Toronto Redux: Unique Eats

Having grown up in Edmonton, and having endured years of reading and hearing about how Canada’s largest city is the centre of the universe, I realize I should despise Toronto. But after my sister moved there, and now having spent some time with her there, it’s hard not to admire and respect Toronto, especially for their vibrant and dynamic food scene only possible in a large municipality.

In March, Amanda and I were able to take in and explore some unique food events and places – things I’ve definitely never seen in Edmonton.

Come and Get It

Pop-up restaurants, mostly in the form of kitchen takeovers and guest chefs, have been all the rage over the past six months in Edmonton. But what we’ve never seen is a truly temporary establishment, as Toronto’s Come and Get It exemplifies.

Come and Get It

Set up on the ground floor of a soon-to-be-demolished building on Spadina, entrepreneurs took advantage of the low rent afforded by an indefinite lease and installed a restaurant inside the vacant storefront. Although a condo building is slated for construction soon, no firm dates have been established, so until then, Come and Get It will be in operation.

Interior

The space is clean, if raw, but befits the concept perfectly (including the . Accents are provided by splashes of colour on the walls and kitschy, retro décor, including a neon Mac monitor, Nike shoes, and plastic Barbie lunchboxes. Our favourite item had to be the N64 (on which I pwned Amanda in a brief post-dinner showdown).

Archie comics!

Come and Get It has an ingenious menu that doesn’t overwhelm a small, makeshift kitchen. The same base combination of ingredients can be requested in either a salad, sandwich or poutine form, easily multiplying the total number of dishes offered by the restaurant. Amanda and I were disappointed to find out that they were already sold out of the Granny Smith’s chicken caesar stream of creations, so she ended up ordering a Hawaiian pork belly sandwich while I chose the chipotle beef shortrib ($8 each). We decided to share a Hawaiian pork belly poutine ($7).

Even though the food seemed like it was ideal for take-out, the majority of customers were of the eat-in variety, as we were. The wait for food wasn’t long and arrived in paper boxes. Amanda’s first impression of her sandwich was that it was quite oily, but she liked the hoisin-glazed pork and the springy bread. The short rib in my sandwich was very fatty, to the point where I couldn’t really taste the accompaniments, which included chipotle aioli, ancho chili barbeque sauce, crispy onions and sweet and sour coleslaw.

Hawaiian pork belly sandwich

Chipotle beef short rib

The poutine was enjoyable – the fries were crispy and topped with a slightly sweet beef gravy and crispy cracklins. We would have preferred that the pork belly had been chopped up so we could easily pick up bits of pork with fries and cheese curds, but that was a minor quibble.

Pork belly poutine

The menu at Come and Get It will change often – but since it is a limited engagement, I’m sure that’s enough incentive for folks to return often. It was a neat to finally be able to visit a true pop-up establishment!

Toronto Underground Market

When my sister found out when I would be in Toronto, she jumped at the opportunity to take me to one of the city’s trendiest food events. The Toronto Underground Market is fashioned after similar events that have happened in other large cities including New York. They allow upstart small businesses and passionate home chefs to share their specialities with the public. Tickets sold out almost immediately, but Amanda was able to score a pair from someone on Facebook who didn’t need the number of tickets she bought.

We took the subway to Broadview in order to catch a shuttle bus to Evergreen Brickworks, where the Underground Market would take place. Like our experience with the Fail FunBus last year to reach the Night Market, it seems to me that Toronto always underestimates the number of people who choose public transportation – again, the small bus could not accommodate everyone who was in line (those who choose public transportation shouldn’t be punished, even if inadvertently so). Thankfully, we were near the front of the line, but felt bad for those left behind.

Evergreen Brickworks

Evergreen Brickworks is a not-for-profit space built on the bones of a former brickyard. Although parts of the buildings have been renovated to house a cafe, shop and teaching centre, the majority of the space is beautifully raw and industrial. Between the brick and high ceilings, it was a blank canvas that would be suitable for many different kinds of functions.

Shop

Covered ice rink!

That said, the Underground Market was set up in a covered, but not enclosed, part of the building. As a result, the frigid air seeped into the space, and even though the thermometer read –4, it felt closer to –20, especially after nightfall. But crowds were far from deterred – the space was packed, and proved to me that Torontonians are a hardy bunch! They wouldn’t let a cold night dampen their hunger.

Inside Evergreen Brickworks

Heat lamps helped, but only if you stood right beside them

Some vendors also had great fun in spite of the cold – these vendors would randomly cheer every few minutes, perhaps to keep themselves warm

It seemed to us that most vendors used the event as a platform to connect with foodies searching for the “next big thing”, and perhaps a launching pad towards a brick and mortar storefront. One obvious example was the taqueria that was physically separated from all of the other vendors out of necessity – their line was at least a hundred people deep half an hour into the event.

The line for La Carnita

Amanda and I weren’t very strategic in our choices, and in most cases, just chose vendors with the shortest lines. Some of our spontaneity paid off, while others did not. One vendor that did work out was Babi & Co. Their congee ($3) could have done with more of their delicious sweet soy reduction, but the egg and pork belly also added some needed texture to the soupy rice base. Their pork satays ($5) were freshly off the coals, but even better, the meat was tender and flavourful. The pickled cucumbers were a nice touch as well.

Congee

Pork satays

The Popover Girl had a neat concept – essentially a sandwich made using a popover in place of bread. But it probably wasn’t ideal for such a chilly night because the popovers really should have been enjoyed warm. My savoury popover was the better of the two, with hot chilli on the inside, but Amanda’s, filled with a Nutella mixture, ended up more like a very dry ice cream sandwich.

Savoury chilli popover

Amanda’s happy she scored a chocolate popover!

Our plunge into the crazy lines was at Comida del Pueblo. Amanda really wanted the jalapeno cornbread sandwich ($5), but even she didn’t think any food item would be worth a forty-five minute wait. Still, we couldn’t leave the line once we committed, so we shivered along until we reached the front. By that point, many vendors had already run out of food, so the crowds as a whole had started to thin.

No surprise, the sandwich didn’t live up to the mammoth expectations. The bread had a good crumb, but the cheese wasn’t melted. I also ordered an Ontario water buffalo empanada ($4) for good measure. It was steaming hot and was filled with a good amount of meat. The pastry was also enjoyably flaky.

Jalapeno cornbread sandwich

Water buffalo empanada

As a whole, it was a great experience, and neat to see so many people embracing small-scale vendors. I wondered if something like this would work in Edmonton, but in many ways, our farmers’ markets serve as the incubators in our city.

Longos

Longos is the largest independent grocery store chain in Toronto, but I didn’t get a chance to visit their store until this trip. Our hotel location meant we were about ten minutes away from the Longos located in the basement of Maple Leaf Square, so we were able to pick up some ready-to-eat items for a quick breakfast.

I didn’t do an extensive inventory of the store’s items, but they did carry treats by local favourite Dufflet in their freezer case.

Dufflet products

I was also impressed by how inexpensive some fresh bakery items were, that would be considered “specialty” items in Edmonton, and aren’t readily available at mainstream grocery stores.

Chapatti

Korean wheat pops (they tasted like lighter rice cakes)

My last post about Toronto will be about all of the restaurants we had a chance to try, including a few more Oliver & Bonacini outlets that we couldn’t stay away from!

Food Notes for April 16, 2012

It was a bit of an exhausting weekend, but it was worth it! Our second annual Eat Alberta food conference took place at NAIT on Saturday, and I think the event was a success! I will write more about it this week. On to this week’s food notes:

West Edmonton Mall’s annual Taste of Bourbon Street takes place from 4-9pm on April 17. Mack and I attended the event last year.
Mack and I are looking forward to letting loose at the Shaw Conference Centre’s Hot Chefs, Cool bEATS event on April 21. It should be a great time! Here’s Chef Paul Shufelt’s take on the event.
Three Boars is now open! We’ve heard nothing but good things so far – it sounds like both a welcome addition to the neighbourhood and to Edmonton as a whole!
Edmonton will have another new food truck on the streets this summer – watch for Bombin’ Berts coming soon! They will be launching their truck at the Pride Parade festivities on June 9, 2012.
Liane wrote about the revamp of the Citadel’s restaurant space, courtesy of the folks behind Normand’s and Glenora Grill. It sounds like they hope that breakfast will be their ticket to breaking the curse – let’s hope it works. It’s a shame when such a prime location is underused.
Vue Weekly had a great feature on Food Dish Wishes and The Clever Rabbit – I had no idea the two were opened by entrepreneurial sisters.
The Journal also had an article about some of the frustrating red tape restaurants and cafes have to go through in order to set up patios outside of their storefronts.
There has been quite a bit of backlash against the City’s announcement of their Food in the City conference – is it a learning opportunity or a public consultation? If it’s the former, could they have picked a more cost-conscious venue? (for a quick comparison, the 2.5 day Food Today, Tomorrow conference I attended three years ago was $160). And if it’s the latter, is $175 considered a reasonable fee to be charging citizens to contribute their opinions? Worst of all is the scheduling – most of the producers who we should be consulting will be unable to attend because it is a market day. You can let the City know your thoughts about this here.

The Cooking Chronicles: Ham and Cheese Waffles

Every so often I come across a dish that grabs me, and regardless of the calorie count, I have to have it. This happened with poutine sandwiches, and again last week with another indulgent dinner.

One of the housewarming gifts we received when we moved into our condo two years ago was a waffle maker. Due to a lack of pantry and cupboard space (and our preference for pancakes instead of waffles), the appliance languished in storage, unopened.

But when I saw this Bon Appetit recipe for ham and cheese waffles, I knew I’d be reaching for the dusty waffle maker. A savoury waffle, studded with bits of crusty ham and melted cheese? Sign me up.

The batter was easy enough to pull together, though it did require the separation of egg whites from yolks to ensure the waffles were light and fluffy. There was also A LOT of butter (an entire cup of it!), but this wasn’t the time to pull back. Cheese and ham were sprinkled on top, once the batter had been transferred into the hot iron. We found that we could have easily tripled the amount of cheese specified in the recipe, as we didn’t get the desired melt-y factor we were looking for.

Inspired by Under the High Wheel, we chose to eat these dinner waffles with poached Sunshine Organic eggs on top, the rich yolks acting as the “syrup”. Yum.

Ham and cheese waffles with poached eggs

As we had two waffles left the next day, we enjoyed them for breakfast (heated up in the waffle iron), served with warmed maple syrup. They weren’t bad with this touch of sweetness, but I think I preferred the savoury version.

With maple syrup

If you’re looking for a breakfast-for-dinner idea, I’d highly recommend these waffles. I know we’ll be dusting off our waffle maker again some time soon.

An Innovative Food and Drink Event: Hot Chefs, Cool bEATS

There’s no doubt that the appetite for food and wine events in Edmonton has been growing. In many ways, this is great for consumers who have much more to choose from, though with every passing year, distinguishing one from another has become more challenging. Every so often, however, a unique concept is introduced, and a second look is required. I think the Shaw Conference Centre’s upcoming fundraiser, Hot Chefs, Cool bEATS, is one such event.

What: Hot Chefs, Cool bEATS
When: Saturday, April 21, 2012
Time: 6:30-10pm
Where: Shaw Conference Centre
Cost: $150 (all inclusive)

Mack and I had the opportunity to sit down with Vinomania’s Gurvinder Bhatia recently to talk about the event. He and Shaw Executive Chef Simon Smotkowicz are co-chairing Hot Chefs, where funds raised will support Culinary Team Canada’s quest for gold at the Culinary Olympics in Germany this fall, as well as their High School Culinary Challenge program that supports young talent with apprenticeship opportunities and scholarships for formal training. Their driving vision behind creating Hot Chefs was actually wanting to break the mould of a typical wine-and-dinner event – how far outside of the box could they go?

As it turns out, by leaps and bounds. To start, instead of a traditional cocktail reception, guests will encounter a street festival in the foyer of Hall D. All of the food was inspired by dishes that could be found in street hawker stalls from around the world: The menu includes (all food and drink samples are included in the ticket price):

pork belly on rice from Filistix
jerk chicken with pineapple and lime slaw from Drift
barbeque duck on arepa with fermented slaw from Transcend
laksa noodles with tofu from Wild Tangerine
beef tartar from Bistecca
brisket sliders and duck fat poutine from Culinary Team Canada
tequila, Mexican beer, wine, St. Germain cocktails

The main event will move inside Hall D, which will be transformed into a culinary tourist’s dream. Gurvinder described a space where guests will not only be able to sample different types of cuisine and liquors, but will be immersed in the sights, sounds and experiences those regions have to offer:

In “Little India”, Guru will be offering Kathi rolls alongside Indian beer, and Mendhi artists will be on hand for henna art
In the “Brasserie”, Culinary Team Canada will cook up mussels and fries, croque monsieurs, and offer a selection of cheese to accompany French wines and Alley Kat beers, with French Canadian band Allez Ouest setting the tone
In “Granville Island”, Culinary Team Canada will be serving oysters two ways (on the half shell and as fried oyster sliders), salmon tacos and fish and chips to be paired with Granville Island beers
In “Little Japan”, guests will be able to try sake and roll their own sushi with Culinary Team Canada chefs, with Japanese drummers Kita-no-taiko providing entertainment

Elm Cafe, Duchess and Transcend will also be on hand sampling appetizers, macarons and coffee, respectively, and guests can also look forward to an Iron Chef-style competition featuring Culinary Team Canada chefs.

The only sit-down portion of the evening comes at the end, with a plated dessert prepared by Culinary Team Canada’s pastry chef.

In many ways, its disappointing that the vision of Hot Chefs isn’t better articulated on either the poster or the webpage. Given the number of local restaurants involved, and the street festival and culinary tour concept, I think this event is one that food lovers cannot miss – Mack and I picked up our tickets this weekend. Hope to see you there!

Find out more about Hot Chefs, Cool bEATS on their website and on Facebook.

Calgary Steak-Out: South St. Burger, Kensington Riverside Inn, Knifewear and Telus Spark

Besides exposing us to some of Calgary’s best restaurants, our YYCSteak Tour also inevitably allowed us to explore some of the other things our southerly neighbour has to offer.

South St. Burger

On our way down to Calgary, we decided to stop at Crossiron Mills for lunch. I had spotted South St. Burger the last time we were there, and this seemed like an opportune time to finally give it a try.

South St.

We were initially lured by their use of fresh Spring Creek Ranch beef, though the ability to customize each of our burgers wasn’t overlooked as well (something that seems to be all the rage at present, with chains like Five Guys and Rodeo Burger picking up steam in Edmonton).

The system was very similar to what you would encounter at Harveys – customers order and pay first, then are shuffled through a line to have your burger designed. South St. offers almost thirty different toppings, including several different mayos, relishes, and even a mango chutney.

Toppings

I ended up just choosing their burger combo ($9.29( while Mack upgraded to the cheeseburger combo ($10.29). Although we liked the size of the patty (much thicker than Five Guys), if they hadn’t made the claim of using fresh patties, we wouldn’t have known otherwise – they appeared to us to have been cooked from frozen. On the side, I have to say I enjoyed the onion rings, even if Mack didn’t.

Our meal

Burger

As a whole, South St. wasn’t disappointing, but it also wouldn’t be worth a detour either.

Kensington Riverside Inn

Tourism Calgary arranged for us to stay in the Kensington Riverside Inn, a marked departure from our usual high-rise digs in the core. It was a nice change though, as the charming room featured a semi-private patio area, turndown service, and a coffee tray in the morning.

Kensington Riverside Inn

There were also certain advantages to residing in the Kensington neighbourhood. One was its proximity to one of Calgary’s most bustling cafes, Higher Ground (coincidentally, it turned out one of our fellow YYCSteak companions, Dan Clapson, was the coffee shop’s manager).

Breakfast at Higher Ground

The other was how close we were to the Bow River and its waterside trails. Although the blustery conditions didn’t make it an ideal day for a stroll, we still took some time to explore what the area had to offer.

We took some interest in a pedestrian bridge that was still under construction at that point, called the Peace Bridge. Due to cost overruns and its somewhat avant-garde designs (one local told us that to them, it resembled one of those “Chinese finger traps”). The bridge opened on March 24, 2012 – I can’t wait to cross it the next time we’re in Calgary!

Peace Bridge

On our way back to the hotel, we also stumbled across this incredible bird house tree (dubbed the “Urban Bird Timeshare”) in the Sunnyside neighbourhood. What a unique and lovingly-crafted landmark!

Urban Bird Timeshare

Knifewear

We had intentions to do some window shopping in Inglewood, but it turned out most of the boutiques and culinary shops were closed on Mondays. Thankfully, Knifewear, the store that we really wanted to check out, was open!

Knifewear

Specializing in Japanese knives, we had only heard great things about Knifewear. Mack and I have been meaning to get a “real” knife for some time, but knew we wanted to wait until we could get down to Calgary.

The salesperson that assisted us was knowledgeable, and asked us some probing questions so that she could better recommend us a knife that would suit our needs. The best part of the shopping experience was actually getting to try them out! There were tomatoes and potatoes available on cutting boards so customers could get a firsthand feel of what the knife was like to hold and chop with.

Trial station

We ended up with an American-style factory-made knife – I had wanted some familiarity with what we currently use. And after using it for a number of weeks, I can say I am more than happy with the purchase – and I know where I’ll be heading when we need to further upgrade our collection!

Our knife!

Telus Spark

Tourism Calgary also wanted to provide us with an opportunity to check out one of their newest attractions – the brand new Telus Spark, their rebuilt space and science centre. Located in the same area as the Calgary Zoo, there’s no doubt this will be a high-traffic area for visitors to the city.

Telus Spark

Although the HD digital dome theatre is forthcoming, we were still able to get a good sense of the facility from the permanent galleries that were complete. Without a doubt, the biggest impression it left on us was just how hands on it was.

Erosion at work

There were a countless number of opportunities for patrons to “play”, including the Being Human, Earth & Sky and Energy and Innovation galleries. One example in the latter space that Mack and I particularly enjoyed was a wall where we could learn how much energy common household appliances would use when left plugged in and idle (for example, a coffee maker uses 305 watts per year).

How can you prevent brownouts?

The galleries also featured areas where patrons could leave their mark by commenting on an exhibit or answering a posted question. It was neat to see the collected responses – some very heartfelt and personal.

The wishing tree in the creative kids museum (for children aged eight and under)

The busiest gallery by far during our visit was the Open Studio. It was definitely made with the twenty-first century child in mind, with most of the activities being driven by digital technology. Many of the young patrons we saw were engrossed in animating their own scene – with options to do this digitally, with figurines and on paper.

Painting with sound!

As a building overall, Telus Spark also has some great function space. Theatres aside, the 10,000 square feet atrium is wonderfully open, with high ceilings and built-in projection, sound and lighting systems. We could see it being used for Pecha Kucha nights in Calgary.

Atrium

Telus Spark has also introduced some great events to try and engage unconventional audiences. Their once a month adult-only nights turns the facility into an evening destination, with a DJ, bar, and time and space for adults to get in touch with their childlike curiosity. It’d be neat to see something like this in Edmonton (though I’m not sure the expansion of the Telus World of Science will get us quite there).

In all, it was neat to see what’s possible with a brand new science centre. Check it out the next time you’re in Calgary!

Food Notes for April 9, 2012

I hope you all had a good Easter full of family and food! Mack and I had a pretty relaxing weekend, but are still trying to get some things finalized, such as the What the Truck?! schedule for the summer and fall (we hope to be more on top of things in the second year of this festival). In the meantime, like us on Facebook! Onto this week’s food notes:

Jennifer Cockrall-King is doing a talk about her book, Food and the City, at the Queen Mary Park Community Hall at 7:30pm on April 10, 2012.
Join Dee Hobsbawn-Smith at the Muttart Conservatory on April 26, 2012 for the launch of her new book, Foodshed: An Edible Alberta Alphabet. I flipped through the book today, and it looks like a great read and resource!
Valerie recapped what looked like an amazing “Rge Rd in the city” pop-up dinner at Chai Pani recently.
Courtenay, of the blog Messy Little Cook, has relocated (temporarily) to Amsterdam! She’s going to share her food adventures abroad – check it out!
We spotted these adorable(?) vegetable and animal-themed buns at T & T over the weekend. My friend Annie picked them up and said the custard was pretty creamy on the inside – so perhaps worth the novelty factor after all!

Who says you can’t play with your food?

Coming soon: more Vietnamese food in the core – The Phat Noodle (10347 Jasper Avenue) is moving into the space vacated by Sankyu 2 Go, next to Corso 32.

The Phat Noodle

Speaking of Corso 32, I neglected to write about our experience two weeks ago, momentous only because it was Mack’s first meal there. Ramps were everywhere on the menu! We especially enjoyed the house made goat ricotta and the grilled cheese topped with egg.

oat ricotta

Grilled cheese

Mack also joined me for lunch at Pho Tau Bay for the first time over the weekend (we actually met Callie from Revive Wellness there, as she wanted to feature us in their “Love to Lunch” blog series; you can read our answers here and here). Tau Bay is my go-to lunch spot when I’m not brown bagging it – it’s quick, consistent, delicious, and means that I can get a nice walk in over the lunch hour as well. Mack slurped up all of the soup and every noodle in his bowl – definitely a good sign!

My usual

Mack’s pho with brisket and steak

Good to the last drop!

Our unconventional Easter dinner took place at East – I had been itching for a reason to return to the restaurant with my family, and the long weekend was it. The roti and potato curry was as good as I remembered it, and the egg floss-topped butter shrimp and sweet and sour pork belly was a hit with my parents. The Penang char kway teow didn’t have that smoky wok aroma that we were looking for, and we found the glaze on the K.L. BBQ pork on the sweet side for our taste. Still, the service was great that night, and we enjoyed the dinner as a whole.

Roti

Butter shrimp

Sweet and sour pork belly

Penang char kway teow

K.L. BBQ pork

For a late lunch on the go this afternoon, we stopped in at Remedy downtown to try one of their butter chicken wraps ($8.75). It took over fifteen minutes for our order (we suspect because the kitchen may have dropped the ball), but the wrap itself made up for it. Hot and crispy, the wrap packed in a ton of chicken and the occasional pop of potatoes and peas.

Butter chicken wrap

On Saturday night, Mack and I headed to the Breakfast Television studios for the first ArtsScene Edmonton event of the year, their Trip the Light party. It was such an unconventional venue, but in many ways, was perfect for such a gathering, with a built-in stage, lighting and sound equipment available. Mack wrote a detailed recap, but I have to say I particularly enjoyed the high energy Mitchmatic. Thanks again to ArtsScene for the invitation!

BT party central!

Mitchmatic in action

Photo booth!

Toronto Redux: Tourist Trappings

I don’t get to travel for work often, so I felt very fortunate that I was able to attend a conference in Toronto in early March, and even better, stay on a few days longer so I could visit with my sister. Though it seems like just yesterday when I was out east (in reality, it was back in July), it was a great opportunity to be able to see the city in a low-tourist season. I’ll do my best to recap the trip in a timelier manner than I have in the past!

Depending on your interests, the number of tourist-driven sites and activities to visit could take up the bulk of any visitor’s itinerary. And though Amanda and I made a valiant effort to clear off some of those highlights last summer, there were still a few boxes I wanted to tick off my list.

Westin Harbour Castle

The conference hotel happened to be the Westin Harbour Castle, and after our experience, I think it will become our accommodation of choice on future visits to Toronto.

Our home for the week

Although the room itself and the service were nice but not exceptional, the location was second to none. Situated on the shore of Lake Ontario, our room had fantastic views of the water and of Billy Bishop Airport, all while being just steps away from Union Station and several major attractions. The waterfront location and directionality of our room sheltered us from the hustle and noise of the nearby freeways, and even better, we were able to easily take advantage of the trails and park adjacent to the hotel.

Our view

Harbourfront in the late winter – still beautiful on a cloudy day

Do not feed the birds

We had crossed through the same area in the summer, but it was more peaceful in the time leading up to spring – smaller crowds and open waters – all the more conducive to relaxing, contemplative strolls.

Even swans love the harbourfront!

Harbourfront Centre

We also made a point this time around to explore the Harbourfront Centre. We had no idea you could watch artists at work in the open studios, or take a look at the art displayed in the galleries.

Studio

Gallery

There were also skate rentals available to make use of the picturesque rink in front of the Centre, but (for me), the lack of railings were a deterrent.

Rink

Steven and Chris and the CBC Museum

After sitting through another taping of a daytime talk show, I think Amanda and I have gotten it out of our system. She booked us tickets to Steven and Chris, a CBC lifestyle show that airs in both Canada and the US.

We couldn’t help but compare this taping to our experience at CityLine last year. It was clear that for Steven and Chris, the audience was somewhat of an afterthought. First of all, it was longer than advertised – about three hours from the expected arrival time to being released from the studio. Second, there was only one monitor where we could follow the action on stage – especially important given the camera and behind the scenes personnel obscured much of what was happening. This monitor was unfortunately also partially blocked by cables. Third, unlike CityLine host Tracy Moore, who spent a lot of time after the show taking photos with all guests who requested one, Steve and Chris, between segments, only managed to pose with about half of the audience, then ran off immediately after the show wrapped. The show assistant and audience wrangler did their best to entertain us during the breaks, with giveaways, but they felt divorced from subjects covered in that episode.

Our view

The topics, which included storage design tips, muscle building exercises, cocktail recipes and children’s snacks, were of marginal interest to us, but we could see the appeal of the show. Chris is undoubtedly the star of the show, playing up a persona of a bumbling but good natured host.

Steven and Chris

We left the show with something in hand – generous samples of a shampoo and conditioner. But if being a part of a Toronto taping is something on your list, unless you are a Steven & Chris devotee, I’d recommend that you sign up instead for CityLine tickets.

That said, one of the bright sides of the Steve & Chris taping was that it got us to the CBC building. We made sure to check out the public museum while there, where we saw artefacts from shows that both my sister and I grew up watching, including Mr. Dressup and The Friendly Giant.

The tickletrunk!

Old friends

Doing her best Don Cherry impersonation

Raptors!

I will always remember my introduction to Canada’s only NBA franchise – they played an exhibition game many years ago in Edmonton, and although I’m sure the team itself should have been more memorable, what I recall instead was their mascot, Raptor. He has two versions: the more accommodating costume allowed Raptor to perform tricks and dunks, while the other (my favourite) was inflatable, and could be expanded and shrunk in the most comical matter. Needless to say, in anticipating our visit to the ACC, I was most looking forward to seeing Raptor again.

Anticipation

Amanda was able to secure tickets to a game versus the Orlando Magic. They were great seats at an amazing discount, courtesy of her friend who works for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

Great seats

The game

We weren’t treated to the inflatable Raptor that day, and as a whole, the Raptor entertainment factor was rather low that day – no half-time tricks or anything more than a pre-recorded video of Raptor’s attempts at making it onto the Canadian Olympic team.

Raptor in the spotlight

The closest we got to Raptor was his foray into our section towards the end of the game, patty-caking with spectators a few rows away from us. His energy was certainly infectious, and it was clear that he was a crowd favourite.

Patty-cake!

Unfortunately for the team, a late rally and a strong performance from DeMar DeRozan wasn’t able to push them past the Magic. They lost 88-92 that night.

Real Sports Bar & Grill

Also on the sports theme, Amanda took me to one of her favourite place in Toronto – Real Sports Bar & Grill, a sports bar in Maple Leaf Square. It’s definitely a feast for the senses, to the point where I felt overly stimulated – between the flat screens (including our own personal television in our cozy booth), sports-themed fixtures, spotlights and blaring DJ-mixed music. And though there was nothing overly inappropriate for children, given the amount of alcohol flowing all around us and the tightly-clad waitresses, I was surprised to see the number of families with young children on the restaurant side of the establishment.

That said, it’s the bar side of Real Sports that really wows. A wall of screens entertain two floors of patrons, seated at the bar and a mix of tables and booths, all lit with a stylish blue hue. In addition to this open space, Real Sports also has a variety of smaller seating options as well, including a private area featuring recliners and in-seat service.

This is Real Sports

Amanda was able to make an early 5:45 reservation, but because it was game night for the Leafs and the place had been entirely booked up a week in advance, we were only able to have the table for an hour. Thankfully, they weren’t very rigid in enforcing this, and we didn’t feel rushed at all.

The prices were definitely a little higher than what I was used to paying in a lounge, but given the location and the surroundings, the premium was understandable. I couldn’t resist ordering one of the hot dogs in “Burkie’s Dog House” (I wonder if this section of the menu would be automatically renamed if Brian Burke was no longer the GM). My southwestern BBQ dog ($12.99) came topped with coleslaw and pulled pork – the hot dog itself had a nice snap, but the barbecue sauce was a tad sweet. The fries were perfect, however, hot and crispy and served in a cute mini-fry basket. Amanda’s Real Sports burger ($12.99) arrived pretty charred, but she didn’t mind.

Southwestern BBQ dog

Real Sports burger

Real Sports did a great job in replicating some of the energy that would be found in a sporting venue. There is nothing like it currently in Edmonton, but I have to wonder if something similar (albeit smaller) would work in the proposed Arena District.

Pearl Harbourfront Chinese Cuisine

We decided to take it easy on our last day in Toronto, with the aforementioned trek by the water. At lunch, we could have ventured to other more well-known restaurants, but given our low-key day, opted for the convenience of a restaurant inside the Queens Quay Terminal.

Pearl Harbourfront offered a water view and a relaxed dining atmosphere, just what we were looking for that day. We knew its tourist-centred address would make the food a crapshoot, but we were willing to take the risk. Urban Spoon reviews directed us away from the pricey dim sum menu (even though the majority of diners around us were partaking in the shared approach), but we found the regular menu just as expensive.

Amanda liked the view

We ended up with two dishes we were reasonably happy with (even though we weren’t entirely sure the server, with his limited English, understood what we wanted). Both the broad rice noodles and crispy chow mein ($15 each) hit the spot, and our only qualm was that the broccoli had been woefully overcooked.

Rice noodles

Chow mein

In all, it was a great place to sip tea and enjoy our last few hours together in Toronto, and contemplate when I’d return again.

I’ll be writing more about some of the unique food events and restaurants that we visited in future posts – stay tuned!

Roots on Whyte: Blush Lane Organic Market and Under the High Wheel

Though I really love where we live, I have to say I was envious of Old Strathcona residents this weekend when Mack and I paid a visit to their newest grocery store addition.

Calgary-based Blush Lane Organic Market opened its first Edmonton location two weeks ago in the Roots on Whyte building. Their philosophy places an importance on sourcing local products whenever possible, so I was interested in seeing their actual inventory. As accessibility of local products is one barrier that prevents consumers from making such choices, having a shop open for hours more extensive than a farmers’ market should help matters.

Blush Lane

The store is bright and well-organized, and packs a great variety of products in the relatively small space they occupy. They have a much better selection of local products than the nearby Planet Organic, at better prices. Sunworks supplies a majority of the protein – eggs, chicken, beef, pork – all at the same prices found at their stall at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market (and on the Roots on Whyte website, appears to be a separate business altogether). There was quite a bit of local dairy as well, including Bles-Wold, Vital Greens and Fairwinds Farms. In our quick sweep, we didn’t see much local produce, but we’re eager to see what will have in stock come summer and fall.

Sunworks products

It seems like Blush Lane, unlike other grocery stores, opted against an extensive prepared food aisle, which typically takes up quite a bit of real estate (we’re thinking of our neighbourhood Sobeys on 104 Street in comparison). They do have a deli, however, offering some ready-to-eat items.

Deli

We were already laden with items from the OSFM, but did pick up some Vital Greens milk. Mack and I can only hope that our own neighbourhood market, Pangea, is as well stocked!

Before heading home, we stopped for lunch next door at Jennifer Ogle’s venture, Under the High Wheel. The space is sparsely decorated, but it seemed to match a menu that focused on simple ingredients. We were told that Da Capo was supposed to have opened simultaneously (and prepare their coffee-based drinks), but due to construction delays, would not be ready until the end of April. As a result, they are trying to cope with their drinks menu on their own, with some struggle.

Under the High Wheel

The brunch menu was short, but still replete with options that Mack and I had trouble deciding between. We settled on the grilled panini ($13) and Belgian waffles ($14). I’m hoping for future menus that the names of local producers will be included, though we found out that the bread used for our sandwich was from the Italian Centre.

Two of my favourite things: Mack and pea tendrils!

The panini, with smoked cheddar and tomato, was nicely toasted, and we appreciated the sweetness of the tomato within. The fried egg on top didn’t hurt either, and even Mack, ever the salad hater, finished his greens! They were tossed in a light vinaigrette, with radishes adding a splash of colour and spiciness.

Grilled panini

I think the Belgian waffle, topped with bacon, a poached egg and hollandaise was the winner that morning, however. The waffle walked the sweet and savoury line well, and was perfectly crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside. The bacon really was what made the dish, especially because the egg was closer to medium as opposed to soft poached. But as a whole, this composition will make me dig out our own waffle iron to experiment!

Belgian waffle

Under the High Wheel is a nice addition to the neighbourhood, and would be a draw in and of itself. But coupled with Blush Lane, would make a great weekend outing. I look forward to many returns!

Under the High Wheel (in Roots on Whyte)
8135 102 Street
780-439-4442
Monday-Tuesday 11am-6pm, Wednesday-Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-4pm

Food Notes for April 2, 2012 (plus a giveaway to the California Wine Showcase!)

Mack and I have been trying our best to take advantage of the lengthening daylight hours by going on more and more evening walks – it really feels like spring is here! On to this week’s food notes:

Sorrentino’s Annual Garlic Festival kicked off on April 1, 2012. This year, they are focusing on highlighting local ingredients.
If you were already thinking about it, this is a good week to give Crepe Symphony a try – all of their savoury crepes are $5 from April 2 – 7, 2012.
I’ve heard quite a bit of buzz about Three Boars (8424 109 Street) as of late. Anyone know when it is opening?
It has been interesting to see the direction Culina has taken in the past few years, first in expanding to enhance the food options at the Muttart Conservatory, and now serving up food in the Culina Cantina at the Edmonton Police Service Headquarters.
Backyard chickens have been in the news as of late – I have to wonder if the media picked up on Kevin’s webisode.
Every time we walk past Remedy downtown, we are absolutely amazed to see how packed it is – where did all of these folks hang out before it opened? Or did they just migrate from the Garneau location? Anyway, it was neat to see a profile on Remedy owner Sohail Zaidi in the Journal this weekend.
It was neat to see Slow Food member Johwanna Alleyne in the Journal – I had no idea she had a side pickle business!
Tonight Mack and I attended the 25th Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts at the Winspear. I really enjoyed all of the performances this year, especially Colleen Brown’s set. It was the first year we’ve attended that they’ve eliminated the intermission in favour of a food-filled after party in the lobby, and I have to say, I think it made for richer post-event crowds! The Northlands food was hit and miss – the petit fours and cold dips were the best of the lot.

Colleen Brown

Reception

Sherbrooke Liquor Store is organizing a California Wine Showcase, taking place at the Royal Glenora Club on April 13, 2012 from 6:30-9:30pm. The $65 ticket price is includes access to food and over fifty different wineries. Best of all, the event supports two good causes – Sherbrooke is donating proceeds to KidSport Edmonton and the Royal Glenora Gymnastics Program. The organizers were nice enough to not only provide a 10% discount to readers of this blog, but they have also offered me two tickets to give away. So to enter, just answer the following question by leaving a comment below with a valid e-mail address before noon on April 6, 2012. I’ll pick a comment at random and contact the winner by e-mail. The question is: What about the California Wine Showcase are you most looking forward to? Good luck!

EDIT on April 7, 2012: Congratulations to AH for winning the two tickets!

Not so Fab: Phobulous

Before jumping on the LRT to tackle the Home & Garden Show last Sunday, Annie and I met up for lunch at Phobulous. Neither of us had been there, but we’d heard quite positive things about the restaurant prior to our visit.

Our first impressions started off right – the interior was bright and cheery, and I was immediately drawn to the colourful paper lanterns hung from the ceiling.

Lanterns

That feeling didn’t last for long, however. We sat ourselves at the one remaining table (the only other seats were at the bar), and the server, with nary a greeting, wordlessly dropped off menus at our table and left. Our subsequent exchanges with her were similarly curt and perfunctory; it seemed like the last thing she wanted to do was interact with us at all.

In the face of such indifferent service, we were hoping the food would help balance out the experience. I liked the approach they took on their menu: dish categories were broken down and explained, so that those new to Vietnamese cuisine wouldn’t feel excluded. I also appreciated their cheeky page of pho puns (including “pho real” and “phonomenon”). I decided to order the “phovarite” with rare beef and brisket ($8.95). Annie decided to stick with bun, and chose the vermicelli bowl with grilled beef and spring rolls ($10.25).

My pho was disappointing, especially because it was one of their namesake dishes. Not only was the broth salty, but the small amount of meat provided was overcooked. The brisket was the better of the two, and the rare beef was anything but.

Pho with rare beef and brisket

Annie fared better with her vermicelli bowl. She commented that the noodles were more moist than bowls she typically encounters, perhaps due to the inclusion of more shredded vegetables. She enjoyed it.

Bun with grilled beef and spring rolls

With so few Vietnamese restaurants in the area, there’s no doubt Phobulous fills a need. But with unremarkable service and inconsistent food, it won’t be a restaurant I’ll be seeking out again anytime soon.

Phobulous
8701 109 Street
(780) 988-2696
Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sundays 11am-9pm

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