• Every Thursday until the end of August, the Capitol Theatre at Fort Edmonton Park is screening vintage movies with the option of adding a picnic for dinner and a movie.
• The next What the Truck?! takes place on August 20, 2016 from 4-8pm at the Edmonton Ballpark. Check out the vendor line-up.
• NightJar is hosting a New Orleans-style pop-up called Tickets to Dixie on August 22, 2016. Tickets are $55 and include three courses.
• F.A.R.R.M. Animal Rescue is hosting a vegan bake sale at Earth’s General Store on Whyte Avenue on August 27, 2016 from 10am-3pm.
• It seems a little strange to me to learn about how to cook bison in a park that functions to preserve and nurture bison herds, but to each their own: Elk Island National Park is hosting a festival of all things bison on August 13, 2016, including cooking demonstrations.
• The Edmonton and Area Land Trust’s annual Nature’s Nourishment fundraiser takes place on September 1, 2016. Tickets are $100 and include food and wine, and the opportunity to learn about conservation efforts.
• Sustainable Food Edmonton’s second annual Harvest Reception is scheduled for October 15, 2016. Expect locally-sourced food amongst discussion about the future of Edmonton’s urban agriculture. Tickets are $35.
• District is now serving up brunch on Saturdays from 9am-4pm.
• Cathy checked out Chutney’s Indian Grill, a quick serve addition to southeast Edmonton at 4316 17 Street.
• The Journal is the latest to review Daniel Costa’s Uccellino.
• Vue Weekly has more information about Edmonton’s newest brewery, Bent Stick Brewery.
• Phil started a new series on his blog called The Community Table Project. He’s soliciting signature recipes from home cooks. His first post features CBC’s Mark Connolly and his homemade pizza.
• Welcome to Edmonton Food Tours, the new division of Alberta Food Tours, which will be offering culinary tours of our city. Edmonton tour leaders include Liane Faulder and Cindy Lazarenko. The first tour being offered focuses on 104 Street, and costs $115 per adult.
• The University of Alberta is now home to a second volunteer-run community farm, called Prairie Urban Farm. The one acre mixed crop is located near South Campus, and their goals are “to demonstrate and provide skill-building opportunities in alternative, regenerative ways of growing food within the city and to grow food security: access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.” They sell their veggies every Thursday from 5-7pm.
• The first volunteer-run campus community farm on is the Green & Gold Community Garden. Mack and I haven’t been in several years, so took advantage of a free evening last week to hop on the LRT and walk over. It was bustling with activity (they sell their produce by donation on Tuesdays and Saturdays), and it was great to see all of the kids wandering the crops.

Green & Gold Community Garden

I hope you all had a great long weekend! Only a month left of summer, so make the most of it if you can! On to this week’s food notes:

• A reminder that Sturgeon County Bounty takes place on August 5, 2016 from 4-9pm. Participating restaurants include Nineteen, Jack’s Burger Shack, and Urbano Pizza.
• Slowly but surely, announcements of new Ice District eateries are being made. The latest is from Match Eatery & Public House, to be located in the new casino.
• Vue Weekly checked out Namaste India, a relative newcomer to the city’s restaurant scene, located at 10049 156 Street.
• The Journal’s latest patio review features Workshop Eatery.
• Nightjar is one of the newest bars to open in Edmonton, and embraced a speakeasy concept.
• The third annual Diner en Blanc took place on 104 Street last week.
• Ever considered hosting a home sushi party? Linda did recently and it looked like a great, stress-free way to entertain.
• Athena shared a recent cooking demonstration experience at La Oliva, a gluten free kitchen.
• The Journal profiles Kenzi Food, which sells pie pops at the St. Albert Farmers’ Market and City Market.
• Why does salad have the reputation it does, as a “healthy”, “feminine” dish (or as Mack always suggests, is a side and not a meal)? The Atlantic sheds some light on this.
• Avenue Edmonton profiled some vertical farming initiatives in Edmonton, as well as the expansion of Northlands’ agricultural practices.
• For a pre-Esks game meal last week, we stopped at Love Pizza. It was just as satisfying as I remembered!

Meatatarian

• One of our go-to restaurants for work lunches is Viphalay, and they didn’t disappoint. I can never pass up the opportunity to order pad thai!

Pad thai at Viphalay

• Mack and I took in Heritage Days on Sunday. It was probably the most comfortable I’ve ever been at the festival, with mostly overcast skies and a steady breeze. The rain also stayed away until we were ready to leave! It was also the first year where lines weren’t apparent at a vast majority of the booths – to purchase food tickets or to buy food itself. We wondered if the economy was a factor in this, along with the significant drop in Food Bank donations collected over the weekend. At any rate, we enjoyed ourselves as we sampled some dishes that were new to us.

The chot poti from Bangladesh was one of the best values we encountered (just 4 tickets), a satisfying bowl of chickpeas with a spicy tamarind-based sauce. Based on the description, we were expecting egg instead of tortilla chips, but we did appreciate the added crunch.

The pupusa from Guatemala was the perfect combination of cheese, beans, pork, and a hint of spice.

Mack and I were also satisfied with the couscous and beef from Morocco, which featured a decent portion of meat for 6 tickets.

The chicha morada from Peru, a purple concoction said to be made from boiled purple corn, pineapple, cinnamon and lime, tasted like none of those ingredients to us, but was still refreshing to drink on a warm day. And, well, one can’t fault them for great marketing.

The only real line up we encountered was at the Hungary pavilion. But it was worth the wait for langos (even if the icing sugar-topped version isn’t the most authentic).

• Food4Good is hosting a Collective Kitchen on July 28, 2016 at the Brittania-Youngstown Community League (15927 105 Avenue). Contribute $3 to help put together 4 servings of food to take home.
• Ever wanted to see how chocolate is made? Jacek Chocolate Couture is opening up their chocolate studio on July 28, 2016, from 5-8pm. You can RSVP on Facebook.
• The second location of Bodega Edmonton is now open in Highlands at 6509 112 Avenue. Learn more about Christian Mena and Lino Oliveira, the duo behind this growing local chain, on The Local Good.
• Another local expansion to report: the Crudo family will be doubling their restaurant foothold in Edmonton, with the takeaway-focused Bottega on 104 Street and a quick-service version of Cafe Amore in Terwillegar.
• Sorrentino’s announced that Buco will be opening up in Epcor Tower. The company also celebrated their newest Sorrentino’s outpost in Stony Plain.
• Twyla raved about Have Mercy’s Southern food and perfectly gritty decor.
• Vue Weekly checked out Walia on 124 Street, one of the city’s newest Ethiopian restaurants.
• Congratulations to all of the winners of the Canadian Food Championships over the weekend!
• The K-Days New Food Contest winners are in: take a look at the results before heading out onto the midway.
• It was a shock to hear about the sudden passing of Ernesto Rizzi. He was the friendly and engaging operator behind Dolce & Banana food truck. He will be missed.
• The Journal’s latest market vendor profile is Urban Pierogies, which creates organic, uniquely flavoured perogies.
• If you’re interested in learning more about urban beekeeping, check out a City-hosted event called Honey Harvest, happening October 14, 2016. There will be panel discussions, tastings, and networking opportunities. The cost is $40.
• It’s not surprising that the term “community supported agriculture” has been co-opted by big business in the States.
• David Chang puts forth his unified theory of deliciousness.
• I neglected to post about the new Olly Fresco’s located at 10030 107 Street. It’s a Calgary-based company specializing in prepared food.

Olly Fresco’s

• A reminder that the last day to buy discounted Taste of Edmonton tickets is July 20, 2016.
• Workshop Eatery is hosting A Garden Party on August 11, 2016. Tickets for the four-course al fresco meal are $100, with proceeds going to the Canadian Culinary Fund.
• A modern speakeasy, Nightjar, is now open at 8130 Gateway Boulevard.
• Jonny visited Curry Corner in Riverbend and shared the great lunch special they offer for $11.
• Linda was invited to dine at the Highlands Golf Club, which is open to non-members.
• The Globe is the latest to review Beaumont’s Chartier.
• El Cortez’s patio received the spotlight from the Journal this week.
• The Journal covered the local interpretation of the trend towards no tipping: Cafe Linnea will be Edmonton’s first, though Chartier has a model that pools and redistributes tips.
• SpeakTiki is the latest cocktail collective that is making waves, with a focus on promoting Tiki cocktail culture.
• Speaking of booze, Edmonton has a new brewery in town, called Bent Stick Brewing.They just released their first two beers.
• This is a great piece in The Walrus about the place of bannock in Aboriginal cuisine.
• Do you ever just want to watch people cook without all of the commentary? Then these Silently Cooking videos are for you.
• You can now get Tim Horton’s iced capps in a bottle. But isn’t the beauty of iced cap the…ice?

Iced capps

• I met up with a few friends at Daravara on Friday to catch up over some food. The Southern fried chicken sandwich was delicious!

Southern fried chicken sandwich and parm garlic fries

• Before King Noodle House’s vacation (July 18-26), Mack and I made sure to swing by for a pho/bun bo hue fix.

I love me some bun bo hue

• Mack and I joined Linda and some of her friends at the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta for our first Meals that Mend experience on Saturday. It was very rewarding experience being able to cook for families whose children are receiving treatment at local hospitals. It was a lot of fun, and the families were so appreciative of the small gesture. Thanks Linda for having us!

With the birthday girl!

I rarely take Fridays off, but I did so this past weekend, and learned that I should be doing that more often, especially in the summer! It’ll be a few months until our next vacation, but long weekends may be able to tide me over in the meantime. On to this week’s food notes:

• The kitchen cook-offs are spreading: The Local Omnivore is hosting their first Knifewear Kitchen Fight on July 16, 2016. Tickets are $35 and include 4 appetizers.
• The third annual Grand Taste Tour is scheduled for July 24, 2016, and will end with a meal at Tangle Ridge Ranch prepared by Chef Frank Olson from Red Ox Inn and Canteen. If it’s anything like last year, be prepared for a wonderful learning experience and spectacular supper. Tickets for the tour and the dinner are $100, while tickets for the tour and a bagged lunch are $50.
• The next COMAL Mexican Table Dinners are scheduled for July 30 & 31, 2016. Tickets are $51 for the 3-course meals.
• The Heritage Festival, which runs July 30-August 1, 2016, has now posted this year’s menus, so start planning!
• We’re so fortunate in Edmonton to have multiple locations of the Italian Centre, so it only makes sense the suburbs want in, too: the folks behind the Italian Bakery are opening up a similarly-inspired deli and grocery store in St. Albert called Mercato by Italian Bakery.
• Relish Burger has closed on 124 Street, but may consider a new location in the future.
• Linda tried out the new brunch menu at Holt’s Cafe.
• The Hotel MacDonald recently added a Friday night dinner buffet to their roster; Lillian sampled just a few of their indulgences.
• Jonny returned to an oft-overlooked restaurant, A Taverna, in the Delton neighbourhood.
• Wendy’s Perogies, a favourite for many Edmontonians, was a recent discovery for Evonne.
• The Journal continues their patio series with reviews of Cafe Bicyclette (interestingly enough, their third review of Cafe Bicyclette in three years) and Violino.
• Vue Weekly asks: what’s in a review? Phil, one of the food writers interviewed in the piece, also tackles the subject in his newest Off Menu podcast.
• Phil put together a price check to compare the cost for products at Safeway versus the new, expanded Duchess Provisions.
• While the newly revamped Earls on Stephen Avenue in Calgary didn’t completely do away with tipping, they’ve instituted a 16% “hospitality charge” that will divide equally among the hourly staff.
• Liane wrote a great piece about Alexis Hillyard and her YouTube cooking series called Stump Kitchen.
• What do you think is healthy? Do nutritionists agree? Based on a recent survey of Americans and a panel of nutrition experts, there is some dissonance in those opinions.
• Along those lines, Grub Street published their Neurotic Eater’s Grocery List, pointing out ethical, environmental and health problems of supermarket foods, and the New York Post highlights some of the fake food you’ve likely be scammed into buying.
• The last What the Truck?! at Park After Dark took place on Friday, but if you missed it, be sure to mark your calendar for the next one at Telus Field on August 20, 2016.

S’mores cake from Molly’s Eats at What the Truck?!

• Speaking of food trucks, it’s been a while since I’ve tried new vendors outside of What the Truck?! I was able to do so on Friday downtown. Ka Bao was parked near Alberta Hotel, and I loved that they sold individual baos at $3.50 a piece, which meant I could have it as a snack as we were in-between meals. We tried the pork belly and chicken baos, and enjoyed the flavours of the meat and the consistency of the bao base.

Cluck’N Dandy from Ka Bao

• I also stopped by Kitchen on Friday for meatball madness – offered most Fridays out of their storefront at 10130 105 Street. On that day, Korean meatballs on bacon and egg fried rice were on offer for $8. It was a good portion size for the price, and definitely a quick lunch for those on the go! Follow Chef Brad Smoliak on Twitter for their next meatball date.

Korean meatballs on rice from Kitchen

• We also took in an Edmonton Prospects game last week. Though we lost, I took solace in my Ukrainian Dog, a hot dog topped with three fried perogies (and only $5 to boot).

Ukrainian Dog at Telus Field

• The Valley Zoo Farmers’ Market is back again, beginning July 5, 2016, and runs Tuesday nights from 2-8pm.
• The final What the Truck?! at Northlands Park is taking place on July 8, 2016 from 5-10pm – take advantage of your last chance to sample food trucks at the horse races before the track is dismantled!
• Get Cooking is hosting a second pop-up dinner with Chef Doreen Prei on July 8, 2016, from 5-8:30pm.
• Chef Brad Smoliak is hosting a long table dinner at the Ukrainian Village on July 15, 2016. Tickets for the Ukrainian-inspired meal and after hours tour are $170 per person.
• El Cortez has a new sibling upstairs – Have Mercy, a Southern restaurant, opened today at 8232 Gateway Boulevard. They’re reservation only until July 6, 2016.
• Also in Old Strathcona, Izakaya Dorinku is now open, located at 10205 82 Avenue.
• Stage 104, which took over the Downtown space vacated by The Burg at 10190 104 Street, opened on Canada Day.
• Looking forward to checking out the new and expanded location of Duchess Provisions after it opens on July 8, 2016. It is located at 10934 119 Street.
• Remedy Cafe’s fifth location is now open in Terwillegar, at 1707 Towne Centre Boulevard.
• The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald has begun a series of Friday night dinner buffets, and will be offering them throughout the summer. It’d be nice to have a bit more information to share, but their website is unfortunately mum.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie checks out the ramen served on Saturdays at Yuzen in St. Albert.
• Avenue Edmonton released their list of 25 Favourite Things to Eat in 2016, as identified by 25 prominent Edmontonians.
• Avenue also profiles Ayumi Yuda, the woman behind Ikki Izakaya, and shares that she’ll be opening another Japanese eatery near Ice District.
• Jason Foster shares his thoughts on the beer  trends in Alberta.
• Sunshine Organic is one of our go-to vendors at the City Market, so it was nice to get a photo tour of their farm via The Local Good.
• Great to hear Calgary will open Alberta’s first community food centre this fall.
• We had our second Sugared and Spiced Cake Club delivery aligned with my birthday a few weeks ago, and we enjoyed this cake just as much as the last!

Lemon raspberry cake

• There’s nothing better than a steaming bowl of pho on a hot day, especially when it happens to be a #phodate.

My usual at Pho Tau Bay

• A new Vietnamese restaurant is opening on July 4, called Pho Ha & Hoa, at 9616 165 Avenue.
• Dorinku is a forthcoming Japanese restaurant in Old Strathcona, at 10205 82 Avenue. Thanks Su for the heads up!
• Learn more about Chef Ben Staley’s vision for his twin restaurants, Alta and the Alder Room.
• Lillian recaps her experience at the Cafe Linnea pop-up, the breakfast restaurant opening in mid-July from the folks behind Duchess. She notes that the restaurant will feature a no tipping policy, which would make it the first establishment to adopt this concept in Edmonton.
• On a related note, Provisions will be closed from June 27 – July 7, 2016 in order to relocate to their new space.
• Rosebowl Pizza has announced that they are closing after 37 years of operation in Oliver, but have plans to reopen locations in both Downtown and south Edmonton. They will be offering free pizza from 6-7pm on June 29, 2016, their last day of operation.
• Western Living announced their 2016 Foodies of the Year – congrats to Italian Centre’s Teresa Spinelli for making the list!
• I suppose its inevitable that Edmonton will always be compared with other Prairie cities, but did we need someone from Calgary to say Winnipeg has now surpassed Edmonton’s food scene?
• Jason Foster is hoping Edmonton will relax its bylaws to encourage more craft breweries to start up in our city.
• Loblaw’s first City Market location in the Brewery District opened last week. Mack and I checked out the shop over the weekend, and were instantly reminded of the Maple Leaf Gardens flagship in Toronto (that it is, in fact, modeled after). It’s a beautiful store, to be sure, full of ready-to-eat products. The prices are noticeably higher than Superstore though, but the location is definitely more convenient and transit-friendly.
• Phil’s latest Off Menu Podcast covers the topic of farmers’ markets, and features guests Owen Petersen of Prairie Mill and Kirsta Franke of the 124 Street and French Quarter Markets.
• Mack and I enjoyed a birthday dinner at Cafe Amore last week. It was the first time in a long while where I finished my plate of pasta in one sitting!

Truffle chicken and tomato pasta from Cafe Amore

• Mack and I checked out Farm to Fork in Sherwood Park when we were in the neighbourhood. We enjoyed their take on sliders, moist flavourful patties between potato chips instead of the usual bun. We did find the cost on the high side ($15), but recognize that they use local suppliers. We were also touched by the generosity of the kitchen, who provided a dessert on the house in recognition of my recent birthday. For more information about the restaurant, listen to Twyla’s review on CBC.

Slider bites from Farm to Fork