2011 Jane’s Walk in Old Strathcona

The name Jane Jacobs is virtually synonymous with pedestrianism and vibrant communities. Even after her death, she continues to inspire new generations with her philosophy about what cities could be. One such way is through Jane’s Walks, tours done annually the first weekend of every May that gather like-minded and curious individuals together in order to explore neighbourhoods on foot:

Jane’s Walk honours the legacy and ideas of urban activist and writer Jane Jacobs who championed the interests of local residents and pedestrians over a car-centered approach to planning. Jane’s Walk often takes Jacobs’ ideas to communities unfamiliar with her ideas, in order to advance local engagement with contemporary urban planning practices. The walks helps knit people together into a strong and resourceful community, instilling belonging and encouraging civic leadership.

I’m a bit of a walking tour junkie when travelling, but love to discover new facets of Edmonton this way as well. I remember being regretful about missing the 2010 Jane’s Walk, so was sure to make a note of it when the 2011 date was announced. So on Saturday morning, I joined a group of about two dozen folks at the Queen Alexandra Community Hall for a walk through Old Strathcona.

Photo op!

Interestingly enough, although the tour was officially led by Karen Tabor of the Old Strathcona Foundation and Shirley Lowe of the Old Strathcona Business Association, there were a handful of City of Edmonton employees, including a retired city planner and a staff of Responsible Hospitality Edmonton that took part in the tour and would occasionally pipe up to share their expertise.

Though I recognize that it is naive to think that one could conduct a tour of such a historic community without referencing its past, I didn’t expect it to end up as one of the major focuses. I have to say I was hoping for much more of what was brought up at the start of the walk – the small but important details that contribute to walkability, such as well-maintained sidewalks, traffic calming, and the aesthetically pleasing and safety enhancing benefits of tree-lined streets.

Traffic calming – narrowing the street to reduce car travel speeds

Trees help separate the road from the sidewalk

A few historic features of the neighbourhood were highlighted that I found interesting. The Bard Residence (10544 – 84 Avenue) still has its rear carriage house intact, though when it was originally built, it also had a 180 degree turntable installed to make backing out with a horse and buggy easier. Also, I had to chuckle when the guide told us that following the amalgamation of Strathcona with Edmonton, the former Strathcona City Hall was turned into a juvenile detention centre.

Bard Residence

Shirley talked about some of the developments that help contribute to the area’s vibrant nature. For example, the Strathcona Public Library will be again putting on an “outdoor reading room” with movable tables and chairs and wifi in McIntyre Park. But instead of offering it during the day, they will be concentrating their efforts on early evenings and weekends. Look for it in July.

Strathcona Public Library and McIntyre Park

Shirley also mentioned that the small green space just north of what used to be the Iron Horse is slated for a $350,000 redevelopment. It will not only see the introduction of more plants and shrubs, but in recognition of the park’s location as the former railway hub, it will be designed to look like two train wheels from above.

The park won’t look like this for long

While I enjoyed finally being able to participate in a Jane’s Walk, I have to admit that I didn’t feel I learned enough to warrant the two and a half hours I spent with the group. It was mentioned that the annual tour will trace a different path every year – if that is the case, I wouldn’t mind joining the group again, but would hope for more attention to be paid to aspects of walkability.

Century Hospitality Group’s “Top Chef”

It seems reality cooking competition shows are all the rage as of late, and with Top Chef Canada currently airing on Food Network, there is no doubt the profile of some of our nation’s chefs will definitely be raised in the process.

But did you know that Edmonton will soon be crowning a “Top Chef” of its very own? For a second year running, Century Hospitality Group (which runs Century Grill, Delux, Hundred and Lux, as well as a catering business) is showcasing its kitchen talent through an in-house culinary competition, dubbed “CHG Top Chef”.

This year though, the cooking throwdown is bigger and better. Not only will the finale be open to the public, but members of the external food community have been asked to help with judging duties. Mack and I were thrilled (and humbled) to be asked to be a part of a group of judges that includes Valerie of A Canadian Foodie, Mary Bailey of The Tomato, Liane Faulder of the Journal, and Chefs Blair Lebsack and Andrew Fung. It should be fun!

For some more background about why Century Hospitality decided to host such a tournament, I asked CHG Corporate Chef Paul Shufelt a few questions:

1. Why the “Top Chef” format?

We used the term “Top Chef” for the tournament, but, perhaps, it’s a hybrid of the Top Chef style challenges and the head to head competition of Iron Chef, or similar style cooking contests. We are holding a single elimination tournament, where 16 of our top young chefs are competing head to head, with the winner of each bracket going through to the next round. Each week the challenges will become more involved, with Top Chef style twists coming as the weeks go by.

2. What do you think are the qualities of a “CHG Top Chef” champion?

A CHG Top Chef, will be the person who best exemplifies the skills of a great chef. Often on cooking shows, it’s all about the dish they make and that’s it. Little value is given to other keys that make a chef great. Throughout the challenges we will be testing the chefs abilities to “sell” their dish, their ability to pair it with wine, and in the final challenge 20% of the total score will involve their ability to lead a team, which will include a competitor that they beat along the way, and a guest judge, who may know a lot about food, but little about the expectations of cooking a 3 course dinner for 50+ people. They will also be judged on organization of their time, use/waste of ingredients, cleanliness of work environment, etc. So the goal with this challenge is to determine who can not only prepare a great meal, but handle leading a team, manage a kitchen, and successfully feed 50 happy people. A little more involved than making dinner for four judges. The successful chef will have to be creative, passionate about food, organized, poised, and possess strong leadership skills to win this competition.

3. Given we’re now in spring, and Lux’s recent foray into farmers’ market dinners, will seasonal ingredients be incorporated into the challenges?

The simple answer is Yes! Last week, we kept things very simple, because the time was limited and I was more concerned with seeing quality cooking, rather than overly complicated failures, but this week we will be adding a little something picked up from the downtown market before things get started. For next week, we will be incorporating even more ingredients from the market, and the secret ingredient for the dessert course in the Finale will be from the market, not to mention a foray of other great springtime ingredients picked fresh the day of. To take it a step further we have decided to provide the finalists with a $100 budget and an extra 30 minutes to peruse the downtown market to find complimentary ingredients for their dishes.

4. What can people expect from the finale on May 28? Why should they buy tickets?

People can expect a fantastic six course meal prepared by two of our most talented upcoming chefs, plated right before their eyes, in the company of other great food lovers. I can’t share with you what the secret ingredients are, but I can tell you they will be incredible. This will really be a foodie’s night! They will also get to be an active part of the decision process, as each guest will have one vote for their favourite chef. The total judges’ score will only be 100, so with 50 guests, and each one of their votes counting for one bonus point, they can really sway the decision. This will be a great evening of not just great food, but some fantastic entertainment, topped off with the crowning of Century Hospitality Group’s Top Chef.

I think this tournament will help to not only raise the profile of young chefs in Edmonton, but also help diners further understand and appreciate what goes into every plate at a restaurant. A girl can dream, but perhaps this will set the stage for a city-wide Top Chef competition to take place…

You can read more about the CHG Top Chef tournament on their blog. And if you want to buy tickets to the showdown, you’ll have to act fast – there are only 5 remaining as I write this!

Culinary Q & A with Allan Suddaby

Occupation: Cook at Jack’s Grill.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast: black coffee, a stalk of rhubarb, smoked gouda. Lunch: wheat and bean salad.

What do you never eat?

I don’t understand the question.

What is your personal specialty?

Fresh sausages.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

Preserves: jam, pickles, mustard, and the like.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Depends on the time of year, but vegetables from Tipi Creek Farm and fried potatoes are usually involved.

What is your favourite kitchen item?

A sharp knife. Specifically a 10” French knife. Other items that deserve mention: stainless steel pans, food mill, stand mixer.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

Hot dogs with mustard and relish. I can’t decided whether the buns would be toasted or steamed. Served with braised cabbage and a glass of whole milk.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

A collection of pizza places around the university. Notably Campus Pizza, Avenue Pizza, and the Garneau Pub.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

It’s a toss up between Corso 32 and The Bauernschmaus.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat? Kevin Kossowan’s house. I would order pork, mushrooms, apple wine, and charcuterie from his cellar. Also I change my answer to the previous question to Kevin Kossowan’s house.

Allan blogs at Button Soup.

Fourth Time’s the Charm: The Cheese Factory

Back in December, I needed to secure a reservation for one of my teams (20 staff in all) for a Christmas lunch. One of my colleagues recommended The Cheese Factory, and it worked out beautifully. Our entire group pre-ordered so our food arrived almost immediately after we were seated. As a result, we were able to enjoy our meal but still return to the office in a timely fashion.

It was at that lunch that I first encountered their poutine. Given the affiliation Mack and I have for cheesy, gravy-strapped fries, I know it is quite inexcusable that we had overlooked The Cheese Factory for so long. That said, after one bite into their delightfully squeaky cheese (I honestly had no idea cheese could actually squeak!), I knew I’d be returning, with Mack in tow.

Four months later, we finally made it back together (and not for lack of trying – this was our forth attempt after being thwarted by their hours, a holiday closure, and an illness…we were almost ready to give up!). Those unable to get to the restaurant during the daytime should note that they only extend service into the evening on Friday and Saturday. But calling ahead is recommended – sporadic and extended holiday closures are not uncommon, as we encountered.

We dined on a Saturday evening, among two other parties already in the restaurant. It was quiet, in a pleasant sort of way, where the space provided by the server made it seem all the more intimate (and really, in our world, poutine is our Lady and the Tramp spaghetti equivalent). Our server was great though – she was friendly, prompt and made us feel like regulars.

Interior

We split an order of burek ($7.99), a dish made of phyllo pastry stuffed with spiced ground beef (though a vegetarian feta and spinach version can also be had). I have been told that The Cheese Factory makes their phyllo from scratch, and that attention to quality helps make this a savoury, flaky, perfectly seasoned marvel.

Burek

But of course, the main reason for our visit: poutine! The Cheese Factory offers five different kinds, all topped with their fresh, house-made cheese curds (if you come early enough in the day, you can watch the cheesemakers at their craft from behind the glass). The varieties include ground beef, chicken and galvaude (chicken and green peas). We opted to share a small regular poutine ($5.99), and a small Italian poutine ($6.99).

Boy, does The Cheese Factory honour their name – the curds were piled high (with a fry to curd ratio of 2:1), and stood up, in all its squeaky glory, to the poutine sauce. The fries were hot and fried to order too. Mack’s only quibble was a personal preference for a thicker gravy.

Poutine

The Italian poutine was interesting. We both liked the tomato sauce – not too tart, with a thick, chunky consistency. It was also thick enough that it clung and did not steep into the fries, ensuring every bite to the last was crispy. Still, we did prefer the classic poutine – there’s something about the salt that’s a necessary part of the experience!

Italian poutine

On our way out, we saw a couple making a beeline back home with their take-out poutine bounty. I can imagine that might be in the cards for us as well, given it might be a more solid bet than trying to have a sit-down dinner in the restaurant. But next up, in the poutine line of things, will be La Poutine.

The Cheese Factory
8943 82 Avenue
(780) 450-2143
Monday-Thursday 11am-4pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Sunday

Ladies who Lunch: Queen of Tarts

Annie and I got together for lunch over the long weekend at the Queen of Tarts. She hadn’t been to the charming bakery and cafe before, and though I’ve been popping in sporadically since it opened to satisfy our needs and cravings (bread and sweets, respectively), I hadn’t yet sampled their lunch menu.

The lunch crowd was steady at Queen of Tarts – not surprising because the bright and airy room is the sort of space made for leisurely weekend afternoons. The French-inspired menu is short but accessible, with the cafe taking full advantage of their bread case and pastry expertise.

Dining area

I chose the croque monsieur ($14.95), made with local ham, béchamel, dijon mustard and gruyere on miche bread and served with organic greens. I probably could have done with a third piece of croque monsieur (who can pass up melted cheese and ham?), but I will admit that the mustard layer was a bit too potent for me – especially because the vinaigrette atop the salad was also mustard-based.

Croque monsieur

Annie chose the day’s special, a French onion soup served with a side of organic greens ($12.95). Her soup was absolutely packed with onions; she also commented on their sweetness, a testament to their lengthy cooking time.

French onion soup

Though the portion sizes are modest, it did mean adding a dessert course to our lunch (not something we normally do) was possible. We shared a pot of Earl Grey tea ($6.95), a thunder brownie ($3) and a chocolate dacquoise ($3.50).

Dessert!

The rich, decadent thunder brownie has crossed my paths many a time (it’s Amanda’s favourite dessert), but it was Annie’s first encounter with it. She appreciated its chocolate depth. The dacquoise, on the other hand, was new to both of us, and surprised us with its delicate meringue sandwich. Its texture was absolutely perfect – just the right amount of chew and sweetness, enhanced with a thin layer of chocolate in between.

The Queen of Tarts started offering high tea this past Friday, and will run daily until May 7, 2011 (with 10% of proceeds being directed to The Bissell Centre). After that, the high teas will be held on a monthly basis. Based on this lunch experience, I would be happy to return again to check out their high tea – especially if I can find a way to work in a dacquoise into the meal.

Queen of Tarts Bakery & Bistro
10129 104 Street
(780) 421-4410
Tuesday-Wednesday 9am-6pm, Thursday-Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday 8:30am-6pm, closed Sunday & Monday

Let’s Meat for Lunch: Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse

A belated birthday lunch, compounded over three months, can only equal one thing: reparation in the form of a gloriously gluttonous meat buffet.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I’m pretty sure Dickson only chose Brazilian steakhouse Pampa, the newest darling of city carnivores, as our lunch destination as a reaction to my suggestion of a vegetarian café. Regardless, the more inexpensive daytime meal seemed like the ideal way to determine whether or not the $45 per person dinner tab would be worth the splurge (you can read more about the dinner service on Twyla’s blog).

Pampa is the kind of restaurant that makes a bang-up first impression (and one that, all shiny and new, would present very well in that patented then-and-now camera pan on Food Network renovation shows like The Opener, which Pampa took part in). The glass wine case gleamed in the muted daylight that streamed through the bank of windows, and the black, white and red scheme felt modern and clean. I loved how open the room felt (necessary too for the roving servers), and Dickson felt the need to comment on the large cowboy canvases that graced the walls – a reminder that vegetarians really need not apply.

Interior

I had made a reservation on Open Table just in case, but it probably wasn’t necessary. And though the restaurant wasn’t entirely full, I was still surprised at how busy it was – I had to wonder if the patrons were return customers, or curious first-time diners like us?

Both Dickson and I were already familiar with the rodizio restaurant – he has been to both Gaucho and Bolero in Calgary, and I had visited one several years ago in Montreal. Essentially, itinerant servers offering different cuts of meat will continue to pay a visit to your table until you flip your meat passport over to signal “Stop the pain!”.

Yay or nay?

Before launching into Pampa’s universe of meat though, we thought it best to at least peruse its salad offerings. It’s worth noting that Pampa does have a beautiful salad bar, accented with more glass, and garnished with touches of fruit. Some of the bowls were in need of refreshing during our turn, but there was enough variety of vegetable and grain-based dishes to satisfy most. A very unique carrot and pink peppercorn salad stood out for me.

Salad bar

But the main event began almost immediately after we sat down. Lunch sees only five different varieties, and we had our initial exposure to them, one right after the other – grilled chicken, grilled pork, pork sausage and two kinds of sirloin. I know Dickson was disappointed with the spread – friends who had attended the dinner service the night prior had identified a few of their favourites, none of which were on the menu at lunch.

The house-made pork sausage was quite tasty, with a casing that crackled and meat that was both juicy and well seasoned. I liked the grilled chicken, but Dickson thought it wasn’t anything he couldn’t recreate at home on the barbecue. The pork had to be consumed immediately – I waited a few minutes and it had dried to the point of inedibility.

Our hands down favourite was the picanha, top sirloin. Not for the faint of heart, it was served rare, with a layer of fat and a perfectly charred crust, studded with sea salt gems. We had thirds and fourths.

Carving is an art form

Our only complaint was the inconsistency in service. The servers were almost too efficient during our first half hour, and basically disappeared towards the last half of our meal. It was clear other tables were similarly drumming their fingers, hoping they wouldn’t have to return to the salad bar to fill up. I suppose that is the biggest downside when it comes to lunching at Pampa – it’s not a leisurely meal when you’re depending on traveling servers for main course access.

That said, I felt the $21.95 per person price tag was fair, given the salad bar bounty, amount of meat that could be consumed, and the tableside carving. Pampa had an atmosphere I wouldn’t mind returning for, and definitely has the workings of a special occasion restaurant. And in the end, being the first rodizio in Edmonton has its advantages – you won’t find this style of dining anywhere else in the city.

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

Recap: The City Market Decides Against the Mercer Warehouse as a Potential Year-Round Venue

On April 18, 2011, a special meeting was held by the City Market Board, as motioned at the AGM earlier this year. Vendors were to discuss whether or not the Board should continue to consider the Mercer Warehouse as a potential year-round venue for the market.

The Mercer Warehouse (10363 104 Street) is one of the few vacant buildings left in the historic Warehouse District, and is only separated from the burgeoning outdoor City Market by one block. It was built back in 1911 by a liquor and cigar seller named John B. Mercer to be a shipping/receiving hub. More recently, it housed an antique shop, but has been empty for many years now.

Mercer Warehouse

The conference room at the Sutton Place Hotel was standing room only, as land developer Greg Wilkes presented how the heritage building would be transformed into three levels of market space over 37,000 square feet of space. This area could be divided into 120 stalls, 120 square feet each, with early plans also including provisions for a food court, performance space and children’s play area. The proposal was for the market to be open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Interior shot (from Jon Hall, at the City Market Facebook page)

Kelly Pope, a local developer (who, in this 2004 article is credited with “single-handedly doing a huge job of cleaning up and restoring almost two blocks of Jasper Avenue”) recently purchased the building, and has been negotiating with the City Market, through its Board and Wilkes, on terms and the cost of renovations. The deal:

Ten year lease plus a five year option;
Pope would be responsible for base building upgrades (e.g. washroom refurbishing, roof repair) in the amount of $775,000-$1 million;
the City Market would be responsible for market-specific upgrades and demising costs (e.g. installation of public elevator, upgrade of stairs, refurbishment of common areas) for a total cost of $2 million; and
Market vendors would be responsible for individual stall improvements (e.g. installation of sinks, freezers, food-safe flooring, lighting and signage), which could run anywhere from $5,000-$50,000.

The Board had calculated that each vendor would be responsible to pay rent of $10,080 a year (an estimate of sorts that they were using for decision purposes), plus utilities, building tax and a proportional cost of operating the common space. That amount did not include the individual stall improvements. Vendors would also have to sign a $16,700 covenant with the owner over 15 years to cover the cost of the $2 million in upgrades.

Rough interior plans

Before the voting motion was presented, Wilkes opened the floor to questions. It was apparent that vendors were apprehensive about the Mercer Warehouse for many reasons, including the terms of the lease (some suggesting whether or not it would make more sense to simply purchase a building themselves), the viability of a multi-level market and the lack of dedicated parking, particularly for a year-round venue in a winter city. Also, though Wilkes did his best to assure vendors that the street market would continue from May through to October, he did not have a reassuring answer as to how the indoor market would interact with the outdoor component. Most of all, it became clear that vendors were not satisfied with the exploration of alternatives to the Mercer Warehouse – such as the Kingsland market model of an investors base, continuing in City Hall, or negotiating with the arena for inclusion in the winter garden.

The City Market Board

During the discussion, what was most distressing to Mack and I was perhaps the suggestion that locations outside of the core should be explored. The storied history of Edmonton’s original farmers’ market aside, as owners of a 104 Street condo and fervent downtown boosters, it was difficult not to slide into the “it has to be downtown” reasoning made (in)famous by Mayor Mandel on the arena.

After the lengthy discussion period, a motion was presented for members to vote upon. It asked whether or not members wanted the Board to continue pursuing the Mercer Warehouse as a potential year-round venue. A secret ballot was proposed for the voting, and after the votes were counted, there was no doubt the vendors did not like what they heard – 69 nay votes and only 3 yay votes.

It’s important to note that the City Market still has eight years left on the lease on 104 Street to house the summer market, but there is no doubt that there is an appetite for a year-round space in the core. The Board has been directed to go back and consider all other options – we can only hope that those options will be downtown.

The Lunch Option: Hardware Grill

Two Christmases ago, Mack’s parents gave us a gift card to Hardware Grill. It was particularly thoughtful because the four of us had shared a wonderful meal there a few months prior. We had always intended on putting the gift card towards lunch at the restaurant, but didn’t work to sync our schedules until last week (it helped that I had a meeting in the same neighbourhood right after lunch).

Hardware Grill, for many reasons, has the distinction of being Edmonton’s finest restaurant. It is also the only restaurant in recent memory that Mack and I had to think twice about before deciding on what to wear – jeans or no jeans? Even though it was daytime on a Friday, we opted against denim. We discovered upon arrival that casual attire was acceptable; the suits were few, and there were numerous parties dressed in their Friday best.

The warmth of the dining room is apparent, regardless of the time of day, but I think I might actually like the room better at lunch, if not only because of the natural light, and the almost buoyant atmosphere.

Interior

We don’t normally order starters for lunch, but armed with a gift card, we threw caution to the wind. It’s always difficult for me to pass up French onion soup ($8) when I see it on the menu, and I was glad I gave in. The most amazing thing about the rich, subtly sweet dish was the bread – though submerged for the better part of the fifteen minutes it took for me to finish the soup, it did not dissolve into a soggy mess, and instead, retained its chewy, dense texture. The portion size could have also easily made this a light lunch in itself.

French onion soup

Mack’s romaine a la Caesar ($10) was equally well received, plated with care, and robed with a garlicky smooth dressing that could convince anyone that Caesar dressing from a bottle should not be tolerated.

Romaine a la Caesar

It was a wonder I was able to finish any part of my main at all, but I did my best, especially because the beef bourguignon ($20) was well worth the effort. The short ribs were fork tender (it was a definite sign when our server did not replace my butter knife with a steak knife), and the black coffee BBQ sauce hit all the right notes (and if the recipe isn’t a guarded secret, it should be). At first, I wasn’t sure about the inclusion of roasted corn kernels in the mashed potatoes, but it won me over in the end – the sweetness and unexpected pop cut through the richness. Mack also enjoyed helping himself to the slices of crispy pork belly off my plate.

Beef bourguignon

Mack had been waiting all week for the truffled mac ‘n cheese with baby lobster and shiitakes ($16). It was definitely not your diner mac ‘n cheese, baked and bubbling in a muted ceramic dish – this was its elegant, refined older sister, down to the use of ribbed shells. The sauce was much thinner than Mack had expected, but he enjoyed it all the same, and thought it was the perfect size.

Truffled mac ‘n cheese

It was a very pleasant meal – everything was well paced, and our server was professional but gracious. The prices are also quite reasonable, and would be a great option for those wanting to try Hardware Grill on more inexpensive terms.

Though I can’t see myself visiting Hardware Grill for lunch all that often, I could see myself returning now and again – especially for the beef bourguignon. Thanks again to Martin and Patti for the gift certificate!

Hardware Grill
9698 Jasper Avenue
(780) 423-0969
Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11:30am-2pm; Dinner: Monday-Friday 5-10pm, Saturday 5-10:30pm, closed Sundays

The Citadel Theatre: “The Three Musketeers”

A number of years ago, I remember being drawn to a Fringe show called Klang! Pow! Kersplat! primarily because it was promised that each of the scenes would involve stage fighting. I remember it being very entertaining, and really, I hadn’t seen anything like it before – there’s nothing quite like watching the dance of live, choreographed combat.

When Mack won tickets to The Three Musketeers at the Citadel, I was excited for the promise of stage duelling. We watched it on Sunday, and I am happy to say it didn’t disappoint on the action front. There was so much going on in the first grand fight sequence that it was difficult to keep up with the individual battles – though I suppose that wasn’t really the point. The spectacle of it all was exhilarating, and combined with the lavish costumes and props, definitely a crowd pleaser.

But given the running time of the show was nearly three hours, how the story unfolded became that much more important – the fight scenes couldn’t be the means to the end. I have to say that I wasn’t ultimately that engaged with D’Artagnan’s rise to musketeer status (though Eric Morin did a fine job emanating a nervous energy befitting of the character). My favourite scene was surprisingly one of the quieter moments in the production, when Athos (Kris Joseph) disclosed of his past heartbreak to D’Artagnan. I was actually hoping for more of such exchanges between the would-be musketeer and his mentors – his swift acceptance into the “all for one” trio seemed too expedient.

Tom Wood, who adapted the show, did take liberalities with the ending, understandable because of the production’s family friendly nature. Of his changes, I particularly enjoyed the final confrontation between Athos and Milady de Winter (Melissa MacPherson), which resulted in a much more dramatic, intense end than in Dumas’ original, complete with a resounding flash in the darkness. MacPherson, I should note, was delightfully evil, so much so that I had flashbacks to her equally solid performance as Lady Macbeth at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival last year.

Overall, it was a fun production that lived up to my expectations. The Three Musketeers runs until April 24, 2011.

Edmonton’s Own Alley Burger

When an idea is as great as Charcut’s alley burger – involving $5 versions of their upscale burger sold from their back alley door – you know it is just a matter of time before it appears in other cities as well. Edmonton has jumped on the bandwagon, with Century Hospitality Group’s Hundred embracing their back alley to purvey $5 gourmet burgers.

Friday saw the debut of #yegalleyburger, widely publicized in both the Journal and Metro. For that reason, I figured it would be best to line up early, just in case, so we joined the line-up of half a dozen people at 9pm.

Felicia and Amanda made sure to dress for the weather

Hundred’s alley was without a dumpster, patrolling security guards, or the threat of passing cars, so it provided a bit of a different experience than standing in line outside Charcut. But perhaps the biggest disparity was the lack of devices and cameras being used. Sure, there were a few people snapping photographs and updating their statuses, but relatively few when compared with that night in Calgary.

The line at about 9:15

Eventually, there grew to be about 30-40 people standing in line, eagerly awaiting the back door to open. A few minutes before 9:30, Chef Andrew Cowan appeared, trading $5 for a Century Hospitality Group poker chip that would guarantee the bearer a burger.

Doesn’t it look like a shady exchange?

Winnings!

The kitchen was on top of things, as the burgers started coming out right at 9:30. We grabbed our burgers, loosely wrapped in paper, and headed back to the warmth of the condo.

#yegalleyburger

It was well worth the wait – the patty was well cooked, with a ton of flavour, and the duck egg was a nice touch, but what the three of us were most drawn to was the peppery hit of the arugula. I’m sure that even Mack, ever the rocket-hater, would have enjoyed it as a fresh counterpoint to the beef. On that note – Jerry posted a video of his friend devouring a burger – warning: don’t watch it while hungry!

We read later on Twitter that some people were turned away, so if you are planning on snagging one next week, make sure to get there early! It was fun, Hundred – looking forward to the next one already!

Follow @cheftonyle, @chefcowan and @chefpshoey to find out the details of the next #yegalleyburger!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: