Tag: Edmonton

The Big Kahuna: Day 1

The first of my nine shows this Fringe was a reliable David Belke. Perhaps because I didn’t expect much from a radio serial, I found The Adventurous Times of Kevin Grimes just fantastic. It was deliciously seductive, soap opera-esque, and for a show where the voices and sounds of the actors were so much more prominent than the actors themselves, I had a hoot watching the group ham it up for the microphone. All of the performers mimicked the body language of the characters they were trying to portray, whether it meant hunching over menacingly or tensing their fingers up into claws. My favourite was the incredibly versatile Andrea House, who was sufficiently creepy as the villain’s second-in-command, among other characters she voiced. Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull was also pitch-perfect as the narrator, with a voice as smooth and trustworthy as spun cotton candy. It’s a shame I won’t be able to see the other live-to-air performances, but I will do my best to catch the remaining episodes on CKUA.

I was glad we were actually able to reach the Belke BYOV on time – after finding a parking spot, May and I had to wait in an aggravatingly-long “Will Call” line at the Central Box Office. I am hoping it was just first day kinks they were working on, and hasn’t been a problem for any other patrons.

Not Worth the Trip: Three Amigos

On a quest to find Mexican that would duplicate the cuisine she fell in love with in California, May has been to seemingly every Latin American eatery in Edmonton. I went along for the ride on Thursday, where she was finally able to test Three Amigos (4035 106 Street), nonchalantly tucked away in a Duggan strip mall.

Primarily known for take-out, the tiny space was packed when we arrived at 6pm. Thankfully, by the time our food was ready, the crowd has dissipated, likely chased away by the sweltering dead heat in the place – I could only wonder how hot it was in the kitchen. A take out bar/order assembly area took up the majority of the space, with five cramped tables situated against the free walls. Handwritten signs above the counter detailed the menu, accompanied with photos of prepared dishes for those unfamiliar with the cuisine. Many of the typical “Western” favourites were available, including flautas, empanadas, tamales, nachos and quesadillas, priced from $5.99 (without sides). In preparation for a week of Fringe site gluttony, I shied away from the very tempting deep-fried items in favour of the enchilada ($12.99, served with refried beans and Mexican rice).

The wait for our food was agonizingly long – and probably felt longer because of the temperature of the room, and the stress of watching the clock tick down closer to curtain time of the show we were due for. Thankfully, the cool drinks we picked up from the cooler (May a $2 Papaya Pineapple juice, and I a $2.49 strawberry Jarritos, an imported Mexican soft drink) helped relax our wait somewhat.

Jarritos and Papaya Pineapple juice

When our orders were up, presented on plastic plates with disposable cutlery on the side, we were more than ready to chow down. Because they had run out of chicken, the server asked if we would mind a substitution of steak for one order, and of course we didn’t – the more variety, the merrier. Thus, each of us were able to try two types of meat fillings. Unfortunately, the steak was too salty, and quite difficult to cut with a plastic knife (perhaps they could have actual silverware for those planning to eat in?). The chicken enchilada was much better, and I did enjoy the creamy rich mole sauce covering both wraps.

Enchiladas

In the end though, May rated Three Amigos below other similar establishments in Edmonton (El Rancho, Acajutla, Mexico Lindo, in descending order), and likely won’t make the trip back again. I agreed – for the price, the interior, and the food, Three Amigos isn’t worth the trip.

Three Amigos
4035 106 Street NW
(780) 490-6394
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 11am-9pm, Wednesday 11am-8:30pm, Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday 12pm-9:30pm, Sunday 1-8pm

Two Days to the Fringe!

For those who watch the critics’ every move, the reviews from the Winnipeg Fringe are sometimes a good indication of what will make a splash at Edmonton’s own festival (though again, you never really know what will strike the fancy of a particular reviewer on any given day).

The Winnipeg Free Press lists the following shows (who will be making their way to Edmonton) as top-drawing acts: Die Roten Puntke, Kenneth Brown’s Spiral Dive (awarded 5 stars), The Official Napoleon Dynamite Dance Class, Killing Kevin Spacey, and Keir Cutler’s Teaching the Fringe. On a side note, I loved the theme of their 2008 festival, Viva Las Fringe, and the accompanying “What happens at the Fringe, stays at the Fringe” slogan. Cheesy, but effective. Though new Executive Director Chuck McEwen wanted to surpass Edmonton’s 2007 attendance of 74,963 indoor show tickets, they were short, reaching a paid attendance of 72,699, up 774 from last year’s record of 71,921. If you’re an Edmonton Fringe die-hard, you’re breathing a sign of relief right now.

Some news: the Frequent & Double Fringer passes have sold out. They only made 200 of each available; I seem to remember more being offered in past years, but I could be wrong.

Also, the website lists some schedule changes. Good news for those that missed Charles Ross’s sold-out One Man Star Wars Trilogy three years ago – he’s been given a full slot as a result of a show cancellation. I remember being in the front row at the Legion, watching the sweat just drip off the man’s face – he is a tour de force, and his imitations are spot on. Check out a clip here.

If you’re still not sure what show you’d like to see, the Free for All, an annual event that allows artists 5 minutes to showcase their production, takes place in McIntyre Park from 8-10pm on Thursday, August 14.

See you in Old Strathcona!

Doors Open Alberta

I had been looking forward to Doors Open Alberta, a summer event that celebrates the province’s architectural heritage. Edmonton’s events took place this last weekend, and Mack and I participated in two of them.

The first was a 104th Street Walking Tour, led by Jon Hall, Manager of Marketing and Communications for the Realtors Association of Edmonton (husband of Gail Hall of Seasoned Solutions). Jon provided a bit of history of Cobogo Lofts during the Market Fresh Cooking Class I attended last year, so I already knew he would make a great tour guide.

I heart the City Centre Market that spans a portion of 104th Street, so the buildings he referred to were familiar to me, but the features and detailing on the buildings were not. He provided an introduction to the area, and pointed things out that I likely would not have noticed without his enlightenment (such as – the small set of stairs just behind the front doors of the former warehouses made it more fluid height-wise to pack cargo away in freight cars or horse-drawn carriages). Even with the boon of condo conversions and construction in the area, laws passed have helped preserve the “integrity” of the street. After five stories, towers on top have to be built at least ten meters back, allowing sunlight to stream down to street level, and to ensure that the design of newly-constructed buildings are congruent with the heritage buildings in the area.

Not historic, but I learned that the penthouse suite of the Icon Tower is still available…for $1.6 million dollars

If you missed the tour, but are interested in the history of the area, this document would allow for a self-guided tour.

Second, after some dawdling at the City Centre Market, we boarded a bus at the Art Gallery of Alberta for the Capital Modern Tour.

Led by Manasc Issac architect Shafraaz Kaba, the bus tour focused on buildings in Edmonton designed in the modern-style of architecture. Born out of a reaction against the adornment of neo-classicism, modern buildings were clean and simple, or in my opinion, plain.

You can recreate the route with this PDF document, but much like the walking tour, I was able to see things in a new light under the tutelage of a knowledgeable guide. From the CN Tower, Royal Alberta Museum, Ross Sheppard High School, HUB Mall and the Paramount Theatre, I appreciated details I had previously never noticed. My favourite stops were Peter Hemingway Fitness and Leisure Centre(formerly Coronation Pool) and the Queen Elizabeth Planetarium. I had never before been to Coronation, and driving past, really had no idea that it housed a pool. The interior structure of complex cables holding up the sloped roof were really quite amazing.

Peter Hemingway Fitness Centre

Inside the pool

The Planetarium, sadly neglected with visible stacks of boxes inside, is one of a few modern buildings on the “A” list of historic resources for the City, and yet, continues to suffer from ill-attention. The paths are apparently constructed to scale with the solar system (with the planetarium standing in for the sun), and at appropriate spaces in the footpaths, one can notice the relative distance of planets from the sun – who knew such a cool resource existed in Edmonton?

In front of the Planetarium

The tour was a great way to learn more about Edmonton – the seemingly handful of architects that impacted the modern landscape of the city, some of the architectural achievements and international recognition attained by local architects, and really, drawing my attention to structures that I wouldn’t have cast a second glance at.

Tofu Five Ways: Padmanadi

I shouldn’t have suggested another buffet (my third in six days) for a catch-up supper with Bettina, but a monthly event put on by the Vegetarians of Alberta at Padmanadi (10626 97 Street) was too irresistible to walk away from. Buffets in general are a great way to economically sample a multitude of dishes, but in particular, this “niche” cuisine of vegan food (in addition to no meats, no dairy or animal byproducts such as honey or gelatin can be used).

Padmanadi has quite the cult following in Edmonton and is very well-known for their vegetarian cuisine. The t-shirts for sale at the front of the restaurant, with the words “we (heart) padmanadi” were proof enough to me that their popularity had reached a critical mass.

“we (heart) padmanadi”

The restaurant was packed, but table turnover was fast – I’m sure the sauna-like conditions had something to do with the dine-and-depart mentality. The servers had big smiles plastered on their faces, and it was clear they were enjoying the work – their cheerful demeanours demonstrated what restaurant service strives to be – carefree but efficient.

We grabbed large plates off the communal table, loaded up with some rice, and proceeded to taste each of the eight vegan dishes. Bettina was disappointed with the small variety, but given that this was a fundraiser for the non-profit Vegetarians of Alberta, I didn’t mind. Beyond recognizable spring rolls, green beans, and stir-fried deep-fried tofu, I struggled with the tofu stand-in dishes of sweet and sour “pork”, deep fried “chicken” balls, “chicken” curry and stir-fried “beef” and vegetables.  

The vegan line-up

My plate

Bettina really liked the rich, coconut-milk infused curry, and both of us agreed the spring rolls were great. While we were stuffed at the end of our meal (two or three plates later), I couldn’t help but think the tofu, though disguised in sweet sauce, a battered shell, or adopting a similar consistency to beef, was still tofu. It was an interesting experience, but I’m much too used to the variety of meat to limit my consumption to tofu and vegetables.

Padmanadi Vegetarian Restaurant
10626 97 Street NW
(780) 428-8899
Tuesday to Sunday 4-10pm

Dessert is Always the Best Part: Red Ox Inn

On the occasion of a celebration dinner, May, Andrea, Shermie and myself were able to strike another Original Fare restaurant off of our “to try” list.

Red Ox Inn sign

We met at the Red Ox Inn (9420 91 Street NW) on Thursday, a tiny boutique restaurant with a capacity to hold around 26 patrons. The sleek banquets and simple furnishings reminded me of the Blue Pear, but the somewhat crammed design, which allowed for those extra few seats, in my opinion took away any potential streamlined elegance. Because of the size of the room as well, I kept harking back to the “Sound Level” category present at the end of each New York Times restaurant review – while levels weren’t unbearable, the close quarters definitely made an intimate meal an impossibility, save for the one lonely booth in the corner.

The menu and price points are similar to Madison’s Grill, and in effect also made deciding on just a single entrée difficult. I eventually settled on the Arctic Char (hoping it would emulate just some of the glory of Mack’s Blink entrée), while Shermie stuck with her benchmarking steak (Alberta tenderloin medallions, in this case) and Andrea and May began their reflective dining exercise with Duck.

Service was a bit slow throughout due to the fact that there were just two servers on hand (compared to the five at the Blue Pear), but the meandering attention seemed to match with the overall cool, leisurely vibe of the Red Ox – a place where diners are expected to relax and enjoy the food over wine and good conversation.

Eventually, our entrees arrived, each plate artfully arranged with a generous pool of sauce underneath each pile. Shermie thoroughly enjoyed her steak, and though Andrea had dish envy looking over at my char, I had to admit her duck looked pretty good – perfectly cooked, accompanied by a tart raspberry vinaigrette. My sherry vinaigrette, however, was much too sour for my liking. As someone who prefers to eat fish without a citrus adornment, it was probably the wrong dish to order. Thus, though I was hoping to be able to experience the distinct flavour of the fish, I couldn’t through the overpowering and ever-present sauce.

Pancetta wrapped char fillet, roast garlic stuffing, mashed potatoes, warm sherry vinaigrette

Grilled duck breast, mixed berry chutney, ricotta-spinach gnudi, balsamic-thyme demi glace

Alberta tenderloin medallion with cognac wild mushroom cream, roast root vegetables, mashed potatoes

Dessert for the dining twins was the lemon tart with a scoop of house-made raspberry sorbet, while Shermie and I opted instead for the warm chocolate cake accompanied with vanilla bean ice cream. Lovingly rich, but not cloyingly sweet, the oozing chocolate cake was extremely satisfying. Andrea and May also enjoyed their tart and in particular the fresh sorbet.

Warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream

Lemon tart with pinenut crust and raspberry sorbet

I will definitely consider the Red Ox Inn for a future special occasion dinner, but admit that it wouldn’t be high on my list if I was looking for an intimate, quiet space.

Red Ox Inn
9420 91 Street NW
(780) 465-5727
Tuesday to Sunday, 5-10pm

Indian Chalet: Khazana

In order to satisfy Mack’s midweek craving for butter chicken, we headed to Khazana (10177 107 Street NW) for their dinner buffet, offered only on Wednesday and Saturday nights. At $18.95 per person, it was a steep fee for Indian food in Edmonton, but with a willingness to see if it was worth it (and a 10% off coupon), we brought our empty stomachs and hoped for the best.

Interior

I was floored with the interior – it looked like no Indian restaurant I had ever visited. Instead of simple decor (in small family-run joints such as Maurya Palace) or lavish, bold tapestries and decorative artifacts (like New Asian Village), the wood paneling, overhead beams, and numerous open hearths suggested the inner sanctuary of a chalet retreat in the mountains. The faintly (and somewhat annoyingly repetitive) background music also made me imagine that an in-house piano soloist wasn’t too far out of this realm. The far right of the restaurant also included a chef viewing platform, with an elevated chef on display as he prepared various meats and dishes. While I am always happy to have my expectations for eateries defied, the decor didn’t seem congruent or complimentary to the cuisine.

At any rate, we were shown to a table, and provided with just about the only attention we received from the servers that night – initial drink service and a quick exchange that we were planning to utilize the buffet. Given that the majority of the diners in the restaurant that night were patronizing the self-serve buffet, I didn’t think it unreasonable to think that our water glasses would be refilled without request.

There were over a dozen hot entree items to choose from, but their dessert selection would be easily dwarfed by Punjab Sweets. We heaped our first plates full to get a good idea of their range of dishes, but of course, concentrated our efforts on their butter chicken. Unfortunately, the chicken wasn’t as tasty as the sample we had tried at Taste of Edmonton just a few weeks back – the sauce was all right, but the chicken itself was tough and dry in parts. Thankfully, the mutter paneer (a curry made with peas and cheese cubes) was delicious and made up somewhat for the first disappointment, just mildly spiced and interesting with a variety of textures.

Mack loads up

Mack’s plate

My plate

Not related to the food, but telling somewhat of the general neglect towards the experience of the customer was the comedy of errors patrons had with the metal lid of the naan bread container. Broken and thus without a handle, I couldn’t count the number of times a loud clang ran out through the restaurant because someone had accidentally flipped the lid completely off, or stood there for a confused half a minute trying to figure out how the opening was controlled. One would think the operators would bear the relatively small expense of replacing, or at least fixing, the lid.

While I won’t rule out future a la carte visits to Khazana, or perhaps a trial run of their lunch buffet, I won’t again be swallowing the dinner buffet expense again.

Khazana
10177 107 Street NW
(780) 702-0330
Lunch Monday to Friday 11:30am-2pm; Dinner Sunday to Thursday 5-9:30pm, Friday and Saturday 5-10:30pm

An Underappreciated Amusement: Fort Edmonton Park

I had the opportunity to join locals and tourists alike at Fort Edmonton Park this week, and wandered the recreated streets of eras past under the scorching hot sun.

Here comes the train

I usually end up at the facility once a year in a volunteer or work capacity, and I love it. It’s easy to feel like a kid again when surrounded by costumed interpreters in the “living” museum, and imagining what life would have been like at the time.

Settler

The park showcases Edmonton in four eras: 1846 (fur trade); 1885 (early settlement); 1905 (beginnings of a modern city); and 1920 (modern times). Though I’m usually most engrossed by the fort (and hearing for an umpteenth time what little could be traded for a beaver pelt), I’m most taken by the more modern streets.

At the trading post

Rowand House

Random turkeys on the boardwalk

Horse at the end of the tunnel?

 

Daly’s Drug Store (formerly my must-stop, until I discovered that they moved my beloved raspberry drops to the Midway)

Photo in Ernest Brown’s studio

Picturesque Hotel Selkirk on 1920 Street

Much to my delight (and flashbacks to the Everwood series finale), I found a new addition to the Park since my last visit. The 1920s Midway includes a restored ferris wheel built in the 1940s, a carousel, and so-billed “old fashioned” midway games.

Midway (the ferris wheel is just $2 to ride!)

Sideshow banners (they concealed a tented picnic area)

Games

The only downside to visiting the Park is the expense – it is by far the most costly City of Edmonton-run attraction, at $13.25/adult, $10/youth or senior, and $6.75/child. On the bright side, admission during the slow winter months (though limited to 1905 Street traffic only) when the park is open on the weekends in November and December is free.

My pictures are here.

Early Thoughts on “The Big Kahuna”

After picking up a copy of the 2008 Fringe program over the weekend, I’ll be darned if it isn’t already marked up with post-its and incoherent scribbles. The 27th edition of the festival, “Fringe”-less in its name The Big Kahuna, begins on August 14 – just over a week away. As such, my personal countdown to my favourite time of year in Edmonton has begun.

The electronic ticketing system introduced last year to a boon of complaints remains, with the $2 additional fee that supports the still undefined “Box Office operating costs” left intact. While no tickets will again be sold at the venues themselves, Bring Your Own Venues (more commonly known as BYOVs), have been issued a grace this year, as tickets will only be available at the venue door when the clock hits two hours prior to showtime. Given the location of some of the peripheral venues in Old Strathcona, and the addition of New City, a lounge/bar located in Downtown Edmonton as a BYOV this year, it makes geographic sense for venue distribution of tickets. The obvious question, of course, is why a non-Old Strathcona venue was permitted to be a BYOV at all? As for the other suggestions collected in the January Town Hall meeting I attended – none appear to have been implemented, or at least can be gathered from the program itself (I wonder if Kenneth Brown’s veiled threat of producing his “gems” elsewhere if changes aren’t made will stick with his proposed plan to present his war trilogy over the next three years?).

New to the festival this year is the Fringe Midway – an extension of the $2 optical illusion sideshows of Fringes past. Quick and dirty serials, shorts, and this year’s Weed Woman sideshow are an addition great on paper at least – quick treats for those looking for a brief show or those short on cash but still looking for something other than outdoor buskers or antics.

My peripheral glance at the program so far has yielded a number of “repeat offenders”, so to speak. TJ Dawe, for example, is producing/directing/starring in/wrote five shows on tap this year. Daniel McIvor, whose A Beautiful View (at Theatre Network) was loved by the media last year, has three plays up at the festival.

Ones to bank on, based on name-recognition and critical favourites:

  • Teatro la Quindicina’s return to the summer festival – Happy Toes;
  • anything TJ Dawe is involved in (his own Maxim & Cosmo, Keir Cutler’s annual Shakespearean tirade, one-man-everything Charles Ross’ show);
  • musical marvel Rainer Hersch; and
  • Fringe darling Jon Stewart’s edgy new work.

I succumbed to the great deal of the Frequent Fringer pass (which allows me to bypass the aforementioned $2 Box Office fee), but it also means I’ve saddled myself for 10 shows in 6 days because of a late-August sojourn to Vancouver.

It will be an intense ride, but I’m ready for it. 9 days and counting…

Ginger Beef Gluttony: Beijing Beijing

I’m not sure how we got onto the topic of ginger beef at Heritage Days on Saturday, but something propelled us to meet at Beijing Beijing ( 700, 3803 Calgary Trail) to satisfy a craving for the salty-sweet, deep-fried "meat".

Mack, Dickson and I went there last year after Heritage Days, so it could very much become an annual post-festival tradition. In any case, the dinner buffet was the draw, priced at $15.95 on Friday to Sundays (and $12.95 Monday to Thursdays). With around thirty items to choose from (including the salad and dessert bars), quality wasn’t the order of the day. But for picky eaters, or those who love variety, Beijing Beijing does a decent job at mass-producing Western Chinese food.

How can anyone pass up heat lamp-warmed goodness?

Loading up

Jane & Yi-Li (notice the different compositions of their plates)

My colourful (first) plate

I will admit to being partial to the crispy deep fried won tons and the saccharine sweet and sour chicken, so there was some enjoyment gleaned from my mass consumption of cheaply-prepared grub. Of course, as some meals go, it is the company and not the food that makes the meal.

Funny instances also help make meals memorable, and Beijing Beijing provided one of the best photo opportunities of late – Mack’s epic fail:

Is that ginger beef on your plate?

Greg, on the other hand, was able to chow down on a full plate of dessert, cream pie and all.

 

"I’d like a Blender Blaster with this."

As Megan would say, "Good times."

Beijing Beijing
700, 3803 Calgary Trail
(780) 430-7720