It’s hard to believe it’s already April, but perhaps even harder to believe is that spring came early this year! I hope you’re out and about enjoying the weather as much as possible! On to this week’s food notes:

• The 25th annual Garlic Festival at Sorrentino’s kicked off today, and runs until April 30.
• Mark your calendars: the 2016 season schedule of What the Truck?! is now up! The first event is now a two-day extravaganza, on Saturday May 28 and Sunday, May 29.
• Jennifer Cockrall-King is launching her new book, Food Artisans of the Okanagan, on April 13 at Audreys. She’ll have sips and snacks on hand, too.
• The next COMAL Mexican Dinner is taking place on April 17 & 18. Tickets for the 6-course meal (including drinks) are $120.
• The second annual Edmonton Resilience Festival runs April 29 – May 1, 2016. I picked up my ticket for a workshop all about naturally leavened biscuits, waffles and muffins, led by Owen Petervine from Prairie Mill. It sounds like a great follow-up to his sourdough workshop last year.
• This year’s Indulgence tickets go on sale May 1 at 9am. They go fast, so make sure you’re on it if you’re planning on attending!
• Cindy tweeted that the space above El Cortez will soon be home to Have Mercy.
• It’s interesting to hear that Karen Anderson of Calgary Food Tours is expanding north to include Edmonton and Canmore on her roster. She’s started a crowdfunding campaign to help them with this growth.
• Nando’s scores a positive review from the Journal.
• Crystal posted another lukewarm review of The Almanac.
• Jonny didn’t get on the Love Pizza love train.
• Cheryl checked out the gluten-sensitive offerings at Kazoku Ramen.
• Just in time for food truck season, The Local Good spotlights the men behind S’wich.
• I love the title of Phil’s most recent odyssey, called Game of Scones, a quest for the city’s best scone.
• Speaking of Phil, his latest podcast features Chef Dale MacKay, of Top Chef Canada fame.
• Food is a 24 hour business – learn more about some of Edmonton’s night owls in Addie’s Avenue Edmonton article.
• Liv’s latest piece in the Globe highlights chefs who’ve returned home after stints abroad.
• Lillian is one of the most inspiring local bloggers, sharing her food knowledge learned through her own personal experimentation. Her newest lesson is all about hand rolling noodles.
• Have you already seeded your garden? Travis from Lactuca encourages you to start with lettuce.
• I love innovative ideas to curb hunger. Here are two this week about fridges open to the public: one in a Montreal alley, where people can drop off and/or take what they need, and another in India, where patrons can leave their restaurant leftovers in a fridge outside for anyone to take.
• I loved Bru’s tower of focaccia served alongside their feta dip! The dip was a bit salty, but I appreciated that it had been warmed through.

Feta dip with focaccia

• A long walk on Sunday took us over to Brit’s Fish and Chips. It definitely hit the spot.

One piece haddock and chips

Mack and I took off to Calgary for the long weekend, and it was just what we needed. I hope you had a similarly relaxing time with family and friends! On to this week’s food notes:

• Spring has come early – food trucks are starting to return from hibernation, with Bully first out for regular operation on March 29, and Attila the Hungry to follow on April 1.
• A pop-up Farewell to Winter Party is taking place on April 2, 2016 from 11am-7pm on Rice Howard Way. There will be food, music and patios.
• Vibe is a new event series at the Art Gallery of Alberta once a month on Friday, which will feature a live music showcase, the opportunity to view gallery exhibitions and a special menu and cocktail bar from Zinc. The first Vibe will take place April 15, 2016.
• It’s great to see another local business grow – in this case, North 53 is opening up a sister bar called Baijiu – a “rustic chic joint serving boozy drinks and Asian-inspired plates in the Mercer Building”. Expect itre to open Fall 2016.
• It just might be the year for bubble tea in Edmonton – Quickly, a bubble tea chain with presence in 19 countries, is opening up in late April at 5818 111 Street. They already have three locations in Calgary.
• Cindy is among the first to write about Wheat Garden Noodle and Dumpling Bazaar on 107 Avenue.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie stopped by Calle Mexico’s storefront location.
• Cindy recapped a great pop-up at Canteen called Closed Mondays, allowing chefs in their kitchen to to showcase their food on a day the restaurant would otherwise be closed. I hope to be able to check it out at some point!
• Cindy also checked out the second #kenyaraefoodproject pop-up at Dovetail, featuring chicken and waffles.
• Linda has tried and fallen in love with Love Pizza.
• If you still haven’t submitted your favourite restaurants for Vue Weekly’s annual Golden Fork Awards, you have until March 31, 2016 to do so.
• Phil had the chance to interview Vikram Vij, one of the most well-known chefs in Canada.
• Vue asks the question – when you see the word “local” on the menu, does it really mean the ingredients have been locally-sourced?
• While in Calgary, we had to check out the branch of the Italian Centre that opened up on the city’s south side. It’s a beautiful store, with an amazing wall of cheese. Curiously, we did notice that some of the same products found in Edmonton are priced higher.

Mack can’t believe all of the cheese

• My Mum really wanted to try Seoul Fried Chicken, so Mack and I ordered up a few of their flavours to share (calling in an order is highly recommended – the line was 10 deep and I was able to bypass it to pick up my order). The SFC BBQ definitely suffered the most in transition, and depending on where you live, may not survive the journey, so I’d stick to the dry fried chicken in the future, unless you’re able to grab one of their limited seats in the storefront. Of the flavours we tried, the Golden Kari that snuck in and amongst our pieces of Original Gangster was the runaway favourite.

Take-out from Seoul Fried Chicken

• It’s been a while since Mack and I have gone for pho, so it seemed like the right way to end our long weekend.

Pho for two from Pho Tau Bay

• Fruits of Sherbrooke will be hosting jam making classes on April 16, 2016.
• It looks like Blitz Conditioning’s idea of a food crawl on bicycles was such an inspiration that it’s already sold out. Hopefully this means many more to come, especially as the weather warms up.
• The second location of Sandwich and Sons had their soft opening this weekend, at 10184 104 Street.
• Liane reports that Sugarbowl owner Abel Shiferaw is planning to open a new café and pop-up space in the three-floor building right beside the Sugarbowl. Plans call for the third floor to be a “continuous pop-up restaurant.”
• Mark your calendar: the tentative opening date of the Downtown location of Careit Urban Deli is April 4, 2016.
• Chefs Andrew Cowan and Matt Phillips demonstrated their chicken prowess at the Home and Garden Show this weekend, in anticipation of their new Northern Chicken project. Looking forward to hearing more!
• I would love to see a Chipotle in Edmonton, but is this rumour true? It seems unconfirmed for now.
• The Journal is the first to review Farm to Fork, the newest restaurant in Sherwood Park.
• Linda has been won over by the changes at Kazoku, and now heartily recommends their ramen.
• The Breakfast Club checked out Juniper Cafe.
• Cindy reviewed Noodle Feast and decided it tugs on all the right strings for her.
• The episode of You Gotta Eat Here, featuring Edmonton’s own Battista’s Calzones, aired over the weekend. You can see it in full on the Food Network website.
• Has the economic downtown affected restaurant business? It doesn’t seem to ring true, at least not for some local mainstays.
• Vesta Gardens is hoping to raise $10,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to purchase a tractor for their farm.
• Alberta Agriculture is looking to study the demand for local food in the province.
• Best of luck to the three University of Alberta students who will be competing in the upcoming food expo in Chicago this July. They’ll be showcasing BiotaGelata, a dairy-free gelato product chock full of fermented beans.
• Izakaya Tomo is celebrating the flavours and music of Okinawa during Okinawa Nights this weekend.
• Until Ketchupgate, I had no idea people would feel the need to express their patriotism through their ketchup.
• Italy is following in France’s footsteps in passing a law to limit food waste. The difference? Their law is incentive-based vs. punitive, by offering grocery chains tax breaks for recovering food.
• I joined Mack and some of his colleagues last week at Parlour. While everyone else ordered off the Downtown Dining Week menu, I couldn’t pass up my usual Gamberi pizza. While there was more shrimp than ever on the pizza, the crust was a little more lacking in structure than I’m used to.

Gamberi Pizza at Parlour

• Congratulations to The Tea Girl on their expanded shop, helped in part by a crowdfunding campaign. Their grand re-opening is slated for March 16.
• The Local Omnivore is hosting a Burger Bar Pop-up on March 18, 2016 from 6-10pm.
• The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is hosting their annual “farewell to winter” patio party on April 2, 2016. This year, it’s themed around fire and ice. Tickets are $46 and includes appetizers.
• Calle Mexico’s storefront location opened up on March 1, 2016 at 11127 107 Avenue.
• Stuffed Gourmet Sausage Company, the sister restaurant of Smokehouse BBQ, opened last week at 10810 124 Street. Dine in or pick up some sausages to go.
• Speaking of Smokehouse, they’ve teamed up with Samuel Adams Beer to create weekly menu pairings. Andrea reports back on what you can expect.
• The third Browns Social House is now open in Tamarack (2511 17 Street).
• Thanks to Cindy for the heads up that KB & Co will be opening up this spring in the Fox Tower. It looks like they’ll be serving up an organic, vegan and soy-free menu.
• Seoul Fried Chicken continues to rack up its fans, this time at Vue Weekly as well as Ms. Hangry Foodie. Both recommend calling ahead.
• Jonny checked out Washoku Bistro.
• Stephanie is the latest to review Ikki Izakaya.
• Beth enjoyed her coffee and tried the whoopie pies at The Woodrack Cafe.
• The Globe reviewed Prairie Noodle Shop last week.
• Phil’s fourth Brunch Odyssey pits The Next Act against its sister restaurant, Meat.
• Eat North spotlights Cory Rakowski, the new chef at North 53.
• A CBC Marketplace investigation has prompted Earls to change its dress code.
• Want to learn more about ramen? Check out this excerpt from a new book called Rice, Noodle, Fish by Matt Goulding.
• Winter patios are rapidly becoming spring patios, which are great to see. Now if only the city committed to cleaning the streets as needed, instead of waiting until May…

Kelly’s Pub on 104 Street

• Speaking of patios, Mack and I walked down to Little Brick on Sunday to bask in the sun. It’s such a great neighbourhood spot.

Little Brick

• Craving pancakes after work on Saturday, Mack and I headed to Hathaway’s Diner to feed our craving. Nothing beats their breakfast classic.

Breakfast classic at Hathaway’s Diner

• SPUD Edmonton is hosting their third Meet Your Farmers event on March 12, from 10:30am-1pm. Learn more about SPUD with tours, samples, and a pop-up market.
• The Wild Heart Brunch Collective is back for its second event this Saturday, March 12 at The Mercury Room from 11am-3pm. The $15 ticket buys you brunch, one drink item, entertainment, and access to market vendors.
• The French Quarter Grand Market kicked off its spring season last weekend. Join them every Sunday from 11am-3pm at La Cite Francophone (8627 Marie-Anne Gaboury Street).
• The Buddha Boys are popping-up at Prairie Noodle House on March 27, 2016, serving up their version of ramen and dessert. Tickets are $33.
• Workshop Eatery has partnered with Taste Alberta for a series of dinners celebrating our local bounty. The first takes place April 5, 2016. Tickets for the four-course meal are $75.
• On April 15, 2016, the Edmonton Valley Zoo is hosting an event focused on sourcing sustainable seafood locally. Tickets are $50 and include wine and appetizers.
• Chartier, the much talked about French Canadian restaurant in Beaumont, has announced a soft opening date of March 29, 2016.
• A new pastry shop called Chocorrant will open a few blocks down from Duchess in the spring at 10330 124 Street.
• Liane has expansion news from the folks behind Sabor Divino, Bodega and Urbano Pizza: they’re not only opening a larger version of Urbano on 124 Street, but will also be opening up a version of Bodega in Highlands at 6509 112 Avenue.
• It’ll be interesting to see how Edmonton’s new Shopping Under the Stars Night Market will fare – no doubt they’re thinking big, hoping for 500+ vendors. The market will run May 20 – September 5, 2016.
• The Tomato released their forth annual Top 100 Best Things to Eat or Drink in Edmonton. Did your favourites make the list?
• It seems the time of year for lists, as Graham Hicks also offered up his own, all about the best fast-food burger in Edmonton.
• There are already two reviews of Coco Fresh Tea & Juice which opened just last week at 10147 109 Street. It claims to be the world’s largest bubble tea chain.
• Cindy shares her love of Noodle Feast with some pictures you should avoid if you’re hungry!
• Avenue Magazine checked out Seoul Fried Chicken, and found out that the secret is to get there early.
• Andrea is the latest to write about her introduction to Nando’s.
• Jonny visited Kerala, a South Indian restaurant located across from Southgate Centre.
• Frosty Fox Ice Cream is the latest food enterprise to start a crowd-funding campaign, with the hopes of purchasing an ice cream bike or truck.
• I missed linking to Liane’s excellent series which began last week, called Nosh North. She spotlights interesting, lesser-known food establishments on Edmonton’s North End. Learn more about Marina’s Cuisine and Tamiri Bites.
• Those familiar with 12 Acres will know the restaurant had partnered with a local farm to source their ingredients as close to home as possible. Unfortunately, it seems like the farm and restaurant have parted ways.
• Hens live to see another day: City Council approved the continuation of the backyard chickens pilot.
• Pulses made the cover story of Vue Weekly – but will they gain more traction in meat-forward Alberta?
• I’m sure some said it couldn’t be done: the March issue of Bon Appetit was shot entirely with iPhones.
• I love Vital Greens cream as much as the next person, but this sign made me laugh: are there folks out there with a cream hoarding problem?

Vital Greens at Blush Lane

• One of the best things about Tao Garden are their customizable, made-to-order soups, but for whatever reason, I always stick to what I know and love. Is that so bad?

My go-to satay broth, tofu puffs, beef balls and wontons at Tao Garden

• After work on Saturday, I grabbed a bite to eat at Pho Hoan Pasteur. I rarely say no to pho, but that day, it felt much too warm for soup.

Chicken and spring roll vermicelli bowl at Pho Hoan Pasteur

• Both Andrea and Cindy are giving away the chance to dine at the upcoming NAIT Chef in Residence Luncheon on March 10, 2016, which will feature the food of Chef Vikram Vij.
• Mark your calendars: Downtown Dining Week runs March 11-20, 2016. Prix fixe meals will be offered at 36 restaurants at $15, $28 and $48 price points. There are some good deals to be had, including a $15 lunch at Pampa with access to their salad bar and three Rodizio meats.
• The next Swine and Dine pop-up event is taking place at the Royal Glenora Club on March 17, 2016. Tickets for the four-course meal are $75.
• The 2016 edition of Seedy Sunday is taking place on March 20, 2016 in a new location, the Central Lions Seniors Centre (11113 113 Street). It’ll be interesting to see if their attendance spikes this year, with all the speculation that increasing produce prices will entice more novice gardeners.
• Smokehouse BBQ is changing the direction of their sister shop on 124 Street – from Pie Eatery to Stuffed Gourmet Sausage.
• Calle Mexico is the latest food truck to open up a brick and mortar restaurant. You will be able to find them at 107 Avenue and 113 Street.
• It looks like a new ramen place is coming to Whyte Avenue, called Nu Do Ru.
• The new Orange Market at 10401 82 Avenue, a 24-7 convenience store, features an Urbano Pizza location inside.
• Avenue Magazine released their list of best restaurants for 2016: RGE RD was named best overall, with NongBu scoring best new restaurant. Avenue has added a weekly Food + Drink newsletter to its roster. If you sign up, it will be e-mailed to you every Tuesday.
• Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list for 2016 has just been released. Edmonton has 3 establishments that made the cut: Bar Bricco, Corso and Rostizado.
• Linda offers us a peek behind the scenes at Cobs Bread during hot cross bun season, and is also providing a chance to win bread for a year and an Easter prize pack.
• The Breakfast Club checks out the Nordic Brunch offered at Victoria Golf Course’s Dogwood Cafe, run by the folks behind Culina.
• Jonny is the first to review Baha Cabana (13716 Castle Downs Road), a Caribbean-Chinese restaurant on the north side.
• Lindsey and Ms. Hangry Foodie are the latest local bloggers to review Love Pizza.
• Phil’s latest Off Menu Podcast features Twyla Campbell and Dan Clapson discussing the food scenes of Edmonton and Calgary.
• Vue Weekly profiles Passion de France, an upstart pastry shop on 118 Avenue.
• Liv had a great piece in the Globe & Mail covering the evolution of Edmonton’s coffee roasting scene.
• Did you know that cereal has been on a downward trend? The big brands are trying to find their way back into consumers hearts.
• We finally checked out Planet Organic’s new location at 12210 Jasper Avenue. No doubt it’s a beautiful store, with an expanded ready-to-eat section (it was great to see Phil & Sebastian coffee available).

Planet Organic

• On Saturday, Mack and I finally had the chance to pop by Blue Hour Tea’s storefront located in Vacancy Hall in basement of the Mercer Warehouse (10359 104 Street). The local company blends their own teas, and at Vacancy Hall’s season opener on March 12, 2016, they’ll be debuting their version of an iced tea. We picked up some of their Sleep blend to try.

Blue Hour Tea

• We couldn’t help but pick up Confetti Sweets cookies over the weekend at the City Market. It was the perfect snack to accompany an evening with an Oscar-nominated flick (Spotlight, a movie we really enjoyed).

Confetti Sweets