Food Notes for May 13, 2013

I hope you’re ready for the Ginger Beef Throwdown on Friday! Join us at the Royal Alberta Museum on May 17, 2013 from 5-8pm as four of Edmonton’s food trucks vie for ginger beef supremacy! Check out the menus here. On to this week’s food notes:

  • Tickets for the first Red Shoe Crawl of the year are now on sale! Taking place on June 9, 2013, the event will showcase some of Old Strathcona’s best restaurants and businesses. Tickets are $40, with proceeds supporting the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta. We had a blast at the 124 Street crawl last October.
  • The Edmonton Community Foundation’s upcoming Annual General Meeting on June 13, 2013 will feature Jeremy Isles, Chief Executive of the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens, UK.
  • Beer Revolution (11736 104 Avenue) opened today.
  • Look for Belgravia Hub (7609 115 Street) to open this week!
  • La Poutine’s truck is now on the streets! Looking forward to our first mobile poutine.
  • It also looks like Sailin’ On, Edmonton’s first vegan truck, will be on the streets on May 14, 2013!
  • Marlow Moo wrote about a pop-up over the weekend with forthcoming food truck Switch.
  • The rise of Italian in Edmonton continues with the opening of Enzo’s on 76.
  • Liv also wrote about Amato Gelato in Lewis Estates, the first of a Vancouver-based gelato chain to open up in the city.
  • The Makk was positively reviewed in the Journal last week.
  • Vue’s annual Golden Fork Awards were announced last week! I found it interesting how many of the winners were concentrated in the Old Strathcona area – will we soon see a shift to more Downtown and Oliver-area restaurants?
  • The same issue featured a Vue writer taking on the burger challenge at Soda Jerks – could you finish three monster burgers in thirty minutes?
  • Valerie is looking to hone in on our “Canadian voice”, and is inviting writers to help her identify uniquely Canadian experiences and foods. Find out more about The Canadian Food Experience Project here.
  • A call for Edmonton Food Council members is now open. Interested parties have until May 20, 2013 to submit applications.
  • It looks like Remedy is expanding again, this time into the space vacated by Booster Juice in the Palomar Building on 82 Avenue and 104 Street.

Remedy Cafe

Remedy – coming soon!

  • The Burg announced their presence in a big way on the 4th Street Promenade – probably hoping to capitalize on all of the foot traffic the street garners when the outdoor City Market begins on May 18.

The Burg

The Burg

  • Kabsa is now open at 10332 82 Avenue – anyone know if it is the same folks behind the space that was taken over by Corso 32 downtown?

Kabsa

Kabsa

  • We stumbled upon a new bubble tea shop just off the main Whyte drag, called Teapsy Café (9959 82 Aveue). They offer the variety of cold drinks found at similar shops, but enhance their menu with Peking dogs (think a Chinese-style Japadog). The peach slush we tried was very refreshing.

Teapsy Cafe

Teapsy Cafe

  • After a meeting with the folks at The Next Act on Thursday, we stayed on for dinner. It was a good call – the omnivore grilled cheese hit the spot!

The Next Act

Omnivore grilled cheese

  • We were happy to join other “Drift-ers” at Red Star today for a group viewing of their Eat St. episode! It was great, and showcased their food well.

Drift

Of course, Kara and Nevin made sure the audience was well fed!

Recap: Eat Alberta 2013

On April 20, 2013, we held our third annual Eat Alberta food conference at NAIT. It was our biggest event ever, with 120 registered attendees.

Eat Alberta

Perogy making with Chef David Omar of Zinc

We know changes are never embraced by everyone, but for the most part we think the implementation of a set track registration system (as opposed to attendees being able to select from all available workshops) was a success! It guaranteed every attendee at least two hands-on classes, and we hope the tracks facilitated some deeper connections with fellow root-ers as well.

Eat Alberta

Maki makes ricotta!

I have to say I didn’t end up stepping foot in many of the classrooms this year, so while I don’t have personal account of the sessions, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive!

Eat Alberta

Artisan sausage making with Allan Suddaby

We tried to achieve a balance between new and returning presenters, knowing that our attendees would be made up of those both familiar and unfamiliar with Eat Alberta. For new presenters, we were thrilled to have many members of the food community answer our call, including Nevin Fenske of Drift, who taught the finer points of butchering a whole chicken, and Chad Moss of Shovel and Fork, who inspired many on the merits of homemade bacon.

Eat Alberta

Nevin teaches The Whole Chicken

Eat Alberta

Bacon making!

To end the day, we were certain a concept like “lightning talks” would be the perfect way to connect attendees with resources beyond our annual event. But we never knew how effective it could be until the presenters blew the doors off the place! The nine speakers were engaging, funny and informative, though it was hard for anyone to top Mark Stumpf-Allen (aka “The Worm Guy” of the Master Composter Program), who threw packages of worms out into the audience during his address.

Eat Alberta

The Worm Guy!

One of the highlights of the day for me was the unveiling of the tastes, to accompany the wine down after the lightning talks. Allan Suddaby, a chef and one of the organizers, crafted a brilliant board of seasonal, local bites. The icing on the cake was listening to Allan describe each of them! We also poured exclusively Albertan fruit wines, a first for us. Given our provincial mandate, we expanded the selection and brought in Field Stone Fruit Wines, based out of Strathmore, but currently unavailable for purchase in Edmonton. After hearing the comments around the room, however, I think we should lobby for their sale locally!

Eat Alberta

Tasting board

As a whole, it really helped that we were at the same venue for the second year running – we were able to tighten up some things, partly because we were more familiar with the building, but partly because we worked with staff rock stars, led by Toby and Josh, who made meeting any last minute needs seamless.

We also managed to fill the void of a host this year, one person who could tie the day together and provide some cohesion. Global’s Jennifer Crosby filled those shoes with grace and humour to spare.

It takes a village to put on an event like this. Thank you to the presenters who stepped up to share their knowledge and enthusiasm, to the volunteers who generously donated their time and to the sponsors who believed in what we are trying to achieve. To my fellow organizers – it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside you.

If you are interested in being a part of Eat Alberta, let us know! We’re looking to expand the organizing committee, so just send me an email!

Thanks Valerie for letting me use your photos!

Date Night: The Cavern and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

This is a bit of a composite “Date Night” post, as I had planned for a pre-symphony visit to The Cavern before an outing to the Winspear Centre last Friday. But an intense craving for wine and cheese hit me on Thursday, and I gave in.

The Cavern is the newest storefront to open up on the 4th Street Promenade, and in spite of being first and foremost a cheese shop, owner Tricia Bell has designed a dine-in concept that easily transitions from day to night. Early birds can head to The Cavern for an espresso and a bite of breakfast in the morning, while downtown office workers might be more interested in her daily grilled cheese lunch options. For the after work crowd, The Cavern offers wine and spirits alongside meat and cheese boards, great for some nibbles leading up to dinner, or as the main attraction before a night out on the town.

Mack and I walked in to a near full house that Thursday, and snagged the last two seats at the bar. During our previous visits, Tricia and the rest of her staff have always been warm and welcoming, and tonight was no different. It was clear they were all very busy trying to manage the room and handling new walk-ins, but we never felt rushed or not taken care of.

The Enomatic system makes it ideal for The Cavern to serve small 3 ounce pours of wine in addition to 6 or 9 ounce glasses, but Mack and I were fine with a regular glass each. For those interested in pairings, the cheese menu lists both wine and beer selections.

The Cavern

Malbec and Cava

We had to choose between a cheese board for two featuring three cheeses ($19) or a cheese and meat board with two of each ($24). We opted for the latter, and selected two meats from a list of five, and two cheese from a list of twenty. Tricia was a great help in answering our questions and guided us to a Quebec washed-rind cheese, Le Douanier, with a unique vegetable ash centre. It was soft and mild, with a lovely creamy texture. Our other cheese choice was Sylvan Star’s award winning Grizzly Gouda.

The Cavern

Meat and cheese board, with all beef salami and prosciutto di parma

The board was beautifully presented, with some fruit, fresh bread, and dollops of cherry jam and jalapeno jelly. I also loved the ability to imprint on the board itself with chalk, a seamless way to identify multiple items.

The Cavern

Cheers!

The Cavern was a wonderful place to spend the evening, and one that we will be returning to again.

The following evening, Mack and I walked over to the Winspear Centre for Radio from the Head, a show in the “Late Night with Bill Eddins” series. It has been a while since we last took in one of these concerts, but we knew we were in for an entertaining night, mostly due to the conductor’s personality and ease on stage.

Late Night with Bill Eddins

The beautiful Winspear Centre

I was particularly drawn to this show because of the promise of a song to be paired with chocolate. Symphonic Chocolates by Maxime Goulet is composed of four movements, where the audience was invited to eat a different chocolate during the corresponding movement. The ESO partnered with local chocolatier Carol’s Quality Sweets, who produced the custom boxes of chocolates which were sold prior to the performance for $5 each.

It was an innovative multi-sensory experience that reminded me of Karen Brooks’ presentation at Feast in Portland which involved a communal tasting component, and the trend of food deliberately being paired with music. While we weren’t floored by all of the pairings, Mack and I enjoyed the dark chocolate which accompanied a theme cloaked in mystery, and a mint chocolate coupled with a movement reminiscent of a spring breeze.

Late Night with Bill Eddins

Chocolates!

The show’s special guest was Christopher O’Riley, known for his piano interpretations of Radiohead. Mack, more familiar with Radiohead than I, was drawn to O’Riley’s performances of the three Radiohead songs. And though we can appreciate the difficulty of the four-hands Stravinsky piece, its 33 minute length was a rather bulky way to end the late-night concert.

“Late Night with Bill Eddins” will be back in the 2013-14 Edmonton Symphony Orchestra calendar. No mention of chocolates, though.

The Cavern
2, 10169 104 Street
(780) 455-1336
Monday-Thursday 7am-8pm, Friday and Saturday 7am-11pm, Sunday 10am-5pm

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Winspear Centre, 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square

Truck Stop: Ginger Beef Throwdown

It’s finally starting to feel like summer, and you know what that means – food truck season! Mack and I are still in the midst of finalizing the What the Truck?! calendar for the year, but we’re excited to announce our first 2013 Truck Stop, taking place next week!

What: Ginger Beef Throwdown
When: May 17, 2013
Time: 5-8pm
Where: Royal Alberta Museum, 12845 102 Avenue

Our Pulled Pork Throwdown was so well received last year that we didn’t hesitate when the Royal Alberta Museum approached us earlier this year with an idea to partner on an event.

To celebrate the RAM’s newest exhibit, Chop Suey on the Prairies, this Truck Stop will serve up different versions of ginger beef-inspired dishes, a staple on Chinese restaurant menus across the prairies in the early twentieth century. The Act Out & About, Bully Food Truck, The Lingnan Express and Smokehouse BBQ will be throwing down the gauntlet and doing their best to earn your vote. Four trucks, four dishes. You decide who made it best.

Ginger Beef

The Lingnan’s ginger beef

The museum will be open until 8pm that night so attendees can visit Chop Suey on the Prairies. Admission will be by donation (the rest of the RAM will be closed). This Truck Stop will be a great opportunity to not only taste some unique interpretations of a classic Chinese-Albertan dish, but to also explore some of the roots of our ethnic Prairie cuisine.

Check back on the What the Truck?! website on Monday for menus. Hope to see you there!

Food Notes for May 6, 2013

Congrats to Karlynn who picked up the Best in Food Yeggie over the weekend, along with the rest of the winners (and nominees) at the first annual Yeggies, recognizing social media content creators. It was a great party – kudos to the organizers for a job well done! On to this week’s food notes:

  • Should Canada tax unhealthy foods? That is the question that will be debated by a panel of experts on May 22, 2013 at the Westin, as a part of the Western Summit on Sustainable Health. Although the debate is open to the public, it is too bad tickets to the event are $55.
  • Outdoor farmers’ markets are here! Salisbury (Thursdays) moved outdoors at the end of April, Highlands (Thursdays) opened its season on May 2, Callingwood (Sundays and Wednesdays) began on May 5, Beverly Towne (Tuesdays) starts May 7, the South West Edmonton Farmers’ Market starts next week on May 15, and my favourite City Market downtown (Saturdays) starts May 18.
  • There are a ton of food events to check out in the next few months! If you love lobster, I’ve heard the annual Lobsterfest at the Shaw Conference Centre is an event not to miss. It takes place on May 26, 2013 this year, and tickets are $55. Take a peek at what’s in store on Twyla’s blog.
  • Mosh Burger, the pop-up that celebrates medium rare burgers, is hosting a six course, Montreal-inspired meal on May 27, 2013 for $120, including wine pairings.
  • Coffee more your thing? Chef Parker is hosting a food and coffee pairing event at Roast on May 30, 2013. Tickets are $60.
  • RGE RD will be hosting several more farm dinners this summer: on July 7 @ Riverbend Gardens, and on July 14 @ Prairie Gardens. More details on the website.
  • The next 10 Mile Meal is taking place on July 13, 2013, and will celebrate all things summer. Tickets are $80.
  • Food trucks are back in the news! Liane had a great article about some of the new trucks on the street, including The Local Omnivore and the forthcoming Sailin’ On (the menu looks amazing!).
  • Battista’s Calzones has a new website!
  • The Shutter: Ousia on Whyte Avenue has closed.
  • Has poutine jumped the shark? Jones Soda has released a poutine flavoured soda – unfortunately, it isn’t available in Alberta if you were hoping to try it.
  • Spicy Garden (9700 105 Avenue) in Chinatown has been taken over by Urban Shabu – from peeking in the windows, it looks to be a modern interior for a Japanese staple.

Urban Shabu

Urban Shabu

  • Patios are out in full force in Edmonton! Hurrah for summer!

 Blue Plate Diner

Blue Plate Diner

Food Notes for April 29, 2013

This guest post was written by Mack, an Edmonton-based geek who fancies himself a part-time foodie. You can find him online at his blog, and on Twitter.

Sharon is in Toronto with her Mum this week, so I’m on food note duty! Here are this week’s food notes:

The Cavern

The Cavern
Tempting pastries at The Cavern!

  • I know how much Sharon loves pho, so I had to take a photo of this V Sandwiches sign the other day – pho is now available!

V Sandwiches has Pho!

Culinary Q & A with Meaghan Baxter

Meaghan Baxter

Occupation: Dish Editor/Staff Writer at Vue Weekly

What did you eat today?

Granola and yogurt for breakfast, a steak and goat cheese wrap for lunch and tilapia with steamed vegetables and rice for dinner.

What do you never eat?

I’m always open to trying new things when it comes to food, but I can’t say I’m a fan of tomatoes when they’re by themselves. There’s just something about the texture that I don’t enjoy. If they’re incorporated into something like a pasta sauce, I’ll eat them. Strange, I know.

What is your personal specialty?

I would say either stir-fry or different pasta creations, like lasagna.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

Fresh produce, yogurt, eggs and almond milk.

What is your weekday meal standby?

To be perfectly honest, I’m pretty terrible about cooking big meals for myself during the week due to a busy schedule, so it’s usually something quick—but still healthy.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

The kitchen and I have only become closely acquainted with one another in the last year-and-a-half (I was a college student prior to that and cooking ranked low on the priority list), but I would say the KitchenAid mixer.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

That’s a tough one. I would either go all-out on sushi or anything my mom cooks—she’s fantastic. For dessert, It would have to be her chocolate raspberry torte hands-down.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I don’t really have a go-to place when I go out to eat. I like to spread things around and try out different places.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

It’s so hard to choose one because Edmonton has such a diverse range of restaurants and so many of them have fantastic things to offer. However, I really enjoy TZiN and XIX when I’m able to make it down to the far south end of the city.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I spent a month in Europe during the summer of 2011, and I would go back to Italy and France in a heartbeat. The food was fantastic, particularly macarons, pastries and duck a l’orange in Paris, as well as gelato, traditional Neapolitan pizza or pasta dishes in Italy, where it seemed as though you couldn’t go wrong with anything you ordered.

You can check out Meaghan’s writing in Vue Weekly’s Dish section every week.

Recap: The Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival

While Sherbrooke Liquor Store has organized beer tastings in the past, The Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival was their first event to incorporate food trucks into the mix. Held last Friday at the Alberta Aviation Museum, the event was a fundraiser for the Urban Spirits Rotary Club, with proceeds supporting youth at risk in the Edmonton area. Admission tickets were $25 plus service fees, with sample tickets to be purchased separately on site, for $1 each.

The Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival

At the Aviation Museum

Mack and I arrived early to avoid the crowds, which paid off on the food end of things! Little Village, Bully and The Lingnan Express were on hand in the food truck “corral” outside. The Aviation Museum restricts the use of open flame in the building, which helped to rationalize the location of the trucks, but I think they should have been more prominent somehow – the trucks and their menus weren’t even included in the program.

The Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival

To the food trucks

It was also unfortunate that it had snowed earlier in the day, as it turned the dirt pad into mud. Tarps and wooden boards provided some separation, but it was less than ideal.

The Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival

Food truck corral

Still, the trucks soldiered on, and we picked up a great spread – it was one of the first times Mack and I have been able to do so, given we are usually otherwise occupied during What the Truck?! events. Bully seemed to be the only truck to truly pair beers with their food, as all five of their dishes incorporated a different beer being poured in the tasting room.

The Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival

Sliders from Little Village, mac and cheese from Bully, spring rolls and crack chicken from The Lingnan Express  (all for $20!)

After dinner, we perused the beer vendors. Although we appreciated that the event was a fundraiser, samples were priced at 2-3 tickets each. As a result, we ended up only sampling a few beers, partly due to the fact that it would have been quite costly otherwise (we wondered if the organizers might consider including 5 sample tickets with the price of admission to get people started).

The Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival

Mack queues up for Alley Kat

For my sake (as a non-beer drinker), we chose to try a few beers featuring fruit. My favourite of the bunch was Alley Kat’s Summer Squeeze Grapefruit Ale – it was even more fruity than their Aprikat, full of citrus flavour.

The Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival

What the Huck from Fernie Brewing, featuring a huckleberry finish

Mack also tried Alley Kat’s Udderly Vanilla Milk Stout, which tasted more like spiked coffee to me, but Mack enjoyed the combination of coffee and vanilla.

As were were principally there to support the food trucks, we didn’t regret our decision not to imbibe in more beer tastes. But if this event does take place next year, I’d recommend attendees budget in advance, knowing the price of sample tickets. Kudos to the organizers for involving food trucks though – hopefully more events do so as well!

Managing Expectations: Canteen

When I heard that Red Ox Inn would be opening a more casual sister establishment to their charming but upscale Strathern location, I was excited. Not only did it speak to the burgeoning nature of the 124 Street district (which has become a destination for the food-inclined), but it also speaks to a trend of less formal dining. Places like Three Boars, Tres Carnales, and more recently, Izakaya Tomo, highlight this style of dining, which may sacrifice white linens but not the creativity or quality of their food.

When Canteen opened in December, the response was immediate – diners seemed to love it! Reviews praised the service, the whimsical menu, and the modern décor. As a result, it was on our radar for a while, but only in March did the stars align so we could experience the restaurant ourselves.

Canteen

Lovely place setting

We made a date with Jane and Yi-Li to try Canteen together on a Sunday evening. The room, lined with extended banquet seating on one side and a bar on the other, is sleek and understated, and with the oversized pendant lamps and minimal black and white colour scheme, reminded me very much of Moriarty’s. The open window at the back of the space with a view into the kitchen is a nice touch.

Canteen

Bar

We ordered the corn fritters ($8), served with a smoky maple syrup, to start. The presentation was lovely, delivered in a custom wood serving dish, emblazoned with “Canteen” on the side (at the end of the evening, the bill was enclosed in a similarly customized vessel). Although the fritters themselves were hot, and perfectly crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, we were hoping for a smokier flavour in the syrup; it was a bit too subtle for our liking.

Canteen

Fritters

Yi-Li and I both opted for the short rib ($29). The meat was tender, and held no resistance against being pulled off the bone, but wasn’t particularly memorable. The corn gnocchi, however, was an interesting twist to the usual side of potatoes.

Canteen

Short rib

Mack did enjoy his snapper ($27), pan-fried to a crisp. But the star of his plate was the risotto cake – it was akin to an aracini, but with even more surface area for the outward layer of crunch!

Canteen

Pan-seared snapper

If there was an entrée to sing about, it was Jane’s lamb chops ($32). The aggressive Moroccan rub complemented the meat well, cooked to a perfect medium rare.

Canteen

Lamb chops

Our overall impression of Canteen at the dinner hour was positive, but based on the entrée prices (ranging from $26 to $32), we failed to see how it was a casual counterpart to Red Ox Inn. From our vantage point, Canteen is, in both food and service, still very much a higher-end establishment, without the linens. Although their menu does offer “small stuff”, bites which would accompany a glass of wine or beer well, I’m not sure I would feel comfortable sidling up to the bar at Canteen to order just a nibble or two. Mack and I both agreed that while we wouldn’t hesitate to celebrate a special occasion or accompany an out-of-town guest to Canteen, it likely wouldn’t be one of our go-to restaurants on a regular basis.

With that in mind, Mack and I visited Canteen for brunch over Easter weekend (their brunch menu actually appealed to us more than the dinner menu). Knowing that reservations could be made in advance, we did so, and avoided a disappointment that many parties experienced that morning, being turned away from a packed house.

We didn’t start off on the right foot. After we were seated, we were told that one of the menu items weren’t available. Of course, it turned out to be the dish that I had most looked forward to trying – the Saskatoon pop tart.

That disappointment aside, we were surprised to discover that Canteen doesn’t serve drip coffee. Generally, we’ve found establishments that have eschewed the drip method do offer French press instead, but at Canteen, our only options were espresso-based coffees. We settled on an Americano ($3), and though we were worried it would get cold while we waited for our dishes to arrive, it managed to stay warm.

There was no question I would be ordering the poached eggs over the cheddar chive biscuits ($17). The eggs were medium poached (I would have preferred a looser yolk), but I enjoyed the thick and creamy sausage gravy. Neither Mack or I really enjoyed the chicken apple sausage, finding it to be on the dry side, but both of us couldn’t get enough of the hash browns, fried to a crackling crisp.

Canteen

Poached eggs over cheddar chive biscuits

Mack couldn’t pass up the truffled grilled cheese ($17). Although he enjoyed the sandwich well enough, Mack commented that it was a bit of a disjointed plate.

Canteen

Truffled grilled cheese

Our server clearly wasn’t having a good day – the table to our left was impatiently waiting for their cheque, while a guest at the table to our right ended up with syrup spilled on his jacket. As a result, she seemed a bit more mechanical than we are used to for a morning service, but we could definitely sympathize.

In the end, brunch at Canteen was similar to our experience at Wildflower Grill – efficient and polished, but perhaps not the boisterous and lively atmosphere that we crave on weekend mornings.

Canteen
10522 124 Street
(780) 485 6125

Food Notes for April 22, 2013

I’m really looking forward to a brief vacation this week, when I’ll be heading to Toronto with my Mum to visit my sister. I will likely not be blogging while away, so make sure to check out my culinary counterparts if you’re looking for reading material! On to this week’s food notes:

  • TEDx Edmonton’s next Salon event is all about food, “from how it gets produced to how we understand it before making purchasing decisions.” Speakers include Carol Neuman of 10 Mile Meal and Meagan Dear of Localize. Check it out on April 30, 2013 at the Mercer Warehouse.
  • Chop Suey on the Prairies, an exhibit at the Royal Alberta Museum about the history of Chinese restaurants in Alberta, opened on April 20, 2013. What the Truck?! has paired up with the exhibit to organize a special Truck Stop: Throwdown Edition, taking place in May. More details soon!
  • Taste pairings are all the rage in Edmonton – we really enjoyed our wine and chocolate pairing a few months back. Now, Cookie Love and Alley Kat are hoping people might enjoy a cookie and beer pairing! Get your tickets to the May 17, 2013 event here, to be held at the Edmonton Petroleum Club. All proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House.
  • Smokehouse BBQ’s Edmonton location is now re-open! Congrats to Terry and Sherry on getting the shop up and running again.
  • Nearby, The Makk’s sister restaurant, Pure Kitchen (12325 102 Avenue), is also now open! Check them out for light breakfast and lunch fare.
  • It looks like Menchies at 8705 109 Street, the newest frozen yogurt chain to open in Edmonton, will be open on April 23, 2013.
  • Andrea wrote a review of Taste of Yogurt, another new fro-yo shop in Riverbend.
  • Food trucks galore – I can hardly keep up! Liv posted a review on the newest truck to hit the streets, The Food Fighter, which specializes in all things parmigiana.
  • The Cheesiry will be hosting a cheesemaking workshop on May 4, 2013.
  • Speaking of cheese, we have wine and beer of the month clubs (courtesy of places like Sherbrooke Liquor), but how about a cheese of the month club? Check out Everything Cheese for more details on how you can sign up to receive a few different cheeses every month, starting in September.
  • Congratulations to Sylvan Star for winning the awards for best gouda and farmhouse cheese at the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.
  • Have you heard about FarmOn? It is a social media group trying to encourage young farmers to share their stories on social media.
  • Michael Pollan has written a new book, called Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. It is his call for a return to the kitchen.
  • A heads up that Pho Tau Bay will be closed April 29-June 30, 2013. A few coworkers and I made sure to visit last week to get our fill before the void begins.

Pho Tau Bay

My regular

  • Eat Alberta 2013 is a wrap! Thanks to everyone who participated, from attendees, to presenters, to our fabulous volunteers. A special thanks to our MC Jennifer Crosby who kept things moving! I hope to write more about the conference in the next few weeks, but I have to say it was a pleasure working with my fellow committee members – we did it!

Tastes

Allan’s brilliant tasting board

Have a good week!