Yelp’s Ultimate Science Party @ the Telus World of Science

Ever since the success of the Art Gallery of Alberta’s Refinery series, other cultural and learning institutions have jumped on the bandwagon to replicate their success of drawing young professionals into their folds. The Royal Alberta Museum has started their semi-regular Museum After Dark events, while the Telus World of Science organizes bi-monthly Dark Matters evenings.

Telus World of Science

Yelp partnered with TWOS for their most recent Dark Matters event in order to throw Yelp’s Ultimate Science Party. It was a night to appreciate the Yelp community by merging food and drink with opportunities for adults to indulge in their childish wonder.

The Telus World of Science staff were great, patiently explaining how their stations worked and the science behind them. I made my hair stand on end, while Mack took part in a flaming karaoke device.

Whee!

Do re mi

A ton of people also took the “hovercrafts” for a ride – leaf blowers attached to perforated boards to be maneuvered with sticks. Not exactly what I pictured from Back to the Future, but close enough.

Hovercrafts in action

Yelp had also organized a variety of pampering stations so guests could have their hair and nails done as well. A more popular unisex vendor involved balloon animals, which, according to those who lined up, could have also taken on a more naughty slant.

Diane, Teresa and Brittney and their balloon masterpieces

Of course, a big draw that night for everyone was the food! Tasting stations were set up throughout the building, and stumbling upon them was almost half the fun.

Mini Swiss2Go sandwiches

Food truck bay

Taste of Edmonton, to help promote their upcoming 30th anniversary year (the festival starts July 17, and runs until July 26, 2014), had organized several of their restaurant vendors to offer a sampling of what to expect at the festival.

Miles from The Lingnan dishes up kung pao chicken

The green onion cake from Hong Kong Bakery was irresistible, but the real surprise for me was the cheese fondue in a bread cup from The Melting Pot. It’s hard to mess up melted cheese on bread, but boy, was it delicious.

Green onion cakes!

This was my first Yelp event in some time, and I was quite impressed with how many local businesses were a part of it! And though it was not a typical Dark Matters evening, I could see how the adult-only concept is a great program addition for the Telus World of Science. Mark your calendar for their next Dark Matters, a “Cowboys and Aliens”-themed event on August 28, 2014.

Thanks to Jennie and Yelp for a fun night!

Food Notes for July 14, 2014

It’s almost easy to forget how great summer in Edmonton can be until we have weeks like this. Hope you’re enjoying the weather, too! On to this week’s food notes:

Mealshare is a non-profit that works to help feed Edmonton’s less fortunate by partnering with restaurants for a “buy one, give one” model (certain dishes with a Mealshare logo next to them will result in meals donated to a charity). To mark the addition of six new restaurants to the Edmonton program, they are hosting this year’s pancake breakfast on the morning of the K-Days Parade on July 17 from 7:30-10:30am in Churchill Square. Each $5 breakfast of pancakes + sausage or fruit and yogurt will result in a donated meal. Great cause!
Mark your calendar: Slow Food Edmonton will be hosting several Open Farm Days events in August. The first is on August 23, 2014, and involves a pig roast and other seasonal goodies at Get Cooking’s new digs at MacEwan University. On August 24, 2014, Slow Food will be leading a walking tour through Reclaim Urban Farm’s plots in the Garneau neighbourhood, cumulating in a Ukrainian-themed lunch at the St. John’s Institute. Check out more Open Farm Days events here.
Lux is hosting their fifth annual Bacon Day fundraiser on August 29, 2014. Tickets are $75, with $25 going towards Youth Empowerment & Support Services.
Phil posted a great recap of some of the best burgers he encountered through his Burger Odyssey. I did want to see one awarded a bronzed burger trophy, however.
Speaking of Phil, he’s already onto another new series, this time, to find the best of Edmonton’s patios.
City and Dale shares their favourite picnic spots in the city, with some ideas of how to fill your picnic basket, too.
Check out these visual representations of the last meals consumed by twelve death row inmates (thanks for the tweet, Liane!)
There’s something about the first ripe tomato among the green vines that is just such a satisfying sight.

Sweet baby girl tomatoes from Sundog Organic

Recap: Truck Stop at Boyle Street Plaza

What the Truck?! has always been at the mercy of the elements, and this was no more evident than on Thursday. Boyle Street Plaza played host to our second Truck Stop of the year, a burger-themed event. And though the forecast had been beautiful in the days leading up to Thursday, that evening was incredibly windy and mostly overcast.

Boyle Street Plaza

On the bright side, the lines were short, so it was perfect for folks looking for a quick dinner fix before heading off to make the most of their summer evening.

A break in the clouds

Among the three trucks present (one had to pull out due to mechanical difficulties) was Funky Mango, a Fort Saskatchewan-based truck who specializes in burgers. Mack and I had the Kahuna and the Thai shrimp burger, respectively, and found them to be very good. The latter in particular was very unique, with a handmade shrimp patty, impeccably seasoned, topped with a smattering of peanuts and served in a soft bun.

Thai shrimp burger

We were happy to have Now Radio’s Trucksicle on site, complementing the savoury menus with a free sweet treat.

The ice cream men

Our organizing team also debuted our new volunteer t-shirts on Thursday! It’ll now be easy to find us, if you have a question while you’re on-site.

Just look for the blue and yellow!

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t share at least one picture of the cutest puppy to venture down to the plaza that day: Lemons, a four-month old corgi. Couldn’t you see him as our animal mascot?

Lemons!

Thanks again to the City of Edmonton and the Boyle Street Community League for your support! Our next What the Truck?! will be taking place on Saturday, August 16, 2014. Check back on our website for more information closer to the date!

City Market 2014

I haven’t been up early for the City Market much this season, but in preparation for a potluck tomorrow, I thought it best to make sure we had our pick of produce. Good thing too, given how busy it was right at the start!

Overhead view

I haven’t written much about the market this year, a deviation from previous summers, and because of this it’s harder to reconcile that we’re nearly halfway through the outdoor market season already! On the bright side, it means we’re that much closer to some of my seasonal favourites, including green beans and field tomatoes. But in the meantime, this week saw the return of carrots, new potatoes and peas.

Kale from Sundog Organic

Rhubarb from Sundog Organic

Carrots from Sundog Organic

Lettuce from Sundog Organic

Peas from Kuhlmann’s

Radishes from Kuhlmann’s

Swiss chard from Kuhlmann’s

Green onions from Kuhlmann’s

Broccoli from Green Valley Farm

Tomatoes from Doef’s

Potatoes from Riverbend Gardens

Carrots from Riverbend Gardens

Beets from Riverbend Gardens

Peaches from Steve & Dan’s

Berries from Steve & Dan’s

Cherries from Steve & Dan’s

One can only hope the gorgeous weekend weather will continue all market season. See you there!

Edgar Farms’ 2014 Asparagus Festival

Mack and I have had intentions to visit the Asparagus Festival at Edgar Farms for several years, but summer weekends are always too easily filled. This year, we made sure to book it in our calendar well in advance, and finally made it out there on June 15, the last day of their 2014 festival.

Asparagus Festival

Edgar Farms is located in Innisfail, about two hours south of Edmonton. They offer rhubarb, peas and grass-fed beef, but what they are known for is their tender, sweet asparagus. With 28 acres, they have the largest asparagus patch in Alberta.

The $5 (per adult) admission granted us access to explore the farm, take part in tours and sample asparagus-centric dishes. We started with the latter first – if not just to warm ourselves up! It wasn’t the warmest of days, with clouds threatening rain all afternoon, so creamy asparagus soup hit just the right notes. The southwestern beef on a bun was fine (especially with pickled asparagus as a condiment), but what really surprised us was the asparagus dip – the Edgar Farms version of guacamole, substituting asparagus for avocado. It would be a great use for those bags of asparagus “seconds”!

Asparagus for lunch

Satiated, we ended up first on a self-guided tour of the farm, then joined up on a tractor-pulled group tour. The self-guided tour was marked by informative posters along the way (some cheeky in nature), and given we were the only ones exploring on foot at the time, granted us some time and space to take in the farm at our own pace.

Walking tour markers

Mack on the farm

This was our first time seeing asparagus plants, and both of us were surprised at how patchy they appeared to be sown, with the scraggly spears of each crown shooting up at intermittent levels (Mack commented that he expected to see a field flush with asparagus, not unlike a wheat field). We learned later that the asparagus are harvested daily, and given the spears can grow up to ten inches a day, the patchwork effect made sense.

Asparagus up close

We also got to see firsthand how sandy the soil was. Because asparagus prefer warmer conditions, the sandy soil is perfect to capture and retain heat, as well as offering better drainage. It now made more sense as to why the Edgar Farms staff at the farmers’ market were always strongly recommending thorough cleaning of asparagus prior to consumption.

Taking a closer look

On our walk, we saw some asparagus pickers at work, riding a foot-controlled “asparagus buggy” built by the patriarch of the farm, Doug Edgar. The vehicle enables three farm workers to cover a lot more ground, as all of the asparagus is hand-picked.

Say “asparagus”! (the staff were nice enough to pose for the photo)

Later, on the group tour, we were told that the plants take five years to mature to the point where they can be harvested for six straight weeks. And when asked how long the perennial would continue to give asparagus, our guide cited neighbouring plants that were still healthy at over one hundred years old.

On the tour

At the end of June each year, the asparagus are left alone, and allowed to go to fern. We were told this allows the plants to rejuvenate for the following year.

Back at the barn, we watched staff weigh and bundle asparagus, before placing it in a cold water bath to help the vegetable retain its natural sweetness.

Bundling asparagus

The farm’s commercial kitchen was located on the same facility, which allows the farm to value-add to their products and extend income past the short growing season. We picked up a handful of their frozen rhubarb and berry pies to take home (not sold at their stand in Edmonton, but can be found at the Edgar Farms/Innisfail Growers Calgary Farmers’ Market booth). The pies didn’t last two weeks in my freezer, as they were promptly devoured by my pie-loving family.

Some of the Edgar Farms bounty

The farm also offered numerous attractions for kids – lots of friendly animals, a play area, and even an asparagus mascot!

Goats

Okay, so we’re not kids, but who could resist Gussy?

The Asparagus Festival was a fun day trip, and a great way to spend a summer afternoon. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about local food – watch for dates in June 2015.

Recap: Truck Stop @ Baconfest

Last Friday, a glorious summer evening, What the Truck?! partnered with the inaugural Baconfest to host a bacon-themed Truck Stop.

Baconfest Truck Stop

Six trucks, all offering sinful, bacon-filled menus, parked outside the Arts Barns to serve their sweet and savoury concoctions. I loved the creativity, from SoCal Smoothie’s bacon milkshake to Big City Sandwich’s mysteriously named bacon magic cheeseurger.

Smokehouse BBQ

It was great to have several vendors new to What the Truck?!, including SoCal Smoothies and Keilan’s Creamery. Keilan’s primarily serves ice creams from Foothills Creamery, but also sources from a local small-batch ice cream maker who brings unique flavours (and then some) to the market – such as bacon bourbon, maple bacon and Guinness vanilla.

Keilan’s Creamery

This was one of our quieter events this season; I think we weren’t able to overcome some of the confusion as to whether or not our Truck Stop required a ticket for admission. Still, those who attended seemed to have a great time, and the short lines meant folks were able to dabble in dishes from multiple vendors!

Amanda and her poutine from The Local Omnivore

I personally was able to enjoy a few dishes, the most memorable being the Peruvian Pan Con Chicharron (braised & pan seared rib meat, pan seared pork belly, fried sweet potato slices & salsa criolla in a French bun). It was easily one of the best things I’ve ever had from Molly’s Eats – I loved the crispy, flavourful meat and the crunchy bun.

Peruvian Pan Con Chicharron from Molly’s Eats

The tangy peach sorbet from Keilan’s was a refreshing way to end to the scorching day. It seemed that almost everyone indulged in the cool treat too.

Felicia enjoys two scoops of coconut ice cream from Keilan’s

Edmonton Public Library was on-site, signing people up for free memberships. And in a What the Truck?! first, there were a handful of peaceful protesters present all night, encouraging people to refrain from eating meat. I suspect they were mostly there because of the media attention attracted by Baconfest, but I hope none of the Truck Stop attendees felt intimidated.

I heart EPL, too!

I’d like to also recognize the Old Strathcona Business Association and Baconfest for partnering with us on this event.

If you missed the Truck Stop, you’re in luck, we we’re hosting another one this Thursday, July 10, from 5-8pm at the Boyle Street Plaza. This time, the menus are burger-themed, so bring your appetite and come hungry!

Food Notes for July 7, 2014

Hot on the heels of our Truck Stop at Baconfest, we’re returning to Boyle Street Plaza for a second year in a row for a burger-themed Truck Stop on July 10, 2014, from 5-8pm. Check out the menus here, and I hope to see you there! On to this week’s food notes:

Congrats to Evoolution, whose third location at Southgate Centre is now open!
Liv posted about A Taverna, a relatively new Portuguese eatery located in Café Amore’s former space.
Check out what you missed at the inaugural Baconfest with Cheryl’s review.
Vue Weely has a great article featuring conversations with the bar managers behind three successful local haunts: the Next Act, Sugarbowl and The Underground.
I had heard that another home grocery delivery service was due in Edmonton soon, but just checked out the Spud Edmonton site this week.
I am so happy to hear that the urban beekeeping pilot was approved by City Council today. Up next, urban chickens?
Remedy’s fourth location at 124 Street and 103 Avenue is now open!

Remedy

Pampa’s long-awaited food truck is now open! Check them out this week at the Street Performers Festival on Churchill Square.

Pampa is now mobile!

It’s been a while since I’ve been to West Edmonton Mall, so 1st Rnd was new to me, a sports bar on BRBN St. that has since replaced the Hooters. Any thoughts from those who have been?

1st Rnd

While at the Mall, we also treated ourselves to sorbet popsicles from Popbar, the first Canadian location for the chain. While $4 each seemed a bit steeped, both Mack and I agreed the bars had a much more concentrated fruit flavour that either of us had expected, refreshing and intense.

With our Popbar treats

I was happy to be among the volunteers of the second annual Heritage Chinatown Night Market on Canada Day. Like last year, the weather was smokin’ hot, and people seemed to enjoy the mix of performers and vendors.

Roxanne and I take a break from burger duty

Afterwards, Mack and I walked down near the river to watch the inaugural Light the Bridge show, and of course, the accompanying fireworks. River Valley Road provided a great vantage point for both, and it was neat to be among so many people without feeling crowded. Check out Mack’s blog for more pictures and information about the lights.

Happy Canada Day!

I was lucky enough to be given complimentary tickets to see Broadway Across Canada’s production of Wicked this week, running at the Jubilee Auditorium July 2-20, 2014. Though it was my second time seeing Wicked (the first being in New York seven years ago), it was my Mum’s first musical. She loved it! For me, it was great to relive one of my favourite shows (“For Good” did not disappoint), and I really enjoyed Kara Lindsay’s performance as Glinda. Her rendition of “Popular” was charm and perfect comedic timing. Go see it while you still can!

Wicked selfie

Recap: Hawkers Market 3

The third Hawkers Market event took place on June 14, 2014 in Vacancy Hall, the cozy Mercer Warehouse basement suite. Mack and I were fortunate enough to receive free admission tickets.

Several of the vendors who were present at the Mercer Summer Super Party the week prior were back again, but it was nice to see some new vendors in the fray.

Vacancy Hall

Long Lost Foods (formerly Mirepoix Trio), explained that their new name was the result of another Canadian company already having registered under their former identity. Hopefully word spreads fast, and they won’t lose the momentum (and recognition) they’ve gained under their previous name.

Long Lost Foods

Long Lost Foods brought their A-game to Hawkers Market, with their vegan pizza bombs on offer. At 3 for $10, it was the best deal that night, and the perfect hand-held snack. For Mack, who lived off of Pizza Pockets in a past life, it was a way to indulge in an old favourite with less guilt.

Mack loved the pizza bombs

We also finally got to try Orbit, the first food truck to sell out at our last What the Truck?! event in Old Strathcona. Their orange ancho pork tacos ($5), with grilled pineapple relish and bacon was delicious, a nice balance between the succulent meat and the fresh garnish.

Orbit

Orange ancho pork tacos

The boys from The Local Omnivore were serving up The Hulk ($8), a sandwich layering stewed spiced beef, “baconed” onions, swiss and salsa verde together.

Thumbs up for The Local Omnivore

The Hulk

It was great to see Honest Dumplings again. Their menu seems to change so often that it always seems that you will always find a new, yet-to-be-discovered dumpling flavour on your next visit. That said, the Peking duck might just be my new favourite.

Honest dumplings

This Hawkers Market event didn’t seem as packed as the previous two, but I’d chalk it up to busy summer schedules more than anything else. And though I understand the reason for the sit-down picnic tables (encouraging people to linger, drink in hand), I’d prefer more cocktail tables, as attendees seem more likely to mix and mingle in that type of set-up.

While the next indoor Hawkers Market date hasn’t been set yet, you will find them at the East Meets West Festival in Chinatown on July 12, from 11am-9pm. They’ve partnered with the Chinatown Business Revitalization Zone to organize the food truck and pop-up food booths. I’ll be there!

Food Notes for June 30, 2014

Do you have your Canada Day plans yet? If not, make sure to check out ShareEdmonton’s list of events in and around the city. You can find me volunteering at the Heritage Chinatown Night Market, running from 4-9pm on 102 Avenue and 95 Street. Regardless of how you spend the occasion, Happy Canada Day! On to this week’s food notes:

What the Truck?! is coming to Baconfest this Friday, July 4, from 5-10pm with six food trucks outside the Arts Barns, all serving-up bacon-infused dishes (think: bacon lobster mac & cheese, bacon poutine, bacon ice cream and yes, even a bacon milkshake). There’s no admission fee for the Truck Stop – just bring cash for food. See you there!
World Cup fever has inspired many Brazilian-inspired menus or celebrations, including a four-course meal with beer pairings at Culina, and a special a la carte menu at Pampa.
It’s been a rough month for 104 Street, with the closure of Lit and the impending closure of Sobeys on July 31, 2014.
Meat was positively reviewed last week in the Journal.
Rebecca posted about one of the newer food trucks, Dolce and Banana.
Avenue has a great feature sharing the favourite eats of 25 prominent Edmontonians, including Mayor Don Iveson. Interestingly enough, the list is dominated by cheap eats.
Transcend’s Poul Mark is the coffee columnist for CBC. Check out his first coffee column.
Want to contribute to a cookbook “reflecting the evolution of Edmonton over the past century”? Check out the Edmonton Historical Cookbook project.
Looking forward to the food at K-Days? Tempt yourself with some of their new items this year, including a 125 pound hot dog (why they don’t have better quality photos for the items is beyond me).
Jason Foster wrote about the evolution of Big Rock back to its craft beer roots.
It was announced last week that Lactuca moved to a one acre site at Northlands.
Robyn attended Slow Food Edmonton’s Tangle Ridge Ranch event this weekend – looks like it was a fun evening full of good food and company!
We’ve been enjoying the delicious wave of summer fruit these past few weeks. I can’t wait for blueberries!

Raspberries from Steve & Dan’s at the City Market

Recap: Hotel Mac Patio Launch

There are few places in Edmonton that boast a beautiful view and good eats, and none in the city with as much history as the Hotel Macdonald. Celebrating its centennial next July, the Hotel is also planning some special events in the the year-long lead-up to its milestone.

Earlier this month, the Mac hosted an official kick-off to their patio season, already rescheduled once due to poor weather (it really has been that kind of spring). Even though the clouds were threatening, staff had high hopes that the rain would hold off – and their optimism was rewarded.

Patio furniture

Treated to a sampling of their patio barbecue and Confederation Lounge menus, Mack, Hannah, Stephanie and I were able to taste some of the Mac’s fair-weather offerings.

Cheers!

Presentation has always been the kitchen’s strength, demonstrated in adorable mini quinoa wraps, held together with tiny wooden clothespins. Or, in their modern take on caprese salad, with tomato gelee and balsamic reduction taking the place of fresh tomatoes and conventional dressing.

Mini quinoa wraps

Caprese salad

Favourites that night included the Westbury crab cake sliders (the brioche bun added a perfect hit of sweetness) and the spicy black bean soup.

Food with a view

We were also wowed by the dessert table, covered with an assortment of two-bite sweets (Zinc used to sell two-bite versions of their full-sized desserts, a concept that did not seem to stick, even though I think it would do much to sway those with just enough room for something small). Though the Mac isn’t going this route, I appreciated the ability to try several items. At the top of my list was the peach cobbler – a buttery crust, leading to tender sweet fruit underneath.

Sweet desserts

Amidst the greenery and the spectacular view from the terrace, our group was inspired to start working on an event that will help highlight one of Edmonton’s best river valley assets in a new way this summer. Stay tuned for more details, and thanks to the Mac for a relaxed re-introduction to their patio!

Hotel Macdonald
10065 100th Street
(780) 424-5181

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