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

Mother’s Market: Edmonton’s first three day farmers’ market

Although Edmonton has plenty of farmers’ markets (with more seeming to spring up in every pocket of the city), up until now, almost all markets run just once a week. Enter Mother’s Market, Edmonton’s first three day year-round market, which opened on Friday in the building that formerly housed Mother’s Music at 10251 109 Street. It will be open from 10am-7pm on Fridays and from 10am-5pm on the weekends.

Mother’s Market

When it was first announced, some wondered how Mother’s Market could possibly compete with the City Market in the summer, located just a few blocks away on the pedestrian-friendly 104 Street. To be fair, not everyone can make it to the market on Saturdays, so the ability to pick pick up groceries on alternate days is a definite plus. Much of their success, however will depend on the range of products they can offer, in addition, of course, to the shopping experience itself.

Two floors of shopping

Originally slated to open in May, the delay to June 20, 2014 seemed to allow the market to gather more vendors in the interim, including several familiar to City Market shoppers, such as Prairie Mill, Greens, Eggs and Ham, and Irvings Farm Fresh.

Greens, Eggs and Ham (a duplicate of their Symons Valley Ranch booth in Calgary)

It was immediately clear the advantage offered to vendors at an indoor site – no need for a weekly set-up and take-down, easy access to power and water, and no variable weather conditions to worry about. As a result, many of the stalls are more visibly branded, and customers can tell at a glance which products are in stock.

Irvings Farm Fresh

Personally, I was happy to see Sunworks. Though their location across the river at Blush Lane isn’t that far, it’s nice to have walking distance access to a variety of meats and eggs. In addition, they also sell Vital Green milk products (I’ve been missing the ability to pick up local, organic milk close to home since Saxby’s closure impacted Van Os Dairy).

There were still many empty vending spaces, some due to be occupied soon (Innisfail-based Lund’s Organics will enhance the produce offerings, which are still fairly slim, and at present, include imported produce from the US). I’ve always found the biggest weakness of the fall/winter component of the City Market in City Hall is the relative lack of produce, especially when compared with Old Strathcona. This is an area where Mother’s can definitely compete.

Walker Orchards

It was also great to see a number of vendors unique to Mother’s Market. Those who were sad to see Wild Tangerine go will be happy to know they can still pick up prepared curries, spring rolls and soups at this location. As well, Transcend Coffee will not only be serving the caffeine-deprived (drip coffees only, at this point), but also use their stall as a way to introduce customers to alternative home brewing methods (think AeroPress and Chemex).

Transcend Coffee

Locating concessions on the second floor was a great idea to help draw shoppers upstairs, which would otherwise potentially see less foot traffic. Besides a forgettable hot dog vendor, the crepe, Indian and Mexican food stalls were still works in progress. Native Delights, however, was up and running. We still haven’t tried a bannock burger ourselves, but it is heartening to see the business (two food trucks, a concession at Osman Auction, and now, Mother’s Market) expand. More seating options will definitely be needed, particularly if the market would like customers to linger, but that could be on its way.

Native Delights

I have to say some of the vendors seemed out of place to me, but I know people have vastly different definitions of what vendors should comprise a farmers’ market. I could have done without the art and scented wax vendors, for instance, but to each their own.

Second floor vendors

Most of Calgary’s farmers’ markets already operate on the three day per week model, so it will be interesting to see if Mother’s Market will be the first to succeed at doing so in Edmonton. So far, I’d say they’re off to a good start – but only time will tell.

Mother’s Market
10251 109 Street
Fridays 10am-7pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10am-5pm

Rebecca also posted about the market.

Food Notes for June 23, 2014

Baconfest released their menu last week – from savoury to sweet, bacon lovers will rejoice. The event runs July 4, 2014, and tickets are $75.
Savour Strathcona County, a celebration of food, is back on July 6, 2014, with nearly 20 restaurants and food trucks participating.
What are you up to on July 19, 2014? Want to help build up Edmonton’s river valley food forest? Join Dustin Bajer and other Edmontonians who will be planting more than 1,000 food producing native trees and shrubs that day.
Liane had a piece with more details about El Cortez, the forthcoming tequila bar in Old Strathcona.
The trend of board game cafes are picking up steam in Edmonton, with The Hex Café moving onto Whyte Avenue.
Phil’s latest Burger Odyssey post is up, comparing the offerings of Select and Cha Island Tea.
Liv visited Meat for Dinner.
Val posted a beautiful review of a recent meal by Chef Shane Chartrand celebrating Aboriginal cuisine at Sage. Their summer signature series is now over (their promotions never seem to run more than a week), but hopefully they bring it back again!
Congratulations to the organizers of Porkapalooza, who reported that 25,000 people visited the three day festival. It will be back again next year.
Learn more about Riverbend Garden’s CSA in Vue Weekly.
Elaine Wilson, who many will know from her cooking classes and stall at local farmers’ markets, will close the current chapter of her life in favour of new beginnings. We’ll miss her in the hands-on role she’s played in Edmonton’s food scene over the years, but I’m sure she will still be out and about!
Finally, another one of the vacant storefronts in Chinatown on 97 Street and 106 Avenue will be populated again – this time with a Korean restaurant, Lee House.

Lee House

Our What the Truck?! team had a planning meeting at Packrat Louie earlier in the week. All of us ordered pizzas. Mine was all right, a combination of buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, spinach, mushroom and egg. I just didn’t expect that the egg would be hard boiled, or cold.

Prosciutto pizza at Packrat Louie

Mack and I celebrated my birthday early on #yeglongday, taking advantage of the absolutely gorgeous weather with a late dinner out on the patio at Tavern 1903. I’m happy to see they’ve eliminated the $1 charge on Q Water, and yes, their truffle mac ‘n’ cheese is still just as delicious as I remembered.

Mack @ Tavern 1903

Truffle mac ‘n’ cheese and KFC (Korean Fried Cauliflower)

Short ribs and parmesan frites

We had my family over for dinner yesterday. Among the dishes were a simple but satisfying modified caprese salad, substituting asparagus for the basil.

Caprese salad with Gull Valley tomatoes and Edgar Farms asparagus (just one more week for local asparagus!)

Food Notes for June 16, 2014

Kinnickinnick is hosting a gluten-free BBQ on June 21, 2014, with proceeds benefiting the Edmonton Food Bank.
The 124 Grand Market has partnered with Taste Alberta to host a farm to fork culinary tour on July 13, 2014. Tickets are $55, and besides the tour, will include a family-style lunch by Brayden Kozak of Three Boars and Mike Scorgie of Woodwork.
NAIT released their summer schedule of culinary boot camps, with the addition of a new course called “For the Love of Chocolate Boot Camp”.
I can’t think this far ahead, but a new festival was announced today called Dig In, St. Albert’s Horticulture Festival. It runs October 10-11, 2014, and will feature hands-on workshops, sampling, demonstrations, and a kick-off gala.
Liane has the details on Rostizado, the hotly anticipated new eatery from the boys behind Tres Carnales. It sounds like a series of unique “mini eateries”, the likes of which Edmonton hasn’t seen before.
The Taste of Edmonton celebrates their 30th anniversary this year. They have expanded their Sip ‘n’ Savour workshop side of the event, growing it even outside of Edmonton’s bounds. They’ve also released their menu, which this year will feature items from twelve food trucks. Discounted sample tickets are already on sale. This year’s festival runs July 17-26, 2014.
El Cortez Tequila Bar? Count me intrigued. It is set to open some time this summer at 8230 Gateway Boulevard.
Cindy has one of the first Indulgence recaps up!
It looks like Andrea was far from impressed by the food at Teapsy Café.
Julio’s Barrio opened up their new extended patio last week. While the restaurant itself may not be my favourite, I applaud having more life on the sidewalks.
On Saturday, Mack, Thom and I ventured to Giovanni Caboto Park. The Italian Centre was celebrating their 55th birthday, so we made sure to indulge in some free cake. The main event was the outdoor screening of the England vs. Italy World Cup match. Though the screen resolution wasn’t great, it was an opportunity to watch the game amongst passionate fans in a unique venue.

Happy birthday, Italian Centre!

World Cup in the park

I have to say my impressions of Red Deer have been grounded in my visits to Gasoline Alley. On our way back from Innisfail on Sunday, however, Mack and I made sure to finally go through downtown Red Deer, and finally visit Dose Coffee, which we had read about some time ago. It’s a lovely space, and could easily be mistaken for a shop on 104 Street or 124 Street in Edmonton. It didn’t hurt that the lattes were delicious, too!

Dose Coffee

Recap: What the Truck?! in Old Strathcona

I can’t tell you how many times I checked the weather forecast in the days leading up to our second What the Truck?! event on Friday. Early on in the week, things weren’t looking good, with showers predicted on the day itself and even on the following days. Thankfully though, as Friday approached, our optimism was rewarded, and save for a few threatening clouds, we were able to stay dry!

McIntyre Park

For a second year in a row, Old Strathcona played a welcoming host to WTT. And like last year’s event at McIntyre Park, we found it again attracted many young families – it was a wonderful sight to see so many children enjoying themselves in the green space.

Dinner time!

In response to the crush of lines at our last event on 104 Street, we increased the number of food trucks to fifteen. This, coupled with a steady crowd over the course of the evening, really helped to minimize the line-ups. I know I was personally able to try several more trucks this time around!

Food truck cul de sac

We made the effort to try some of the vendors new to WTT. I was perhaps most looking forward to the Perogy Princess, as it has been the most talked about truck this season. Their prairie poutine was a fun twist on one of my favourite dishes – perogies drowned in gravy and topped in cheese curds.

Prairie poutine from Perogy Princess

Afterbite Mobile Kitchen’s pizza rolls were an instant hit with the crowd – and after trying them myself, I could see why. How could you say no to deep-fried morsels filled with cheese, and an assortment of pizza toppings?

Pizza rolls from Afterbite

The chicken flautas from Casa Doce were a meal in itself, which I didn’t expect. They came with a generous portion of pico de gallo and a fresh underlay of lettuce.

Chicken flautas from Casa Doce

There was also quite a bit of chatter about the duck tots from Attila the HUNgry. It was definitely enough for two, tater tots topped with Thai-braised duck legs, hoisin aioli, lime sriracha, herbs and peanuts.

Duck tots from Attila the HUNgry

We were fortunate to have great community support for this event. It was wonderful to work with the Old Strathcona Business Association, specifically with Tineke De Jong, who secured sponsorship for the street closure. The Strathcona Community League also stepped up to sponsor our event insurance. In addition, Capital City Cleanup came through with some volunteers and clean-up supplies – the volunteers made sure the site remained spic and span during and after the event!

Capital City Cleanup

A big thanks also to DJs Polyesterday and Chesterfield for the tunes in the park!

DJ Polyesterday’s fans start young!

Keep an eye out on our website for more details about our next two events in July – we’ll be at Baconfest on July 4, and back at the Boyle Street Plaza for a burger-themed Truck Stop on July 10. Hope to see you there!

Recap: 4th Annual Whyte Avenue Red Shoe Crawl

In its fourth year, the Red Shoe Crawl has quickly become a staple way for Edmontonians to explore the culinary delights of a neighbourhood on foot, all while supporting a good cause. Organized by the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta, the event relies on the donations of area businesses so ticket proceeds can go towards providing accommodation to families of children receiving medical treatment in the city. This expression of generosity, coupled with great organization, is what makes the Red Shoe Crawl one of the best food events in Edmonton in my opinion.

And though I have attended an Old Strathcona Shoe Crawl in the past, it did not feel like I was retreading old waters, as the event brought on several different businesses that weren’t on the roster in previous years.

I was fortunate enough to have been given complimentary tickets to attend the event (in addition to participating in a ticket giveaway), and asked Felicia to join me last Sunday afternoon. It’s definitely one of her favourite events.

Felicia with her Red Shoe Crawl passport at The Buckingham

On this occasion, there were twenty businesses on the roster. We made it to a majority of them, but did miss a few. Given how full we were when we called it quits though, I think it was the best we could do!

Our favourites included a few dishes from establishments I’d never been to before. I wouldn’t have considered The Pint for anything other than drinks before, but their chicken tacos were a nice surprise – each bite was full of fresh tomatoes and cilantro.

Chicken tacos from The Pint

The Buckingham, which moved into the former Symposium Greek Cuisine space, was new to us. It’s a great space, with a balcony that overlooks Whyte Avenue, but also a secluded back patio with great sun exposure. The staff were really friendly and attentive during our stay, and the food was good too! The vegan chili packed some heat, but I loved the variety of beans and lentils in the bowl.

Vegan chili from The Buckingham

As in previous Red Shoe Crawls, a food truck was also a part of the action. Attila the HUNgry is new to the Edmonton food truck scene this year, and was offering a taste of their Asian flavours in the form of a Thai PB & J.

Thai PB & J from Attila the HUNgry

It was neat to get a sneak peek into the new Menchie’s location that wouldn’t open until the following Friday (they took over the storefront previously held by Marble Slab). Although the shop wasn’t fully operational yet, the owner pushed their participation through, and handed out pre-portioned cups of red velvet and birthday cake-flavoured frozen yogurt.

Frozen yogurt from Menchie’s

Although most businesses didn’t offer a choice of dishes, Chianti’s did. We were able to order a half-size of any of their appetizers. Between my garlic white wine shrimp and Felicia’s smoked salmon salad, it was a nice taste of what Chianti’s had to offer.

Garlic white wine shrimp

Smoked salmon salad

Planet Organic had a fun giveaway, which involved “shopping” in the store. We were told we could grab any one bulk fruit and one drink from the coolers. As nothing was scanned, I’m not sure how any inventory was performed, but given how much we had already consumed by then, we appreciated the option of taking some goodies home with us for later.

An apple a day…

Thanks again to the organizers for the invitation, and for putting on a wonderful event.

Recap: Mercer Summer Super Party

I love street parties, and the Mercer Warehouse sure knows how to throw one. Though the all-ages Mercer Summer Super Party was technically their second event (the first one having taken place at the tail end of Al Fresco in 2012, but was unfortunately rained out), given the growth of the tenants and businesses in the building since that time, the differences were almost night and day.

104 Street

The weather was chilly, but cooperated enough to keep the rain away. And in that way, the combination of a street fest with the in and out privileges to explore what was taking place inside the Mercer was perfect on that evening. In some ways, the building capacity explained the need for attendees to have tickets, but ultimately, I think the provision of free tickets hindered the overall event attendance. The crowds didn’t seem as big as anticipated, so hopefully the Party organizers work out a different system for future events.

Rapid Fire Theatre

Indoors, On the Spot Pop-Up had a small trunk market in the basement (I loved the Green Window #rethinkjunk as art sprinkled throughout the floors), while many of the businesses on the upper floors had their doors open for curious wanderers.

On the Spot Pop-Up

Guru Digital

The Startup Edmonton space in particular was rockin’, with its own stage, free slushies, and of course, Lego!

Startup Edmonton

Outdoors, the stage hosted a variety of bands, DJs, and variety acts, while the rest of the street was lined with pop-up food vendors and food trucks. Mack and I love food trucks, but we took advantage of this opportunity to try some vendors we’d never encountered before.

Vendors

At the top of our list was the ramen burger, from Vancouver’s Rambu. We had seen this item at Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, but didn’t have the chance to try it there. Here, $10 bought us a pork patty sandwiched with cheese, bacon, a fried egg, and ramen noodle “buns”.

Rambu

Mack remarked at how messy it was to eat, but yes, it was worth it! I love texture in my food, so the crispy-crunchy noodles did enhance the burger for me.

Ramen burger!

La Cantina Negra also offered a new-to-Edmonton item that is so popular elsewhere – the bao as popularized by David Chang. La Cantina’s version featured wagyu beef or soy-pickled wild mushrooms. The former was our favourite, the tender beef tasting almost gamey, complemented by the freshness of the cucumber and carrots. I actually didn’t mind that the bao itself was browned, but I know for some, this would be considered blasphemy.

Bao from La Cantina Negra

Lastly, we dug into a variety of dumplings from Honest Dumplings. They’ve been around at farmers’ markets this season, but we hadn’t yet had the opportunity to try their house-made creations (including the wrappers!). The dumplings were delicate, and with flavours like butter chicken, are definitely not your mother’s dumplings!

Honest Dumplings

We didn’t linger at the party too long (I had an early pancake breakfast start the next morning), but it looked like people were having a great time. Congrats to the organizers for a successful event. I hear another party might be in the works for August – make sure you keep your eyes open for the details.

Food Notes for June 9, 2014

We’re coming up on our second What the Truck?! event this summer, taking place on Friday, June 13, 2014 from 5-9pm at Old Strathcona. Expect 15 trucks, from six new vendors to old favourites. Menus will be posted in a day or two – hope to see you there! On to this week’s food notes:

Shovel & Fork is teaching a class on container gardening on June 14, 2014. The class will be taking place at the Bissell Centre, and proceeds collected will go towards helping the Centre establish their own rooftop garden. Tickets are $70.
A reminder about Hawkers Market on June 14, 2014 from 6-11:30pm at the Mercer Warehouse.
Dishcrawl is back! Their first event after the hiatus is taking place on 124 Street on July 15, 2014. Tickets are $60 and will grant you three meals at three restaurants.
Congrats to Confetti Sweets whose storefront in Sherwood Park is now open.
Looking for Sailin’ On’s massively addictive coconut bacon? It’s now stocked at the Italian Centre!
It’s finally official: Earth’s General Store is moving to 104 Street, taking over the storefront formerly occupied by Pangea.
I was surprised to hear about Chef Nathin Bye’s move to Murietta’s. I wish him all the best in his new endeavours!
Phil’s latest Burger Odyssey post pits Delux against Local. Who comes out on top?
Vue Weekly offers some background on the concept of Bar Bricco.
The Journal had a great piece on Edmonton ex-pat Leanne Brown’s Good and Cheap cookbook, which helps people maximize their food dollar.
Chef, a fictional film about the rise of a food truck, opened last week to positive reviews. I hope to check it out soon!
Say it ain’t so: Top Chef Canada has been cancelled after four seasons. I know there will be other TV outlets for Canadian chefs to be highlighted (Chopped, Masterchef), but I think Top Chef had a tangible impact on raising the profile of the young talent who participated, and allowed Canadians to look inward, instead of only ever appreciating chefs south of the border.
I’ve now stepped down from the board of the Downtown Edmonton Community League, but it was nice to finish off my term with the annual pancake breakfast. It was a little chilly, yes, but the sun made it a pleasant morning. Thanks to those who came out!

Pancake picnic in the street

Sarah and Milap were pancake flipping pros!

All my Mum wanted for her birthday was tacos from Tres Carnales – we made sure she also had a side of celebratory sangria. Delicious!

Dinner at Tres Carnales

The Spuntini Bar Frontier: Bar Bricco

There are many reasons behind Chef Daniel Costa’s success in Edmonton, two of which are his firm vision and an unwillingness to compromise. His obvious pride and passion for Italian cuisine manifests itself in every plate that leaves the kitchen at Corso 32, a restaurant known for its use of quality ingredients, attention to detail and eye on authenticity. As Corso 32 introduced many Edmontonians to the wonders of fresh ricotta and handmade pasta, among other things, with Bar Bricco, Chef Costa seeks to now familiarize the city with the concept of spuntini bars.

Spuntini bars, as he described to the Edmonton Journal, are found in Italy and are known as “small places you go into and you get a snack and have a couple of glasses of wine. It’s not tapas, it’s a little more than that. Small plates, with cured meats, not charcuterie.” The idea isn’t too far removed from the wine bars and tapas-oriented restaurants nearby, including Tzin and Bodega, but does complement the scene particularly with its pasta offerings.

In the last month or so, I’ve been to Bar Bricco twice – once with Mack and a second time with a girlfriend. To say its been well-received is an understatement – both times, soon after arriving, I watched the space fill to standing room only in no time at all. It’s sleek, minimalist, and yes, a little loud, but I didn’t mind.

Post-work wine

The menu is divided into bread, spuntini, meats and cheeses. Over the two occasions, I was able to try several dishes. The pasta dishes were the among the highlights. The the egg yolk raviolo ($13) was a showstopper: thin, handmade pasta enclosing creamy ricotta and a perfectly cooked, luscious yolk. The fonduta agnolotti ($14) was as fun to eat as it was delicious, with bite-sized pasta meant to be dipped in sage butter and rolled in parmesan.

Egg yolk raviolo

Fonduta agnolotti

The eggs moliterno ($12) was explained to us as eggs cooked over a double boiler – but I know it has to be more complicated than that (or at least, I need to use a recipe – my attempt to replicate this failed miserably). The eggs had adopted a spreadable consistency, and spiked with truffle oil, pepper and cheese, they were a revelation in the possibilities of scrambled eggs.

Eggs moliterno

Interestingly enough, the meats and cheeses were secondary to the cooked dishes. The tasting plate ($24) was freshly sliced and featured a good variety, but as a whole, was forgettable. The cheese, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with the truffle and black pepper honey condiment – perhaps it could have been served on the side? That said, the accompanying house grissini, or breadsticks, were notable, and my friend remarked that they tasted exactly like those she has only ever found in Italy.

Tasting plate

Cheese (the name of which escapes me)

Service was better when we sat at the bar than at a table, but I know the waitress on that second occasion had trouble distinguishing our party from the couple seated next to us.

Bar Bricco continues Chef Costa’s vision to expand Edmonton’s appreciation for authentic Italian food and concepts. His consistency makes him one of the city’s most respected chefs, and is definitely one to watch. Next on his radar: an 80-seat urban trattoria/pasta house in the space that housed Transcend.

Bar Bricco
10347 Jasper Avenue
(780) 424-5588
Tuesday-Friday 5pm-late, Saturday 6-late, closed Sunday

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: