I rarely take Fridays off, but I did so this past weekend, and learned that I should be doing that more often, especially in the summer! It’ll be a few months until our next vacation, but long weekends may be able to tide me over in the meantime. On to this week’s food notes:

• The kitchen cook-offs are spreading: The Local Omnivore is hosting their first Knifewear Kitchen Fight on July 16, 2016. Tickets are $35 and include 4 appetizers.
• The third annual Grand Taste Tour is scheduled for July 24, 2016, and will end with a meal at Tangle Ridge Ranch prepared by Chef Frank Olson from Red Ox Inn and Canteen. If it’s anything like last year, be prepared for a wonderful learning experience and spectacular supper. Tickets for the tour and the dinner are $100, while tickets for the tour and a bagged lunch are $50.
• The next COMAL Mexican Table Dinners are scheduled for July 30 & 31, 2016. Tickets are $51 for the 3-course meals.
• The Heritage Festival, which runs July 30-August 1, 2016, has now posted this year’s menus, so start planning!
• We’re so fortunate in Edmonton to have multiple locations of the Italian Centre, so it only makes sense the suburbs want in, too: the folks behind the Italian Bakery are opening up a similarly-inspired deli and grocery store in St. Albert called Mercato by Italian Bakery.
• Relish Burger has closed on 124 Street, but may consider a new location in the future.
• Linda tried out the new brunch menu at Holt’s Cafe.
• The Hotel MacDonald recently added a Friday night dinner buffet to their roster; Lillian sampled just a few of their indulgences.
• Jonny returned to an oft-overlooked restaurant, A Taverna, in the Delton neighbourhood.
• Wendy’s Perogies, a favourite for many Edmontonians, was a recent discovery for Evonne.
• The Journal continues their patio series with reviews of Cafe Bicyclette (interestingly enough, their third review of Cafe Bicyclette in three years) and Violino.
• Vue Weekly asks: what’s in a review? Phil, one of the food writers interviewed in the piece, also tackles the subject in his newest Off Menu podcast.
• Phil put together a price check to compare the cost for products at Safeway versus the new, expanded Duchess Provisions.
• While the newly revamped Earls on Stephen Avenue in Calgary didn’t completely do away with tipping, they’ve instituted a 16% “hospitality charge” that will divide equally among the hourly staff.
• Liane wrote a great piece about Alexis Hillyard and her YouTube cooking series called Stump Kitchen.
• What do you think is healthy? Do nutritionists agree? Based on a recent survey of Americans and a panel of nutrition experts, there is some dissonance in those opinions.
• Along those lines, Grub Street published their Neurotic Eater’s Grocery List, pointing out ethical, environmental and health problems of supermarket foods, and the New York Post highlights some of the fake food you’ve likely be scammed into buying.
• The last What the Truck?! at Park After Dark took place on Friday, but if you missed it, be sure to mark your calendar for the next one at Telus Field on August 20, 2016.

S’mores cake from Molly’s Eats at What the Truck?!

• Speaking of food trucks, it’s been a while since I’ve tried new vendors outside of What the Truck?! I was able to do so on Friday downtown. Ka Bao was parked near Alberta Hotel, and I loved that they sold individual baos at $3.50 a piece, which meant I could have it as a snack as we were in-between meals. We tried the pork belly and chicken baos, and enjoyed the flavours of the meat and the consistency of the bao base.

Cluck’N Dandy from Ka Bao

• I also stopped by Kitchen on Friday for meatball madness – offered most Fridays out of their storefront at 10130 105 Street. On that day, Korean meatballs on bacon and egg fried rice were on offer for $8. It was a good portion size for the price, and definitely a quick lunch for those on the go! Follow Chef Brad Smoliak on Twitter for their next meatball date.

Korean meatballs on rice from Kitchen

• We also took in an Edmonton Prospects game last week. Though we lost, I took solace in my Ukrainian Dog, a hot dog topped with three fried perogies (and only $5 to boot).

Ukrainian Dog at Telus Field

• The Valley Zoo Farmers’ Market is back again, beginning July 5, 2016, and runs Tuesday nights from 2-8pm.
• The final What the Truck?! at Northlands Park is taking place on July 8, 2016 from 5-10pm – take advantage of your last chance to sample food trucks at the horse races before the track is dismantled!
• Get Cooking is hosting a second pop-up dinner with Chef Doreen Prei on July 8, 2016, from 5-8:30pm.
• Chef Brad Smoliak is hosting a long table dinner at the Ukrainian Village on July 15, 2016. Tickets for the Ukrainian-inspired meal and after hours tour are $170 per person.
• El Cortez has a new sibling upstairs – Have Mercy, a Southern restaurant, opened today at 8232 Gateway Boulevard. They’re reservation only until July 6, 2016.
• Also in Old Strathcona, Izakaya Dorinku is now open, located at 10205 82 Avenue.
• Stage 104, which took over the Downtown space vacated by The Burg at 10190 104 Street, opened on Canada Day.
• Looking forward to checking out the new and expanded location of Duchess Provisions after it opens on July 8, 2016. It is located at 10934 119 Street.
• Remedy Cafe’s fifth location is now open in Terwillegar, at 1707 Towne Centre Boulevard.
• The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald has begun a series of Friday night dinner buffets, and will be offering them throughout the summer. It’d be nice to have a bit more information to share, but their website is unfortunately mum.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie checks out the ramen served on Saturdays at Yuzen in St. Albert.
• Avenue Edmonton released their list of 25 Favourite Things to Eat in 2016, as identified by 25 prominent Edmontonians.
• Avenue also profiles Ayumi Yuda, the woman behind Ikki Izakaya, and shares that she’ll be opening another Japanese eatery near Ice District.
• Jason Foster shares his thoughts on the beer  trends in Alberta.
• Sunshine Organic is one of our go-to vendors at the City Market, so it was nice to get a photo tour of their farm via The Local Good.
• Great to hear Calgary will open Alberta’s first community food centre this fall.
• We had our second Sugared and Spiced Cake Club delivery aligned with my birthday a few weeks ago, and we enjoyed this cake just as much as the last!

Lemon raspberry cake

• There’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of pho on a hot day, especially when it happens to be a #phodate.

My usual at Pho Tau Bay

• A new Vietnamese restaurant is opening on July 4, called Pho Ha & Hoa, at 9616 165 Avenue.
• Dorinku is a forthcoming Japanese restaurant in Old Strathcona, at 10205 82 Avenue. Thanks Su for the heads up!
• Learn more about Chef Ben Staley’s vision for his twin restaurants, Alta and the Alder Room.
• Lillian recaps her experience at the Cafe Linnea pop-up, the breakfast restaurant opening in mid-July from the folks behind Duchess. She notes that the restaurant will feature a no tipping policy, which would make it the first establishment to adopt this concept in Edmonton.
• On a related note, Provisions will be closed from June 27 – July 7, 2016 in order to relocate to their new space.
• Rosebowl Pizza has announced that they are closing after 37 years of operation in Oliver, but have plans to reopen locations in both Downtown and south Edmonton. They will be offering free pizza from 6-7pm on June 29, 2016, their last day of operation.
• Western Living announced their 2016 Foodies of the Year – congrats to Italian Centre’s Teresa Spinelli for making the list!
• I suppose its inevitable that Edmonton will always be compared with other Prairie cities, but did we need someone from Calgary to say Winnipeg has now surpassed Edmonton’s food scene?
• Jason Foster is hoping Edmonton will relax its bylaws to encourage more craft breweries to start up in our city.
• Loblaw’s first City Market location in the Brewery District opened last week. Mack and I checked out the shop over the weekend, and were instantly reminded of the Maple Leaf Gardens flagship in Toronto (that it is, in fact, modeled after). It’s a beautiful store, to be sure, full of ready-to-eat products. The prices are noticeably higher than Superstore though, but the location is definitely more convenient and transit-friendly.
• Phil’s latest Off Menu Podcast covers the topic of farmers’ markets, and features guests Owen Petersen of Prairie Mill and Kirsta Franke of the 124 Street and French Quarter Markets.
• Mack and I enjoyed a birthday dinner at Cafe Amore last week. It was the first time in a long while where I finished my plate of pasta in one sitting!

Truffle chicken and tomato pasta from Cafe Amore

• Mack and I checked out Farm to Fork in Sherwood Park when we were in the neighbourhood. We enjoyed their take on sliders, moist flavourful patties between potato chips instead of the usual bun. We did find the cost on the high side ($15), but recognize that they use local suppliers. We were also touched by the generosity of the kitchen, who provided a dessert on the house in recognition of my recent birthday. For more information about the restaurant, listen to Twyla’s review on CBC.

Slider bites from Farm to Fork

• The second annual Culinary Cookout returns to Sturgeon County on August 5, 2016, from 4-9pm. Food vendors will include XIX Nineteen.
• Taste of Edmonton returns to Churchill Square in a month, running from July 20-31, 2016. They just released the menu, and tickets are on sale at 20% off until July 20.
• K Days also announced its new food items, offered at the fair running July 22-31, 2016. They include a rainbow grilled cheese, a poutine corn dog and deep fried coffee.
• KB & Co is now open in Fox One (10224 104 Street), offering “casual conscious eats”.
• Holts Cafe will be revamping its menu now that Chef Julia Kundera, formerly of Glasshouse Bistro, has moved into its kitchen.
• The Journal paid a visit to the much loved Earls Tin Palace on Jasper Avenue.
• Graham checks out the variety of Korean fried chicken options in Edmonton.
• Congratulations to A Cappella Catering, who is celebrating its 25th year in business.
• Mel Priestly announced her departure of the position of Dish/News Editor at Vue Weekly.
• It’s a movement that chefs in Edmonton are growing their own produce, shares Vue Weekly.
• I missed linking to this last week – a profile on Bo and Marrow, a new bone broth vendor at both the City Market and St. Albert Farmers’ Markets.
• It’s great to see that the Leduc Food Processing Development Centre has received a $10 million expansion.
• Congrats to District Cafe, who re-opened after an extensive renovation. The space has easily tripled in size, and will accommodate evening hours and an expanded menu. It’s great to have a locally-owned cafe option open late in Downtown Edmonton.

District Cafe

• The second What the Truck?! event of the summer took place on Saturday at Blatchford. It was neat to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to check out the view from the observation tower. And the weather was perfect for al fresco eats! I really enjoyed the lamb burger from The Good Stuff, and I couldn’t resist an ice cream sandwich from Cookie Love. If you missed it, don’t despair – the next event takes place in conjunction with Park After Dark at Northlands on July 8.

The Daily Grind burger from The Good Stuff

Salted caramel ice cream sandwich from Cookie Love

• The third annual Porkapalooza takes place June 17-19, 2016 at Clarke Park. Expect a BBQ competition, food demos, and of course, lots of barbecue!
• Just in time for Father’s Day, Accent Lounge is hosting Back Alley Beer Gardens on June 18, featuring food and beer from Blindman Brewery. Advanced tickets are $25.
• The pop-up is sold out, but is still worth mentioning, as the excitement around Duchess Bake Shop’s expansion is unparalleled: Cafe Linnea will be offering a sneak peek of their menu on June 18 at Little Brick.
• Taste Alberta is hosting a special dinner at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald on June 23, 2016 called Prairie on a Plate. The four-course meal is priced at $69 and is available in the Harvest Room during regular dinner service.
• Missed the last two Northern Chicken pop-ups? Then mark your calendar for the next one, to take place on July 3, 2016 at Packrat Louie.
• The expanded District Cafe & Bakery opens its doors on June 14, 2016 with expanded hours – 7am to 9pm! I’m excited to have a local cafe within walking distance open late.
• Liane has some details about Baijiu, the second venture from the folks behind North 53 to open up this fall next to Rostizado in the Mercer Building.
• Fuqing Lanzhou Noodle is the second hand-pulled noodle shop to open in a number of months (following Wheat Garden, and joining the longer-standing Noodle Feast on the south side). Jonny is optimistic after his first visit to the restaurant located at 10821 97 Street.
• Situation Brewing has only been open for a few weeks, but it’s been hopping ever since (ahem). Jonny is the latest to check out the brew pub.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie visited the newest quick-serve pizzeria in Edmonton, Blaze Pizza.
• Graham from the Edmonton Sun raved about his perfect experience at Chartier.
• Wheat Garden Noodle & Dumpling Bazaar received some love from Linda!
• Linda joined a group of bloggers in the kitchen of the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald for an interactive cooking lesson and dinner.
• There’s not enough meat to this press release about the food to be expected this fall at Rogers Place, but I counted the use of “local” eight times in the article. I’ll be interested to see what that actually means, since “Alberta beef”, for instance, doesn’t actually mean beef that was raised in Alberta. At any rate, expect a Rogers Place booth at Taste of Edmonton this summer, showcasing some of their signature offerings.
• Congratulations to Karlynn, whose first cookbook Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky is now available for pre-order on Amazon.
• Last Tuesday, Uber Eats was running an amazing promo: several participating restaurants offered dishes priced at $2, and delivery was free. It was all we needed to try the service out for the first time. We selected chicken and beef shawarma from La Shish Taouk. It was great to follow along on the app to know that our order was received, in process, and on its way (delivered in about 30 minutes). We’ll be using Uber Eats again in the future!

Uber Eats Toonie Tuesday special from La Shish Taouk

• Mack and I kicked off the weekend with some wine and bacon from Tzin at our favourite neighbourhood patio on Friday. Given the intermittent rain on the following few days, it was a good reminder to take advantage of any and all opportunities to eat outside!

Bacon from Tzin

• It was only fitting after attending a conference all about Chinatown to head over to Chinatown when we needed a bite to eat! The bun bo Hue from King Noodle hit the spot, as always.

Bun bo hue from King Noodle

• We typically make our own pizza dough, but after spending the weekend at the conference, we cheated a bit and picked up some of the fresh dough available at the Italian Centre on Saturdays and Sundays (for just $1.49). It made it really quick to pull together a pizza, topped this time with prosciutto and Edgar Farms asparagus.

It’s pizza time!

• Author Marty Chan is hosting a ten-course Chinese dinner at Sai Woo Gardens on June 15, 2016. Tickets are just $45.
• If you’re looking for an outdoor supper out of the ordinary, look no further than Brad Smoliak’s long table dinners located at Elk Island. The first for this year is scheduled on June 18, 2016. Tickets are $150 each.
• The latest Vegan Snack Attack box, put together by Long Lost Foods and Blue Rose Baking, can be pre-ordered by June 21 for pick-up on June 23. The $40 box feeds four.
• Diner en Blanc has announced its 2016 date: July 28, 2016. You can sign up now for the white dinner in the hopes you’ll be chosen.
• Careit Urban Deli on 104 Street is the newest brunch destination downtown!
• Andrea and Cindy have already stopped by Daniel Costa’s newest restaurant, Uccellino, which opened last week.
• It’s been great to see such a proliferation of independently-owned coffee shops all across the city – Avenue profiles one of the newest, Square 1 Coffee in Aspen Gardens.
• Evonne reviews Seoul Fried Chicken.
• The Journal will be profiling patios all summer. First up: Little Brick.
• John Gilchrist, food reviewer for the Calgary Herald, provides some tips on how to review restaurants.
• Wine lovers rejoice – Northern Lands will be back in 2017.
• I love the idea of a cookbook club, as an alternative to the traditional book club: members trial recipes from the same book and bring it to a tasting party! Athena tested out this idea with the Duchess cookbook.
• I had a work lunch at Juniper last week. The pesto chicken grilled cheese was tasty, but was a bit on the small size.

Pesto chicken grilled cheese from Juniper

• Not up to cook on Friday, Mack and I headed to Route 99 for some poutine and pizza.

We love us some Route 99 poutine

• There was a ton to do on Saturday, which made it feel like the official kick-off to summer. We checked out, among other things, the Meet Me in McCauley Market. It returns to Church Street (96 Street from 107A Avenue to 108 Avenue) on July 9 from 10am-4pm.

Meet Me in McCauley Market

Though I’m sad the Raptors couldn’t advance to the Finals, it was a pretty great run. Looking forward to next season, and hoping they can keep DeRozan! On to this week’s food notes:

• There will be a ton of things to check out on June 4, 2016, with it being Make Something Edmonton’s 100in1day Project, but one of the events I’m looking forward to is the Meet me in McCauley Market, from 10am-4pm on Church Street (96 Street from 107A Avenue to 108 Avenue). There will be workshops on urban agriculture and food security, vendors, and other programming.
• On June 6, 2016, Three Boars will be featuring a collaboration dinner with “a menu juxtaposting sad bastard bachelor foods and high end restaurant ingredients. Foie, instant ramen, donair, caviar…you get the point.” Reservations recommended.
• The 18th annual Zoo Fest, in support of the Valley Zoo, takes place on June 18, 2016. They’ll have wine and samles from New Asian Village, Sage and The Melting Pot.
• Kitchen by Brad (10130 105 Street) is hosting “Meatball Madness” every Friday from 11:30am-1pm, where you can pick up a quick bite to eat.
• Uccellino, completing Chef Daniel Costa’s trifecta of restaurants, is now open at 10349 Jasper Avenue, from Wedesdays to Sundays, 5-11pm. Half of the seats are unreserved.
• Cafe Linnea, Duchess Bakery’s forthcoming breakfast restaurant, will be opening this summer!
• Diane linked to a new noodle restaurant in Chinatown called Fuqing Lanzhou Noodle located at 10824 97 Street.
• Avenue has the details about the newest board game cafe in Edmonton, The Gamers Lodge, which features food items named after pop culture references.
• Jonny checked out Nudoru, and contributed another so-so review.
• Uber Eats finally launched in Edmonton last week, offering another option for food delivery service in Edmonton. We rarely have food delivered, but I’m looking forward to trying it. I had nothing but positive experience with Uber, so I’m certain that will carry forward with Uber Eats.
• Liane’s latest market vendor profile focuses on Caramia Caramels, who sells at the City Market.
• CBC’s This is That spoofs high-end chef programs by providing pub fare with the same treatment: “Food doesn’t have to be interesting, it just has to be edible.”
• The Edmonton Food Council is recruiting new members to start September 2016. The application deadline is June 20, 2016.
• The first What the Truck?! of the season took place this weekend at the Expo Centre, gathering nearly 40 trucks together each day. I tried some new dishes, including a savoury pizza crepe from Divine Crepes, Alberta Fried Karaage from Northlands Truck 1879 and the sweet chicken curry from Pink Taffeta. All in all, it was a great kick-off to the summer! The next event takes place on June 18, 2016 at Blatchford Field.

Pizza crepe from Divine Crepes was all right, but I should have selected a dessert crepe instead

The Alberta Fried Karaage was hot and crispy, but was missing something

The sweet curry chicken from Pink Taffeta was enjoyable enough, with a nice cashew garnish