City Market Report: Week 7

After a late night Friday, Mack and I couldn’t get ourselves out of bed until late this afternoon. That translated into only basic choices of product at the City Market, but enough to get us mostly through the week.

Overhead

On the other side

I had mistakenly noted that the week prior would be the last week for asparagus, when in fact, Edgar Farms was still selling it today. We of course missed out, but will look forward to the return of the snappy green spears next year!

You will be missed, asparagus

Beets from Riverbend Gardens

See you next week!

Cooking Chronicles: Perfect for Summer

Meals that are easy to throw together are a welcome addition to our kitchen any time of year, but it seems especially valuable in the summer, when we’re trying to make the most of those warm weather nights. Here are two recipes we tried recently that helped us do that.

Mini Quinoa Cups

Thanks to Courtenay, I was exposed to the idea of incorporating quinoa into a basic frittata recipe popularized by Iowa Girl Eats. Though I’ve been making mini frittatas for quite some time (in fact, it was the first ever “Cooking Chronicle” I posted all those years ago), I never thought to punch up the protein factor by stirring in some cooked quinoa.

Mini quinoa cups

We used diced ham, Sundog Organic spinach, aged cheddar and chives from our balcony garden as fillings, but should have followed the recipe more closely when it came to using non-stick spray (I didn’t have any, and probably didn’t do as thorough of a job brushing the oil inside the individual baking cups). That said, other than some of the quinoa cups not detaching perfectly, the recipe itself worked out very well! Mack loved the crunch from the quinoa, and served over Sundog Organic greens, didn’t even complain that he was eating a salad!

Over salad

We had a few quinoa cups left over the next day, and found that they also made a quick, tasty breakfast, heated briefly in the microwave.

Lemon Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Tomato

Mack was in charge of dinner a few nights ago, and had selected a pasta recipe that made use of tender crisp asparagus from Edgar Farms and sweet cherry tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses.

He substituted the stelline we had on hand for the orzo, added some Dreamin’ Green Farm chicken and balcony basil, and tossed it all together with garlic, lemon and olive oil from Evoolution.

Lemon pasta salad with asparagus and tomato

It’s probably the sort of thing many wouldn’t require a recipe for, but we appreciated the guidelines. It was a very light dish, with varied textures that really celebrated the fresh produce. Mack especially liked the prominent lemon flavour.

We’ll be on the lookout for even more such recipes this summer!

Culinary Q & A with Foodie McPoon

Occupation: Administration at Alberta Education

What did you eat today?

Banana and a nut bar for breakfast, an apple and Greek yogurt for a mid-morning snack and salad with leftover Singapore noodles from dinner last night for lunch (if you’re wondering where it’s from, it’s from Panda Hut Express).

What do you never eat?

Raisins if I can help it. I hate raisins in muffins, cookies, etc but I eat raisin toast…Weird, I know. I don’t have a good explanation either.

What is your personal specialty?

I don’t really have a specialty dish because I cook many different foods, but I do an awesome cold shrimp salad appetizer, as well as well-seasoned potato wedges.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find: Greek yogurt, eggs, milk, cilantro, green onions, proscuitto and pickled asparagus.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Lemon baked chicken, panko breaded pork chops or noodles & soup.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

My Cuisinart food processor (next in line is my KitchenAid stand mixer).

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

A large, piping hot bowl of noodle soup, preferably pho with loads of white and green onions thinly sliced with medium-rare beef, also sliced thinly. This is making me hungry!

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I try not to eat out too often, but on occasion my default options are pho usually at Pho Hoa on 97 Street (or whatever restaurant is closest), Kyoto for sushi or Double Greeting Wonton House for their wonton and beef brisket noodle soup.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Two places — For dinner, definitely The Dish Bistro. I love their food and their portion sizes are quite substantial considering their prices are very, very decent. The atmosphere is also very cozy and unpretentious! For dessert and coffee, there’s no other than Duchess Bake Shop. I am now truly obsessed with French pastries, especially ‘le macaron’. What did I do without them?!

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

There is this wonderful cafe called The Dunes in Prince Edward Island and I am head over heels for their summer lobster salad. I would also love to eat an authentic bowl of spicy pho in Vietnam, or fresh sashimi/sushi in Japan.

Check out Foodie McPoon’s blog here.

City Market Report: Week 6

Mack and I made sure we picked up our week’s worth of groceries at the City Market on Saturday morning before ducking out of town, but it did mean I didn’t have a chance to post about the market until now. It was a glorious start to the weekend, though we can’t say it was the same in Calgary (quite the opposite, actually). Still, it did kick off our Saturday in a really positive way!

Gorgeous weather

We were out pretty early for our standards (especially when compared with last week), but still missed out on what carrots Sundog Organic had on hand. Next week!

Radishes from Sundog Organic

Beets from Kuhlmann’s

Last week for Edgar Farms asparagus!

It was also great to see the first BC strawberries and cherries of the season out in full force!

Strawberries from Steve & Dan’s

Cherries from Steve & Dan’s

Though we couldn’t stay long enough to take in the festivities, the Alley of Light folks had organized a Street Art Festival for that day. We were able to check out some of the light-themed dumpster wraps. Who says garbage can’t be beautiful?

Piece by Andrea Kuchera

See you back on the street this Saturday!

Food Notes for June 25, 2012

I can’t believe how fast the summer is just flying by – it’s July next week! Hope you’re out enjoying the outdoors when you can! On to this week’s food notes:

I’m looking forward to participating in next week’s DIYalogue Talks Food, a “cultural mix-and-mingle” with people involved in the local food scene. Join us at the Blackdog Freehouse (10425 Whyte Avenue) on July 4, 2012 from 6:30-8:30pm! Filistix will be providing the catering. Get your tickets here.
Savour Strathcona County is a good reason as any to head over to Sherwood Park to sample food prepared by local restaurants. Advance tickets to the July 15, 2012 event are available now.
Drift has won their appeal, and can remain in their spot on 108 Street. In other food truck-related news, Councillor Don Iveson filed an inquiry with administration to look further into what the City can do to further refine the street vending policy. Expect a report in the fall.
The You Gotta Eat Here segment on Tres Carnales was amazing! I think it showcased so well what Chef Edgar and the restaurant is doing for Mexican cuisine in Edmonton. It sounds like the show will be back for more filming in Edmonton this summer, with The Dish on tap.
You can now satisfy your sweet tooth before leaving for your destination: Mack sent me a link about Coney Island Candy’s new shop in the Departures wing of the Edmonton International Airport. It’s great to see local businesses infiltrating EIA!
Although I’m in favour of reducing the amount of bottled water served at restaurants, for a city like Edmonton with such a top notch water filtration system, I think the investment into Q Water by Hardware Grill isn’t necessary. Maybe it isn’t fair to expect Hardware Grill to be the cheerleaders behind our local water system, but wouldn’t it be ideal if one of Edmonton’s most respected restaurants took a stand and told the world that yes, our tap water is as good if not better than the bottled stuff?
Metro axed its weekly review column, with the last write-up by Christopher Thrall appearing this week.
Both Valerie and Liane filed great reports about this year’s Okanagan Food and Wine Writers Workshop, put on by Jennifer Cockrall-King. Looks like some great eats!
Valerie announced that she and several others are putting together a Cheesepalooza Project, a 9 to 10 month Artisan Cheesemaking adventure where they will use Mary Karlin’s Artisan Cheese Making at Home as a guide and all make the same cheeses to a specific schedule. If this is something you’re interested in, leave a comment on Valerie’s post.
On Friday, Mack and I joined a good crowd on Manasc Issac’s new rooftop patio for an after work drink. We need more of these in Edmonton!

On the roof at Manasc Issac

Mack and I headed to Calgary this weekend for a bit of a birthday getaway. We were able to hit up quite a few restaurants I had on my list, but they deserve a separate post. A few bits and bobs:

Loved this map of the Calgary Farmers’ Market – I recognize that this is a permanent, year-round market, but it definitely helps customers navigate through the aisles. Could the City Market consider printing copies of their maps housed online?

At the Kingsland Farmers’ Market, we spotted the parked (and sadly, closed) Naaco Truck. We loved its bright colouring, and even more, the edible garden on its roof!

We also had to make an obligatory Phil & Sebastian’s stop – this time at the Chinook Centre location (love that they’re doing an outdoor pop-up cafe this summer).

Join us for our last Truck Stop in Old Strathcona this Wednesday, June 27, from 5-8pm in McIntyre Park. Check out the menu here.

Nomad’s pulled pork sandwich from the June 20 Truck Stop

Go for the Samosas: Guru

Every time Mack’s Dad rolls into town solo, usually en route to a conference somewhere, it means we’re in store for dinner at an Indian restaurant. Mack’s Mom lacks an affinity for curries, so Martin takes advantage of any opportunity he can to satisfy his cravings (it is similar to Mack’s love of Greek).

Last Thursday, Mack and I suggested that we give Guru a try. Origin India had been our go-to place for previous occasions, but we’ve been meaning to head over to Chef Deependra Singh’s restaurant for quite some time, and this was the perfect excuse. We were also told Guru had a good gluten-free menu, which was needed for one in our party as well.

Located between 100 Avenue and 170 Street, Guru is highly visible to traffic, but in some ways, this is also a drawback. We were seated by a window, which would normally be ideal for access to natural light and green, but all I had in my line of sight was a constant stream of cars. For that reason, a table in the heart of Guru is more desirable.

The interior is tasteful, with dark wood throughout with some glass accents. A small bar and private room round out the dining area, and the kitchen offers a windowed peek into the work of the naan artist.

Interior

Buffets aren’t offered at Guru, which in some ways was freeing because of our knee-jerk tendency to choose buffets by default. This way, we had to be more selective about what dishes we wanted to try. Mack and I missed the initial spiel from the server, but he apparently recommended that each of us order our own dish. This surprised me a bit, because apart from buffets, I usually correlate Indian food with family-style service.

This wasn’t the first time I would be a little taken aback by the server. Though I wouldn’t consider Guru a fine dining establishment on the same level as Hardware Grill, I would still hold it to a standard higher than casual upscale eateries like Earls or Joey’s. As a result, the informal demeanour of the server was unanticipated – his mention of using the samosas to pick up girls at Moxie’s, or “spending all his money at bars and having nothing to show for it”. Some may have found his candid nature refreshing, but I thought it was out of place, and cheapened the experience somewhat.

That said, we thoroughly enjoyed the food. The butter chicken samosas (4 for $12) were hot and crispy, the flaky shells enhanced by a sweet tamarind sauce. The chicken could have been a touch more moist, but it was impressive just how much meat they packed in each samosa. Mack loved these, and commented that he’d return just for the samosas.

Butter chicken samosas

Entrees ranged in price from $18-24 (rice and naan separate), so I figured the servings would be quite large. When the bowls arrived, it didn’t quite meet those expectations. After struggling to finish the dish, however, I realized it was quite deceiving, especially for such rich, flavour-packed curries.

The paneer butter masala ($18) essentially substituted the dense Indian cheese for chicken, so Mack and I got the best of both worlds – his favourite sauce, my favourite protein. We were told the heat level would be a three on a scale of ten, but for me it was probably closer to a one. The fish moilee ($24) was a nice surprise, tender fish in a coconut-based sauce. This was particularly tasty paired with the saffron rice and coconut naan.

Paneer butter masala

Fish moilee

There were other nods of approval around the table – Martin and Thom ordered the Guru Rajasthani lamb curry ($21), Shane the chicken vindaloo ($19) and Kim the butter chicken ($19).

Chicken vindaloo

At the end of our meal Chef Singh did come to check on us, which was a nice touch. And though we now have two good options where we can gather the next time Martin is in town, I have to say I’d lean towards returning to Origin India. Guru would be a close second on that list, especially if we were craving those butter chicken samosas.

Guru
17021 – 100 Avenue
(780) 484-4300

2012 Taste of Edmonton Launch

I was able to spend my lunch hour at the Taste of Edmonton media launch on Wednesday at the Citadel Theatre, fortuitously scheduled in between meetings I had nearby. Daytime events are always a challenge for me (and I would imagine for other bloggers as well), and though I appreciate that the invitation was extended to us online folk this year, the timing really was aimed at the mainstream media.

Caprese salad from Lit

This was no more evident than when Mack and I arrived around the advertised start time of 11:30, but discovered that the food wouldn’t be served until about forty-five minutes later; by that time, we needed to leave to get back to work.

Giuseppe Albi, General Manager of Events Edmonton

That said, it was a nice opportunity to catch up with some people I hadn’t seen in a while. The mood was light (helped no doubt by pours of Alley Kat), and the weather outside seemed to mirror the optimism organizers had about some of the new elements they have put together for this year’s festival. Those include:

7 new restaurants (including Guru, Share and TZiN )
65% new menu items
a feature food truck area called Curb Your Hunger (which will include Drift, Molly’s Eats, Smokehouse BBQ and The Act)
a return to live cooking demonstrations, which this year will involve a competition between food bloggers
a partnership with Race Week Edmonton to expand family-friendly programming with activities on Centennial Plaza

I have been very critical of Taste of Edmonton in the past, and will not fully pass judgment on their 2012 incarnation until we’ve had a chance to experience it firsthand. That said, the core of any event with “taste” in their name should be good food. Unfortunately, our brief sampling that day didn’t showcase some of the restaurants in the best light –forty-five minutes in an unheated chafing dish ruined many plates that needed to be served hot, notably, the bacon maple poutine from Hudson’s and the butter chicken samosa from Guru.

Poutine from Hudson’s

As expected, Mack and I are most curious about Curb Your Hunger. We are really happy for the vendors that have been permitted to participate, as this will hopefully expose even more Edmontonians to the wonderful fare that trucks can offer. That said, it will be interesting to see how the trucks will manage with the twelve hour service days. Relief staff isn’t a given with trucks, and unlike the restaurant booths with room for plug-in coolers, there is a limit to the amount of food that can be contained in a vehicle. We’ll see whether or not the festival can accommodate the unique challenges faced by food trucks, or if they will be adhering to a one-size-fits-all model for all vendors.

Susan from Molly’s Eats

Thanks again to the Taste of Edmonton staff for the invitation. We look forward to checking out some of the new features this year!

Taste of Edmonton runs July 19-28, 2012. Discounted tickets are on sale at Tix on the Square until July 18, 2012.

Super Saturday: DECL Pancake Breakfast and What the Truck?! at Al Fresco

If you weren’t downtown on June 9, 2012, you missed a heck of a party. Dubbed “Super Saturday”, June 9 saw a convergence of several high-traffic, high energy events in downtown Edmonton, including the DECL Pancake Breakfast, City Market, Pride Parade, TEDx and the Al Fresco Block Party. I am happy to say that I was involved in two of them.

DECL Pancake Breakfast

I took on the lead role this year in planning Downtown Edmonton Community League (DECL)’s annual fundraising Pancake Breakfast. All funds raised are donated directly to Al Fresco’s charity of choice, chosen to be Zebra Child Protection Centre this year.

Zebra Child Protection Centre’s display

It was a great experience working with Sobeys on 104th, our long-standing lead sponsor who donated the pancakes, sausages and coffee that we served, and Affordable Storage on 104th, who secured a large donation of juice boxes for use at the event. Sobeys and Affordable Storage demonstrated to us again that they are community-minded businesses who didn’t hesitate before committing their support.

Scott shows ‘em how it’s done

We were also happy to secure a prominent location to set up our breakfast this year. In 2011, we were relegated to the two lanes of Jasper Avenue, out of the sightline of City Market shoppers. This year, the market and the City were amenable for us to host the event in the intersection of 104 Street and 102 Avenue. As a result of this and the good weather, our lines stretched longer than we had ever seen before.

Around the block!

For a donation of $2, hungry patrons received a plate of pancakes and sausages, served up by enthusiastic DECL board members and volunteers. They were in the weeds for most of the morning as the crowds grew ever larger, but they handled it with grace and smiles to spare!

Love the aprons!

The drawback to our location was having to vacate the intersection by 11:30am, given the Pride Parade was set to charge down the street beginning at noon. As a result, we had no flexibility of extending our breakfast service beyond 11am, and unfortunately, disappointed some who had been waiting in line.

Great morning for an outdoor breakfast

At the end of the day, DECL was able to raise and donate over $1150 to Zebra. Thanks again to the generous donations from those who took part!

What the Truck?! @ Al Fresco

Mack and I were excited to take on a more active role relating to the Al Fresco Block Party this year. We’ve attended the festival every year since its inception in 2008, and as this was our second year as residents on 104 Street, we relished the opportunity to positively contribute to the neighbourhood.

Thanks to Brittney who snapped this photo of us before the madness began!

I mentioned in a previous post that the Planning Committee thought integrating food trucks into this year’s event was an ideal way to offer food, and Mack and I agreed. Servicing street party patrons than with curbside cuisine seemed like the perfect fit. It was also a great opportunity to be a part of something larger, and plug into the expected crowds that would gather downtown to take in one or more events. Rough estimates for that Saturday pegged the numbers at around 30,000.

Al Fresco from above

What the Truck?! @ Al Fresco was our first for 2012, and our largest event to date, with ten vendors in total. We took over both the intersection of 104 Street and 102 Avenue, as well as the street directly north of that. The space afforded us to have a seating area in the intersection, and room for many strategically placed lines.

Smokehouse BBQ had the longest line all night

We have to commend the City Market on an efficient load out (an hour!), which enabled us to load in nearly all trucks in less than forty minutes. Special thanks also goes out to Tri-Line Disposal, who donated not only several large collection bins, but also smaller wheeled bins for organics and recyclables, which greatly helped us control the on-site garbage.

Busy square

With the skies threateningly overcast for most of the afternoon, Mack and I were worried that a downpour would lead to a dip in attendance. But we were very fortunate to have a solid three hours of operation, as the downpour didn’t begin until 8pm. Until then, we had a very strong crowd enjoying the food and music who didn’t seem to mind the grey skies.

Mack and I even had the opportunity to try some food on our own! Battista’s Calzones was on our list, as WTT was the site of the Calzonemobile’s debut. They were the first truck to sell out.

All smiles inside the Calzonemobile

We also tried out the BBQ pork and custard steamed buns from The Lingnan Express. I love that they consistently experiment with items never found on any of their restaurant menus; I know I appreciate it as an eater!

Steamed buns

As we spent most of our time at WTT, we didn’t get a chance to take in the rest of Al Fresco this year. Some of the feedback we received, however, was that the stage set up at the south end of 104 Street divided the festivities, and prevented essential north-south sightlines. As a result, many patrons who visited WTT or the extended patios and Melcor tasting lot had no idea anything else was going on down the road. We wholeheartedly agree, and this is something the Planning Committee will address next year.

Extended patios from above

The weather also was a factor in the TEDx after-party shutting down early. Their flashy stage and screens set up on 104 Street south of 104 Avenue were only functional for about half an hour until the rain forced them to tear down, lest the equipment sustain water damage. Mack and I were too late to see the stage in its full glory, but from our balcony, it was a pretty epic view.

All the way to 104 Avenue

Being a part of Al Fresco, the vendors all agreed to donate proceeds from the evening to Zebra Child Protection Centre. In all, the donations totalled about $4,000!

There were a lot of “sold out” signs that night

Thanks again to everyone who came out and supported What the Truck?! Thanks to our tireless vendors for putting street eats on the map in Edmonton. And thanks to the few unsung heroes who helped us pick up trash and move tables after dark.

We still have plans for a few more events this summer, but until then, don’t forget about the final Truck Stop in Old Strathcona on June 27, 5-8pm. Hope to see you there!

Toronto Redux: Restaurants Galore!

I’ve been a delinquent blogger, always posting about things very late in the game. But hopefully some time this summer, I’ll finally catch up! That’s the hope, anyway, at this halfway point in the year…

This post refers to my March 2012 Toronto trek, which I also wrote about here and here. I’ll be back again to recap my May 2012 trip in future posts.

I’m amazed Amanda and I were able to fit in so many restaurants in those six days, in between attending a conference. But a girl’s gotta eat, right?

The Stockyards

The Stockyards was without a doubt the most disappointing experience we had, which was a shame because it was some of the best food we ate that week.

Located near the Saint Claire West station (a great example of transit-oriented development, with a grocery store right above the subway and drugstores, restaurants and other amenities within three blocks), we read about The Stockyards in Where, and a quick search online yielded an irresistible brunch menu.

The restaurant is tiny – 18 bar-style seats. When we arrived, there was already a number of people waiting for seats in the de facto lobby. While we were more than ready to wait, we weren’t prepared to be ignored by the two servers. One walked past us twice without acknowledging us, and the other proceeded to answer the phone and have a prolonged personal conversation when we approached her at the counter. After we were seated at the bar with a view of the kitchen, we were asked to move to seats on the opposite wall to make room for a larger party. The server offered us a complimentary biscuit to make up for the move, which was nice, but the service didn’t really improve from there. Coffee refills were scarce, and though Amanda had ordered the same dish as the patron next to me, he was afforded a dish of wet naps while she was not. Maybe The Stockyards is a place where only the vocal and aggressive are served well, but if that’s the case, it’s an even stronger reason for us never to return.

Interior

As I mentioned, the food really was great. What can I say about the fried chicken and waffles ($13)? I thought The Drake was the epitome of fried chicken, but I was wrong – the skin was incredibly crispy, but even better, the meat beneath it was so juicy and moist it actually made it messy to eat. We also loved the play of sweetness and heat from the chili maple molasses citrus glaze.

Fried chicken and waffles

The biscuits with sausage gravy ($11) was a monster of a dish. The biscuits, flaky and warm, were perfection, and the eggs were a creamy dream.

Biscuits with sausage gravy

A shame, because Amanda and I will never return to The Stockyards.

Bannock

At some point it became a mission for Amanda and me to visit all of Olivier & Bonacini’s restaurants. We already covered Jump and Canoe last year, so this time around, Bannock and Luma were on our hit list.

Located in the Hudson’s Bay downtown, Bannock connects to this historic Canadian company by purporting a philosophy of “Canadian comfort food”. It’s also the only restaurants I’ve ever dined in to feature a fishbowl window that looks directly into the store, but without the dingy cafeteria vibe. The interior of Bannock could be described as an urban cabin, with “aged” wood beams lending a rustic but polished look. Paper placemat menus completed the playful theme.

“Wine” display at Bannock

We were seated on the banquet wall, which was spaced so narrowly that at times, it felt like a communal table. We happily chatted with the neighbours (openly gawking at their orders, and vice versa), though it did make getting in and out of the bench seating a bit of a challenge.

I couldn’t help but order their signature HBC cocktail (vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice and peach puree). It tasted, not surprisingly, like juice, though I have to say I expected a bit more colour homage in the drink, with layers, or at least the use of some throwback spirits.

Amanda and I split three dishes that night. The first, a Prairie grain salad ($9), was the starter equivalent of a kitchen sink, but in a good way! Delving in, we continued to unearth the different ingredients that made up the dish – from barley, lentils and sprouts, to cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, and pickled cucumber. It was a light but filling salad, and would be a great vegetarian entrée on its own.

Prairie grain salad

My favourite of our meal was their mac and cheese ($14). At first, I thought the inclusion of wilted spinach was a bit token in nature, meant to make indulgent diners feel a little less guilty, but it actually worked quite well to add texture and a bit of colour to the bubbly pasta dish. It ended up being one of the best mac and cheeses I’ve ever tasted, with a nicely melted crust and pasta bathed in a creamy, rich sauce. Somewhere, Mack was salivating.

Mac and cheese

The duck poutine pizza ($16) was good in theory – a thin crust topped with roast duck, caramelized onions, fries, cheese curds and gravy. But I think it was all just a bit too much; the duck was overwhelmed by the poutine, and honestly, after the first few bites, Amanda and I struggled to finish the rest. It was also a dish that absolutely needed to be consumed hot – as the pizza cooled, it definitely lost its panache.

Duck poutine pizza

As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Bannock. Perhaps it is too soon to declare it at the top of my O & B list, but I would make it a point to return upon our next Toronto visit.

Luma

Situated on the second floor of the Toronto International Film Festival Lightbox on King Street, Luma has one of the best people-watching vantages we’d come across. It also makes an excellent first impression, with its serene, uniform-level dining room, Edison bulbs, and neutral colour palette.

Interior

For that reason, I was hoping the food would match the surroundings. The table bread had us off to a great start; the artichoke-garlic spread was a punchy alternative to butter.

Bread with delicious artichoke-garlic spread

Amanda’s croque madam ($9) was an enviable dish, a perfectly runny egg atop a layer of béchamel and toast.

Croque madam

My meatball sub ($15, with salad substitution) with provolone and arugula was just okay. The meatballs weren’t as tender as I would have liked, and the bread had been over-toasted to the point where it was difficult to eat. The mixed greens on the side were tasty, however, with the alfalfa sprouts an unexpected but welcome touch.

Meatball sub

Service was low-key but friendly, and we felt well taken care of. Between that and the stellar location, I would return to Luma again, but would hope that the food would be more consistent next time.

Dark Horse

After lunch, Amanda and I headed towards Queen Street West, and happened to stumble upon the newest Dark Horse cafe in Toronto. It had only opened the day prior, and was so new the storefront was still without a sign above the door. It was an undoubtedly eye-catching space – I loved the red brick and pressed tin ceiling.

Dark Horse

I had wanted to try an espresso-based drink from Dark Horse, but their espresso machine wasn’t working, so they were only offering filtered coffees and milk-based drinks. Amanda and I decided on a hot chocolate and London fog, respectively.

London fog

The London fog was very smooth and balanced, and gave me confidence that their lattes would be equally tasty. Until next time, Dark Horse!

Food Notes for June 18, 2012

The River Cree Casino is hosting an Heirloom Tomato Festival dinner on June 20.
MKT is now open, and judging by the patio we passed last Friday, it looks like it will be a popular destination for the Whyte Avenue crowds.
Liv reviewed one of the newest cafes in Edmonton – Fresh Cafe.
Twyla captured her less-than-shining experience at the south Edmonton branch of Nello’s.
This was the first time in four years that Mack and I missed Indulgence. After attending several pricey food events in a row, we thought it was time to take a breather. That said, I’m glad Marlow Moo recapped it so I could see what I missed!
Marianne wrote about high tea at the Devonian Gardens. Looks like a lovely way to spend a summer afternoon.
Liane profiled Evoolution, the newest specialty food shop on 104 Street selling olive oils and vinegars, in the Journal last week.
Also in the Journal, TZiN got a great review. I can imagine it will be even more packed now!
Maybe I called the trend way too early, but it seems like now that Pinkberry is forthcoming, frozen yogurt has finally hit the big time in Edmonton.
Congratulations to Serge Belair of the Shaw Conference Centre who won the Culinary Federation’s chef-of-the-year challenge in Halifax!
Have you heard about the Yeg Food Mob? They are similar to the Cash Mob that has sprung up in Edmonton in recent months – citizens who gather to support local small businesses and “mob” them on an organized date – but with a food focus. Their last mob visited Prairie Mill Bakery.
In case you missed it, here’s a handy list of farmers’ markets from the Journal (though a few, like Highlands, are missing).
It’s always neat to read about the history of designs that have become so iconic, such as the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle.
Caffe Sorrentino seems to be making its presence known all over the city. We noticed one way in Eaux Claire recently, and it is also coming soon to the ground floor of the Mayfair.

Caffe Sorrentino

I noticed Noodle Noodle closed some time ago, and the sign in that window indicated that the owners would be opening up another establishment on the south side. It didn’t occur to me that that location was the former Kelsey’s on Calgary Trail. Expect Tasty Noodle (3203 Calgary Trail) to serve up all day dim sum, among other things.

Tasty Noodle

Mack and I stopped inside Cally’s Tea on Sunday. The shop looks lovely, and the bite of scone we had was scrumptious. I’ll be back on another occasion for high tea! For more about Cally’s new location, check out this great write up at City and Dale.

Cally’s Tea

Though we didn’t stay, after picking up some things at Blush Lane, we checked out the new Da Capo in the Roots building. Loved all of the windows, and how they made the most of the narrow space.

Da Capo

At Save-On the other day, I just noticed that The Little Potato Company was also making ready-to-heat potato packages. Given convenience foods are so popular, I’d be interested in seeing if people gravitate towards local brands.

Zingers

Mack and I participated in one of the last City Wide Food and Agriculture Strategy stakeholder consultations tonight. There was some great discussion, but it will be interesting to see what will ultimately make it into the draft document due out in September. On the same note, if you haven’t yet filled out the public opinion survey, you have until June 23 to do so.

CWFAS Workbook

My agency held its Annual General Meeting at the Expo Centre for a second year in a row. I remember the food being all right last year, but this time, it was less than ideal. The chicken was beyond dry, and there was not enough sauce to make it enjoyable.

The usual chicken and vegetables

To celebrate my Dad’s birthday on the weekend, my family had dinner at Golden Rice Bowl. It’s been a while since any of us had been there, but it didn’t disappoint. I will always have a soft spot for peaches and shrimp!

Peaches and shrimp

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