Food Notes for March 25, 2013

Thanks to everyone who picked up tickets to the third annual Eat Alberta conference – I’m happy to announce that less than two weeks since we released them, they are now sold out! On to this week’s food notes:

Creole Envie will be hosting a farm-to-fork dinner on April 14, 2013. Tickets are $75.
Vue Weekly has released their ballots for their annual Golden Forks Awards (I’m hoping the online link will work soon). The deadline to submit your favourite restaurants is April 24, 2013.
I was sorry to hear that Jack’s Grill closed as of Saturday. The owner Mark Goodwin’s comment regarding competition from newer eateries was heartbreaking, but seems to ring true, “‘We changed the menu six or seven times a year, but trying to get the young people to come here instead of to Corso 32 … it’s hard.’”
The Greenhouse is expanding downtown! They are moving in next to Bistro Praha on July 1, 2013. It’s been a while since I’ve been, but given it will be located just across from The Chopped Leaf in Commerce, perhaps salad bars are on their way up?
The Edmonton Pubs group (including Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty’s Bistro) has been sold.
Liv reviewed Pizzeria Rossi, the new incarnation of da Capo on 109 Street.
Chef Chris Consentino was in town as the Chef in Residence at NAIT last week. Both Maki and Phil popped by one of his classes. Love to hear that he dined at Corso, Tres Carnales and Three Boars!
Vue published an article about food bloggers last week, and I was happy to be interviewed for the piece, alongside Liv and Michelle.
I wasn’t able to make it out to the inaugural 10 Mile Meal this past weekend, but I hope to attend one of their upcoming events this summer! Anyone have tales to share from dinner?
Great to hear that the Heritage Chickens program at the U of A is already fully subscribed! It’s such an innovative idea to adopt your own heritage chicken, and I love that you can name it too!
Three organic milk producers in Alberta have called it quits, and are reverting to conventional milk. It makes me thankful that I can source locally-produced Rock Ridge milk next door at Pangea!
It will be April next week, so it’s the perfect time to think about joining a CSA! Take a look at what Riverbend Gardens is offering. It’s great that they have several options, including a “couple size” package!
After the Make Something Edmonton launch on Thursday, Mack and I refuelled at our favourite diner, Route 99. There’s nothing like poutine to help get the gears going on a new project!

Poutine

Portland: Morning Meals

Most mornings in Portland, Mack and I did not indulge in full meals. This isn’t unlike our usual breakfasts while at home – we opt to have more substantial plates at lunch and dinner. This allowed us to explore some of Portland’s best coffee houses, many which were located within walking distance of our hotel. Of course, on the weekend, we did also manage to fit in a few brunches!

Public Domain

Just down the street from our hotel, Public Domain was our first coffee stop. Sleek and modern, I really liked their open concept that emphasized the coffee bar. Seating wasn’t abundant, but it seemed like most took their drinks elsewhere.

Interior

Public Domain roasts their own coffee, which we enjoyed alongside a delicious cheddar bacon scone. We also took home a bag of their coffee for at-home consumption – always a great takeaway souvenir!

Counter seating

Barista

Barista’s downtown location was even smaller than Public Domain. And instead of offering their own line of coffee, they served several varieties roasted by different companies, the majority also based in Portland, including Stumptown, Counter Culture and Heart.

Interior

Barista only offered espresso and brewed coffee, and of the latter, one could choose the preparation method: French press, pour over or iced, with a different bean used in each (talk about attention to detail!). We ended up with a pour-over sourced from Kenya, roasted by San Francisco-based Sight Glass.

Beans!

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Of all the coffee houses, we expected the most from Stumptown. It is easily the most well-known, and many of Portland’s restaurants serve their line of roasted coffees. We ended up in their Old Town location towards the end of our trip.

I haven’t seen Portlandia, but I would be shocked if the show didn’t poke fun at the masses of Mac users who set up for the day in Stumptown. It was a bit comical that the first image we were confronted with was a single row of thirty-somethings all typing away.

Interior

The cafe is equipped with a great up-to-date collection of specialty magazines, with multiple copies of each. We spent a bit of time unwinding there with our iced coffees (brewed to perfection), but we have to mention that the shop could have used a bit more care. Dust bunnies were rampant, and their bathrooms were in desperate need of attention. Given their reputation, our experience as a whole didn’t live up to expectations – it never is just about the food alone!

Window seat

Mother’s Bistro

Mother’s Bistro seemed to be a Portland institution. With a cookbook of recipes, and nary a time of day where they aren’t packed, it seemed like a good brunch choice.

Though the dining room seemed to be full to the brim, we were surprisingly seated within five minutes. I loved the chandelier light fixtures and the elegantly framed mirrors that added a touch of class to the room. But it wasn’t all glamour – the message on the back of the mugs reminded us to “call your mother”.

Interior

That said, my lasting memory of Mother’s isn’t of the decor or the service (which was friendly, but brisk) – instead, I have stomach pains when I think back to the portion sizes. Each plate, priced at under $10, could have easily fed two people! My apple-sausage scramble and Mack’s stuffed fritatta utterly defeated each of us.

Apple-sausage scramble

Stuffed frittata (the size of a dinner plate!)

Bijou Cafe

On our last day in Portland, we elected to stick close to our hotel, to make sure we wouldn’t be late for our departure. Bijou Cafe fit the bill, located only a few blocks away from our hotel, and had a reputation for a solid brunch featuring locally-sourced ingredients.

The interior was pretty basic, but was without pretention. And after the charming but cramped quarters of Mother’s, we appreciated the room to breathe.

Interior

My French toast was a bit too eggy for my taste, and after a bite of Mack’s chanterelle and gruyere-laced omlette, we knew his plate won the dish wars at our table.

French toast

Seasonal omelette (we loved that baguette was a bread option)

Service was personable and friendly, and the coffee refills kept coming. For a chill brunch, I would have no qualms recommending Bijou Cafe to visitors.

The Year-Round City Market: In Need of a Better Venue

Most Saturdays in late fall and winter, you will find Mack and me at City Hall, visiting our favourite vendors at our neighbourhood farmers’ market. It has become a weekend tradition for us, and is one of the ways we support the local food scene and encourage a vibrant downtown.

City Market at City Hall

This is the second full year the City Market has operated inside City Hall, making the immediate transition from the treetop canopy of 104 Street after Thanksgiving to the glass canopy of City Hall. Unlike last year, the market has been able to operate in the City Room on a continuous basis, as opposed to the occasional shift to the parking level, affording the consistency of location and a better shopping experience.

That said, although there is no doubt the outdoor incarnation of the farmers’ market is a great success, attracting upwards of 17,000 people every week, its indoor home has not seen the same kind of foot traffic.

There are pros to its current year-round location. Access to inexpensive, heated parking for customers is a bonus in the face of our unpredictable winters, and the central location is within walking distance from the market’s outdoor home. Perhaps its most striking blessing, however, is the glass pyramid – the amount of natural light is unparalleled.

So why hasn’t attendance been better? Especially when the number of year-round markets is a fraction of the total number of farmers’ markets run in the summer? I think there are a few reasons for this.

Visibility

The most obvious (and possibly the most difficult to address) is the market’s visibility at street level (including on 104 Avenue). I mentioned this at the start of the indoor market in 2011, and in that time, nothing has changed.

Is there a market in there?

One would never know when passing the great glass pyramid on a Saturday morning that a farmers’ market awaits inside. The sandwich boards, though better than nothing, are only effective at directing already existing foot traffic to City Hall.

Go that way

Again, I am not certain of what the regulations are with regards to displaying outdoor banners on City Hall (especially if it could be seen as politically “favouring”one market over another), but given the City’s blessing in the building’s use for this purpose, one would imagine they would want the market (and local food initiatives as a whole) to succeed.

Example of great signage

Concession and Food Samples

Isn’t it a fact that when people smell food, they are more inclined to buy food? At least, that’s how I feel, inundated with smells from the various concessions and outdoor food vendors at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. From green onion cakes to breakfast bagels and kettle corn, OSFM not only tantalizes with its sights and sounds, but smells as well.

Market sammy from Toast at the OSFM

I recognize that Kids in the Hall, a wonderful social enterprise located in City Hall, is open for a portion of market days. But sequestered in the west wing of the building, and separated by several hallways, it doesn’t feel integrated with anything that takes place in the City Room.

City Hall also does not permit hot food sampling. It makes sense; grease stains should be avoided if at all possible in the home of our municipal government. But what is a farmers’ market without the enticing aromas to help draw in patrons to a vendor’s booth?

The outdoor incarnation of the City Market features several food trucks and stands, which can be a draw themselves for those who don’t attend the market to shop. I’m sure there are quite a number of people who come to buy a drink or a snack, and enjoy it while watching the market go by. The fact is: food vendors provide a good reason for people to linger, instead of just getting in and out with their groceries. The lack of widespread seating and people watching vantage points definitely makes the indoor City Market less welcoming as a general attraction.

People-watching galore!

I doubt the City Room could be outfitted with food kiosks similar to Old Strathcona, or even better, the Calgary Farmers’ Market, so on this note, a different venue would have to be sought out to accommodate cafeteria-style service and room for seating.

Atmosphere

One of the reasons farmers’ markets can be considered an attraction is the atmosphere. The buzz and bustle created by large crowds is magnetic.

Busy day at OSFM

But without critical mass on many of the indoor City Market days this winter, the lofty ceiling only seemed to emphasize how empty and quiet it was.

On a particularly quiet day

That said, on the days when musical buskers were present, the room is absolutely transformed. The silences were filled with lovely melodies that flowed through the hall, and though it still couldn’t replicate the intangible energy of the street, it is a big improvement.

Mighty Peace were a wonderful addition to the City Market

The market needs to be more consistent and deliberate with that kind of programming, especially since the OSFM usually hosts at least several different buskers at one time. Of course, the amount of foot traffic at a market would be among top considerations for artists – so perhaps to attract the kinds of musical acts that engage large crowds, they will need to work on increasing attendance.

Selection

For all of its entertainment value, the core of a farmers’ market is the opportunity for consumers to connect directly with producers. To make it a worthwhile trip for those looking to support local farmers, the selection of fresh food is paramount.

To its credit, the City Market did attract a more diverse number of vendors these past two years, including Fruits of Sherbrooke, Allium Foodworks and Erdmann’s. But in terms of core products – vegetables and meat – there is still much to be desired.

Inside City Hall

Kuhlmann’s, Doef’s (and now Erdmann’s) are the only consistent vegetable vendors present, and if they happen to sell out of a particular item, you are out of luck. It is a bit better on the protein side, with a number of vendors offering meats (Serben Free Range sells pork and turkey, while both Nature’s Green Acres and Sunshine Organic have beef, for example). Still, Mack and I find ourselves visiting the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market once in a while, to stock up on products unavailable at the City Market.

I recognize that for vendors, it may not be lucrative to participate in markets that don’t have a large customer base. Case in point, both Irvings and Gold Forest Grains pulled out of the indoor market this year because of declining sales. On the flip side (the chicken-egg argument), it is challenging for a market to attract shoppers without a solid variety of products.

So why do I care? Why should you care? It’s a functioning market, why shouldn’t it continue on as is? While I don’t necessarily think we need to replicate the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market for those of us north of the river, I also don’t think that City Hall is the long-term solution. After rejecting the Mercer Warehouse as a potential year-round location, the Board was tasked with continuing the search. They have since signed a three year agreement to operate out of City Hall until the winter of 2015, and I worry that this has made them a bit complacent, with the lure of an inexpensive space trumping the desire to fulfill a vision of what could be. A mix of stalls for vending and concessions. Open spaces for buskers. Multiple seating areas. A children’s play space. The option to open for more than one day.

I want the year-round City Market to better reflect its outdoor self, and for that to happen, I think they need to seriously consider alternative spaces.

Food Notes for March 18, 2013

It’s been a great week for Eat Alberta, even though the conference is still over a month away: since releasing tickets last Tuesday, we’ve managed to sell all but 10! Thanks to everyone who has bought tickets so far – and for those of you who haven’t, make sure you act fast! On to this week’s food notes:

Did you know Chef Chris Cosentino (of Top Chef Masters fame) is in town? Join him online for a Twitter chat on March 19, from 5:30-6:30pm, using the hashtag #naitchefchat.
Teatotaled, the next High Street Social Club event is taking place on March 24, 2013. Expect unusual teas incorporated into both the dishes and cocktails.
Staff Meal Edmonton has made it easy to celebrate Easter at home with a basket full of scratch-made goodies, including Easter bread, hot cross bun crackers, charcuterie and earl grey and salted caramel chocolates. Order yours for pick up on March 28, 2013.
Linda has organized a Dishcrawl event that will highlight four of Downtown Edmonton’s eateries. It takes place on April 9, 2013. Tickets are $50.
Bannock Burger looks like it is worth checking out – love the idea of a soft, deep-fried bun encasing a beef patty and all the fixins’. See Liane and Liv’s takes on the new restaurant.
Based on Lillian’s tweets, the wood-fired oven at Pizzeria Rosso (replacing Da Capo at 8738 109 Street) is up and ready!
State & Main, a Calgary-based “urban-inspired kitchen and bar”, is adding a location to Edmonton at Southgate Centre.
The Downtown Business Association launched their 10th annual Downtown Dining Week with a tasting event at the Alberta Art Gallery on Thursday. To celebrate, they are offering a chance to win 50 bottles of wine from deVine’s – all you have to do is dine out at one of the thirty participating restaurants. Mack and I have reservations at TZiN on the weekend, something we are definitely looking forward to!

Dining Week launch at the AGA

My favourite dish that night – a pork medallion with a cinnamon maple demi glaze from ZINC

I met up with Jill for a quick lunch at Oodle Noodle off 104 Street on Friday. This was my first time there during the lunch rush, but boy, was it ever busy! I was a little disappointed with the wor wonton soup ($8.95) though – not only did the broth taste diluted and bland, there were only a few wontons to be found.

Wor wonton soup

After the Culinary Cook-Off on Saturday, Felicia and I popped by the Mercer Collective in the basement of the Mercer Building. It was our first time at this pop-up craft show, and we found it to be great! The graffiti art on the walls brightened up the space, and the DJ set the tone for the unique shopping experience. I thought it would be a great complement to the City Market. Make sure you check out the next show on April 20!

Mercer Collective

The Second Annual Culinary Cook-Off, Slider Edition!

On a snowy Saturday, Felicia and I headed to Mount Royal Arts Core School in Highlands to attend the second annual Culinary Cook-Off. A brainchild of Karlynn Johnson (aka The Kitchen Magpie), the Cook-Off is a great way to engage the wider community, raise awareness of Mount Royal’s arts programming, and of course, raise funds for the school! In its inaugural year, the cook-off featured mac and cheese (which we sadly missed); this year, the competition centred around sliders. Given the blustery conditions, comfort food was the perfect way to warm up!

We arrived about an hour into the event, and the school was buzzing with activity. We were given a handy map as soon as we walked in, charting out where we could find the ticket cashier, silent auction items and the slider contenders. My only minor suggestion would be that a listing of slider names next to each competitor would have been appreciated – it was hard to keep them straight by the end!

One busy gym!

Each slider was priced at only $2, so for $16, Felicia and I were able to try all eight options. It was incredibly affordable, and I can imagine organizers could increase the price in years to come with minimum consequence.

We loved that all competitors were easily identifiable with banners above their station, and a few of the tables featured signage indicating the name and ingredients featured in their creation. I’m sure the chefs without such signage tired of having to repeat this very basic information, so hopefully all competitors will be encouraged to have these details readily on display.

Culinary Cook-Off

Sliders were comprised of pulled pork, beef and seafood, and it was great to see the creativity inherent in all of them. We were also impressed to find out that most restaurants baked their own buns for the competition!

Felicia chows down

Standouts for us included The Marc’s ground sirloin and bacon slider, topped with bacon jam and sauerkraut (we loved the sweetness) and Harvest Catering’s Creole shrimp and salmon slider (the cornbread bun definitely set it apart).

“The Big Marc” from The Marc

Creole shrimp and salmon slider from Harvest Catering

Our favourite, however, had to be the dim sum slider offered by Murrieta’s. Inspired by siu mai, the pork and shrimp patty was topped with daikon, a fried wonton chip, and served on a honey bun.

The dim sum slider from Murrieta’s

We stayed for the announcement of winners in the three categories:

Judges Choice: Murrieta’s
People’s Choice: The Marc
Kids Choice: The Manor, with their top sirloin slider, featuring a slice of fried potato

We really enjoyed ourselves – bravo to the organizers, participating restaurants and volunteers for a wonderful event. Here’s looking forward to next year!

Check out my full photoset here.

Weekend in Calgary: Airbnb, Burgers and Brunch

To celebrate our anniversary, we headed to Calgary in early March. Calgary is our favourite weekend getaway, and allows us to dabble with a few more players in their ever-changing food scene. We had to cut our trip short this time around because of the snowpocalypse that Sunday, but still managed to fit in quite a few eats!

Airbnb

Our go-to accommodation in Calgary has been the luxurious Hotel Le Germain in downtown Calgary. It’s an easy way to pamper ourselves, and we’ve always had such a relaxing time in their serene and contemporary rooms.

This time, we couldn’t justify the cost for a two-night stay, and used this opportunity to explore booking through Airbnb. A site that connects travellers with property owners who have an extra room or unit to rent, Airbnb offers a plethora of short-term stay options. The apartments are often at a fraction of the cost of hotel prices, with the added benefits of a fully-furnished home, such as a kitchen or in-suite laundry. Friends of ours have raved about their experience using the site in New York and Paris; why couldn’t it work a little closer to home?

Although the Airbnb selection on Calgary wasn’t as extensive as those of larger municipalities, they still have more property listings than Edmonton. We narrowed down our search to private lodgings in central neighbourhoods, and eventually settled on the Clean Central Modern Apartment located in Mission, just south of the 17 Avenue entertainment district. The photos had been verified by Airbnb (they have since been updated by the property owner, so haven’t yet been re-verified), and the comments for the listing were very positive.

Communication with the property owner Christoph was seamless, and in most cases, I received an instantaneous response. We arranged to meet up on Friday afternoon to access the keys and a tour. In this way, it is a little less convenient than a hotel in terms of a fluid check-in time, but it was a relatively minor hassle when compared with the cost savings.

The one-bedroom unit appeared exactly as advertised, though some furniture of equal quality had been swapped in. Everything was extremely clean, and the building was quiet. Best of all for that particular weekend, since most of our dining experiences clustered around 17 Avenue, the location was spot-on.

Living room/kitchen

Bedroom

A bonus of this unit was its direct proximity to the Elbow River walking trails. We stretched our legs after arrival, and could see how this unit would be well-suited to a longer-term stay.

Beautiful walking trails

We wouldn’t hesitate to stay at this unit again, and I am happy to say that our first experience with Airbnb was a positive one! I’ve booked another Airbnb unit for an upcoming trip to Toronto, so we’ll see how that one works out!

Clive Burger

Burger bars seemed to trend up in Calgary last year, with several establishments opening up within months of one another. Clive Burger was one we had read about during our last jaunt south, so we headed there for lunch on Friday.

It’s an easy-to-miss storefront tucked onto 17 Avenue. The order counter and open kitchen was pretty standard, but the rest of the decor was modern, fresh and fun. I loved the pop of the orange chairs, the pendant lamps, and especially the wall of cartoon Clive and friends “documenting” their world travels.

Interior

Fun cartoon wall

The menu was fairly standard, similar to other burger bars in Edmonton (Burger Joint, Rodeo Burger, Five Guys among them). A hamburger was $6, with less than a dozen free fixins to choose from. Fries (fried in peanut oil) were $2.50 for a small.

After we ordered, we were given a buzzer that would notify us when our order was up. Mack noted that this was less personable than name calling, but it was definitely more efficient.

Clive buzzer

The burgers themselves were nothing special. Mack found the patties to be disappointingly thin, but I found that to be on par with most other burger bars. Glaringly, Mack’s paid egg fixin was left off his order – he would have gone back to have it remade, but given we were both hungry, we just chalked it up as a loss.

Burger

The star of the meal turned out not to be the namesake burger, but the chipotle-mayo Clive sauce that accompanied the crispy fries.

Our spread

I’d drop by Clive again if I needed a greasy pick-me-up in the area, but it didn’t impress us enough to want to return again in a targeted way.

Analog Coffee

Two doors down from Clive Burger was Analog Coffee, Fratello Coffee’s new cafe on 17 Avenue. Similar to how Phil & Sebastian’s expanded after gaining popularity at the barracks location of the Calgary Farmers’ Market, Analog Coffee serves up coffee at the new CFM, and opened this standalone cafe at the end of 2012.

Analog Coffee

It’s a beautiful space, warm and rustic, with a beckoning bakery case filled with goods from La Boulangerie and Sidewalk Citizen.

Interior

We ordered a pour-over cold brew made with Fratello-roasted coffee (if course), but the best thing was the milk station also featured several different syrup flavours – I loved the opportunity to sweeten our drink to taste. Make sure you stop by if you are in the neighbourhood!

The Fine Diner

We hadn’t yet hit up The Fine Diner in Inglewood, so we planned to have brunch there on Saturday morning. When we arrived, we were a bit surprised that there wasn’t already a crowd in the lobby. It turned out The Fine Diner was blessed with a back room (which looked like it used to function as a private dining space) where brunch-goers were invited to sit and enjoy some coffee while they waited (until we have similar provisions for overflow, I’m not sure we can talk about Edmonton’s brunch culture in the same breath).

We had to wait about 40 minutes for a table, not bad considering the dining room was relatively small. The high-backed banquet seats reminded me of Dairy Lane, but the decor was cleaner and more sophisticated.

Hurrah for brunch!

The Fine Diner is notable for the fact that they cure their own bacon. So we both had to try the bacon for ourselves – I ordered the egg breakfast ($11), while Mack chose the bacon benny ($13).

The bacon didn’t disappoint – thick-cut, salty, with a hint of maple syrup sweetness. I did expect crispier potatoes though with the use of the term “hash browns” on the menu.

Egg breakfast

Mack liked his eggs benedict, with soft poached eggs, and a bread base that did not get soggy. The fresh fruit was also a nice touch.

Bacon benny

While we enjoyed The Fine Diner, I have to say we liked our most recent experience at Blue Star Diner just a bit better. But in the grand scheme of the brunch scene in Calgary, The Fine Diner is another good addition.

Crossroads Market

Our typical farmers’ market haunts in Calgary include the Kingsland Farmers’ Market and Calgary Farmers’ Market, but from Mary Ellen and Andres of Greens, Eggs and Ham, we heard about the Crossroads Market. Since we were dining in nearby Inglewood anyway, we took the opportunity to stop by after brunch on Saturday.

Given our major farmers’ markets are situated in public transit-accessible locations, it’s always a shift for me when approaching the Calgary markets, which are usually challenging to reach with any means of transportation other than a vehicle. The Crossroads Market seemed to be the same.

Because we new Greens, Eggs and Ham was a relatively new vendor at Crossroads, we expected to be greeted by farm fresh products. Instead, our first visual was a wall of VHS tapes.

VHS, anyone?

We quickly learned that Crossroads was in transition, renovating so it would resemble the other large markets in Calgary. Wooden beams framed some of the food stalls already, but the flea market aspects will remain. Maybe it’s just us, but it is one thing to have hand-made arts and crafts for sale, but antiques and collectibles didn’t seem like the best fit alongside farmers’ market vendors.

Flea market

Inside Crossroads

After wandering through the merchandise stalls, we encountered a shoddy food court packed with weekend traffic. We’re certain a few of the vendors may have been hidden gems (most of them seemed to be mom and pop-run ethnic eateries), but we weren’t looking for a meal.

Food court

To be honest, we didn’t take time to explore the protein or prepared food vendors, as we were more interested in produce that day; I was hoping to pick up some fruit to snack on the rest of the trip. We finally found a major produce vendor called Chongo’s at the back of the market, but to our disappointment, none of it appeared to be local.

Carrots the size of my arm

We know Calgary markets permit imported produce like bananas to be sold alongside BC apples, but this was ridiculous. None of the items that could have been grown in Alberta that can be cellared for winter sale did not appear locally sourced, and worse, most of it wasn’t labelled with a country of origin. I had to wonder whether the customers in the long lines thought the produce was local, simply because they were shopping at a “farmers’ market”.

Produce at Crossroads

On the Crossroads Market website, it looks like their summer and fall seasons see more local vendors present. But I can imagine it can be pretty confusing to the average consumer, and unless questions are asked, assumptions could be made about the true origin of the produce.

We’d have to return in the heart of the local growing season to really assess this market, but based on this experience, it will take more than a superficial makeover to convince us that this Crossroads truly a farmers’ market. I’d stick with Kingsland and the Calgary Farmers’ Market on any day or season.

I’ll be writing more about our dinner outings in a separate post!

Food Notes for March 11, 2013

Eat Alberta 2013 is coming! I wrote about it on Friday, but make sure you check the website for ticket information. And yes, we had a bit of fun coming up with the different track names – my personal favourites are “beet route” and “carrot corridor”. On to this week’s food notes:

A mild winter means food trucks are back out on the streets early. Look for Drift at their usual location of Jasper Avenue and 107 Street starting on March 12!
Downtown Dining Week starts March 15 and runs until March 24, 2013. The set menus range in price from $15-$50.
A reminder that the Culinary Arts Cook-off is scheduled for this Saturday, March 16, 2013 at Mount Royal School. Sliders are on the menu this year, and will cost just $2 a pop, with all funds raised going towards arts programming! I missed out last year, so am looking forward to checking it out this time around!
The annual Seedy Sunday will take place this Sunday, March 17, 2013 at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall (9210 118 Avenue). Jennifer Cockrall-King and Kevin Kossowan are among the speakers.
Mark your calendar: the second annual Palestinian Bazaar is taking place on March 30, 2013 at the TransAlta Arts Barns.
Bannock Burger (14020 142 Street) celebrated their grand opening today! I’d be interested in checking out their version of a fast food staple with a bannock twist.
Amelia tweeted me about the forthcoming Menchies Frozen Yogurt in Garneau at 8705 109 Street.
Twyla tweeted that a new South Indian restaurant called Roti-N-More (2976 Ellwood Drive SW) has opened.
The Shutter: The Phat Noodle on Jasper Avenue is now closed.
An early review of Japonais Bistro from Cindy – it looks like an upscale addition to the city’s existing Japanese restaurant scene.
Twyla wrote about the newest diner in Edmonton, Rockin’ Robyn’s Diner in Mayfield Common (16604 B 109 Avenue).
At Cafe Amore in December, we were told the owners were scoping out new locations for expansion, but nothing was finalized yet. Liane reported last week that the restaurant will in fact be relocating downtown to 108070 106 Avenue. Look for it in April.
Vue Weekly featured Blue Plate Diner Chef Cean Holmes in their Q & A last week.
Vue also highlighted the art of food photography in the same issue.
Beer Revolution, a craft beer market/pizza bar operated by Brewster’s, is opening up in the old Kelsey’s in Oliver Square (11736 104 Avenue). Jason Foster blogged about it back in February.

Beer Revolution

After a meeting a few blocks away, I walked over to Duchess to pick up some goodies. All it takes is a gander at their deliciously arranged baking cases to lift my spirits.

Duchess

My “soup buddy” at work and I headed over to Pho Tau Bay for our first beef noodle soup this year!

Pho!

Mack and I kick started our weekend at Three Boars. We found out that they have been busy renovating the rooms on the south side of the building. Watch for a private event space on the second floor, and a pour-over coffee bar on the first floor.

Gin and house-made tonic

Swedish meatball poutine

Portland: Tourist Trappings

Food trucks were a must-visit for us, but so were a few other things while we were in Portland – I’m sure the following destinations are on the list for most tourists in the city!

Hotel Vintage Plaza

Though this wasn’t exactly a “destination”, it was our first vacation accommodation that constituted a splurge, so it might be worth noting for those planning a trip down.

A few years ago, an acquaintance recommended the Kimpton chain to us when they found out we would be travelling to San Francisco. We loved the hotel so much that we looked forward to our next opportunity to stay at a Kimpton property. That chance came up in Portland, and we chose the Hotel Vintage Plaza (the most inexpensive of their three Portland hotels). We decided to book one of their special Starlight rooms on top of that, the only time we’ve ever gone above a standard room.

Starlight room

The room had a lovely bank of windows, and made our restful evenings easy to fall into. Though of course true starlight was out of our reach, being situated in the downtown core and all, we were able to leave the blinds up for views of the surrounding buildings and nearby bridges.

Kimpton is also known for their hosted wine hours, where wine and nibbles are available to guests and encourage them to mix and mingle in the lobby. Although we didn’t take part every evening, it was a particularly welcome sight on our first night in Portland.

Wine hour

Secrets of Portlandia

We love learning about the cities we visit from locals themselves, and find that walking tours are not only a means to do that, but they also help us situate ourselves towards the beginning of our trip. We found Erik’s Secrets of Portlandia free walking tour advertised online, and joined it on our second day in Portland.

Portlandia

It was a pleasant introduction to the city, and can be best described as part history and part entertainment, with Erik’s penchant for cheesy jokes a common thread throughout.

Our tour guide Erik

We were told how Portland was nearly called Boston, Oregon instead, as the name was ultimately decided by the flip of a coin by the two founding friends. Another highlight was also learning the background behind the Benson Bubblers, the ubiquitous bronze fountains that can be found all over downtown. It turns out they were installed as a means of dissuading lumber workers from imbibing at local pubs over the lunch hour. The water is constantly recycled, so yes, it was safe to take a drink!

Mack drinks from a Benson Bubbler

We also learned about the Shanghai Tunnels that ran underneath some of the bars in Old Town, used to drop workers from the pub to the tunnels below. These unfortunate men were then kidnapped for the journey over the Pacific. I recall reading about other tours that explore parts of the tunnels, but just hearing about it was enough for me!

Don’t get Shanghai’d

I’d highly recommend Erik’s tour – it was a great way to get to know the city, and have fun in the process.

Voodoo Doughnuts

The Secrets of Portlandia tour ended at the doorstep of a Portland institution, Voodoo Doughnuts. Unlike Tim Horton’s (though they are also open 24 hours a day), Voodoo bakes their doughnuts fresh every day, though what they are famous for are their unique varieties, from cereal to Tang to (we were told) Pepto Bismol. We wanted to find out what the hype was about.

The line-up

The crazy menu

A colourful cake doughnut could have been a rather plain treat, but turned out to be one of the best cake doughnuts I’d ever had. Mack enjoyed his Portland Cream as well. The namesake Voodoo Doll, baked in the shape of a voodoo doll, came complete with several pretzel sticks to – you guessed it – stab the jelly-filled doughnut to your heart’s content. One would be hard pressed to find a more creatively designed doughnut!

Doughnuts

Though I’m not sure I’d wait any more than ten to fifteen minutes for a doughnut, we could see why Voodoo is consistently touted as a tourist magnet.

Powell’s Books

Another Portland institution, Powell’s Books, was a reminder than in some places, independent bookstores are alive and thriving.

Rooms by colour

We visited several of their shops over the course of a week, but their main location, Powell’s City of Books, occupies a full city block. Their selection is second to none, as they claim to be the world’s largest new and independent bookstore, though it was overwhelming to browse every colour-coded floor in one visit.

More books than one could ever explore

We made sure to come back more than once, easy for us given our hotel was in easy walking distance!

Loved this urban homesteading end display

Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade

In Old Town/Chinatown, we played to our heart’s content at the Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade. Most games were just 25 or 50 cents, so it was a fun and inexpensive way to relieve some of our favourite childhood video game characters.

Mario Brothers!

They had a great selection of pinball machines too!

Mack takes his games seriously

Pittock Mansion

Google Maps is deceiving sometimes. Though it indicated that the nearest bus stop was relatively close to Pittock Mansion, our destination, it turned out to be at the bottom of a very steep road that wound its way up the hill.

Deceiving sign

The mansion originally belonged to Henry Pittock, a newspaper publisher, and was built in 1909. With 22 rooms and a vantage point that including views of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, the Pittock Mansion was a testament to their wealth and luxury.

Pittock Mansion

It was neat to see an elaborate shower of the day, with knobs that lined three sides, and a walk-in cold room with double-glazed windows a thick door.

Shower

Gorgeous library

Loved that there was a toy sausage maker!

In the fisheye mirror

As a tourist destination though, I have to say we enjoyed the walk from Pittock Mansion through Forest and Washington Parks more than visiting the house itself. So unless you have a lot of time to kill, I’d recommend skipping Pittock in favour of wandering the trails nearby.

Bridgeport Brewpub

Portland has over 30 microbreweries, so it seemed necessary to visit at least one of them. We chose the BridgePort Brewpub, which claims to be the oldest craft brewery in Oregon, stopping by for a late lunch one afternoon.

BridgePort Brewpub

The pub was divided into several rooms, including what looked to be a more polished wine bar-type space. More unique than that, however, was that a live streetcar ticker had actually been installed inside the bar – talk about making it seamless for those who’ve imbibed to use public transit!

To transit, to transit

Mack enjoyed their beer, but the food was nothing particularly special. The tomato bisque was all right, albeit a bit chunky for my taste, while the mac and cheese (topped with kettle chips!) could have used a bit more béchamel sauce.

Cheers!

Tomato bisque

Mac and cheese

Portland By Bike – Mississippi Avenue

As riding the subway in New York or London is a must, so is exploring Portland by bicycles. It was rated America’s most bicycle-friendly city by Bicycling magazine, and 6% of all trips to work are done by bike.

The bicycle infrastructure was visible as soon as we arrived. At their airport, there were signs directing arrival traffic to a bike assembly station. Bike lanes are visible all over the city (especially on main arterial roads – the same paths that major transit routes travel), and bike racks were omnipresent.

Indoor bike rack

And then there were the cyclists themselves. A critical mass is important, not only for drivers to take note of cyclists, but also for me, a novel cyclist, to feel safe. Although we do encounter cyclists in Edmonton, in Portland, they were whizzing by us at all times of day.

Critical mass

Towards the end of our trip, we rented bikes so we could experience the bike culture first hand. Pedal Bike Tours offered bicycle rentals for $35 per day (including a bike lock and helmet). It was on the pricey side, but allowed us to explore the city on two wheels, at least for the day. The company also had a great map of bike lanes crossed with their tour guides’ favourite spots in the city.

Scrutinizing another map

Earlier in the week, we had passed what looked to be a cool neighbourhood while on the bus, so chose to head back to the Mississippi Avenue, which was a 25 minute bike ride from downtown. Mack had been ribbing me a bit for being afraid to ride on the roads, but I have to say that cycling in a dedicated bike lane made a huge difference for my confidence level. I still had to be cognizant of vehicles turning right, or cars entering the lane from being parked at the curb, but it did feel like drivers knew to watch for cyclists. Other more experienced cyclists we encountered were also quite patient with me, calling out “to your left” prior to passing me in the lane.

Getting used to my wheels

The advantage of a bike, of course, is that one can cover more ground in less time than as a pedestrian, and without being at the mercy of an unknown bus schedule. It also allowed us to explore parts of the city at our leisure. Case in point – we locked up in an area a few blocks away from Mississippi Avenue, lured by unique independent shops (including a vintage dress shop in a converted double decker bus) – and ended up stumbling across Tasty N Sons, one of the most talked about restaurants at that time. We stayed for lunch, and it ended up being my favourite restaurant experience in Portland.

Double decker clothing shop

I loved the worldly brunch menu, and the vibe of the open kitchen and friendly staff. We sat at the bar, which was a great vantage point to watch the cooks at work.

At the counter

My Burmese pork stew was delicious, a lovely combination of spicy and sweet flavours, with tender pork and a fried egg served over short grain rice. Mack similarly loved his barbecue chicken hash, ablaze with Southern spices to awake the palate.

Burmese pork stew

Barbecue chicken hash

I know part of the reason the meal was memorable was due to the fact that it felt like we “earned it” through physical activity, as well as because we stumbled upon it, all because we were on a bicycle.

Waterfront cycling

Over on Mississippi Avenue, we did some window shopping. The neighbourhood offered a great mix of retail and food and drink establishments, including a food cart pod. A few of the highlights included an amazing taxidermy shop, a store that sold nothing but light bulbs, a garden centre with its own outdoor chicken coop, and The Meadow, salt expert Mark Bitterman’s exquisite shop that peddles salt, fine chocolates, and even farm fresh eggs at 45cents a pop!

Light bulbs galore

Chicken coop!

Inside The Meadow

The salt wall at The Meadow

We’d heard many good things about Por Que No? a popular taqueria. Most of its seating could be considered al fresco dining – some covered, but most occupied sidewalk territory. Mack was a little peeved that they ID’d us, but I suppose we should have taken that as a compliment.

Por Que No?

We snacked on two small tacos, and could see what the hype was all about. At $2.50 a taco, the food was dirt cheap, but didn’t taste like that – the meat was falling apart tender, set upon house-made tortillas. Alongside the sangria, it was a lovely way to enjoy the sunshine on a beautiful day.

Cool drink for a hot day

Tacos

For dessert, we tried ice cream from Ruby Jewel. Their seasonal Oregon strawberry and honey lavender flavours were delectable.

Ice cream!

Mack enjoys his ice cream

Although I am still hesitant about cycling in Edmonton (beyond leisure purposes), I really enjoyed the opportunity to explore what it is like in a bike-friendly city. I would encourage anyone heading to Portland to plan for some time on two wheels!

Discover Your Roots: Eat Alberta 2013

I can’t believe we’re already on our third Eat Alberta! The hands-on food conference, an opportunity for consumers to learn about how to grow, forage and prepare food from some of Alberta’s most knowledgeable food personalities, will be taking place again this April.

What: Eat Alberta 2013
When: Saturday, April 20, 2013
Time: 8:30am-5:30pm
Where: Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, 11762 106 Street

We are thrilled to be returning to the kitchens of NAIT, which turned out to be a brilliant venue for the event last year.

Owen Petersen and his Sourdough 101 class

Our keynote speaker this year is Jeff Senger of Sangudo Custom Meat Packers. Jeff will be sharing his story of transition from an urban to a rural lifestyle, one that pulled him from his desk-bound accounting job to a labour-intensive career as a butcher.

We are happy that some of our former instructors are back to share their wisdom with a new group of students this year, including:

Sourdough 101, led by Owen Petersen of Prairie Mill
Knife Skills, led by Kevin Kent of Knifewear
Cheese Making, led by Chef Allan Roote of NAIT
Artisan Sausage Making, led by Allan Suddaby of Elm Cafe
Vinaigrettes: More Than Just Salad Dressings, led by Chef Elaine Wilson of Allium Foodworks

Kevin Kent of Knifewear

But of course, we are also welcoming many new presenters, who will be teaching some exciting sessions, including:

Bacon Making, led by Chad Moss of Shovel & Fork
Perogy Making, led by Chef David Omar of ZINC
The Whole Chicken, led by Chef Nevin Fenske of Drift Food Truck
Saskatoon Pie Making, led by Chef Tracy Zizek of Cafe de Ville
PICKLES!, led by Joanna Alleyne of Mojojojo Pickles
So You Want to be an Urban Farmer, led by Travis Kennedy of Lactuca Farm

Making gnocchi at Eat Alberta 2012

Undoubtedly, hands-on sessions are the most popular, and past feedback has indicated that we needed a better system of ensuring a fair distribution of these sessions. So this year, we have organized different “tracks” made up of four session each, the majority of which include two hands on sessions, one guided tasting and one presentation. We know that all of our presenters are passionate and engaging, so we are confident that no matter which track you choose, you will not only learn a lot, but will have a great time in the process!

We have also added an MC to help facilitate the day, none other than Jennifer Crosby of Global TV. Jennifer is a farm girl from Northern BC, and is a regular contributor to Taste Alberta. And in place of a plenary panel to end the day, we are introducing a series of two-minute “lightning talks” as a way to connect attendees with other food-related resources and organizations in the community. At the end of the day, although we have changed a few elements this year, we stayed true to our commitment to highlighting food skills and connecting consumers with local and regional products.

Tickets are $135 each, and include 2 plenary sessions, 4 concurrent sessions, breakfast, lunch and a wine down. Tickets for Eat Alberta will go on sale next week, but in the meantime, make sure you sign up for the mailing list on the website. We will be sending out a notice to let you know when the tickets go live!

I hope to see you out at Eat Alberta!

Culinary Q & A with Robyn

Occupation: Certified Management Accountant

What did you eat today?

Home-made banana bread for breakfast and home-made chicken soup for lunch. For dinner, my mom was trying out a new recipe from Serious Eats, The Ultimate King Ranch Casserole.

What do you never eat?

Eggs— well, I eat them in things, like cookie and cakes, but I just can’t stomach eggs by themselves. I really wish I liked them, but I just don’t!

What is your personal specialty?

I love to make a big home-made Italian dinner “feast” from scratch; garlic bread and Caesar salad, with Chicken Picatta and angel hair, Spaghetti Bolognese or some sort of other delicious pasta creation.

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

Siracha, yogurt, milk and some bananas in the freezer for my morning breakfast smoothie.

What is your weekday meal standby?

A smoothie for breakfast almost every week day. Does that count?

What is your favourite kitchen item?

My Henckels Chef’s knife, but I also really love any sort of tiny kitchen utensil, like my tiny whisk or spatula. Cute and functional!

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

My mom’s prime rib dinner complete with mashed potatoes, gravy and yorkshire pudding. For dessert, probably my mom’s homemade hot fudge sauce over vanilla ice cream.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Probably La Pagode for Vietnamese food.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Right now, I would say Corso 32 and Sofra are my favourites.

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

I really want to go everywhere and eat everything, but if I had to pick just one thing right now I would go to the little Trattoria we called “Mario’s” in Cortona, Italy. I did a semester abroad in Italy and I think Mario’s might have had the best food in all of Italy. So simple and delicious! I would order the Spaghetti Aglione, Tiramisu and nice big glass of red wine.

Check out Robyn’s blog at Life is Better Red.

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