Tim Hortons’ Breakfast Sandwich

On Sunday morning, I finally made it to Tim Hortons to try their new hot breakfast sandwich, which I haven’t stopped talking about since seeing the advertisement (it appears that they allow their Canadian customers to have their sleep and eat too, offering the sandwich until noon on weekends but only until 11am in the States).

I have always been a fan of the Sausage McMuffin at McDonald’s, but if I had to compare English muffins with biscuits as a base, the latter would win every time. For this reason, Tim’s sausage sandwich is my clear favorite. It is marginally bigger than the McDonald’s version (with 60 more calories), but at $2.49 plus tax, it’s fairly pricey; for that amount you could almost buy an entire meal at McDonalds. Still, it would be well worth the occasional “splurge” when you’re craving a cheesy, egg-tastic treat to start out your day.

For the record, my dining companion consumed both the sausage and bacon versions, and claimed he felt “sick” afterwards. Weak.

Understand that I never intended on taking a photo that seems to undercut the appeal of the sandwich…

Theatre: “Lost in Traffic”

Following dinner, we headed to the Myer Horowitz Theatre at the University of Alberta (8900 114 Street) to watch Quebec-based Theatre Parminou‘s production of Lost in Traffic. The purpose of this interactive, social activist play was to: “increase public awareness of the traffic of women and children.”

Four very versatile actors and one “game leader” presented various scenarios involving the trafficking of women, including: a sly American attempting to convince a young girl to leave her home to become an international model; a lonely man about to head abroad to marry essentially a mail-order bride; and a matriarch defending her decision to isolate and contain her foreign-born housekeeper for decades. In between anecdotes, the game leader would step on stage, either to provide more information, or in some cases, stopping the action altogether during the scenes themselves in order to poll the audience for possible interventions to prevent the trafficking from occurring.

I really liked the set design that involved five wooden trunks used as props throughout the show. They visually represented the theme of displacement, and can even be seen as a metaphysical reference to the theatre group’s own nomadic travels as they bring the show to campuses across the country. I also found the play to be appropriately educational, such as the 2004 change to the exotic dancer immigration clause.

The game leader was an interesting concept, and although I realize the rationale for the role was to encourage audience investment by allowing for the illusion of influence and control, a more effective means to this end would have been a complete storyline where the audience could build empathy through more natural processes.

Moreover, it seemed to me that the scenarios boiled the subject of trafficking down to stereotypical character profiles on both sides – the innocent-girl-turned-prostitute, the housemaid who cannot speak the language, and the stubborn Canadians who refuse to believe that the problem exists on North American soil. Of course, my own knowledge is limited, so who am I to say that such common beliefs don’t actually reflect realities? Still, at times, the production felt like a play written to fulfill the requirements of a class project.

In the end, I was expecting suggestions or ideas on how we, the public, could help with the prevention of human trafficking. Unfortunately, the bottom line provided was just to ‘spread the word’ and to advocate on behalf of those without voices. Yes, it’s now left in the hands of the audience, but I would have appreciated something more concrete than “speak.”

Ricky’s All Day Grill

Two friends and I visited the Ricky’s All Day Grill in Edmonton City Centre Mall (10200 102 Avenue) before heading out to see a play on Saturday night. With four locations in the city and another on the way, it’s surprising that none of us had eaten there before.

The restaurant is brightly lit, with funky multicolored light fixtures on the ceiling and 50’s-inspired art on the walls (perhaps harking back to the safety, security, and family values of times past?). The menu features breakfast items (pancakes, waffles, and omlettes, ohmy!) served daily until 4pm. As someone who has a penchant to sleep in, I can say that I will be back one afternoon for brunch.

I ordered the vegetarian teriyaki bowl (stir-fried veggies with teriyaki over oriental noodles). City counselors are always encouraging for the growth and development of facilities in the downtown district, and really, for suburbanites to stay or play downtown after hours, the service and selection must be superb so people will overlook parking complications and other difficulties. Know too that although I am a great advocate of the downtown experience, if I am allowed to use this one occasion at Ricky’s as an example of what the core has to offer, I am certain no one will be flocking to the area anytime soon. Not only was the waiter slow at taking our drink and dinner orders, but the kitchen also got my order wrong (they included chicken in my dish).

Sure, the portion was a decent size, and there was a fair balance between the noodles and stir-fry, but our dinner was rushed and thus rather unpleasant because of the poor service.

When I do try Ricky’s again, I will be heading to one of the other locations.

50’s-inspired art

Teriyaki bowl

Homefire Grill

Last night, a friend and I had dinner at Homefire Grill (18210 100 Avenue). I read about the restaurant a few months ago in Vue Weekly, but hadn’t yet had the opportunity to check it out.

The dining room itself is painted in mute autumn tones, which helps to evoke the cozy atmosphere the name suggests. On the other hand, perhaps I’ve been brainwashed by too many Restaurant Makeover viewings, but eateries that attempt to cater to every possible crowd often end up diluting their overall quality. Homefire Grill seems to suffer from such an identity crisis. While the menu lends itself to family-friendly meals, and the Navajo-inspired symbols that adorn the walls, sconces, and drop lamps provide a dash of ‘mom’s kitchen kitch,’ the fireplace centrepiece and room-wide dim lighting create an environment more aligned with adult dining (I find food to be quite the afterthought in these reviews. Who knew I’d be more interested in the aesthetics?).

There were some interesting menu options (the “nice little salad” for one, and the buffalo meatloaf which I will surely return to try), but I settled on the country ham and pineapple pizza while my friend chose the Singapore sling stir-fry.

Although the pizza was somewhat tasty (the hickory smoked bacon flavored the generous topping of cheese quite nicely), the soggy crust prevented it from any elevation above the fare available in most high school cafeterias. The beef in my friend’s stir fry was seasoned and grilled to perfection, but a lack of noodles and the use of frozen vegetables led to a dish that left much to be desired.

We split a creme brulee for dessert (actually quite unusual for me…all of my meals typically begin and end with an entree). Instead of the torched sugar we expected, the brulee was topped with a thick layer of caramelized sugar. It definitely took some effort to break through the coating to reach the disappointingly cool custard beneath. I’m not enough of a creme brulee expert to know what they did wrong, but the dish was disappointing, to say the least.

Reading over this review, I acknowledge that it appears I had a negative experience – and that wasn’t the case. Our waiter was polite and attentive (he even took the time to tell us about Mick McGeough’s blown call), and I would definitely recommend this restaurant to adults who are looking for a quiet, comfortable dinner venue. Next up on my return trip: buffalo meatloaf!

Restaurant interior

Centre fireplace

Country ham and pineapple pizza

Singapore sling stir-fry

Creme brulee

I see cups of red…

Besides the return of such classics like Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” on the airways, another holiday staple I eagerly await involves Starbucks’ Holiday Trio. More than the Gingerbread Latte (my favorite of the three) however, I am looking forward to the seasonal “red cup”. Last year, their “red cups” recreated conventional yuletide scenes, encouraging the association between warm fuzzies and Starbucks. Yes, it worked on me; I’m a sap.

I stumbled across a Starbucks Gossip blog, which included the tidbit that their holiday campaign will begin on November 9, at least in the States. The yet-to-function seasonal site address is pegged to be www.itsredagain.com.

The Starbucks blog, who’s self-proclaimed role is “monitoring America’s favorite drug dealer,” contains quite the cornucopia of information. Any articles written about the coffee giant are linked to and discussed. Two stories from the month of October that intrigued me:

  • Champagne with your coffee? A couple hold their wedding reception at a Starbucks (hm, not a bad idea…)
  • Out out, cheap patron! The debate over the so-called “ghetto latte” (I think I’m a Starbucks snob – frugal customers should go elsewhere for their iced latte fix. If you’re at Starbucks, you should be prepared to pay a premium for the quality, service, and atmosphere).

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

I passed by Ruth’s Chris Steak House (9990 Jasper Avenue) today. It is located in the old CIBC building, which makes it just a hop, skip, and jump away from Century Hospitality Group’s widely successful Lux Steakhouse & Bar. This location is the franchise’s first venture into Western Canada. And for those of you who were wondering (I certainly was), the phonetically-challenging moniker is a result of the founder, Ruth Fertel, merging her name with the first eatery she purchased, originally called “Chris Steak House.”

It appears to be quite an upscale joint (a large “valet parking” sign is staked out front), but whomever drafted this awkward description on the website should be fired:

“Our historic setting includes private dining in former bank vaults, surrounded in two feet of concrete and six ton vault doors yet with a very spacious feeling.”

I can hear Jay Leno’s mocking voiceover now – “‘Honey, there’s no one I’d rather be trapped with in a concrete cell.'”

I’m not sure when I’ll be in the market for a premium steak, but when it happens, I will be sure to post a review of the experience.

“Laguna Beach” Renewed

It turns out that they will be shooting a fourth season of Laguna Beach. Via Laguna Beach Hook-Up, this article also notes that MTV admits that its current incarnation is failing to live up to the past seasons that cemented this “scripted reality” phenomenon.

I became enamored with Laguna earlier this year. The production values floored me – the artistically framed shots, emotionally-manipulative editing, and scene perfect music selections. To the untrained eye, the episodes could’ve passed for any show on the now-defunct WB network. But more than aesthetics, the melodrama that arose from carousel dating, back talk, and betrayals became terribly addicting.

Laguna, and its The Hills spin-off are definitely guilty pleasures of mine. I just hope that the last half of season 3 that has yet to air in Canada can make up for its poor showing thus far.

All Hallow’s Eve

I don’t subscribe to the belief that Halloween gives you the de facto right to act any differently than you normally would. Isn’t it worse when those around you discover that such behavior was pent up, just waiting for a “socially acceptable” situation to be let out?

Of course, the behavior I’m referring to is an escalation of promiscuity. Isn’t it curious that on the one day of the year that you can masquerade as anyone, you don’t hear anyone say that they want to be more “respectable” or “intelligent?”

Pumpkin carving isn’t a family tradition of ours, but it does seem to be a company tradition of sorts, as I helped carve one at work yesterday for the second year running. Our original intent was a disco-themed Tina Turner, but due to poor planning and the substitution of red tinsel for hair where an afro should have been, our pumpkin resembled Ronald McDonald more than anything else.

Each department was responsible for producing a pumpkin, and they were voted upon today for prizes. I am in awe of the sick creativity behind the winning entry.

Our “Ronald McDonald.”

Introducing, “HomeCare Helen!”

Cupcakes!

I am not afraid to admit that I have a cupcake fetish, or at the very least am in the midst of a cupcake phase.

Ever since Magnolia Bakery hit it big in New York, gourmet cupcake shops have been springing up in major centres across North America. Even Edmonton, as small as we are, currently supports four cupcake franchises: two physical stores and two home-based businesses.

  • The Cupcake Shoppe: a home-based business, they deliver, and have sold their product at St. Albert’s Outdoor Farmer’s Market in the past. I haven’t yet had a chance to try out their cupcakes, so I will withhold judgment until then.
  • BabyCakes Bakeshoppe (6861-170 Street): a cupcake bakery and tea room, I just read about this location in the Edmonton Journal. I will be sure to make a stop there sometime soon.
  • The Cupcake Bakeshoppe & Cafe (17298 Stony Plain Road): I visited this cafe a few weeks ago with a friend of mine, and after much anticipation, I was sorely disappointed. The cafe itself was quite charming, but the cupcakes were not what I expected. Because they were refrigerated, it was hard to determine whether or not they were freshly made. Moreover, the icing was of the buttercream variety – not sweet enough for my tooth. The server explained that they only use imported Belgian fruit purees in the icing, but to me, the strawberry icing atop “The Diva” tasted strangely reminiscent of artificially-flavored Pocky. I will return sometime soon, if not only to try the ‘cakes that they had sold out of (“The Don” especially), but I will remain cautiously optimistic.
  • Whimsical Cake Studio: another home-based business, they are clearly my favorite (with the best website too!). They also deliver, and sell their product at the St. Albert and Downtown Farmer’s Markets. Over the summer, Whimsical was profiled in the Edmonton Journal, which is where I discovered the company. I had my first taste of their cupcakes at the city centre market, and felt even more privileged when I managed to score the last two they had for sale that Saturday (yes, there was a little boy behind me in line. No mercy when it comes to cupcakes). The ‘cake was obviously freshly baked, and the icing was a little taste of heaven – sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. If you’re interested, Whimsical will be setting up booths on November 4 & 18 at Churchill Square. Details here.

An unidentified Whimsical cupcake (picture courtesy of a coworker with a talent for photography).

EDIT: on a cupcake-related note, I discovered Johnny Cupcakes clothing today. They make one cute shirt.

Haweli Restaurant and Steeps

Last night, a few friends and I had supper at Haweli Restaurant (10220-103 Street), located on the Boardwalk in downtown Edmonton. Haweli actually just recently won the Edmonton Appetizer Challenge at the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival.

Although the furniture looks like it could have been rescued from a repossessed Bonanza, there were some nice decorative touches of organza around the dining area. Though on second thought, Haweli could greatly benefit from a Restaurant Makeover-style interior renovation…

I would be the first person to admit that I haven’t had much in the way of East Indian cuisine before, so much of what was on the menu was new to me. Thus, I was hoping the waitress would be able to provide some guidance, but this wasn’t the case – she was either new, or simply ill-equipped to deal with questions from inquisitive patrons. In the end, we settled on sharing orders of vegetarian samosas, garlic naan, butter chicken, navratan korma (mixed vegetables cooked in a creamy sauce), and chicken biryani (basmati rice cooked with boneless chicken).

Save for the plates of samosas and naan, all other dishes were surprisingly small. However, the food itself was excellent. In particular, the navratan korma was creamy, flavorful, but not overpowered by spices.

Our cheque divided up into roughly $18 per person, so it was definitely a worthwhile sampling of East Indian cuisine. And while I’m not sure I will be back right away, it was a satisfying experience overall.

Interior of Haweli Restaurant

Chicken biryani and navratan korma

Following dinner, we headed to Steeps (12411 Stony Plan Road). I love coffee as much as the next person, but I do drink a fair amount of tea as well. Steeps is noted for their great selection of teas, which you can check out at their handy “tea tree”: a stand with individual canisters of all of the teas they carry, available for your sniffing pleasure.

This was my first time at the “original teahouse,” as it is denoted on the website, and the atmosphere is fantastic. You almost feel like an urbanite just stepping into the place, with its old hardwood flooring, mismatched 70s furniture (reminiscent of pieces sold at The Junque Cellar), and dim lighting. This location actually reminded me a lot of one of my favorite Edmonton haunts, the Blue Plate Diner.

I settled on a small pot of “spring wind jasmine” green tea. I am not enough of a tea aficionado to suss out the subtle hints and tones of the brew, but I can say that it produced a comforting drink to accompany fine conversation.

A great cup of tea!