I hope you’ve been able to take advantage of the weather (and the long days) as much as possible! On to this week’s food notes:

• The first Prairie on the Plate Taste Alberta dinner of the year will be hosted at Bundok. Four courses for $60. Reservations are necessary.
• The Grand Taste Tour is back with two events this summer – July 23 and August 19, 2017, with visits to local farms, breweries, distilleries and epic meals to look forward to. Tickets for the all-inclusive tours are $115.
• Culinaire Magazine’s 2nd Annual Edmonton Treasure Hunt will take place on September 9, 2017. A pair of tickets cost $65, while individual tickets are on for $45. We participated last year, and hope they make some changes to improve the event.
• The Shaw Conference Centre is hosting the FEASTival of Fine Chefs on September 20, 2017. Early bird tickets are available for $137 until July 1, 2017.
• Knifewear is offering a 2-for-1 special on their Cut Like a Chef classes from June to August.
• K-Days has released their new food menu for this year’s festival (which runs July 21-30, 2017). There’s really nothing too shocking or out of the box – examples include jalapeno lemonade, deep fried chicken feet, and mashed potato fingers.
• Tickets for Taste of Edmonton (on July 20-29, 2017) are now on sale – $50 for sheets of 40 tickets, a savings of $10 until July 19. Menus are also up for your perusal.
• Edmonton will soon be getting a location of Regrub, a Calgary-based burger joint, in Old Strathcona (thanks Su for the heads up!).
• Congratulations to Arno’s French Pastry, one of the vendors at the City Market and Old Strathcona Market, which moved into a brick and mortar space located at 10038 116 Street.
• Buono Pizza on the west end (8764 149 Street) is now open.
• Urbano Pizza Co.’s second location at 10326 124 Street is now open.
• Packrat Louie’s soft opening (following their renovations) took place on June 16, 2017.
• Smokehouse BBQ is closing their 124 Street location this week, so they’ll be going out in style with a party on June 24, 2017. They hope to be re-open in their new location at 17820 107 Avenue by June 29.
• Edmonton can add another cafe to its roster – Awake Cafe is open at 11029 9 Avenue.
• Twyla was very impressed with Ono Poke.
• Graham thinks Tang Bistro is a great addition to Edmonton’s food scene.
• Crystal checked out vegan darling KB & Company, as well as Have Mercy.
• The Journal visited 50s-style Rockin’ Robyn’s Diner.
• I hadn’t heard of Branches, located in the Greenland Garden Centre, until this post on YEG Date Night.
• Twyla put together a great round up of some of the bakeries that have opened up in Edmonton over the last six months.
• It’s great when local businesses partner with one another: Confetti Sweets and Pinocchio Ice Cream teamed up to make cookie dough ice cream (one of my favourite flavours!).
• Fort Saskatchewan’s Downtown Diner is now offering a special “diner after dark” food and retro cocktails menu from 8:30pm-1:30am.
• Did you know St. Albert is finalizing its food forest, which will offer free organic food for the community?
• We won’t know the ultimate results of Amazon’s deal to purchase Whole Foods for some time, but brace yourselves.
• Mack and I tried Blaze Pizza in the Brewery District for the first time over the weekend. The crust was better than I anticipated (chewy and fairly thin, but able to support the toppings) and the service was good (they automatically offered to remake our pizza when realized it had burnt, and threw in dessert). I’d consider returning again in the future to try out a different pie.

Green stripe from Blaze Pizza

• We’d be planning our next visit to Cafe Amore for a while – and my usual truffle chicken did not disappoint.

Truffle chicken from Cafe Amore

We had a great time in Seattle – it is a city with many facets, great food, and lots to do! As always, there’s much to catch up on (though I likely missed some things), so on to this week’s food notes:

• Knifewear is hosting a customer appreciation party on June 14, 2017, with free beer and hot dogs – just RSVP!
• The annual Mercer Super Summer Party takes place on June 17, 2017. Festivities kick off at 11am.
• Prairie Pigeon is popping up at Hive Fit Co (10343 Jasper Avenue) on June 18, 2017 from 9am-12pm.
• Congratulations to The Next Act who is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year! They’re hosting a customer appreciation party on July 2, 2017, with a throw-back menu (with 1992 pricing) and an anniversary collaboration brew with Alley Kat.
• RGE Rd released their farm dinner schedule for this summer – act fast if you’re hoping for tickets!
• Ever wanted to learn how to make your own gin? You can do so under the instruction of Hansen Distillery on July 13, 2017. Tickets are priced at $150.
• On September 11, 2017, the Shaw Conference Centre is hosting a 5-course meal led by Executive Chef Serge Belair. Tickets are $100, and proceeds will go to the High School Culinary Challenge.
• Block 1912 is opening up a sister cafe north of the river – look for Monument later this summer on Jasper Ave and 108 Street.
• Wishbone officially opened on May 31, 2017! Find them at 10542 Jasper Avenue.
• Nudoru has debuted a new menu, featuring different ramen and burger selections.
• Both Twyla and the Journal reviewed Vaticano Cucina, the newest Italian restaurant on the south side.
• Cathy returns to her blog to share her enthusiasm about Crum Coffee Bar, located at 4640 Calgary Trail South.
• Linda is the latest to review Ono Poke Co.
• Cindy reviews Splash Poke.
• Crystal enjoyed her meal at Nuovo Bistro.
• Graham recaps his recent dining experiences at Alder Room and Little Village.
• The Cone may still be around in Edmonton, but it won’t be on 99 Street because it’s been sold.
• Confetti Sweets is closing their Terwillegar location at the end of June, but may be opening a branch in Windermere.
• Small gelato company Da Vinci can produce up to three-quarters of a tonne of gelato each day.
• An interesting app called Waitless is coming to Edmonton – it’s designed to help consumers order additional items, or pay their bill without the need of a server. We’ll see how many restaurants sign up.
• I’m late to the party, but if you’re out and about looking for a patio, the Patio Buzz app can help with that.
• Great to see lots of Edmonton and area representation on Western Living’s tenth annual Foodies of the Year shortlist: Kevin Cam (North 53/Baijiu), Darren and Sylvia Cheverie (Chartier), Matthew Garrett and Simon Underwood (Moonshine Donuts/Doughnut Party), Kelsey Johnson (Cafe Linnea), Jake Lee (Seoul Fried Chicken).
• Consider supporting the Youth Restorative Action Project’s CIY: Cook It Yourself program, which teaches youth basic cooking skills.
• Avoiding gluten for those without celiac disease may put people at risk for other diseases, a message shared at the national conference for the Canadian Celiac Association, held in Edmonton on the weekend.
• Recent survey results released by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry indicates that Albertans increased their spending on local food by 25% from 2012 to 2016.
• Just before we left on vacation, I met up with my parents for dinner at Golden Bird. It’s been some time since I’ve been there, but besides featuring a generous sprinkling of cilantro, the pho just wasn’t up to par for me. The meatballs were unfortunately on the sinewy side.

Pho from Golden Bird

• Back in town, I returned to Chinatown, but this time to satisfy my craving for King Noodle House’s bun bo Hue.

Bun bo Hue from King Noodle House

It’s been a crazy month at work, so I’m really looking forward to our Seattle vacation coming up. A heads up that there won’t be a Food Notes post next Monday. On to this week’s food notes:

• Food4Good is hosting their next fruit and veggie sale on May 30, 2017 at the Glenwood Community League (16430 97 Avenue) from 10am-2pm.
• The Downtown Edmonton Community League’s annual pancake breakfast is taking place on June 17, 2017. Swing by before your trip down to the City Market.
• Tickets for the second Eats on 118 this year are now on sale – the June 28, 2017 crawl will visit Lan’s Asian Grill, The Blind Duck, and Plaza Bowl.
• In conjunction with REDx Talks on July 6, 2017, Chef Shane Chartrand is organizing a meal that will celebrate the heritage and culinary roots of participating chefs.
• ‘Ono Poke Co. is the second poke restaurant in Edmonton (opening within a few weeks of Splash Poke), with a soft opening scheduled for June 3, 2017 at 10142 104 Street. The Globe & Mail has a preview of what to expect.
• Su gave me a heads up that there’s another bakery in store for Old Strathcona – Fan Fan Patisserie is coming soon to 10330 80 Avenue.
• Chachi’s is open in South Edmonton Common.
• Bundok is now open for brunch on Saturdays starting at 10am.
• Burrow Cafe in the Central LRT station is temporarily closed while its future is decided.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie reviews the latest Korean fried chicken joint in Edmonton, Yummy Chicken, at 6111 28 Avenue.
• Graham gave a positive review to St. Albert’s Privada Wine and Tapas. Last week, I missed linking to related news that Privada’s chef Tony Krause will also lead the new restaurant stepping into the vacant Alberta Hotel space.
• Linda’s hoping for more dog-friendly patios in Edmonton, and shared how restaurants can apply for the required permit.
• On the heels of Alder Room’s opening (who sells advanced tickets for their set-course meals), the National Post published a piece on why more restaurants are moving in this direction.
• Alberta Food Tours is running a contest to showcase the best of Alberta’s food scene with an Instagram contest. 150 prizes will be awarded to photos hashtagged #eatalberta150 on Instagram submitted between May 23 to August 7, 2017.
• The chef line-up for the 2017 Gold Medal Plates competition is set. The event runs October 12, 2017.
• Cindy’s latest Edmonton Cooks post is up – she made Sugarbowl’s cinnamon buns.
• If you’re still looking for fall vacation ideas – consider Liane’s culinary tour to Chicago in October.
• Bottega, the new restaurant from the family behind Cafe Amore and Black Pearl, is near completion at 10181 104 Street. Though they’re not quite ready to serve yet, they were open on Saturday to take advantage of the City Market foot traffic. They hope to open in June.

Bottega

• Mack and I took Grandma Male for her first ever dim sum experience on the weekend! She particularly enjoyed the spring rolls and shrimp dumplings at Tasty Noodle.

Dim sum!

I hope you made the most of a beautiful long weekend! It definitely feels like summer now. On to this week’s food notes:

• The first AfroFest takes place June 3-4, 2017 at Churchill Square. Attendees can look forward to food, craft vendors, and entertainment.
• The annual Lobsterfest, organized by the Edmonton chapter of the Canadian Culinary Federation, is taking place on June 4, 2017. Tickets are $55, which includes a whole lobster, and a buffet of sides.
• The 4th annual Porkapalooza runs June 10-11, 2017 at Northlands. As always, expect great barbecue, cooking competitions, and lots of entertainment. Entrance to the event is free.
• If you’re looking for a quick bite Downtown, it’s worth knowing that Kitchen by Brad’s “meatball madness” is back on Fridays between 11:30am-1pm at 10130 105 Street.
• The Art Gallery of Alberta has introduced All Access Evenings – free admission from 5-8pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. To accompany this, Zinc has developed a special “tasty Tuesdays” menu with items available under $20 (unfortunately, I couldn’t find a link to the actual menu).
• Sorry to hear Duchess Provisions couldn’t keep their expanded store afloat. The last day at the Holland Plaza location was May 20, 2017. While Duchess Atelier will remain open at the site, Provisions will return to their original location next to Duchess Bakeshop in June.
• Coming soon: Alberta’s first plant-based pizzeria, called Die-Pie, to be found at 11215 Jasper Avenue. Thanks to Cindy for the heads-up!
• Just in time for patio season, Linda has a great list of dog-friendly patios and markets in Edmonton.
• Edmonton has its first poke restaurant in Splash Poke, located at 10079 109 Street. It opened on May 16, 2017. Crystal has a preview of what you can expect.
• The Journal raved about the take-out available at Little Village (14816 Stony Plain Road).
• Vue Weekly had a mixed experience at relative newcomer Soban Sushi and Roll.
• Twyla has a new southside favourite for pho in Old Strathcona’s Phoboy.
• Lillian enjoyed her visit to Juniper Cafe.
• On the brunch side of things, the Journal learns why the Next Act is such a popular spot.
• Athena (aka The Salty Almond) has officially signed off on her food blog.
• A study out of Dalhousie University on the meal habits of Canadians suggests many Canadians are eating lunch at their desks, and are increasingly turning to ready-made or restaurant meals.
• Since our office relocated to 118 Avenue, I’ve been to Coliseum Steaks and Pizza (8015 118 Avenue) a few times. I’m always surprised at how busy it is, though I probably shouldn’t be given it’s been around for 40 years and counting! The pizza is solid, and service is good – I’m sure I’ll find myself back again.

Pepperoni and mushroom at Coliseum Steaks and Pizza

• Also on the pizza front, Mack and I kicked off our long weekend at Love Pizza. I hope they’ll bring back their mac ‘n’ cheeza one day, but until then, the Meatatarian will remain my go-to.

Date night at Love Pizza

• We found ourselves by La Boule again on the weekend, and the croissants called to me again.

Croissant from La Boule

• I’ve been craving the flavours of Pucker’s banh mi burger for a while, so we finally made them again this weekend. So good.

Banh mi burger from Pucker

The playoffs are so unforgiving – just a few days ago the Oilers were still in it to win it, and now, we’re reminiscing over what could have been. On to next year, or in my case, to the Jays. Here are this week’s food notes:

• The City Market returns to 104 Street this Saturday, May 19!
• Be among the first to check out Downtown’s newest addition – Wishbone is offering a sneak peek on May 19 and 20, 2017. 6 courses, with wine pairings, $100.
• Micro-funding forum Fresh Meaet is back on May 24, 2017. This event will focus on food and urban agriculture initiatives. Admission is $15, with $10 from each ticket going to the winning presenter.
• Rebecca posed 20 questions to Graziano Catering, who is hosting a pop-up Italian Sunday dinner at Privada on May 28, 2017. Tickets are $50 for the 4-course meal.
• Want to meet fellow urban farmers and gardeners? Consider attending a mixer on June 1, 2017 at the Edmonton Intercultural Centre.
• Just a Little Night Market has relocated from Beaver Hills Park to the Aviation Hanger at 11410 Kingsway Avenue. They’ll have two evenings of markets on June 9 and 10, 2017, with $5 admission cost.
• Chartier, in partnership with Great West Farms, will be hosting long table dinners on June 14 and 15, 2017. Tickets are $150 and include appetizers, a 3-course meal and cocktail pairings.
• Second Line is hosting a Spring Pig Fling and Backyard Bash on July 5, 2017. Tickets are $65 and include a pig roast and drinks.
• Great to see more renewal on 118 Avenue – a new pub called Simba’s Den & Bistro is opening up next to The Carrot.
• A Tutti Frutti is coming soon to Oliver Square.
• If you needed another excuse to visit Baijiu, they’re offering “baodays” every Tuesday – 2 baos for $7.
• Packrat Louie is currently under renovations and will be re-opening in June.
• Oodle Noodle added another location to its roster – they’re now open in Tamarack, 2515 17 Street.
• Jonny discovered a new Asian dessert and drinks restaurant in the west end called BlackBall, located at 17288 Stony Plain Road.
• Cindy checked out Tang Bistro, serving up Northern Chinese food.
• High praise from Michelle – the “best South Indian food in #yeg” at Banjara, located at 3927 106 Street.
• Andrea has the latest review of Takami Sushi.
• I love this idea of Urban Pedal Tours: an untraditional pub crawl via a 15-passenger bike, inspired by a similar Seattle-based experience. Tickets are $38, not including drinks.
• Have you heard of YEG Box? It’s a subscription-based service that hopes to introduce those at home (or abroad) to local makers and producers.
• Mack and I picked up some take-out from Pind Punjab last week in Mill Woods while house-sitting for my parents. I really enjoyed the mutter paneer in particular.

Our spread from Pind Punjab

• I had the privilege of attending a tasting at Cactus Club Cafe last week, featuring some of the new dishes they’ve rolled out onto their menus nationwide. My favourite dish of the night was the modern bowl, a combination of tabbouleh, pineapple salsa, roasted cauliflower and broccoli, rice, and miso carrot ginger sauce. With a range of textures and flavours, it would make a light and flavourful lunch or supper.

Modern bowl with salmon from Cactus Club

• We kicked off the weekend at Kazoku Ramen, Mack’s favourite ramen joint in the city.

Tonkotsu at Kazoku

• The rain held out at What the Truck?! on Sunday for the first event of the season, held at Northlands. Among the many dishes I had that day included La Mar’s land and sea taco.

Land and Sea taco from La Mar

At least we were 1/2 on Sunday – the Raptors were shut out of their series against the Cavs, ending a disappointing run. Hopefully the Oilers can continue! On to this week’s notes:

• The Telus World of Science is hosting Suds and Science on May 11, 2017. Local beer makers and distillers will be on hand with samples alongside a series of hands-on experiments to explore your perception of flavour. Tickets are $15.
• Also on May 11, 2017, the 124 Street Grand Market re-launches at their original location on 124 Street and 108 Avenue. The market runs from 4-8pm every Thursday night until October 5, 2017.
• What the Truck?! is back on Sunday, May 14, 2017, with # food trucks lined up. To plan – make sure you check out some tips for attendees, and of course, take a look at the menus when they’re posted!
• Just in time for summer, Little Brick will be hosting backyard barbecues every Thursday evening starting May 25, 2017.
• The next Swine and Dine will be taking place at Tzin on May 30, 2017. The five-course dinner is on for $55.
• El Mariachi, a Latin restaurant at 10991 124 Street, hosted their grand opening on May 2, 2017 after finally completing their renovations.
• Brittney has an Urban Shabu update: the new owners will be shifting to communal hot pots, replacing the individual pots.
• From Vue Weekly, this year’s Golden Fork Awards are now up.
• Cindy is hoping Tokiwa Ramen continues to improve as the newest ramen spot in the city.
• Twyla is the latest to submit a positive review of Takami Sushi.
• Jonny reviews an easily overlooked restaurant on the southside – Punjab Paratha House.
• Vue Weekly enjoyed the brunch at The Local Omnivore.
• Linda recapped her first experience at the Jubilations Dinner Theatre, and is also giving away tickets to a show.
• Earth’s General Store announced they are closing their Downtown location on October 31, 2017.
• Sandwich and Sons on 104 Street also announced their closure last month.
• Valerie’s latest post in her Cooking with You series features Elyse Chatterton’s oven baked chicken.
• Since my office relocated to 118 Avenue, I’ve been slowly checking out our neighbours. My downfall will probably end up being the Portuguese custard tarts at Handy Bakery, located just a few blocks away.

Portuguese custard tarts from Handy Bakery

• I also returned to T & D Noodle House to sample the pho. While almost nothing can live up to Pho Tau Bay (in my opinion), the broth was good. I could have used a bit more meat, less well done, and a sprinkling of cilantro.

Pho from T & D Noodle House

• Café Linnea launched their dinner menu a few weeks ago, and I finally had the chance to try it last week. We shared a few dishes, but the standout was definitely the beef special – a beautiful braised beef tart topped with roasted bone marrow. Service in the no-tipping establishment was also stellar that night.

Braised beef tart from Café Linnea

• I met up with May for brunch at Match Eatery in the Grand Villa Casino over the weekend. As far as brunch spots go, the atmosphere is anemic, but with $10 mains as the attraction, they’re definitely just hoping for foot traffic. The frittata with goat cheese was all right, but not worth seeking out.

Frittata from Match Eatery

• Good on the boys for stretching out the series to seven games – as a result, there’s still time to indulge in duck dishes before Wednesday. At Cactus Club with friends on Friday, I followed up their classic prawns and ravioli dish and their BBQ duck clubhouse. Let’s go Oilers!

BBQ duck clubhouse from Cactus Club Cafe

It’s great to finally see the weather perk up for May – make sure you take advantage of it in between all of the playoff action (myself included)! On to this week’s food notes:

• Kinnikinnick is hosting sampling events on May 4, 5 and 12, 2017 from 10am-1pm.
• If you haven’t yet saved the date for the first What the Truck?! of the season on May 14, 2017 at Northlands, now’s your chance! You can also catch up on what the team has planned for this year.
• The Edmonton Craft Beer Festival takes place on June 2-3, 2017 at Northlands. General admission is $20.
• The Canadian Celiac Association is hosting its national conference in Edmonton on June 10, 2017.
• Love Pizza’s St. Albert location at #335, 935 St Albert Trail is now open!
• Vaticano Cucina will be opening this week, located at 10310 45 Avenue (formerly Koutouki’s).
• Lincoln reports that Urban Shabu will be closing at the end of May.
• Cindy reviewed Bundok on 104 Street.
• Linda enjoyed the food (and memories) at Calle Mexico’s brick and mortar location.
• Also from Linda – why shouldn’t the worlds of food and hockey collide? She compiled a list of restaurants in the city banking on an enlarged appetite for duck.
• Liane highlights two additional bakeries that have opened in the city over the past few months – The Art of Cake and Chocorrant.
• Vue Weekly thinks vegan restaurant Loma House should not be overlooked.
• The Calgary-based Cookie Dough food truck will be setting up shop in Edmonton later this month.
• In case you missed it – here’s a recap of this year’s Eat Alberta conference.
• Will Tim Horton’s be able to make headway into the UK market? The first cafe will open in Glasgow in May.
• Mack and I joined Thom and Alicia at Brewster’s to watch the Oilers game last night. I ordered the butternut squash ravioli – it was on the heavy side, and the pasta could have benefited from more simmer time, so I probably should have stuck with the more traditional side of the pub menu.

Butternut squash ravioli at Brewster’s

• Vivo’s downtown location is holding a four-course wine dinner with Zenato Winery on May 8, 2017. Tickets are $140.
• Bloom is launching their new seasonal cookie flavours at a free kick-off party on May 11, 2017.
• COMAL Taco Therapy has just announced their next dinner, taking place on May 17, 2017. Tickets for the three-course meal are $75.
• Chef Brad Smoliak is again hosting a long table dinner at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village on May 27, 2017. The $130 ticket will include dinner, cooking demonstrations, and a tour of the Village.
• Alder Room, the sister restaurant of Chef Ben Staley’s Alta, will open on May 24, 2017. Alder Room will be open from Wednesday – Saturday and offer one dinner seating at 7pm each night. Reservations are now being taken.
• Urban Diner’s southside location at 8715 109 Street has been replaced by Tang Bistro.
• Edmonton has its second Blaze Pizza location in the Brewery District – 12010 104 Avenue.
• Nando’s is also now open in the Brewery District, at 11940 104 Avenue.
• Indulgence tickets for this year’s event on June 12, 2017 go on sale May 1, 2017. Tickets are $80.
• Alta had three reviews last week – an unabashed positive experience from Graham, a more subdued summary from Twyla, and a celebration of Alta’s creativity from Liv.
• Crystal returned to Rocky Mountain Icehouse for the first time after several years to try out a more recent menu.
• Great to see a feature on what the chef at Youth Empowerment and Support Services has to contend with in order to prepare meals for the youth accessing their services.
• Ever wondered how you can make green onion cakes in at home? Valerie shows you how, in her latest “Cooking with You” post featuring Ming Franks.
• Cindy tackles Shanghai 456’s recipe for Shanghainese hot and sour soup from Edmonton Cooks.
• It’s been some time since I’ve had a vanilla latte from Credo, but it was just as good as I remembered.

Vanilla latte from Credo

• Sometimes, Mom’s home cooking is in order. This weekend, she made a beautiful laksa for our family dinner. I’m one lucky gal!

Mom’s laksa

It’s the best time of year – playoff season! It’s even better this year with the Oilers to cheer for, but like many in Canada, I treat the Raptors as my adopted hometown team, too. Go Canada! On to this week’s food notes:

• Mount Royal’s annual Culinary Cook-off is scheduled for Saturday, April 22, 2017. Tastes are just $2! All donations raised go towards the school’s core programming.
• It’s your last chance to snag tickets to Eat Alberta, happening at NAIT on April 23, 2017!
• I love the idea of Bubbles and Bricks, a YEG Date Night event at The Common, which combines a fun evening of Lego building with Prosecco. The next one takes place on April 24, 2017, and costs $90 per couple.
• Mark your calendar: the first What the Truck?! event of the season will take place on May 14, 2017 from 12-7pm at Northlands.
• The next Wild Heart Brunch Club is serving up a Mother’s Day High Tea on May 13, 2017. Tickets are $30.
• ZooFest, a fundraiser for the Valley Zoo and Zebra Child Protection Society, takes place on June 17, 2017. Expect wine and food samples and lots of opportunities to interact with animals! Tickets are $75 for adults and $50 for children.
• Roots for Trees is looking for volunteers to help with their fourth annual planting to expand the River Valley’s food forest – join them on August 26, 2017.
• Sorrentino’s is hosting their 26th annual Garlic Festival in the month of April. Graham has a preview of what to expect.
• Twyla reviews 104 Street’s Bundok.
• Linda is the latest to visit Grandin Fish ‘N’ Chips.
• Crystal recaps the first Culinary Lab that took place at Rostizado in early April.
• New brewery Polar Park has made their first beer available in the spirit of the playoff run, on draught and growler fills.
• Vue Weekly spotlights how the Alberta Farmers’ Market Association supports local businesses.
• This New York Times article mentions a couple of local gems – the High Level Diner and Tony’s Pizza Palace.
• Eater celebrates the art of Lucky Peach and its legacy.
• Iron Chef (yes, you heard that right), is back on TV – Grub Street recaps the premiere.
• My office is relocating north next week, so I’m bidding adieu to walking distance Pho Tau Bay lunches. One last bowl before the move!

I’m going to miss my usual

• I only seem to end up at 1st RND during the Raptors’ playoff runs, but after their atrocious game one play, I really could only find solace in this burger.

Beef dip burger and tater tots

• The skies finally cleared on Sunday, just in time for a walk down to Riverdale. While we’ve been to Little Brick before, this was our first time for brunch. The dishes were as satisfying as the cozy rooms.

Viegas, with scrambled eggs, crispy corn tortilla, vegetables, cheese and hot sauce

Breakfast sandwich, with smoked ham, fried egg, tomato and aioli

Let’s hope that today was the last snow of the season, as I am more than ready for spring! On to this week’s food notes:

• Celebrate Easter with the City Market on April 15, 2017 – the first 150 children (12 and under) will receive $5 in City Market bucks and a chocolate lollipop. The market runs 9am-3pm at City Hall.
• Downton Abbey fans will be interested to know that Cally’s Teas will be hosting garden party teas on April 19 (2-4pm), April 20 (7-9pm) and April 23 (2-4pm). Tickets are $50 and include a menu of cucumber and pompadour sandwiches, smoked salmon savouries, scones and cream, apple tartlets, and rhubarb fool. Also expect musical and theatre performances. Call (780) 757-8944 for reservations.
• The latest Dining with Friends event hosted by the Friends of Royal Alberta Museum Society celebrates Haitian food at Caribbean’s Finest Restaurant on April 27, 2017. Tickets are $43.
• It’s not too early to plan for summer – Foodie Bike Tours are back, offering 4-6 hours of pedal exploration of the city’s culinary scene. Dates start June 1 and run until August 12, 2017 and cost $99 per person not including the bike rental.
• Chocorrant, Edmonton’s latest patisserie addition, had a soft opening on the weekend at 10328 124 Street.
• Tokiwa Ramen, Edmonton’s newest ramen restaurant, opened its doors last week at 11978  104 Avenue. Because they serve only until they run out of soup, it’s best to check their Twitter account before heading over.
• Central Social Hall’s renovated downtown location has reopened, just in time for the playoff run.
• Edmonton’s first cat cafe opened at the end of March, and Linda tells you what to expect.
• I’m not sure why Popeye’s has the following it does, but it looks like their second Edmonton location on Castle Downs Road north of 137 Avenue will be just as busy as the first.
• Urbano Pizza is gearing up for their second location on 124 Street (the branch they had in Orange Market on Whyte has since closed).
• It’s great to hear that the Italian Bakery re-opened their Beverly location today – the building was gutted by a fire in February 2016.
• Can you eat thirty wontons in one minute? Grain of Rice is challenging diners in order to raise funds for Hope Mission until June 30, 2017.
• Baijiu’s atmosphere and food wows the Journal.
• Vue Weekly had a positive experience at Otto.
• Graham is the latest to post a good review of Grandin Fish ‘N’ Chips.
• Crystal recounts her meal at Crash Hotel Lobby Bar during Downtown Dining Week.
• Jonny was pleased with his visit to Saffron Indian Cuisine on the city’s southeast.
• One way to gauge the weather is by the return of food trucks – they’re back! Check the Street Food app for an up-to-date listing near you!
• It’s great to see that the Taste of Edmonton will be welcomed on the Legislature grounds next year. What the Truck?! tried in 2015 to move the needle and failed, so let’s hope this will turn the tide for other festivals as well in the public space.
• Phil’s latest product taste test involves a kitchen staple – butter.
• Valerie shares her newest cooking adventure involving a traditional Italian spring vegetable torte just in time for Easter.
• Best of luck to local company Organic Box as they seek to expand their business across Alberta. Chris is now an ambassador of the Organic Box – check out his blog for a discount code for your first order.
• Looking to get involved in the local food scene? The Edmonton Food Council is recruiting new members – applications are due April 30, 2017.
• We are very fortunate to have people like Doug Visser in Edmonton – he is donating 93 hectares of his property in Horse Hill with the hopes that it can be maintained for community agriculture use.
• Ono Poke Co. on 104 Street now has a sign up!

Ono Poke Co. coming soon

• It’s not often I crave a greasy burger, but on Friday, the Vatican City from Burger’s Priest was needed to commemorate the end of a crazy week.

Vatican City from Burger’s Priest

• Vivo Pizzeria and Taverna are offering a deal so good it’s almost hard to believe – a pizza and a pint (or a pop) for just $12. Mack and I shared the gamberi (prawns, garlic oil, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini) and salsiccia (De Rose Bros Italian sausage, fior di latte, red onion, basil), and a starter Caesar salad and ended up with a bill of just over $30, including tip. We enjoyed the chewy crust and the fresh toppings. The deal is on “until the Oilers raise the Stanley Cup” – so consider it for a pre- or post- game outing!

Gamberi from Vivo Pizzeria