I’m a part of two events this weekend – the 97 Street Night Market and the ImMACulate Garden Party. Hope you’re able to join us! On to this week’s food notes:

• It will be a busy weekend in Edmonton. Among events is the Driving Change for United Way event on August 22, from 5-9pm in Old Strathcona, featuring eight food trucks. A portion of all food sales will go to the United Way.
• On August 23, 2014, from 6-10pm, the second annual 97 Street Night Market will be taking place in Chinatown. I wrote more about it last week, but join us for food, free walking tours, vendors and a new vision for the neighbourhood.
• Drift is hosting another pop-up on the heels of their successful “pay the rent pop-up series”. This time, they’re offering brunch on Sunday, August 24, 2014, from 11am-2pm.
• Viva Italia’s annual festival takes place August 24, 2014, from 12-9pm in Giovanni Caboto Park. Enjoy live entertainment, wine and cheese and cooking demonstrations.
• The ImMACulate Garden Party takes over the gorgeous Hotel Macdonald terrace on August 24, 2014, from 2-5pm. Attendees are encouraged to dress in garden whites and pastels to enjoy tasty nibbles and a signature drink, play lawn games, and learn more about the history of one of Edmonton’s most iconic buildings. Tickets are $40 and must be purchased in advance.
• I love the idea behind the YEG Market District on Stony Plain Road – their first event on August 24, 2014 from 9am-5pm will transform a back alley into a stage, market and gathering place.
• El Cortez is now open! I’m sure it’s rockin’, and not only from the spillover from the Fringe.
• Cindy and Liane both visited Rostizado, the new spot from the Tres Carnales boys, last week. Can’t wait to check it out tomorrow!
• Sabor Divino is having a month-long seafood festival, running August 14-September 14. Check out the menu here.
• Bannock Burger on 124 Street was short lived – it is now closed. That said, the owners are looking for other options after the landlord decided not to renew their lease.
• The nearby Eden’s Market on 124 also announced that they have ceased operations, with August 10 having been their last market.
• Looking to have a picnic, but don’t have the time to put together a basket of eats? There’s now a service for that, called YEG Picnic.
• Happy to hear the backyard chickens pilot passed City Council today!
• Tim Horton’s debuted a new dark roast coffee on Friday, in an effort to target McDonald’s and Starbucks coffee drinkers. Mack tried it today, and commented that though it is better than their regular joe, it won’t be garnering his regular business.
• Speaking of Tim Horton’s, they’re seeking votes for this year’s Duelling Doughnuts contest (the winner receives $10,000 and sees their creation grace the café menus). Great to see an Edmontonian among the Ontario-based entries. Go, Judd and your lumberjack doughnut!
• Mother’s Market celebrated their grand opening on Sunday. It was buzzing, and busier than I’d ever seen it. Their rooftop patio on the second floor is great – in the warmer months, it’ll be perfect for pre-shopping breakfasts and lunches.

Mother’s Market

Rooftop patio

• I had lunch at Culina Muttart last week with colleagues. It’s been some time since I’ve been, but service was efficient, and the perogies were fried to perfection.

Marina’s cheddar perogi

• I joined Brittney and the Food Bloggers (wouldn’t that make a great band name?), Cindy, Andrea, Diane and Teresa at Shanghai 456 last week. It was our first visit to the new location, and boy, was their kitchen quick. The xiaolong bao were as delicious as I remembered.

Food, glorious food!

We’re gearing up for our penultimate What the Truck?! this season, taking place Saturday, August 16, from 4-8pm in Borden Park. Hope to see you there! On to this week’s food notes:

• A reminder about Alberta Open Farm Days happening in a few weeks on August 23-24, 2014.
• Mark your calendar for the next Hawkers Market on September 13, 2014, this time in a new location: Latitude 53.
• The big news this week is that three Edmonton restaurants are in the running for EnRoute Magazine’s prestigious Best New Restaurant list. The restaurants are North 53, Rge Rd and Woodwork. Vote now!
• Great to hear that Elm Café is expanding with the addition of Burrow, an underground café in Central LRT station. Look for it in mid-September.
• Chef Nathan Bye’s new restaurant will be called Ampersand 27.
• Café del Sol is at a new location, 14220 Yellowhead Trail.
• Max’s Restaurant (Graham calls it the “Earl’s of the Philippines” in the article) is now in Edmonton, introducing Filipino cuisine to the masses.
• Café de Ville shuttered unexpectedly this month. Liane is on the hunt for the reasons why.
• Want to cook like Daniel Costa at home? Download his free Tavola app, which features 15 recipes (and will be continuously updated).
• Get Cooking’s first class at their new MacEwan location on September 5, 2014 is a perfect date night for couples.
• The most recent Mack & Cheese episode has Mack and Graham discussing recent food festivals and restaurant news.
• I hadn’t heard about the Elk Island Bison Festival before, but it sounds like their first year was a success.
• Mack and I had dim sum with our parents at Tasty Noodle over the weekend. Great selection, timely service, and tasty plates!

Dim sum at Tasty Noodle

Mack and I were away most of the long weekend at Goose Lake with his family. Given cell coverage in the area is sporadic to non-existent, we were able to focus on time outdoors and around the fire. Hope you had a relaxing weekend as well! On to this week’s food notes:

• Did you hear – Drift is hoping to move into a storefront! Help them pay the rent at their Burger Night pop-up from 5-9pm on August 9, 2014 at 10721 124 Street. Check out the menu.
• Save the date: our next What the Truck?! is taking place Saturday, August 16, 2014 in Borden Park, featuring ten trucks. RSVP to the Facebook event!
• Help Mother’s Market celebrate their grand opening on August 17, 2014.
• Great news – Elm Café is expanding again downtown! No official word on where downtown just yet, however, though I have a good guess.
• Karlynn gives us a sneak peek of El Cortez, the tequila bar everyone has been waiting for. It hopes to open August 15, 2014.
• It sounds like Twyla found a gem in the Portuguese restaurant A Taverna.
• The Green & Gold Garden now sells locally-roasted coffee sourced from a co-operative in Rwanda, with some proceeds going to Tubahumurize (the non-profit the garden supports that helps marginalized women in Rwanda).
• I loved this “Inglorious Fruits and Vegetables” campaign launched by a supermarket in France, which convinced producers to purchase the usually less-than-desirable imperfect produce with a clever marketing idea. Bravo.
• Congrats to Jacqueline and the rest of the team at Jacek Chocolate Couture for a fantastic opening weekend for their new shop on 104 Street (10140 104th Street)! It’s great to have another specialty business on the street – welcome to the neighbourhood!

Jacqueline in her new downtown store (she insisted on not being in the photo alone)

• Mack’s parents were in Edmonton during the week, so we decided to introduce them to The Parlour. The pizza was a hit!

Calamari (loved the charred lime on top)

• After our engagement shoot with Bruce & Sarah, we wound down over a bottle of wine and some food close to home at Tzin. Kelsey and her staff were incredibly accommodating (as we were running late), and were open to us taking a few shots on the patio as well. Thanks for the wonderful evening!

I will never pass up an opportunity to order the pork belly

• As I mentioned above, we spent the weekend at Goose Lake. A final parting shot!

Goose Lake

• Cathy shared a bit about the forthcoming Rocky Mountain Icehouse (10516 Jasper Avenue), brought to you by the folks behind Cask & Barrel. The grand opening is taking place on July 25 and 26, starting at 4pm.
• Elm Café’s Dining Room (9132 – 118 Avenue) will be open for business on July 25 and 26, from 5pm-late, with a theme of Southern BBQ. Make sure to call ahead for reservations.
• I love the ideas behind this event on August 7, 2014: Ladies on the Green is a charity golf tournament where golf is optional! Food and indulgences are included, and even golf lessons for those so inclined.
• Vue Weekly previews the hotly anticipated El Cortez Tequila Bar + Kitchen.
• I didn’t know Pampa was offering cooking classes about Brazilian BBQ. The cost is $90/person, and upcoming dates include August 23 & 24 and September 20 & 21. Unfortunately, Pampa doesn’t have any information on the website to link to – interested parties will just have to call the restaurant.
• Karlynn shared that the new fair food winner at this year’s K-Days was the Angry Birds candy apple.
• Lillian reviewed a new Korean/Chinese restaurant on the south side called Rae Mi Hyang (10625 51 Avenue).
• Have you heard of The Carrot Project? It’s a fundraiser for E4C’s School Snack Program, where they’ve partnered with Meadow Creek Farms (located 1.5 hours outside of Edmonton). For $75, donors will receive over 20 pounds of vegetables in early October, while a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Snack Program.
• Congrats to everyone involved in planting the city’s first food forest in the river valley this weekend!
• I didn’t hear about the French food blogger fined for a negative review she wrote until I saw the story linked on Cheryl’s blog.
• We had our latest What the Truck?! meeting last week at The Parlour (where on Wednesdays, the wine is half price!). The pizzas, as expected, were delicious.

The Gamberi (garlic prawns, sriracha pesto, fior di latte, lemon)

The Hangover (pancetta, fior di latte, fried egg, potato fritto, green onion)

It’s almost easy to forget how great summer in Edmonton can be until we have weeks like this. Hope you’re enjoying the weather, too! On to this week’s food notes:

• Mealshare is a non-profit that works to help feed Edmonton’s less fortunate by partnering with restaurants for a “buy one, give one” model (certain dishes with a Mealshare logo next to them will result in meals donated to a charity). To mark the addition of six new restaurants to the Edmonton program, they are hosting this year’s pancake breakfast on the morning of the K-Days Parade on July 17 from 7:30-10:30am in Churchill Square. Each $5 breakfast of pancakes + sausage or fruit and yogurt will result in a donated meal. Great cause!
• Mark your calendar: Slow Food Edmonton will be hosting several Open Farm Days events in August. The first is on August 23, 2014, and involves a pig roast and other seasonal goodies at Get Cooking’s new digs at MacEwan University. On August 24, 2014, Slow Food will be leading a walking tour through Reclaim Urban Farm’s plots in the Garneau neighbourhood, cumulating in a Ukrainian-themed lunch at the St. John’s Institute. Check out more Open Farm Days events here.
• Lux is hosting their fifth annual Bacon Day fundraiser on August 29, 2014. Tickets are $75, with $25 going towards Youth Empowerment & Support Services.
• Phil posted a great recap of some of the best burgers he encountered through his Burger Odyssey. I did want to see one awarded a bronzed burger trophy, however.
• Speaking of Phil, he’s already onto another new series, this time, to find the best of Edmonton’s patios.
• City and Dale shares their favourite picnic spots in the city, with some ideas of how to fill your picnic basket, too.
• Check out these visual representations of the last meals consumed by twelve death row inmates (thanks for the tweet, Liane!)
• There’s something about the first ripe tomato among the green vines that is just such a satisfying sight.

Sweet baby girl tomatoes from Sundog Organic

Hot on the heels of our Truck Stop at Baconfest, we’re returning to Boyle Street Plaza for a second year in a row for a burger-themed Truck Stop on July 10, 2014, from 5-8pm. Check out the menus here, and I hope to see you there! On to this week’s food notes:

• Congrats to Evoolution, whose third location at Southgate Centre is now open!
• Liv posted about A Taverna, a relatively new Portuguese eatery located in Café Amore’s former space.
• Check out what you missed at the inaugural Baconfest with Cheryl’s review.
• Vue Weely has a great article featuring conversations with the bar managers behind three successful local haunts: the Next Act, Sugarbowl and The Underground.
• I had heard that another home grocery delivery service was due in Edmonton soon, but just checked out the Spud Edmonton site this week.
• I am so happy to hear that the urban beekeeping pilot was approved by City Council today. Up next, urban chickens? 
• Remedy’s fourth location at 124 Street and 103 Avenue is now open!

Remedy

• Pampa’s long-awaited food truck is now open! Check them out this week at the Street Performers Festival on Churchill Square.

Pampa is now mobile!

• It’s been a while since I’ve been to West Edmonton Mall, so 1st Rnd was new to me, a sports bar on BRBN St. that has since replaced the Hooters. Any thoughts from those who have been?

1st Rnd

• While at the Mall, we also treated ourselves to sorbet popsicles from Popbar, the first Canadian location for the chain. While $4 each seemed a bit steeped, both Mack and I agreed the bars had a much more concentrated fruit flavour that either of us had expected, refreshing and intense.

With our Popbar treats

• I was happy to be among the volunteers of the second annual Heritage Chinatown Night Market on Canada Day. Like last year, the weather was smokin’ hot, and people seemed to enjoy the mix of performers and vendors.

Roxanne and I take a break from burger duty

• Afterwards, Mack and I walked down near the river to watch the inaugural Light the Bridge show, and of course, the accompanying fireworks. River Valley Road provided a great vantage point for both, and it was neat to be among so many people without feeling crowded. Check out Mack’s blog for more pictures and information about the lights.

Happy Canada Day!

• I was lucky enough to be given complimentary tickets to see Broadway Across Canada’s production of Wicked this week, running at the Jubilee Auditorium July 2-20, 2014. Though it was my second time seeing Wicked (the first being in New York seven years ago), it was my Mum’s first musical. She loved it! For me, it was great to relive one of my favourite shows (“For Good” did not disappoint), and I really enjoyed Kara Lindsay’s performance as Glinda. Her rendition of “Popular”  was charm and perfect comedic timing. Go see it while you still can!

Wicked selfie

Do you have your Canada Day plans yet? If not, make sure to check out ShareEdmonton’s list of events in and around the city. You can find me volunteering at the Heritage Chinatown Night Market, running from 4-9pm on 102 Avenue and 95 Street. Regardless of how you spend the occasion, Happy Canada Day! On to this week’s food notes:

• What the Truck?! is coming to Baconfest this Friday, July 4, from 5-10pm with six food trucks outside the Arts Barns, all serving-up bacon-infused dishes (think: bacon lobster mac & cheese, bacon poutine, bacon ice cream and yes, even a bacon milkshake). There’s no admission fee for the Truck Stop – just bring cash for food. See you there!
• World Cup fever has inspired many Brazilian-inspired menus or celebrations, including a four-course meal with beer pairings at Culina, and a special a la carte menu at Pampa.
• It’s been a rough month for 104 Street, with the closure of Lit and the impending closure of Sobeys on July 31, 2014.
• Meat was positively reviewed last week in the Journal.
• Rebecca posted about one of the newer food trucks, Dolce and Banana.
• Avenue has a great feature sharing the favourite eats of 25 prominent Edmontonians, including Mayor Don Iveson. Interestingly enough, the list is dominated by cheap eats.
• Transcend’s Poul Mark is the coffee columnist for CBC. Check out his first coffee column.
• Want to contribute to a cookbook “reflecting the evolution of Edmonton over the past century”? Check out the Edmonton Historical Cookbook project.
• Looking forward to the food at K-Days? Tempt yourself with some of their new items this year, including a 125 pound hot dog (why they don’t have better quality photos for the items is beyond me).
• Jason Foster wrote about the evolution of Big Rock back to its craft beer roots.
• It was announced last week that Lactuca moved to a one acre site at Northlands.
• Robyn attended Slow Food Edmonton’s Tangle Ridge Ranch event this weekend – looks like it was a fun evening full of good food and company!
• We’ve been enjoying the delicious wave of summer fruit these past few weeks. I can’t wait for blueberries!

Raspberries from Steve & Dan’s at the City Market

• Baconfest released their menu last week – from savoury to sweet, bacon lovers will rejoice. The event runs July 4, 2014, and tickets are $75.
• Savour Strathcona County, a celebration of food, is back on July 6, 2014, with nearly 20 restaurants and food trucks participating.
• What are you up to on July 19, 2014? Want to help build up Edmonton’s river valley food forest? Join Dustin Bajer and other Edmontonians who will be planting more than 1,000 food producing native trees and shrubs that day.
• Liane had a piece with more details about El Cortez, the forthcoming tequila bar in Old Strathcona.
• The trend of board game cafes are picking up steam in Edmonton, with The Hex Café moving onto Whyte Avenue.
• Phil’s latest Burger Odyssey post is up, comparing the offerings of Select and Cha Island Tea.
• Liv visited Meat for Dinner.
• Val posted a beautiful review of a recent meal by Chef Shane Chartrand celebrating Aboriginal cuisine at Sage. Their summer signature series is now over (their promotions never seem to run more than a week), but hopefully they bring it back again!
• Congratulations to the organizers of Porkapalooza, who reported that 25,000 people visited the three day festival. It will be back again next year.
• Learn more about Riverbend Garden’s CSA in Vue Weekly.
• Elaine Wilson, who many will know from her cooking classes and stall at local farmers’ markets, will close the current chapter of her life in favour of new beginnings. We’ll miss her in the hands-on role she’s played in Edmonton’s food scene over the years, but I’m sure she will still be out and about!
• Finally, another one of the vacant storefronts in Chinatown on 97 Street and 106 Avenue will be populated again – this time with a Korean restaurant, Lee House.

Lee House

• Our What the Truck?! team had a planning meeting at Packrat Louie earlier in the week. All of us ordered pizzas. Mine was all right, a combination of buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, spinach, mushroom and egg. I just didn’t expect that the egg would be hard boiled, or cold.

Prosciutto pizza at Packrat Louie

• Mack and I celebrated my birthday early on #yeglongday, taking advantage of the absolutely gorgeous weather with a late dinner out on the patio at Tavern 1903. I’m happy to see they’ve eliminated the $1 charge on Q Water, and yes, their truffle mac ‘n’ cheese is still just as delicious as I remembered.

Mack @ Tavern 1903

Truffle mac ‘n’ cheese and KFC (Korean Fried Cauliflower)

Short ribs and parmesan frites

• We had my family over for dinner yesterday. Among the dishes were a simple but satisfying modified caprese salad, substituting asparagus for the basil.

Caprese salad with Gull Valley tomatoes and Edgar Farms asparagus (just one more week for local asparagus!)

• Kinnickinnick is hosting a gluten-free BBQ on June 21, 2014, with proceeds benefiting the Edmonton Food Bank.
• The 124 Grand Market has partnered with Taste Alberta to host a farm to fork culinary tour on July 13, 2014. Tickets are $55, and besides the tour, will include a family-style lunch by Brayden Kozak of Three Boars and Mike Scorgie of Woodwork.
• NAIT released their summer schedule of culinary boot camps, with the addition of a new course called “For the Love of Chocolate Boot Camp”.
• I can’t think this far ahead, but a new festival was announced today called Dig In, St. Albert’s Horticulture Festival. It runs October 10-11, 2014, and will feature hands-on workshops, sampling, demonstrations, and a kick-off gala.
• Liane has the details on Rostizado, the hotly anticipated new eatery from the boys behind Tres Carnales. It sounds like a series of unique “mini eateries”, the likes of which Edmonton hasn’t seen before.
• The Taste of Edmonton celebrates their 30th anniversary this year. They have expanded their Sip ‘n’ Savour workshop side of the event, growing it even outside of Edmonton’s bounds. They’ve also released their menu, which this year will feature items from twelve food trucks. Discounted sample tickets are already on sale. This year’s festival runs July 17-26, 2014.
• El Cortez Tequila Bar? Count me intrigued. It is set to open some time this summer at 8230 Gateway Boulevard.
• Cindy has one of the first Indulgence recaps up!
• It looks like Andrea was far from impressed by the food at Teapsy Café.
• Julio’s Barrio opened up their new extended patio last week. While the restaurant itself may not be my favourite, I applaud having more life on the sidewalks.
• On Saturday, Mack, Thom and I ventured to Giovanni Caboto Park. The Italian Centre was celebrating their 55th birthday, so we made sure to indulge in some free cake. The main event was the outdoor screening of the England vs. Italy World Cup match. Though the screen resolution wasn’t great, it was an opportunity to watch the game amongst passionate fans in a unique venue.

Happy birthday, Italian Centre!

World Cup in the park

• I have to say my impressions of Red Deer have been grounded in my visits to Gasoline Alley. On our way back from Innisfail on Sunday, however, Mack and I made sure to finally go through downtown Red Deer, and finally visit Dose Coffee, which we had read about some time ago. It’s a lovely space, and could easily be mistaken for a shop on 104 Street or 124 Street in Edmonton. It didn’t hurt that the lattes were delicious, too!

Dose Coffee

We’re coming up on our second What the Truck?! event this summer, taking place on Friday, June 13, 2014 from 5-9pm at Old Strathcona. Expect 15 trucks, from six new vendors to old favourites. Menus will be posted in a day or two – hope to see you there! On to this week’s food notes:

• Shovel & Fork is teaching a class on container gardening on June 14, 2014. The class will be taking place at the Bissell Centre, and proceeds collected will go towards helping the Centre establish their own rooftop garden. Tickets are $70.
• A reminder about Hawkers Market on June 14, 2014 from 6-11:30pm at the Mercer Warehouse.
• Dishcrawl is back! Their first event after the hiatus is taking place on 124 Street on July 15, 2014. Tickets are $60 and will grant you three meals at three restaurants.
• Congrats to Confetti Sweets whose storefront in Sherwood Park is now open.
• Looking for Sailin’ On’s massively addictive coconut bacon? It’s now stocked at the Italian Centre!
• It’s finally official: Earth’s General Store is moving to 104 Street, taking over the storefront formerly occupied by Pangea.
• I was surprised to hear about Chef Nathin Bye’s move to Murietta’s. I wish him all the best in his new endeavours!
• Phil’s latest Burger Odyssey post pits Delux against Local. Who comes out on top?
• Vue Weekly offers some background on the concept of Bar Bricco.
• The Journal had a great piece on Edmonton ex-pat Leanne Brown’s Good and Cheap cookbook, which helps people maximize their food dollar.
• Chef, a fictional film about the rise of a food truck, opened last week to positive reviews. I hope to check it out soon!
• Say it ain’t so: Top Chef Canada has been cancelled after four seasons. I know there will be other TV outlets for Canadian chefs to be highlighted (Chopped, Masterchef), but I think Top Chef had a tangible impact on raising the profile of the young talent who participated, and allowed Canadians to look inward, instead of only ever appreciating chefs south of the border.
• I’ve now stepped down from the board of the Downtown Edmonton Community League, but it was nice to finish off my term with the annual pancake breakfast. It was a little chilly, yes, but the sun made it a pleasant morning. Thanks to those who came out!

Pancake picnic in the street

Sarah and Milap were pancake flipping pros!

• All my Mum wanted for her birthday was tacos from Tres Carnales – we made sure she also had a side of celebratory sangria. Delicious!

Dinner at Tres Carnales