Culinary Q & A with Carol Edwards

Occupation: Event Planner   

What did you eat today?

for breakfast: a granola bar and a banana; for lunch: a big salad with lots of veggies, a can of lemon pepper tuna and a slice of whole wheat bread;  for dinner: parmesan encrusted halibut, steamed asparagus and baby potatoes with butter and chives.

What do you never eat?

Beets. I prefer not to even be at the same table as them. I really hate that they’re so popular right now. It seems they’re on every menu in town.

What is your personal specialty?

Mediterranean Stuffed Rack of Lamb; it’s stuffed with feta, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and basil, marinated in olive oil, garlic, lemon and basil and then baked in the oven.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

olives, anchovy paste, capers, parmesan cheese, milk and eggs. You never know when you’ll need to make a pasta sauce.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Pasta with a sauce of whatever I can find in my fridge and cupboards.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My green enamel coated Dutch oven. It’s great for making big meals for family and friends.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

First, some really good blue cheese drizzled with honey, then some blue cheese wrapped in prosciutto. Then I’d move on to Finocchiona from Salumi’s in Seattle. Then salad made with ripe tomatoes warm off the vine, bocconcini and basil. For my entrée I’d have rosemary and garlic grilled lamb chops. For dessert a big bowl of salted caramel gelato and to wash it all down large amounts of fine red wine.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Brewsters in Oliver Square. Good food, good beer, good service, sports on the tv’s and it’s close to home

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

The best place I’ve eaten in Edmonton this year was Violino. The food and the service were outstanding.

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

I’d go to Italy, visit towns in each of the different regions, find a place where the locals eat and ask them to recommend their favourite dish on the menu.

Carol blogs at A Seat At My Table.

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait: Elm Cafe

Elm Cafe has been a long time coming for Nate Box. After an exhaustive search for a storefront, he was happy to announce in September 2009 that he had landed the space formerly occupied by Hulbert’s in McKernan/Belgravia. It would have allowed him to serve three square meals, in a neighbourhood bereft of good dining options, with ample patio seating. Unfortunately, negotiations fell through, and he was forced to start from scratch, again.

Nine months later, Elm Cafe finally found a home, and after a few weeks of renovations, transformed from an underutilized sandwich shop to a beautiful, modern space. Though it’s barely larger than a generous walk-in closet, it more than makes up for its small size with charm.

Elm Cafe

As the website states, Elm offers “take-away craft sandwiches, light fare, premium coffee and beverages.” With two seats along the bar and (hopefully) some outdoor seating later in the summer, it’s not hard to see that Elm focuses on grab-and-go food (menu here). By the time I reached Elm late in the afternoon, they were all sold out of sandwiches (by 1pm, apparently!), but you can take a look at Kelly’s blog for what to expect. Follow their Twitter account to find out what the daily sandwich and soup will be.

Bar seating

On the coffee front, Nate decided to go with 49th Parallel, a Vancouver-based roaster. He had travelled to #yvr in late May to learn more about the coffees, and for the first two days of Elm’s opening, has the privilege of hosting Sammy Piccolo, who placed second at the 2009 World Barista Championships.

Nate and Sammy

I was heading to Indulgence later that night, so ordered a straight brewed coffee for a light afternoon pick-me-up ($2.25). In all my excitement, I forgot to ask the origin of the beans, but I am happy to report that the coffee was full-bodied and smooth.

49th Parallel beans

Many congratulatory bouquets were on display (including a clever morel bouquet from Thea and Chad), and I think Nate deserves all the accolades for powering through and making Elm happen, even with all of the setbacks. With his passion for good food and community, I think Nate is on to something great.

More(l) well wishes

I can’t wait to go back and try the food.

Elm Cafe
#100, 10140 117 Street
(780) 756-3356
Monday-Wednesday 7am-5pm, Thursday-Friday 7am-7pm, Saturday 8am-4pm, closed Sundays

Food Notes for June 14, 2010

While it took me a lot longer to get into the second season of Top Chef Masters, I feel like I am knee-deep now. While I deeply admire his work ethic and perfectionist tendencies, for whatever reason, Susur Lee just rubs me the wrong way – I am pretty much rooting for anyone other than him at this point. Anyway, on to this week’s food notes:

  • Latitude 53, with downtown’s only rooftop patio, opens their Summer Rooftop Patio Series on Thursday, June 17. What better way to spend an evening perusing the newest installation with a cocktail in hand? Check it out.
  • The St. Albert Farmers’ Market (billed as Western Canada’s largest) starts this week, on June 19. It’s such an overwhelmingly large market, but has a great atmosphere, I think.
  • A reminder that the next Farmers’ Market Dinner at Madison’s Grill is taking place on June 25, 2010. The menu is now live on the website under “Feature Menus”.
  • Eva Sweet, Edmonton’s first and only waffle truck, has been getting some play in the blogosphere – check out Liane’s teaser and Cream and Sugar’s review.
  • Wild Earth Bakery has now completed their renovations! Check out Marianne’s post with a ton of great photos.
  • Jason Foster contributed a great piece for Vue this past week about the best cycling route to take for a “two wheeled pub crawl”.
  • Speaking of bakeries – Doreen asks whether or not the Old World Bread Factory has been emptied. Can anyone confirm?
  • Valerie, Lillian and Dan experimented with a sous vide machine over the weekend. Read about their tasty adventure here (that pork looks to die for!).
  • Want to sharpen your kitchen abilities? Get your skills up to snuff at NAIT’s popular Culinary Boot Camps this summer – several of the classes are already full.
  • A 35lb (communal) poutine?! Say it isn’t so! I’ll have to get my butt to CharCut in Calgary stat.
  • Jennifer Cockrall-King’s been writing up a storm on her blog – recapping her recent trek to Cuba to learn more about the urban farming scene, and currently, capturing her thoughts on LA’s urban agriculture movement. Keep it up, Jennifer!
  • Related – Saveur Magazine’s June/July issue is a beautiful one, focusing on markets all over the world. The photos alone are worth the $6 price tag.
  • Serious Eats did a round up of some of the “international-style” hot dogs available in Queens. Sigh – makes me wish we had more than just Fat Franks to choose from.
  • Brought to my attention by Shermie – forthcoming on the lower level of City Centre West is Press’d: The Sandwich Company. Between this and Fatburger, I’d say downtown office dwellers should be pleased with the number of new options they’ll soon have.

Press’d

  • After the farmers’ market on Thursday, Annie and May joined me at the apartment for a home-cooked meal. Annie’s simple pasta of tomatoes, garlic, parsley and olive oil was delicious, which we enjoyed with a side of mixed greens from Greens, Eggs and Ham. For dessert – tiramisu from the Italian Bakery.

Annie’s pasta (half-consumed by the time I remembered to take a photo)

 Tiramisu (a steal at just $2.50 a slice)

  • Ellen and I hit up Boualouang on Friday to satisfy our craving for Thai food. For once, the spice level of the green curry didn’t have me reaching for my water glass every bite. The pork was incredibly tender (my default order is chicken), and would definitely be something I’d have again. The pad thai is consistently good.

Green curry with pork

Pad thai

  • Mack and I are eating outside every chance we get. On Saturday, that meant pizza al fresco!

I think everything tastes better outside…

2nd Annual Al Fresco 104 Street Block Party

We had every intention of returning to 104 Street in the early evening to check out the Block Party festivities (including the wine tasting, fashion show, and yoga demonstration), but after our weekly trip to the City Market that morning and a few hours at the office, relaxing at home with a glass of wine before heading out for that night’s 10pm movie screening was just what I needed (both Chris and Sarah wrote about the Block Party happenings, so I was able to see what I missed).

Armed with our camping chairs, we reached 104 Street at around 9:30, which gave us enough time to wander before showtime. A DJ was on hand to add to the celebratory atmosphere, and yes, a few in the crowd were dancing in the street! Some of the vendors from the City Market were still open (Fridget and Sugar Soul hats, among them), and the patios that had been set up for the dinner hour were, not surprisingly, packed.

DJ

Vendors

Blue Plate Diner’s patio

In terms of food, Sabor Divino was grilling up a storm with their chicken piri piri, while Daniel Costa of Red Star had a crostini bar open for those seeking lighter fare.

Outdoor barbecue

Kerstin’s Chocolates had a table also, fitting as the movie being shown that night was Chocolat. In addition to their Chocophilia bars, they were also selling one of their hotly-anticipated bacon and chocolate truffles, featuring bacon peanut brittle (instead of Berkshire bacon, they are using a hickory-smoked bacon from Sandy Lane this year). Cyrus was kind enough to give me one to try – the peanut butter flavour was definitely the predominant one, and though I was hard pressed to locate the bacon flavour, I can’t say that was entirely a bad thing – I still haven’t been completely won over by the bacon + chocolate combo.

Kerstin’s Chocolates table

Bacon Brittle Peanut Butter Truffle covered in chopped peanuts

Nearing 10pm, we didn’t see any evidence of a screen being set up on 104 Street. We finally asked, and were directed to the small parking lot sandwiched between the Great West Saddlery Building and the Armstrong Block. Given our biggest quibble with last year’s screening was the distraction of revellers more interested in talking than watching, this was the perfect spot located away from the outdoor patios. As the Block Party was organized as a fundraiser, however (this year benefiting the Edmonton School Lunch Program), I wished someone was out deliberately collecting money. While the silent auction run by deVine’s continues for the next week, I would have rather have deposited cash in a box to support the cause.

Outdoor movie theatre

We did enjoy ourselves though. Chocolat is a great movie, and even more so in a novel setting on one of Edmonton’s most vibrant streets on a cool summer night.

Screen after dark

I really hope this becomes an annual tradition!

City Market Report: Week 5

The clouds parted this morning for a beautiful day at the City Market, among other activities happening on 104 Street today. In addition to a pancake breakfast put on by the Downtown Edmonton Community League, the Al Fresco 104 Street Block Party was also taking place, with all funds raised to go towards the E4C Edmonton School Lunch Program.

Pancakes!

Breakfast under the sun

As a result of the supplementary activities, many of the vendors (including Greens, Eggs and Ham) were relocated to 102 Avenue, and the main thoroughfares were more narrow than usual.

Busy market street

Still, even with the crush of patrons, it was difficult not to enjoy the day. We ran into a ton of people, and it really reminded me that markets can and should be community meeting places.

Andreas at the Greens, Eggs and Ham booth

Zach, Julianna and Gabe’s We Eat Together was selling like hotcakes (they will be back on a Saturday in July and another in August)

There also seemed to be a great number of dogs at the market today, and I remarked to Mack that we should try and snap a photo of a puppy. Happily, the owners of Julio didn’t mind. Nor did Julio mind – he actually posed for the camera!

Julio – so adorable!

The second of the City Market’s monthly cultural festivals also took place today – the crowds were treated to tasty Portuguese treats and colourful dances.

Of course, our main purpose of visiting the market was to pick up the week’s groceries – eggs from Sunshine Organic; onions from Green Valley Farms; tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers from Gull Valley and Doef’s Greenhouses; herbs from Inspired Market Gardens; and duck eggs and breast from Greens, Eggs and Ham. We even sprung for morels from Mo-Na (I suppose it was only a matter of time) and a package of Martin Munchies, a whole grain barley snack for Mack’s Dad to try.

Martin Munchies

 Beautiful pea tendrils from Edgar Farms

Cucumbers from Kuhlmann’s

Always lush greens (arugula, this time) from Sundog Organics

We ended our market trip with a stop at Credo Coffee, where it was absolutely packed. I (sadly) had to work this afternoon, but the pain was lessened somewhat by my iced vanilla latte which accompanied me to the office.

Geoff hard at work

My iced vanilla latte – perfectly smooth and creamy

Here’s hoping for equally beautiful weather next weekend!

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra: Late Night Paris

Two weeks ago, Mack and other social media folks were invited to attend an Edmonton Symphony Orchestra concert as a thank-you for having blogged about their shows in the past year. It was a nice gesture, and we happily accepted the tickets.

The tickets say “ESOBLOGGERS” in the top left corner!

The show was Late Night Paris, their second in a series that debuted this year with a later start time (9:30 p.m.), no intermission, and is billed as “interactive and spontaneous” with an opportunity to chat with Conductor Bill Eddins. The concerts also feature live jazz in the lobby afterwards, making for a very full night.

Before the show, we met up with Philip Paschke, the ESO’s New Media Specialist, and organizer of the blogger appreciation event, at Moriarty’s. I was tempted to order a dessert (made by Duchess!), but stuck with a drink. While I enjoyed the very pink Bellini, the stem of the glass was sticky. Ick.

Bellini

The group eventually made their way to the Winspear, and then parted ways, as we were all given the choice of where we wanted to sit. Mack, Jeff, Brit and I all took the plunge and opted for a seat in the Choir Loft, behind the stage.

Jeff and Brittney

The Choir Loft definitely provided me with a different perspective of the orchestra. Not only were we able to watch the audience from our seats, but spy on the musicians as well, and notice all the small details (page turning, mallet swapping) that go unseen when facing the stage.

The audience

The orchestra

That said, an unfortunate consequence of our placement was an inability to hear what was being said into the microphones, as the speakers in the Winspear Centre face the opposite direction. Brittney said that she didn’t have any trouble discerning the banter between Eddins and Conductor Luke Waldin, but for me, it felt a bit like watching the one-sided conversations with the teacher in Charlie Brown – after some muffled sounds, the audience would erupt in laughter.

Bill Eddins and Luke Waldin

As advertised, the tone of the evening was very light – at one point, Waldin even walked on stage, just before Eddins was about to begin another piece, with a glass of wine in his hand. The mood was noticeably more carefree than some concerts I have been to in the past – I can see how this series would appeal to a wider range of people who might appreciate music but may not have the knowledge that more serious patrons do.

As for the music, I loved the Bizet Symphony in C Major – spirited and uplifting, it was a joy to listen to. Eddins is always fun to watch too – he conducts with his whole body, complete with kicks and full arm sweeps.

The ESO has introduced their concert line-up for the 2010-11 year, and Late Night with Bill Eddins will be back. Your next opportunity will be on January 21, 2011, for Late Night Percussion.

You can read Jeff’s thoughts about the night here and Brit’s post here.

Eva Sweet at the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market

Every time I visit Alberta Avenue, I find something new – small businesses, developments, uplifted facades. For that reason, I do think the neighbourhood is worth checking out now and then, particularly with the Avenue Theatre up and running.

Today, in search of waffles and a convenient meeting place, May, Annie and I converged on the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market (93 Street and 118 Avenue), which runs year round on Thursdays from 2-7pm.

Annie is beary happy! (I couldn’t help myself)

The market just celebrated its one year anniversary last week, and I was excited to see how it had changed since I visited in 2009.

Steve & Dan’s Fresh B.C. Fruit

Unlike last year, only three vendors (including Steve & Dan) were set up outdoors. Unfortunately, the sparse numbers were mirrored inside.

Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market

Most of the twenty-odd vendors sold prepared food (Little Jack Horner Homemade Meat Pies, spring rolls, baked goods) and crafts (cards, quilts, cat condos). Besides a single protein vendor and one greenhouse selling tomatoes and cucumbers, I was quite disappointed with the selection of fresh goods.

Tomatoes

I hope the summer brings more produce vendors, but with the sparse crowds during our brief visit, I had to wonder about the typical traffic at this market. Of course, I think it’s a great location and neighbourhood for a farmers’ market, but I do hope things continue to expand, both in patron and vendor numbers!

Inside the market

After buying some tomatoes and apples, we headed back outside to (finally) give Eva Sweet a try. While this waffle truck hasn’t quite taken the Edmonton blogosphere by storm in the way Duchess Bakeshop did when it opened, I have a feeling the frenzy for food trucks will be picking up soon.

Bamir Basha of Eva Sweet

Truck operator Bamir was very friendly, eager to share his experience with us as he prepared a maple waffle for Annie and a cinnamon one for me ($3 each). He said because of the dry Edmonton air, it was actually more difficult to get the waffle batter to rise here than in Belgium, where he ran a waffle truck for five years.

Hardly containing my excitement

Though whipped cream and real fruit syrups were available, we ate the hot waffles unadorned, which was Bamir’s recommendation. The caramelized pearl sugar provided a sweet, slightly crunchy exterior that paired well with the cinnamon, while the inside was soft and forgiving.

Liege waffle

Bamir said he will be offering his waffles this summer at the Dutch booth at the Heritage Festival. I wouldn’t suggest you wait until August to try Eva Sweet, however – besides the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market, they are also at the Beverly Farmers’ Market on Tuesdays from 4-8pm and in front of the WCB Building (107 Street & 99 Avenue) from 7am-2pm on weekdays. You can also follow them on Twitter!

I’m already looking forward to my next waffle…

Culinary Q & A with LeQuan

Occupation: I’m a former teacher and now a stay at home mother of two.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast was just a bowl of cereal.
Lunch was two boiled eggs and a nutella and strawberry sandwich with orange juice.
Dinner was steamed salmon with sautéed garlic, ginger and green onions. Plus stir fried spinach with garlic, and white rice. Dessert was strawberries.

What do you never eat?

Snake. I have never and would never eat snake or any other reptile.

What is your personal specialty?

If you’re talking about everyday cooking then it would have to be stir fry. If you’re talking about a specific dish then I’d have to say a Vietnamese tomato based vermicelli soup called Bun Rue, which I actually blogged about here.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

shrimp. I love shrimp.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Some kind of veggie stir fry dish, some kind of fish and white rice.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

These two white bowls from Chintz and Company. They were expensive and I was too cheap to buy more. Haha. When I went back to get more they had discontinued them. They are the perfect sized noodle bowls.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Definitely an abalone dish. I don’t care how it’s made cause you can’t go wrong with abalone. A nice slab of Kobe beef marinated and grilled by my Dad. Stir fried ong choy (Chinese water spinach) for a veggie plate. And for dessert it’d probably have to be crème brûlée.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

The hubby and I like to take the kiddies to Pagolac restaurant in Chinatown almost every weekend cause they like noodle soup.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Ooh, that’s a tough one. According to price and best bang for your buck I’d have to say brunch at The Kitchen in the River Cree Casino. They are super kid friendly and have a wide array of food for
everyone. My hubby loves their lamb and can easily eat his money’s worth just on that.

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

I would love to go to Japan for their fresh sashimi. I’m a huge seafood fan and I think it tastes best raw and fresh.

LeQuan blogs at luvtoeat.

An Unexpected Discovery: Urban China

A few weeks ago, my Dad asked me for my opinion on two new-ish Chinese restaurants downtown, looking for an evening venue: Bird’s Nest of Beijing (10425 100 Avenue) and Urban China. I haven’t yet been to Bird’s Nest (though I had heard that their dim sum was fairly reasonably priced), and though my only experience at Urban China was a mixed one, some people have enjoyed their dinner menu. As the occasion would include some family friends in from Vancouver, I thought it would be a great opportunity to show them a restaurant that showcases the new wave of Chinese establishments in Edmonton.

With about ten tables full at the dinner hour on a Friday night, it was busier than I expected it to be. I still love the decor, all dark furniture, clean lines and red accents. And how could I forget the aquariums?

Amanda finds fish tanks shocking

My parents decided on a twelve-course set menu, which, at Urban China, will set you back over $200.00. For the most part, our group enjoyed the meal, though my Dad thought that the portions offered were on the small side. Standout dishes for me included the spicy fish (still crispy on the outside, but flaky on the inside) and the Chongqing style beef with spices (no lie, the tender pieces of beef set my mouth on fire, but it was worth it). Amanda and my Mom loved the steamed tofu dish with olives and ground meat.

Spicy fish (we have no idea what it is actually called – darn the food blogger who doesn’t write things down)

Chongqing style beef with spices

 Steamed tofu with olives and ground meat

Malaysian sizzling pork neck

Famous Chaozhou duck

XO sauce with green beans and salted meat

Haka stirfry

Service was steady throughout the night – it seemed someone was always on hand to refill our empty tea pot, or take away dirty dishes. However, the best part of the visit had nothing to do with the food or the staff – it was our discovery of the tiny televisions set into the mirrors in the bathroom. Urban China really should have been included in the Journal’s recent list of “upscale” restrooms.

Hockey night in a restroom?

I’d recommend Urban China if you’re looking for authentic Chinese food in a clean, modern setting. Just don’t forget to check out the restrooms, too.

Urban China
10604 101 Street
(780) 758-1888

Food Notes for June 7, 2010

If you haven’t yet seen Mack’s Pecha Kucha presentation, what are you waiting for? He did an awesome job Thursday night at the seventh incarnation of an event that aims to inspire the “next generation” of Edmontonians. If you haven’t yet been, mark your calendar for September 28, 2010, when PKN8 will take place at the University of Alberta campus (check the Next Gen website for more details). On to this week’s food notes:

  • The second annual Al Fresco 104th Street Block Party is this Saturday, June 12! Look forward to patios, a fashion show, wine tasting, and of course, an outdoor movie screening. See you there!
  • I’m getting excited for Indulgence, taking place on June 14. They’ve started to reveal menu items on their blog, and will continue to do so throughout the week. Culina’s dish of “bison brisket, slow-cooked in a balsamic barbecue sauce served with biscuits and horseradish-spiced marinated onions” sounds fantastic.
  • Learn more about Eva Sweet, Edmonton’s first and only waffle truck, from Brittney Le Blanc. You can find it at 107 Street and 99 Avenue (in front of the WCB building) from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. most days, and at the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market Thursdays and at the Beverly Farmers’ Market on Tuesday evenings. They’re also on Twitter!
  • There’s a new tea shop in town – Cha Island Tea Co. (10332 81 Avenue) in Old Strathcona. It strives to give Edmonton a tropical-themed tea and coffee lounge.
  • Mack spotted a new Chop is in the works at Ellerslie Road and 100 Avenue.
  • Marianne provided a quick run-down of what eats to expect at the Folk Festival this year.
  • The Journal ran their next profile of a local foodie last week – Ruth Kelly of Venture Publishing.
  • Gail Hall will be starting her popular Market Fresh Cooking classes again this July. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning – shopping for fresh ingredients, getting to know local farmers, and cooking up a storm!
  • If there’s anyone that can infect anyone with an appreciation for food, it’s Valerie, so I think it’s great that she will be teaching a cooking class to 10 – 14 year olds interested in learning how to cook at the City Arts Centre this summer.
  • Also from Valerie – if you haven’t already, read about her tour through Chinatown with LeQuan (who also posted her thoughts). Food is always more fun with others!
  • June 1 was National Hunger Awareness Day – the Edmonton Food Bank announced the winners of their Expressions of Hunger contest last week, cumulating in an exhibition at City Hall. The exhibition has since moved to the Carrot Community Coffee House, where it will remain until June 23.
  • Related –  Calgary-based Julie Van Rosendaal took part in A Week in Their Kitchen, which challenged a a few bloggers to cook meals using only what can be found in a food hamper. What resulted was a series of thought-provoking posts.
  • It’s too bad Calgary’s City Council voted against allowing for backyard chicken coops last week. Still, I have a feeling it’s not the last time we will hear about the issue, as the article alludes.
  • U of A grads can participate in an upcoming 11 day tour of Tuscany through the Alumni Association. I’m sure it would be alot better than the Contiki tour we did a few years ago!
  • I saw an ad for a new type of Kraft Dinner made with cauliflower and wheat. Funny how this campaign is alongside the nostalgia ads.
  • Food hacker Kenji has the best job – he just learned how to duplicate McDonald’s fries in the comfort of his own home.
  • It’s handy to have Cellar Door along my homeward bound bus route – I picked up a lemon meringue pie ($3.25) to share with Mack last week after dinner. I loved the buttery crust.

 

Lemon meringue pie from Cellar Door 

  • Another plus of walking to and from the City Market are the stops that can be made easily along the way. I wandered into The Butler Did It for the first time. Though they don’t normally serve breakfast, they were offering it that day. It’s a charming space, where lunches can be had during the week, and can also be booked for functions. I picked up a few kitchen utensils, priced at 30% off – score!

 

Inside The Butler Did It

  • I also stopped at Kerstin’s Chocolates, wanting to try out their new Roses are Red Chocophilia, with saffron, rose and raspberry (I like it a lot better than Lemon Dream). The clerk told me that Kerstin is currently working on her bacon-chocolate concoctions for Father’s Day. Expect several special sweets, which may or may not include peanut butter in the mix.

 

Roses are Red Chocophilia

  • Lots of new restaurant action on Whyte – it seems Pour House (replacing Flavours) is now open, as are both Press Cafe (10846 82 Avenue) and Cafe Beirut (10812 82 Avenue). Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop in for fear of missing my bus. Has anyone checked out either yet?

 

Press Cafe & Bistro

 

Cafe Beirut