My final show at this year’s Fringe was the second of my two wild cards. Big Winner is about one woman’s quest at winning the grand prize in Tim Horton’s Roll-up-the-Rim-to-Win contest, and enlists Jackson, her friend, to help her. Over the course of the play, Jackson uncovers a little-known alternative route to $20,000 in the contest rules – awarded to the person with the most “Try again” cups. Big Winner, besides being a tale of small town (Red Deer of all places) Canadian life, is also a romantic one, as feelings between the two are acknowledged. It was obvious that the two actors were having a blast, but the show just didn’t do it for me. A decent effort with likable characters, but not my cup of coffee.
Small on Food: Devlin’s
Though we already had our mind set on a pre-show meal at Devlin’s Cocktail Lounge (10507 82 Avenue) on Wednesday, it turns out it was a great day to do so, as there was a sign advertising $2 off all tapas.
At Devlin’s
We had first seen Executive Chef Sebastian Lysz in action at the Sip! Wine and Food event at Capital Ex the month prior, and were excited to see if the food at his regular place of work would match the showmanship he had demonstrated on stage.
The interior of Devlin’s, with its cool dark wood everything, black leather chairs, banquet, and booths definitely exuded a lounge feeling. Though the secluded patio was tempting (heated with lamps, a requirement…in the month of August), we opted to sit facing the front windows to watch the world go by.
Interior
The summer menu, featuring only tapas and an extensive drink selection (par for the course) was disappointing for our hungry stomachs – perhaps our dinner choice that night should have taken entrée selection into consideration. At any rate, seeking warm plates, I decided on two flatbreads (aka pizzas, at $9 each), advertised as being “finished in a 700 degree oven” and sliders, irresistible despite their steep regular price tag of $13.
We were alone in the lounge at that point, so service was decidedly attentive, though a tiny trickle of patrons as we waited for our orders ensured the waitresses would have some tables to keep them busy when we left.
Our food arrived in no time, unadorned but visually pleasing on bright white plates. The sliders (or other round, circular edibles) must be a fixture on the menu, otherwise, justifying the purchase of such singular-use dishes would be difficult (though the price of the sliders could go a long way to making a dent in the initial investment…). We were treated to three different dressings to the base of a house-made bun and slow-cooked short rib: blue cheese, goat cheese, and southwestern BBQ. I found the beef tender and moist, elevated by the fresh bread encapsulating it, but Mack and I both agreed that the sliders weren’t worth $4 a piece. The flatbreads were the better deal, and more filling as well. The chorizo/gouda/mozza combination was all right, but the sausage was surprisingly flavourless. I much preferred the fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil version – the fresh cheese and the drizzled olive oil finish made the pizza.
Sliders
Chorizo Flatbread
Margherita Flatbread
Like most places that only offer small plates, it would be wise to eat something prior to heading out, lest sampling make a massive dent in your wallet. I’d return again to Devlin’s, but would heed my own advice first.
Devlin’s Cocktail Lounge
10507 82 Avenue
(780) 437-7489
The Big Kahuna: Day 6
On Tuesday I introduced Mack to the manic energy of Charles Ross, aka the man behind The One Man Star Wars Trilogy. A sold-out crowd, packed into the cooker of a stage at the Strathcona Community League, provided ample enthusiasm to feed Ross’s one and half hour whirlwind tumble through Episodes four through six. There were a few differences between this version and the one I saw five years ago (notably, the “special effects” signifying the explosion of both Death Stars), and Ross this time wore a microphone, wise given the fact that he is performing two different shows this time around (his other, Sev, has nothing to do with a Hollywood film of any kind). Again, though the feat of cycling through the films is a testament to Ross’s personal zeal, much of the enjoyment of the show is provided by his character attributions (“schwing”, Luke’s whiny temperament), impersonations (I had forgotten how much I adore his imitation of R2-D2), and side commentary (“I’ll never work in film again!”). Like it did the first time, the show makes me want to watch all three movies over again. After the applause, Ross took a moment to implore the audience to follow through with any great ideas they may be sitting on. This is something he has done after every performance I have seen, so it was slightly less off-putting and seemingly more genuine to me than I have regarded it in the past.
I’m not sure if tickets are still available to the show, but there are, be sure to snap ‘em up.
On a different note, Fringe festival head Julian Mayne is optimistic about breaking the ceiling of the 77,000 indoor performance ticket sales tallied in 2006. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Also, online ticket purchases are up 20% – definitely good news for Mayne, who took a lot of flack for introducing the system last year. Still, it’s hard to see why everyone who has access to a computer wouldn’t pre-buy their tickets – the “Will Call” line is always shorter and faster at the Central Box Office.
Food at the Fringe
- Though Starbucks shouldn’t count strictly as food from the Fringe, coffee is such a festival necessity to me that it bears inclusion on that ground alone.
My Fringe ritual: Journal reviews and coffee
- Annie bought a cup of IttiBitz ($3.75) at the Fringe over the weekend. I’d always been intrigued by the tiny rounds of pastel-colored ice cream, but had never tried it myself. Turns out, it is just frozen pellets of ice cream; nothing special at all.
Annie with the IttiBitz sign
Cookies and Cream IttiBitz (vanilla ice cream pellets and crushed up chocolate cookies)
- Intrigued by Funky Pickle‘s idea of “Butter Chicken Pizza”, I just had to try it. At $5 for the slice, however, it wasn’t what I was expecting, nor was it worth it. A curry sauce was used in place of the usual tomato base, and though the chicken may have been cooked in a tandoori oven (it was dry as heck), everything else about the pizza was decidedly ordinary. Supposedly created in collaboration with New Asian Village, one would imagine a final product with more flavour and originality behind it.
Butter chicken pizza from Funky Pickle
- The vegetarian samosas (2 for $3.50) from India Palace was definitely the better deal when compared with the pizza – fried to a crisp perfection, they were filled with a lovely concoction of potatoes, peas, and a hint of chili. Carbolicious, they were way more satisfying than the pizza by far.
Samosas from India Palace
- I wouldn’t be surprised if all restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the Fringe grounds had festival-specific menus, but Packrat Louie‘s is the only one I’ve had the personal opportunity to test. They’ve added a few special entrees, including ostrich fan steak, a “Mushroom Steak Fringe”, and a Hawaiian pizza dubbed “The Kahuna”.
Fringe-themed menu
The Kahuna
Happy eating at the Fringe!
“It ain’t no value menu”: Burger Baron
Whenever we would pass by a Burger Baron, those shady-looking drive-in or cottage-shaped fast food parlours, Mack and I would always verbally state our intention to give it a try at some point. On Friday, we finally did.
Blue sky and Burger Baron
This location (9908 70 Avenue) seemed safe enough on the outside, in terms of cleanliness anyway. The open kitchen provided some relief, and the interior was well-kept. We perused the extensive menu, spanning not only the expected burgers, but fried chicken, grilled cheese, and donairs as well. In addition to slightly discounted combination meals, Burger Baron also offers daily specials. On this day, 2 cheeseburgers were priced at $7, a deal too good for Mack to pass up. I opted for the Dad’s Burger ($4.75), minus the questionable “special Baron sauce”, and we added a large Strawberry Shake ($3.75), and sides of both onion rings and fries to our order. It was a sizable portion of food for two, but we didn’t expect the total to ring in at $21 – it was definitely not priced to compare with McDonald’s value menu.
Extensive menu
A small seating area was available to patrons eating in, though with the steady stream of drive-thru customers (the majority of them individual males), I can imagine their take-away business to be quite sizable.
After our order was announced, we picked up our tray and couldn’t wait to dig in. The thin beef patties were dwarfed by the fluffy nature of the bun, a ratio Mack quite enjoyed. My burger was fine, though the bacon was disappointingly limp and not crisp. The fries, which had been tossed slightly in a seasoning salt, were fresh, and darn tasty. The onion rings could have used a bit of oomph, however, as they tasted like they had been pulled from the very back of the freezer, but I still enjoyed their deep-fried goodness. The shake was a winner with Mack as well.
Fries and Dad’s Burger (bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles)
Onion Rings and Cheeseburger
Mack devours his first cheeseburger
Though our dining experience was a positive one overall, and didn’t disappoint despite the long build up of expectations, we agreed that the price wouldn’t justify frequent visits for the Baron’s fast food.
Burger Baron
9908 70 Avenue (plus 10 other locations in Edmonton)
(780) 433-7634
Monday-Saturday 11 am – 9pm, Sunday 12 – 8pm
Food Notes
- Salisbury Greenhouses recommences their farmer’s market on Saturday, September 4, and from then on, will be Sherwood Park’s first year-round market. The vendor list isn’t up yet, but check their website for updates.
- I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the small Italian Cafe that was sandwiched between a Sorrentino’s and the Italian Centre in Little Italy, but it the space has been taken over and will reopen as Spinelli’s – the cafe owned and operated by the folks behind the Italian Centre.
- A coworker of mine said that the Blue Nile (10875 98 Street) is closing due to increasing rent prices. The restaurant has been on my list to try for some time, but I never made it out.
- The Globe did a piece on the phenomenon of elusive supper clubs in large metropolitan centres. I wonder if any exist in Edmonton?
- The paper also featured the Forbes list of the top-grossing chefs. Any guesses for who graces the top? It’s the EVOO-queen herself, Rachael Ray, coming in at $18 million. Oprah would be proud.
- Until Liane Faulder pointed it out, I had no idea that 2008 is the year of the potato. Find out more here.
- Mack sent me a list to this site, all about the unusual things people eat, and I came across this post about pasta available in interesting shapes. What would TJ Dawe say?
- Would you pay more money if the menu listings didn’t include a dollar sign? A recent study says yes.
- Los Angeles has put a moratorium on new fast food restaurants for one year. This New York Times piece briefly explores the question on whether or not cities should legislate personal choice.
- Mack is nuts about Melona, when he can find it that is. A “South Korean melon-flavoured creamsicle” (or so says Wikipedia), it’s a little expensive, but a unique alternative to the sugar-based popsicles. We found some at the Italian Centre recently (79 cents for one bar), though they’re also sold at T & T at West Edmonton Mall and the Korean Central Market (9271 34 Avenue).
Mack thinking someone is going to steal his banana Melona
Notes from the Fringe
- I remember complaints last year about the reduced number of vendor permits distributed; it seems they are back in numbers to spare. The layout, which they usually change every year, is very clean this year. The alley behind the Strathcona library is usually uncomfortably crowded, but this year, pedestrian traffic is alleviated with vendors distributed along with side of the library as well.
- Unlike last year, the location of the ticket booths is absent from the map in the centre of the program. Because of this, I think many patrons who need to purchase tickets aren’t aware of the “satellite” box offices, and thus the log jam at the Central Box Office during peak times. The Fringe administrators need to do a better job of advertising alternative places to obtain tickets.
- I love the idea of the Fringe midway. While I haven’t had the time to watch any of the shows, I have walked through several times and just drink up the atmosphere of carney-like hawkers peddling their shows to the public. It’s a wonderful thing, and like being flyered on the grounds, the most honest means for artists to attract audience members to their production.
- Perhaps I hadn’t paid attention in past years, but the food choices on site (although expensive), seem to be better this year. I had the usual green onion cakes, but am eying the Butter Chicken Pizza from Funky Pickle for later this week.
The Big Kahuna: Day 4
My Sunday began with the third instalment of Maggie-Now. I hadn’t seen either of the two previous parts at the last two Fringes, but I remembered the stellar reviews, and vowed to see what the hype was all about this year. The summary on the back of the program neatly caught me up on what I missed, though even without the background, one would be able to stumble right into the story without difficulty. Part 3 focuses on the disappearance of Maggie-Now’s husband, Claude, and the affect of his absence on the family unit. There was nothing ground-breaking about the show, but there doesn’t have to be for a solid, enjoyable production. I loved the simple staging (plain wooden chairs supplied the backbone of the audience’s imagination), and Kendra Connor as the titular character was a vision. My only criticism was the rather abrupt ending (so much so that it took the audience a few seconds to take the cue for applause), likely an arbitrary one to ensure that Part 4 could stand alone as well. If not for my upcoming trip to Vancouver, I would definitely be returning to the venue to find out what would become of Maggie-Now and her family.
Afterwards, I sauntered over to B-Scene Studios (an awkwardly-arranged BYOV) to wait in line for TJ Dawe’s first Edmonton Fringe show in four years, Maxim & Cosmo. I loved him in Canadian Bartender in Butlin’s, the only show of his I have ever seen. For someone who prefers group productions, it surprised even me that I enjoyed Dawe’s standup shtick as much as I did. Maxim & Cosmo is Dawe’s diatribe on gender stereotypes, expectations and fears. As I hoped, his performance was witty, insightful and intelligent. If insuring body parts are the norm these days, Dawe should buy insurance for his tongue – his lightening quick delivery keeps audiences on their feet, listening for the next pun or joke around the corner. Seemingly tailor-made for the Fringe, Dawe’s relatable observations about life make the hour vanish into a cloud of laughter, self-reflection and appreciation for his inherent talent.
My last show of the day was one of two wild cards this year. The program description for Sylvie sounded interesting, but unlike most of my other picks, I had no knowledge of the company, director, writer or actors involved. As such, this play about a chance meeting between a naïve Canadian and a homeless man in Edinburgh turned out to be a nice little surprise. I was immediately drawn to Elisa Benzer’s energy, and her character Anna’s willingness to jump (sometimes recklessly) into new experiences. As a writer, Anna had a tendency to see everyone as a character, including this poor street soul. Their connection and unlikely friendship, supplemented by flashbacks into her homeless companion’s life, and Anna’s struggle to maintain her devotion to a loving boyfriend back home, made for an interesting seventy five minutes. My only quibble was with the uneven lighting, but that could be excused given the student/recent graduate status of everyone involved. Not pretending to be more than what it is, Sylvie provides an intriguing lens into a moment when two divergent paths crossed.
The Big Kahuna: Day 3
I opted to sleep in on Saturday, which was a pro-active way to avoid being outside in the scorching heat longer than absolutely necessary. My first play of the day was Wayne Paquette’s A Body of Water. Madagascar, my favourite production at last year’s Fringe, was put on by the same company, so I knew I would be confronted by an engaging, thought-provoking drama. Coralie Cairns and John Sproule as a woman and a man without memory of themselves or the place they awaken in, were perfectly confounded, and sustained their energy throughout the twists and turns as they endured numerous “truths” of their supposed identities. Beth Graham, however, was the definite standout – besides having to act in a long-sleeve shirt, pants, and a sweater to boot in the furnace of the Telephone Museum, she was chilling, fluidly moving from one story to the next without pause. She was exhausting just to watch, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, attempting to catch something – a wince, a blink, a nudge – that would betray her true nature. Even now, two days later, I still have no idea which of her accounts were ultimately “true” – but perhaps that isn’t the point – it is the revelation of how susceptible we are without our personal narratives and remembered experiences, and how much at that point we have to rely, naked and blind otherwise, on others.
I met up with Annie and Andres for 25 Plays About…Love at the (yay!) air-conditioned Arts Barns. I remember seeing advertisements for the original production, 50 Plays About…Love, a few months back at Latitude 53, but didn’t have a chance to make it out at that time. Like most plays comprised of short, unrelated vignettes, there were some that were better than others. In this case, I found that the majority were a miss rather than a hit. We saw representations of very different kinds of love – of the hockey game, of one’s body, of routine, but my favourites were of the romantic kind: the snippet involving the man who could see into the future, the old couple sitting in the park, the young couple bickering in the car on the way home from a dinner party. The “bad dancing” portion of the show was amusing, but seemed somewhat misplaced. Though not wholly disappointing, I’ve seen similar shows executed much better than 25 Plays, so I can’t recommend this one.
The Big Kahuna: Day 2
On Friday night I went to see Happy Toes, Teatro la Quindicina’s return to the Fringe. Stewart Lemoine’s piece on friendship, possibilities, and happiness was poignant, and even more so in hindsight. There were a few moments of awkward pauses and odd pacing, but I chose to think such things would improve themselves over the course of the festival. For the most part the cast did a great job – Jeff Haslam was en pointe with line delivery that milked for laughs, and Leona Brausen was her usual delightful self on stage. It was nice to see Ron Pederson again, though Mack thought he was dialing in his performance. My favourite moment was the tender one between Haslam and Pederson’s characters – a lovely space of understanding and appreciation. The show has likely sold out for its run (it received five stars in the Journal today), so get tickets quick if you still can, or wait for the holdovers August 26-30 at the Varscona.
Only Here for the Food 