Tag: food

Food Notes for August 24, 2009

I started my day off this morning with fantastic news – Edmonton’s Fringe reigns supreme! Stage a Revolution absolutely smashed Winnipeg’s 81,000 record – 92,100 tickets were sold this year. Way to go Edmonton! Now on to this week’s food notes:

  • I finally finished reading Julia Child’s My Life in France. Though this was my second attempt at reading it, I have to say watching Julie & Julia gave me the needed push to finish the book. It’s a lovely memoir, filled with vibrant prose and hilarious accounts of Julia’s trials at Le Cordon Bleu and her decade long struggle to publish Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I loved her use of words (“marketing” and “cookbookery”), and do think the movie undercuts how much work really went into Mastering (for example, I cannot imagine communicating exclusively via air mail…in this age of technology, I can’t fathom anything less than instant). I appreciated the glimpse into the making of an American legend, and reading about the absolute joy that Julia found in cooking.
  • On the topic of books – Edmonton Public Library is having their back-to-school booksale this weekend – pick up some new reading material for next to nothing, and perhaps a new cookbook or two!
  • The Endless Feast is a PBS show that explores “the connection between the earth and the food we eat, one incredible feast at a time”. They will be filming an upcoming episode in Edmonton on Friday at Peas on Earth and at the City Centre Market on Saturday. It’s awesome that an American show will be featuring our city in all its glory.
  • I missed out on Mary Ellen and Andres’ picnic on their Greens, Eggs and Ham Farm this year in favour of the Fringe and another local food event, but I was happy that Valerie wrote a detailed account of it.
  • This is old news by now, but in case you missed it – Transcend Coffee’s second location is official: they will be taking over the Garneau space formerly occupied by Pharos Pizza. The cafe is set to open in January 2010.
  • Speaking of coffee – Vue Weekly had a short piece about the relatively new JoJo’s Cafe, located inside La Piazza Dasee, this week. Turns out the barista learned his chops from Transcend (every new cafe seems to have a tie to Transcend, eh?). On a related note – the Edmontonian reviewed some of JoJo’s brunch offerings here.
  • The Journal had a piece on Saturday featuring the results of a gelato taste test. The unlikely winner? Chocolate Exquisite. I’ll have to make a point to stop by sometime soon.
  • If you’ve walked past Rice Howard Way, you probably noticed this sign on Co Co Di’s doors – it reads: “Co Co Di will be reopening later this year. We look forward to serving you in our new location on Jasper Avenue between 114 & 115 Street, north side”. I hope they get some foot traffic with the move west.
  • Janice tipped me off that there will be a third location of Famoso in South Edmonton Common (in the area with the new Gap and Banana Republic outlets). They do already have an address and number ready to go – 1437 99 Street, 780-468-0000.
  • President Obama said that he would like to see a farmers’ market set up in front of the White House. Who knows if that would ever happen, but how cool is it that POTUS made mention of it?
  • The second artsScene Party took place at Latitude 53, and allowed us to scope out what is billed as the “only downtown rooftop patio”. Being at the top of a two-storey building wasn’t what I had in mind, but it still picked up a nice cool breeze. Of course, the gallery itself has a few pretty cool exhibits right now, including Trespass Act and a community gallery featuring this striking work by a Victoria High School student titled “Between Liberty and Freedom”.

Latitude 53 Rooftop Patio

  • On our way to the City Centre Market on Saturday, we stopped to gawk at the new community garden in Mack’s neighbourhood. It’s beautiful, with circular paths in between plots, benches, and perhaps even a future water feature.

Oliver Community Garden

  • Starved and with only $5 cash between us, Mack and I wracked our brains for something affordable to eat on the Fringe grounds on Sunday. Luckily, we remembered Chicago Deep Dish (8114 104 Street, 780-413-8866). At $2.50 a slice, it’s still the most economical purchase on Whyte.

Ham & Pineapple Slice from Chicago Deep Dish

  • Chris had mentioned something food-related was under construction next to Bubble Juice on Whyte. Turns out, he was right – Irie Foods will be open on September 1, 2009. It looks like they have another location in Mill Woods – anyone know if this is replacing that store or is an additional one?

Irie Foods on Whyte

  • It will be hefty competition for TZiN, but Kelsey seemed to know it was coming: Lit Wine Bar will be opening up on the ground floor of one of the Icon Towers.

LIT Wine Bar on 104th Street and Jasper Avenue

  • There’s also a new bubble tea place in Chinatown on 97th Street. What downturn?

Bubble Tea Cafe

East Meets West Festival

After a trip to the City Centre Market (after a few busy weekends and the Fringe, I think I was going through withdrawal), Mack and I walked over to Chinatown to check out the first East Meets West Festival.

We weren’t sure what to expect – the grassroots committee had put together the festival as a means to promote the Chinatown and Little Italy neighbourhoods – but if anything, we were happy that the event seemed to attract locals that perhaps wouldn’t otherwise set foot in the area.

Lion Dance

We arrived just on time for the opening lion dance, and ended up wandering up 97th Street which had been closed to traffic. As Mack noted, the tables were too spread out and sporadic, and there was a definite lack of food vendors (food smells are half the reason outdoor fairs attract crowds). Still, knowing that this is hopefully the first of many such festivals, I’m sure it will be much improved next year.

97th Street

Handmade Felt Cupcakes and Cookies (too cute!)

Zocalo’s Mobile Flower Cart

99 Supermarket’s Outdoor Market

Pretty lanterns outside of Lucky 97 (standing behind my zodiac animal – cheesy, I know)

We didn’t make it all the way down 97th into Little Italy, but we heard there were also festivities to be seen in Giovanni Caboto Park.

In the end, we chowed down on our own version of “east meets west”:

Mack’s jalepeno-cheddar smokie from Fat Franks and my shredded pork sub from Nhon Hoa 2

Mack’s complete photo set is here.

DC Brunch: Tabard Inn

Planning for vacations, brunch is always the meal that we look forward to most. As a result, brunch requires additional legwork to locate a restaurant that offers a variation of the type of brunch we enjoy. I was lucky in my DC reading, as one of our short listed accommodations also hosted a reputable restaurant within.

Hotel Tabard Inn

Tabard Inn is nested inside the Hotel Tabard Inn, a historic building in the Dupont Circle neighbourhood. Their accommodations were cheaper than George Washington University Inn, but by the time we had called to book, they were full. When we reached the hotel, we were glad with our ultimate choice because the walk to the Metro was at least double the distance.

The building was quaint – situated on a fairly quiet residential street, with flower pots and other greenery making it the most attractive residence on the block. We wandered inside, through a too-dim sitting room with creaky wooden floors and portraits of revolutionaries gone-by and into the restaurant. I had made a reservation several weeks before, and thank goodness we did – the room was packed.

To be honest, I picked Tabard Inn solely on the website photo, which showed a sunny room lined with a friendly checkered floor. In reality, the room was not as bright, likely because of the potted plants that lined the windows outside. Tabard also has an enclosed patio outside, but with the humidity out in full force that day, I was glad our hostess directed us to a table housed in the air-conditioned dining room, just below a window. Mack did notice that for whatever reason, Tabard doesn’t use cloth napkins – the paper napkins didn’t quite mesh with the décor in our opinion.

In Tabard Inn

I had given the menu a quick scan online, but unlike most times, hadn’t already picked out what I wanted. I decided upon the blueberry pancakes, while Mack stayed true to his usual egg-and-potato dish. Also being a sucker to try the resident special, we also ordered two doughnuts, which we were told were usually served before our meal. Who were we to thwart tradition?

When our bread basket was delivered prior to the doughnuts, we wondered who had come up with a tradition that stacked carb upon carb to start a meal. At any rate, the freshly-baked basket filled with a variety of savoury goodies soothed any questions we had, with our favourite being the corn bread.

Bread Basket

We hadn’t quite finished with our basket when a doily-lined plate with two petite doughnuts were delivered. They were as advertised – freshly fried, warm and with the taste of grease still lingering. They reminded Mack of mini doughnuts, and he said they were good, but nothing special.

Doughnuts

The main event was the highlight – the pancakes were just perfect – slightly crisp on the outside, but still soft and airy in the middle. I could have done with a few more blueberries (a la Clinton Street), but it was a pretty good dish the way it was.

Blueberry Pancakes

Mack’s eggs and homefries were tasty, but the standout for him was the flaky biscuit – Tabard Inn certainly knew how to do pastries right.

Scrambled Eggs, House-made Toulouse Sausage and Homefries

If you’re not in the neighbourhood already, I’m not sure Tabard Inn is worth an exclusive trip. That said, I was happy for the opportunity to explore a neighbourhood we wouldn’t otherwise have seen.

Tabard Inn (in Hotel Tabard Inn)
1739 N Street NW
Washington D.C.
(202) 331-8528

Food Notes for August 17, 2009

America’s Best Dance Crew (also known as ABDC) is back in full swing! I’m not sure what about the show entices me, but I know my Sundays are infinitely better now! On to my weekly food notes:

  • Still don’t have an Original Fare VIP card and can’t get to the City Centre Market on Saturdays? Lucky for you, they have a booth at the Fringe! Sign up and start earning points at all of your dining experiences at Original Fare restaurants, and receive 2% back of your purchases at the end of the year in gift certificates.
  • I linked to Operation Fruit Rescue last week, but there was a good story about them in the Journal on Friday.
  • Pam wrote about the bounty she received in her first Good Food Box.
  • I was happy to see an article in the Journal last week featuring Edmonton’s newest community garden project in Oliver! It’s just a few blocks away from where Mack lives, and over the weeks, we were seeing the garden come together, but no signage identifying who was behind the greening of the land.
  • There was a review of Red Brick Pizza in Foodosophy last week – I still haven’t made it out there, as I haven’t had any reason to get me out that far south yet.
  • Vue Weekly featured an article about a cooking class at Mexico Lindo. At $75 for two, the class seems reasonably priced, and might be the cure for stagnant evenings.
  • The NY Journal has a post containing what they think are the ten best Frank Bruni reviews – it’s great writing, to be sure, but an even better overview of some great examples of NY excess.
  • Another death knoll sounds for Gourmet and Bon Appetit. One has to wonder how much longer they can both hold out.
  • The Wall Street Journal reports an increased boom for cooking schools and classes – a reactionary jerk to the state of the economy with people wanting to eat less out and more at home.
  • Mack and I wandered into La Piazza Dasee in Old Strathcona over the weekend to see if the cafe portion of the space was finished. It has been, and even has a menu up online.

 

JoJo’s Cafe

  • The new Superstore (and perhaps others, but I only have been to this location in a while) on 17th Street has a “Grown Close to Home” section of produce just in front of their entrance – with BC blueberries and Alberta tomatoes, among others. I’m sure we’ll see more of the larger grocery chains getting into the “locavore” movement.

 

Superstore’s “Grown Close to Home” sign

  • My Mum and I headed to the Millwoods Farmers’ Market on Thursday – the first time I have been there in probably ten years. Even though I live in Mill Woods, it’s definitely not in a convenient place for me (my bus routes through Millgate and not Lakewood, for example, and a walk there would be at least an hour). My memories are foggy, but I vaguely recollect just two rows of vendors, and nothing particularly interesting (of course, ten years ago, I was happy with Boston Pizza and couldn’t cook my way out of a bag). I am happy to say that the farmers’ market in the ‘burbs was bursting at the seams with fresh produce and people! There were four rows of vendors, with everything from produce and BC fruit to bread and prepared food. They didn’t have much in the way of meats and protein, but you can’t have everything, right? My Mum and I picked up some cinnamon raisin bread from Jane’s Bread and some random vegetables. Of course, I still prefer the City Centre Market, but this was a nice-sized, open air neighbourhood market. Check it out if you’re in Millwoods – it runs 5-8pm Thursdays until October 1 at the Millwoods Recreation Centre Parking Lot, 28 Ave and Millwoods Road.

 

Millwoods Farmers’ Market

  • On a walk downtown, we decided to stop in VinoMania (11452 Jasper Avenue), a liquor store that we had passed countless times. We discovered an unexpectedly nice interior, and Edmonton’s first enomatic wine system (it is essentially a system that prevents open wine from oxidizing). I never really considered the system for liquor merchants, but it makes sense to allow customers to try what they are buying if possible. VinoMania sells $20 cards that can be reloaded to try any of the dozen or so wines and spirits on hand (the bottles are rotated every three weeks) with samples ranging in price from $1.50 to $3. A staff person allowed us a complimentary taste – I’d like to say I could point out how fresh it was, but with my palate for wine being what it is…Still, I was impressed by how easily the wine was dispensed.

 

VinoMania’s Enomatic Wine System

  • Mack hates any bread with what he deems “crap” in them (e.g. grains, seeds, etc.), even though that’s exactly the type of bread I like. As a result, there are often two types of loaves in the house – whole wheat and grainy. The other day at Sobeys Urban Fresh, we saw a loaf of bread that had Mack’s name on it – literally. Perhaps it was a sign to give in to the grainy side, Mack!

Mack with Mack’s Flax

Food Notes for August 10, 2009

  • Check out the family-friendly festival Corn Fest on August 29 from 1-4pm for Latin food and entertainment.
  • Via Crazy White Girl with a Kitchen, Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton connects fruit growers who may not have the time or energy to harvest with fruit pickers, with benefit to multiple parties – 1/3 of the fruit goes to the grower, 1/3 to the picker, and 1/3 to the Food Bank.
  • There was a good article in Vue Weekly about Refresh, a new-ish catering business and bistro situated in the Organic Roots in Old Strathcona.
  • At Save-On Foods yesterday, I was happy to stumble across a display of SeaChoice cards, similar to the Blue Ocean pocket guide we were given at DC’s Hook. The design is very similar, denoting best, and most sustainable seafood choices in green, those species to approach with some caution in yellow, and those to avoid in red. Now, the next leap at grocery stores – to label packages with green and yellow stickers (and to eliminate “red” options all together).
  • In case you haven’t heard – Sam Sifton is the new Frank Bruni. It’s amazing the frenzy a new food critic brings out in the NY foodie crowd.
  • My family, Mack and I spent the August long weekend in Drumheller and Calgary. On our way back, we stopped at a Tim Horton’s which had something inside that we had never seen before – a self-serve kiosk! I understand and use self-checkouts at grocery stores, but I’m not sure I’d make my own coffee. How about you?

Self-serve Tim Horton’s

  • Mack and I also took the time to visit the newest Superstore in Edmonton located at 44 Avenue and 17 Street. I was most curious to check out the “community room” which could be used free of charge so long as only Loblaws products were served. While it is still being worked on (the stoves hadn’t been installed yet), it is a decent space. I thought the set-up would be perfect for cooking demonstrations, actually.

Superstore

Community Room in Superstore

  • Before picking up some cupcakes at Flirt, we popped into Bubble Juice (10154 82 Avenue, 780-477-6538), their new neighbour, a bubble tea house that recently relocated. Mack and I split the dragonberry flavour ($4.75), a combination of blueberry, strawberry and green apple (they may want to rethink the “Funky Chunky”, heh). I liked that all of their drinks are made with fresh fruit (menu here), but they will need to revamp their seating area if they want to compete with the nearby Dream Tea House. I imagine they might be able to draw more foot traffic, particularly with Flirt next door, but I have to wonder if the area can support two bubble tea establishments?

Bubble Juice interior

Our Dragonberry Bubble Juice (yep, Mack still hates sago)

  • I spent a day last week in Mill Creek attending meetings, and blessed with a long lunch, also had the opportunity to weave through the shops in the area – having breakfast at Wild Earth Bakery (which is undergoing a much-needed expansion), picking up a loaf of bread at Tree Stone Bakery, and browsing at Wild Earth Foods (they carry Bles Wold, among other local products).

White Chocolate Raspberry Scone at Wild Earth Bakery

  • I was also able to have lunch at Culina Mill Creek, which I haven’t been to in a while. I stuck with a tried-and-true honey ham and edam sandwich, though the seafood pot pie special was tempting. At the end of my meal, I presented my Original Fare VIP card, and as had happened at Sabor Divino two weeks earlier, they said that their machine was down. I am not sure what the problem is (and perhaps it was a coincidence), but perhaps they have to look more closely at the machines or switch providers if this is a frequent occurrence. And though we were able to get the points through another Original Fare restaurant, the system should be more reliable and convenient than that.

The Ham & Cheese with Creamy Tomato and Garlic Soup

No Cooking Required: Charcuterie, Cheese and Wine

I had picked up some duck breast ham from Greens, Eggs and Ham earlier in the summer, and was intent on saving it for a special occasion. That went out the window when I decided that Saturday would be occasion enough.

The plan was to assemble a Proof-worthy charcuterie and cheese board that would include, among other things, the duck breast ham and Mack’s favourite, garlic chicken sausage from Sunworks Farm. Where better to shop for fine meats and cheeses than the Italian Centre and Paddy’s International Cheese Market?

It was insanely busy at the Little Italy location of the Italian Centre, but the many optimally efficient staff on hand managed to pare down the line quite quickly. We picked up some parma prosciutto and speck, and headed to High Street.

Though I’ve purchased cheese from Paddy’s before (12509 102 Avenue, 780-413-0367), they were always familiar commodities. This time, our visit was blind and we relied on their guidance. A friendly staff member expertly directed us to two varieties based on our specifications – allegretto (a sheep’s milk cheese from Quebec) and rougette (a creamy, mild cheese). We also bought some applewood smoked cheddar, a recommendation from Adam.

Our last stop was the Wine Cellar. We requested help to find a bottle of semi-sweet white wine – a staff person provided a few suggestions, and we settled on a German Spatlese (it was a little sweeter than we wanted, but was a smooth, easy-to-drink wine overall).

While we could have provided some accompaniments to the board – honey, applesauce, fruit – we kept it simple, and just served it with some toasted sourdough from Tree Stone Bakery (8612 99 Street, 780-433-5924). It was an indulgent (and relatively expensive) dinner, but so worth it.

Charcuterie & Cheese Board

Our charcuterie and cheese board (click through for the Flickr photo containing embedded notes)

Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2009

It took Sarah McLachlan’s first Edmonton concert appearance since 2004 to drag me to the grassy knoll of Gallagher Park to finally experience the Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

Endowment concert ticket

I’ve seen the massive line-ups, winding their way down Connors Road. I’ve heard the stories about the great grub that volunteers feast on. I’ve viewed the photos of patrons doing their best to stay dry under impossible circumstances. But I didn’t understand, until Wednesday, what the draw was of a festival that is a summer tradition to many since its first incarnation in 1980.

Tickets were a pricey $70 for non-pass holders, but May and I decided it was worth the splurge. We had attended Sarah’s last concert at Rexall a few years back, and had enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

I met up with May downtown after work, and we took the bus down the hill. We had checked the website FAQs for some guidance as to what to bring. Besides ruling out our camp chairs that were probably too high, friends advised us to bring a tarp, comfortable shoes, and layers. I know those who have been to festivals past are likely well-versed in the lottery/line-up procedure and what to bring, but I would have appreciated a more blunt guide for newbies (perhaps similar to what the Fringe has developed) – complete with photos of acceptable chair examples (yes, I am very much a visual learner).

Off the bus, we encountered patrons that seemed to be wandering aimlessly, and without any signs to guide us, we approached a volunteer to direct us to the appropriate line. She told us that there were two possibilities with a sort of half-laugh, so we joined the line that we could see – the one that wound its way down Connors Road. We hoped it was the right choice.

Entering the grounds in an orderly fashion

After this pre-entry confusion, I am happy to say that the rest of the night went much more smoothly. Yellow ropes marked thoroughfares down the hill and towards the concession area at the bottom, and though there was the chaos of thousands of people jostling for the best spot, it was controlled by civility and a respect for personal space.

Our view of the stage

We lay down our tarp, while others more keenly prepared pegged their tarps into the ground (seriously, why didn’t we think of that?). And though the sky threatened to rain a few times, we were blessed with a dry first experience. Still, throughout the night, we added to our growing Folk Fest Survival List:

  • Low-to-the-ground folding chairs (examples here, as sold on-site at the Campers Village tent for upwards of $45)
  • Tarp and pegs
  • Colourful space marker, and/or flare gun (we nearly couldn’t find our way back to the tarp after our visit to the concession)
  • Umbrella, hat and poncho
  • Shoes with good grip
  • Snacks and lots of water
  • Sweater, scarf, gloves and blanket or sleeping bag
  • Flashlight (though we never used the porta potties, we wondered if they were lit inside)

After setting down most of our stuff, we joined the crowd flow down the hill for some sustenance. There were quite a few food vendor tents, but only a handful open on this special concert evening. We opted for butter chicken from India Palace, a booth that had travelled all the way from Winnipeg. It was a pricey $11.99, but offered quite a full serving, and the samosa in particular was very good. On a side note, I had no idea that the Folk Fest instigated a $2 plate deposit on the main days, mandating a sound environmental policy – I have to wonder why other local festivals (Taste of Edmonton and Heritage Days in particular) haven’t followed suit.

 

Butter Chicken with Naan and a Vegetarian Samosa

The view from the bottom of the hill was a sight to see – in daylight, thousands upon thousands of colourful specks, and after nightfall, waves of candlelight, all the way up the slope.

 

So many people!

 

May and I

It was definitely a family-friendly event, with more children than I could count. The festival, at least from where I was sitting, also seemed to be less overtly corporate than, say, the Fringe. Some advertising was present on the columns next to the stage, but every tent and seating area hadn’t been renamed to include a sponsor name.

Besides being my first time to the Folk Fest, this was also my first time at Gallagher Park. It is a great venue for an open-air concert, with the natural stadium seating provided by the hill, and a spectacular view of downtown Edmonton. I’m sure more than a few come for the picturesque setting alone.

 

Downtown Edmonton from Gallagher Park

And the concert? Wonderful. Tracy Chapman surprised me with her sense of humour, imagination, and oh, her voice. I am glad she chose to sing one song acapella – it absolutely hushed the crowd. Compared with Sarah McLachlan, she was actually the better entertainer in terms of providing richer anecdotes and song introductions. At one point, she mentioned how cold she was, and someone from the top of the hill actually tried to pass down handwarmers – unfortunately, they never reached her, but it was a thoughtful gesture.

 

Tracy Chapman

 

Candlelit ovation for Tracy

Having seen Sarah in concert before, she delivered what I expected her to – haunting and soothing melodies that almost always sound better live. She was particularly self-deprecating that night, without need to be.

 

Sarah McLachlan

I am happy to have finally experienced the Edmonton Folk Music Festival – I will consider joining the throngs of happy music lovers again in the future.

The Cooking Chronicles: Zucchini Muffins

With baby zucchini languishing in the fridge, I decided to make some muffins using a Company’s Coming recipe I have never attempted myself, but have enjoyed many times. My Mum is always whipping up baked goods in between meals, ensuring our caloric intake isn’t bound by breakfast, lunch or dinner. As a result, my family usually has access to fresh muffins, loaves, or whatever else my Mum has decided to tempt us with, requiring no effort on our part.

Over at Mack’s, unless my daydream does come true one day and he has a rack of freshly-baked goods waiting for me on the counter after work, the task for supplying us with treats falls to me. Having recently procured my own copy of Muffins & More, I set to work.

The zucchini muffins recipe isn’t a difficult one – my only point of uncertainty was whether or not I had overmixed the batter. It turns out that I did, and my hope of obtaining a muffin consistency as light and fluffy as my Mum so easily creates was lost. It also dawned on me that there was actually a point of the whole wet-into-dry-well thing – to try and incorporate the two masses into one with the least number of turns. What you learn by actually trying something, eh?

Zucchini Muffins

Mack thought they were good (turns out, they freeze like a charm too), but I know of a higher standard that can be reached. Next time.

Al Fresco on the Boardwalk: Sabor Divino

Sabor Divino is the latest restaurant to join the downtown fray, with a prime location on the Boardwalk along 103 Street – close enough for mall shoppers, theatre goers and festival revellers on the Square to access on foot, but far enough from main traffic thoroughfares to allow for a patio experience shielded somewhat from noise.

Although many (myself included) have labelled Sabor Divno a Portuguese restaurant, co-owner Christian Mena refuses to pigeonhole his eatery, and instead prefers to say their cuisine is inspired by a multitude of flavours, including those from Portugal, Spain, and the Mediterranean.

My first meal at Sabor Divino was a part of Fork Fest, an eight day celebration of Original Fare independent restaurants in Edmonton, offering pre-fixe meal deals for $20 or $35 (Mack had dined there once before, with his colleagues for lunch). The Fork Fest menu that Mack and I enjoyed at Sabor definitely seemed to sample a bit from each of the above regions, with the overall consensus being the kitchen was heavy on both balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

We opted to take advantage of a warm Edmonton day (which seems to be rare this summer), and chose a seat on Sabor’s small patio made up of three two-person tables complete with parasols. I loved that the ground level of the restaurant opened up onto the street, inviting a feeling of al fresco dining even for the tables technically tucked inside. And though the seats on the main level looked sumptuous, befitting the presence of a grand piano in the centre amongst a dark wood and dimly lit setting, I didn’t regret our choice of table.

I spy Mack’s BlackBerry…

The tapas menu was tempting, and one I’d likely consider more closely on a non-Fork Fest occasion. As it were, Mack and I built our individual meals from a $35 fixed menu comprised of two appetizers, two entrees, and four dessert options. I chose the pasta fagioli soup, black cod Mediterraneo, and Leite Crème “Dona Irene”. Mack, in an effort to supply me with more blog fodder (even at my explicit objection), ordered the mista salad, chicken in red wine, and cheesecake with black cherries.

While enjoying our bread, the pair seated behind us were accosted by a passerby looking for a smoke. They began talking, and we couldn’t help but listen (yes, we’re eavesdropping diners – but in our defense, their raised voices made it difficult not to do so). It turned out the wayward pedestrian was a bartender at the nearby L’Azia, and invited the pair to the restaurant. She described it with the following gem: “It’s an infusion restaurant. Like Taste of Edmonton, only year round.”

Bread with olive oil, butter and balsamic vinegar

I thought our appetizers came much too soon after our bread basket had been delivered (I barely made it through two slices), but Mack didn’t mind getting right to the meal. The pasta and bean soup was a hearty way to start off, though the beans were on the too-soft side, permeating the broth with a chalky texture. Mack’s salad was beautiful as it was a towering achievement, with the even larger achievement being that he managed to finish all of the greens. His only comment was that it was overdressed.

Pasta Fagioli Soup

Mista Salad

I expected the entrees to interrupt our first course, but I was pleasantly surprised – the rest of the meal was timed quite nicely. My black cod was a visually stunning dish that screamed freshness – a bed of bright green kale accentuated with bursts of rouge tomato and ink-black olives. The fish had perfectly crossed char marks, and, though I’d been warned that the kitchen often undercooked their seafood, found no unwelcome rawness inside. The pops of sprinkled salt pockets were a welcome touch, and my only flavouring complaint was the heavy balsamic pour.

Black Cod Mediterraneo

Like mine, Mack’s chicken in red wine was also generously portioned, with a theme of red throughout – red onions, red grapes and red pesto sauce. Though enjoyable, it was the less unique of our two entrees.

Chicken in Red Wine

Dessert was presented as a “taster”, which, after the preceding plate, was just the right size. My Portuguese version of a crème brulee was fired fresh to order, with a richer, more flavourful custard than usually encountered. Mack enjoyed the cheesecake portion of his dessert, but could have done without the cherries, which tasted to him like the canned variety.

Leite Crème “Dona Irene”

Cheesecake with Black Cherries

At the end of our meal, I asked our waiter if the restaurant was considering any sustainable seafood choices (guided by, for example, Blue Ocean or Monterey Bay). He said that he himself used to cook, and that sustainability was very important to him personally. As a result, he would be bringing in samples from Ocean Odyssey Inland for the chef to try very soon.

With solid service and a seafood focus that differentiates it from other mid-range establishments, Sabor Divino is a welcome addition to the family of Original Fare restaurants as well as Edmonton’s food scene.

Sabor Divino
10220 103 Street
(780) 757-1114
Main dining room: Monday-Friday 11:30am-10pm, Saturday-Sunday 5-10pm; Cafe lounge: Monday-Friday 2:30-10pm, Saturday-Sunday 5-10pm

The Cooking Chronicles: Braised Tilapia with Leeks and Tomatoes

One of my favourite cooking blogs of late is The Wednesday Chef. Beyond the recipes, it’s Luisa’s stories behind the food that sets her posts apart. Take, for example, her recipe for braised tilapia with leeks and tomatoes. What led her to create such a dish? Why, love of course.

Even though they are no longer together, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the recipe. Mack and I picked up all of the necessary ingredients at the City Centre Market (cherry tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouses, leeks from Sundog Organics, and Honduran tilapia from Ocean Odyssey Inland), and used some white wine we had kicking around.

The dish was fantastic – this was our first time cooking with leeks, and it won’t be our last. We were a bit afraid our “glug” (Luisa’s measurement) would overwhelm everything, but between the sweetness of the leeks and burst tomatoes, we welcomed the additional sauce. Be careful not to overcook the fish as we did – we left the pot with the lid on as we waited for the rice to finish cooking. As a whole, this dish was leaps and bounds above the other one-pot meal we had tried a few days earlier – Mack enthusiastically put this recipe in the “keep” pile.

Braised Tilapia with Leeks and Tomatoes, served with rice

Thanks Luisa for the recipe, and keep up the great work!