Food Notes for November 19, 2013

I feel like I’m still catching up from being away last week, but it was nice to be able to visit Ottawa for the first time. Sadly, when we left for Edmonton, it was +14. On to this week’s food notes:

I’ve been looking forward to 124 Street’s All is Bright for some time! It’s a winter festival with food, hot drinks, sleigh rides and light displays. See you there!
Just in time for Christmas, Knifewear is back with a pop-up in the city, at 10816 – 82 Avenue. The shop will be open from November 23 through to January 28.
Hawkers Market is a Vancouver-based event that’s coming to Edmonton on November 30, 2013. The event gives food businesses, “a platform to cook, test ideas, meet customers”. It sounds a lot like the Toronto Underground Market I attended last year, which seemed to be a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to gain traction.
It’s winter all right! Celebrate the season by submitting your best brew (alcoholic or non alcoholic) in the Winter City drinks competition! Prizes include a staycation package and in-home tasting parties. The deadline to enter your recipe is December 8, 2013.
Sushi Sugoi will be opening soon in the former Outback Steakhouse on the south side (2874 Calgary Trail).
Liane had some more information about the forthcoming Glass Monkey gastropub in Lendrum (5842 111 Street). It is set to open in mid-December.
La Oliva, a gluten-free kitchen, celebrated its grand opening this past weekend at 10575 114 Street. The business offers catering and cooking classes.
Liv checks out the new Rock Wood Fired Pizza.
It would be wonderful to see a restaurant in the building adjacent to Beaver Hills House Park.
Love chocolate? Check out Choklat’s series of tastings, called Choklat Snobbery 101, featuring tastings and wine pairings. Tickets are $40.
Don’t click on this post hungry – Valerie’s sixth Canadian Food Experience Project round-up features numerous photos of comfort food.
Did you know about Coca-Cola’s “assault on tap water”?
On our way to the Italian Centre on the weekend, we noticed signage for an Allegro Italian Kitchen on 95 Street and 108 Avenue. Anyone know if this is a second location or if the restaurant is moving?

Allegro Italian Kitchen

Recap: 97 Street Night Market

Over the summer, I worked with a team of volunteers to put on an event that we hoped would encourage Edmontonians to rediscover Chinatown. The neighbourhood is so full of history and possibility, but has largely been overlooked over the last number of years. While we recognized that the Business Revitalization Zone and to a greater extent, the McCauley Revitalization Strategy, had attempted to facilitate positive developments, we believed that something different was needed to foster the imagination of what Chinatown could be.

From there, the 97 Street Night Market was born. With a generous grant from the City and some committed supporters, we were able to transform a vacant parking lot into a welcoming space that introduced or reacquainted patrons with the dynamic nature of night markets right in the heart of Chinatown.

97 Street Night Market

Vendors were the commercial anchor for the event, and we were happy to have engaged some area businesses, including Universal Music and Pacific Café, as well as others from around the city. The range of trinkets to fashion items was varied enough for visitors of all ages!

Gama

No doubt, one of the most popular booths that day was actually one of ours – we had borrowed a set of fortune sticks from the Edmonton Chinese Bilingual Education Association, and volunteers sold fortunes for $1 a pop. That night, nearly 200 fortunes were told!

Step right up!

We were fortunate to have The Lingnan Express, Molly’s Eats and Swich on-site, offering Asian-inspired dishes, including oyster omelettes, curried fish balls and matcha green tea ice cream sandwiches. Though not from the window of a food truck, Gama was able to offer another night market staple – bubble tea.

Food trucks

Char siu pulled pork sandwich from Molly’s Eats

In addition, the market provided us with an opportunity to highlight many young performers. Some were more traditional, such as 5 Elements, who opened the evening with an engaging lion dance, while others displayed a fusion of cultures, including Nanyen Lau, who played the Titanic anthem of “My Heart Will Go On” on an erhu.

5 Elements

Edmonton Chinese Dance Academy

My favourite act was the energetic Convergence Dance Crew, who drew the biggest crowds to the stage with their infectious K-pop covers of Psy’s recent hits.

Convergence Dance Crew

Patrons also had the chance to participate in three different walking tours of the neighbourhood that highlighted various facets of Chinatown. The first had nearly thirty participants so engrossed in the tour the guides ended up doubling the originally-intended length! No question, we learned that tours of all varieties should be offered of Chinatown on a regular basis; people are curious, and want to learn about the neighbourhood’s rich history and hopeful future.

Tour group

For me, it was the creation of a neutral, safe space that most excited me. The perceived “ethnicity” of Chinatown is daunting to some who aren’t familiar with its businesses, while for others, the stereotype of an unsafe, neglected neighbourhood discourages exploration. That night, it was heartening to see people of all generations from many different backgrounds convening in a single parking lot, feasting, shopping, and otherwise socializing. It was a gathering place not normally found in Chinatown, and one that I hope will be replicated in the future.

Beautiful sunset

There are a litany of people to thank who helped make this event a reality. Qualico and Ledcor generously donated the site, and worked around our request, in spite of the ongoing demolition of the building directly south of the lot. Jane Molstad of the McCauley Revitalization Strategy immediately recognized the potential of this idea, and worked tirelessly to ensure the grant came through! We also couldn’t have done without the enthusiastic and hard working day-of volunteers. Lastly, thanks to all those who came, taking a chance on a first time event!

I’ve been asked more than once if the night market will become an annual event. Although I can’t answer the question definitively yet, I can say that a few of us are working to continue the momentum we began that day in some form or another. Stay tuned!

Food Notes for November 11, 2013

I spent most of last week in Calgary attending a work conference, and am leaving tomorrow for Ottawa, again for work. Though I still have intentions to post things other than food notes, it’s going to take some time! On to this week’s food notes:

Don’t miss the annual Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up, this Saturday, November 16, 2013!
I love that Cally’s Teas is partnering with their neighbour The Briefing Room to host a ladies night full of tea, and, well, underwear. The event is taking place on November 23, 2013.
Shanghai 456 has found a new home at 14456 118 Avenue, due to open in January 2014.
Jeff posted a picture of a forthcoming barbecue joint – Chic-Hog-O’s Social Roast House on Jasper Avenue and 112 Street.
It’s been a bad month for independents in Edmonton – first Bistro Saisons, and now The Makk on 124 has announced its closure.
Dishcrawl hosted its first ever “secret supper”. The dinner took place at Creole Envie, and Cheryl and Liv recapped the meal in all its glory.
Vue Weekly explores the meaty offerings of Fired Up Southern Barbecue.
Collecting Culinaria is an exhibit at the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library at the University of Alberta that showcases over 100 recipe books. It will be displayed until February 7, 2014.
I didn’t know that the Highlands Farmers’ Market has now moved indoors – but as Cathy posted, the market will operate inside St. Mary’s Anglican Church (11203 68 Street) from 4-8pm on Thursdays between October 3 and April 24, 2014.
I immediately thought of Su when I read about this: The Kitchen Library in Toronto is a “non-profit lending library of small to medium size kitchen appliances…Just like a traditional library, you can check out appliances (instead of books) for short periods of time to experiment with new recipes and cooking techniques.” How cool is that, especially for those who are space-starved in condos.
While in Calgary, we finally made time to check out the newest farmers’ market to Calgary, Symons Valley Ranch. I loved the wooden beams, and it’s not hard to argue with a market that features Phil & Sebastian’s as a vendor! Though they could have used more produce vendors, Symons Valley had a decent selection of local goods for a winter market.

Symons Valley Ranch

On our way back home, Mack and I stopped at Cross Iron Mills for some shopping, and ended up at the Nathan’s Famous for some sustenance (they have two locations in Canada – in Airdrie and Cross Iron Mills). Needless to say, the poutine dog, with its artificial cheese sauce and hickory sticks didn’t exactly live up to expectations, but the hot dog itself was enjoyable.

Poutine Dogs

Over the weekend, we also stopped over at Pagolac, one of our old haunts for some late night pho.

Pagolac

We also had a family dinner at Tasty Noodle. It was my first time at the restaurant, and the food was definitely good enough to plan for repeat visits in the future. Hopefully we can return for dim sum soon enough!

Mu shu pork

Food Notes for November 4, 2013

Doesn’t it feel like we’re deep into winter now, even though the snow only fell this past weekend? All the more reason to indulge in hot drinks and make pots of soup, I say! On to this week’s food notes:

It looks like North 53 has tentatively set their opening date as December 4, 2013!
The Jack’s Grill space (5842 111 Street) is being renovated to become The Glass Monkey, a gastropub to be run by Darcy Radies, formerly of The Blue Pear.
Look for Century Hospitality Group to open Hart’s Table & Bar in the new year, replacing the Ric’s Grill in Terwillegar (14229 23 Ave).
Unfortunately, another local restaurant has shuttered: Bistro Saisons has now closed. Cheryl wrote a post honouring the restaurant, and encouraging diners to patronize small businesses.
Speaking of closures, Omar dug deeper into the curiously fast failure of Plow & Harvest, and uncovered that the restaurant was perhaps a purposeful flop.
Liv reviewed Jack’s Burger Shack in St. Albert.
I was wondering when Edmonton would get another upscale olive oil and vinegar store, given Calgary has several: Oliv Tasting Room (Calgary has three locations) is opening up in Crestwood at 9656 142 Street.
Congratulations to Chefs Nathin Bye and Blair Lebsack on making this year’s list of Aveue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40!
Avenue Edmonton has a story this month about how local restaurants deal with serving celebrity guests.
I love recipes that seemingly repurpose single-use appliances: 12 things you can make using a waffle iron. I need to try those hash browns.
Great article from the NYT about broccoli’s extreme makeover.
Churchill Square was packed with crowds taking in River City Round Up on Saturday. It was a great event, with a food truck corral, lots of children’s activities, and entertainment.

River City Round Up

Food Notes for October 28, 2013

Mack and I took in the last night of The National Elevator Project on Sunday, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Although I know a part of the reason had to do with the novelty of the elevator as a stage, it was also because most of the playwrights so deftly took advantage of the intimacy of the space, playing with conventions of distance and audience involvement. Though the run has now finished, look for Part 2 of the project during the Canoe Festival, January 23 – February 2, 2014. On to this week’s food notes:

River City Round Up starts off this Friday with the annual Chili Cook-Off in Churchill Square on November 1, from 11:30-1:30pm. Grab your bowl of chili for just a buck or two! On Saturday, November 2, the Kick-Off Celebration will feature a pancake breakfast, a taste of the past and entertainment.
I know some are already planning for Christmas, so – Quickfire Cookery is planning a Christmas Secret Bistro on November 29 and 30, 2013, with a six course dinner and wine pairings.
Congratulations to Chef Paul Shufelt of the Century Hospitality Group for capturing first place at this year’s Gold Medal Plates! Silver went to Chef Doreen Prei of the Edmonton Petroleum Club and bronze to Chef Paul Campbell of Café de Ville.
Liv posted about Sky High Burgers, a new joint in Sherwood Park.
The Journal reviewed Café Bicyclette last week.
The cooler weather got you down? A trip to Urban Shabu might warm you up – check out Cheryl’s recent visit.
Plow & Harvest has closed less than two months after opening its doors. The website reads, “We appreciate your patronage and wish we could have continued to serve you and the Edmonton community.”
Starbucks will be releasing their holiday drinks (in red cups, of course) on November 2, 2013.
After a trip to West Edmonton Mall on the weekend, Mack and I stopped in at the new Italian Centre next door for lunch. Their margherita pizza ($11) hit the spot, the crispy thin crust holding up well. Worth making the trek to the west end!

Pizza!

Food Notes for October 22, 2013

The third back alley “burger” (pioneered in Edmonton by Hundred, replicated in po’ boy form by Creole Envie) hits the streets on October 26, 2013 at Wild Tangerine. Pick up an O’my Bao, stuffed with Spring Creek Ranch beef cheek, Sylvan Star gouda and Asian slaw.
Mark your calendar: All is Bright, a new festival on 124 Street will be taking place on November 23, 2013. There will be light displays, sleigh rides and outdoor patios, among other things.
Get your xialongbao fix now: Shanghai 456 will be closing no later than November 12, 2013 (because of the airport lands appropriation). It sounds like they are looking for an alternate location though!
Woodwork posted an update this week – it is looking good!
The Edmonton Journal launched Gastropost today, a community that will be encouraging fun weekly food missions.
Cheryl reviewed the recent Sturgeon Valley Food and Wine Festival.
Eat North, a website dedicated to highlighting Canadian food, was launched recently by three Calgarians. They do want to shed the entire country though, and have reached out to writers accordingly.
How’s this for your Halloween frights? Salon posted an article titled, “7 horrifying truths about your chicken dinner”. I hadn’t heard about the Obama administration passing the law permitting chicken processed in China to be sold in the US without the appropriate labeling.
The City Market started its indoor edition last week. It was quite busy when we stopped in, likely benefiting from the additional traffic from the advanced polls located in City Hall.

Inside City Hall

Thursdays Nights on the Edge: Classical Edge Finale

Earlier in the summer, I wrote about Thursday Nights on the Edge, an initiative of the Central McDougall and Queen Mary Park Revitalization Coordinator. In order to bring neighbours together, as well as to highlight the area, a different free activity was organized to take place every Thursday from mid-July to mid-August. These family-friendly events ranged from the geo-caching adventure that I attended, to historical tours, petting zoos and artistic explorations. Attendance varied (partially because all of the events were held rain or shine), but the organizers were anticipating their largest crowd ever for their finale on August 15, 2013.

I convinced my sisters to check out the event after having dinner at the nearby 124 Street Grand Market. When we arrived at McDougall Park, the event was already in full swing.

McDougall Park, transformed

The idea behind Classical Edge was to create an elegant, almost gala-style event in a neighbourhood that is known for being anything but. I’d say the organizers succeeded – a stage was set up on the north end of the park, and for the duration of the evening, hosted a series of musicians, including a harpist and the Windrose Trio. Tables topped with linens and candlelit lanterns completed the upscale transformation.

Our makeshift seats

Catering staff from Bridges wandered the grounds, passing around free bites of food, ranging from chicken canapés to mini hot dogs.

Food!

I’ve never seen the park so full. Though I already knew Central McDougall is a diverse community, it was quite something to see on full display. Attendees definitely looked like they were enjoying themselves, from the young ones taking advantage of the playground and open spaces, to adults socializing outside on a beautiful night.

Though I haven’t yet heard if Thursday Nights on the Edge will return next year, I hope they do! They were a wonderful initiative that, with time, will help others see the possibilities in the communities that make up the North Edge.

The Personal Touch: Hathaway’s Diner

Mack and I often deplore the state of brunch in Edmonton – when asked for brunch recommendations, we’re often hard pressed to suggest hometown favourites; it’s much easier for us to defer to our go-to spots in Calgary. That said, after visiting Hathaway’s Diner this summer, we can confidently say that with a few more gems like this one, Edmonton’s brunch scene would be well on its way.

Of course, Hathaway’s Diner is far from new. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve driven past it, given it’s a stone’s throw away from where Mack’s grandparents live. Tucked in a non-descript strip mall inside the neighbourhood of Wellington, it’s definitely not a restaurant likely to be stumbled upon. But that’s what makes it even more special.

Mack at Hathaway’s Diner

On a Saturday morning (Hathaway’s is closed on Sundays), the restaurant was busy, but not full. The interior was charming enough, with checkered floors and a wood counter complete with a built-in pie case. The only hiccup that day was an initial delay in getting our order taken, but after that, the service we received was some of the best we’ve encountered at breakfast in Edmonton.

Pam was the ultimate hostess. She was warm, and spent enough time with each table so diners felt welcomed and at home. Her personal touch, such as telling us that she “married her husband for his pancakes” made the experience much more memorable than most.

The food was great, too. I ordered the breakfast special with sausage ($7.99), and the pancakes lived up to expectations, light and airy with a touch of sweetness. Mack also enjoyed his eggs benedict (served only on Saturdays), and especially appreciated the spot on coffee refills throughout our meal.

Breakfast special

Eggs benedict

I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Hathaway’s Diner – and not just for the food.

Hathaway’s Diner
13225 – 132 street
(780) 488-5989
Tuesday-Saturday, 7am-4pm, closed Sunday and Monday

Battledish: Voting with your Stomach

On October 5, 2013, Edmonton played host to Battledish, a food competition organized by the local Dishcrawl affiliate. Similar to their namesake events, diners would be able to sample multiple dishes from restaurants within walking distance of one another with one added bonus: they would be able to vote for their favourites. Categories ranged from “best cocktail” to “most delicious”; the balloted nature of the outing was definitely part of the fun.

I was amongst several judges that day, though Mack purchased a ticket so I wouldn’t have to indulge alone. We met the organizers at Beaver Hills House Park where we were handed a map, a ballot, food/drink tickets, and even some food to get us started!

Battledish map

Though being able to provide patrons with a full experience (service, restaurant amenities, etc.)would have benefited participating restaurants the most, it was kind of some establishments to be a part of the day in whatever way possible. This was the case for V Sandwiches, which had provided lemongrass chicken and lemongrass tofu banh mi prepped and ready to take away, as well as a number of cupcake eateries, having supplied boxes of beautifully packaged treats. Had we known about this abundance of food at the start, we would have come prepared with carry out containers.

Cupcakes!

We ended up dropping off some of the food at our condo down the street before setting off on the Battledish journey – definitely one of the benefits of living so close to the action!

With four restaurants to visit that afternoon, we started with the one closest to home – The Burg. In a way, it was the best place to begin, as it set the bar quite low. Not only did it take half an hour to receive our food, but it was also clear the jalapeno sauce had been sitting on the plate for some time.

Braised pork belly and mac and cheese ball

Given The Burg has been inconsistent in the past, it was disappointing that they weren’t able to leave a positive impression at an event meant to stimulate future business.

We were confident that our next stop, Hundred Bar + Kitchen, wouldn’t let us down, and we were right. The restaurant had opened early just for the event, so it made Battledish passholders feel a little like VIPs.

Mack does his best impression of a VIP

Both the cocktail and dish at Hundred were winners in my book. I loved the refreshingly sweet Dude Fizz , and the house-made kimchi in the pork belly sandwich was a spicy, crunchy surprise.

Pork belly sandwich and Dude Fizz

Over at LUX, things were a little busier, no doubt because Alley Kat had set up a beer tasting stop there. Between the flights of beer and the Don Draper-approved Old Fashioned, we weren’t sure we’d make it to the last stop.

Old Fashioned

We eventually did, but only after we tried the ultimate slider, a burger stacked with an onion ring, bacon, and mushrooms, among other things. It was as difficult to eat as you’d imagine, but with a spicy beef patty and a variety of textures, it won my vote for “most delicious” that day.

Ultimate slider

We ended our day at Haweli. If you can believe it, the Indian restaurant was offering a buffet featuring six items. Given the food tickets for the event cost just $5 each, the buffet alone more than made the admission cost worthwhile.

Our fill at Haweli

That said, it was difficult to judge Haweli by comparison, given they offered so many dishes to choose from. The butter chicken was pretty tasty though!

We were more than stuffed by the end of the day – the cupcakes ended up making up most of our supper that night.

The final results came in a few days later, and I’m happy to say my votes weren’t too far off:

Best Cocktail: Pimms Number One Cup, The Burg
Most Authentic: Indian Buffet, Haweli
Most Modern: The Ultimate Slider, LUX Steakhouse + Bar
Most Creative: Mac and Cheese Balls, The Burg
Most Delicious: The Ultimate Slider, LUX Steakhouse + Bar

Thanks to Gemma for having me as one of the judges at the inaugural Battledish, and congratulations on a well-organized event! It looks like the event was such a success, it has spawned Cocktail Wars, taking place this December. Can you think of a better way to kick off your holiday season? Stay tuned.

Check out reviews from my fellow judges Andrea and Cheryl too!

Food Notes for October 14, 2013

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! Mack and I were fortunate enough to have not one, but two wonderful turkey dinners surrounded by family and friends. On to this week’s food notes:

Co-op is hosting its annual Grape Escape in Edmonton on October 18-19, 2013 at the Expo Centre.
Mirepoix Trio is hosting two upcoming pop-ups: brunch on October 20, 2013 and a Ukrainian-themed dinner on October 24, 2013.
The Bruce Peel Library at the University of Alberta will be unveiling a special exhibit titled, “Collecting Culinary: Cookbooks and Domestic Manuals Mainly from the Linda Miron Distad Collection”, which will run from October 25, 2013 – February 7, 2014.
Sabzy Persian Grill, which relocated to the southside (9314 34 Avenue) from its original location in Old Strathcona, is now open.
Vue Weekly reviews the newest Filipino-focused restaurant to hit the streets, Cuisine Ni Mutya.
Andrea and Robyn shared their experiences of State and Main, the new pub located in Southgate Centre.
Tavern 1903 continues to garner attention from the Journal and Dine and Write.
The City Market hosted its last outdoor market on Saturday, and on October 19, 2013, will kick off its indoor market season in City Hall.

Promoting the winter market!

The Common must have been having an off-day on Friday. Everything from the service to the food was disappointing that night. Our server was MIA for much of the evening, and never once offered to refill our water or even ask if we’d like dessert before serving us with the bill. The food was also uneven – the calamari was all right, but both entrees were problematic – May’s chicken was too dry, while my fish and chips were in dire need of salt.

Fish and chips at The Common

Cactus Club is getting ready to unveil its second location in Edmonton, a ripe streetfront space on Jasper Avenue and 111 Street. I attended a media reception on Wednesday night, and sampled bites ranging from their new tuna sushi cones (I loved the tempura crunch) to their ever-popular BBQ duck clubhouse sandwiches. Though Chef Rob Feenie was on hand, I have to admit I was more excited to meet Chef Matt Stowe (Top Chef Canada’s season 3 winner that we had been rooting for). The location opens some time this week.

Interior

BBQ duck clubhouse

With Chef Stowe

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