Sustainable in Summerside: Workshop Eatery

Cards Against Urbanity is a spin off of the wildly popular game called Cards Against Humanity, with all sorts of urban planning humour imbedded within. One of the phrases that stuck with me was, "A LEED Certified building in the middle of nowhere." I immediately thought of that card when I visited the Mosaic Centre.

Mosaic Centre

A LEED certified building on the current edge of our city, the Mosaic Centre has been lauded as a pristine example of sustainability. While there’s no doubt that it is a beautiful facility – a ton of natural light, a living wall and an open design that encourages connectivity – it is unfortunately quite isolated, adjacent to a residential neighbourhood and not much else. Something needs to be said about its location – if everyone visiting the site drives in (as many do, as there is only one bus that services it at the moment), doesn’t it take away from its net zero status?

Mosaic Centre interior

But then again, the focus of this post isn’t about the building, it’s about the restaurant located on its main floor. Workshop Eatery is Chef Paul Shufelt’s first solo establishment, opened after ten years leading the kitchens of the Century Hospitality Group. How it came to be was in some ways a happy accident – a conversation about the possibilities of a space in a green building. Paul was drawn to the opportunity to put down his own roots, including literal roots into the ground in an adjacent garden to supply the restaurant. It was also a chance to enhance the relationships with local producers that he had started over the past few years, but were ultimately more difficult to manage within the complexities of a group of restaurants.

Chef Paul Shufelt

There are many ways to be sustainable, and though I’m somewhat skeptical of the Mosaic Centre as a whole, Workshop Eatery could help bring some awareness to an area of the city where there are fewer independent restaurants and establishments that promote an eat local philosophy. Besides utilizing the honey captured from the building’s rooftop bee hives, Paul and his staff spent much of the fall canning and preserving vegetables harvested from local farmers, hoping that the inventory of 400 jars will last into the spring. The plan from May to October is for the menu to feature at least one dish made with an item picked fresh from the front yard garden.

Interior

Before Christmas, some friends and I met up at Workshop Eatery for brunch on a Sunday. Two of those friends live in Summerside, so were particularly optimistic to see what their new neighbour had to offer. The first impressions were positive – we loved the high ceilings, the abundance of windows, and the accessibility of the open kitchen. That natural light extended into the kitchen itself – most staff working in galley-type spaces would been green-eyed at the sight.

Workshop Eatery has quite a varied menu for brunch, with a dozen dishes to choose from. It does have something for everyone, including vegetarians and those who lean towards more hearty lunch offerings instead of breakfast. I settled on the chorizo & chedda’ omelette ($17) while Mack selected the traditional eggs benedict ($17). Our only letdown on the menu side is a brunch pet peeve of ours, though we understand the space and equipment requirements – Workshop only serves espresso-based drinks, while Mack and I much prefer drip coffee in the mornings. We make do with Americanos, but it just isn’t quite the same.

Chorizo & chedda’ omelette

At any rate, the service was fantastic throughout our meal, attentive and much more polished than we would have expected from a newly-opened restaurant. We also thoroughly enjoyed the food, and appreciated the use of local products, such as Four Whistle Farm eggs. I thought the chorizo omelette packed a lot of flavour, and I appreciated the added dimension of a potato hash on the side as opposed to more plain potatoes. Mack had no complaints about his eggs benedict, with the eggs poached soft as requested.

Traditional eggs benedict

Before we left, we were eyeing up some of the dinner items – among them the ricotta and potato stuffed perogies and the cleverly named duck duck couscous (which Paul had no qualms telling us it was a name he borrowed from Farrow Sandwiches). We know we’ll be back at some point, but given it isn’t in our neck of the woods, it might be some time before we find an excuse to visit Summerside again.

Workshop Eatery
2003 91 Street SW
(780) 705-2205
Monday-Wednesday 11am-10pm, Thursday-Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday 10am-3pm and 5-11pm, Sunday 10am-3pm and 5-9pm

Room to Improve: Daravara

After work one evening before Christmas, I hopped on the bus to meet Mack for dinner. We had been hoping to finally try Relish, but upon arrival, found that they were closed for a private function. Undaunted, we considered our other options, as 124 Street offers an abundance of choices. We eventually settled on Daravara (10713 124 Street) just across the street.

Unlike many other bars in Edmonton, Daravara seems to have bucked the trend of maximizing seating in favour of generous spacing between furnishings and a games area. As a result, the vibe seemed much more relaxed and casual than some similar establishments. It was easy to see how Daravara could become the go-to watering hole for locals in the area, especially with their very reasonable prices for beer and wine.

The bar at Daravara

Since reading about their burger offering, Daravara has been on our list of restaurants to visit. But it seems that their menu has been overhauled since that time. In spite of that, I thought the menu as a whole had much to choose from, including a variety of tacos, sandwiches, and appetizers (I saved the popcorn chicken hearts for another time). That night, I settled on the beer cheese burger ($14), while Mack chose the waffle clubhouse ($15).

Mack

Service was good throughout, and the kitchen, in spite of a near full-house, was on point, and we didn’t have to wait long for our plates to arrive. That said, the flavours could have been better. My burger, served with house-made beer cheese, secret sauce and lettuce, tomato and caramelized onion, had an underseasoned patty, and was unremarkable.

Beer cheese burger with poutine

Mack’s clubhouse, with house-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and ranch dressing, would have benefited from additional texture. The cheddar cheese waffles were not crispy, and the chicken in this case was grilled, not fried.

Waffle clubhouse with werewolf fries

On the side, I upgraded to a poutine (additional $2.50). The fries were freshly fried and spiced in a way that reminded me of Drift’s house seasoning. But the miso gravy wasn’t my favourite – while there was a noticeable miso base, I didn’t enjoy the saccharine aftertaste. Mack’s substitution of werewolf fries (additional $2.50) were overwhelmingly spicy for him, featuring chipotle cheese, malt vinegar, hot sauce and green onions.

There are still some items on the menu we’d like to try in the future, so though we were hoping for more from Daravara on our first visit, we will be back again in the future.

Daravara
10713 124 Street
(587) 520-4980
Tuesday-Thursday 11:30am-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11am-2am, Sunday 11am-5pm, closed Mondays

Epicureous in Edmonton: 2015 Year in Review

Trends, especially in Edmonton, can take several years to take root. And in putting these summaries together, I’m reminded of how, in many ways, the calendar year is just an arbitrary measure of time.

Several third wave cafes like Coffee Bureau sprouted in 2015

But we are fortunate to live in a community where there is an ever-increasing number of people who care about the food they grow, prepare, or serve, so it’s our duty to acknowledge and appreciate these changes, even if they sometimes seem incremental and small.

Here’s what was notable to me in 2015:

The independent dining scene in St. Albert came into its own this year, attracting attention with openings like farm-to-table restaurant 12 Acres, Buco, Sorrentino’s first pizza and wine bar, and a second location of Chef Andrew Fung’s much-lauded Nineteen. Closely tied in was the continued rise of independent suburban establishments, such as Cured and Workshop Eatery.
In Central Edmonton, we gained a number of third wave cafes: Coffee Bureau, Lockstock, Rogue Wave Coffee, Bru and Barking Buffalo. Nomad Espresso also started operations as the city’s first mobile coffee cart.
While I don’t think we’ve quite hit “peak ramen” in the Capital Region just yet, it was a banner year for the noodles, with the fervor for the opening of Prairie Noodle Shop exceeding expectations.
While Japanese-inspired ramen may be the hottest #yegfood item at the close of 2015, Edmonton experienced a Korean wave this year, with Nongbu, Tofu House, It’ All and Daore joining the fold.
The humble sandwich is also alive and well, with inspired and tasty offerings available from Sandwich and Sons, Dovetail Deli, The Local Omnivore, and even an outpost of Calgary-based Chachi’s at West Edmonton Mall.
We did lose a few notable establishments this year, including Unheardof and Happy Garden. On the side of food retail, Mother’s Market closed after a year of operation.
Crowdfunding projects aren’t new to the local food scene (Creole Envie embraced it to jumpstart a trip to the Taste of Edmonton in 2014), but it took on life this year, with a successful Kickstarter campaign for Chartier, a forthcoming French-Canadian restaurant in Beaumont. Prairie Noodle Shop and regional restaurant/social justice project The Alder Room also tried to raise online backers.
Edmontonians love competitions – the Canadian Food Championships were newly installed in 2015 by Events Edmonton, and Get Cooking’s wildly popular Edmonton Food Fight began in February. Several local chefs including Shane Chartrand and David Omar also appeared on national food programs like Chopped and Masterchef.
When we started Eat Alberta back in 2011, opportunities to develop food skills were isolated to often pricey one-off classes. In 2015, with the Dig In Festival in its second year, and the advent of the Edmonton Resilience Festival and Little Brick Home School, it’s great to see that chances for learning are becoming more widespread. On a related DIY note, City Council approved urban beekeeping in April.
2015 saw its share of pop-up dinners, some in unusual, unique locations. It’ll be interesting to see whether this trend can sustain itself, given the price associated with many of these events is steadily increasing.
It was great to see some local interpretations of the anti-food waste movement, such as the SalvagED pop-ups that made meals from otherwise discarded produce, and Reclaim Urban Farm’s sale of so-called “ugly” vegetables.

Onward to 2016!

You can check out previous year in reviews here.

‘Tis the Season at the Hotel Macdonald: Nutcracker Tea and Tour

There are few places in Edmonton that get decked out for the holidays like the Hotel Macdonald. You only need to walk into their lobby to get whisked away in the Christmas spirit – between the bedazzled fifteen foot tree and the twinkly gingerbread rendition of the building, the Hotel Mac does it right.

Gingerbread Hotel Macdonald

Their holiday season offerings range from special dinners on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, to themed meals like the Dickens buffet (a nineteenth century, English-style lunch) and Nutcracker Tea and Tour. The latter is a festive take on their respected Royal Tea and Tour, featuring a holiday-inspired menu and some other surprises. Mack and I took his Grandma Male for tea on Saturday. We had been meaning to take her for some time – Grandma Male actually worked at the hotel switchboard in the 1950s, and she hadn’t been back to the building since.

Reservations were accepted for 2:30pm in the Harvest Room. Although it wasn’t quite a full house, the families, friends and couples who gathered had all dressed up for the occasion.

Grandma Male and Mack

We started off with a glass of sparkling wine, a nice touch for the holidays, and shortly after, were presented with the tea selection. I was anticipating that all of the teas would have been loose, as is traditional, but there was a mix of tea bags and loose teas. Grandma Male and I both chose a nice Buckingham Palace orange pekoe.

Our first treats arrived warm from the oven – classic scones and candied pecan-eggnog scones. They were absolutely delicious, though to be honest, I think I used the scones as a vessel to consume as much Devonshire cream and port cranberry compote as possible.

Scones!

The tiered trays contained both savoury and sweet bites. No cucumber sandwiches to be seen, the selection included oven roasted turkey with citrus sage aioli on a mini navette. Our favourite on the savoury side was the applewood smoked cheddar, ham and grainy dijon aioli on an adorable mini bagel.

Beautiful presentation

The kitchen did a great job accommodating Mack’s nut allergy, making substitutions when necessary, such as ensuring the white chocolate and pistachio mousse was nowhere to be seen on his tray. While we enjoyed all of the dainty confections, the ginger orange madeleine was the pronounced favourite.

Photobombing tea service

The only misstep that afternoon was the fact that we were only told about the timing of the tour about ten minutes prior to its start. Although we weren’t rushed through tea service, it would have been nice to know the flow in advance. Otherwise, the service was impeccable, as is standard at the Hotel Macdonald.

We assembled in the Wedgewood Room for a special performance by some of the dancers from Clara’s Dream. Shumka’s Ukrainian version of The Nutcracker, the preview showcased the music and the energy you would expect from a fusion of dance styles. Clara’s Dream runs December 29-30, 2015 at the Jubilee Auditorium.

Dancers from Clara’s Dream

Afterwards, Carlos, a staff of the Hotel Macdonald, led us on a brief tour of the building. This wasn’t my first tour of the Hotel Macdonald, but what I always appreciate is how personal each tour is, coloured by the individual experience of each staff member. In this case, Carlos shared that he had worked as Queen Elizabeth’s butler when she stayed at the Hotel Macdonald back in 2005, commenting on her strong appetite and desire to know how her food was prepared. On this tour, we weren’t able to visit the Queen Elizabeth Suite, as the top two floors of the hotel are currently undergoing renovations, and aren’t set to reopen until April.

The Empire Ballroom

Carlos also informed us about the Hotel Macdonald’s reputation among the Fairmont properties – although being the second smallest, it hosts the most weddings of all. With as many as six weddings per day in the summer, he jokes to the grooms to ensure they go home with the right bride at the end of the night, and to the brides that in order to have their dream wedding at the castle on the river, that they should book their wedding date and then go out and find the right groom.

With Grandma Male

The Nutcracker Tea and Tour is a great way to celebrate the holidays. It runs every Saturday and Sunday until December 27, with the only other preview of Clara’s Dream to take place at the December 19 tea. The cost is $49 per person, with reservations recommended. Happy holidays!

The Perfect Match: Credo Coffee and Jacek Chocolate Tasting

It’s great to see when local businesses team up to support one another, whether that’s Dovetail Deli providing shelf space to sell products from Gold Forest Grains and McKernan Food Works, or Remedy Cafe stocking vegan Bloom Cookies at the counter. There is strength in numbers, as awareness is half the battle, and it takes a community to move these independent brands forward.

The tasting organized by Credo Coffee and Jacek Chocolate Couture is another great example of this. When the tickets were released in late summer, I jumped at the excuse to enjoy two of my favourite things. Mack and I had attended a wine and chocolate pairing two years ago at Baseline Wines, and had found it to be a fun and educational experience. And given Mack’s already a fixture at Credo, he didn’t need any additional incentives to come along this time around.

Coffee and chocolate

In mid-November, Mack and I bussed over to Credo on 124 Street. We joined a fairly small group, less than two dozen in number, who seemed just as excited for the evening. Chelsea (from Credo) and Jamie (from Jacek) welcomed us and explained that the partnership between the two businesses began in 2010, when Credo became Jacek’s first retail partner. They have collaborated since then, working together to produce The Credo Bar earlier this year, a dark chocolate combined with espresso beans, and then, most recently, to organize a series of tastings.

Jamie and Chelsea

The focus of the evening was on “mindful eating” – to deliberately and thoughtfully experience each taste, as opposed to what we’re all guilty of at times – consuming in haste or (for me, with coffee in the mornings) for pure sustenance. For reference, we were provided with copies of the Taster’s Flavour Wheel, which would aid us in articulating the notes detected in coffee and chocolate. Both Chelsea and Jamie emphasized that everyone has a different palate, and as such, can pick up different flavours.

Flavour Wheel

We started with tasting three of Credo’s coffees, all roasted by Chicago-based Intelligensia. Intelligensia rotates through several regions of coffee as they become available seasonally, moving from Central America in the spring/summer to Africa in the fall/winter. We started with perhaps my favourite single-origin, the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, a light and floral roast. We moved to the Itzamna from Guatemala, a coffee grown on the grounds of a former silver mine. The farmers are committed to organic practices, choosing a labour-intensive path of applying clay to the roots of the plants to regulate their temperature. This coffee was definitely much fuller-bodied, with a toasted flavour. Lastly, we sampled the Ethiopian Kurimi, grown by farmers interested only in planting varieties indigenous to the area. Our fellow tasters noted the Kurimi had hints of lychee and jasmine.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Onto chocolate, I was happy to learn about Jacek’s new Fabric Collection. Launched on November 13, 2015, it is Jacek’s first foray into bean-to-bar production. In the past, they’ve relied on Valrhona as their chocolate supplier, but now, they have the capacity to sort, roast, winnow and refine cocoa beans at their facility in Sherwood Park. Currently, they are producing three 70% single-origin varieties, all of which we tried that night.

Fabric Collection

The Dominican Republic, refined for seventy two hours, had tropical fruit undertones. I already knew I would enjoy the Venezuela, typically the single-origin I choose, creamy and balanced. The Peru was a surprise – unlike the subtle flavours of the previous two, for us, it had very distinct notes of dried fruit.

The evening cumulated in two pairings. The first was to sample The Credo Bar, made with the Dominican Republic and Black Cat espresso (we were told this iteration was selected from twelve combinations). The flavour profile reminded me of the Mocha Bar that the now-defunct Kerstin’s Chocolates had produced with beans from Transcend Coffee, but instead of the added texture of whole beans, The Credo Bar conches the cocoa and coffee beans together for a smooth finish.

We ended with an unconventional pairing – while I have incidentally enjoyed chocolate alongside tea, it’s not a classic match. Here, we sampled maojian green tea with the single-origin Venezuela, and it worked. Jamie shared that this has been the gateway for staff to consider other unusual pairings, and future tastings may feature more tea than coffee.

Coffee cheers!

We enjoyed our first foray into coffee and chocolate tasting, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others. Jacek and Credo have just added another pairing date on January 15, 2016, so it’s something to consider as a gift this holiday season. Tickets are $40 each.

25 Gifts of Taste: A #yegfood Gift Guide

We’re just over two weeks away from Christmas, if you can believe it! I’m typically the type that squirrels away gifts all year, so I’m not usually in a panic at this point, but I know there are many who leave things to the last minute. But – if anyone on your list loves food, you’re in luck, as there are so many locally-sourced options available.

A basket of goodies we put together a few years ago

Here are some ideas to consider:

Stock Up the Pantry

A little can go a very long way, and for me, that often means taking the time to put together a gift basket filled with my favourite items from local producers. Some of those include:

Gold Forest Grains has gift-ready bags of some of their most popular products, including their Pancake Mix and Sturgeon River Cereal. Find them at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market every Saturday.
Irvings Farm Fresh is no longer a well-kept secret in Edmonton – more than a dozen restaurants including Tzin and Canteen serve their products, and their bacon is legendary. Pick up an Irvings gift certificate to treat a loved one to some quality meat (available at the Salisbury Greenhouse and Old Strathcona Farmers’ Markets).
Allan Suddaby started his labour of love, McKernan Food Works, earlier this year, but they’ve already launched two products: apple cider and mead vinegars. You can find them at Little Brick, which will provide you with a great excuse to visit the café and general store for yourself.
Also at Little Brick, pick up something sweet from the Red Balloon Pie Company. They have seasonal caramels in festive flavours like egg nog and gingerbread!

Stock up the Bar

For the amateur bartender, there are a few local options to help progress the festivities:

Eau Claire Distillery, Alberta’s first craft distillery, offers vodka and gin for the discerning palate. For the holidays, they have also produced a special Christmas Gin, featuring the botanicals of frankincense and myrrh.
It seems bitters are sold at every kitchen and food specialty shop, but only one is made locally: State Motto. Their handcrafted products include Earl Grey, lilac and orange bitters.
There are a number of local fruit wines available from the Edmonton region, including Shady Lane Estate, and Barr Estate Winery.

For Those Who Love to Cook

There is no shortage of cooking classes and cookbooks for those seeking some tips or inspiration in the kitchen:

Gail Hall of Seasoned Solutions began the original series of farm-to-table cooking classes, but she offers so much more, including ideas for entertaining and menus based around holidays. Pick up a gift certificate for one of her hands-on classes or express cooking tutorials.
Kathryn Joel’s Get Cooking features an array of guest chefs who specialize in global cuisines. The classes are held at a brand new facility at MacEwan University. It doesn’t look like the 2016 calendar is up just yet, but you can pick up a gift certificate for classes that start at $139 per person.
For more topic-specific classes or basic skills, consider Metro Continuing Education. They have a great selection of sessions, including knife skills, an introduction to sushi making, and bread making. Courses start at $89.
Calgary food tour operator Karen Anderson released her first cookbook, co-written with Noorbanu Nimji. A Spicy Touch features 200 Indian recipes in a full colour 320 page book. Join Karen at the Edmonton launch of the book on December 20, 2015.

Tableware and More

There are some local gems that can help you add some class – or some fun – to the kitchen of someone you love:

On Our Table makes some of the most beautiful cheese and cutting boards I’ve ever seen, and have even been featured in Bon Appetit Magazine. They are showstoppers, and worth the investment.
The mugs from Mod Pots Ceramics are well-used in my house – I love their classic but playful design, and the fact that they are the perfect size for a warm drink in the winter.
Everyone needs a bit more #yeg: this can be in the form of a screen-printed tea towel with images of our most cherished landmarks, including the Hotel Macdonald and the Alberta Legislature. Find these at Fine Mesh.

The Gift of Taste

We’re very fortunate in Edmonton to have some very knowledgeable and passionate food experts who are eager to share their learnings. Here are a few of them:

The Cavern on 104 Street hosts a Cheese School that teaches the basics of cheese varieties and wine pairings. Tickets are $75, with two upcoming sessions on January 17 and 31, 2016.
Transcend Coffee leads a number of coffee education sessions, including a coffee tasting and appreciation, a pour over basics workshop and a French press and Aeropress workshop.
I’ve attended a number of chocolate tastings put on by Jacek Chocolate Couture, and have enjoyed each one. Unfortunately, they don’t have any of their 2016 dates up just yet, but I’m hopeful they’ll have some tickets for sale in time for the holidays.

Gifts That Keep on Giving

Who says Christmas can’t be year-round, or at least prolonged? Choose a membership-based gift to bring cheer for a few more months of the year:

Farrow’s Bean Club is great for coffee connoisseurs. Every month, members are introduced to beans from a new roaster, some offered exclusively to club members and never put into Farrow’s rotation. Every 3, 6 or 12 month membership even comes with a free mug! Memberships start at $82.50. Transcend Coffee also has a similar subscription club, with beans roasted in-house.
Beer lovers in Edmonton flock to Sherbrooke Liquor, which has an incredibly extensive inventory of beers. But did you know they have a Beer Club, which entitles members to a monthly selection of beers and 10% discount off all beers for the duration of the membership? 3 month terms start at $175.
Sugared and Spiced’s Cake Club is perhaps most unique subscription in Edmonton. For $195, members are entitled to 3 cakes for pre-arranged dates through the year, with delivery included for those within city limits. Never be caught empty handed on special occasions again!
Who doesn’t love cheese? Cavern’s Cheese Club would be sure to please, with subscriptions starting at $55/month for a selection of cheese and a preserve accompaniment.
For a more practical gift, consider a grocery delivery service like The Organic Box or SPUD to make it more convenient for a loved one over the winter months.

Give Back to Those in Need

Many in our community go without at Christmas, so it’s also worth considering investing your gift in a charitable organization spreading cheer at this time of year:

The Christmas Bureau is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and with the economic downturn, expects to serve 67,000 Edmontonians this year. You can make a monetary donation of any amount, or donate a hamper for a senior or a family.
The Bissell Centre released their annual holiday gift guide, and you can provide meals to the homeless, the working poor, and young ones in their childcare centre.
Back again to bare all for a good cause, the 2016 Sexy Men of YEG Food calendar features over a dozen local personalities who posed in good fun to help raise funds for the Edmonton Food Bank. Last year, the calendar raised $19,500!

Happy Holidays!

Ramen for Brunch: Yuzen

It seems ramen’s the thing in Edmonton right now. There were only a handful of restaurants serving this Japanese staple before this year, and the inventory has grown since then, with Kazoku Ramen joining the ranks this fall, and Prairie Noodle Shop’s pop-ups making way for a brick and mortar storefront soon.

Restaurants in St. Albert have joined this list as well, with Ohana-ya offering ramen for lunch on weekdays, and Yuzen complimenting that with ramen on Saturday afternoons. While in St. Albert last Saturday, we planned for a ramen brunch at the latter to make the most of the trip out.

We were told by friends to arrive early, but unbeknownst to us, Yuzen shifted their Saturday hours back half an hour, and now serve ramen from 11:00am-2pm. So our 11:30am arrival meant an already full house, and an approximately 30 minute wait for a table.

Loved this sign

The menu is pretty straightforward, with 5 different bowls to choose from. I chose the pork-based tonkotsu ($11), while Mack selected the soy-based shoyu broth ($11). We each added an egg as well ($1).

Given the singular menu focus, the kitchen was able to maintain a fairly efficient speed. Service as a whole was also very pleasant and friendly throughout.

Tonkotsu ramen

I quite enjoyed the tonkotsu broth, full-bodied and seasoned just right. Both Mack and I found the noodles well-cooked, and enjoyed finding a creamy yolk centre in our eggs. Our only complaint lay with the pork, sliced too thick for my preference and ultimately on the dry side.

Shoyu ramen

We were told the crowd was actually on the small side that day, so I think the word is getting out about St. Albert’s ramen brunch option. It is a bit too far for us to frequent often (Ninja Club is our current go-to), but I would consider it again when in the neighbourhood.

Yuzen
127, 1 Hebert Road, St. Albert
(780) 569-5270
Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11:30am-2pm, Saturday 11am-2pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 5-9pm; closed Mondays

Farmfair, Burgers and My First Canadian Finals Rodeo

I have to admit, the idea of going to the rodeo has never appealed to me, even if I’ve always been curious about the excitement surrounding the Calgary Stampede, and in Edmonton, the Canadian Finals Rodeo. It is something quintessentially "Albertan", but has also seemed inaccessible to me without any personal ties to a tradition that can run generations deep for many in the province. So it took Mack being extended complimentary tickets to this year’s Canadian Finals Rodeo for me to finally learn what all the fuss was about.

We headed to Rexall Place on Friday to a nearly packed house, absolutely energized for the events to come. Confronted with such a crowd, it was the first time I realized the scale of the CFR’s economic boost for Edmonton – it was clear most taking in the event were visiting from out of town.

My cowboy

I was thankful for the two commentators who made sure the audience remained engaged and entertained. They were also very inclusive, taking the time to explain some of the rules and nuances of the sport, much appreciated by a novice like me.

It was easy to see the amount of training each competitor had put in to get to this level, from cattle roping to barrel racing. The bull riding finale unfortunately only saw a handful of riders reach the eight second mark, but no question they all seemed to give it their all. I can also see how the CFR builds in excitement over the course of the week, as the audience familiarizes themselves with the competitors night after night.

Bareback riding

I’m glad I was able to experience my first rodeo! Thanks to Northlands for the opportunity.

Northlands also enabled us to attend the corresponding Farmfair, held during the CFR at the Expo Centre. An agricultural trade show for farmers, it is an event I have attended in the past. I used to volunteer for adult English as a Second Language classes, and as admission at the time was free, it was a great field trip to help our students learn about one of Alberta’s foundational industries.

Farmfair 2015

Farmfair has since started charging admission ($5 for adults). Though I’d hope there would still be the chance for adult groups to utilize it as an educational experience, it is a reasonable cost given the breadth of events organized. We wandered through the halls, admiring the livestock and wishing we’d arrived in time to watch the stock dog competition.

More animals

New to Farmfair this year was the Northlands Food Lab workshops, free with admission. The workshops focused on food skills that could be taught in an hour – cheese making and burger prep. We signed up for the latter, and joined about a dozen other participants on Saturday in the makeshift kitchen in the concourse of the Expo Centre.

Chef Parker

Led by Northlands Sous Chef Chef Parker Regimbald, participants were shown how to make a better burger by grinding our own beef. The ten ounces of inside round we used had been donated by Sysco (of which we were reminded numerous times). While recognizing the need for sponsorship, particularly for a free workshop, it was still disappointing that the chance to highlight a local producer was squandered. Northlands has been highlighting its inroads with supporting local (with its food truck and partnership with Lactuca, among others), so this just seemed like a missed opportunity.

Mack prepares his burger

At any rate, Chef Parker is an excellent instructor, articulate and clearly passionate about food. He offered the following tips:

If grinding your own meat, make sure to keep the meat cold before grinding it to decrease bacterial growth;
For additional flavour, grind in some pork fat or bacon (Northlands uses their house-made bacon for this purpose);
Make sure the patty is at least 1/3 larger than the bun you will use, as the patty will shrink during cooking;
Season in layers – toss in some salt and pepper as you’re mixing the meat, but also season both sides of the patty;
Grease the patty instead of the grill to ensure it doesn’t stick;
The patty is ready to be flipped once when it no longer sticks to the grill;
You can tell the second side is done when blood starts to pool on the surface, or alternatively, the feel of the meat is the same firmness as the area just beneath your thumb; and
To help the meat retains its juice, set a timer and rest the patty for 3 minutes before digging in!

It was a fairly straightforward lesson, and given the only addition to the beef was salt and pepper, it was a very tasty burger.

Thumbs up!

Chef Parker was very happy with the response to the Food Labs, and is hoping to run more such events, even outside of Farmfair. It was a great add-on to an existing event, so it would be great to see this topic and others offered again in the future.

Harvest Festival at The Organic Box

On Sunday, The Organic Box opened its doors for a Harvest Festival. It was a way for them to celebrate a good growing season and provide their customers with an avenue to meet some of their producers firsthand. Mack and I were among the minority of attendees who don’t currently subscribe to The Organic Box, but were interested in learning more about their operations.

The Organic Box warehouse

The Organic Box provides home delivery of sustainable groceries, and sources its products from many Alberta farmers. The Organic Box has grown significantly since its inception in 2010. Beginning with 120 customers, after a year, they were reaching about 500 homes in Edmonton. In 2015, they’re processing 2000 orders a week, and they’ve expanded their deliveries to other communities in central and northern Alberta, including Fort McMurray, Athabasca and Camrose.

Ready to be packed

This growth necessitated their recent move to a 17,000 square feet warehouse which should be large enough to accommodate them for years to come. This new space has 5,000 square feet of cooler space alone, which, as a comparison, was the size of their previous home.

Dry goods

Abbie Stein-MacLean, the General Manager of The Organic Box, provided an educational tour. They have five different temperature zones (including a room dedicated entirely to bananas to ensure they can ripen more slowly and naturally than at conventional supermarkets). They also take great care to separate ethylene sensitive fruits and vegetables such as cabbage from items that produce ethylene like apples.

Abbie from The Organic Box

The Organic Box prides itself on supporting local producers in many ways. One of their hopes in securing a larger warehouse was to be able to offer up space to those who may not have access to reliable, accessible storage. Some farmers have taken them up on this, renting cold storage for items like potatoes and poultry.

More storage

In addition, the next phase for The Organic Box will be expanding their processing capabilities. A current gap in Alberta is the need for more inspected packaging and labeling facilities. They’re committed to further developing their current operation and consulting capabilities to work with more food businesses who want to increase their retail opportunities.

The current processing space

After meeting some of the vendors that sell their product through The Organic Box, I also better understood the potential they offer small businesses in terms of exposure. Genuine Jar, a small local jam producer, distributes their preservative-free product exclusively through The Organic Box. Edmonton-based Nxt Roasters, which we had never heard of (they focus more on the machines that roast the beans than the coffee itself), only sells its coffee to consumers through The Organic Box.

Nxt Roasters

We appreciated the chance to learn more about an Edmonton success story. The Organic Box has great aspirations to strengthen other local businesses as they themselves grow. I hope they are able to achieve their ambitious goals, and continue to increase the awareness and sustainability of our local producers and food entrepreneurs. Thanks to The Organic Box for having us!

Enjoy the “Best of the West” during the 2015 Canadian Finals Rodeo

The Canadian Finals Rodeo is back again for its 42nd edition, taking over Northlands next week. To engage Edmontonians and visitors alike, Rodeo Week is taking place from November 7-15, 2015, in conjunction with the CFR. Events include a family-friendly wild wagon race at Fort Edmonton Park, a mechanical bull riding championship at Cook County Saloon and the popular chili cook-off at Churchill Square.

Bar at Woodwork

The tie-in extends to 17 local restaurants who have put their best rodeo-inspired dishes forward to ensure diners can get in on the fun, too. On Sunday, Mack and I joined Andrea, Linda and their respective partners on a food crawl organized by Edmonton Tourism to preview some of the dishes on this “Best of the West” menu.

Woodwork

Woodwork has a great cocktail program, so we were looking forward to sampling their feature drink, the Campfire Rambler. Made with High West Campfire Whiskey, vermouth and maraschino liqueur, it was a spirit-forward drink meant for sipping. I appreciated the chilled glass that kept the cocktail cool enough to enjoy.

Campfire Rambler

Sherlock Holmes

The Colleen’s Amber Ale chili served in a sourdough bread bowl ($14) is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at Sherlock Holmes. Mack very much enjoyed the fact that the thick, hearty chili was heavy on the meat – sometimes straightforward is best, and indeed, this was Mack’s favourite dish.

Colleen’s Amber Ale chili

Fairmont Hotel MacDonald

The Confederation Lounge at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald has one of the coziest tables downtown, surrounded with leather loungers and situated next to a roaring fireplace. With a wicked wind outside, it was an ideal place to warm up and get our bearings.

Not content to feature just one menu item, the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald has two. The wonton nachos ($19) were the most unique plate we tried that day, layered with braised pork cheeks, scallions, cheese and wasabi aioli. In some ways, the substitution of deep fried wonton skins better highlighted the toppings, given they are more neutral in flavour than corn-based chips.

Wonton nachos

My favourite dish was the chorizo sausage ($21), generously topped with beef chili, smoked cheddar and mustard crème fraiche. The sausage was great on its own, but the flavour was amplified with the addition of the chili. It is definitely something I’d order again.

Chorizo sausage

We were also encouraged to order drinks. Mack and I couldn’t resist the Game On Martini, designed to be the shade of Oilers blue. It was definitely on the sweet side, which I enjoyed. The Mac happened to be running a photo contest involving their special martini on social media. After entering, I was randomly selected and won a pair of tickets to an Oilers game. Needless to say, it was a good night.

Game On Martini

The Best of the West menu is available from October 26 until November 15, 2015. Thanks again to Edmonton Tourism for having us!

Check out Linda’s post here.

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