Tag: food

Worth the Splurge: Wildflower Grill

I had mentioned my exquisite meal at Wildflower Grill (10009 107 Street) so many times to Mack in the last year that he was eager to give it a whirl of his own at the next opportunity. We finally made time on Thursday to go and see if the standard of excellence outlived the new car smell.

 

Wildflower interior

The restaurant served just four other tables for the duration of our visit, so for that reason (and the basic principle of welcoming), we found it surprising that the hostess greeted us with an abrupt “Do you have a reservation?” as soon as we walked through the door. Granted, we could have simply surprised her, but a “How are you?” would have been an acceptable preface.

At any rate, we were shown to a table by the window, one of my favourite places to sit in any restaurant. Our server promptly came to take our drink order, and throughout the evening, was attentive without being overbearing – I was happy to see that their service had not declined in quality since my inaugural visit.

The menu appeared to be unchanged, which was fine with me, as I had intentions to sample a dish free of fruits de mer this time around. To start, Mack couldn’t resist the temptation of Coconut Buttered Tiger Prawns ($15), and decided to continue on the seafood theme with Pan-Roasted Sockeye Salmon Medallions ($31) as his entrée. I was decidedly in the land corner that day, and the Herb-Crusted Venison Medallions ($38) struck my fancy.

As expected, our server teased our palate with an amuse bouche, of stewed figs this time. I didn’t care much for the cream cheese finish, but I still adored the complimentary sample from the chef. Next was the included treat I was looking most forward to – brioche bread served with two kinds of butter. It was just as good as I remembered – warm from the oven, crisp on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. Heavenly.

 

Amuse bouche

Brioche bread service

We weren’t halfway through our bread, however, when our appetizer appeared. Mack was immediately distracted by the sight of shrimp and scallops, and I was less than interested. The two accompanying sauces provided a color pop to the dish, but were also quite tasty – Mack preferred the lime green chili sauce, while I liked the bite of the red chili sauce. The potato crown which encased the seafood tower was a nice edible addition as well.

Coconut Buttered Tiger Prawns

Anticipating entrees that would arrive prior to completing our appetizer, we finished the plate in no time. To our relief, there was a lengthened pause from the kitchen, and we waited comfortably, sipping our drinks and enjoyed the relaxed ambiance of a quiet dining room.

Our entrees were a canvas to behold. A tiny ceramic pot (adhered to the square plate with the help of mashed potato) supplied a miniature dish within a dish, while the rest of the sides painted a lovely array of colors, accenting the bold, deep pink of the venison medallions which were drenched in a ruby sauce. Mack’s salmon medallions were also heightened visually with beautiful vegetables, though the fish and shrimp were already so vibrant in color that they didn’t need much in the way of accents.

This was my first experience with game, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Though the texture was different than beef or bison, I’m not sure I would be able to identify the meat as “game” in a blind taste test. The crust and the huckleberry compote were great accompaniments, so I have no complaints on preparation or presentation, but as the dish was served with an oxtail ragout, it was difficult not to prefer the softened shards of braised meat served in a lovely broth. Mack’s lobster and crab-stuffed salmon medallions were the closest he’d probably get to recreating Homer Simpson’s “lobster stuffed with tacos” request, and he enjoyed them thoroughly. He didn’t really think there was a need for the butternut squash gnocchi, however, which didn’t seem to relate to the other parts of the dish.

Herb-crusted Venison Medallions

Pan-Roasted Sockeye Salmon Medallions

We were both stuffed by the end of our mains, and opted not to order dessert. Between the amuse bouche, bread course, and complimentary chocolate they provided prior to handing us our bill, we felt that the diner’s experience was a top priority for staff. It was definitely not an inexpensive meal, but for a special occasion, the Wildflower Grill is worth the splurge.

Wildflower Grill
10009 107 Street
(780) 990-1938
Lunch: Monday – Friday 11am-2pm; Dinner: Sunday – Thursday 5-9pm, Friday – Saturday 5-10pm; Brunch: Sunday 11am-2pm
Appetizers $10-22, Entrees $26-49, Desserts $12

Refined for Expansion: Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria

With the number of restaurants I have yet to try in Edmonton, it’s a wonder I ever make it back to the establishments that I think are deserving of a return visit. So it sometimes helps to have a sweetener. In Famoso’s case, it was in the form of a $50 certificate I bid for in an online auction. Having paid just $32 for the certificate, I thought it was quite the steal.

After a long day at work, Mack and I took the bus to Famoso (11750 Jasper Avenue), and on the way back, intended on walking off the glut of calories we would consume over the course of the evening. We walked in, and were both taken by how busy it was on a random weekday – there was just one table remaining, which we snagged immediately.

While not much had physically changed inside the restaurant, the vibe and the ambiance showcased a more refined Famoso ready to woo patrons from a higher age and income bracket. Gone were the college-esque instructional photos demonstrating how to fold and eat their thin-crust pizzas, as were the deli-style microphone announcements for order pickups. In their place were sleek, professionally photographed shots of sophisticated women enjoying a meal, and table service provided by two buspersons. Famoso had also added a reserve wine list to their menu, inviting patrons to linger and stay on to finish an accompanying bottle of wine with their pizza – a shift from our early comparison to an eat-and-go sandwich joint. Wednesdays now saw a weekly wine tasting event from 6-8:30pm, and the past few months have blossomed with a promotion they call “Famoso’s next Top Chef”. Referencing the popular reality television show, customers can submit their idea for a Neopolitan-style pizza for a chance to have their creation served as the pizza of the month at the restaurant.

The cheery and energetic staff person who took our order said that business has been swift for about a year – probably just picking up prior to our last visit. She was exceptionally helpful and enthusiastic about her work, and was someone Famoso should definitely reward – servers like her are an asset to an organization. At any rate, we ordered (at the counter – that much hadn’t changed), deciding upon the Margherita Pizza, with cherry tomatoes ($11.50) and the Sweet BBQ Chicken ($14), a pizza with a smoked BBQ sauce, roasted chicken, gouda, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro.

We sat down (by this time, a booth had opened up, meaning that there would be at least some light cast on our table), and a few minutes later, our pizzas were brought directly to us. After tasting a slice of Mack’s pizza, I realized I should have probably be more adventurous and chosen something a little off the beaten path. I loved the smoky, tangy sauce, which reminded me very much of the base used on Panago’s Tropical Hawaiian pizza. The Margherita wasn’t bad though – between the chewy, soft dough, and the lovely melted circles of fresh mozzarella, I was definitely enjoying my second Famoso experience.

Margherita Pizza

Sweet BBQ Chicken

Though we were both pretty stuffed from our individual pizzas, I pressed on and ordered a Nutella Pizza ($7). The chocolate calzone-like dessert was the real reason behind my second trip, as it sounded intriguing when I saw it on the menu the first time around. After ordering it at the counter, we sat back and waited. When the plate was delivered, a table nearby looked on with jealous eyes – the prepared calzone had been cut up into easy-to-eat slices, drizzled with chocolate sauce, and finished with whipped cream. The combination of warm, chewy dough and nutella was a good one, but by the time we had each consumed a few slices, we were wishing for an additional accent ingredient like bananas or strawberries. The platter was definitely meant to be shared by more than just two.

Nutella Pizza

My first visit to Famoso led me to believe that it was aligned with producing pizza for the fast food market, but after my most recent experience, I’d recommend it for a casual business lunch, a date, or a place to catch up with friends. I credit the owners with developing the brand into one I can see continually expanding in the Edmonton restaurant scene.

Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria
11750 Jasper Avenue (another location opening in Terwilligar at 142 Street & 23 Avenue in January)
(780) 732-0700
Appetizers $5-12, Entrees $10-14, Desserts $1.50-7

Food Notes

  • A profile I wrote about Cindy Lazarenko of Culina Highlands hit the stands on Thursday. I was remiss with the space limitations for that article in particular, because I felt I had so much more I could write. So here’s a quote I would have shared if I had more room: “You watch these Food Network [shows and] it doesn’t have to be like that – oh Rachel Ray makes these half hour dinners– [but] did you see the list of ingredients? Do you have that much money? It would cost so much money to make all these different things. It really just has to be simple – roasted chicken. Have chicken and vegetables and potatoes. And then the next day you can have a chicken quesadilla with the leftover chicken. Keep it simple. We don’t have to eat every ethnic food out there for dinner every night. We just really need to eat basic food. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. To me it’s not that difficult to just cook.”
  • See Magazine reviewed the new Kai Asian Grill last week (I’m hoping they fix the alignment of the article soon; it looks like they just debuted a new website), and Allan Kellogg put the Silk Hat to the test in the Journal.
  • I passed by a new Good Earth Cafe in the government district (12056 Jasper Avenue) the other day. It looked really nice from the outside at least.
  • Another gadget very few would have room for in their kitchen: a microwave s’mores maker.
  • A story I first saw on CNN, but worth reading about – a farm couple opened their farm up to anyone who wanted to pick their leftover vegetables, and 40,000 people showed up.
  • Also a sort of “harvest”, and only Andrea could send this to me – a cookbook full of recipes where human semen is an ingredient.

The Cooking Chronicles: Vegetable Tortellini Bowl

Darn, another recipe that was great to eat but I can’t locate on the internet…

On a day when I was feeling under the weather and craving something warm with vegetables, I turned to a trusty Company’s Coming cookbook for Vegetable Tortellini soup. I figured the filled pasta would give the soup that extra filler, and if nothing else, the tricolore tortellini provided some nice color.

Instead of diced tomatoes, I used a can of whole tomatoes, which, by the time we were ready to eat the soup, lent the chicken stock a lovely red hue. Along with the tomatoes, I threw in the recommended carrot, zucchini, bell pepper, and substituted celery for spinach, and the recipe turned out wonderfully. I remember Jane saying that she was in a “soup phase” at one point – if all soups are this easy and tasty to boot, I may be in one soon too.

Vegetable Tortellini Bowl

Veggie Donair World Premiere

After interviewing Eric Ng, the mastermind behind the World Premiere of the Veggie Donair for a Vue article, I was more curious than ever about the event. I bought an advance ticket at Listen Records, and headed for the Hydeaway (10209 100 Ave) on Wednesday evening.

While I’m not sure what the most appropriate venue for a world premiere of a vegetarian food item would be, the very casual, pub-like space of the Hydeaway suited Eric’s “do it yourself” mentality, I thought. Shortly after 7pm (the event’s start time as listed on the tickets), employees were still shifting around furniture and setting up the stage, as attendees began trickling in.

Around 7:30pm, Leif Oleson-Cormack (an old friend of mine from high school), did his best to entertain the hungry crowd, as Eric headed to the kitchen to begin assembling the donairs. Leif’s set was about 20 minutes in length, after which we got up from the table to wait in a line that snaked halfway around the space.

By this point, I realized I should have had something to eat prior to the event, as the wait was painful. For a food-focused event, an hour and a half to get to the “meat”, so to speak, was unacceptable. At the same time, I had to feel for Eric and the rest of his helpers – a peek inside the kitchen saw four busy hands, and the one waitress had trouble delivering orders to a shifting crowd of patrons. A number system would have helped, but it seemed organization wasn’t the evening’s strong point.

As for the donair itself – while I am not the best judge of donairs (I can’t remember the last time I had one), I liked the crispy, toasted pita shell, and the combination of the tomatoes, onions, sauce, and meat replacement. The consensus at our table, however, was that we wished that the gluten/tofu slab had been sliced a little thinner – it was a tad too thick served as it was (and with a chewy texture very similar to some of the vegan dishes I had at Padmanadi). I did attempt to take a few photos, but as our table and the surrounding area had no overhead lights, the pictures turned out much too blurry to post, unfortunately.

Eric said the turnout of just over 60 was perfect, as he ended up running out of supplies. Overall, it was a fun night and an interesting experience – I hope more food item world premieres are in Edmonton’s future!

Culinary Q & A with Lea Alcantara

Occupation: Chief Hired Gun of Lealea Design.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast was two eggs and two pieces of toast. Lunch was a tuna salad sandwich. Dinner is broiled marinated lamb loin chops in red wine, garlic, onion and rosemary, with leftover whole wheat penne and some bottled generic tomato/basil sauce.

What do you never eat?

This is hard because I will almost eat anything. The one thing I will never eat is this Filipino “delicacy” called “balut” — it’s basically aborted duck egg. Seriously. Can I have my eggs unfertilized, please?

What is your personal specialty?

Probably chicken cashew stir fry. So easy. So tasty. 🙂

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My 8″ Global chef knife. Beautiful, light, and very functional.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

It will be a buffet of mostly ethnic items. So I can have a little bit of everything, pause in between to settle, and eat some more. If a gun was pointed at my head and I really only had to have a 3 course meal: calamari to start, lobster and scallop linguine in a spicy rose sauce, and tiramisu.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Double Greeting Wonton House. Rob (my hubby) and I always order their Wor Wonton, and then one other random item. One of the few places where you feel full and spend less than $20 that isn’t a pho or fast food joint.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

So hard to narrow down, but I will have to say Il Pasticcio is probably the best. Nice ambiance, comfy atmosphere, great service, good looking chefs — we like the fact that the kitchen is open to the public, and the head chef my sisters and I call Chef Handsome. Oh, and the prices are pretty decent.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I think it would be fun to be part of a Hawaiian luau. First of all, it fits my wish of “buffet of mostly ethnic items” while it’s set in a beautiful beach during sunset outdoors, and lots of happy people. Mm, live pig roasts… and seafood!

Food Notes

  • My latest Vue Weekly article was published this week, about a “Veggie Donair World Premiere” taking place at the Hydeaway All Ages Art Space on Wednesday.
  • Vue reported on Thursday that Four Rooms in City Centre has closed: “Henry Song, owner/operator of the City Centre establishment, commented to Vue Weekly that he regrets closing on such short notice. He offered no explanation beyond that the timing was right. He regrets any difficulty caused to clientele, musicians and his staff. He has expressed a desire to continue to work in the food and entertainment industry.” What’s up with all of these recent closures?
  • Lea told me about a new Thai restaurant on the north side called Stephanie’s Thai and Lao Fusion Cuisine. It was reviewed this week in Vue as well.
  • Mack sent me a link to Sassy Cakes, a new home-based cupcake business. They’re also on Twitter.
  • All eyes on the maple leaf: Susur Lee’s debut in New York doesn’t make him flinch at all. A NY blogger I read was lucky enough to go to the Gourmet media event alluded to in the article – her thoughts are here.
  • Mack downloaded the Urban Spoon app to his iPod Touch last week, and I will admit that it was rather fun to play with (the columns can be flicked like a slot machine, but shaking of the iPod will yield a random result – too cool). I hope they add Edmonton to their list of cities soon!
  • Does kids’ cuisine reign supreme? It seems to be the trend, writes Misty Harris.
  • Also on the subject of children – I am tempted to describe the 12 year old food critic in an NYT story as “precious”, but something tells me he would bristle at that label.
  • In a case of ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda’, had I known Starbucks would wholly change their line of mints – from the tiny, power-packed kind to large, money-grabbing tablets, I would have stocked up on the small boxes (pictured below on the right). While the larger case is sleek, it makes me feel a little like a dealer of some kind every time I slide it open.

 

New vs. Old Starbucks Peppermints

Culinary Q & A with Sue Robins

Occupation:  Freelance writer, owner of Apostrophe S.  Mom to three.  Wife to one. Volunteer to many.

What did you eat today?

Poached eggs and corned beef hash, grilled gouda, avocado and red onion sandwich on ciabatta, Italian sausage and risotto with butternut squash. 

What do you never eat?

Green peppers and pork hocks, ugh.

What is your personal specialty?

Risotto of all shapes and sizes and cajun bread pudding.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My lemon zester.  I heart it.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

A big glass of Nk’Mip’s Meritage wine.  My husband’s fusilli with Italian sausage, fennel and red chilis.  My daughter Ella’s lemon meringue pie.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I love Leva for their cappuccinos, pastries, gelati and lunch panino.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton? 

I adore Culina for special night out.  It is dark, intimate and very romantic.  The service is perfect.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

Ah, this is a cliché, but true – Italy!  Specifically, rural Italy, in a region called Abruzzo, on a little olive oil farm called Le Magnolie.  The Nonna of the house does the cooking, and it is simple, hearty, fresh and belissimo!  I am at her mercy, but hopefully she’d serve a big plate of antipasto, homemade gnocchi nestled perched on fresh tomato sauce and garlic, roast turkey with lemon and rosemary and warm pizzelles with homemade cherry jam.

The Cooking Chronicles: Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry

I am ashamed that it took me this long to make a stir-fry. It’s a dish I quite enjoy, but I typically don’t look to recreate Chinese dishes. On a day where I was craving vegetables, however, stir-fry seemed to be the easiest way to satisfy that hunger.

I used some of the directions in a Martin Yan recipe, though we added a sliced chicken breast to the mix, which I pan fried first. After that, I added the vegetables we had on hand – red bell pepper, bean sprouts, broccoli, white mushrooms, and half an onion. We didn’t have any oyster sauce, so I phoned my Mum for some emergency advice. She told me to use some chicken broth, soy sauce, and sugar for good measure, which we did, and it turned out nicely.

I’m glad I finally took the plunge into the land of stir-fry – I can’t wait to try out other vegetable and meat combinations!

Chicken and Vegetatable Stir-fry over rice

Service No Man’s Land: Sutton Place Hotel

I’ve written positively before about the Christmas buffet offered at the Sutton Place Hotel (10235 101 Street), so count me as surprised when a recent visit to their twice-weekly Chocoholics Buffet turned out to be a less-than-stellar experience.

Janice wanted to check out the dessert event as part of her birthday night out, and May, Annie and myself were more than happy to oblige. $16 per person seemed a small amount to pay for the right to gorge out on a variety of chocolate sweets, especially when the price included an alcoholic beverage.

We knew from the website that the buffet was open from 5-10pm, so we had a relatively large window to make it down there. After a bite to eat at Lazia, we walked over to Sutton Place and headed straight for the main floor lounge, where the buffet was supposed to be set up.

There is apparently live jazz to accompany the buffet on the last Thursday of every month. That really would seem to be the best time to visit, as the ambiance was lacking that night – the only music we could hear drifted down from the restaurant proper a floor above us, just barely overshadowing the natural buzz of a hotel lobby. The lounge itself was also extremely dim – there were a few peripheral lamps that did their best to make up for a lack of overhead lights, but we found ourselves wishing for a tabletop candle or two.

We hoped the food would make up for the aesthetics of the lounge, and the spread looked quite promising. There were over ten varieties of desserts, including cheesecake, creme puffs, chocolate shooters, a brownie pizza, and a mousse cake. A silver vessel also contained warm chocolate to drizzle over fruit, but best of all, they had a staff member available to make crepes. And like vegetarian entrees on steakhouse menus, they did have a few non-chocolate desserts, including a plain vanilla cake.

Chocoholics Buffet spread

We found a table and waited a few minutes for one of the two waitresses to acknowledge our presence, but our patience waned. At some point, we decided to be proactive and simply load up our table with plates, hoping that might alert the staff that we needed some assistance.

Crepes were up first for all of us. Kim, the chef on hand, provided a nice personal touch to the experience. We asked her about how busy the buffet was on a typical evening, as there was only one other customer dining alongside our group, and she said that during a busy period (such as CFR week), around 7-10 patrons would frequent the buffet. That seemed to me like an awfully low number (particularly if such busy swings were few and far between) for the Sutton Place to continue to offer such a spread twice weekly. She assured me that the food didn’t go to waste, and as employees were given a three-course meal after every shift, that all of the leftovers would be consumed by staff.

Kim busy behind her station

Back to the crepes – once she folded over the crepe, we were able to choose from a variety of sweet and savoury toppings. I decided to add strawberries, chocolate, and sliced almonds to my chewy crepe. It was quite good, and knowing we could go back for seconds and thirds was a reassuring thought.

My personalized crepe

We tackled the main dessert table next, and I attempted to taste a little piece of everything. After careful deliberation (and three plates), I decided I liked the flourless chocolate cake the best. It was moist, the texture was just right, and though it was fairly rich, I appreciated the dense chocolate flavour. The chocolate-dipped strawberries came in a close second.

Plate #2

After we had returned to our table with our first “courses”, the waitress did come to take our drink order. When asked if they had any dessert wine, she told us that we should be drinking a less sweet wine so as to not take away from the desserts. I would be the first to admit that I am by no means a wine snob, but all of us at the table knew that she was wrong. She poured us all a white wine, which ended up being quite nice, but we were off-put by her initial error.

The service didn’t improve over the evening, as by the end of our stay, just one waitress was left in the area. We actually felt really bad for her – I’m sure the short staffing was a product of the boom – but it made our experience less noteworthy on a positive level.

While the buffet is a good deal, and those who like chocolate should definitely look into it, don’t expect to get more out of it than a meal to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Us, ten pounds heavier

Sutton Place Hotel
10235 – 101 Street
(780) 428-7111 
Chocoholics Buffet every Thursday and Friday, 5-10pm