Filistix Pop-up @ The Common

I love that food trucks, who themselves are already on the forefront of one of Edmonton’s most exciting food trends, are also the ones actively pushing another movement – pop-up dinners.

Though I know others have also put together these fleeting events, Big City Sandwich and Nomad have been consistent in their off-seasons to make sure diners don’t forget their names. It’s the perfect fit too, in a winter city like ours, for these entrepreneurs to seek out revenue opportunities (on top of catering) to sustain their businesses year-round. Besides, these pop-up suppers add some welcome spice to a time of year when gathering around a table is a welcome respite from the cold.

Two weeks ago, Filistix joined this list of food-trucks-turned-restaurant captors, taking over the kitchen at The Common for one night only. For a value-laden $30, guests would be treated to a five-course Filipino meal, inspired by dishes chef Ariel del Rosario and Roel Canafranca grew up eating (they have both been recently named part of the 2012 class of Western Living’s Top 40 Foodies Under 40 – congrats, guys!).

Mack and I secured tickets to the first seating to the sold-out event (to ensure we’d still be able to make it to Latitude 53’s Parka Patio Party afterwards), and found ourselves nearly the last table to arrive.

The upscale lounge fixtures of The Common translated really well into an elegant dining room. The server explained to us that our entrees would be served family-style, which for parties larger than two would seem to make more sense. Still, I appreciated the sentiment behind inviting diners to interact through sharing with one another.

The appetizer was right up Mack’s alley: Pembina pork spring rolls. They were crisp and light, just how they should have been. On the side was a mango and jicama salad dressed with a mirin vinaigrette, fresh and vibrant. I would have preferred a julienned slaw instead of the cubes, but Mack disagreed with me.

Pembina pork spring rolls

Filistix’s mains really shone. The Kare-Kare, braised Spring Creek Ranch brisket, was served in a lovely peanut sauce (meaning more for me, as Mack is allergic to peanuts), and the most incredible shrimp paste that elevated each bite with deep umami notes.

Kare-kare

Pancit Canton, a fried noodle dish with chicken and shrimp, was succulent with the addition of a second ingredient – pork skin, which added texture and a bit of deliciously glorious fat. I would have wanted some more vegetables, but I’m probably just used to my Mum’s version of noodles.

Pancit canton

Our hands down favourite was the Adobung Liempo, a Pembina pork belly that had been marinated then slow roasted for four hours. Garnished with calamansi limes and chillies, the pork was sublime, melt-in-your-mouth tender (we were lucky enough to even score a care package of additional pork to take home!).

Adobung liempo

Dessert was a leche flan, a honey-scented version of crème caramel. It was better than those usually found at restaurants.

Leche flan

Ariel said that The Common (who will be relocating to the former Martini’s space on 109 Street and 99 Avenue in March) has expressed interest in having them return. I definitely think there’s an appetite for these suppers, and based on our experience, I do hope they continue!

Make sure to keep up with the adventures of Filistix on their website.

Metropolis: A Tough Sell

At the formal reveal of Metropolis back in October 2011, it was clear that this new festival was an ambitious one. Their list of sponsors was long, but necessary given the $1.2 million dollar price tag, with only $215,000 of that amount being covered by civic funds.

Events Edmonton General Manager Giuseppe Albi explains his vision

At the time, Events Edmonton revealed mock-ups of the six pavilions they had planned, snow-white structures stemming from the snow-covered Square. These heated tents would encourage the public to venture out into the cold every weekend from the end of December to mid-February to enjoy programs regardless of the weather. It sounded like Metropolis would have a little bit of everything – a children’s tent, pub, food services, information technology, media – plus a space where the community would have a chance to make their mark on the festival. But what would it look like in reality? Would Edmontonians embrace this new winter event?

Scaffolding

First Impressions

Metropolis had its official debut on New Year’s Eve, one of the busiest days in the downtown Edmonton calendar. Not a bad way to guarantee loads of foot traffic to a new event, but on the downside, we found that the pavilions (now down to four) weren’t able to comfortably accommodate the large crowds. As a result, we felt a little like cattle, being herded in lines from one tent to the next, barely able to take in any of the displays.

That said, the first show in the community pavilion was less than inspiring – a collection of art that could have been mistaken for a holiday gift market.

Night of Artists on December 31

The Taste of Winter pavilion was unfortunately no better. Although most of the restaurants present were independent establishments, with the sheer numbers crowding the aisles, perusing the options and indulging in a meal seemed more like chores than leisurely activities.

Taste of Winter on December 31

Mack and I knew that it wasn’t quite fair to judge the festival on first impressions alone, especially on a day that featured abnormally large crowds. So we made sure to visit periodically over the next seven weekends to see what else Metropolis would have to offer.

Programming

Without a doubt, the biggest criticism of Metropolis has been its lack of programming. Metropolis organizers appeared to rely heavily on partners to program both activity-based children’s and community pavilions, without seeming to provide them with much support.

Children’s pavilion on February 18

For Metropolis to have attracted its desired attendance of over 30,000 visitors every weekend, the programs needed to be interesting and unique. However, the vast majority of activities in the community pavilion had been duplicated elsewhere. The best example of this was the Chinese New Year weekend, where performers shuttled between a stage inside Edmonton City Centre and a smaller one that had been set up in the pavilion on the same afternoon.

Community pavilion on January 21

I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for the partners to have been asked to program an unfamiliar space (particularly challenging for the artists’ collective that first weekend). On the bright side, as the weeks progressed, it seemed that groups were learning how to best use the scaffolding to their advantage.

Scaffolding makes decorating easier

In the end, the biggest hurdle was the pavilion itself – besides the raw, industrial interior, the space was simply an empty hall indistinguishable from a community league, theatre lobby, classroom or any other venue in need of animation.

Handmade Mafia on February 18

The only group that really utilized the potential of the raw space was Firefly Theatre. Aerial specialists, their experimental show Sky Life was reminiscent of last year’s Illuminations with Circus Orange. The audience was asked to move around the tent with the performers in a mostly wordless show, with an interpretation of the ugly duckling fable told through movement and music.

Sky Life

The scaffolding became part of the sky in which personified stars danced and twirled, while the lights helped define the stage for the circus performers.

Acrobats

Metropolis was lucky to have them; we heard that Firefly had to turn people away because the shows were so popular. It was unfortunate in many respects that there were only five performances of Sky Life given it was really the only program that highlighted what Metropolis could be.

Stilt walkers

Metropolis organizers admitted that developing adequate programming would be their priority should the festival continue. Although I agree, I think there are other things that Metropolis could improve upon as well.

Taste of Winter

Although the Taste of Edmonton is far from my favourite festival (for a multitude of reasons), there is no doubt it is a summer tradition for many. So a Taste of Winter seemed like a good idea in principle, trying to build on the familiarity and recognition of a seasoned event.

As mentioned, the first impressions on New Year’s Eve weren’t positive, with attendees packed in like sardines. But even worse was the bleak reality of the following weeks – the crowds vendors had been promised just didn’t materialize.

Taste of Winter on January 7

This was clear the Saturday night we had dinner there – at 7pm, several of the vendors had already shut down for the night, because not a single customer had passed through the doors in the two hours prior. The chicken-egg argument stands – without vendors open for business, would patrons visit? But without customers, how could vendors survive?

The bacon mac and cheese from Molly’s Eats – delicious!

I wouldn’t disagree that Taste of Winter was a good opportunity for food trucks like Molly’s Eats and Eva Sweet to set up shop in the off-season. But the pavilion was essentially just a tented food court, and with a few exceptions, like the programming, there was nothing unique about the food.

Coordination with Ongoing Events

Manning the Downtown Edmonton Community League membership table at the City Market one Saturday in January, we ended up being the de facto information booth because we were situated at the entrance of City Hall. Quite a few people asked us what the hours of Metropolis were – one would only assume that they would try to capture the potential foot traffic from market shoppers, right?

That wasn’t the case – on Saturdays, when the market begins at 10am, Metropolis didn’t open its doors until noon.

Use of Outdoor Space

For a winter festival, Metropolis really didn’t make use of the space surrounding the pavilions. I suppose it wasn’t really their focus, given their already severe lack of programming inside the tents, but it would have better connected the pavilions together, and more importantly, give life to the area.

With visitors shuttered inside the opaque pavilions, a passerby would assume Churchill Square was void of activity. Even small things would have made a difference – skaters performing in front of City Hall for instance (as they did at the kick-off for the WinterCity Symposium), or, as they started to do towards the end of the festival, placing carvers on the Square for the M.A.D.E. snow furniture competition, and inviting ice sculptors to carve right on-site.

WinterCity skaters

Carvers in action on February 11

What’s Next?

It’ll be interesting to see what organizers decide to do next, and what Metropolis might look like should the festival return again. Although I am glad Events Edmonton took a risk, I hope they are able to learn from this initial run and improve in the future.

Sobeys’ Apple Challenge at NAIT

Though apples are generally most associated with the fall, the time of harvest and going back to school, in the Prairies, their cellar longevity means they are one of the few fruits we can consider “seasonal” throughout our long winter. As a result, the BC Tree Fruits Association wants to bring apples top of mind at this time of year, and has declared February to be Apple Month.

To help celebrate this, Sobeys worked with a number of local institutions to help spread the word, which included a donation of 1500 apples to Prince Charles School to ensure students would have access to healthy snacks. Sobeys also partnered with the culinary school at NAIT for an Iron Chef-style challenge that invited students to contribute their most creative uses for the fruit basket staple. On the line: $1,000 in prizes.

Busy kitchen

A total of thirteen students in their first and second year of studies submitted recipes to NAIT Instructors for consideration, and out of that, eight students were chosen to compete. On February 11, 2012, students were given one hour each to prepare their dish which would be judged by a panel of food writers. I was lucky enough to be asked to join this panel, alongside Liane Faulder and Valerie Lugonja.

With Liane and Valerie

Prior to the tastings, we were allowed to interact with the students while they were creating their signature dishes. We were told that they were permitted to prepare some things ahead of time, such as sausage or pastry dough, but that most of the cooking would be done that day.

Paulina Klassen focused on her rugelash

Surprisingly, nearly all of the students had chosen to make savoury dishes, smashing my preconceived notion that we would be sampling a variety of pies and crisps.

Pan finishes up her soup vessels

Christina Schell tosses some brussels sprouts

Of course, I should have given the students more credit than that – after talking to a few of them, it was clear that the versatility of the apple was what drew most of them to the competition.

Ren Ping Pui works on his cheesecake filling

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to watch most of the students finish and plate their dishes, as we had to begin the judging process. Rapid-fire, we would be tasting eight dishes in forty minutes – the three of us were definitely up to the challenge!

Ashley Broad starts to plate her dishes

We were provided with a score sheet that would enable us to award each dish with up to 20 points: up to 10 points for taste, 5 points for presentation and 5 points for creativity. Valerie commented that other categories could have been added – such as awarding points for their verbal presentations – for some students, their ability to clearly articulate their cooking philosophy and inspiration provided a better background and context for the dish.

First up was Ashley Broad, who prepared a roast duck and apple tart. I appreciated the combination of the two flavours, which worked really well together. The pastry itself was a little too firm for my preference, but the apples were cooked really well.

Roast duck and apple tart

Second was Pan Pan, who happens to be Miles Quon’s wife. She presented a charming curried apple soup (served inside a cored granny smith!) alongside a grilled apple salad. The soup itself was a bit on the sweet side, but had a nice smouldering back heat. I found the salad to be overwhelmed by the prosciutto, but Valerie really adored the vinaigrette it had been tossed with.

Curried apple soup with grilled apple salad

Christina Schell’s apple stuffed pork tenderloin with an apple parsnip mash was a plate with many components. All of us really enjoyed the apple balsamic puree, but found the pork to have been overcooked. We also thought the dish could have used more focus on the apple and less on extraneous ingredients.

Apple stuffed pork tenderloin

Next up was a pork in apples with herbed chevre, cremini mushrooms and apple and peach puree from Chloe Lomas. Out of all of the students, Chloe was the most eloquent in terms of verbalizing how she was able to translate her vision onto the plate (she had wanted to represent an apple in nature, so replicated the “soil” using mushrooms). Her creation was incredibly layered, in terms of both flavours and textures.

Pork in apples with herbed chevre, mushrooms and apple and peach puree

Terry McNeil presented apple sausage with apple slaw, cheese crisps and cranberry apple compote. Terry had made the sausage herself (having arrived at Culinary Arts through the meat cutting program), but we found it to be a bit dry, and in need of more fat. That said, the slaw was quite refreshing, and I loved the crumbled cheese crisps on top.

Apple sausage with apple slaw

With the only pure dessert of the competition, Ren Ping Pui’s crispy pancetta cheesecake filling with apple compote, apple crumble, apple sorbet and berry kissel sauce was a welcome taste. Calvados (apple brandy) had been cleverly incorporated throughout the dish – in the sorbet, the filling and the compote, but it wasn’t evident, taste-wise. Without a doubt, the cheesecake filling was heavenly, whipped to a mousse-like consistency, though Liane and Valerie found that the pancetta overpowered the delicate flavour. Ren’s plate was the instructor’s favourite, because of the intricate technique that had been used.

Crispy pancetta cheesecake filling with apple compote, apple crumble, apple sorbet and berry kissel sauce

Krystle Duquette flexed her skills with molecular gastronomy by making apple caviar to serve with her glazed apple and frisee salad. Apple juice, maple syrup and agar were dissolved then dripped into freezing cold canola oil, to produce delicate pearls. They didn’t work as well as she had hoped, but it wasn’t the main component of her plate. Her cinnamon heart-candied apple absolutely popped (definitely appropriate for the forthcoming Valentine’s Day), and we loved the crisp frisee salad, brightened with a vinaigrette made with cider vinegar and honey.

Glazed apple and frisee salad

Last but not least was Paulina Klassen’s savoury apple rugelash. The pastry was amazing, buttery and melt-in-your-mouth, with a richness from bacon fat that had been added to the dough. The sweet, caramelized apples and an underlying layer of jam paired with the rugelash perfectly, though the addition of candied bacon didn’t hurt either.

Savoury apple rugelash

In the end, though our scores didn’t match, our ranking of the dishes was consistent. We awarded first prize to Paulina’s rugelash, second to Krystle’s glazed apple and frisee salad, and third to Pan’s curried apple soup and grilled apple salad. The winning recipes will likely be printed in a Sobeys publication in the future, such as the fall issue of Compliments.

Thank you again to Sobeys for the invitation to be a part of this competition! It was the richest breakfast that I’ve had in some time, and the most enjoyable, too. Best of luck to all of the students in their studies – their creativity and energy was inspirational and contagious. Long live the apple!

You can see the rest of the photo set here.

Blink: Edmonton’s Pedway Pop-up

When I first saw pictures of Diner en Blanc, I was absolutely transfixed. Hundreds, if not thousands of people, all dressed in white, dining al fresco with the most gorgeous urban backdrops imaginable – the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the New York harbourfront. The scenes just looked so surreal, so serene, that I immediately started imagining what such an event would look like in our fair city. Would it take place in Churchill Square? The Legislature grounds? The 4th Street Promenade? But with autumn fast approaching and winter not far behind, it wasn’t feasible for the season.

Months later, I still couldn’t let go of the idea. I especially loved the instant community created as diners gathered in underutilized or public spaces, transforming them into unique settings for elegant picnics. It was the same principle behind the locations we chose for the two What the Truck?! festivals Mack and I organized last year, hoping to make use of often overlooked areas of downtown.

This was the germ for Blink, a pedway pop-up restaurant Mack and I have put together, with the help of Chefs Paul Shufelt and Tony Le of Century Hospitality Group, and the support of the Downtown Business Association, GWL Realty Advisors, Morguard and the Downtown Edmonton Community League.

On February 26, 2012, the pedway between Scotia Place and Commerce Place, overlooking 101 Street, will be transformed into a sixty seat restaurant. Diners will be seated at a communal table, and will enjoy a six-course menu highlighting some of the best local ingredients available.

While we know other restaurants in Edmonton have hosted dinners featuring guest chefs in unfamiliar kitchens, we’re really excited about this opportunity to gather around food in an unconventional space.

Tickets for the dinner are $65, and can be purchased online. A cash bar will also be available, separate from the ticket price.

We hope you consider joining us for this dining experiment!

You can read Mack’s take on Blink here.

The No-Line Brunch: Wildflower Grill

When Amanda was in Edmonton for the Chinese New Year weekend, we decided to go for brunch as a family. We limited our options to places that accepted reservations (so we wouldn’t have to wait indefinitely to be seated, especially given our party of six), and ended up at Wildflower Grill.

I had brunch there once (albeit a few years ago), and it is definitely not the bustling Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives atmosphere that some prefer to ramp up the weekend with. Wildflower Grill offers a casually elegant and refined environment, which is relaxing in a different way.

That Sunday, we were led to a table immediately upon arrival. The restaurant was about half-full, with many parties, like us, made up of larger groups. Unfortunately, we had been seated out of the server’s eyesight, which may have contributed to the fact that we weren’t greeted for some time.

Eventually, the server made her way to our table, and we placed our beverage and food orders straightaway (as a precaution, just in case she was again called away for an extended period of time). We hoped to be proven wrong, but again, it took an unusually long time for our coffees to be delivered – a brunch deal breaker. Thankfully, our server was great in refilling the French press, so we were never without a full pot of coffee on the table.

To tide us over until our dishes arrived, we were served a warm-from-the-oven corn bread with some citrus maple butter. Although Wildflower’s brioche bread will always remain one of my favourites, this was a very close second – dense and slightly sweet.

Corn bread

Our dishes arrived in a flurry, and everyone in my family appreciated the plating. My Mum, Felicia and Mack had all ordered the eggs benedict two ways ($15), featuring one red wine poached served with back bacon, and a saffron poached egg over hickory pear glazed chicken. The eggs were cooked inconsistently; most of them were medium and not soft-poached. Mack enjoyed the back bacon version more, as the chicken was overcooked and dry.

Eggs benedict two ways

Amanda liked her Spanish skillet ($13) of scrambled eggs, potato pave and chorizo wrapped inside corn tortillas enough, but had a bit of dish envy, as she didn’t get the same side of cheesy potatoes that the rest of us had (they were a favourite around the table). She did appreciate the fruit cup though.

Spanish skillet

I had chosen the brioche bread pudding French toast ($14), which was crowned with a generous amount of fresh fruit and grand marnier raisins – it was like having dessert for breakfast! Each slice was moist and dense, but I probably could have done with just two slices because of how rich they were.

Brioche bread pudding French toast

We had the option of actually ordering dessert bites (at $4.50 a pop), but all of us were too stuffed for another course – and to answer to that, they actually had a “cookies to go” program, which was a neat idea.

Although the food and service wasn’t consistent with our previous experiences at Wildflower Grill, for a reasonably-priced brunch without the need to rush or jostle with others in line, I would return again.

Wildflower Grill
10009 107 Street
(780) 990-1938
Lunch: Monday – Friday 11am-2pm; Dinner: Sunday – Thursday 4:30-10pm, Friday – Saturday 4:30-11pm; Brunch: Sunday 11am-2pm

2012 Mill Creek Adventure Walk

On Saturday, Mack and I joined hundreds of other Edmontonians on the Mill Creek Adventure Walk to take advantage of a unseasonably warm January night.

This was the event’s forth incarnation in as many years, but the first that we’ve been able to get to (we’re also embarrassed to admit that this was our first time visiting these trails, period). Though we’d seen photos of some of Mill Creek all decked out, we really didn’t know what to expect.

Welcome!

At the head of the trail stood a warming fire sculpture (the kind that has almost become ubiquitous with outdoor winter events in the city), not a bad place for it given the winds in that particular spot. As we ducked into the tree-sheltered paths, however, the breeze immediately dissipated. To guide the way, organizers had marked the trail with coloured lanterns, a simple but elegant touch – children and adults alike were mesmerized by the patterns they cast onto the snow.

Lanterns

We eventually found our way to the welcome area, festive with a combination of Caribbean beats, dazzling lights and warming fires. We guessed that the heated tents offered an opportunity to craft a lighted walking stick, but the lines deterred us from joining in.

Welcome tent

Let there be light!

The “adventure” portion of the walk started here. The narrative woven for this year’s walk involved the Beavers of the creek rallying around the construction of a new lodge, a move opposed by the Skunks, Ravens and Magpies. In the welcome area, participants were introduced to this conflict by an actor playing the part of one of the groups concerned. It was definitely an intimate setting, as the actors were not equipped with microphones, so we had to strain to hear what was being said (curious that they situated the actor right next to the blaring music speakers). We decided at that point not to partake in the story, but to simply enjoy the other sights the walk had to offer.

Storyboards also helped to tell the story

Some points along the adventure trail were quite narrow, and given we encountered several parties trying to make their way back the same way, it was obvious that clear signs for trail options were needed (the way back, on the elevated, flat embankment was much easier to navigate).

Adventure trail

We encountered two additional story circles along the way, both involving visuals to help set the scene. We found the Eager Beaver particularly entertaining as we passed, as well as the black-caped Raven, purring about “shiny things” and frightening children along the way.

The Really Big Lodge

The last gathering point was bustling with families, and a significant number of dogs (I think people were just waiting for an outdoor opportunity to involve their four-legged member of the family!). There was a snowfort and ice slide that kept the young ones occupied, while we grabbed a cup of hot chocolate to savour.

Edmontonians out in full force

We really enjoyed our walk in the park. We wondered if sans programming (but including heated tents), whether or not people would still come out to enjoy a midnight stroll if the lanterns were left to light the way – if so, it would be a relatively low-cost way to encourage Edmontonians to embrace the outdoors on a more regular basis.

Mack loved the look of the lights on the snow

Kudos to Winter Light and the organizers of the Mill Creek Adventure Walk – it proves that we all just need a reason to be outside!

Up next for Winter Light: Common Ground, “a warm hearted gathering of winter spirit in the inner city” on February 10-11, 2012.

Better than a Buffet: Africa Restaurant

A colleague and I met halfway between both of our offices at Africa Restaurant the previous Wednesday for lunch. Last year, the establishment changed hands – Mebrat had been a community mainstay for many years, but the transition to Africa Restaurant seemed rather seamless, and I’d heard that the menu of Eritrean and Ethiopian dishes had been preserved. This was the first time at the restaurant for both of us.

We settled into one of the comfortable black booths just inside the doors. Natural light streamed in from the windows, making it a very pleasant place for lunch, especially on that cold winter day.

Interior

The menu featured the variety of meat and vegetarian dishes we expected, to be eaten with injera. But the random sandwiches and pastas didn’t seem to fit – I wondered if they were remnants of the previous menu that attempted to serve varied community tastes (similar to Pho Huong/Mama Pizza’s split menu of Vietnamese cuisine and pizza). We decided to try a meat and vegetarian combination ($24), which would give us the means to sample a large array of items.

The food arrived in expedient fashion, a colourful platter featuring lamb, chicken, beef, lentils and vegetables. All of the meat dishes were spicy, but they were nicely balanced by the green salad and beans.

Combination platter

The lentils are typically my favourite on such platters, and it was no different on this occasion – they were well-seasoned, creamy and were moderately spiced. The dorho tibsi was the most difficult to eat with the injera, the egg slipping between our inexperienced fingers, but was the most rewarding – creamy with a good kick. The lamb tibsi was probably the weakest link, lacking flavour, overcooked and chewy. Needless to say, with the deceivingly filling injera in our stomachs, we ended up with a large box of leftovers. With this buffet for two priced at just $12 a person, it was a fantastic value.

Service was perhaps a little too hands off, but I can understand how the server thought we wanted to be left alone to converse. In all though, Africa Restaurant is another restaurant I am fortunate to have within a stone’s throw of my office – definitely worth seeking out as an Ethiopian and Eritrean option in the city.

Africa Restaurant
10603 107 Avenue
(780) 756-1515

Good Takeout: Papa John’s

Panago is our go-to pizza take-out joint (we especially love their Italian meatball pizza). The nearest storefront on 104 Avenue is about a twenty minute walk though, so we inevitably end up driving there to pick up our orders.

When Papa John’s moved into a storefront a block away from our condo on 105 Street and Jasper Avenue, we were eager to give them a try – it’s great to have another option within walking distance of our place (Funky Pickle on Jasper Avenue and 102 Street is also close).

Their online ordering function wasn’t yet enabled for the new store, so Mack still had to call to put in our order. When he arrived to pick it up on a Thursday evening, he found the shop not the least bit busy – it will probably take some time for residents to know about their newest neighbour. Mack ordered two specialty pizzas for $25.99 (a price comparable to our usual Panago order): the Sicilian Classic (pepperoni, Italian sausage, Italian salami, ham) and the Canadian Classic (pepperoni, bacon, mushroom).

This was our first experience with Papa John’s, so the garlic dip and banana pepper we found when we opened the boxes were a nice surprise (to eat the garlic dip, however, is not recommended – it smelled like popcorn, and did not taste like garlic at all).

Sicilian Classic

We found the cheese topping to be extremely generous, one of the barometers of takeaway pizza. The crust wasn’t the least bit greasy, which might be ideal for some, but I still preferred Panago’s crunchier crust. The Italian salami added a bit of welcome heat to the Sicilian, but given I’m a sucker for mushrooms on pizza, the Canadian was my favourite of the two.

Canadian Classic

We’d definitely consider Papa John’s in the future if we were craving pizza and pressed for time.

Papa John’s
10540 Jasper Avenue (multiple locations in Edmonton)
(780) 429-7212
Sunday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-2am

2012 Ice on Whyte

Mack and I braved the cold conditions tonight to take in Ice on Whyte. Had we known in advance exactly how cold it would be (-32 with windchill!), we may have thought better of it, but ignorance is bliss, right? So, with our warmest socks and thermos mugs, we were off.

First, we walked over to the Legislature to check out the special displays north of the river, which celebrate the twinning of our province with Heilongjiang, China.

Legislature grounds

Some signage would have been helpful, both in reaching the festival grounds as well as to guide us to the non-descript entrance. No admission was required for this portion of the event, and in spite of the weather, there were a number of people touring the snow and ice sculptures, and more in the heated tent where the Cygnets were performing on stage.

Heilongjiang Provincial People’s Congress Building and our Legislature (I loved the columns on the congress building)

Pandas!

The Cygnets (we loved the dance party to the side of the tent – with people in full parkas on, of course!)

We knew about the free High Level Bridge Streetcar rides available for festival goers to connect to the main site, but it wasn’t as evident in the signage as the Legislature grounds or where we caught the streetcar at Grandin Station. Although we missed the in-car entertainment for the evening (how cool would that be?!), it was still a neat experience to take the streetcar in the winter, after dark.

It was frosty inside the High Level Streetcar

We departed the streetcar at the Arts Barns, and walked over to the End of Steel Park. We’d never seen the festival so empty before (especially compared with last year), though I’m sure there would have been more patrons during the day.

End of Steel Park

The warming tent was a welcome reprieve from the chill, where hot beverages were being served for a donation. Some were less affected by the cold though – there was a little boy who was happily playing with snow blocks, oblivious to the swirling winds around him.

Pagoda

Dragon

There seemed to be a number of photographers out tonight too, with tripods trying to capture the best shots of the gleaming ice sculptures.

Mack’s favourite

My favourite (you can even see the flower stems in the pot!)

End of Steel Park is noticeably larger than the usual location of the festival, which allowed for a lot more space between sculptures. It also meant a larger ice slide could be accommodated – with four chutes! On fairer days, the line can be quite prohibitive, so we grabbed this opportunity to take a turn down the slide.

Massive slide

Whee!

Thanks to festival organizers for another great event – and a special kudos to the volunteers who staffed the festival, especially on a night like this.

Check out Mack’s photo set here. And if you do head to the festival, make sure to print off the 2-for-1 coupon here first!

No Tau Bay: Quan Pho

If one neighbourhood could particularly benefit from an “open house” event like Taste of Whyte or an organized food crawl, it would be the Avenue of Nations. Because of a transient population and a stigma of a high rate of crime, among other things, people often shy away from visiting the neighbourhoods of Central McDougall and Queen Mary Park (around 107 Avenue from 101 to 120 Streets). But by doing that, they are missing many great small businesses, many run by hard-working immigrant families.

However, I understand how the area can be intimidating to those who don’t often frequent it. So an event, which could include restaurants like Pho Huong and Mama Pizza, African Safari and Acajutla, would definitely help increase awareness of these gems, and perhaps help people realize that the neighbourhood is more than its reputation.

I was hoping to add relative newcomer Quan Pho (10117 107 Avenue) to this list. It opened up late last year, replacing a short-lived hot pot restaurant (and before that, Viet Huong Noodle House, which has since located to 98 Street). I have passed it many times on foot, and it always seemed to be populated with small groups – not a bad sign, especially in an area saturated with Vietnamese eateries.

My colleague Heather and I met some associates for lunch there on Friday afternoon, Quan Pho being new to all of us. The interior is clean and updated with comfortable leather chairs. Their three page menu was bright and easy to read, and featured a variety of vermicelli bowls, noodle soups and rice plates. I was happy to see the option of beef balls and brisket – my two favourite meats, rarely offered together ($6.50 for small, $7.50 for large).

Unfortunately, both Heather and I were quite disappointed with the food. She had ordered the bun with shrimp, grilled meatballs and a spring roll ($8.25). She commented that the meatballs in particular were more reminiscent of spam than the usual flavourful pork.

Vermicelli bowl with shrimp, meatballs and a spring roll

My large pho was actually quite small, in both size and meat quantity (and could be compared with the small at Pho Tau Bay). The meatballs were fine, but the brisket resembled well done flank more than anything else. And although there was a generous sprinkling of green onions, onions and cilantro, the broth itself was one-note, and not particularly fragrant or nuanced.

Pho with brisket and beef balls

Worst of all was the service – we received the impression that the server wanted to do anything but look us in the eye. When she first started delivering the dishes (which we ordered by number, as delineated on the menu), she wasn’t able to tell us which dish was associated with which number, and instead of double checking herself, handed us a menu. Later, when we requested the bill, she provided us with a hand written total of our entire meal, with no breakdown of individual dish cost.

My hope is that the server was having a bad day, or the kitchen was off that afternoon. But because it wasn’t a very positive experience, coupled with the fact that there are a number of establishments in the immediate area that offer better food and good service (Pho Huang/Mama Pizza and Pho Tau Bay come to mind), I’m not sure I’ll be back soon. A shame – for the neighbourhood and pho lovers in Edmonton.

Quan Pho
10117 107 Avenue
(780) 761-0402

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