Midday Elegance: Hotel MacDonald

Like most quintessential city landmarks, the Hotel MacDonald (10065 100 Street) is a familiar presence appreciated and admired mostly by afar. It’s been a few years since I had dinner in the Harvest Room (refined but stiff), but I relished the opportunity to have lunch in the beautiful Empire Ballroom for my organization’s Annual General Meeting this week.

Empire Ballroom

Unfortunately, my group’s tardiness relegated us to a table in a room normally used for cocktails and receptions only, but as the place setting was the same, there wasn’t too much to complain about, short of not being able to hear or see the speakers up on stage.

There was no menu card at each place setting, so the lunch was essentially a surprise. It has been a while since I’ve been to dinner where so many pieces of cutlery were available on the table, but in such a refined atmosphere and setting, it was only to be expected. What wasn’t expected, however, was the cute little pats of butter with the word “butter” stamped on them! I couldn’t resist taking a picture of that.

Too cute

We started with a salad of wild greens with beets. I am not normally a fan of beets, but there were so sweet and mild that I didn’t mind them at all. The main course (served to ladies first, then men clockwise around), was a “nest” of puff pastry with chicken and mixed vegetables (or, in layman’s terms, chicken pot pie), accompanied by a wild rice pilaf and steamed vegetables. The pie was hot, buttery, and deliciously creamy – it kept me full all day. Dessert was a cake with strawberry coulis, and as it had been placed on the table before we even arrived, this was a sweet ending that could have very possibly been an appetizer for some instead.

Wild greens with beets (up close, the leaves do look like weeds, don’t they?)

Chicken pot pie

Cake with strawberry coulis

All in all, it was a nice break from the office.

Clever Name but Rather Lame: Wild Flour Bakery

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

On Sunday morning I decided to skip the conference-provided breakfast in favor of making a stop at Wild Flour Bakery, located at 211 Bear Street. I had asked Sharon for a couple of restaurant recommendations before making my way to Banff, and Wild Flour was one of the two she gave me. I think the name was probably 80% of the reason she suggested it, but I figured I’d give it a shot anyway.

I arrived at Wild Flour just after 8 AM. They are open every day throughout the summer months from 7 AM until 6 PM. There was a couple ordering some of Wild Flour’s artisan breads ahead of me, so I had time to look around and take some photos. The space is very modern looking, and fairly open with seating for about 40 patrons.

The menu is broken into four sections: drinks, breakfast, sweets & treats, and lunch. I decided to order a medium Organic Fair Trade Coffee ($1.75 – they serve Kicking Horse) and the Toasted Breakfast Sandwich ($5.50, also available with two slices of Valbella ham for an addition $1.50).

At this point, things started to go downhill (that didn’t take long did it?). Maybe I’ve been spoiled at Starbucks where a barista always hands you a full cup of coffee, but I thought it was odd that I was given a cup to fill on my own. At the end of the counter were three coffee butlers, two bold roast and one medium roast. I set about filling my cup with the medium, only to find that it wouldn’t stop coming out! I started to say "It’s not stopping!" and when one of the employees finally noticed, she remarked "oh no not again!" Apparently they jam open quite frequently. Anyway, when I eventually got my cup full of bold roast I nearly burned my hand! The coffee was ridiculously hot, and there were no sleeves.

I took a seat in the corner and started reading some of the free newspapers they had available. Wild Flour prides itself on cooking with organic and local ingredients, and on making everything from scratch. With that in mind, I didn’t expect my breakfast sandwich to be ready immediately, but after about fifteen minutes of waiting I started to wonder. I took my order slip (my order number was the normally lucky 88…not so lucky this time) up to the counter to inquire. I was informed that they had "lost" my order, and that they’d make it right away. At this point I thought to myself – epic fail! It’s never acceptable for a restaurant to lose an order, especially when it isn’t that busy.

My breakfast sandwich arrived about five minutes later. The menu describes it as: "Our herbed egg frittata & three year old Quebec cheddar on sourdough." Unfortunately, the description is a lot tastier than the sandwich itself. I found the egg kind of spongy and far too thick. I think there should have been more cheese too!

On the whole, my experience at Wild Flour was a negative one. Even without the coffee incident and lost order, the breakfast sandwich wasn’t worth the money and the employees were probably the least friendly of any I encountered in Banff. I could probably be persuaded to give their lunch menu a shot, but I definitely won’t be rushing back to Wild Flour the next time I’m in Banff.

Inside Wild Flour Bakery

Seating

Toasted Breakfast Sandwich

Family-Style Disappointment: Santa Maria Goretti Centre

To cap off a gluttonous week of eating out, I took my family to the Santa Maria Goretti Centre (11050 90 Street) for their famous seven-course weekly brunch on Sunday.

7 courses!

With its status as a media darling (written up once in See Magazine, twice in Vue Weekly, and just recently in the Journal), attending the pranzo (lunch) feels a bit like a rite of passage for foodies in Edmonton. Their menu changes every week, but from the website (and all of the echo chamber praise), I was expecting “Italian cuisine in the Santa Maria Goretti style…based solely on the precept of superior ingredients over fancy preparation.” From the pieces I had read here and there, I knew to also anticipate a large, lively Italian crowd of regulars, family-style platters, and more food than the stomach could handle. And though it pains me to pan a non-profit that cradles repeat business and has nothing but the best intentions, this just wasn’t a good day for first timers to the Centre.

Santa Maria Goretti Centre

We drove up and parked our car in the shadow of Commonwealth Stadium. There was a bit of confusion as there were numerous functions going on that morning, but we eventually found ourselves in the correct main hall, and after paying $19 per head (cash or cheque accepted only), settled in at our table.

The hall itself is beautiful, with burnished wooden floors, majestic chandeliers, and an audiovisual setup that allowed the Euro2008 game to be broadcast and clearly viewed by all in the room. I can only imagine the glorious weddings and celebrations that have taken place here, especially with free access to a large parking lot (so long as a major event isn’t occurring next door).

Felicia and Amanda in the hall

We had been sitting idle for about fifteen minutes when I decided to approach the hostess about when the coffee and food would start being served. She assured me that our server would be taking care of us right away; I hoped so, as my Mum and I were getting pretty antsy without our morning cup of joe.

Thankfully, our waitress came by shortly after with a carafe, a basket of bread, and an antipasto platter. The latter contained scoops of potato salad, cheese, and an assortment of cold cuts. We all dug in right away, and though none of it was particularly noteworthy, we were definitely ready to eat at that point.

Antipasto platter

The second platter (also chill to the touch, not unexpected in what was essentially a banquet function) featured veal with tuna sauce and capers. I was underwhelmed, though the veal, tasting like roast beef, wasn’t bad.

Veal with Tuna Sauce

Our third dish was one that Amanda had been looking forward to all morning – pasta. This incarnation of rotini with tomato sauce and basil hit the comfort food spot, and was probably my favorite of all seven courses.

Amanda helps herself to some pasta

By the time the bulk of our mains were served, the hall had filled up to capacity, with families from the church next door taking up the remaining tables. These courses included a salad with Italian dressing, a side platter of cheddar-roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables (the frozen variety), pork rolls with gravy, and roasted chicken breasts in white sauce. Because this was the heartiest portion of food we received, it left the biggest impression on us – the potatoes, pork, and chicken had all been overcooked, rendering them dry, tough, and virtually tasteless. It’s worth noting that we were offered seconds of all entrees, but other than the pasta, we wouldn’t have wanted to have to eat any more of the disappointing mains.

Lots of food

Felicia smiles suspiciously at the camera

My parents

Dessert was a slice of cherry cake, and like the dishes that preceded it, the crumbly cake was devoid of moisture and best consumed with a cup of coffee.

Posing with the cherry cake

While I did enjoy the “family-style” way of dining, and passing around platters (instead of the accustomed ease of a Lazy Susan at Asian restaurants), I was expecting so much more from this supposed best-kept secret in Edmonton. Given the rotational menu, however, perhaps we just experienced a off-day in the kitchen, and should offer the Centre a fair second opportunity leave us with a better impression.

“The Coffee Shop”: Wild Tangerine

Annie introduced me to Wild Tangerine (10383 112 Street) two years ago, but I haven’t been back since. I thought the portions were small for the price, but the decor and the atmosphere were the closest I have ever found to duplicating the fictional Sex and the City “coffee shop” in Edmonton. When a window opened up on Friday to meet up with Bettina for dinner, I jumped at the opportunity to take her there.

Wild Tangerine is part of a very small group of restaurants that are considered darlings of the Edmonton food scene (Culina and Soul Soup are two others). Part of that reason is chef Judy Wu’s presence on the national stage (for example, just recently winning bronze at the Mystery Wine Pairing event at the Canadian Culinary Championships in Toronto). The other is because of its whimsical interpretation of fusion fare using locally-sourced products.

I’ve always been sceptical of the movement towards Asian-Western “fusion”, especially because with that word anywhere near the menu, restaurants seem to believe it grants them a license to automatically increase the prices. At any rate, I was ready to give Wild Tangerine a fair shot that night.

At 5:30pm, we were just one of three parties at the restaurant, but by 7pm, nearly every table had been taken. My initial impression of the decor still held true – I loved the muted, earth-toned walls, orb-like pendant lighting and the IKEA-esque plastic white chairs. In all, with its dark floor and open space, it reminded me of a funkier version of Culina.

I also appreciated the unexpected little touches, like the stamp on the brightly-colored napkin, the mini-clipbord menus, and the smooth pebble stones at the base of the bathroom sink. I thought the plastic water cups were a little inelegant and out of place given the setting, but that was a minor nitpick.

Their selections of mains is small, almost always a good sign of a restaurant trying to focus its energies on doing a few things very well. I had heard rave reviews on their Shrimp Lollipops ($8 for 3), so we ordered that to start. For entrees, Bettina opted for the Peppercorn Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna with Organic Hemp-Oil Tomato Coulis ($20), while I decided to try the Cha-Siu Organic Pembina Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Tangerine Glaze ($22).

The Shrimp Lollipops were beautifully presented, carefully placed in a white ceramic cup. Neither of us cared for the wasabi yogurt they were served with, but I loved the crispy coating on the shrimp. They were undoubtedly messy to eat, with bits of fried noodle ending up as unfortunate casualties with every bite, but each savoury crunch transported me to an upscale midway where beautiful food tastes as it should.

Our mains were timed right, both delivered shortly after our starter plates had been cleared. Again, the artful arrangement of the food should be noted, with ribbons of carrots and slivers of chives adorning the tops of both our dishes. The bok choy was perfectly prepared, crispy, with the natural juices of the vegetable palpable. Unfortunately, both her tuna and my pork had been overcooked (the tuna to the point where it stopped tasting like fish and had a firm, meat-like consistency). Luckily, the sublime, sweet-spicy tangerine glaze saved my dish somewhat, ensuring that I used all of the conveniently pre-sliced pork as a vehicle to soak up every last ounce of the sauce.

Service was attentive throughout, and again, with my adoration of the ambiance, I know I will be back. Likely next time, it will be for tapas and desserts instead.

Wild Tangerine

Interior

Place setting

Shrimp Lollipops

Peppercorn Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna

Cha-Siu Organic Pembina Pork Tenderloin

Italian in Banff: Timbers Food Company

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

I’m in Banff this weekend for the nextMEDIA conference, and despite not having my restaurant buddy here with me (that would be Sharon, of course) I’ve checked out a couple of local establishments. Last night I did two things that I pretty much never do: I ate somewhere chosen at random, and I ate alone.

While wandering around downtown Banff, I came across Timbers Food Company, located just off Banff Avenue at 204 Wolf Street. From the outside you might think that Timbers sells logs or camping equipment, but it’s actually an Italian restaurant inside a converted house. The log deck outside seats 60 patrons during the summer months, while the inside has room for 50.

I walked in to find the restaurant about half full, a good sign in my book. I opted to sit at the bar near the front of the restaurant, so that I could watch both the restaurant inside and the busy street outside. The waiter brought water and fresh bread as I got settled in.

After a quick look at the menu, I decided on the Beef Tortellini with Cream of Tomato sauce ($14.95). My first impression after it arrived was that the portion size was quite small, but I was deceived. The tasty dish was really quite filling! I wouldn’t go so far as to call it the best tortellini I’ve ever had, but it definitely hit the spot.

I’m not sure if my waiter was just really friendly or if he guessed that I was some sort of food reviewer (maybe because I was taking photos), but he was very attentive, friendly, and seemed genuinely concerned about whether or not I enjoyed the food. It made my “eating alone” experience much more enjoyable than it would otherwise have been.

If you’re in Banff and and in need of a hearty meal, give Timbers a try.

Outside

Inside

Beef Tortellini

Just One of Many: Pho Tau Bay Restaurant

Convinced by coworkers that Pho Tau Bay Restaurant (10660 98 Street) would soon become my new favorite pho haunt, I met Dickson, a fellow pho enthusiast, for lunch there this afternoon.

Like most restaurants in Chinatown, both the storefront and interior are nothing to write home about. The decor is dated, furniture worn and floor in need of a makeover. But for the supposed authenticity and cheap prices, much can be overlooked. Well, it seems their prices went up recently – a medium bowl is now $6.20 (up from $5.60), while an extra large bowl is priced at $7. Of course, for the serving size, it is still very reasonable (and cheaper than Pagolac and Golden Bird), but it seems they will have to do more to differentiate themselves from the crowd at this point.

My coworkers weren’t kidding when they said that there was nothing but pho on the menu – twenty varieties, with combinations of beef flank, tendon, brisket and tripe all available. I was disappointed with a lack of rare or medium rare beef, so ended up ordering a medium bowl of pho with beef balls, while Dickson opted for the extra large with steak, well done brisket, flank, tendon and tripe. This was the only non-dim sum meal I’ve experienced where ordering on paper (checking off the quantity desired next to the dish name) was called for.

Our dishes took no more than five minutes to prepare (reminding me very much of Pho Hoa), which was either really efficient or, as we were joking, cause for suspicion. Dickson thought my serving was rather small when compared with others like Hoang Long and Pagolac, but for a lunch meal, I was satisfied with the size. The dish itself though was a bit disappointing – the broth was a tad salty, and overall, we both longed for bowls from any of the other eateries mentioned above.

While we may have been let down by Pho Tau Bay in part because of extremely high expectations, with so many other great pho spots in the area, I’m not sure we’ll be back to give it a second chance.

Pho Tau Bay

Interior

All-pho menu

Beef Ball Pho

Special Pho

Fish Heaven: Billingsgate Lighthouse Cafe

Mack’s Grandma always recommends two places when we ask for suggestions of where to buy seafood: Boyd’s (103, 979 Fir Street, Sherwood Park) and Billingsgate Seafood Market and Lighthouse Café (7331 104 Street). We decided to let the experts prepare the fish and headed to the latter on Wednesday.

On a gloomy, cloud-ridden evening that Mack thought fittingly cast an east coast feel, we entered the market. It may have been the foreboding weather, but we seem to have missed the dinner rush, as the market was devoid of shoppers. We did a quick round through the cases and freezers, but our empty stomachs soon drove us to the end of the hallway and into the Lighthouse Café.

Our reservation wasn’t necessary, and we were seated right away in the circular lighthouse-shaped dining area. It was very dimly lit, relying heavily on the natural light from the gradually darkening sky. From the outside, I thought the interior would be quite kitschy, but instead, the décor was charming and tasteful. A small lighthouse-shaped candle holder was on the table, and pictures and figures of various sea creatures were plentiful yet not dominating in any way.

I appreciated the short introduction of the café on the inside of the menu, detailing the history of market having to evolve to meet customer requests for prepared seafood. As expected, the menu contained a few dishes entirely devoid of seafood (pasta, risotto, chicken, steak), and a variety of fish, scallop, shrimp and lobster entrees that drew from the market’s fresh inventory.

Both of us knew our order even before the menu was opened – the Lighthouse Fish and Chips, made with pacific halibut filets prepared with a light batter, served with coleslaw, tartar sauce and fries (one piece for $10.95). Mack also wanted to give their Lighthouse Calamari a go ($8.95).

Service was consistent through our meal, and our waitress was always just around the corner ready to fill up our water glasses. The calamari arrived after a short wait, topped with red onions and served with a chipotle aioli and a marinara sauce. I preferred these buttermilk-coated rings to the heavier batter found at the likes of Earls and Mr. Mike’s, but Mack disagreed.

We were still snacking on the calamari when our mains arrived. The bloated halibut, unfortunately resembling a corndog, looked like it had just been picked up from a midway vendor. I was hoping the fish hidden inside the crispy, glistening crust would taste fresher than the frying oil used, and though it was fork-flaky, it was also disappointingly dry.

We received two Ovation mint chocolates with our bill, which was a nice touch, but still didn’t make up for our lacklustre entree. Mack acknowledged that we probably ordered a dish not demonstrative of their seafood catalogue, so we may be back in the future for fish not fried.

Billingsgate Seafood Market

Lighthouse Cafe

Seafood Market

Dining area

Lighthouse Calamari

Lighthouse Fish and Chips

We All Scream for Ice Cream: Marble Slab Creamery

As someone who enjoys, but doesn’t love ice cream, the success of Marble Slab Creamery in a city with a long winter surprised me. And while a location on the pedestrian-friendly Whyte Avenue made sense to me, the South Edmonton Common outlet boggled my mind – wouldn’t it make more sense to drive to the nearby Superstore to buy two pints of ice cream for the same price?

At any rate, I had a 2-for-1 coupon to blow, and Mack had a craving for chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, so we found ourselves at the South Common branch (1919 98 Street) at dusk on Saturday night. For whatever reason, their business was through the roof that evening – the line just kept getting longer. We had no idea why though – it was not particularly hot and most of the stores in the area had already closed hours before.

We both decided on a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a mixin of chocolate chip cookie dough ($4.95 plux tax). I can’t say I am particularly adventurous – in the few times I have been to Marble Slab, I don’t think I have ventured outside of this classic combination.

We had a few bites of our ice cream before taking it outside – the ceiling fan could not keep the small, overcrowded shop cool enough for our liking. But with just one small bench outside (and no trash can!), we resorted to standing just beyond the growing line, to watch with some amusement the cars that drove by, saw the line, and left.

Sadly, we both found something missing from the ice cream that night – the cookie dough tasted a little nuttier and less sweet than I remember from past trials, while Mack remarked that the waffle cone was probably the best part of his treat – not a compliment to a franchise that emphasizes its daily-made ice cream.

While I can’t say I won’t ever be back to Marble Slab, without a coupon, it’s definitely less likely.

Cone options

Mixin options

The crazy line-up!

Mack likes ice cream

Like Wok Box, Only Better: Thai Express

After picking up some flowers to bring to Felicia’s commencement at the Jubilee, I stepped down to the food court at the City Centre Mall looking for a quick bite to eat before the ceremony. I headed straight to Thai Express, tucked beside Good Buddy just underneath the stairs. I noticed it a few months ago, and thought it looked exactly like a place I visited while in Vancouver last year. Turns out, Thai Express has locations all over Canada – I had no idea.

Between the curries, the soups, and the stir-fried rice and noodles, I decided to opt for my standard order of Pad Thai ($5.59 for the vegetable option). Being the only one in line had its advantages – my dish was freshly prepared in under three minutes, and absolutely smoking hot when I opened the box at the table. The staff were super-friendly, and as a peanut lover, I appreciated the container of crushed peanuts available to customers to self-garnish their orders.

Though I adore the Chinese take-out box packaging, I think it is meant more for things like dry ribs or fried rice – dishes where it isn’t necessary to thoroughly mix the dish first; it was a bit challenging to ensure that all of my noodles were evenly coated with sauce which had accumulated at the bottom of the box. Unlike Wok Box though, where I find the vegetables included to be quite sparse, this serving was chock full of bean sprouts, green and red peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots, and baby corn.

So for the price, the portion size, and the efficiency at which my order was processed, I’d visit Thai Express over Wok Box again any day, even sans coupon.

Freshly made-to-order

Boxed and ready to eat!

Pad Thai topped with peanuts

The Scent of Summer: Fat Franks

Ubiquitous in the warm months on street corners all over Edmonton’s downtown core, Fat Franks is a bonafide Edmonton establishment. In addition to 8 trailers stationed at Canadian Tire stores, 11 outdoor stands covering territory from High Street to the Law Courts, a Whyte Avenue location open 9 months of the year, there are two year-round operations: one at the River Cree Casino and another in Commerce Place.

I didn’t know about the Commerce Place location until recently, when a piece in Avenue Magazine caught my attention in December. It turns out it opened in October 2006, and has been satisfying customers ever since.

Some hot dog trivia (from a board at the back of Fat Franks):

“Hot Dogs” were first introduced in 1904 at the St. Louis World Fair. The name “Hot Dog” comes from the early NY City vendors who used to yell out “They’re hot, get ’em while they’re red hot”
Mustard is the most common condiment used on hot dogs
Fat Franks has served over 1 million hot dogs since 1995. That’s 3 million feet if put in a straight line; 134, 000 Kilos of meat, 113,000 kilos of bread & 32, 500 kilos of mustard!

Walking into the food court this afternoon, I almost missed Fat Franks – they really should have flashier signage, or at the very least, use all of the banner room provided above their space.

I took some time to peruse their menu. All of their hot dogs are made with 80% beef and 20% chicken (and no by-products). I had the choice between a Junior Dog ($2.60) to an Avenue Dog ($4.85) with bacon and cheese. I went somewhere in between with my order of a Jumbo Dog ($3.60). A variety of smokies were also on the menu, including honey ham, jalapeno & cheddar, and Italian, all priced under $5. Sides of fries were also available ($2-3), though after seeing their morning offer of a breakfast sandwich with grilled egg, bacon or sausage links and cheese, I almost wished it was still early.

The friendly attendant had my hot dog ready in seconds. I’m not too keen on toppings (I think it takes away from a really juicy hot dog), so with a little drizzle of ketchup, I was done. Before I left, I made sure to get a “Customer Appreciation Card” stamped – buy 10, get 1 free. I’m not sure I’ll be back often enough to warrant carrying a card in my wallet, but I should have asked whether or not it was valid at the various outdoor locations as well.

I sat down at one of the tables next to the window and inhaled the fragrant scent of a grilled hot dog – it is a smell that easily transports me to campfires and backyard barbeques. Between the toasted, crispy bun, the slightly charred dog, and the sweet tang from the ketchup, I was thoroughly satisfied.

While I’d probably have to have two dogs to make it a proper meal, one indoors was enough. Next time – I’m hitting up the carts.

Fat Franks in Commerce Place

Jumbo Dog

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