thought it wasn’t anything he couldn’t recreate at home on the barbecue. The pork had to be consumed immediately – I waited a few minutes and it had dried to the point of inedibility.

Our hands down favourite was the picanha, top sirloin. Not for the faint of heart, it was served rare, with a layer of fat and a perfectly charred crust, studded with sea salt gems. We had thirds and fourths.

Carving is an art form

Our only complaint was the inconsistency in service. The servers were almost too efficient during our first half hour, and basically disappeared towards the last half of our meal. It was clear other tables were similarly drumming their fingers, hoping they wouldn’t have to return to the salad bar to fill up. I suppose that is the biggest downside when it comes to lunching at Pampa – it’s not a leisurely meal when you’re depending on traveling servers for main course access.

That said, I felt the $21.95 per person price tag was fair, given the salad bar bounty, amount of meat that could be consumed, and the tableside carving. Pampa had an atmosphere I wouldn’t mind returning for, and definitely has the workings of a special occasion restaurant. And in the end, being the first rodizio in Edmonton has its advantages – you won’t find this style of dining anywhere else in the city.

Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse
9929 – 109 Street
(780) 756-7030
Lunch: Mon – Fri 11:30am – 1:30pm; Dinner: Monday-Saturday 5-10pm; closed Sundays

The Lunch Option: Hardware Grill

Two Christmases ago, Mack’s parents gave us a gift card to Hardware Grill. It was particularly thoughtful because the four of us had shared a wonderful meal there a few months prior. We had always intended on putting the gift card towards lunch at the restaurant, but didn’t work to sync our schedules until last week (it helped that I had a meeting in the same neighbourhood right after lunch).

Hardware Grill, for many reasons, has the distinction of being Edmonton’s finest restaurant. It is also the only restaurant in recent memory that Mack and I had to think twice about before deciding on what to wear – jeans or no jeans? Even though it was daytime on a Friday, we opted against denim. We discovered upon arrival that casual attire was acceptable; the suits were few, and there were numerous parties dressed in their Friday best.

The warmth of the dining room is apparent, regardless of the time of day, but I think I might actually like the room better at lunch, if not only because of the natural light, and the almost buoyant atmosphere.

Interior

We don’t normally order starters for lunch, but armed with a gift card, we threw caution to the wind. It’s always difficult for me to pass up French onion soup ($8) when I see it on the menu, and I was glad I gave in. The most amazing thing about the rich, subtly sweet dish was the bread – though submerged for the better part of the fifteen minutes it took for me to finish the soup, it did not dissolve into a soggy mess, and instead, retained its chewy, dense texture. The portion size could have also easily made this a light lunch in itself.

French onion soup

Mack’s romaine a la Caesar ($10) was equally well received, plated with care, and robed with a garlicky smooth dressing that could convince anyone that Caesar dressing from a bottle should not be tolerated.

Romaine a la Caesar

It was a wonder I was able to finish any part of my main at all, but I did my best, especially because the beef bourguignon ($20) was well worth the effort. The short ribs were fork tender (it was a definite sign when our server did not replace my butter knife with a steak knife), and the black coffee BBQ sauce hit all the right notes (and if the recipe isn’t a guarded secret, it should be). At first, I wasn’t sure about the inclusion of roasted corn kernels in the mashed potatoes, but it won me over in the end – the sweetness and unexpected pop cut through the richness. Mack also enjoyed helping himself to the slices of crispy pork belly off my plate.

Beef bourguignon

Mack had been waiting all week for the truffled mac ‘n cheese with baby lobster and shiitakes ($16). It was definitely not your diner mac ‘n cheese, baked and bubbling in a muted ceramic dish – this was its elegant, refined older sister, down to the use of ribbed shells. The sauce was much thinner than Mack had expected, but he enjoyed it all the same, and thought it was the perfect size.

Truffled mac ‘n cheese

It was a very pleasant meal – everything was well paced, and our server was professional but gracious. The prices are also quite reasonable, and would be a great option for those wanting to try Hardware Grill on more inexpensive terms.

Though I can’t see myself visiting Hardware Grill for lunch all that often, I could see myself returning now and again – especially for the beef bourguignon. Thanks again to Martin and Patti for the gift certificate!

Hardware Grill
9698 Jasper Avenue
(780) 423-0969
Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11:30am-2pm; Dinner: Monday-Friday 5-10pm, Saturday 5-10:30pm, closed Sundays

Day 5 in San Francisco: “Top Chef” Thursday

Things we loved in San Francisco:

Two Buck Chuck (Seriously. Wine for $2 a bottle in North America?)

Consumer warning labels in stores (how’s that for awareness?)

Scramble crosswalks (coming soon to Edmonton)

Something else we loved? Sleeping in. We decided to give ourselves the benefit of a late start on day 5, as we felt recovery was in order after two consecutive early mornings.

The day as a whole was a lazy one – without any concrete plans besides a dinner reservation and a late show, it felt freeing to be able to wander without direction. So after grabbing a coffee from Peet’s, we spent the morning shopping at Union Square.

Union Square

It was easy to get used to that kind of shopping experience – stores densely packed together, all accessible from street-level, with crosswalks at every block. Sure, some of the stores we visited have locations in Edmonton also, but only locked inside a mall or car-driven complex.

Pedestrian-friendly shopping

We eventually walked over to the Yerba Buena Gardens, which, on first glance, appeared to be the city’s outdoor bedroom. We lost count of the number of people idling on the grass, enjoying the shade and the soothing sound of the water features.

Yerba Buena Gardens

Waterfall

I had read about there being a century old carousel at the Gardens, and, like my giddy stint at the Musee, I couldn’t pass up a visit.

Carousel!

Mack initially wasn’t as keen on reverting back to his childhood, but even he enjoyed circling the wooden animals to select his steed. And at only $3 for two rides, it was well worth it!

Whee!

Mack gets in the spirit of things

I knew we were near ‘Witchcraft, one of Tom Collichio’s casual sandwich outposts, and given we were to later dine at another restaurant connected to the Top Chef series, it just seemed fitting to stop there for lunch.

Interior

At 2pm, we found the restaurant nearly empty – perhaps we just missed the lunch rush? ‘Witchcraft wasn’t in the most inspiring location (it faces a parkade), but the interior definitely tried to make up for it. We loved the floor-to-ceiling windows, the second floor loft-style seating, and the stylish prints featuring antique kitchen equipment.

Mack

From what I had read about the restaurant though, I really thought the menu would grab me. But somehow, the sandwich combinations didn’t excite me at all. I ended up with the grilled cheese sandwich and soup of the day, while Mack chose the BLT. Our lunch for two (with one drink) cost $23.

My grilled cheese was good (solid bread foundation, nice combination of cheeses), but the soup was better (great texture and depth). Mack liked the BLT well enough (especially the bacon), but thought the tomato overpowered everything.

Grilled cheese and soup

BLT

The side of Tim’s Chips ended up being our favourite part of the meal – kettle-style, they were just the right thickness to offer both a satisfying crunch and a rounded flavour from the frying oil. Best of all, they didn’t have any additives.

Tim’s Chips

It’s something to be said when the package of chips stands out the most – so all told, ‘Witchcraft was a bit underwhelming for both of us.

A brief sojourn back to the hotel had us ready for our trip’s most anticipated meal. While watching the second season of Top Chef Masters, both Mack and I fell head over heels for Chef Hubert Keller. His personality and modest nature outshone his competitors: where others put ego first, Chef Keller always seemed to let his food speak for itself. So we knew a visit to SF wouldn’t be complete without reservations to Fleur de Lys.

The restaurant was just a ten minute walk from our hotel, allowing us to build up an appetite for the multi-course meal. When we arrived, we were whisked inside a sumptuous room, lined with curtains and complete with a tented ceiling. Most of the tables were arranged like streetside Parisian cafes – facing inwards instead of towards one another. It really felt like we had stepped into another world.

Unlike our experience at Gramercy Tavern in New York a few years back, when I was afraid to even take out my camera, it didn’t seem out of place at Fleur de Lys. Most of the diners were our age, and nearly all of them were snapping pictures of their experience. Also, through the curtains, I spotted a television set tuned to Food Network – of all shows, Top Chef Masters was on!

We chose the $82/person 4 course meal, which of course, with wine, was much more than that. Given that we were provided with several options for each course (starter, seafood, meat, dessert), the price seemed reasonable.

The vegetable ragout with truffle oil was a bit underwhelming to me, though the egg was poached very nicely. Mack enjoyed his Maryland soft shell crab, but had a bit of trouble determining how best to eat it, given the crab had been deep fried whole.

Vegetable ragout

Maryland soft shell crab

My salmon (sustainably raised, of course) was well cooked, and I loved the accompanying broccolini. The dish also marked my first ever encounter with porcini flan, and I have to say, I quite enjoyed the savoury version. Mack’s dish of prawns ended up being just a singular prawn, albeit one that was pretty tasty, and one that he enjoyed more as it was served alongside pork belly.

Sustainably raised salmon

Wild jumbo prawn with brioche crust

The duck, moist as ever, was a play on duck l’orange, served with fresh orange segments. I wasn’t a fan of the spetzle though – they were bland. Mack equally enjoyed his filet mignon, though not surprisingly, he devoured the lobster truffled mac & cheese (stuffed into a brioche bun!) first.

Muscovy duck breast, grenadine pickled onions

Seared filet mignon

We both absolutely adored the dessert course. My chocolate souffle was easily worth the additional $6 charge, light and fluffy on top with a satisfying and rich centre. Mack’s plate was a whimsical play on burger, fries and shake, with slices of kiwi standing in for pickles.

Chocolate souffle

Fleurburger

The restaurant saved the best part for last – towards the end of our meal, Chef Keller came out to meet all the diners! I’m pretty sure everyone in the room knew who he was, but he still made sure to introduce himself at each table, “Hello, I’m the chef here”. Mack didn’t want to wash his hands afterwards. #fanboy

With Chef Keller

Our dinner at Fleur de Lys was a memorable experience, though only partially because of the food. We were so happy to have met Chef Keller!

We didn’t plan it that way, but the 19^th annual San Francisco Fringe Festival happened to be running the same week we were there. Of course, we had to take in at least one show.

The fact that Edmonton is the home of the second largest Fringe Festival in the world is so often bandied about that I think Edmontonians take it for granted. At least, I know I do. So it was a shock to me that San Francisco, an enviable city in so many ways, could not even hold a candle to our fabulous theatre festival.

With just three venues and a total of 42 shows, the scale of the SF Fringe was much, much smaller than Edmonton’s Fringe. Show times were also confined to evenings on weekdays and the venues weren’t clearly marked. It also probably didn’t help that their theatre district was in the shadiest part of the city that we’d come across thus far (the aforementioned neighbourhood that we were warned by hotel staff not to walk through).

The biggest difference, however, was the lack of a festival atmosphere. The festival grounds are one of the biggest reasons Edmonton’s Fringe is the place to be in August. The buskers, the food, the music and the activities are all such an integral part of the Fringe now that it is difficult to consider what it would be like without it.

We chose Star Crossed Love based on the description on the website, and had pre-purchased our tickets online (just in case). There really was no need – granted, it was a 10:30pm show on a Thursday night, but for a supposed “pick of the Fringe”, the dozen people in the audience was disappointing, to say the least.

Star Crossed Love

The premise of the theatre company is the showcase of badly written scripts. That is to say, all of their productions are culled from rejected Hollywood screenplays, performed on stage verbatim. For example, any time a character nodded, the actors would nod in exaggerated fashion. As you can guess, some of the actions got old fast, but others, including “lovers a long time” (where the couple looked to be bored of one another) were amusing.

The script itself was indeed awful – an over-the-top, implausible, rags-to-riches tale where the heroine ends the show up on stage, accepting an Oscar. But wasn’t as funny as it could have been, and for that reason, wasn’t that entertaining. We did want to commend the actors though – they really committed to the roles, and tried their best to wring every bit of unintentional humour from it.

We made our way back through the Tenderloin and retired to our hotel for the night. On to the next day!

Edmonton’s Own Alley Burger

When an idea is as great as Charcut’s alley burger – involving $5 versions of their upscale burger sold from their back alley door – you know it is just a matter of time before it appears in other cities as well. Edmonton has jumped on the bandwagon, with Century Hospitality Group’s Hundred embracing their back alley to purvey $5 gourmet burgers.

Friday saw the debut of #yegalleyburger, widely publicized in both the Journal and Metro. For that reason, I figured it would be best to line up early, just in case, so we joined the line-up of half a dozen people at 9pm.

Felicia and Amanda made sure to dress for the weather

Hundred’s alley was without a dumpster, patrolling security guards, or the threat of passing cars, so it provided a bit of a different experience than standing in line outside Charcut. But perhaps the biggest disparity was the lack of devices and cameras being used. Sure, there were a few people snapping photographs and updating their statuses, but relatively few when compared with that night in Calgary.

The line at about 9:15

Eventually, there grew to be about 30-40 people standing in line, eagerly awaiting the back door to open. A few minutes before 9:30, Chef Andrew Cowan appeared, trading $5 for a Century Hospitality Group poker chip that would guarantee the bearer a burger.

Doesn’t it look like a shady exchange?

Winnings!

The kitchen was on top of things, as the burgers started coming out right at 9:30. We grabbed our burgers, loosely wrapped in paper, and headed back to the warmth of the condo.

#yegalleyburger

It was well worth the wait – the patty was well cooked, with a ton of flavour, and the duck egg was a nice touch, but what the three of us were most drawn to was the peppery hit of the arugula. I’m sure that even Mack, ever the rocket-hater, would have enjoyed it as a fresh counterpoint to the beef. On that note – Jerry posted a video of his friend devouring a burger – warning: don’t watch it while hungry!

We read later on Twitter that some people were turned away, so if you are planning on snagging one next week, make sure to get there early! It was fun, Hundred – looking forward to the next one already!

Follow @cheftonyle, @chefcowan and @chefpshoey to find out the details of the next #yegalleyburger!

Can You Say Breakfast Poutine?! Wake Bistro

Brunch at Wake Bistro was the perfect way to end our last day in Calgary, given we’d wanted a chance to explore the quaint Kensington neighbourhood anyway.

I’d read about it originally on Andree’s blog, and though she indicates in her post that the place is small, I wasn’t prepared for exactly how small. With 16 seats, plus an additional 4 seats at a narrow bar, Wake on the outset seems built more to house a café rather than a full-service restaurant. But with the line-up we encountered that day, it seems people are willing to wait, but more than that, it seems their imminent plans of expansion can’t come soon enough.

The interior is charming – a very simple green and white space, augmented by lots of natural light. Service was also solid – not exceptional, but good – though the two servers did a great job jumping on vacated tables so diners didn’t have to dawdle any longer than necessary.

Interior

The menu, though, is what would bring both Mack and I back again. I normally have a difficult time deciding what to order at brunch, but Wake made that decision excruciating, with an amazing array of dishes, particularly given the size of the restaurant. Vegetarians were well cared for among the options of breakfast sandwiches, burritos, pancakes and French toast.

The dish Mack chose is something I hope Edmonton establishments unabashedly steal. Using common ingredients served at brunch (fried potatoes, bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise), then adding cheese curds, their creation of breakfast poutine ($13.95) was a little bowl of heaven for Mack. Ingenious. His only minor quibble was the need for soft poached eggs (to take advantage of the runny interior), instead of medium poached eggs.

Breakfast poutine

The crepes ($10.95) that I ordered were nice and light, served with perfectly crispy potatoes. I would have preferred slices of ham used instead of cubes (for a better melding of textures), and perhaps a bit more cheese, but overall, it was an enjoyable dish.

Ham-stuffed crepes

Wake Bistro was a pleasant place to spend the morning, and one both of us would not hesitate to return to again.

Wake Bistro
207 10 Street NW, Calgary
(403) 264-4425

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