Food Notes for December 21, 2015

It’s been a whirlwind December, so I’m looking forward to Christmas now more than ever. All the best of the season to you and your family! On to this week’s food notes:

The Hoang Long Fresh Market is hosting a free lunch for the less fortunate on December 30, 2015, from 2-4pm.
RGE RD’s expansion next door – called The Butchery – is now open, offering terrines, sausages, breads and other savoury treats.
Board games café Table Top Café is preparing a second location, located at 10235 124 Street. The opening date is tentatively set for January 9, 2016.
The relocated Planet Organic in Oliver (12230 Jasper Avenue) has signage announcing a January 13, 2016 opening date.
As expected, Prairie Noodle Shop’s brick and mortar location has been overrun since opening last week. If you can get in, you can expect good things, as reported by Cindy, Linda, Robyn and Twyla. Learn more about Prairie Noodle from Phil’s latest Off the Menu podcast.
Another new restaurant to our city, The Workshop Eatery, has continued to garner its share of reviews, this week from Andrea.
Vue Weekly checks out the southside mainstay Al Salam.
Did you know the Yellowhead Brewery serves up brunch on Sundays? It looks like they’ve also added a side of jazz to the meal as well.
You’ve been waiting for it: Phil’s final Edmonton Perogy Showdown post crowns its ultimate winner. Sounds like Taste of Ukraine is the place to go!
Jason Foster predicts some of the craft beer trends to come in 2016.
If you’re still hunting for a gift for a cookbook lover on your list, Grub Street has a great list of suggestions.
The downtown location of Da Capo is finally underway at 9888 Jasper Avenue! The original timeline for completion was December or January, but I think we can safely push that back.

Da Capo

Mack and I met up with Phil and Robyn at Bru last week. It’s a lovely spot in the evening, and I like the fact that both coffee and beer are available.

My mantra in the mornings

It’s been eight months since I had a Vatican City from The Burger’s Priest, but I just had to go back for a second. Man, did it hit the spot.

Vatican City (aka a double burger with two grilled cheese buns)

Food Notes for December 14, 2015

Can you believe Christmas is next week? There seems to be so much to do in the meantime, but all I’m hoping for is a few days off of work to enjoy the season! On to this week’s food notes:

Chef Brad Smoliak is hosting their annual Kitchen Christmas sale on December 19, 2015, from 12-4:30pm. Stock up on their famous Bacon Jam and BBQ Rub, among other pantry goodies.
Get Cooking is hosting a six-course pop-up Comal Mexican Table Dinner on January 7 and 8, 2016.
Frosty Fox, which sold its honest ice creams at the City Market this summer, is continuing into the winter with their Ice Cream Squad – a three month subscription is $60, and will give you two pints or four sandwiches per month. E-mail Jennifer to join now!
The much-anticipated Prairie Noodle Shop had a soft opening this weekend, but they’ll be welcoming diners officially on December 15, 2015.
Liane shared that The Volstead Act (who were involved in setting up Woodwork), will open a new bar and restaurant in The Pearl.
Stephanie pointed out a new Vietnamese restaurant, Pholangs, that opened recently at #109, 2920 Calgary Trail.
Reviews are in for The Workshop Eatery, from Cindy and Linda. I look forward to visiting myself this weekend!
The Journal published one of its most brutal restaurant reviews last week, about Olio d’Oliva: “The lamb chops had that sickly steam table/pressure cooker pallor, and the sauce meant to be poured over the couscous had all the snap of a tin of generic tomato soup.”
Linda checked out Yumioca and Shun, for bubble tea and snacks, respectively.
Andrea offers her thoughts on Alberta Hotel Bar and Kitchen.
Andrea is also the latest to cover XIX Nineteen’s new St. Albert location.
Some restaurant closings: The Cheese Factory looks like it is becoming a Dixie Lee Fried Chicken and Seafood Restaurant, and the Whyte Avenue Elephant & Castle will shutter on December 21, 2015.
It’s list season: The Globe and Mail highlights the 10 best restaurant openings in Alberta. The Edmonton picks: XIX Nineteen, Nongbu, Solstice, Bar Bricco, and Rostizado. As Robyn pointed out – it’s unfortunate that the latter two actually opened in 2014 (Solstice opened right at the end of 2014, so it could be considered for 2015).
Similarly, Huffington Post rounded up some of 2015’s best restaurant openings as well. The eateries that made the list: Nongbu, Little Brick, 12 Acres, Buco and Prairie Noodle Shop. I’m not sure pop-up events should be considered the same as having a brick and mortar restaurant, so I think the last one should have really been considered for next year.
The Local Good highlights some of the changes that resulted in North 53’s success this year.
Liane covered the recent Slow Food Edmonton wild game dinner held at RGE RD last week.
What is it like for those in the kitchen who have food allergies? Vue Weekly chats with two chefs who have adapted to the challenge.
I missed linking to Linda’s Seen and Heard podcast last week.
At Southgate over the weekend, we noticed the garbage disposal area featured a bin for unopened condiments, to be directed to the Edmonton Food Bank. It was empty at the time, but it seems like a good idea to divert additional waste.

Diverting waste at Southgate Centre

I was lucky enough to attend the Cocktails Perfected launch at the Hotel Macdonald last week with Liane. I found my new favourite, the Right Word, with lime, gin, lillet blanc and St. Germain. Delicious!

Right Word at the Confederation Lounge

I don’t indulge in buffets very often, so a volunteer appreciation dinner at Khazana on Wednesday was a treat. Paneer FTW!

My (first) plate at Khazana

‘Tis the Season at the Hotel Macdonald: Nutcracker Tea and Tour

There are few places in Edmonton that get decked out for the holidays like the Hotel Macdonald. You only need to walk into their lobby to get whisked away in the Christmas spirit – between the bedazzled fifteen foot tree and the twinkly gingerbread rendition of the building, the Hotel Mac does it right.

Gingerbread Hotel Macdonald

Their holiday season offerings range from special dinners on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, to themed meals like the Dickens buffet (a nineteenth century, English-style lunch) and Nutcracker Tea and Tour. The latter is a festive take on their respected Royal Tea and Tour, featuring a holiday-inspired menu and some other surprises. Mack and I took his Grandma Male for tea on Saturday. We had been meaning to take her for some time – Grandma Male actually worked at the hotel switchboard in the 1950s, and she hadn’t been back to the building since.

Reservations were accepted for 2:30pm in the Harvest Room. Although it wasn’t quite a full house, the families, friends and couples who gathered had all dressed up for the occasion.

Grandma Male and Mack

We started off with a glass of sparkling wine, a nice touch for the holidays, and shortly after, were presented with the tea selection. I was anticipating that all of the teas would have been loose, as is traditional, but there was a mix of tea bags and loose teas. Grandma Male and I both chose a nice Buckingham Palace orange pekoe.

Our first treats arrived warm from the oven – classic scones and candied pecan-eggnog scones. They were absolutely delicious, though to be honest, I think I used the scones as a vessel to consume as much Devonshire cream and port cranberry compote as possible.

Scones!

The tiered trays contained both savoury and sweet bites. No cucumber sandwiches to be seen, the selection included oven roasted turkey with citrus sage aioli on a mini navette. Our favourite on the savoury side was the applewood smoked cheddar, ham and grainy dijon aioli on an adorable mini bagel.

Beautiful presentation

The kitchen did a great job accommodating Mack’s nut allergy, making substitutions when necessary, such as ensuring the white chocolate and pistachio mousse was nowhere to be seen on his tray. While we enjoyed all of the dainty confections, the ginger orange madeleine was the pronounced favourite.

Photobombing tea service

The only misstep that afternoon was the fact that we were only told about the timing of the tour about ten minutes prior to its start. Although we weren’t rushed through tea service, it would have been nice to know the flow in advance. Otherwise, the service was impeccable, as is standard at the Hotel Macdonald.

We assembled in the Wedgewood Room for a special performance by some of the dancers from Clara’s Dream. Shumka’s Ukrainian version of The Nutcracker, the preview showcased the music and the energy you would expect from a fusion of dance styles. Clara’s Dream runs December 29-30, 2015 at the Jubilee Auditorium.

Dancers from Clara’s Dream

Afterwards, Carlos, a staff of the Hotel Macdonald, led us on a brief tour of the building. This wasn’t my first tour of the Hotel Macdonald, but what I always appreciate is how personal each tour is, coloured by the individual experience of each staff member. In this case, Carlos shared that he had worked as Queen Elizabeth’s butler when she stayed at the Hotel Macdonald back in 2005, commenting on her strong appetite and desire to know how her food was prepared. On this tour, we weren’t able to visit the Queen Elizabeth Suite, as the top two floors of the hotel are currently undergoing renovations, and aren’t set to reopen until April.

The Empire Ballroom

Carlos also informed us about the Hotel Macdonald’s reputation among the Fairmont properties – although being the second smallest, it hosts the most weddings of all. With as many as six weddings per day in the summer, he jokes to the grooms to ensure they go home with the right bride at the end of the night, and to the brides that in order to have their dream wedding at the castle on the river, that they should book their wedding date and then go out and find the right groom.

With Grandma Male

The Nutcracker Tea and Tour is a great way to celebrate the holidays. It runs every Saturday and Sunday until December 27, with the only other preview of Clara’s Dream to take place at the December 19 tea. The cost is $49 per person, with reservations recommended. Happy holidays!

The Perfect Match: Credo Coffee and Jacek Chocolate Tasting

It’s great to see when local businesses team up to support one another, whether that’s Dovetail Deli providing shelf space to sell products from Gold Forest Grains and McKernan Food Works, or Remedy Cafe stocking vegan Bloom Cookies at the counter. There is strength in numbers, as awareness is half the battle, and it takes a community to move these independent brands forward.

The tasting organized by Credo Coffee and Jacek Chocolate Couture is another great example of this. When the tickets were released in late summer, I jumped at the excuse to enjoy two of my favourite things. Mack and I had attended a wine and chocolate pairing two years ago at Baseline Wines, and had found it to be a fun and educational experience. And given Mack’s already a fixture at Credo, he didn’t need any additional incentives to come along this time around.

Coffee and chocolate

In mid-November, Mack and I bussed over to Credo on 124 Street. We joined a fairly small group, less than two dozen in number, who seemed just as excited for the evening. Chelsea (from Credo) and Jamie (from Jacek) welcomed us and explained that the partnership between the two businesses began in 2010, when Credo became Jacek’s first retail partner. They have collaborated since then, working together to produce The Credo Bar earlier this year, a dark chocolate combined with espresso beans, and then, most recently, to organize a series of tastings.

Jamie and Chelsea

The focus of the evening was on “mindful eating” – to deliberately and thoughtfully experience each taste, as opposed to what we’re all guilty of at times – consuming in haste or (for me, with coffee in the mornings) for pure sustenance. For reference, we were provided with copies of the Taster’s Flavour Wheel, which would aid us in articulating the notes detected in coffee and chocolate. Both Chelsea and Jamie emphasized that everyone has a different palate, and as such, can pick up different flavours.

Flavour Wheel

We started with tasting three of Credo’s coffees, all roasted by Chicago-based Intelligensia. Intelligensia rotates through several regions of coffee as they become available seasonally, moving from Central America in the spring/summer to Africa in the fall/winter. We started with perhaps my favourite single-origin, the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, a light and floral roast. We moved to the Itzamna from Guatemala, a coffee grown on the grounds of a former silver mine. The farmers are committed to organic practices, choosing a labour-intensive path of applying clay to the roots of the plants to regulate their temperature. This coffee was definitely much fuller-bodied, with a toasted flavour. Lastly, we sampled the Ethiopian Kurimi, grown by farmers interested only in planting varieties indigenous to the area. Our fellow tasters noted the Kurimi had hints of lychee and jasmine.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Onto chocolate, I was happy to learn about Jacek’s new Fabric Collection. Launched on November 13, 2015, it is Jacek’s first foray into bean-to-bar production. In the past, they’ve relied on Valrhona as their chocolate supplier, but now, they have the capacity to sort, roast, winnow and refine cocoa beans at their facility in Sherwood Park. Currently, they are producing three 70% single-origin varieties, all of which we tried that night.

Fabric Collection

The Dominican Republic, refined for seventy two hours, had tropical fruit undertones. I already knew I would enjoy the Venezuela, typically the single-origin I choose, creamy and balanced. The Peru was a surprise – unlike the subtle flavours of the previous two, for us, it had very distinct notes of dried fruit.

The evening cumulated in two pairings. The first was to sample The Credo Bar, made with the Dominican Republic and Black Cat espresso (we were told this iteration was selected from twelve combinations). The flavour profile reminded me of the Mocha Bar that the now-defunct Kerstin’s Chocolates had produced with beans from Transcend Coffee, but instead of the added texture of whole beans, The Credo Bar conches the cocoa and coffee beans together for a smooth finish.

We ended with an unconventional pairing – while I have incidentally enjoyed chocolate alongside tea, it’s not a classic match. Here, we sampled maojian green tea with the single-origin Venezuela, and it worked. Jamie shared that this has been the gateway for staff to consider other unusual pairings, and future tastings may feature more tea than coffee.

Coffee cheers!

We enjoyed our first foray into coffee and chocolate tasting, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others. Jacek and Credo have just added another pairing date on January 15, 2016, so it’s something to consider as a gift this holiday season. Tickets are $40 each.

25 Gifts of Taste: A #yegfood Gift Guide

We’re just over two weeks away from Christmas, if you can believe it! I’m typically the type that squirrels away gifts all year, so I’m not usually in a panic at this point, but I know there are many who leave things to the last minute. But – if anyone on your list loves food, you’re in luck, as there are so many locally-sourced options available.

A basket of goodies we put together a few years ago

Here are some ideas to consider:

Stock Up the Pantry

A little can go a very long way, and for me, that often means taking the time to put together a gift basket filled with my favourite items from local producers. Some of those include:

Gold Forest Grains has gift-ready bags of some of their most popular products, including their Pancake Mix and Sturgeon River Cereal. Find them at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market every Saturday.
Irvings Farm Fresh is no longer a well-kept secret in Edmonton – more than a dozen restaurants including Tzin and Canteen serve their products, and their bacon is legendary. Pick up an Irvings gift certificate to treat a loved one to some quality meat (available at the Salisbury Greenhouse and Old Strathcona Farmers’ Markets).
Allan Suddaby started his labour of love, McKernan Food Works, earlier this year, but they’ve already launched two products: apple cider and mead vinegars. You can find them at Little Brick, which will provide you with a great excuse to visit the café and general store for yourself.
Also at Little Brick, pick up something sweet from the Red Balloon Pie Company. They have seasonal caramels in festive flavours like egg nog and gingerbread!

Stock up the Bar

For the amateur bartender, there are a few local options to help progress the festivities:

Eau Claire Distillery, Alberta’s first craft distillery, offers vodka and gin for the discerning palate. For the holidays, they have also produced a special Christmas Gin, featuring the botanicals of frankincense and myrrh.
It seems bitters are sold at every kitchen and food specialty shop, but only one is made locally: State Motto. Their handcrafted products include Earl Grey, lilac and orange bitters.
There are a number of local fruit wines available from the Edmonton region, including Shady Lane Estate, and Barr Estate Winery.

For Those Who Love to Cook

There is no shortage of cooking classes and cookbooks for those seeking some tips or inspiration in the kitchen:

Gail Hall of Seasoned Solutions began the original series of farm-to-table cooking classes, but she offers so much more, including ideas for entertaining and menus based around holidays. Pick up a gift certificate for one of her hands-on classes or express cooking tutorials.
Kathryn Joel’s Get Cooking features an array of guest chefs who specialize in global cuisines. The classes are held at a brand new facility at MacEwan University. It doesn’t look like the 2016 calendar is up just yet, but you can pick up a gift certificate for classes that start at $139 per person.
For more topic-specific classes or basic skills, consider Metro Continuing Education. They have a great selection of sessions, including knife skills, an introduction to sushi making, and bread making. Courses start at $89.
Calgary food tour operator Karen Anderson released her first cookbook, co-written with Noorbanu Nimji. A Spicy Touch features 200 Indian recipes in a full colour 320 page book. Join Karen at the Edmonton launch of the book on December 20, 2015.

Tableware and More

There are some local gems that can help you add some class – or some fun – to the kitchen of someone you love:

On Our Table makes some of the most beautiful cheese and cutting boards I’ve ever seen, and have even been featured in Bon Appetit Magazine. They are showstoppers, and worth the investment.
The mugs from Mod Pots Ceramics are well-used in my house – I love their classic but playful design, and the fact that they are the perfect size for a warm drink in the winter.
Everyone needs a bit more #yeg: this can be in the form of a screen-printed tea towel with images of our most cherished landmarks, including the Hotel Macdonald and the Alberta Legislature. Find these at Fine Mesh.

The Gift of Taste

We’re very fortunate in Edmonton to have some very knowledgeable and passionate food experts who are eager to share their learnings. Here are a few of them:

The Cavern on 104 Street hosts a Cheese School that teaches the basics of cheese varieties and wine pairings. Tickets are $75, with two upcoming sessions on January 17 and 31, 2016.
Transcend Coffee leads a number of coffee education sessions, including a coffee tasting and appreciation, a pour over basics workshop and a French press and Aeropress workshop.
I’ve attended a number of chocolate tastings put on by Jacek Chocolate Couture, and have enjoyed each one. Unfortunately, they don’t have any of their 2016 dates up just yet, but I’m hopeful they’ll have some tickets for sale in time for the holidays.

Gifts That Keep on Giving

Who says Christmas can’t be year-round, or at least prolonged? Choose a membership-based gift to bring cheer for a few more months of the year:

Farrow’s Bean Club is great for coffee connoisseurs. Every month, members are introduced to beans from a new roaster, some offered exclusively to club members and never put into Farrow’s rotation. Every 3, 6 or 12 month membership even comes with a free mug! Memberships start at $82.50. Transcend Coffee also has a similar subscription club, with beans roasted in-house.
Beer lovers in Edmonton flock to Sherbrooke Liquor, which has an incredibly extensive inventory of beers. But did you know they have a Beer Club, which entitles members to a monthly selection of beers and 10% discount off all beers for the duration of the membership? 3 month terms start at $175.
Sugared and Spiced’s Cake Club is perhaps most unique subscription in Edmonton. For $195, members are entitled to 3 cakes for pre-arranged dates through the year, with delivery included for those within city limits. Never be caught empty handed on special occasions again!
Who doesn’t love cheese? Cavern’s Cheese Club would be sure to please, with subscriptions starting at $55/month for a selection of cheese and a preserve accompaniment.
For a more practical gift, consider a grocery delivery service like The Organic Box or SPUD to make it more convenient for a loved one over the winter months.

Give Back to Those in Need

Many in our community go without at Christmas, so it’s also worth considering investing your gift in a charitable organization spreading cheer at this time of year:

The Christmas Bureau is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and with the economic downturn, expects to serve 67,000 Edmontonians this year. You can make a monetary donation of any amount, or donate a hamper for a senior or a family.
The Bissell Centre released their annual holiday gift guide, and you can provide meals to the homeless, the working poor, and young ones in their childcare centre.
Back again to bare all for a good cause, the 2016 Sexy Men of YEG Food calendar features over a dozen local personalities who posed in good fun to help raise funds for the Edmonton Food Bank. Last year, the calendar raised $19,500!

Happy Holidays!

Food Notes for December 7, 2015

Fifendekel launched their month-long Festival of Tarts on December 1, 2015, offering customers the chance to purchase a variety tray of tarts, chosen from twelve different savoury and sweet flavours just in time for the holidays. Cindy gives us a breakdown of the tastes to expect.
I love the idea of Little Brick’s Home School – several mini sessions led by local experts. Their next series is all about Christmas, on December 10, 2015, and will teach about festive drinks, Christmas shortbread, and holiday arrangements. Tickets are $100.
Elaine Wilson is hosting a by-donation bake sale on December 13, 2015, in support of the Wings of Providence. Head to the Abby Road Co-op (10950 82 Avenue) from 10am-3pm to partake in the sweet fun!
The French Quarter Grand Market has transformed for the season into a Holiday Bazaar. Every Sunday until December 20, 2015, in addition to their core vendors, they are offering “an alternative shopping experience to the mall”, with numerous artisans and other festive perks.
Blue Rose Vegan is offering another snack pack, this time themed for the holidays. The $50 order feeds four, and includes a vegan-friendly tourtiere, stuffing, roasted root vegetables, and dessert. Order for pick-up on December 19, 2015.
Winefest will be back February 12-13, 2016, and early bird tickets are already on sale. The discounted admission is available until January 8, 2016.
Congratulations to Sweet Lollapalooza who just opened up their second location in Calgary!
The hotly-anticipated Prairie Noodle Shop just released their menu for your viewing pleasure.
The winter issue of The Yards released the winners of their first annual Best in the Core awards last week. Congrats to Coffee Bureau for the recognition as the Best Coffee Shop and Remedy for the Best Late Night Eats.
Twyla is the first to review Juniper Café & Bistro in Strathearn, and the dishes look delectable. You can listen to her CBC review here.
Sambol Kitchen posts another rave review, this time from Chris.
Eva shared her thoughts on XIX Nineteen’s new St. Albert location.
Chris took in the most recent Swine and Dine at the Hotel Macdonald – looks like it was a great meal!
Phil has returned with the third round of the Great Edmonton Perogy Showdown, which will lead to the final throwdown between the top contenders of each previous round.
Also from Phil, his latest Off Menu podcast is now up, and it features the boys behind The Local Omnivore, Mark Bellows and Ryan Brodziak.
Karlynn Johnson’s forthcoming Fall 2016 Random House cookbook now has a title: Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky!
Are you a #yegfood chef who wants to showcase your skills on the Edmonton Home and Garden Show stage? The organizers are taking applicants now.
I meant to share this sooner – Julie Van Rosendaal had a great idea for a reverse advent calendar as a way to give back over the holidays. Instead of emptying a slot, you fill one in with an item needed by the Food Bank.
Calgary’s Fiasco Gelato has put together some charming hot chocolate/marshmallow gift sets for the holidays. We found these at The Italian Centre.

Drinking chocolate and coffee ‘mallows

For a lunch at Thanh Thanh with colleagues this week, I tried the Bun Bo Hue. Though I felt like I was cheating on King Noodle House, I enjoyed the prominent lemongrass flavour of the broth. I did wish that they used thicker noodles, however!

Bun Bo Hue from Thanh Thanh

Food Notes for November 30, 2015

1st RND’s second location in Oliver, at 11248 104 Avenue (the former Hudson’s), opens December 1, 2015. Does anyone know if it is a local chain?
Culina, which now runs some of the cafes/food stalls in City of Edmonton facilities like the ACT Centre and golf courses, is debuting a Nordic Brunch at the Victoria Golf Course location of their Dogwood Café on December 12, 2015. The brunch runs on weekends from 9am-3pm.
Mark your calendar: the annual 104 Street Customer Appreciation Day takes place on December 17, 2015. Check out the page for discounts and a schedule of events.
Nineteen’s second location in St. Albert opened earlier this month. Cindy and Linda checked out the new digs at a media dinner.
Alberta Hotel Bar & Kitchen rolls in with more mixed reviews, this time from Chris and Crystal.
Sambol Sri Lankan Kitchen has been getting some great press lately – Jonny pitched another positive review.
Vue Weekly paid a visit to Huma Mexican Restaurant.
Julie van Rosendaal, of Dinner with Julie fame, highlights some of the great eats she had in Edmonton this summer.
Just in time for the cold: Avenue Edmonton has a great round-up of five mac ‘n’ cheese dishes, including an indulgent burger from 1st RND featuring two patties: one beef, one deep-fried mac ‘n’ cheese.
Also from Avenue – they spotlight a few local restaurants where you can pull up a seat to the chef’s table.
The second round of Phil’s Great Edmonton Perogy Showdown is now up.
Karen’s latest Seen and Heard episode features Lillian (aka Beyond Umami) and all her macaron-making tales.
Jerry shares his experience at a recent A Seat at Our Table dinner.
Earth’s General Store’s downtown location still isn’t in a good place, shares store owner Michael Kalmanovitch.
Speaking of retail, this is an interesting study from the University of Alberta School of Retailing, focusing on the grocery stores in Canadian urban centres, including Edmonton. It shouldn’t surprise you that Oliver is underserved.
I can never resist stories about ugly produce, and this one mentions the Daily Table, a non-profit retail store in Boston that sells food past its “sell by” date.
The meal-in-a-kit hasn’t quite hit us in Alberta yet, but down in the US where it is all the rage in some states, BuzzFeed reveals just how much packaging waste is produced from a single box.
Could you live off of soylent, the powdered food substitute, for a week? A New Trail contributor gave it a try.
Have you heard about the concept of “personalized nutrition”? It is the idea that an optimal diet should be tailored to the individual, based on their blood sugar levels or insulin release.
Zinc’s sweet and spicy prawns, served on a bed of green pea risotto, has to be one of my favourite dishes in Edmonton.

Prawns with green pea risotto from Zinc

Another one of my go-to dishes is the shepherd’s pie (wish a side of sweet potato fries, of course) from Blue Plate Diner. I may or may not have influenced the entire table to order it as well.

Shepherd’s pie from Blue Plate Diner

Mack was craving Bun Bo Hue, so we hit up King Noodle House over the weekend.

Bun Bo Hue from King Noodle House

A Personal Farewell to What the Truck?!

It seems wrong to talk about food trucks when there’s snow on the ground, but I wanted to get one final post in before the end of the year for reasons of sentimentality. You see, this will be my final year with What the Truck?!, the food truck festival I co-founded with Mack five years ago.

Our first WTT event in 2011 at Beaver Hills House Park

In some ways, it seems like just yesterday Mack and I stumbled upon Off the Grid in San Francisco, the inspiration behind our desire to see something equally vibrant at home. But in other ways, given the exponential leap the Edmonton food truck scene has made since 2011 (from 7 to over 70 vendors in 2015), looking back, it’s easy to see how far we’ve come in that time.

Our first WTT event in 2015 at Churchill Square

I will always have a soft spot for food trucks. I admire the passionate entrepreneurs that put their hearts and souls on the line, creatively finding a niche in the ever-competitive street food market, and often braving unpredictable weather conditions. I’m so proud of the vendors who made the leap from mobile to storefront (Filistix, Nomad/Woodwork, Drift/Dovetail, S’wich and soon, The Local Omnivore) and believe their success is a testament to their hard work and the quality of their food.

But I know that it is time for me to step away. I don’t have the same energy to foresee the calendar of events for the summer season, and want to avoid doing a disservice to the trucks. That said, it has always been a goal for Mack and I to, with a sustainability plan in place, transition out (Mack will be staying on for one final year). We’ve since applied for non-profit status to solidify What the Truck?! as a formal society. In addition, over the past two years, we’ve deliberately grown our team of volunteers to include individuals with an equal passion for food trucks who also believe in the power of creating gathering spaces. I am more than confident that this team will carry the torch of What the Truck?! for years to come.

In some ways, it was fitting for our little festival to receive a proclamation from the City at our final event of the year (awarded by Councillor Andrew Knack, who has been a big supporter of What the Truck?! from year one). At our September 11, 2015 finale, the day was declared “What the Truck Day” in Edmonton. Knowing it was my last event, it was bittersweet.

With Councillor Knack and the proclamation

Even though the weather was fantastic, we didn’t see the extensive crowds that helped us inaugurate our fifth season back in May. We continue to learn about the ebb and flow of patrons, and recognize now that by September, food trucks don’t really have the same cachet as in the spring, when Edmontonians are eager to shed their layers in anticipation of enjoying all things al fresco.

Last event of the season

Still, those that attended had a great time. We awarded our first ever front-of-the-line golden tickets (which enabled pre-event access to the trucks), and hosted two DJ stations for the first time.

Our Golden Ticket winners!

We also welcomed several vendors into the What the Truck?! fold. It is definitely true that our scene has been enriched by the diversity of choices now available on the streets of Edmonton.

Churchill Square

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to come out to these events over the five years – we would never have been able to grow What the Truck?! to this point without you. And to the team – Mack, Melina, Caleng, Katherine, Mikhaila and Su – I am looking forward to being on the other side next year. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish in 2016!

Food Notes for November 23, 2015

It might be a little early for some, but I finally convinced Mack to let me put up the Christmas tree this weekend! And given the snow blanketing the city right now, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. On to this week’s food notes:

There’s an interesting event on November 24, 2015 organized by the Political Science Undergraduate Association: "Sustainable Snacks: The Politicized Nature of Food”.
Vegan take-out isn’t easy to come by, so Blue Rose Vegan might be what you’re looking for. They’re offering a $40 vegan snack box for pickup on November 27, 2015. Orders must be placed by November 25.
Mark your calendars for the last Dela pop-up of the year, an 8 course pop-up on December 20, 2015. Tickets will be on sale shortly.
For those already planning ahead – the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market will be open on December 23, 2015 for last-minute shopping.
Workshop Eatery is now open for lunch and dinner!
The Almanac is opening on November 30, 2015 at 10351 82 Avenue.
It looks like the former Century Grill has been taken over by Plates International, a buffet house to open December 15, 2015.
Cindy is the first out of the gate, reviewing the new Alberta Hotel Bar & Kitchen. It sounds like they have a ways to go to be consistent, but they are still a fairly new establishment.
Stephanie reviews Yumioca, one of the newest bubble tea shops in Edmonton.
Daravara got some love this week from Rebecca and the Journal.
Phil is starting a new quest, this time, to find the best perogies in Edmonton. Let the battle begin!
Speaking of Phil, he invited Liane Faulder and I to join him in a discussion on some of Edmonton’s new restaurants, favourite food gifts, and why Edmonton can’t seem to crack those national “best of” lists. Thanks for having me!
Vue spotlights Woodwork and their creative cocktail program.
I’m sorry to hear that The Cheesiry is calling it quits: they’ll sell out their remaining inventory which should last until next summer. Make sure to get your hands on Rhonda’s fantastic pecorino while you still can!
There’s another pizzeria joining the ranks of Downtown Edmonton – Love Pizza is opening at 10196 109 Street in January 2016.

Love Pizza

Dovetail hosted our last What the Truck?! gathering with our vendors this year, so we relished the opportunity to sample their carvery sandwich of the day, a roast pork shoulder with pickled carrots and Pilsner mustard.

Roast pork sandwich from Dovetail Deli

We stopped in at North 53 this week while in the neighbourhood and finally tried their popcorn chicken. They were more like chicken doughnuts, but we could definitely see their appeal.

Popcorn chicken from North 53

After All is Bright on Saturday, Mack and I headed to Numchok Wilai for some tasty Thai food.

Pad Thai from Numchok Wilai

Ramen for Brunch: Yuzen

It seems ramen’s the thing in Edmonton right now. There were only a handful of restaurants serving this Japanese staple before this year, and the inventory has grown since then, with Kazoku Ramen joining the ranks this fall, and Prairie Noodle Shop’s pop-ups making way for a brick and mortar storefront soon.

Restaurants in St. Albert have joined this list as well, with Ohana-ya offering ramen for lunch on weekdays, and Yuzen complimenting that with ramen on Saturday afternoons. While in St. Albert last Saturday, we planned for a ramen brunch at the latter to make the most of the trip out.

We were told by friends to arrive early, but unbeknownst to us, Yuzen shifted their Saturday hours back half an hour, and now serve ramen from 11:00am-2pm. So our 11:30am arrival meant an already full house, and an approximately 30 minute wait for a table.

Loved this sign

The menu is pretty straightforward, with 5 different bowls to choose from. I chose the pork-based tonkotsu ($11), while Mack selected the soy-based shoyu broth ($11). We each added an egg as well ($1).

Given the singular menu focus, the kitchen was able to maintain a fairly efficient speed. Service as a whole was also very pleasant and friendly throughout.

Tonkotsu ramen

I quite enjoyed the tonkotsu broth, full-bodied and seasoned just right. Both Mack and I found the noodles well-cooked, and enjoyed finding a creamy yolk centre in our eggs. Our only complaint lay with the pork, sliced too thick for my preference and ultimately on the dry side.

Shoyu ramen

We were told the crowd was actually on the small side that day, so I think the word is getting out about St. Albert’s ramen brunch option. It is a bit too far for us to frequent often (Ninja Club is our current go-to), but I would consider it again when in the neighbourhood.

Yuzen
127, 1 Hebert Road, St. Albert
(780) 569-5270
Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11:30am-2pm, Saturday 11am-2pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 5-9pm; closed Mondays

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