• The big news this week was Events Edmonton’s announcement that they are hosting the Canadian Food Championships in conjunction with Taste of Edmonton next July: “This exciting opportunity will allow Canadian chefs, home cooks and foodies of all backgrounds to compete for cash, glory, and an all-expenses-paid (flights, accommodation and entry fees) Golden Ticket to compete in the 4^th Annual World Food Championships, which will be held in Florida in November of 2015.” I’m not familiar with the WFC, but I’m interested in seeing how this event shapes up.
• Lots of pop-ups coming your way this weekend, starting with Honest Dumplings, who will be taking over Drift’s new storefront on December 12, 2014, from 5:30-9:30pm.
• Big City Sandwich’s Big City Burger Fest is taking place on December 13, 2014, from 5-8pm at the Nor’Wester Rugby Club.
• Long Lost Foods is hosting their holiday pop-up on December 14, 2014 at the Mercury Room. They have two seatings, 4pm and 7pm, with tickets priced at $35.
• Twyla reviewed Ampersand 27 last week.
• Linda shares her take on North 53’s new menu.
• Cheryl attended a unique food event at Baseline Wines, which paired wines with cookies!
• Karlynn and Phil’s second podcast, all about their #yegfood Christmas lists, is now up.
• Avenue Edmonton talks about the new restaurant movement towards a “no reservation” policy.
• Mack and I had dinner with some friends at Woodwork on Friday, just on the heels of their first anniversary – congrats!

Steak frites from Woodwork

• Get into the winter spirit – the Winter Excitement Guide has some great suggestions, including Frostival in McCauley taking place each weekend in December. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, anyone?
• Save the date: Honest Dumplings is hosting their first pop-up on December 12, 2014 in Drift’s new space on 124 Street!
• Mark your calendar for a new food festival this coming March – Northern Lands is bringing Chefs Vikram Vij and Dale MacKay to join some of Edmonton’s best chefs to showcase local food along with Canadian wines, beers and spirits.
• Thanks to Amelia, I found out that there’s a new French bakery in town: Passion de France (11812 86 Street) on Alberta Avenue. You can also find them on Twitter. I look forward to checking them out soon!
• Central Social Hall has revamped their menu (and is opening a second location in St. Albert).
• Karlynn and Phil now have a podcast – check out the first episode of Where I Ate Wednesday, all about their favourite Christmas in November eats.
• Congrats to the team behind The Yards, a quarterly publication launched by the Downtown and Oliver Community Leagues. Check out their inaugural issue, including a page on downtown’s cheapest eats.
• Looking for a gift who will satisfy the kitchen-inclined? Some Edmonton chefs share their gadget recommendations.
• The year-end celebration for one of the volunteer committees I belong to was held at Zinc last week, and Mack was able to come along as well. He enjoyed the crab cakes, but it was the pea risotto that won raves around the table. The sweet and spicy prawns were perfectly cooked, but they were a bit unbalanced and heavy on the heat.

Atlantic Blue crab cakes

Sweet & spicy baked prawns with green pea risotto

• Mack and I headed to RGE RD for dinner on Friday – their dining room was a cozy respite from the cold! I loved the sablefish, served with a delectable mushroom broth.

Sablefish

I can’t believe it’s just a month until Christmas! Now if only someone in my household would let me put up the Christmas tree already. On to this week’s food notes…

• The Calgary Herald’s food writer Gwendolyn Richards published a cookbook this fall, called Pucker: A Cookbook for Citrus Lovers. She will be in Edmonton on November 27, 2014 at the Cory Christopher Christmas Market for a launch party and book signing.
• I’m looking forward to this weekend’s Royal Bison – lots of gifts for your favourite foodie, including State Motto, which makes cocktail bitters.
• The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is ready for the holidays – their Nutcracker Tea & Tour is back, as are their festive meals.
• Cindy shared her recent experience at the new Chinatown location of Lee House (9711 107 Ave).
• Andrea and Cindy both made it to the second Prairie Noodle Shop Pop-up over the weekend.
• Have you filled out the Earth’s General Store survey yet? They are seeking feedback on how they might be able to enhance the shopping experience at their downtown location.
• Are you one of the increasing numbers of working men heading up the kitchen in your household?
• Speaking of men, the Sexy Men of YEGFood calendar has been tearing up Twitter, featuring twelve of your favourite local food personalities, like you’ve never seen them before! They’re $20, with all proceeds going to the Edmonton Food Bank. Mack and I picked up our copy on the weekend at Drift, where we were lucky enough to also get it autographed by Mr. July himself – Baconhound.

Phil’s letting it all hang out

I think Mack and I may have been punished for having such a great time in Jasper over the weekend – we arrived home on Sunday night to find that our fridge had stopped working. Thankfully, it can be repaired, so we’ll be back on track soon to our post-Christmas in November diet. More to come on #JasperCIN in the next few days. On to this week’s food notes:

• Mark your calendars – the annual 4th Street Promenade Customer Appreciation Day is taking place on December 18, 2014. Check out the great deals to be had!
• The Chinatown location of Lee House (10708 97 Street) is now open!
• Both Andrea and Cindy posted about the revamped North 53.
• Andrea also checked out the lunch menu at Ampersand 27.
• The Journal reviewed hipster hangouts Farrow and District.
• Based on Twyla’s review of the stellar campus eats available at MacEwan University, maybe good food should also be a criteria for prospective students to consider.
• It looks like Liv (of Dine and Write) has a new blog, The Good, the Bad and the Hungry.
• Blog your way to the Okanagan Food & Wine Writers Workshop in Kelowna next September by sharing your food, drink and culinary travel stories! The contest closes January 31, 2015.
• Congratulations to Karlynn, who announced her forthcoming cookbook to be published by Appetite by Random House in 2016.
• Have a hankering for chocolate? Cindy is giving away an Jacek Chocolate Couture advent calendar!
• Due to demand, Earth’s General Store downtown will begin stocking local, organic meat. Look for it starting November 19, 2014.
• What an awesome idea: a “Sexy Men of YEG Food” calendar, as a fundraiser for the Edmonton Food Bank. Can’t wait to see the finished product! Some pictures have already been shared, including Owen Petersen of Prairie Mill and Nevin Fenske of Drift Food Truck.
• Just Eat acquired Edmonton-based Delivery Town, making Just Eat the largest online food ordering platform in Western Canada.
• I love the idea of a fresh, delicious and convenient salad, but would a cheaper alternative to more conventional fast food even make a dent in the obesity trend?
• The Badass Jacks on 109 Street has finally succumbed, with It Dog looking to replace it.

It Dog

• The Alberta Farmers’ Market Association just launched their 20th anniversary cookbook, From the Farm, which features recipes from chefs around the province. You can pick up a copy at Audrey’s, Dauphine and Knifewear.

Mack checks out a copy of From the Farm at the Relish Film Festival

• Before hitting up the opening reception of the Relish Film Festival last week, we made sure to visit the Garneau Theatre’s neighbour, La Poutine, first.

Dinner of champions

I’m already looking forward to the weekend, even though it’s only Monday – Mack and I are heading to Christmas in November! I’ll be representing Gastropost, so feel free to follow along on Twitter (#jasperCIN), and on this blog, where I’ll be posting recaps of the sessions I’ve attended. Friday can’t come soon enough! On to this week’s food notes:

• A reminder about the first annual Relish Film Fest this week, running November 13-16, 2014. I’m looking forward to attending the opening reception on Thursday.
• Mark your calendar – the next Prairie Noodle Shop pop-up is taking place on November 21. Andrea recaps the last event and provides a sneak peek of what’s to come.
• After a successful first year, All is Bright on 124 is returning on November 22, 2014. Expect outdoor patios, food trucks and other activities to get you into the holiday season.
• Join the Edmonton Social Planning Council on November 26, 2014 for a session about the “growth of farmers’ markets in Alberta and how regional clustering is shaping their development and success.”
• Liane is hosting a Royal Afternoon Tea at Cally’s Tea on December 7, 2014. Tickets are $40, with $10 from each ticket going to a local charity.
• I was sorry to hear that Creole Envie is up for sale. Chef Danielle Majeau will continue dinner service until the restaurant is sold.
• Andrea checked out a revamped North 53, since original Chef Ben Staley has since moved on.
• Vue Weekly reviewed Abyssinia, an Ethiopian restaurant in Little Italy – my office ordered a catered lunch from Abyssinia last week, and we were very impressed.
• Mack posted about the three new underground coffee shops that opened up last month – exciting times for coffee lovers!
• Speaking of coffee, the first YEG Coffee Week is set to take place in winter 2015 – to stay in the loop, sign up for this mailing list.
• Interested in growing the local food scene? Eat Alberta is recruiting!
• It will be interesting to see how the first soda tax (passed in Berkeley last week) will impact the city’s consumption of sweet drinks.
• Mack and I were lucky enough to be invited to the opening of Volcano (4226 Gateway Blvd), a Japanese and Vietnamese restaurant from the folks behind Old Strathcona’s Maki Maki. They had a selection of sushi and Vietnamese favourites, served up buffet style for us to try. We’re looking forward to returning for some pho in the future – thanks again for the invitation!

Sushi at Volcano

Mack and I are still working through the portfolio of photographs from our wedding, but here’s a sneak peek from Moments in Digital. Bruce did a great job, capturing our day beautifully. I hope to share a bit more about our wedding soon! On to this week’s food notes:

• The 24th annual Chili Cook-off is taking place in Churchill Square on November 4 from 11:30am-1:30pm.
• Just in time for Christmas, the next Green Drinks on November 5 is all about shopping local.
• The schedule is now up for Relish Fest, which runs November 13-16 at Metro Cinema. It features a number of films (including some local content) that centre around food.
• Culina is hosting a food and music pop-up on November 28, 2014 at Bellevue Hall.
• Toronto-based chain The Burger’s Priest is coming to downtown Edmonton (10104 109 Street)!
• Cindy is the first to review Chef Nathin Bye’s new restaurant, Ampersand 27, which opened quietly last week.
• Congrats to Chef Paul Shufelt of Century Hospitality, who was named one of Avenue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 list last week.
• Wine-on-tap is a growing trend in Edmonton, writes Avenue Edmonton.
• Get a head start on your Christmas shopping: the Duchess Bake Shop Cookbook is on sale starting November 12, 2014.
• I finally had the chance to visit Burrow last week. It is so great to see a café in our underground! Cindy also checked it out recently.

Burrow

I’ve been struggling with my re-entry back to routine, but for good reason. Mack and I had a fabulous wedding, and an even better honeymoon. I’m still gathering my thoughts on both Vietnam and Korea, but I’m hopeful that (this time) I’ll actually share it on the blog! On to this week’s food notes:

•  Cookie Love announced a forthcoming café location at 10235-101 Street. They are shooting for a December 2014 opening.
• Get Cooking, Kathryn Joel’s brand new cooking studio at MacEwan University, looks gorgeous!
• A huge congratulations to RGE RD for making En Route Magazine’s top 10 list of Canada’s Best New Restaurants this year.
• On the heels of Calgary-based Spice Road Spice Merchant opening their Edmonton location on Whyte, it was announced that the Italian Centre will be expanding into Calgary next year.
• The Gold Medal Plates took place last week, with Westin Chef Ryan O’Flynn taking the top spot.
• A belated thank you for anyone who voted for Only Here for the Food (and What the Truck?!) on Vue Weekly’s Best of Edmonton 2014 poll. I’m honoured to have been named the “Best Food Blog” (and for WTT to be named the “Best Pop-Up Event”). As always, I appreciate the support!
• We missed so many café openings while we were away – congrats to Transcend on their new location in the Mercer Warehouse, to Credo for their second café on 124 Street, and to Burrow (of the Elm Café family) for changing our city’s expectations of underground vendors. And thanks to Omar’s article, we also know that Elm will be expanding into Riverdale with Little Brick.

Transcend @ Mercer Warehouse

This will be my last post for a while – after Mack and I get married this weekend, we’re off to Asia for our honeymoon! We’re looking forward to the down time – it’s been a busy summer! Enjoy the rest of the beautiful fall season in Edmonton. On to this week’s food notes:

• Alberta Culture Days is again hosting a block party on 104 Street this Friday, September 26, from 5-10pm.
• Congrats to Kevin Kossowan for his debut film Springhammer, which focuses on the current state of blacksmithing in Japan. The movie will screen on September 28, 2014 at the Edmonton International Film Festival.
• Linda Hoang is Delux’s celebrity chef in October! Sample her creation for a good cause – $1 from every burger goes to Second Chance Animal Rescue.
• Sherwood Park is hosting their very own Battle of Strathcona Chefs on October 15, 2014, as a fundraiser for the Strathcona Food Bank and to create post-secondary culinary scholarships for high school students. Tickets are $125.
• Sad news: Call the Kettle Black’s Riverbend location will be closing.
• Liane shared that Pampa will be expanding into Calgary, as well as planning another location in south Edmonton.
• Rostizado received a positive review in the Journal last week.
• Unfortunately, Rocky Mountain Ice House did not receive such a warm reception from Twyla.
• Alberta’s becoming a culinary destination – for both foreign and local tourists.
• Applications are now being accepted for the City of Edmonton’s urban hens pilot project.
• While at West Edmonton Mall on Saturday, Mack and I finally had the chance to try Wetzel’s Pretzels. They actually lived up to the hype – the original pretzel had great texture.

Wetzel’s Pretzels

• Mack and I were flattered to be asked to judge Greenfield Community League’s first annual pie bake-off on Saturday, as a part of their community league day celebrations. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it! Given it was a blind tasting, we didn’t know that the pie we ultimately picked was actually baked by our friend Yi-Li. Congrats!

With Councillor Walters at judges table

With the winner of the golden pie plate!

• My coworkers took me out for lunch today to commemorate my last day at work before the wedding. Where else would we go but Pho Tau Bay?

My last Edmonton-made pho for a while!

• I almost forgot to mention a special tasting Mack and I were invited to earlier this month. Chef Tony Le, who has taken over at Hundred, has revamped the menu for fall. He asked us to try some of the dishes to be featured on the new menu, inspired by some of the modern pub food he’s enjoyed from around the world. We (along with Felicia and Jeff) were happy to oblige. Thanks for having us, Tony!

The spicy tuna crudo received rave reviews around the table

The very shareable cauliflower was served with an addictive sriracha honey

If you’re hungry – make sure to order the 12oz pork chop, served with sriacha-fried brussels sprouts

Fun plating for the cracker jack brownie served with salted caramel gelato

Our favourite dish of the night – blueberry pie with key lime ice cream

It’s hard to believe how fast September has flown by – Mack and I are now counting down to our wedding (and honeymoon!). On to this week’s food notes:

• We’re about halfway through Sorrentino’s 20th annual Mushroom Harvest Festival, which features cooking classes, and a mushroom walk, cook & eat.
• You have one more chance to tour the Northlands Urban Farm on September 18, 2014, and learn about their farm and beekeeping operation.
• Slow Food Edmonton is hosting an apple tasting on September 21, 2014 at the French Quarter Market. I couldn’t help but think of Valerie’s post when she conducted a similar tasting with her food students a few years ago.
• The City Market is collaborating with local chefs to help the Bissell Centre raise funds at their Fall Harvest Dinner on October 5, 2014.
• LitFest is back this year with Food Matters on October 18, 2014, featuring a panel that includes Chef Shane Chartrand of Sage Restaurant.
• Karlynn sampled the new “build your own” menu at Hotel Macdonald, offering 3 courses for $59.
• Mel Priestley is the new Dish Editor at Vue Weekly – congrats!
• Congratulations to Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton for planting their first tree at their new micro-orchard last week! The orchard is located at McCauley School.
• Peters’ Drive-In is expanding to Red Deer’s Gasoline Alley. It may be only a matter of time before they move north into Edmonton!
• Mack, Felicia and I checked out Hawkers Market on Saturday at their new location. Latitude 53 provided the added bonus of an outdoor patio space, but was unfortunately plagued by some of the same power issues seen at Vacancy Hall. Still, we enjoyed the food we were able to sample – in particular, the cashew cheese by Truffula was a tasty surprise, while it’s hard to pass up Paper Bag Donuts.

Out on the patio

Cashew cheese with onion bread by Truffula (the cheese is available at Earth’s General Store)

Paper Bag Donuts

• The first annual Mid-Autumn Festival event that took place in Churchill Square was a rousing success. The weather cooperated, and they had a great turnout for the performances and other planned activities. The grand finale of a lantern parade followed by a boat launch onto the City Hall pool was executed exactly as the organizers envisioned, and hopefully, will be something replicated again next year.

Mid Autumn Festival at Churchill Square

Attila the HUNgry’s duck tots

Wishing boats at City Hall

It’s been a pretty good week – Kim and Shane welcomed a beautiful baby boy last week, so we’re now the proud Aunt & Uncle of an adorable little ginger. Can’t wait to watch him grow! On to this week’s food notes:

• Our last What the Truck?! of the season will see Edmonton’s largest food truck gathering ever take place on Friday, September 12, from 4-8pm in Churchill Square. The menus are up, so you can plan your meal in advance. Hope to see you there!
• On September 14, the first annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebration is taking place in Churchill Square from 1-9pm. I’m looking forward to the release of the boats into the pool in front of City Hall after dark – should be a sight to see!
• Some restaurant news – it turns out the folks behind Café Amore will be taking over the space vacated by Lit on 104 Street. Expect the Black Pearl Seafood Bar to open in February 2015, with a focus on fresh seafood options.
• Somerville Wine Bar has changed hands – Jan Trittenbach, formerly of Packrat Louie, will reopen the space as Solstice Seasonal Cuisine in October.
• The Journal reviewed the new Rocky Mountain Ice House last week.
• El Cortez was reviewed by Twyla on CBC last week as well.
• Two local doughnut makers will be competing on this season’s Donut Showdown: Bliss Baked Goods and Moonshine Donuts.
• Liane wrote about some of the great eats out of the Earth’s General Store deli. If you need an extra incentive, and have a 2014-15 community league membership, check out their Community League Member Appreciation Day on September 21, 2014 for a 10% discount in store.
• Valerie has a round-up of the latest Canadian Experience Project posts, focusing on the Canadian garden.
• My sisters organized a wonderful bridal shower for me over the weekend, which included a private cooking class, a beautiful meal at Tzin and fun games. Thanks, Amanda & Felicia!

Of course the bacon had to make an appearance on our Tzin tasting menu

With my sisters & my Mum