All Year Round: the City Market at City Hall

It was an interesting day downtown today – as Mack and I walked towards City Hall this afternoon, we encountered the Occupy Edmonton demonstration in Churchill Square.

Occupy Edmonton

It was peaceful but spirited, with protesters carrying a wide variety of signs and costumed as everything from V to zombies.

With so much activity in the core, we figured it must be just as bustling inside City Hall, but that wasn’t the case. I loved the irony – if even half of the protesters purchased something from a purveyor at the market, what kind of difference would that act make towards supporting small businesses and local economies? Anyway, that’s a different discussion for another day.

Protesters march

Unlike last year, when the City Market didn’t make the leap into City Hall on a regular basis until March, I was excited when it was announced that the transition from street to indoors would be immediate. With a forthcoming marketing campaign on ETS buses and LRT, this edition of the year-round City Market also seems like it will be better advertised. Still, approaching City Hall, one would be hard pressed to guess if anything was going on inside, let alone Edmonton’s oldest farmers’ market. I can imagine the politics that might be involved in proposing outdoor signage for the building, but it would definitely go a long way in raising the profile and visibility of the market.

An unmarked City Hall

Inside, there were about three dozen vendors. Having arrived around 1pm, we figured we missed the rush, but we were told that it had been fairly slow so far.

Quiet aisle

The set-up in the City Room was similar to the spring market, with vendors lining most of the first floor. We asked about the capacity of the space (given there are currently sixty vendors who have signed up to participate this fall and winter), and were told that they have the permission to expand to the second level if need be.

Kuhlmann’s and Doef’s had prime spaces

Apparently the marimba player (who would be familiar to City Market on 104 Street shoppers) had been performing earlier in the day, but had retired by the time we arrived. Unfortunately, there was no ambient music to fill the void that he left – hopefully the Market works on this next week as it felt a bit like a library beneath the pyramid.

Shoppers peruse fruit at Steve & Dan’s

We really weren’t sure which vendors to expect, knowing that many producers have chosen only to sell on select Saturdays (the list of vendors on the website is thus not that helpful). But we were pleasantly surprised at the variety – Doef’s, Kuhlmann’s, Sundog Organic and Steve & Dan’s were on hand for produce; Nature’s Green Acres, Sunshine Organic, Irvings Farm Fresh, Medicine Man Bison and Ocean Odyssey for protein; and Prairie Mill to round out the basics. We missed seeing Van Os Dairy though – it was nice to be able to get organic milk on the same trip as well!

Produce at Sundog Organic

Obviously, Mack and I are thrilled to have a year-round farmers’ market within walking distance of our home, and will continue to support this venture. However, I’ve said it before, but I will say it again – the Market needs to do a better job at informing consumers which producers will be present on which days (their advice on the website is this: “make sure you talk to your favourite vendors and find out their market schedule”). Particularly because vendors will be inconsistent through the season, I really think it would not only help shoppers plan, but help the market as a promotional tool.

Kuhlmann’s

When we approached the information table with this question, we saw they had a detailed matrix of vendors and market dates on paper. We asked why that information wasn’t available online, and we were told they were still learning how to use the new website, and didn’t have the final confirmation for some vendors. Though the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market is much smaller, they’ve managed to do this, so there is precedence.

As I mentioned, we will be back next week, but we do hope some minor tweaks will be made to help make this market the best year-round option in Edmonton.

The City Market at City Hall will run every Saturday (except December 24 and 31) from 10am-3pm until May 2012.

A Little Less Lustre: Red Star

Prior to checking out a show at Western Canada Fashion Week two weeks ago, May and I were intent on grabbing a bite to eat downtown. Though our original plan was to meet at MRKT, it turned out the restaurant was booked for a private function. As a result, we ended up heading down the stairs to Red Star (it’s great to have so many establishments within a stone’s throw of one another).

Given it was a Thursday night, we thought it would be much busier than the three small parties present. Perhaps the post-work crowd was elsewhere that evening for happy hour celebrations?

It’s been over a year since I’ve had a sit-down meal at Red Star, and in that time, star chef Daniel Costa had left to open his own popular venture. Although some of the menu items were similar to the old menu, there were a few less items to choose from, especially in terms of heartier dishes. And though I know Red Star doesn’t necessarily strive to be known for its food (the extensive beer menu is what is most often cited), I did appreciate the options before.

May and I decided to share an order of beef carpaccio, and each ordered Pembina pork pasta as a main (two items that remained from Chef Costa’s original menu). Our dishes took a little longer than we would have liked, but I’m sure the kitchen was putting up plates as fast as possible – one of the other tables had ordered food as well.

The carpaccio was not a subtle dish, as there was a little too much lemon and parmesan, overwhelming the beef. On the other hand, I loved the balance of the fresh arugula and the slightly tart and crunchy green apple.

Beef Carpaccio

The pasta was just the right serving size, with a generous amount of pork enrobed in the sweet tomato sauce. Instead of the expected sausage or ground meat in a dish like this, the pork had been pulled; a nice surprise. My only critique was for the meat to have had a fuller texture closer to distinct shreds as opposed to an almost mashed consistency.

Pembina pork pasta

Although Red Star is still a good, low-key option for a casual meal with more creativity than your average pub, I wonder if it has lost some of its lustre since Chef Costa’s departure. This visit wouldn’t deter me from returning again, but I’d likely try some of the other dishes next time.

Red Star Pub
10534 Jasper Avenue
(780) 428-0825

Food Notes for October 10, 2011

Want to win two free tickets for anywhere WestJet flies? Then head to Mack’s blog and answer one simple question: what was your most memorable volunteer experience in Edmonton? On to this week’s food notes:

Noorish held their grand opening on October 8, 2011. Did anyone attend?
Liane posted about a series of dinners the Queen of Tarts will be hosting. Starting on October 22, guest chefs will be cooking up $45 five-course prix fixe dinners in order to ease the cafe into dinner service.
Jacek chocolate is back! After taking a break to have her first child, Jacqueline Jacek debuted her new collection of couture chocolate last week. Check out the Ruby & Gold Collection here.
Three Edmonton restaurants will apparently be featured on an upcoming episode of a new Food Network show called You Gotta Eat Here: Highlands Kitchen, Tres Carnales and The Sugar Bowl. Looking forward to seeing the local eateries highlighted!
On a related note, Eat St. was just in Calgary to film three of their trucks: Perogy Boyz, Fries and Dolls and the Alley Burger truck. Is it time to launch a campaign to bring the show to Edmonton?
While at Southgate for the Crate & Barrel opening on Wednesday, I spotted a New Asian Village Express in the food court. It’s great to see a local restaurant chain “infiltrating” a food court!

New Asian Village Express

Mack, my parents and I joined over a hundred other guests at The Lingnan on Tuesday to preview The Quon Dynasty, the new reality series featuring the restaurant family. It’s much more fast-paced than the previous Family Restaurant, and as a result, is more entertaining and funnier to boot. Watch the first episode on CityTV on October 16 at 8pm.

With Kinman, Amy and Marty Quon

I attended the Metropolis press conference on Thursday to find out more about the new winter festival, which debuts on Churchill Square on December 31, 2011. It’ll be interesting to see what the structures look like in person, but I do hope it lives up to the expectations surrounding the event. Among the six pavilions will be a Polar Brewhouse, which will be run by the Canadian Brew House, and a Taste of Winter pavilion, which will feature up to twelve restaurants. Given it is a new event, I’ll be open to seeing how the Taste portion will be run, but I’m not sure it’ll be much better than a typical Taste of Edmonton year.

Brewhouse and Taste pavilion mock-ups

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving! My family gathered around a lovely meal cooked by my Mum – in addition to turkey and sides, she also made spring rolls wrapped with caul fat (from Irvings). Although they weren’t as crispy as she would have liked, they were still pretty good!

Thanksgiving dinner

I used some of the leftover three-cheese mac and cheese that I had made for dinner to make Mack a sandwich the next day, inspired by something we had seen on Food Network. Though it was tasty enough, we both figured it probably would have been better (read: cheesier) if the macaroni had gone straight from the oven and into the sandwich.

Mac and cheese sandwich

It’s hard not to be thankful when our weather has been so gorgeous!

Footbridge in the fall

Have a good week everyone!

#yegalleyburger Redux

Back in April, my sisters and I lined up for Edmonton’s alley burger, offered by the enterprising Century Hospitality Group. Modelled after Charcut’s popular venture in Calgary, chefs at Hundred tweet out the time the burgers will be served so hungry patrons can plan to line up early to guarantee themselves some grub. This time, Felicia and I had Jeff and Mack in tow too – the two of them hadn’t yet tried a #yegalleyburger.

On Friday, we arrived in the back alley around a quarter after nine (the burgers were to be served at 10pm) and found that we were the first ones there! Over the next half an hour, thirty people or so arrived and joined us in line.

The line-up

At 9:50, Chef Andrew Cowan came out to trade $5 for a poker chip that we would ultimately exchange for a burger.

Mack and Jeff will gamble for good eats

Right on time, Chef Cowan came out with a tray full of burgers. He said that the kitchen had decided to do a classic cheeseburger, with lots of garlic, leaf lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo.

Chef Cowan

Success!

Mack’s patty in particular was cooked pretty rare, but he didn’t mind. They were also quite serious about the garlic – roughly chopped, it was definitely the dominant flavour of the burger. Though both Felicia and I preferred the previous alley burger incarnation featuring egg and arugula, this was still one tasty burger.

#yegalleyburger

The main difference between Edmonton’s alley burger and Calgary’s edition is the creativity Hundred’s kitchen demonstrates each time – patrons never know what to expect. It will be interesting to see how late in the year Hundred will continue this – how cold will they go?

City Market Report: Week 21

In contrast to last year, the end of the 2011 season of the City Market on 104 Street doesn’t feel as final. Although Mack and I will miss having all of the vendors and festivities just out our front door, we are comforted knowing that the market is continuing indoors at City Hall next week (they also debuted their new website this week!).

One of the signs taped to the street as a reminder

I really hope the word spreads far and wide so patrons will still think of the City Market as a new year-round shopping option. Though I know it will take some time to embed this fact, I don’t think enough has been done to promote the seamless transition to City Hall. We just ran into a woman in our building this morning, a regular market shopper, who didn’t know about the continuation.

City Market

The other half of the battle is convincing shoppers that this year-round City Market will be populated with enough vendors to make a trip there worthwhile (instead of, say, heading to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market where one would be certain of the vendors present). It is a bit of a chicken-egg argument (vendors need a critical mass of patrons to purchase their products, but patrons need a good variety to be enticed), but I really think it would have been great if even a partial list of vendors who had committed to the City Hall edition was released. Again, as I mentioned last week, I realize that the City Market still hasn’t received applications from all vendors, but I think it would help people plan their shopping trip, and create a concrete buzz for next week.

Irvings Farm Fresh will be at City Hall all winter

Regardless, as far as a wrap-up to the outdoor portion of the market year, the weather was brilliant. Sunny and warm, it almost made up for the many rainy and miserable Saturdays this summer.

Riverbend Gardens could even go without a tent!

Mack and I always love to see events that tie-in to the market, either right on the street or in the area, and the studio sale in the Great West Saddlery building was no exception. We popped upstairs to see designers Bridget Smatlan, Jessica Halabi, Gabrielle Cruz and Corinna Chow in their element. It was good to meet all of you!

Corinna and Gabrielle in their studio

As I did in my last City Market report post in 2010, I wanted to again pay homage to the dedicated producers who work to bring us fresh produce, proteins and wares week in and week out, whatever the weather. Here are just some of the producers:

Andres and Megan of Greens, Eggs and Ham

Jen of Jen’s Organic Garden

James of Sundog Organic Farm

Irvings Farm Fresh

Patty of Lola Canola (in her last market appearance!)

Rick of Barr Estate Winery

Ed of Sunshine Organic Farm

Mathias and Gerda of Green Valley Farm

Thanks for a great outdoor season, and see you at City Hall next week!

Street Food for Lunch: Truck Stop

This afternoon, from 11am-2pm, we hosted our inaugural Truck Stop, a smaller offshoot of What the Truck?! at Churchill Square.

At this point, we’ve resigned to the fact that the weather won’t be on our side. We recognize that it could have been much worse – the rain held off until the very end – but after three events in less than ideal weather, we don’t know what we have to do to get some sunshine on our side!

Anyway, set-up this morning was seamless – 102A Avenue in front of City Hall has been closed to vehicular traffic for a few years now, and as we found with What the Truck?! 2, curbside is the best way to go with food trucks. By 11am, all five vendors were ready to go – but would Edmontonians brave the elements for street food?

Ready to go

Of course they would! The crowds didn’t swarm in droves as they did for WTT, but we didn’t expect them to, given the lack of notice and the inherently smaller nature of the event. We had pulled some of the colourful bistro tables from the centre of the Square to create a more inviting space, and were happy to see the slight chill didn’t deter people from al fresco dining.

Lunch time!

Smokehouse BBQ, with its wafting aromas of wood smoke, had a pretty solid line up during the noon hour lunch rush. They tweeted later that it was indeed a good day – they sold more today than they would have over four days in their usual spot in Nisku! So fans of Southern BBQ – if you give them a reason to come back – they will!

The line at Smokehouse

Mack and I had been looking forward to trying Smokehouse BBQ ourselves – and they didn’t disappoint! The three rib mac and cheese was my definite favourite – the meat just slid off the bone! And the creamy mac and cheese was especially comforting in the cold.

The bacon bomb and the three rib mac and cheese

But the beauty of food truck gatherings is the variety – and it was great to see groups of diners arriving together, but ultimately choosing the truck that would best fit their craving, whether it was from Bo Thai, Drift, Fat Franks or Eva Sweet.

Jill enjoys her pork belly sandwich from Drift (and tries not to look cold!)

At noon, a zumba class on the Square definitely enlivened the atmosphere. Mack and I weren’t sure that the dance class would go forward with the numbers that were anticipated, but boy, were we wrong. Upwards of forty people joined the instructor for an up-tempo work out right in Churchill! Unfortunately, this was the last zumba class of the year, but given its success, it sounds like programmers will want to continue it next year.

Zumba on the Square!

Halfway through the event, we noticed some fire pits and heat lamps on the Square. It’s too bad we couldn’t have put them into use today – I’m sure it would have encouraged more people to stick around to have lunch outdoors – if places like Earls and Joey’s can extend their patio season with heat lamps, why couldn’t food trucks?

Chris and Brit are content with al fresco dining

Thanks to everyone who came out to Truck Stop today – you helped us prove that food trucks aren’t just a warm weather phenomenon! Thanks to the City for helping us to make this happen. And a big thanks to the vendors who stuck with us through the rain – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Mack and I don’t have plans for any more food truck extravaganzas this year, but that doesn’t mean food trucks are disappearing from Edmonton streets. Drift, Molly’s Eats and Bo Thai will be out at the Movies on the Square on Friday, and Bo Thai will continue to serve in Churchill Square on weekdays until October 21. For the whereabouts of Eva Sweet, Drift and Smokehouse, be sure to follow them on Twitter!

You can see Mack’s photoset here.

Great for the Neighbourhood: Pho Huong & Mama Pizza

Although there are many restaurants within walking distance of my office, some which are quite good (Padmanadi, Basil Leaf and Pho Tau Bay included), when winter descends, I often wish for a closer alternative that is equally consistent. The day may have finally arrived!

Ellen’s Aunt and Uncle, Ken and Lisa Quach, took over Pho Huong & Mama Pizza (10531 107 Avenue, 780-422-6262), which reopened on September 30. Prior to this overhaul, I hadn’t set foot in the establishment – coworkers had warned me that it wasn’t exactly the most welcoming place.

Now, Pho Huong & Mama Pizza is a gem in the neighbourhood, reminding me very much of Absolutely Edibles on 118 Avenue. Ken, a carpenter by trade, redid the entire interior, installing the wood fixtures he built himself, and lining the walls with cozy but classy booths. I especially loved the photos of farmers with their fresh produce along the wall – a visual link to the ingredients that inspire the cuisine.

Interior (thanks to Suman who lent me her camera)

It has always been Lisa’s goal to open a restaurant. Having perfected her recipes after years of cooking (including that of fish sauce!), her dream has finally come true. Although Vietnamese cuisine is Lisa’s forte, because of the neighbourhood’s taste for pizza (they still get calls for delivery), they maintained the pizza side of the menu; hence the two names of the restaurant.

New bar and flat screens

A few of my coworkers had lunch with Ellen at Pho Huong & Mama Pizza on Tuesday. The patrons that were inside were already tucking into their dishes – and there was not one pizza in sight.

As Ellen knows, my personal “litmus test” for Vietnamese restaurants is an order of green onion cakes followed by an order of pho. The green onion cakes ($4.25) were golden and crispy, but weren’t quite salty enough for me (but then again, I prefer my green onion cakes very salty!).

Green onion cakes

The beef brisket pho ($8 for a large bowl) was absolutely a standout. The broth had great depth of flavour – meaty and substantial, fragrant but not overpowering. The brisket was served rare (just the way I like it), and cooked to shredded perfection in the hot soup. It was also a huge serving – I am rarely defeated by pho, but I was that day.

Pho with brisket

The rest of our table ordered a wide range of dishes, from grilled pork chop and grilled chicken on rice to the 5 colour vermicelli bowl to the seafood rice noodle soup. Everyone was very happy with their dishes, and Astrid wasn’t even able to finish her serving!

Grilled pork chop rice plate ($8.75)

Grilled chicken rice plate ($8.95)

5 colour vermicelli bowl ($10.50)

Seafood rice soup ($8.00 for small)

Businesses like Pho Huong & Mama Pizza are key pieces of the revitalization puzzle, they can become a draw to residents and visitors alike, invigorating the area in the process. I can only hope more enterprising people like Ken and Lisa choose to invest in Central McDougall – and in the process, we may get even more tasty restaurants in the neighbourhood.

Food Notes for October 3, 2011

At the Edmonton International Film Festival’s 24/ONE screening last year, I voted for the film that made me laugh out loud the most. I ended up using the same measure this past Friday at this year’s 24/ONE. 6 Hours by Fourth Wall Productions got my vote (I couldn’t . It seemed others in the audience enjoyed it just as much, and they took home the coveted Best Picture prize, which is determined by the audience. It was a good time – check it out next year if you get the chance! On to this week’s food notes:

Congrats to Transcend baristas Josh Hockin and Ben Put who took home both first and second place at the Canadian Barista Championships today!
Liv wrote about Engrained, a new eatery on the U of A Campus in the Edmonton Clinic North building.
Chris reviewed The Burger Joint on the south side.
I wasn’t able to make it out to the Fall Sturgeon County Bounty at the Prairie Adventure Gardens this weekend, but Andrea was! Live vicariously through her delicious pictures here.
Marilyn wrote about a lovely potluck dinner she had with fellow gardeners of the Edmonton Organic Growers Guild.
The Journal staff were up to their elbows in pie judging which pie would take home the prize in The Great Pie Project. Congrats to Ruth Reay and her strawberry rhubarb pie! Find her recipe and nine others here.
Looking for a unique Christmas gift? Valerie has updated her schedule of 2012 Taste Tripping classes.
Love this: a photographic retrospective of food trucks! (Maria, the chuckwagons are for you!)
I heart Gail Simmons! Here’s an interview she did recently with the Huffington Post. I’ll have to try her fish sauce/risotto trick some time.
Will this be a trend that moves to Edmonton soon? Catch down in Calgary now has their wine menu on iPads!
We had another one of our epic potlucks at work. It probably is a good thing we don’t have them too often, or else afternoon naps would become a standard, too!

Too much food!

While Mack’s Mom was in town on Saturday, we had lunch together at Famoso. It was my first time having the pizzetta/soup combo, and I loved the fire-roasted tomato bisque! The sharpness from that sprinkle of cheese really helped bring out the flavour.

Sweet BBQ chicken pizzetta and tomato bisque

We also attended a lovely wedding on Saturday – congrats to the newlyweds Mag and Joey!

The cupcake tower mirrored the colours of the wedding

Mack and I also finally visited the Fort Edmonton Footbridge this weekend. A coworker commented to me that she doesn’t normally deem bridges to be a destination, but this one, tucked in the Wolf Willow neighbourhood, should be. The view from the top, with the sound of the creek bubbling away, reminded us more of Banff (minus the mountains) than of Edmonton.

Fort Edmonton Footbridge

Wolf Willow Ravine

View from the top

I hope you have a good week!

Truck Stop, presented by What the Truck?!

Although food trucks in our city are likely to be associated only with warm weather, there’s no time like the present to change that! What the Truck?! 2 on September 16, 2011 brought out a sizable crowd in spite of the overcast and breezy conditions, and we’ve been told by some vendors that they will continue to operate as long as patrons are game to dine.

So, inspired by the pods of Portland, Mack and I are organizing Truck Stop, presented by What the Truck?!

Date: October 6, 2011
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: 102A Avenue, in front of City Hall

Truck Stop is a gathering of a smaller number of food trucks, with the goal of highlighting the idea that trucks can complement one another. Besides offering diners the beauty of savoury choices, the availability of dessert vendors also mean that a meal can be capped off with a sweet treat as well!

We are aware that a number of trucks already vend on 102A Avenue on a regular basis, and we want to build on their presence. So in addition to Bo Thai, Eva Sweet, Fat Franks and Drift, we are happy to welcome Smokehouse BBQ, a barbecue truck usually found only in Nisku, to the streets of Edmonton. Smokehouse BBQ is the brainchild of the couple behind La Pisana in Leduc, and offers pulled pork, barbecued beef, sausages and their signature “bacon bomb” sandwich. Given the general dearth of good barbecue in Edmonton, it’s great to have a mobile vendor specializing in this!

Smokehouse BBQ (thanks to Tanis for the photo!)

As with the previous events, there is no admission fee, but come hungry! Hope to see you there on Thursday!

You can RSVP to the Facebook event here.

City Market Report: Week 20

If last Saturday was a little burst of summer, today saw a full-on shift to fall – breezy, overcast and chilly.

Fall at the City Market

The final cultural festival, celebrating African culture, took place today, but as Mack and I were attending a wedding later this morning, we weren’t able to stay to take in the performances. I’m sure they were fantastic though!

We ducked around to pick up our week’s groceries, and of course, snapped a few pictures along the way.

Carrots from Sundog Organic Farm

Kohlrabi from Sundog Organic Farm

Blueberries from Steve & Dan’s

Brussels sprouts from Green Valley Farm

Flowers from Kuhlmann’s

Turnips from Kuhlmann’s

Pattypan and summer squash from Kuhlmann’s

Massive zucchini from Kuhlmann’s

Gourds at Riverbend Gardens

Though next week will see the last outdoor City Market of 2011, I’m excited that the move to the indoor venue won’t skip a beat – the City Market begins at City Hall on October 15, 2011! Though I realize that not all of the vendors have put in their applications for the indoor market yet, it would be helpful to shoppers to know which vendors have already planned to continue with the City Market this fall. Some vendors like Sundog Organics and Irvings Farm Fresh have taken marketing their presence into their own hands, but it would have been great if a blackboard at the info tent could feature the confirmed list of vendors moving into City Hall (or even better, the website could be updated with that information).

Sundog will be at City Hall!

See you next week at the last outdoor City Market of the year!

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