A Spectator Weekend with the Edmonton Capitals and Eskimos

It was a bit of a coincidence that the first two sporting events Mack and I had the chance to attend this summer both fell on the same weekend, but it worked out wonderfully given how beautiful it has been these past few days. Surprisingly, the mosquitoes weren’t bad on either night.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

First up on Friday was an Edmonton Capitals game with some of my fellow Downtown Edmonton Community League members. Given we were playing the rival Calgary Vipers, we expected a larger than usual crowd, but the good weather (and promise of fireworks) also seemed to be big draws – there were over 3,000 people in the stands that night.

Play ball!

The game went pretty quick – the Caps seemed to put up a fight in the first half of the game, making a dent in the Vipers’ 4-0 lead amassed in the first inning, but in the end, they just couldn’t muster up the runs. The Capitals fell 9-6.

Captain Capital’s superpowers weren’t enough

In between innings, on-field antics kept the crowd entertained, including my favourite – a race featuring several mascots. I had no idea giant perogies (named Chee and Mo for one of the sponsors) could be so hilarious.

Mascot race

It was to be the last “Fireworks Friday” game until August 12, so we were fortunate to catch it that evening. Although Mack and I can see glimpses of the fireworks from our balcony, there was no doubt the best views are from the seats at Telus Field.

Light show

And no trip to Telus Field is complete without beer and a “gourmet” hot dog. Since The Dawg Father closed, the ballpark is the only place that I’ve come across in Edmonton that offer creative hot dogs (menu here). Mack’s Mexicali Dog ($5), topped with chili, nacho cheese, jalapenos and salsa cream was spicy, but texture wise was one-note. On the other hand, my K97 Dog ($5), with chili, cheese, fried potatoes, bacon and onions was a definite winner – I loved that they used bacon strips instead of bits, and the crispy fried potatoes made all the difference, adding a delicious salty crunch.

Mack tries his first Molson M

Mexicali and K97 Dogs

Football Frenzy

Mack’s Dad was in town again this weekend, and as Kim was able to secure us some free tickets to the Edmonton Eskimos game, we spent Saturday evening together at Commonwealth Stadium (curiously, it was the first-ever “Ladies Night”, with the first 1,000 women through the gates eligible to win a diamond ring. We didn’t arrive early enough to cash in, but we had to wonder if it was a draw at all).

All decked out in Esks gear

This was the first time we’ve ever had seats on the east-facing side of Commonwealth, and boy, does it make a difference. Protected by shade, it definitely made watching the game more pleasant.

Hanging in the shade

The Esks have been actually doing pretty well this year, undefeated at 2-0 so far. Playing the BC Lions, we were hopeful that they would continue their streak. After the first quarter, we were even more optimistic.

Ready, set, hike!

Their momentum carried the length of the game, and the Esks beat the Lions 33-17.

Touchdown fireworks

Because of how one-sided the game was, some fans had the need to find other ways to entertain themselves…such as building a pyramid out of empty beer cups.

How high can you go?

Of course, we had to indulge in some stadium food. We chose mini doughnuts (thinking they would be a nice pre-cursor to the midway fare at Capital Ex). The doughnuts were crunchier and had less cinnamon sugar coating than Those Little Donuts (our favourite), but made a decent snack.

Mini doughnuts!

Thanks again Kim for the free tickets!

City Market Report: Week 9

Hallelujah, sunshine at the City Market! It was great to see large crowds again gracing 104 Street.

Market sun seekers

Mack and I wouldn’t be stocking up on much produce because of our travels next week, so treated ourselves to a late start. I know we probably missed out on a lot (the peas at Kuhlmann’s were nearly gone, for example), but we still managed to see some of what was available this week.

Strawberries from Steve & Dan’s

Raspberries from Steve & Dan’s

Swiss chard from Green Valley Farm

There’s something so comforting about a mound of Riverbend Gardens’ fresh carrots

We loved the sign out in front of Mighty Trio Organics today – there’s no other vendor at the market that can make that claim!

Fit for a Duke and Duchess

I hope the weather holds up next week!

Epic as Always: Indulgence 2011

Every June, there is no doubt the hottest ticket in town is for Indulgence. An evening of exquisitely paired food and wine, prepared by the best chefs in town, made using fresh, local ingredients? It’s a wonder organizers don’t charge double, given the reputation this event has gained over the past eleven years.

Entertainment

I was fortunate enough to have been given a free ticket this year, though we did purchase a ticket for Mack. Even better, we were let into the ballroom at the Delta Hotel a half hour before the doors officially opened – for that reason, perusing each of the stations this year felt much more relaxed and well-paced than in the past (Mack also attributed our stress-free evening to the fact that we now don’t sweat it if we can’t make it to every station).

Slow but steady

There were also some changes and additions that we really liked. First off, the forks were plant-based instead of the awkward wooden utensils (they were never able to pierce food in the way that they should have). Second, restaurants and producers were displaying banners all over the room, making it easier to identify stations (and of course, heighten brand recognition). Lastly, we noticed that more restaurants were handing out coupons this year. Really, Indulgence (like any other tasting event) should be a starting point, not the end, so I’m hopeful that the promise of discounts really helps drive new business through their doors.

Banners

Before the event really got going, Mary Bailey made a special announcement. Indulgence will be donating $26,000 to NAIT to start the Slow Food Edmonton Bursary. The annual $1500 bursary will “be available to NAIT culinary grads to fund a stage at a farm, vineyard or in locovore restaurants and purveyors. Not only does the bursary aim to encourage culinary alumni’s personal and professional knowledge of and connection with farm to table gastronomy, but it also continues the serious work of Indulgence — introducing farmers to chefs to continue growing our unique Northern Alberta gastronomic culture.” Given this is Mary’s last year of being directly involved in Indulgence, I can only imagine that this was something that she has envisioned for some time. I’m also sure Mary is now on to bigger and better things – thanks for your dedication to this event over the past decade!

Mary hands off a cheque to Louise Charron of NAIT Awards

As for the food, we tried almost all eighteen dishes. In the past, most stations have been pretty stringent on collecting tabs from the Indulgence program (which helps them enforce the one-dish-per-person rule), but this year, because some of the table numbers were incorrect, we found most were lax on this aspect. As a result, it was a little easier for diners to navigate stations (juggling a wine glass, plate, and booklet are difficult enough), but it also meant certain stations ran out of food an hour into the event.

Busy ballroom

One of our favourite dishes of the night was the Red Ox Inn’s slow-braised Irvings Farm Fresh pork shoulder on a carrot risotto cake and citrus jam. Given the line-up around the night, I’d say it was a crowd favourite also. The pork just melted in your mouth, set off by the crispiness of the cake. It was so good, I am seriously considering making it at home.

Slow-braised Irvings Farm Fresh pork shoulder on a carrot risotto cake

We also loved TZiN’s cayenne-braised Belle Valley Farms alpaca with Gull Valley piperade and Riesling-chive emulsion. We haven’t really been a fan of the alpaca served at Indulgence in the past, so this was a bit of a surprise. Flavourful and tender, we were happy to hear that Kelsey was considering this dish as a special at the restaurant.

Belle Valley Farms alpaca

Of the two spring rolls served, we thought Next Act’s Progressive Foods barley pork Asian spring roll with a sweet chili sauce took the cake. I loved the texture of the barley! The spring roll also had a definite kick, but the pairing of an Alley Kat worked well as a cooling and refreshing partner. I’m also a sucker for pea tendrils, so it was no surprise I loved their accompanying salad.

Progressive Foods barley pork Asian spring roll

Delta’s own 4404 Restaurant (which has replaced Botanica), crafted a blueberry and Greens, Eggs and Ham guinea fowl spring roll. The apricot relish was nice (and in many ways, made me wonder why sticky-sweet sauces are as popular as they are), but it just didn’t have the same panache as its Next Act counterpart.

Blueberry and Greens, Eggs and Ham guinea fowl spring roll

Little Straw wines

There were also two meatballs on the menu. Niche’s Tangle Ridge lamb meatball with fried kale, slow roasted tomato sauce and pecorino cheese was Mack’s favourite. It wasn’t tender enough for my liking, but it had congruent aspects.

Tangle Ridge lamb meatball

Wild Tangerine’s Amberlane Farm elk meatball stuffed with pecorino was probably the most gorgeous plate at Indulgence. The meatball was moist, and the chickpea puree was one of those wonders that tasted more like potato than legume to us. But it was a little difficult to eat, and made us appreciate dishes made with stand-up dining in mind.

Amberland Farm elk meatball stuffed with pecorino

The Marc had created a Four Whistle Farm duck sausage with red wine and roasted garlic, crème fraiche on a crouton. The sausage had great flavour, but it had a similar problem as the previous dish – it was oily and difficult to finish in one bite.

Four Whistle Farm duck sausage

A second crostini by NAIT School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts had great potential – Doef’s Greenhouse grilled zucchini, bell pepper and onion with tomato & sherry vinaigrette on grilled baguette with pecorino cheese (they had the best display at Indulgence!). But the bread had sat too long, and was much too hard to eat.

Ice sculpture

Beautiful display

Doef’s Greenhouse grilled zucchini, bell pepper and onion with vinaigrette on baguette

To me, the most interesting dish was L2 Grill’s “compressed” Japanese Spring Creek Ranch barbecued short rib with Alberta honey glaze and sake, sunamono broth. It was clear Chef Chartrand had wanted layers of flavour, and intended interplay of sweet and salty. Unfortunately, although the beef was prepared well, the broth was much too salty. We saw many an unfinished bowl on the sidelines.

Chef Chartrand

“Compressed” Japanese Spring Creek Ranch barbecued short rib

4th and Vine featured Nature’s Green Acres beef shank, braised in a red wine stock. It was a tasty few bites, with enough sauce to hold it all together.

Nature’s Green Acres beef shank

We had tried Hundred Bar & Kitchen’s modern scrapple a few weeks back, but didn’t expect them to actually serve the dish at Indulgence. I think most sane people would decide against cracking and cooking four hundred quail’s eggs. I should have thought more of them.

Modern scrapple with slow cooked Full Course Strategies pork, braised bacon, quails egg, micro green salad and smoked ancho-pepper tomato aioli

Similarly, Lux’s watermelon, toasted sesame and Hog Wild boar bacon with micro cilantro and honey citrus vinaigrette was also familiar to us. Again, I was reminded that all it takes is some bacon to make watermelon bearable for me.

Watermelon, toasted sesame and Hog Wild boar bacon

It occurred to us that your enjoyment of certain dishes is entirely influenced by when over the course of the evening you try them. One good example was Cafe de Ville’s Texas BBQ bison brisket served with a slaw. The brisket was smoky and pretty tasty, but what we particularly gravitated towards was the crisp, sweet cabbage. It was the first bit of produce to break our fog of meat, and thus, was refreshing. We were certain that if we had tried the same dish earlier in the night, we wouldn’t have had the same reaction.

Texas BBQ Bison brisket

Madison’s Grill had made a Berry Ridge Orchard Saskatoon berry and black pepper cheesecake. Mack liked the cake because it wasn’t too heavy, but could have done without the Saskatoon spaghetti – it had a texture that didn’t appeal to him.

Berry Ridge Orchard Saskatoon berry and black pepper cheesecake

As usual, Indulgence provided great food, drink, and venue for socializing. If you didn’t make it this year, be sure to mark it on your calendar for 2012 – you won’t be disappointed!

Sturgeon County Bounty on Canada Day

Mack and I are creatures of habit, so for the past few years, it is no surprise that we haven’t changed up our Canada Day tradition of downtown fireworks…and nothing else.

This year, we were extended an invitation to check out the Sturgeon County Bounty, an event that was a part of the Canada Day festivities held at the Edmonton Garrison. Although the festival was first developed for the military families living on the base, it has now evolved into a full-scale community party, with residents of all surrounding townships participating.

Until we arrived, we really weren’t aware of the scope of the event. It. Was. Massive. The parking lot was filled to the brim, having transported literally thousands of people to the site (someone told us that 20,000 people were estimated to attend this year).

At the Garrison

Walking through the grounds, we discovered quickly why it was so popular – there was something for everyone. From musical acts to street hockey to an RV and vintage car show, the festivities were spread out over many acres, and yet, still had a small-town feel to it all.

Street hockey

The family area was absolutely packed, excited children lined up for face painting, old-fashioned carnival games, and amusement rides (tea cups! ponies!).

Childrens’ area

Tubs of fun!

Of course, the main attraction for us was the food, so we headed straight for the tents at the far end of the site. The vendors were equally busy, and one had to think the short serving period of 11am-2:30pm might have had something to do with it.

Tents

Because we were guests, we were lucky enough to skip the ticket line-up, and received 30 tickets (valued at $1 each) to spend as we wanted. Most items were in the 4 to 6 ticket range, although there were some steals to be had for just 1 ticket (you can see the menu here).

Delicious cookies made with Mack’s favourite no-nuts peabutter (and at 3 for 1 ticket, they were the best deal we found)

This was the second Sturgeon County Bounty ever organized. The first took place last October at the Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm, but was much smaller in scope (and, focused on the fall harvest, highlighted goods made with pumpkin). The objective of the event is to showcase area producers and food processors, such as Rose Ridge Land and Cattle, based in Thorhild.

Although each tent had a menu tacked up, it faced inside, making it difficult to see from a distance. Combined with the lack of individual paper menus (a nod to the environment?) made browsing the options a literal exercise. I liked that each producer had official Sturgeon County Bounty information cards available (similar to the ones distributed at Sip! last year), but as a takeaway, a single summary sheet combined with menu items would have been more efficient. On the environmentally-friendly front, especially given the volume, I would hope they consider plant-based cutlery and plates next year.

The lines weren’t for the faint of heart

We started out with a slice of perogy pizza, a fruity chicken skewer and stuffed mushrooms from Don’s Steak and Seafood Bistro. The pizza was quite good – all the fixings of a perogy (potato, sour cream, green onions)on a decent crust . The skewer, not so much, dry and flavourless as it was. The mushrooms were okay, though the stuffing of chicken and vegetables wasn’t prominent through the breading.

Pizza, chicken and stuffed mushrooms

I really liked the alpaca burger from Belle Valley Farms – I probably wouldn’t have known it was alpaca if not for the sign. And paired with the saskatoon jam, it would be an excellent way to introduce others to this lesser-known local protein.

Alpaca burger

We easily waited forty minutes for Rafter 2M’s beef sliders. They were definitely not worth the wait (nor could we figure out why they couldn’t push the food out any faster), but were tasty enough.

Mack wasn’t impressed with the wait for his beef slider

The shortcake from Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm was summer on a plate. The berries and rhubarb were fresh, just starting to seep their juices, and combined with a touch of whipped cream and doughy biscuit, was perfect on that sunny, summer day.

Shortcake with strawberries, rhubarb and saskatoons

The saksatoon sorbet from Berry Ridge Orchard was equally memorable. It was a little creamier and thicker than sorbets I am used to, but it was delicious.

Saskatoon sorbet

Elaine from Allium Foodworks was also on hand to do a cooking demo at the event. We sampled some of the alpaca meatballs she had on hand, coated with the most amazing sauce.

Elaine cooking up a storm

Before we left, we were treated to quite the show in the sky. Pilots showed off their deft flying skills, much to the delight of the crowd.

Is it a bird? No, it’s a plane!

Drinking in the sunshine

Thanks to the Sturgeon County Bounty for the invitation! It was great to discover such an amazing event right in our own backyard!

The next Bounty event is scheduled for October 1, 2011. Check the website for more details.

City Market Report: Week 8 (and Taste 118…sort of)

I thought I had popped down to the City Market at an opportune time this morning, finding a fortuitous break in the clouds. Well, it lasted all of several minutes, then the rain returned.

More grey

That seems to be the norm so far this year – I can only hope things get better from here, otherwise the market won’t achieve the same kind of banner attendance numbers that they did in 2010.

On the plus side, the rain does mean shoppers don’t necessarily have to be early birds in order to have a good selection (I was able to get the last box of strawberries from Sundog Organics at 11!). And, it was a very good week for vegetables.

Gorgeous herbs at Sundog Organics

Field grown tomatoes from Sundog Organics

Garlic scapes from Sundog Organics

Peas, glorious peas at Kuhlmann’s

Dill from Kuhlmann’s

A variety of lettuces at Kuhlmann’s

Broccoli at Green Valley Farm

Vibrant carrots from Riverbend Gardens

Kohlrabi from Riverbend Gardens

The Filipino festival was supposed to take place today, rain or shine, and we did hear some music later that morning, but I can imagine performing in the downpour would not have been pleasant. Here’s hoping there’s more market conducive weather next week!

Afterwards, Mack and I hopped on the train and headed to Alberta Avenue for the Taste 118 event. The event was to encourage visitors to explore the great restaurants in the neighbourhood, in addition to perusing sidewalk retail set-ups on a festive afternoon. Due to the rain, however, the event was cancelled – unfortunate and curious, given most of the activities would have been indoors anyway (the Highlands Street Festival last year went on regardless of the downpour, and the weather most definitely encouraged people to take refuge, and thus browse shops). Taste 118 may be rescheduled for next Saturday, but keep your eyes on the Facebook page to be sure.

Taste 118 poster

Still, the promise of the event got us down to Battista’s Calzones, which seemed to be the catch-all for other wanderers also hoping for good eats.

Full house

It was Mack’s first time at the restaurant (though I’ve brought him leftover calzones in the past). His first calzone served hot out of the oven lived up to the hype – success!

Delicious!

We found Liv behind the counter too, serving up samples of biscotti and cookies. She will be selling her products out of Battista’s – perfect for those looking for a sweet ending after their lunch. The Nutella biscotti I tried was fantastic – best of luck, Liv, with your venture!

Liv and Battista

We also sampled some of Baconhound’s homemade Baileys – there’s nothing more festive than a shot of liqueur on a summer afternoon.

Bottom’s up!

Hope you had an equally good Saturday!

The Summer 2011 Menu at D’Lish

D’Lish launched its new summer menu yesterday, and it is fabulous. How do I know that? Well, I was among a dozen lucky guests who were invited to a tasting preview on Tuesday (Mack was invited too, but was held up at a meeting). We were not only given the opportunity to try each dish, but to also provide some feedback as well.

Chef Jason Durling, fresh from cooking in Niagara, has only been at d’Lish for a month (talk about getting thrown in the fire – he started just before the Indulgence crush!). But given what we were presented with, he already has an acute understanding of the restaurant’s philosophy of clean food and seasonal ingredients.

With good wine and great food, there was no doubt the conversation would be sparkling, but I have to say, the ladies at the corner of the table where I was seated were lovely dinner companions! It was great to eat and share with Ruth Kelly of Venture Publishing and Kim Hill of Thread Hill – I think we were all on the same page, palate-wise.

The eight courses started off with a bang – a roasted heirloom tomato soupa that elicited moans of enjoyment usually reserved for mains. It was a demonstration of simple but fresh ingredients made to sing – pureed tomatoes, sweet and glorious, enhanced with a touch of creamy basil crème fraiche. The plain house-made crostinis didn’t hold up to the soup, however, bland as they were. You can be sure the kitchen will be tweaking that.

Roasted heirloom tomato soupa

After trying the teenage greens, pickles and meat, I was certain that it was a salad that even Mack wouldn’t mind ordering. Deceivingly simple, but packed with layers of flavour, it was the ideal summer salad, with a light buttermilk vinaigrette that drew raves from around the table. The pickled red onions were a nice touch, but it was the slice of salty prosciutto that helped elevate each bite.

Teenage greens, pickles and meat

I will readily admit to being defeated by the wine pairings that night, but before raising the white flag, I was able to enjoy my favourite pairing – a Botani Dry Muscat with the roasted veg and goat cheese terrine. The Muscat was crisp and light, and given I waver on goat cheese most days, the wine softened its usual tang. The plate itself was beautiful in presentation, boldly accented with a vibrant red of so-called “beet squeeze” (which turned out to taste nothing like beets…we guessed that there was a fair amount of sweetener mixed in). And unlike the earlier crostini, the bread pudding cracker served alongside the terrine was delicious – it crumbled too easily, sure, but it made up for that with its rich, buttery texture. Paired with house-made spreads, the crackers could easily make a solid starter on its own.

Roasted veg and goat cheese terrine

The three mains were served up family-style, which, in this setting, suited the table well. My favourite of the dishes was easily the marinated Alberta striploin, cooked to a perfectly pink medium rare. Meltingly tender, eaten with the brown butter forked potatoes underneath, it was a version of steak and potatoes I will be dreaming about for days to come.

Marinated Alberta striploin

The rockin risotto, made with MoNa mushrooms and topped with microgreens, was creamy and well prepared. The only minor misstep was the mushrooms didn’t accompany every bite; this will be remedied for the menu’s launch.

Our corner was disappointed with the handpicked herb roasted chicken – the meat on our platter had dried out, an inconsistency that the kitchen will be looking at. The accompaniment, however, a warm potato salad that Chef Durling described as a “bowl full of love”, was excellent. Based on his grandmother’s recipe, mustard notes were prominent. Everyone around the table couldn’t get enough of it.

The meal’s finale featured not one, but three desserts. I was most excited for the trio of ice cream sandwiches, with flavours that will change based on the availability of seasonal ingredients (stone fruits, for example, will be coming in two weeks). I tasted the snickerdoodle, made with a rhubarb ice cream. The ice cream itself was great, bursting with rhubarb flavour, but I was expecting a yielding cookie shell instead of what I found. Kim and I agreed the cookie needed to be softer or at least thinner.

Trio of ice cream sandwiches

The chocolate cherry torte, a flourless chocolate cake, complete with a ganache, was intensely rich, and made with chocoholics in mind. The non-chocoholics at the table advised that the serving size be reduced, or the layer of ganache to be thinned out. We also recommended some liqueur be added to the sauce, though my preference would have been for the cherries to have been further macerated.

The third dessert was a bit of a bonus. Leah Kinsella, who had worked at d’Lish as a sous chef the year prior, recently left the restaurant to start her own company, The Art of Macarons (e-mail here). It’s currently a home-based business, but she hopes one day to have a storefront. Leah said she had to try innumerable recipes in order to obtain that perfect texture, but based on the samples we tried, I think it was worth the effort! They were perhaps a bit too large (given macarons usually deliver a concentrated saccharine burst), but I enjoyed the lemon and apple pie flavours. Best of luck to Leah!

Macarons and chocolate cherry torte

Thanks to Amanda for the invitation and to hosting a d’licious night! I’ll be returning soon with Mack in tow to make sure he gets a taste of what he missed!

D’Lish
10418 – 124 Street
Monday-Thursday 3pm-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11am-1am, closed Sundays

Heat Up the Ave: 2011 Safe Streets and Night Market

My coworker (and all-around super citizen) Deborah and I headed to Heat Up the Ave: 2011 Safe Streets and Night Market after work on Wednesday. The original date in June had been rained out, so the rescheduled event made sure to have an indoor component in case of inclement weather (and, sadly for me, also meant the horse and buggy ride had to be cancelled). That turned out not to be necessary – yesterday was a gloriously hot summer night.

Heat Up the Ave

I’ve written before about my love of block parties – I think they provide fantastic opportunities for neighbours to meet and connect, especially vital for distressed and at-risk communities. In Central McDougall/Queen Mary Park, these informal gatherings have been used as a part of its revitalization strategy (Safe Streets was first held in June of last year, and the Night Market in August). As someone who works in Central McDougall, I am rooting for these initiatives to achieve their goals!

Tents

The Queen Mary Park Community Hall parking lot had been overtaken by tents featuring vendors, local businesses, non-profit organizations, and the Edmonton Police Service.

Deborah bought some bannock from the Creating Hope Society

Heat Up the Ave souvenir!

Live entertainment also helped set the tone, and I’m sure the music could be heard far down the street (that’s how block parties should be!).

Entertainment

It was great that a singer from Sudan was featured as well!

The community league and City of Edmonton had set up shop inside the hall, but it was clear the party was outside.

Inside the Hall

It was the perfect location for such a hot day, as a playground and spray park next to the hall were drawing many families to the area anyway. With face painting, a jumpy castle and hot dogs, kids were having a great time!

Queen Mary Park

The crowd was modest (though apparently we missed the biggest rush closer to the start of the event), but this event seemed better attended than the two last year. It was great to run into many familiar faces, and meet new ones too!

Pick-up soccer

Central McDougall will be hosting a similar event in September – here’s hoping it will be even bigger and better!

TMAC Alberta Retreat: Hotel MacDonald and Moriarty’s

A few months ago, I was asked to be a speaker at a retreat hosted by the Alberta Chapter of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), an organization made up of tourism industry professionals and journalists. I had met Susan Mate, a member of TMAC who was also on the organizing committee, last year. I had provided some information to her for an article she had written about Alberta’s culinary scene, and because of the group’s interest in food blogging, she asked if I would share my experience at the retreat.

I have done conference presentations for my day job in the past, but never about blogging. Turns out, it’s not difficult to speak about something you’re passionate about!

Speaking at the TMAC retreat

Coincidentally, they also wanted a speaker to address the topic of social media. Someone else on the conference committee had contacted Mack separately, and it was only a few days before the conference that they realized we were partners in crime, heh.

We were fortunate to be invited to join the rest of the activities that evening, arranged by Bin and Amy of the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation. We started out the night with a light reception at the Hotel MacDonald.

I had no idea the gazebo behind the hotel even existed! Apparently, it is often used for small private parties. When I commented about the number of patrons in the Confederation Lounge, hotel staff made mention of the fact that the Harvest Room had been closed since January due to ice damage, and is not set to reopen until October.

Inside the gazebo

There was a lovely spread of nibbles, but nothing I tried that night was as tasty as the saskatoon berry cocktail. It went down like Kool-Aid, and though one should have been enough, I couldn’t help myself, and had seconds.

Salmon tartare and crab cakes

Saskatoon cocktail

Next, we were split up into smaller parties for dinner at nearby restaurants, treated by EEDC. The plan was to regroup at the Winspear Centre for an Edmonton Symphony Orchestra concert. Mack and I had been assigned to Moriarty’s, one of EEDC’s partner restaurants.

The small table facilitated conversations nicely, and it was great getting to know the visitors from Calgary. Lucky for us, we even scored an introduction to Jelly Modern Doughnuts, the city’s hottest bakery, fortuitous especially because Mack would be heading down south the next week (hello, doughnuts!).

Everyone seemed to enjoy the selection of cocktails they had ordered, but I was a bit disappointed with the food. I have a soft spot for butternut squash ravioli, so was eager to try Moriarty’s version with maple cream sauce. Given it was a dish under “small plates”, I assumed that for $12 several small ravioli would be served, instead of a single large one. The filling was nice, creamy and light, but the pasta was a touch overcooked. The vanilla tulle was also an odd choice – its sweetness was off-putting.

Butternut squash ravioli

I also ordered a second small plate of meatballs ($8.50). Unlike its predecessor, this dish could easily be shared among diners. Although a puree of beets would have made more cohesive sense, the fried golden beet chips were a guilty, well-seasoned pleasure. The meatballs themselves were okay, but the sweet root beer glaze didn’t work for me, especially alongside the jarringly sour mushrooms.

Mushroom meatballs

Mack found similar inconsistencies with his chicken apple gnocchi ($19.50). He enjoyed the gnocchi, but found it much too greasy. He felt chicken breast would have worked better than chicken sausage. It also lacked an elegance expected in the restaurant’s surroundings – it could have been plated in a bowl, with some garnish, instead?

Chicken apple gnocchi

The table was saddened to find out that their premiere chocolate dessert, supplied by Duchess, was no longer available (they also weren’t able to provide us with a reason why). In its place, we ordered the French profiteroles ($10) and saskatoon and rhubarb tart ($11). The latter was the better of the two desserts, fresh and tart. The profiteroles suffered from age – a few commented that the pastry tasted dry and lacked the airiness of a good cream puff.

Saskatoon and rhubarb tart

French profiteroles

The service was solid throughout our meal, but based on past experiences, I expected the food to be better. I’d just hope for some more consistency from the kitchen next time.

Thanks again to TMAC for the invitation (and for EEDC for hosting) – I had a great time!

Moriarty’s
10154 100 Street
(780) 757-2005
Monday-Saturday 11:30am-close, closed Sunday

Upscale Casual on the Ave: Absolutely Edibles

For our final inter-agency committee meeting before the summer break, one of the groups I am involved in at work decided to have lunch together at Absolutely Edibles on 118 Avenue. I had passed by the pink stucco storefront before, but had no idea what was inside.

Absolutely Edibles is another great example of some of the hidden gems on the Avenue. In the catering business for six years, the couple behind Absolutely Edibles opened a full service restaurant this past March. It is a gorgeous space, with an interior and fixtures common in your average upscale casual joint, and not necessarily in this neighbourhood.

Interior

The menu is a large one, so in a group as diverse as ours, it would easily appeal to all appetites, with a great selection of share plates and casual entrees, including ten different burgers. Although the website claims to source a wide range of ingredients locally, I would have liked to have seen more explicit reference to which producers or businesses Absolutely Edibles has partnered with expressed on the menu.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if we were the largest party the restaurant had ever handled, as service wasn’t exactly smooth. To be fair, they were also training new staff, but at the end of our meal, left the rookie server alone to handle the payment end of things, something she had clearly never done before. I am optimistic things will improve with time, however.

Mandie and I decided to split the sweet potato skins ($6.95), and each also ordered the triple sliders ($10.95), featuring small versions of their elk, bison and kangaroo(!) burgers. It was the most popular dish around our table, as it would afford the opportunity to try several different burgers at once.

The sweet potato skins weren’t what we expected at all – I think Mandie and I both thought the dish would have been closer to a plate of cactus cut potatoes, topped with a variety of ingredients, but instead, individual sweet potato slices had been garnished with spicy cream cheese, spinach pesto and asiago. They were a bit bland, and I was hoping for a crispy underlay instead of what we received. The portion size was also small given the price.

Sweet potato skins

The burgers, on the other hand, were a better value. And though I didn’t anticipate having a full stomach with three tiny burgers, they were quite filling in the end.

Triple sliders

The elk burger was by far the best of the bunch – topped with smoked cheddar and prosciutto, it was flavourful. The kangaroo (which apparently had some beef mixed into the patty) wasn’t distinct, and though I didn’t think it was possible, the bacon that topped the burger was too crispy, to the point of being gristly in texture. Some of my colleagues around the table liked the lamb burger, which had a great concept, topped with a tzatiki sauce.

With their diverse menu and chic surroundings, I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Absolutely Edibles again. It’s a great addition to the neighbourhood, and with time, I’m sure their service will catch up to the potential of the restaurant.

Absolutely Edibles
9567A – 118 Avenue
(780) 424-6823 or (780) 477-2971
Monday – Wednesday 11am-9pm, Thursday – Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Sundays

City Market Report: Week 7

Mack and I weren’t sure we’d even get to the City Market today, as it was moving day for two of our friends. As we should have expected though, many hands make light work, so we were finished loading and unloading by the early afternoon! We made it back before closing, but it was clear the early birds snapped up most of the produce by the time we arrived.

Radishes from Sundog Organics

Cucumbers from Kuhlmann’s

The large crowd today were likely partly due to the long weekend, but also due to the fact that for the first time in three weeks, the sun shone down on the market.

Shoppers out in full force

On to next week!

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