Picnic in the Park with The Copper Pot

Doug had a great idea for his farewell lunch at work – instead of the standard sit-down meal at a nearby restaurant, he wanted us to take advantage of having the beautiful Ezio Farone Park just across the street from our building by having a picnic together. So ordering sandwiches from The Copper Pot (101, 9707-110 Street), we gathered on the grass under absolutely perfect weather.

Besides their regular lunch menu (which can be viewed on their revamped website), The Copper Pot also offers three sandwiches, one wrap, and a soup & salad combo available for take-out only. Priced at $8 each (sides extra), the selections are on the steep side, but considering its downtown office building location, the expense is understandable. I ordered the Ham & Cheese Panini (blackforest ham and brie on grilled French bread) and fries. As I enjoyed my sandwich with good company and for a special occasion, I didn’t mind incurring the cost for something easily duplicated at home for much less, but on a regular day, I doubt I’d order it again.
So – thanks Doug for a great Friday afternoon, and all the best with your future endeavours!
Ham & Cheese Panini and fries
Doug shows off his Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwich
Violet does the same
Evania and Michael pose with their respective Ham & Cheese Panini and Greek Salad Wrap (this is starting to feel like a Copper Pot advertisement)
Doug’s turn to give a speech as Anna looks on
Group shot

The Globe & Food

I am not sure how this degenerated into a food blog, but I can’t stem the tide, so it continues…

Globe & Mail’s “Globe Life” section is dedicated to the culinary arts every Wednesday, featuring recipes from Canadian celebrity chefs such as Rob Feenie and Michael Smith, food trends, and national restaurant profiles (albeit with a bias towards the big three – Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver).

Today’s edition had two juicy stories:

  • Canadian cheese – Canada’s first ever production of di buffala mozzarella (cheese made from the milk of a buffalo) began recently. I’ve personally never tried it, but given the tastiness of its bocconcini relative, I’m sure its freshness can’t be beat.
  • Iron Chef, live – inspired by the popular television show, a new restaurant in Montreal will aspire to replicate the creativity and tension of Iron Chef right in front of customers. In Duel, diners will be asked to select a dish prepared by one of the two competing chefs, and vote on their favorites at the end of the evening. It’s an inspired concept.

There was also mention of a new “u-pick” farm. Traditionally reserved for fruits and vegetables, this concept has now lent itself to beef! That’s right, for about $3 a pound, a farm in Saskatchewan will let customers browse their cattle, select one of their liking, and have the meat butchered and sent over within a few weeks. Having never spent any time on a farm, I don’t know if I could deal with the process of actually choosing a cow to have it slaughtered. I’m not a vegetarian, but it’s definitely easier when you don’t have to look into the eyes of what you’ll be eating.

Whimsical Cupcakes: the Store

This really doesn’t deserve an entire post on its own, but I don’t think I can hold onto this announcement until I have enough material for a “Tidbits” entry.

Whimsical Cake Studio, of Downtown Farmer’s Market fame, is opening up its store on Friday, June 15! Located at 14910-45 Avenue, grand opening festivities will be taking place some time in mid-July. Having sampled cupcakes from Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, I can confidently say that Whimsical offers some of the best treats available in both Alberta and BC.

Needless to say, I’m craving a cupcake right now…

Sterling Awards Nominations

This year’s Elizabeth Sterling Hayes Awards nominations were announced last week. Recognizing the best in local theatre, the nominees span the gamut from risky productions (Catalyst’s Frankenstein) to heartfelt dramas (Theatre Network’s Closer and Closer Apart) to experimental, edgy material (Citadel’s The Pillowman).

I don’t feel as if I am in a position to pick the winners, as I haven’t seen all of the shows listed (Frankenstein would have been hit or miss with me, but I regret not seeing it for all of its critical acclaim), but I am happy to see some names singled out that I did have the pleasure to watch on stage this season. James DeFlice and Patrick Howarth were great in Closer and Closer Apart and Dreamland Saturday Nights, respectively, and I can’t disagree with Andrea House’s nomination for her supporting role in David Belke’s The Raven and the Writing Desk because she is just that good. Lastly, what can I say about 10 Days on Earth that I haven’t already? Simply amazing.

Teatro La Quindicina is glaringly absent from the ballot (both in productions and their family of actors), but as with most entertainment awards, comedies are as a whole ignored in favor of the dramatic. Maybe next year.

Winners will be announced at the gala on June 25.

Food-Related Notes

  • See Magazine released their “Best of” results for 2007. The results are skewed towards independent eateries, as expected, but I’m a bit sad to see that Blue Plate Diner didn’t make the top three of any category. I disagree with the voting of Garage Burger and Barb & Ernie’s as Best Burger and Best Breakfast, respectively, but I had to laugh with the inclusion of “Tuxedo Cake” in the Best Dessert category (I guess it wasn’t clear to voters that editors were looking for a place noun and not a thing…)
  • Speaking of things, how cool is this modified-typewriter-turned-waffle-iron?
  • On that note, as seen in the Globe & Mail, how about a glass that literally leaves flowers in its place? (Not worth $30US each though, in my humble opinion.)
  • Via Eat Drink One Woman, I found out about the upcoming Gourmet Institute New York weekend retreat – two days of informative seminars, professional demonstrations, and of course, amazing food! Two sessions that caught my eye: “Eat the Web: Blogging’s Effect on the Food World” and “The Restaurateur Versus the Critic.”
  • Second Cup must have recently revamped their menu – their non-fat drinks are now prefaced with the word “skinny.” Really. I wonder how many guys would be caught dead asking for such a girly-sounding modification?

More “Sex & the City” Movie News

Furthering a story I posted about late last year, Sarah Jessica Parker confirmed that a movie version of Sex & the City is in the works:

“Speaking on TV show Entertainment Tonight, she said, ‘This is a very complicated puzzle to put back – not for the reason that people speculate about because as far as I know all of the actresses want to be together again for this movie. Somehow in my brain I think the timing is fortuitous because if we had done it years ago… we couldn’t have done it now. I’m hopeful and very excited about it.'”

The IMDB page for the movie has the release date pegged to be 2008. I’m not holding my breath until someone other than Parker speaks about the film (in particular Kim Cattrall, who’s rumored riff with Parker was the reason a movie immediately following the television finale was quashed), but based on both her and Kristen Davis’ lack of upcoming projects, I’m sure any work that would push them back into the pop culture spotlight would be a welcome assignment.

Tidbits: Notes from Edmonton’s Epicurean Scene

  • One of the city’s oldest continuously operating restaurants has closed. The Silk Hat, established in 1912, has shut down due to the planned demolition of the building in favor of a new tower.
  • Vue Weekly printed a retraction last week for writing an incorrect story that El Rancho was closing. Mistakes happen, but I hope El Rancho doesn’t lose any business from that unfounded rumor, especially since they are tucked and hidden away from the sight of a main thoroughfare.
  • There’s a new cafe on the block: Axis Cafe (10349 Jasper Avenue) just had their grand opening on June 1. With positive press already, and a storefront that opens up onto the sidewalk, it may be worth a visit when you’re looking for a cup of joe on a warm summer night.
  • CBC Centre Stage in Edmonton City Centre is presenting a series titled “Food Fight: Local vs Global” this week. Events of interest include restaurant cooking demos from 3:30-4PM with local chefs (June 12 – Home Fire Grill; June 13 – Wild Tangerine; June 14 – Bacon), and a celebrity taste off on June 15 to determine whether local, organic, or supermarket produce is tastier. Drop by if you’re in the area!

Film: “Shrek the Third”

I just returned from Shrek the Third, the movie we watched to cap off Michael’s farewell evening.

As with Pirates, though of less importance, I could only vaguely remember what had taken place in the movies prior. Perhaps because of lowered expectations going in, I did enjoy this third installment. Justin Timberlake, the new voice addition, was pitch perfect as the whiny, adolescent heir (who, in Doug’s opinion, resembled Corey Feldman – you be the judge), and crowd favorites Donkey and Puss in Boots were their usual smile-inducing selves (they really could have their own movie). I will also admit to enjoying the princesses coming-of-age sequence (Snow White could be the X-Man who controls animals!). And with the exception of the Frog King’s twice-over fake-out deaths, there were enough lighthearted, humorous moments to keep me entertained.

Though I didn’t originally intend to catch this sequel in theatres, I didn’t regret doing so.

I Heart H & M

I was first exposed to H & M while in Toronto on vacation about this time last year. They had a great selection of both work and weekend wear for a reasonable price, and while some eschew their quality, I find their “disposable fashion” made of better material than its counterparts Forever XXI and to some extent, Zara.

I’ve visited the West Edmonton Mall location twice since it opened, and have been floored both times. In direct competition with Forever XXI, H & M trumps them in every category: the staff are numerous and friendly, the fitting rooms are innumerable, and the tills are speedy. Their merchandising by style is helpful as well, and I haven’t found it too difficult to locate duplicates of orphan items that have caught my eye. Lastly, I have come across some great deals – I picked up a short-sleeved wrap dress shirt for $20 less than the C’est Sera version I saw a few weeks ago.

So if you needed a reason to brave the crowds at WEM, you now have it.