Generous Portions: Kazoku Ramen

Mack and I had been meaning to visit Kazoku Ramen for some time. The west end eatery opened back in October, adding to the growing inventory of restaurants serving ramen in Edmonton. On a random Wednesday in July, we happily ceded our cooking responsibilities to Kazoku, located in a non-descript strip mall.

Kazoku qualifies as one of the larger ramen establishments in Edmonton. Like Nudoru, a fun mural adorns the dining room, conveying the power of ramen to sway even the toughest of monsters. We were told the owners’ daughter-in-law was the artist behind the painting.

Interior

Besides a handful of appetizers, the menu also offered rice-based dishes and seasonal items in addition to ramen. We typically avoid starters in favour of drinking up every last drop of broth, but we couldn’t pass up the spicy chicken karaage ($9). Based on the price, we thought we could handle a few bites of fried chicken. Imagine our surprise when we were presented with five large pieces of karaage. We liked the crispy batter and sweet chili dipping sauce, but we had to wonder how the portion size was possible given the cost of food.

Spicy chicken karaage

Neither of us were adventurous with our ramen orders – Mack had his usual shoyu ($13) and I selected tonkotsu ($14). The bowls were deceivingly deep (something Linda had mentioned), and both of us enjoyed our respective broths, served piping hot. The egg had also been perfectly prepared, with a deliciously runny yolk. Our only quibble was with our choice of the leaner pork shoulder (instead of the rolled pork belly) – it was severely overcooked and was not only tough but surprisingly fatty.

Shoyu

Tonkotsu

The service was friendly and attentive, and though we were the last table to leave, we never felt rushed. The experience as a whole was pleasant enough to warrant a return visit – give Kazoku a try if you’re hit with a ramen craving in the west end!

Kazoku Ramen
16518 100 Avenue
(780) 483-0448
Sunday-Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Tuesday

French Canadian Charm in Beaumont: Chartier

A trend on the rise in the Edmonton region is the number of independent restaurants staking their claim in surrounding towns. Nineteen and Sorrentino’s are perhaps the best examples of this, choosing to open up additional locations in St. Albert, but they are among a multitude of others, including Farm to Fork in Sherwood Park and The Downtown Diner in Fort Saskatchewan. In some ways, in order for these establishments to thrive, they must draw upon potential customers outside the immediate community and become a destination in their own right. Chartier, a French Canadian restaurant that opened up in Beaumont back in March, is already working towards that status.

Chartier

Chartier has the distinction of being the most successful restaurant Kickstarter project in Canada, having raised over $100,000 from nearly 600 backers. Many were taken with Darren and Sylvia Cheverie’s passion project to bring a French Canadian restaurant to their hometown. Chartier has captured the community support in the form of a map located on the back wall of the restaurant, charting out the names of friends and strangers alike that helped make the restaurant a reality.

Wall of supporters

It took us a while to make it down to Chartier, but a trio of family birthdays (my dad, mum, and I were all born in the month of June) seemed like a good reason to carpool to Beaumont to celebrate. On that Sunday night in June, the restaurant was not quite half full.

Dining room

Although the building itself is brand new, they’ve done a great job with the interior. The wood beams and mismatched chairs contribute to a warm and cozy atmosphere, and I loved the rustic bar that anchors the open room. We were seated right by an open window that looked out onto the quiet street outside, reminding us again that we weren’t in Downtown Edmonton anymore.

Bar

The menu is focused but has enough variety to satisfy many tastes. We decided to try a couple of appetizer plates, which were large enough to be shared amongst a group. The poutine serving size was very generous, cheese curds and a tasty dark gravy ladled by a heavy hand. We were hoping the triple-fried potatoes would have been a tad crispier, however.

Poutine

The pork torchon was a nice surprise. The bite-sized pork morsels were flavourful and complemented well by the black pepper jam (made with the chef’s secret recipe, we were told).

Pork torchon

As for the mains, my beef bourguignon ($28) was so tender, a knife was unnecessary. The meat was delicious accompanied by the potato puree, though I probably could have done without the sweetness of the poached pear. My dish was also served with an adorably named “bread napkin”.

Beef bourguignon

Felicia and my dad both ordered flank steak ($26). They had requested a medium rare preparation, and unfortunately, their steaks were further along the spectrum than they would have liked. Felicia did really enjoy the underlying potato pave.

Flank steak

Mack couldn’t pass up the roasted hen ($26) when he read that it was served with ratatouille and his favourite dressing: a fried egg. The chicken was well prepared, and served with charred brioche, it was reminiscent of a dish that could be served at brunch.

Roasted hen

The meal was so rich we likely should have opted for lighter starters, as we couldn’t even think about dessert.

It is obvious that Chartier is a labour of love – from the kitchen’s brand of comfort food to the delicate china used for service – a lot of care and attention has been paid to the small things. That said – the trek required outside of the city may make it difficult for Chartier to garner the traffic it needs to be sustainable. To that effect, Chartier now offers brunch on the weekend (which can be more of a destination meal) and lunch on Fridays alongside a “bread window” from Wednesdays to Sundays to attract the local population.

Chartier’s already gained wide acclaim, along with the supportive foundation that helped build the restaurant. With a unique perspective to offer the Edmonton area food scene, I do hope Chartier can make the location work on a long-term basis.

Chartier
5012 50 Street, Beaumont
(780) 737-3633
Tuesday-Thursday 4pm-close, Friday 11am-close, Saturday-Sunday 10am-close, closed Monday

Sri Lankan Comfort Food: Sambol

Sambol is a restaurant I would never have discovered without social media. Tucked away and invisible from the main thoroughfare, Sambol has nonetheless gained a number of fans online. Along with Grandma Male, who is always up for a taste adventure, Mack and I headed to the south side to give this hidden Sri Lankan gem a try back on a Saturday in May.

The interior is modern but cozy, with warm lighting, wood surfaces, and comfortable cushions. When we entered, we were the first party in for an early supper, but were soon joined by a young family and a group of regulars.

Sambol

Champa Pathirana, the proprietor of this family-run restaurant was welcoming, and in some ways, it felt like we were having dinner in her extended kitchen. She explained that they had moved to this space after closing Razzelberries, a restaurant located downtown on 104 Street. She was patient with our menu questions, and we were definitely intrigued by a few dishes that we had never encountered before, including the interestingly named string hoppers (cooked rice pressed into noodle form, then steamed and served with a sauce – see how they’re made here). Their menu offers the best of both dining worlds – small plates perfect for groups to share, and one bowl wonders for those on their own. We decided to sample from all of the above.

Of course we had to try the string hoppers ($5). Even with the apt description we were provided with, I’m not sure I fully expected the noodle "patties" that arrived, slightly pink in colour and accompanied by a coconut gravy. Although the textures were interesting, the flavours weren’t particularly pronounced. They were fun to eat though, dousing the porous hoppers with sauce.

String hoppers

The lentil patties, deep fried and served with a mint sambol, were a nice surprise. I loved the refreshing mint accompaniment, which tamed the heat level and served as an addictive dip on its own.

Lentil patties

Mack couldn’t get enough of the stuffed roti ($8), pan-fried packets of spiced beef and potato. It is the perfect street food – portable, easy to eat, and packed with flavour. They were so good we briefly considered buying another order to freeze at home.

Stuffed roti

We also ordered two bowls to sample – the banana leaf bowl ($18) and the chicken biriyani bowl ($15). No question, the portions are beyond generous; Grandma Male barely made it halfway through before calling it quits and packing the rest for home. Mack and I particularly loved the rice, and ended up shredding the chicken leg and mixing it in to allow for more seamless sharing. We also packed some of this for lunch the next day, and it was still fantastic reheated.

Banana leaf bowl

Chicken Biriyani bowl

I hope Sambol doesn’t remain under the radar – the food is excellent and offers great value. It’s a restaurant worth seeking out – not only for the food, but for their warm hospitality as well. We’ll be back for the roti soon enough.

Sambol
9261 34 Avenue
780-309-3199
Wednesday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 11am-8pm

Build Your Own Ramen: Nudoru

It was only a matter of time before Edmonton’s ramen game was elevated with a restaurant making its own noodles from scratch. Unfortunately, since Nudoru’s opening in early April, it hasn’t been smooth sailing. The Old Strathcona eatery has fielded numerous lukewarm reviews relating to inconsistent service, incorrect orders and questionable food quality. In some ways, a slow start for new restaurants are inevitable as they try and find their footing. However, with the added pressure of being the first to craft the alkaline noodles in-house, expectations were higher than normal. Mack and I chose Nudoru as a pre-theatre dinner option on Friday before a show at The Backstage Theatre.

Mack had already been to Nudoru once before a few weeks prior, and enjoyed the experience well enough. Friday was probably an even more ideal evening for ramen though, with the drizzly cool temperatures conjuring up the desire for warming soups. It seemed many others had the same inclination, as Nudoru was completely full by the end of our visit.

I liked the clean wood-based interior, and the fun pops of orange throughout the space. The feature mural was definitely eye-catching, with a samurai pictured fighting various elements of a bowl of ramen, all while wearing Nike sneakers. It was also nice to be able to see inside the kitchen, with windows offering diners a peek.

We elected to each try one of their sake-based cocktails. I probably should have known better than to order one named Pretty Princess ($10), with sake, peach schnapps, cranberry juice and calpico, but it was much too sweet and lacked any nuance at all. Similarly, Mack’s Island Hopper ($10), with sake, malibu, lime and cranberry juice was also fairly one-note.

Cocktails

On the food end of things, Nudoru offers several small plates and three pre-assembled ramen bowls. But no doubt, besides the in-house noodles, they are unique because of their build-your-own ramen option ($13 for one meat protein and 3 toppings). Mack and I both chose this route.

Our orders arrived promptly, steaming hot from the kitchen. I was pleasantly surprised with the creaminess of the miso broth, and thought it was well-seasoned. The pork belly (which we had both selected as our protein), was on the fattier side, so I would likely choose the pork shoulder next time. The soft boiled egg was perfectly prepared, with the yolk a creamy yellow. The noodles had a nice chewy consistency, though to be honest – in a blind taste test, I’m not sure I’d be able to distinguish the freshly made variety.

Miso broth with pork belly, egg, bean sprouts and scallions

Mack went with his usual shoyu (soy sauce) broth, and found it fairly consistent with his previous visit. He commented that the serving size seemed fairly generous, and I had to agree that I was very satisfied by the end of our meal.

Shoyu broth with pork belly, egg, bamboo shoots and pickled onion

It’s been great to see the proliferation of more ramen options in Edmonton, from the fusion stylings of Prairie Noodle to concepts like Nudoru’s create your own. My visit to Nudoru was also better than I was expecting, so I will certainly be back. I hope they’ve managed to work through their early kinks and can maintain this level of experience!

Nudoru
10532 82 Avenue
(780) 757-6836
Tuesday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 12-5pm, closed Mondays

Just Off 124: The Local Omnivore

Mark Bellows and Ryan Brodziak are among a small but growing number of entrepreneurs who’ve successfully transitioned to a brick-and-mortar establishment from a mobile food truck. The Local Omnivore has been open since January, located a few blocks away from the burgeoning 124 Street restaurant district. However, given the impending arrival of Duchess’ long-awaited expansion next door, there is no doubt this area will soon see its own increase in foot traffic. After work on Saturday afternoon, Mack picked me up and we seized the opportunity to finally give this incarnation of The Local Omnivore a try.

The space is much larger than it seems from the outside, accommodating a lengthy open kitchen and bar, 40 seats, and a generous prep kitchen. The interior has a DIY feel to it, with painted walls seemingly unfinished, tools visible, and repurposed wood pallets used as space dividers. As a result, the room seems lived-in and comfortable, even though they are still growing into the space (their liquor license was just granted last month). Lunch and weekend brunches remain their focus, but they will be easing into evening hours at some point in the future.

Interior

The brunch menu is small but interesting, with six dishes on offer, some incorporating the house smoked and cured meat they’re known for. Mack selected the Fraulein sandwich ($12.50), while I couldn’t pass up the brunch pirate poutine ($12.50).

So many brunch purveyors feel the need to tack on a fruit cup, so I appreciated that The Local Omnivore doesn’t mess around with unnecessary garnishes – our plates arrived in their unapologetically indulgent glory. My poutine layered spicy shoestring fries with cheese curds, vegetarian gravy, green onions, two fried eggs and a citrus hollandaise. The hollandaise cut through the spice for me, and the fries stayed remarkably crispy.

Brunch pirate poutine

Mack’s Fraulein sandwich was comprised of a Russian rye grilled Swiss cheese sandwich stuffed with super smoked bacon schnitzel topped with a fried egg and citrus hollandaise. He struggled to finish the generous portion, and really liked the bacon schnitzel.

Fraulein sandwich

Service was relaxed but solid throughout, with just a few other tables during our stay. For those interested, The Local Omnivore also runs a deli counter that sells their bacon, garlic sausage, corned beef and smoked turkey, but I’m keen to return to try their lunch menu.

The Local Omnivore was a great place to kick back and start our weekend off. A belated congratulations to Mark and Ryan on the space, and I look forward to what is still to come.

The Local Omnivore
10933 120 Street
(780) 660-1051
Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-2pm, closed Mondays

Lunch Value in Old Strathcona: Nariyanni’s

While dining out for lunch on weekdays has been a rare occurrence for me as of late, meeting up with my sister Felicia during the work day has never happened. So it was a particularly nice occasion when we could do so to try the lunch buffet at Nariyanni’s for the first time. We were invited as guests of the restaurant.

Just off the busy Whyte Avenue strip, the family-run Nariyanni’s is located a beautifully converted heritage auto body garage. Specializing in South African Indian food, Nariyanni’s offers a lighter type of fare when compared with other mainstream Indian buffets. Their "clean eating" philosophy also extends to accommodating those who are gluten and dairy intolerant, making it an attractive option to those with certain food restrictions.

Last Tuesday, Felicia and I were welcomed into the restaurant. We settled into a comfortable booth, marveling at the warm décor and flow of the space. I liked that the circular buffet station was at the centre of the room, mimicking the place of a kitchen as the heart of a home. And with a sign pronouncing that all food is prepared by "Mama", it did feel like we were among family.

Interior

The $12 buffet (cash only, from Tuesdays to Fridays from 11:30am-1:30pm) is an unbeatable value – salad, soup, rice, three vegetarian selections, one meat option plus dessert, it’s hard to imagine how Nariyanni’s recoups the cost.

Felicia helps herself

Felicia and I happily sampled our way through most of the buffet, heartily enjoying the braised kale and cabbage, dhal and eggplant, sautéed butternut squash and chicken curry. Our favourite dish may have been the kale and cabbage – it was nice to have different textures available on our plates. Warm roti was also offered to us, a lovely, flaky accompaniment to soak up the sauces and soup. Through the course of our meal, the heat level snuck up on us, though diners with a higher tolerance for spice will be just fine.

Our modest spread

It was a leisurely lunch for us, but other parties with less time on their hands were in and out in a half hour. And though we were comfortably full, we didn’t feel as sluggish as we may have exiting a different type of buffet or quick-serve establishment.

Thanks Nariyanni’s for the introduction to a wonderful lunch option in Old Strathcona. I hope to be back with Mack in tow for the dinner buffet soon!

Nariyanni’s
10131 81 Avenue
(780) 756-7112

In View of Rogers Place: Wheat Garden Noodle & Dumpling Bazaar

Central McDougall, the neighbourhood just north of Ice District (it still feels unnatural not to include a "the"), is at a crossroads. It will definitely endure more foot traffic once the arena opens this fall, but I do hope it will be seen as more than just a repository for vehicles.

Restaurants like the newly-opened Wheat Garden Noodle & Dumpling Bazaar have an opportunity to change that perception. Similar to Noodle Feast on the south side, they specialize in Northern Chinese cuisine and handmade noodles. Given Wheat Garden’s average entrée price hovers around $11 (for now), it’ll be interesting to see whether folks will discover these gems like this "on the other side", or if the uptick will only impact the more upscale or pedestrian restaurants south of 104 Avenue.

At any rate, Wheat Garden is already trying to make their presence known on social media, opening up channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook in a way most small, family-run businesses don’t have the capacity to do. Even better, to engage customers, they offer some immediate gratification in the form of a free drink or side to diners who mention the restaurant on their own social media channels.

When Su and I stopped by last week for dinner, it was obvious the space had been transformed from its previous tenant (the Old Szechuan Restaurant, which has since relocated to Old Strathcona). The new paint hue lightens the room and further highlights the expanse of windows. The only downside of the cozy and intimate dining area is that save for some quiet televisions in the corner, there is no background noise. Su and I felt like we had to deliberately keep our voices down to prevent from being heard across the space.

Interior

The menu offers rice-based plates in addition to their namesake dishes, but since this was my first visit, I stuck to the latter. Su recommended we share the assorted dumplings ($13.99/18 pieces), made up of six different flavours, and I ordered the ground beef spicy noodle ($10.99) for my entrée. It may be of interest to some that all meats served at Wheat Garden are certified halal (they claim to be the first Chinese halal restaurant in Edmonton).

Everything is made fresh to order, and it’s obvious that the staff take genuine pride in their food and service. The dumplings were a visual delight, though we didn’t inquire about the colour coding, which resulted in a fun round of dumpling roulette. The handmade skins offered a great springy texture, and the fillings were well-seasoned. My favourite flavour of the bunch I tried was the chicken, mushroom and fungus.

Assorted dumplings

My noodle bowl was probably meant to be devoured faster than I could keep up – the handmade noodles had sopped up much of the thick broth by the time I got to it. They did have a nice bite to them though, and I will be eager to try the flat noodles on another occasion. The dish also wasn’t as spicy as I was expecting either.

Spicy ground beef noodles

With good service, tasty food, and reasonable prices, I hope that folks flocking to Rogers Place will consider Wheat Garden or other Central McDougall alternatives. It’d be a shame if they remain under the radar and overshadowed by more mainstream eateries.

Wheat Garden Noodle & Dumpling Bazaar
10703 103 Street
(780) 757-8166
Monday, Wednesday-Thursday 11:30am-8:30pm, Saturday-Sunday 11:30am-9pm, closed Tuesdays

Recap: Northern Chicken Pop-up @ Dovetail Deli

Restaurant pop-ups are still alive and well in Edmonton, showcasing everything from entrepreneurial concepts to collaborations with out-of-town chefs. Personally, my favourite pop-ups remain those that function as testing grounds for new ideas – they feel more raw and honest, with chefs putting out their heart and soul with the hope of being embraced by Edmontonians. Prairie Noodle is the most successful example of this, launching their brick and mortar shop after a series of sold-out pop-ups to test flavour profiles and their contemporary take on ramen.

Northern Chicken is the most recent pop-up of this nature, beget by the industrious chefs Andrew Cowan (of Packrat Louie and formerly of Century Hospitality Group) and Matt Phillips (most recently of Century Hospitality Group). The duo’s Northern Chicken celebrates comfort food done right, focusing on fried chicken and all the fixings.

Chefs Matt Phillips and Andrew Cowan

Their first pop-up took place at Dovetail Deli on Sunday, and the weather couldn’t have been better. Mack and I took advantage of the sunshine and walk over to 124 Street, and upon arrival, was greeted by a (thankfully) fast-moving line.

Hungry for fried chicken!

It was great to see many other chefs in attendance to support Northern Chicken, include Blair Lebsack from neighbouring RGE RD, Paul Shufelt (formerly of Century Hospitality and currently at Workshop Eatery), Levi Biddlecomb (of food truck Attila the Hungry, and fresh off his own pop-up at the nearby Prairie Noodle). Avenue Calgary Magazine recently conducted an interview with several Calgary chefs who spoke very highly of their collaborative, supportive food community, and I’m fairly certain something similar could be said of the scene in Edmonton.

At any rate, the menu was short and sweet – the choice between Matt’s fried or Andrew’s spicy chicken, a fried chicken sandwich, and sides of bacon truffled cream corn, Doritos mac and cheese, and coleslaw. Apple and buttermilk pies also tempted on the counter.

Mack and I both opted for the fried chicken sandwich ($9), and chose to share a side of mac and cheese ($8). We grabbed a couple of cold drinks and took our takeaway order outside to the picnic tables down the street.

We were most impressed by the size of the sandwich, with a hefty piece of breaded white meat, between a housemade sourdough bun, pickles, slaw and spicy mayo. We found the breading to be crispy, sealing in the juices of the meat. I also loved the thick slices of pickles for texture and taste. Our only critique was dense sourdough bun – we appreciated that it held up nicely, but our preference is for a more yielding type of bread.

Fried chicken sandwich

The Doritos mac and cheese didn’t quite live up to its name – we were expecting a very obvious dusting of chips on top, or somehow visually integrated into the pasta. But besides the vibrant orange of the mac, we were left with an aftertaste we couldn’t quite place.

Doritos mac and cheese

It’s great to see more concepts bubble up in Edmonton. I wish Chefs Andrew and Matt all the best as Northern Chicken comes closer to fruition. Follow them on Twitter to find out about their next event!

New and Old for Downtown Dining Week: Alberta Hotel Bar & Kitchen and Hardware Grill

It’s really too bad Edmonton’s only prix fixe dining festival (RIP Fork Fest) isn’t city-wide like Calgary’s Big Taste, or twice a year, like Toronto’s Summer and Winterlicious. But Downtown Dining Week, now in its thirteenth year, has provided a consistent opportunity for Edmontonians to sample the cuisine of the core.

I’m not sure if it is the current state of the economy, or whether people were just taking advantage of the promotion, but this year’s Downtown Dining Week seemed busier than previous festivals. After perusing the menus, I made two reservations: one at a fairly new addition to the neighbourhood, and a second at a tried-and-true establishment.

I was one among many who mourned the loss of Tavern 1903 at the end of 2014. Mack and I found ourselves there often, swayed by their combination of fantastic cocktails and inventive small plates. Thankfully, the vacated space in the historic Alberta Hotel did not stay empty for long – Chef Spencer Thompson (formerly of Toast Fine Catering, based at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market) moved in less than a year later, when Alberta Hotel Bar and Kitchen opened. I hadn’t yet had a chance to visit the restaurant, and there was no better opportunity than Downtown Dining Week to do so, all while catching up with some girlfriends.

The interior of Alberta Hotel Bar and Kitchen (an unfortunate mouthful of a name) hasn’t changed much from its predecessor, retaining the vintage bar and polished dining room, right down to the furnishings. The only difference that we could discern was a more cramped seating area – our table and the party next to us were wedged uncomfortably in the corner. And though it’s difficult to manage sound, given the open flow between the two rooms, the 80s pop music emanating from the bar seemed more suitable for a diner than a dining room laden with white table cloths.

No doubt, the $28 three course menu was a great deal. It seemed many others found it an equally big draw, as our server indicated that on the Monday of the same week, they served 300 patrons, tripling their usual covers that night. It was so successful that they decided to continue the fixed $28 three course offerings every Monday even after the close of Downtown Dining Week.

Even though we had the choice between two appetizers and two mains, all three of us ended up with identical meals. The bone marrow agnolotti was tasty, layered with brown butter and mushrooms, but I would have preferred the pasta to have been cooked a touch more.

Bone marrow agnolotti

The grilled swordfish main, served with a caper, red currant and pine nut beurre blanc was overdone, but the standout aspect of the dish was the creamy side of Gold Forest Grains farro.

Grilled swordfish with farro

The dessert, a chocolate fondant with warm caramel and graham cracker streusel was a bit inconsistent at the table. I found mine on the molten side, but the banana ice cream served alongside more than made up for it with its intense, concentrated flavour. When the pastry chef Kai Wong moves to her own bakery, I hope the ice cream will be on the menu in some form.

Chocolate fondant with banana ice cream

While our meal at Alberta Hotel was somewhat inconsistent, we did enjoy the overall experience. Our server was friendly and attentive, and the dishes were enticing enough to warrant future visits.

My second Downtown Dining Week reservation had to be at the Hardware Grill. Some of those dishes and drinks we loved at Tavern 1903 migrated to its established sibling, and it was about time for us to reacquaint ourselves with them.

One of my long lost loves was the Desert Shrub cocktail, a delicious combination of prosecco, grapefruit juice and tequila.

It’s been too long

Though the city’s love affair with cauliflower seems to have ended, the Korean fried cauliflower dish is classic, and perfectly made every time.

Korean fried cauliflower

Those drinks and dishes were in addition to the $48 three-course prix fixe menu, so the upsell worked on us. Hardware has had an ongoing $50 three-course promotion, called a "before sunset" menu for some time, but it has since expanded it from early seatings on Mondays to Thursdays to include all seatings on Mondays to Thursdays plus early seatings on Friday and Saturday. One has to assume the restaurant’s reputation as a special occasion restaurant has to hurt it more than others in an economy like this.

But like the consistency of the kitchen, Hardware Grill always delivers on service. We’re always impressed by the professional but easygoing nature of the servers – they always manage to ease the formality of the restaurant with humour and grace, and are easily the best team in the city.

We had far exceeded our 1.5 hour stay (as mentioned on the Downtown Dining Week menu), but we were never rushed. We felt bad, however, when leaving and realizing that there were a number of parties waiting for a table in the lobby.

While I will still hold out hope for a resurrection of Tavern 1903 in some form or another in the future, it’s nice to know that I can still satisfy my cravings at Hardware Grill.

Get Your Bacon On: Bacon Feast at Pampa

Pampa just celebrated their fifth anniversary in Edmonton, so it’s safe to say rodizio-style dining is here to stay. While it was never a surprise that a meat-centric restaurant would be a success in the city, I know I did wonder how much repeat business they could garner, given the single-meal extravagance at its core. Even Mack and I, who are far from being vegetarian, have found ourselves adopting meatless meals in the wake of visits to Pampa.

The Grill at Pampa

At any rate, meat lovers will rejoice with the return of Pampa’s second annual Bacon Feast. An enhancement to their regular menu, $14.95 on top of the $49.95 per person cost grants diners access to an additional two types of bacon-wrapped meat as well as a bacon-infused dessert.

Bacon-infused vodka Caesar

To give it a try, Linda convened several members of the local food community for a complimentary tasting, and Mack and I were fortunate enough to be included. It confirmed again the fact that Pampa is more fun when enjoyed with a large party. The theatrical style of dining, involving servers who rotate through the room with spears of meat for table side carving extends to its drink menu as well. This was the first time we experienced the heightened pour of Licor 43, a spirit crafted with a combination of 43 herbs and spices. The server stood atop a step stool and successfully filled a shot glass on the table from above. You can bet this commanded the attention of surrounding groups.

Pampa’s signature shot

Part of the fun of Pampa is cycling through the ten (or in our case, twelve) different cuts of beef, chicken, lamb and pork to find your favourite . Our fellow diner Sharman had a great tip to minimize the gluttony of this process – Mack and I shared what was dubbed a "meat plate", so we could more easily share tastes of the meat offerings without filling up on them right away. She also pointed us to some of the dipping sauces available at the salad bar.

Speaking of the salad bar, there were a number of hot entrees to choose from that I didn’t recall from previous visits. My favourite was a deeply flavoured black bean stew that doubled as another sauce option.

After sampling all of the cuts, Mack returned to the medium rare rump steak a few times. I enjoyed the bacon-enhanced meat – including the bacon-wrapped chicken on the regular rotation, but also the bacon-wrapped boneless veal leg on the feature menu. The other Bacon Feast option of the marinated crispy pork belly, with its luscious layer of fat, was also a crowd favourite.

Crispy pork belly

The Bacon Feast dessert was a warm chocolate cake with bacon-infused caramel, vanilla bean ice cream and caramalized bacon bits. The cake was well-made, rich and dense, but the bacon seemed like an afterthought instead of a critical component.

Chocolate petite gateau

The $75 per person price tag is difficult to account for based on food alone, but then again, dining out is never exclusive to consumables. The service accounts for much of the value as well, and as in previous visits, was again commendable. Our server was game for the table’s shenanigans, and made the evening light and fun.

Linda in a meat coma

For those seeking more intimate knowledge of Pampa, they will be offering eight person 3 hour classes starting in April. They will share "trade secrets" of grilling with charcoal, and hands-on instruction of meat-stuffed bread, Feijoada (the aforementioned black bean stew) and guava cheesecake. The cost is $119 per person – call Pampa to book a spot.

Thanks to Linda for the invitation, and to Pampa for hosting us! Bacon Feast runs for the month of April. Check out Linda and Sharman’s recaps about our meal as well.

Pampa
9929 109 Street
(780) 756-7030
Lunch – Monday-Friday 11:30am-1:30pm; Dinner – Monday-Thursday 5-9pm, Friday 5-10pm, Saturday 3-10pm, Sunday 4-8pm; Brunch – 11am-2pm

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