Mercury Opera’s 104 Underground (an operascape)

Last Friday, Mercury Opera brought opera to the people – is there any place more democratic than a public transportation platform?

Although the show itself was free (transit operators weren’t checking for fare payments), a $25 ticket gave opera revellers access to some pre-show food and drink at four street-level businesses. I really loved the design of the entire event – from its transformation of an everyday space to a glorious stage, and its recognition and utilization of existing shops.

Given the event started at 6pm on a Friday night, we thought patrons would trickle in, and adoption of an early bird mentality wouldn’t be necessary. We were wrong; by the time we stopped into some of the participating retailers at 7pm, the trays were empty and the pitchers dry.

The crowd at Coup

In hindsight, the expectation of any event starting at 6pm with the promise of alcohol would be accompanying food of some substance (especially with the $25 admission price). Instead, there were platters of cheese and pretzels at deVine’s, and olives and pickles at Coup. We heard 29 Armstrong had been serving croquettes (long gone by the time we arrived), and the Eyecare Group had offered up desserts (also since devoured), but in the end just wondered whether the organizers simply didn’t anticipate the crowds that turned up.

Food at deVine’s

Thankfully for Mack and I, we had both eaten, but happily had some wine at deVine’s, and champagne at the Eyecare Group. People were clearly enjoying themselves, and we almost regretted not arriving at the party earlier.

Ed serving wine at deVine’s

At 8pm, the group was encouraged to head down to the LRT platform to ready for the show. Chairs for the Vif Quartet had been set up at the centre of the platform, and while the crowd eagerly waited for the arrival of the performers (by train, of course), volunteers and peace officers held caution tape in place to make sure all observers remained safe.

A packed platform

The show, in a word, was spectacular. The singers used the circular benches as their stage, and in their gorgeous Natasha Lazarovic gowns (it was as much a fashion show as an opera performance), colours reflecting on the mirrored panels surrounding them, it was a sight to see.

Arriving by train

Stunning

The acoustics were better than expected, and the live musicians that accompanied them elevated the show even more. When trains full of passengers drove past, their aghast and puzzled expressions were priceless – these kinds of things don’t happen in Edmonton, do they?

Encore

When the operascape was over, the performers left as they came – on the train. The void they left was palpable – we didn’t know what to do with ourselves! There should have been an after party to capture the buzz and energy in the air.

Congratulations to Mercury Opera for a fabulous event. I look forward to seeing what they come up with next!

You can read Mack’s post on the event here (including videos of the performance), and take a look at his photo set here.

Pyrohy Gluttony: St. John’s Cultural Centre

I’d heard tell that churches across town regularly served up perogies to the carb-starved masses, but I’d never attended one of these pyrohy suppers myself. Until tonight.

After work, a few of my coworkers headed to St. John’s Cultural Centre, within walking distance of the office, to stuff ourselves silly. St. John’s, like many others around Edmonton (including St. Andrew’s and St. Basil’s), offers these suppers on a monthly basis as a regular fundraising opportunity.

I’m not sure why I thought these suppers were a well-kept secret, but given how full the room was that night, it was clear this was a monthly tradition for many. Several tables were reserved, and others were filled with large parties who looked like regulars. And with wine at just $20 a bottle, it was easily one of the cheapest happy hour options in the city.

Not a well-kept secret

For $12 ($10 for seniors and $6 for children aged 6-12), we dined, all-you-can-eat-style, on two kinds of perogies, sauerkraut, roasted pork and Caesar salad. A separate table contained all of the usual perogy fixings – sour cream, bacon bits and (wait for it) sautéed onions in melted butter. I was in love.

Leigh, Sam and Elise load up

The perogies were just what I was looking for – the homemade dough makes all the difference. When we have perogies (from frozen, of course) at home, we typically pan-fry them in butter, but in this case, it would have masked the wonderful texture of the skin. The cottage cheese filling was good, but the potato and onion was definitely my favourite. . The roasted pork on my first go-around was moist and shredded ever so easily, but was a bit dry on my second run.

Plate #1

Dessert and coffee was also available for those who still had room. None of us indulged, partly because of the unidentified nature of the cake, but mostly because that second plate of perogies was probably a mistake.

Dessert

The next few pyrohy suppers at St. John’s are scheduled for December 16, January 27 and February 24. Start thinking about those stretchy pants now!

St. John’s Cultural Centre
10611 110 Avenue
(780) 425-9692

A Christmas Fête at the Queen of Tarts

We’re nearly a month away from Christmas, and with American Thanksgiving now out of the way, I think it’s now appropriate to pull out the decorations to start making merry at home. It was also perfect timing for a Christmas fête at the Queen of Tarts.

Sparking wine and sparkling lights

There’s a lot to celebrate at the Queen of Tarts – this will be their first Christmas at the storefront, and the space will allow the Queen of Tarts to have a greater selection of pantry gifts (including a special Greek olive oil called Parthena – pure and cold-pressed, a sample yielded a light, fruity quality, and a flavour that made it good enough to drink). They will even be putting together baskets to make it easy for the harried shopper!

Gifts for the pantry

Parthena Greek olive oil

The cafe is also kicking off regular dinner service on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights starting on December 1st. And of course, special seasonal items will now start to appear in the bakery cases!

All decked out for the holidays

This evening’s open house was intended as a showcase for these delights, an opportunity to sample both sweet and savoury treats that will be offered over the next few weeks.

The Queen herself, Linda Kearney

Alongside a glass of sparkling wine, we were invited to try nearly ten different delectable desserts and appetizers that any hostess would be proud to serve. Among the more traditional sweets were mincemeat tarts, fruitcake and stollen (the latter was already packaged and ready for patrons to pick up).

Fruitcake and mincemeat tarts

Stollen

The palmiers, a delicate savoury cookie made from buttery puff pastry, simply melted in my mouth. The olive tapenade was a sophisticated addition. As well, mini brioche buns stuffed with mushroom duxelle were also a new item, a wonderful two-bite hors d’oeuvre with the earthiness of the mushrooms (I loved that the shallots retained their crunch) and a touch of sweetness.

Palmiers

Mini brioche buns and Mack’s favourite gougères

One cannot pass up the dessert tray at the Queen of Tarts, and tonight was no exception. The sinfully rich brownies are always a crowd favourite, but the seasonal gingerbread Bundt cakes held their own. I’m not much of a ginger fan, but I enjoyed them, won over by their moist and fragrant interior.

Thunder brownies

Gingerbread Bundt cakes

A big change is coming though – as you may have heard, the Queen of Tarts had organized a contest earlier this fall to help them pick a new name. Linda has finally settled on “Dauphine”, which is the French term for the Queen in waiting. Look for a launch of their new identity soon.

Thanks again to Linda and her staff for hosting the festive open house – it definitely helped get me in the mood for Christmas!

Queen of Tarts Bakery & Bistro
10129 104 Street
(780) 421-4410
Tuesday -Friday 9am-7pm, Saturday 8am-6pm

Not on Meatless Mondays: Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse

Over dinner at the Harvest Room in October, Mack and I had the opportunity to get to know Mandy and her boyfriend Ajit a little more – turns out, they love food as much as we do! We already knew Mandy’s brother Miles from working with him on What the Truck?! over the summer (they run The Lingnan together, with the rest of their family). So when Mandy suggested the lot of us should get together for dinner, we thought it was a great idea.

We proposed Pampa as a venue – it was new to nearly everyone, while my only experience was at lunch. At the time, I had thought the restaurant would be more conducive for the dinner hour, when patrons have the ability to linger and take in the food at their own pace. That night, with a cocktail in hand and good company at the table, Pampa did seem to have more opportunity shine after dark.

Interior

On a cool Tuesday night, our table was the first party to be seated that evening. This proved to be both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the upside: we were the first to access the salad bar that night, which meant we had our choice of the extensive selection of green, vegetable, pasta and grain salads and cold platters (some of the bowls were empty on my last visit). Notable for me this time was the balsamic honey reduction dressing.

Salad bar

Mack’s never happy about having to eat vegetables

Compli

mentary appetizers (the cassava fries were particularly delectable)

On the downside: the kitchen was clearly prepared to handle a much larger initial rush than they received that night. As a result, the severs descended, fast and furiously, on on our table with cuts approaching at such a rapid pace that all we could do was buckle down and eat. This explains the lack of meat photos to follow.

“Keep it coming” and “stop the pain”

On the other hand, with such quick succession of the eight or so options we had at our disposal that night, we were easily able to pick out which were our favourites. The house made pork sausage elicited rounds of approval (and calls for seconds), as did the bacon-wrapped chicken thigh. Both were so tender and cooked perfectly. I very much enjoyed the bottom round and its charcoal-tinged crust (it made me wish they had the salt-crusted picanha I liked so much on my last visit on rotation).

Bacon-wrapped chicken thigh

The group appreciated the parmesan pork, at its centre a moist medium rare, and the lamb, so juicy it literally left its mark on the table as it was being carved. The only type that didn’t go over well was the garlic steak – tough and hard to eat, it seemed as if the garlic was used to mask the poor quality of the cut. But for the most part, Pampa did honour meat in many incarnations with its preparation, technique, and flair.

We opted to try a few of the desserts – the manjar de coco didn’t quite meet Miles’ expectation of a crème caramel, while the passionfruit mousse wasn’t actually the star on its plate – the melt-in-your-mouth meringue took that prize.

Manjar de coco

Passionfruit mousse

Given the price of our dinner was upwards of $75 a person ($44.95 without drinks or dessert), we were a little disappointed with the service that night. Our server wasn’t subtle about pushing the liquor (reminding us numerous times about being able to cork and carry out bottles), at the expense of refilling water glasses. She also disappeared at various points that evening, including one long absence in between our plates having been cleared and wanting to order dessert. On the bright side, she did manage to scrounge up the lone plate of pineapple that was left in the restaurant. Mandy had heard from a friend that the pineapple at Pampa was great, but was told early on that evening that pineapple wasn’t available that day. Needless to say, Mandy left a happier customer (and, as she said, better able to digest dinner).

The elusive pineapple!

Before we left, we were very fortunate to receive a tour of the kitchen from owner Oscar Lopez (Mack and I were lucky to slip in alongside Miles). It was great to talk to him and get some background on Pampa. It was clear he is passionate about the rodizio concept, and pioneering such a restaurant in Edmonton.

Most fascinating to me were the grills – even standing five feet away, the heat was unbearable; I couldn’t imagine having to tend to the charcoal and wood, which reaches temperatures of 500 – 750F, over the busy dinner hour.

The grill (notice the intense sprinklers above)

We learned that the three tiers on the grill were used for different purposes – the skewers on the top level would be kept warm, the middle was used for slow-cooking the meats, and the lowest setting would cook things quickly. We asked Oscar about the segment on The Opener that showed the restaurant offering a seafood option – he said this was set up by the show for filming, and was never something he intended to continue with. Part of it had to do with expense, but given the heat emanating from the charcoal, seafood would cook much too quickly.

How do the skewers turn, you ask? Magic gears!

Oscar also showed us the heavy-duty air filter at the back of the house, which filters 6000 cubic feet per minute, necessary because of the continuous charcoal and wood burned in the kitchen. On a few occasions early in the restaurant’s history, a clogged filter meant the smoke drifted rather uncomfortably into the dining area.

What’s standing between charcoal and the dining room

While Pampa is usually busy over dinner, Oscar said that lunches have been slow. I had to wonder if a part of it had to do with the “buffet mentality” – that diners must feel like they ate their fill in order to deem that they received value for their dollar. Or, for some business persons, the idea of being interrupted every few minutes with a meat offering, stifling the flow of conversation, is a turn-off.

It’s hard to think that Pampa could be unsuccessful in beef-crazed Alberta. But from our own experience, it is a restaurant that for its price and promotion of gluttony, is very much relegated to special occasions and infrequent returns. Still, there is a place for it, and one that I hope more Edmontonians will discover. Thanks again to Miles for dinner – we hope to do it again some time!

A satisfied party

Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse
9929 – 109 Street
(780) 756-7030
Lunch: Mon – Fri 11:30am – 1:30pm; Dinner: Monday-Friday 5-10pm; Saturday 3-10pm; closed Sundays

2011 Holiday Light Up on Churchill Square

The annual Holiday Light Up on Churchill Square is something I don’t like to miss, even if the weather is less than conducive for an outdoor event! Mack and I braved the cold to partake in this annual tradition.

Cold!

Earlier in the afternoon though, I trekked down to the Square to pick up some groceries from the City Market. As with the previous two Saturdays, to help tie the Market into the day’s festivities, a third of the vendors were set-up in a tent on Churchill Square.

City Market outdoors

Though I thought this location was a boon to the vendors last year, it was a much different picture then, as it was easily about twenty degrees warmer than it was today. One of the two heaters stopped working an hour in this morning, something that didn’t bode well for those positioned in that half of the tent. Over in City Hall, however, it was very pleasant, with musicians livening up the atmosphere. Many shoppers were asking about which vendors were in the Square, but didn’t seem willing to step outside to explore them firsthand. I wonder if some clear signage with a map of vendors would have been an incentive to do so? Or, because of the weather, simply have allowed all of the vendors to remain inside the Hall?

Later that evening, Mack met up with me and we sipped hot coffee in anticipation of the light-up and fireworks. Closer to 5pm, the crowd swelled to a few hundred – it’s always heartening to see Edmontonians embracing outdoor activities.

Stilt walkers wandered into the crowd

After a few Christmas songs to warm up the crowd, Eskimo cheerleaders and Councillor Jane Batty welcomed Santa Claus himself up on stage (it was pretty amusing when Councillor Batty expressed to Santa that “one or two Councillors” will be receiving coal this Christmas).

On a break from the North Pole

I was a bit disappointed that the organizers opted not to use the giant light switch that they have in the past, but counting down to the light-up itself was still a great time. The 71 foot white spruce, weighing 8000 pounds, had been donated by Millar Western. Decorations included 14,000 LED lights, sparklers and snowglobes, about 4,000 more than last year.

Tree

I look forward to the fireworks spectacle every year, primarily because it is the only show in our city that is timed to music. I wonder if it was the cold that impacted the execution of the fireworks this year, because something delayed them this time around, which meant that they didn’t end up accompanying the music. We still enjoyed them though – fireworks are always a great way to kick off the holiday season!

Fireworks

Знакомства
The tree will be around to view until early January. Make sure to check it out when you have a chance!

Paninis in the ‘Park: Fresh Healthy Cafe

Grandma Male is always game to try new restaurants with us, so we knew she’d be up to catch up over dinner at Fresh Healthy Cafe, a new soup and sandwich joint in Sherwood Park.

I first heard about this international chain on City and Dale, in a post written up by Tracey Hill (who, with her weekly contributions about the happenings in the ‘Park, is helping to change perceptions about the town, bedroom community or not). At first glance, it seemed to be very similar to Edmonton’s Health Fare, with its focus on providing nourishing and balanced meals for time-crunched individuals. We were curious to see what the restaurant was like in person.

Interior

The name aside (it reads like it should be Fresh and Healthy Cafe), the strip mall storefront was bright and clean. The local artwork on the walls were a nice touch (Giselle Denis’ floral portraits would brighten up any space). I also appreciated the open kitchen; it is always reassuring when diners can see their food being prepared.

Artwork

The menu options were even fewer than Health Fare, limited to sandwiches, salads and soups. There were ten panini options (all priced at $7.49), all of which could be made into a wrap or turned into a salad. Mack and Grandma Male decided on the turkey bacon avocado, with turkey breast, turkey bacon, cheddar, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and low-fat ranch dressing. I ordered the very similar turkey club, with turkey breast, smoked ham, turkey bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and the same ranch dressing.

Turkey bacon avocado panini

There is no doubt that Fresh is generous with its ingredients – the sandwiches were just bursting. I liked that they had been lightly pressed, but given the filling amount and the runny consistency of the dressing, a thicker focaccia would have been ideal. But as a whole, we all enjoyed the sandwiches.

Turkey bacon club panini

Because Fresh had a smoothie menu longer than its food menu, we knew we’d have to try their drinks as well, with eighteen options (medium $4.79, large $5.99) to choose from, not including the freshly squeezed juice, juice blends, and optional fortifiers. We sampled the pomegranate punch (pomegranate-blueberry juice, non-fat frozen yogurt, blueberries, strawberries), Caribbean splash (passion-orange-guava juice, mango sorbet, mangos, strawberries) and strawberry banana supreme (strawberry juice, raspberry sorbet, strawberries, bananas). I thought the addition of frozen yogurt to a smoothie was inspired – it was a great thickener, with the side bonus of turning the drink into a dessert of sorts. Together with the paninis, we were content with the meal.

Smoothies

Although we had a pleasant experience at Fresh, we agreed that it was a bit out of the way for us to satisfy a sandwich craving. However, if we were in the area (or a resident of Sherwood Park looking for something new to try), we would return again.

Fresh Healthy Cafe
#82, 4005 Clover Bar Road, Sherwood Park
(780) 570-5950

2011 Olde Time Fair on the Square

It wasn’t an overly warm day, but in spite of the overcast conditions, the weather was conducive to the outdoor Olde Time Fair on the Square festivities.

Churchill Square

While it may not have been as bustling as last week’s River City Round Up Kick-Off, organizers made up for it with spirit (the DJ in particular was energetic), and fire.

Retro fire and police vehicles on display

Mack loves a good fire pit

There was a whole host of activities for children, including carnival games, arts and crafts, wagon rides and the always-coveted balloon animals.

Games

Similar to last week, food vendors were also on hand to feed the hungry hoards, most of which didn’t seem to mind the slight chill. Still, we had to wonder why the City didn’t bring out the heat lamps on this occasion to keep the seating area warm, especially given they already had staff manning the fire pits.

Vendors

For whatever reason, the City Market had been split up in half. Some vendors were inside the heated tent located right on Churchill Square, while others were located in their usual home. Again, signage wasn’t great in pointing shoppers to City Hall, but given how busy it was inside the City Room, perhaps word of the year-round market is picking up steam after all.

Inside the City Market tent

It’s hard not to be drawn to Doef’s display at City Hall

Doef’s has the right to these heart-shaped cucumber moulds in Canada – expect to see these special cucumbers everywhere leading up to Valentine’s Day

Before we left, we took a picture of the Christmas tree that will be lit up at next Saturday’s event – hope to see you there!

Christmas tree

2011 River City Round Up: Food, Festivities and the City Market

Though we were disappointed that there was no cattle drive at this year’s River City Round Up kick-off, it’s always a treat to watch horses walking through the streets of downtown Edmonton.

Last Saturday, Mack and I watched the parade on a crisp fall day. The crowds were modest, though I think most people were situated closer to Churchill Square.

The wee donkey near the start of the procession was hard to beat, but it was clear all of the participants were having a blast. I also loved hearing the sound of hoofs against the pavement, the clip-clop that echoed down the block.

The rear cavalry

Churchill Square was party central, with a stage set-up alongside vendors and food trucks.

Inflatable welcome

It’s only a bull

Drift had created a sandwich just for the event – Nature’s Green Acres braised beef with a house-made whisky BBQ sauce and crispy onions ($7.50). It was delicious, and if I had the opportunity to try it a few more times, might become my favourite Drift sandwich!

Braised beef sandwich from Drift

The Lingnan Express was also on hand (if you’re curious about how the truck came to be, check out this episode of The Quon Dynasty online). We hung out with Miles and Ajit for a bit inside, and warmed up with a sample of their won ton soup. The broth in particular was great – Miles said thirty chicken carcasses went into the soup!

Miles loves kettle corn

Towards City Hall, there were pony and wagon rides, crafts and balloons for kids, and even square dancing!

Pony rides

The City Market was going on, as usual, inside City Hall. It seemed busier than usual, no doubt the beneficiary of all of the festivities outside. It was great to have Martin Kerr on hand to set the tone inside – his voice does wonders of bringing the street to the hall.

City Room

We were able to pick up some of what we needed, but what is still lacking is produce (Kuhlmann’s, Doef’s Greenhouses, Greens, Eggs and Ham, and Steve & Dan’s were on hand last week). I recognize that it is a chicken-egg argument, and that a consistent customer base is needed to support more vendors (and we reside in a northern climate where produce selection in general in the winter months will be limited), but the selection isn’t great. I will be patient, knowing it will take time to grow the year-round component of the City Market, and hopefully others will be as well.

This was the first of three Saturdays where Churchill Square will be the hub of activity – tomorrow will see the Olde Time Fair on the Square, and next week, possibly my favourite Christmas event in the city – the Holiday Light Up on the Square. See you there!

You can take a look at Mack’s photo set here.

Restaurant Relaunch: Harvest Room at the Hotel MacDonald

On October 17, 2011, the Harvest Room at the Hotel MacDonald reopened after a nine-month hiatus. The space had to be meticulously repaired after extensive water damage to the ceiling, but the closure also meant that Executive Chef Andrew Ihasz had ample time and space to revamp the menu and locate local producers to source certain items. Mack and I were fortunate enough to have been invited to a media dinner two weeks ago to help celebrate the relaunch.

Place setting

It was obvious that all of the staff were proud of their restaurant, but what surprised me the most was the serving length of the wait staff. A majority had worked at the hotel for over a decade; that kind of dedication and loyalty seems rare in the hospitality industry.

It’s always a privilege to be asked to attend such an event, especially because the chefs are usually on hand to introduce each of the dishes. I relish the opportunity to listen to chefs describe the genesis behind combining certain ingredients, or the inspiration behind a particular dish. Although Chef Ihasz did mention his affinity for crab (given his last Fairmont posting was in San Francisco), I found that the storytelling was lacking that night.

That said, the food was solid. Well-prepared, fit for the season, and items like lobster and crab notwithstanding, skewed towards local. We also appreciated that the producers’ names were highlighted on the menu.

The Sunworks Farm chicken & cognac parfait was not a dish I would have been likely to order on my own, but I was happy to have tried it – so smooth, each bite spread on the toasted brioche topped with the sweet berry chutney and crisp microgreens was perfect. This dish featured Mack’s favourite wine pairing, a Chateau de Sancerre.

Chicken & cognac parfait

I could see the Dungeness crab salad becoming a favourite on the menu – beautifully plated in a layered fashion showcasing the avocado, oven-roasted tomatoes and frisee, it was surprisingly light. Lemon was prominent (even with a bit of preserved peel on top) and I relished the variety of textures throughout.

Dungeness crab salad

I’m a sucker for dishes that serve an ingredient in more than one way, so I knew I would be biased towards the roasted Innisfail lamb rack. The lamb had been cooked to a succulent, tender rare, and the crispy lamb shank and basil cannelloni was a nice starchy counterpoint. Of note – the eggplant and mint tian was cooked well, worth mentioning given eggplant is a vegetable often overdone.

Lamb rack and crispy lamb shank and basil cannelloni

Mack’s Sunworks Farm chicken roulade was quite generous. As a whole, it’s always interesting to see the interpretation of the chicken main on the menu, given it is typically the “go-to” for fussy diners. Chef Ihasz’s version incorporated a moist sage stuffing, and an underbelly of lentils which Mack quite enjoyed.

Chicken roulade

Lobster ravioli (the third alternating entree)

I was keeping my fingers crossed that my alternating dessert would end up being the delice of chocolate, and my wish came true (it felt a little like getting to sample several desserts on the same plate). Funny enough, what I liked most on the plate was actually the peanut butter ice cream, creamy and full of flavour. If they sold it curbside, I’d line up! The chocolate coulant (a molten cake) was wonderfully consistent, albeit rich, and was my favourite of the chocolate trio which also included a mousse and brownie.

Delice of chocolate

Mack’s pot de crème of Fairmont Earl Grey tea and orange was comforting, though the star of his dessert was also an unlikely candidate – the accompanying lavender shortbread cookies.

Pot de crème

I do hope people rediscover the Harvest Room now that it is open for business again. It is an institution in Edmonton, and for good reason. Their attention to detail that night meant that nothing was overlooked; service was flawless. Thanks again to the staff of the Harvest Room and the Hotel MacDonald for their generosity and hospitality.

Harvest Room at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald
10065 100 Street
780-424-5181

Meet Me in Mississippi: Blue Chair Cafe

Edmonton may be descending towards winter, but the temperature outdoors was far from everyone’s minds at the Blue Chair Cafe on Friday. For two nights, the restaurant was transformed into a juke joint, with blues artist Kat Danser at the helm (or as Kat put it, a “Saskatchewan bush party with a roof”). Mack, Jill and I had made reservations several weeks back; the Blue Chair had not only sold out both nights, but had enough people on the waiting list for a third show (Kat’s actually up for the New Artist of the Year with Canada’s Maple Blues Awards – you can be a part of the online vote here).

Kat Danser

The show was great – we had seen Kat at the Arden Theatre last year, but the intimacy of this venue better conveyed the spirit of and the imagery in her lyrics for me. Of course, it helped that we had front row seats!

A juke joint stage

The Blue Chair is also a noteworthy venue in itself – it’s nice when one doesn’t have to compromise good food and table service for live music, or vice versa. I had ordered off the regular menu last time, so with Jill’s encouragement, Mack and I both decided to try the specials on this occasion. It wasn’t a difficult decision, given the chef had put together some Mississippi-inspired dishes just for Kat’s two night engagement.

Mack’s spicy BBQ pork back ribs ($26) were fall-off-the-bone, with the chipotle BBQ sauce providing a nice balance between sweetness and heat. Though the kitchen had been generous with the meat portion, Mack was left wishing for more of the roasted sweet potatoes underneath.

Spicy BBQ pork back ribs (thanks to Jill’s flashlight app we actually have bright photos!)

Jill and I had both opted to have the Cajun blackened snapper ($26). We were surprised, however, when the snapper arrived without its promised blackened preparation. Although it tasted fine, we wanted to know what had happened, so asked our waitress if the kitchen had to deviate from the menu. The explanation? “The pan wasn’t hot enough.” Why did the kitchen still send it out? Thankfully, the jambalaya underneath, replete with shrimp, tasty sausage and perfectly cooked rice, somewhat made up for the poorly executed fish.

Cajun blackened snapper with jambalaya

Dessert was also better. Mack enjoyed his carrot cake ($9), though he could have done without the seeds inside. Jill and I split the chocolate pate ($10) – this, unlike the snapper, lived up to its menu description: “If Barry White’s voice was a dessert…”. Incredibly smooth, this decadent dish is easily one of the best sweet endings I’ve had to a meal in a while. The touch of pomegranate was the perfect finishing touch, helping to cut through some of the richness by adding a fruity burst to each bite.

Carrot cake

Chocolate pate

Mack and I had a great time at the Blue Chair – there’s no better way to kick off a weekend than good food, music and friends! If you’re interested – check out the Blue Chair’s live music and event calendar here.

Blue Chair Cafe
9624 – 76 Avenue
(780) 989 – 2861
Wednesday – Saturday 10am – 10pm, Sunday 10am – 8pm

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