More Fringe Notes

    • Well-respected theatre tour-de-force Ken Brown collected his observations on the changing philosophies of the Fringe, printed in the Letters section of the Edmonton Journal today.

 

  • I didn’t get a chance to stop by the festival grounds of the Calgary Fringe on the weekend. I did read about it though, and it seems this is the second crack for Cowtown’s summer theatre festival. It seems the company that pioneered the first Fringe in 2000 fell on hard times, but a revitalized group endeavored to bring it back last year. They have apparently secured enough funding until 2010. It would be exciting to be a part of such from-scratch development. I was spoiled in Edmonton to have stepped into an already established and successful event.

 

 

  • I was separated from my beloved Fringe program for a few days, and I now realize how difficult it is to plan beyond one show when using the online information system. No show lengths are listed, so it’s difficult to schedule one after another.

 

 

 

Notes on the Fringe

  • Frequent and Double Fringer passes sold out ahead of last year, reported Metro today. It no doubt has to do with the fact that for the first time ever, the passes can be used to purchase advance tickets. I myself bought a Frequent Fringer pass, committing myself to ten shows. But considering the savings of $4 per ticket, it is unbelievably worthwhile.
  • I did experiment with the new online box office, and I am not impressed. I not only had error messages preventing me from logging in, but also, when I did get to the purchase screen, I found that I was only given the option of buying one accompanying ticket per show. I resorted to falling back on ordering tickets over the phone. Somehow it’s more reassuring to speak to a representative anyhow.
  • Reviews from the Winnipeg Fringe and the Saskatoon Fringe are available, including those that rated five stars in the Winnipeg Free Press and Saskatoon’s 10 best. I’m annoyed that TJ Dawe didn’t get a slot in Edmonton’s festival – Maxim & Cosmo sounds like it would have been a riot.
  • In addition to watching Die-Nasty for this first time this year, I also think it’s about time I attempted a deep-fried twinkie. And after reading the description gleaned from the New York Times as referenced on that Wikipedia page…well, you’ll see: “Something magical occurs when the pastry hits the hot oil. The creamy white vegetable shortening filling liquefies, impregnating the sponge cake with its luscious vanilla flavor. . . The cake itself softens and warms, nearly melting, contrasting with the crisp, deep-fried crust in a buttery and suave way. The piece de resistance, however, is a ruby-hued berry sauce, adding a tart sophistication to all that airy sugary goodness.” Whoo.

See you there!

Pan-Asian Goodness: Matahari

High Street is home to many untapped culinary adventures, at least for me. So I took a step in the right direction when May and I dined in Matahari (10108B – 124 Street) this evening.

Being early on a Tuesday, we were surprised that there were three tables of patrons already seated when we entered the restaurant. The decor is simple and soothing, with light green walls and a functioning koi pond in the centre of the dining room. Oddly-designed square booths line the main seating area, that would hypothetically fit six persons, but for ease of exit and entry could likely only comfortably fit four.

Spouting a “pan-Asian” menu, I expected watered-down cuisine heavily influenced by the Western majority, but I was pleasantly surprised. There were a few dishes (Singapore Laksa and Malaysian Rendang, to name a few) that I’d want my Mum to sample to determine the level of authenticity. Despite the many tempting options, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have their tofu Pad Thai (stir fried flat rice noodles with chives, egg, pickled radish, and bean sprouts in a tangy tamarind sauce topped with ground peanuts). May selected the Kerala Noodles (Indian stir fried vermicelli with peas, onion, egg, curry leaves, carrots, red bell pepper, in a tomato and soy-based sauce topped with cashew nuts and coriander). I also ordered a plate of Thai Curry Puffs to start.

The food took a little longer than I would have liked (not having eaten anything since lunch), so I was more than hungry by the time our appetizer reached us. But they were worth it – the puff pastry was flaky, filled with spiced beef with just the right amount of heat. The oyster sauce for dipping was a sweet accompaniment to the dish. The serving, however, was on the small side for the $4.95 price tag.

Our entrees arrived soon after, and I found the portions to be quite generous (I had enough left over for a good sized lunch the next day)! I had asked for mild seasoning, and it was exactly that. The chives and radish provided a nice crunch, while the tofu rounded out the dish quite nicely. I would consider Bua Thai’s version slightly better, but Matahari’s is less greasy and lighter overall.

I’d recommend Matahari, and will be back myself, perhaps once I’ve visited their neighbours.

Extensive menu
Thai Curry Puffs
Pad Thai
Kerala Noodles

Weekend in Calgary

Bettina and I had talked in the spring about a weekend trip to Calgary, but due to various factors including work and vacation, we weren’t able to align our schedules until August.

On Friday afternoon, I hopped on an express Red Arrow coach to meet up with Bettina. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to talk about them before, so I will seize this platform now – I would strongly encourage anyone needing transportation south to consider taking the bus. Besides the free snacks and beverages, the coaches are clean, efficient, and often come with unforeseen bonuses (like wireless internet access!). Fares are reasonable ($63.60 one way), and the downtown Calgary drop off point is conveniently just a few blocks away from a C-Train stop.

After arriving, Bettina’s Aunt was nice enough to drive us to the hotel so I could drop off my bag. Our accommodation for night one was the Hampton Inn in NW Calgary.

Our room at the Hampton Inn

It doesn’t look like much, but I was quite impressed with our suite. Equipped with a fridge and a microwave, as well as a DVD player, the room would have definitely allowed for a comfortable multi-night stay should we have needed it. Moreover, the included continental breakfast the next morning was extremely generous, or what I would call “Contiki-plus”: in addition to the requisite cereal, fruit, and coffee, they offered a variety of healthy and sweet carb choices and hot sausage patties (so bad, but so good). I’m not sure why accommodations matter so much to me, particularly when the backbones of my getaways are sightseeing and not sleeping, but I suppose it has to do with being able to live at the border of one’s means when away from home.

For dinner, we explored our options on Stephen Avenue. We did pass by Blink Supper Club, but the $30+ entree price scared us away.

Stephen Avenue (and a reflection of the Calgary Tower)

We ended up in the familiar Milestone’s (107 8th Avenue SE). Bettina selected her favorite California spring salad (baby greens, mild goat cheese, fresh sliced strawberries, red onion and spicy-glazed pecans) while after some agony, I chose the butternut squash ravioli (Roma tomato sauce, goat cheese, fresh basil, spicy-glazed pecans). The food arrived surprisingly quick. The dressing on Bettina’s salad was unfortunately much too strong, and I didn’t appreciate the fact that my pasta appeared to be swimming in olive oil. Besides the grease factor, however, I thoroughly enjoyed the ravioli filling – the squash was creamy and complemented well by the tomato sauce. I’m still not a fan of goat cheese, particularly because it unfailingly dries out dishes, but I’m slowly learning not to be deterred by its presence.

Butternut squash ravioli
California spring salad

The next morning after breakfast, we left the Hampton and secured our luggage at our next hotel, as it was too early to check in. We then took the C-Train to the trendy neighbourhood of Kensington, home of decor, gift, and clothing boutiques a la Whyte Avenue, but decidedly more laid back and low-key. My only real point of interest on this sojourn was to visit Crave (1107 Kensington Road NW).

Bettina decides between the lesser of several evils

Having hit Buttercream Bake Shoppe the last time I was in the city, I wanted to cross the other cupcake bakery off of my list. We actually passed right by Crave when we wandered down Kensington Road, as the storefront itself isn’t very eye-catching. When we reached the store, it was bustling with customers, seemingly regulars who needed their fix of upscale baked goods. Bettina and I decided to split a half dozen (with each cupcake working out to just under $2.50 each). My picks included The Princess, Crave-O-Licious and Nutty Over Chocolate. I was most curious about the latter, wanting to compare it to Ina Garten’s similar recipe. Crave’s version of the icing was much sweeter (indicative of more confectioner’s sugar added), but the cake itself was rather bland. Bettina mainly couldn’t get over the intense amount of butter used for the icing, but I didn’t mind; it’s not often I indulge in cupcakes!

Our half dozen – almost too pretty to eat!
Getting Nutty Over Chocolate

We did our best to walk off the calories on our way back downtown, in search of #2 on my to-do list: Avenue Diner (105 8th Avenue SW). I was keen to compare it to Diner Deluxe, the absolutely fabulous 50s inspired diner I had brunch at in January, particularly after reading nothing but positive reviews about the restaurant.

As you’re probably well-aware, I’m very picky when it comes to my diners, and I will admit to requiring this genre of eatery to conform to my personal vision of what a “diner” should be. Being a (somewhat) reasonable person, I know that such standards are really unfair, but as it is a bias I take with me, I am mentioning it upfront.

Avenue is essentially a modern incarnation of a diner, and I mean this not necessarily in a bad sense. It is clean, well-lit, equipped with a characteristic barstool countertop as well as a sleek banquet at the rear of the restaurant, making the most of a lengthy room. The black and white photographs lining the near-grey walls and molded red stools emulate a sort of upscale chicness devoid of a warmth that I associate with the word “diner”. Even the eye-catching portrait of their in-house macaroni and cheese screamed more gallery than Mum’s kitchen.

That said, the service was excellent throughout, and the cranberry and lemon slice in each of our water glasses was a whimsical touch. The menu featured the expected variety of omelets, breakfast carbs and sandwiches. I opted for the quiche special, served with Yukon Gold hash browns and fruit salad, while Bettina ordered the spinach salad (with spiced pecans, sun dried cranberries and vanilla-apple dressing).

The quiche itself was a mixed bag – the pesto-marinated portabello mushrooms were absolutely divine, but the “Missing Link” chicken sausage slices were surprisingly, and disappointingly dry. It would be an understatement to say Bettina didn’t enjoy her salad, finding the dressing much too bland, and near flavourless. Would I return to Avenue? Perhaps only if the wait for Diner Deluxe was unmanageably long.

Tempting artwork
Restaurant interior
Quiche with Yukon Gold hash browns and fruit salad
Spinach salad

After lunch, we did some shopping in the downtown area to kill some time before being able to check into our hotel. Funny how I used to really enjoy shopping in Calgary, but after being exposed to so many new labels and stores in Europe, even the skylit Eaton Centre wasn’t that exciting.

A few odd purchases later, we were ready to check out our accommodation for the night. The Westin Calgary (320 4th Avenue SW) had been renovated recently in June, even installing a Starbucks in the lobby (I seem to be able to magically gravitate towards the coffee giant without even knowing it). While the lobby was still under construction, the rooms themselves still retained the sheen of a facelift (is there a “new room” smell?). It’s probably the nicest room I’ve ever stayed in – besides their signature Heavenly Bed, the room also featured a flat panel television and free in-room Starbucks coffee(!). Moreover, as we were in a business suite, we were allowed unlimited long distance phone calls within North America, as well as a $19 credit for the hotel’s restaurant. On a side note, it’s interesting how both the Westin and the Hampton Inn now have the option for patrons to create a hotel atmosphere at home by purchasing furnishings and items of comfort online (my favorite is the curved shower rod). I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before these sites offer wedding registries so newlyweds can extend that honeymoon feeling all the way back home.

Our suite at the Westin

While it seems like all we did was eat that weekend, food in other cities is always a major attraction for me, so I couldn’t pass up a trip to Taste of Calgary, taking place at Eau Claire Market (202, 200 Barclay Parade SW).

The crowds at Taste of Calgary (the Calgary Herald reported attendance of 60,000 to their event compared with Edmonton’s supposed 600,000. Really?)
Starbucks van (they were selling samples of Blueberries and Creme Frappuccino and Blueberry White Iced Tea for 1 ticket each)

When I say the event “took place” at Eau Claire, that’s a bit deceiving – the booths were actually arranged rather haphazardly in the building’s parking lot. Besides making sure not to trip over the concrete blocks on the pavement, the layout of the vendors did not allow for easy browsing of options available. While Churchill Square might be a cramped venue, Eau Claire was actually worse.

The food, however, was worth the visit. My opinion is based partly on the “newness” of the menu to my palate, but I think their choices were not only better than our festival, but cheaper too (tickets were priced at 75 cents to Edmonton’s dollar). The portions were larger, and some vendors even put some thought into the presentation of their dishes (paper cone-wrapped crepes for convenient stand-up snacking and mini-Chinese take-out boxes sure beat paper plates). Curiously, drinks took up over a third of the menu, with servings of beer, wine and liqueurs offered for 2 to 3 tickets each.

With my ten tickets, I had to be frugal with my selections, and ended up with a serving of butter chicken from Bombay Palace and a Bow Valley bison burger from Brewsters. Both were excellent. Bettina ended up with a burger as well, but not before she tried a BBQ beef rib from Graze Grill, home of “The Big One”: a five pound sirloin steak. For the gastronomically-inclined, finishing the $99 steak within the hour results in a free meal and a place on their wall of fame. Any takers?

Butter chicken
Bow Valley bison burger
BBQ beef rib

We spent the rest of the evening walking the nearby trails.

Urban soccer (it reminded me of a picture I took in Paris)
Bettina plays tourist

Our Sunday morning breakfast at Essence, the Westin’s restaurant, wasn’t spectacular. And though our credit helped, my $15 omelet put us over our allowance.

We then met up with Bettina’s Aunt, who drove us to an off-leash park for a walk with their Bernese Mountain Dog Hemingway and his many (large) furry friends. I’ve never seen so many massive dogs in one place before.

Hemingway (all 120 pounds of him)
Seriously massive dogs
The scenery of the Elbow River valley below and the skyline of downtown Calgary in the distance was nice to see, especially because it seems I rarely escape the trappings of city living when traveling.
Skyline
Valley
Pathway
Us
Surprise, surprise – we followed up our outdoor excursion with a dim sum lunch at Forbidden City in Pacific Place (220, 999 36 Street NE). I wouldn’t normally single out Chinese restaurants, but the portions were abnormally generous here. For example, the plate of rice crepes was double the size what any Edmonton restaurant would serve at a similar price range. Highly recommended.
We C-Trained to Chinook Mall for a quick look around, and then it was back downtown to pick up our bags. This was my first extended brush with the C-Train system, and I must admit that I am pretty impressed with its reach of many parts of the city.
For one last hurrah, we sat down for a quick treat at Fiasco Gelato (807 1 Street SW) – the chocolate hazlenut Tartufo was delicious.
Yum! (the Tartufo was underneath the raspberry sorbetto)
Back to the Red Arrow bus station (after some SE and SW misdirection), and we were home before we knew it. It was a very full weekend.

The Calgary Fringe

I was poking around the internet, looking for things to do while in Calgary this weekend, and I stumbled upon the website for the Calgary Fringe.

Running from the 10th to the 19th (stepping on Edmonton’s toes! Yes, I’m a snob), the Calgary version of the festival includes films and art exhibits in addition to the requisite theatre offerings. It seems they too have set up an online ticketing system this year.

Programs have been on sale for as long as I’ve attended the Edmonton Fringe, so the expense is really a non-starter. And as the funds go towards keeping the festival alive, patrons end up with a souvenir and (hopefully) a sense of contributing to something. Of course, for newbies or those just dabbling in theatre, the same information is available on the website, or at the booths on site, while volunteer gatekeepers collect donations from anyone willing to part with change.

I write about this because the Calgary Fringe has introduced a Fringe button. Priced at $5, this button is required for entrance to all shows in addition to the actual ticket. While it operates on the same fundraising principle as Edmonton’s $6 programs, I think the buttons would really deter any green patrons from taking a chance on a show. The cost for two people to attend a performance becomes, at the very least, $30 ($10 per ticket, plus $5 each for buttons), not taking into consideration surcharges. Unless one is planning on attending multiple shows, I wouldn’t think it very worthwhile purchase, and I would quite frankly feel ripped off.

The programs are free in Calgary, and really, with a much smaller line up than Edmonton, it may be a more difficult expense to swallow. When it comes down to it, I’m sure the team behind the Calgary Fringe are just doing whatever they deem necessary to keep their festival alive. So as a fan of theatre, I can’t be too critical. Perhaps I’ll pop down to the site this weekend to check out the atmosphere.

Spin that wheel!

I saw this featured in today’s Home Outfitters catalogue, and I couldn’t resist posting about it.


The Rakku Shoe Wheel has been around for a while (even winning some kind of design award last year), but this is the first I’ve seen of it. What a whimsical but practical way to keep your shoe collection in check! And while my mostly black flats would not look as pretty as pairs of pumps transported from the 80s, it’d certainly be a fun way to select what to wear in the morning.

They should get cracking on designing a wheel that would work for the boots all Canadian girls have in stock.

Heritage Festival 2007

After a mediocre (and expensive) showing of food at the Taste of Edmonton, I was really looking forward to the reasonably-priced variety at the Heritage Festival.

Dancers at the Azerbaijan site

Sure, there are cultural pavillions filled with neat artifacts and intricate handicrafts, and a veritable panoply of eye-catching entertainment, but I would be lying if I proclaimed anything other than the food to be my main reason of attendance.
Every year, I go through the menu with every intention of trying something new, and yet, once on the grounds, underneath the hot sun and facing lines unending, I end up retreating back to my reliable standbys: gelato from Italy (the Bacio wasn’t refreshing, but it was chocolate-y goodness!) and langos (fried bread dough) from the Hungarian pavilion.
Langos (a hazard to eat for those wearing dark colors)
My sister’s Falafel from the Arab pavilion

Our Contiki Tour Manager had urged us to try Dutch pancakes while we were in Amsterdam, but my friends and I weren’t able to locate a stand selling this specialty. So I figured I’d finally get my kicks at the Holland pavilion. Unfortunately, the poffertjes, at least in this incarnation really were nothing special, tasting like mini pancakes made from dry mix dusted with icing sugar.

Poffertjes
Still, as Edmonton’s summer festivals go, this is one of my favorites. What better place to pick up inexpensive souvenirs and trinkets?
Dickson getting his fortune read at the Chinese pavilion
Mack wears his special hat
There’s one more day to check out the fun. Just remember to bring a donation for the Food Bank!

Film: “Ratatouille”

I finally saw Ratatouille this weekend (seems 9:30pm is a good time to go if you’re looking at avoiding the under-12 crowd).

Like most Pixar films, the ‘follow your dreams’ message was inherent, as well as a reinforcement of the importance of family. Still, despite Remy being very cute, and the romance of the animated Paris cityscape, this is a weak addition to the Pixar canon. I don’t want to ruin the movie for those who haven’t yet seen it, but for anyone who has watched a certain clip of a, erm, cleanliness-challenged fast food restaurant in America, one of the last scenes in Ratatouille will not ring so fantastical.

And if anyone was wondering what the ratatouille dish consists of – it’s a French stewed vegetable dish.

The Cooking Chronicles: Egg, Cheese and Hot Dog Bake

Needing a quick supper idea, and knowing that I had some leftover hot dogs and buns in my fridge, I remembered a Real Simple recipe for an egg, cheese, and sausage bake, and decided to modify it based on what I had on hand.

Substituting hot dogs in place of Italian sausage, green peppers instead of onions, and adding a few cherry tomatoes that I had meant to eat in a salad, it was a very easy recipe to pull together. The final product was all right – it was essentially a quiche-like casserole, the egg-soaked bread pieces ending up tasting like French toast, and overall helped round-out the dish. My family wasn’t as enthused about the bake, but each to their own, right?

I’d say this is a good brunch pick, or one to make if you have children coming over for dinner.

Egg, Cheese and Hot Dog Bake

More Fringe Buzz

Colin Maclean wrote an article in Friday’s Edmonton Sun that further describes how the addition of the online ticketing system may affect the Fringe. An excerpt:

“…some feel strongly that the essence of the event is being destroyed. Will the creative mayhem disappear? Will people just buy tickets to, say, the latest David Belke play (The Headshot of Dorian Gray – Holy Anglican Church) and then go home when it’s over? Isn’t much of what drives the Fringe the discussion in the beer tent or in the lineup, the comparing of notes, the excitement of finding something new and the development of unexpected hits as the 11 days go on?

“Or how about just hanging out? Will you still be able to make up your own Fringe as it goes along aided by the buzz of friends (and strangers)? Will the popular ones (The Power of Ignorancethe annual Grant MacEwan MusicalRainer Hersch) sell out before the Fringe even begins and if you can’t get into at least one of the biggies, is it worthwhile going down at all?
I have talked to a number of people who feel so strongly about it they are not Fringing this year.”

He does go on to say that the possibility exists that even more tickets will be sold with the new system – more friendly for first-time Fringers, for example, and without the headache of anticipatory lineups at the door.

A friend of mine called me an “old biddy” when I expressed my hesitations at embracing this change. I know I said that I would hold out judgment until the end of the Fringe, and I will do my best, but I am enjoying reading and debating about this pre-festival buzz nonetheless.

On a related note – I recorded my one and only podcast around this time last year, to test out Mack and Dickson’s Podcast Spot. You can listen to my Fringe podcast here.