I hope you’re ready for the Ginger Beef Throwdown on Friday! Join us at the Royal Alberta Museum on May 17, 2013 from 5-8pm as four of Edmonton’s food trucks vie for ginger beef supremacy! Check out the menus here. On to this week’s food notes:

• Tickets for the first Red Shoe Crawl of the year are now on sale! Taking place on June 9, 2013, the event will showcase some of Old Strathcona’s best restaurants and businesses. Tickets are $40, with proceeds supporting the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta. We had a blast at the 124 Street crawl last October.
• The Edmonton Community Foundation’s upcoming Annual General Meeting on June 13, 2013 will feature Jeremy Isles, Chief Executive of the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens, UK.
• Beer Revolution (11736 104 Avenue) opened today.
• Look for Belgravia Hub (7609 115 Street) to open this week!
• La Poutine’s truck is now on the streets! Looking forward to our first mobile poutine.
• It also looks like Sailin’ On, Edmonton’s first vegan truck, will be on the streets on May 14, 2013!
• Marlow Moo wrote about a pop-up over the weekend with forthcoming food truck Switch.
• The rise of Italian in Edmonton continues with the opening of Enzo’s on 76.
• Liv also wrote about Amato Gelato in Lewis Estates, the first of a Vancouver-based gelato chain to open up in the city.
• The Makk was positively reviewed in the Journal last week.
• Vue’s annual Golden Fork Awards were announced last week! I found it interesting how many of the winners were concentrated in the Old Strathcona area – will we soon see a shift to more Downtown and Oliver-area restaurants?
• The same issue featured a Vue writer taking on the burger challenge at Soda Jerks – could you finish three monster burgers in thirty minutes?
• Valerie is looking to hone in on our “Canadian voice”, and is inviting writers to help her identify uniquely Canadian experiences and foods. Find out more about The Canadian Food Experience Project here.
• A call for Edmonton Food Council members is now open. Interested parties have until May 20, 2013 to submit applications.
• It looks like Remedy is expanding again, this time into the space vacated by Booster Juice in the Palomar Building on 82 Avenue and 104 Street.

Remedy – coming soon!

• The Burg announced their presence in a big way on the 4th Street Promenade – probably hoping to capitalize on all of the foot traffic the street garners when the outdoor City Market begins on May 18.

The Burg

• Kabsa is now open at 10332 82 Avenue – anyone know if it is the same folks behind the space that was taken over by Corso 32 downtown?

Kabsa

• We stumbled upon a new bubble tea shop just off the main Whyte drag, called Teapsy Café (9959 82 Aveue). They offer the variety of cold drinks found at similar shops, but enhance their menu with Peking dogs (think a Chinese-style Japadog). The peach slush we tried was very refreshing.

Teapsy Cafe

• After a meeting with the folks at The Next Act on Thursday, we stayed on for dinner. It was a good call – the omnivore grilled cheese hit the spot!

Omnivore grilled cheese

• We were happy to join other “Drift-ers” at Red Star today for a group viewing of their Eat St. episode! It was great, and showcased their food well.

Of course, Kara and Nevin made sure the audience was well fed!

Congrats to Karlynn who picked up the Best in Food Yeggie over the weekend, along with the rest of the winners (and nominees) at the first annual Yeggies, recognizing social media content creators. It was a great party – kudos to the organizers for a job well done! On to this week’s food notes:

• Should Canada tax unhealthy foods? That is the question that will be debated by a panel of experts on May 22, 2013 at the Westin, as a part of the Western Summit on Sustainable Health. Although the debate is open to the public, it is too bad tickets to the event are $55.
• Outdoor farmers’ markets are here! Salisbury (Thursdays) moved outdoors at the end of April, Highlands (Thursdays) opened its season on May 2, Callingwood (Sundays and Wednesdays) began on May 5, Beverly Towne (Tuesdays) starts May 7, the South West Edmonton Farmers’ Market starts next week on May 15, and my favourite City Market downtown (Saturdays) starts May 18.
• There are a ton of food events to check out in the next few months! If you love lobster, I’ve heard the annual Lobsterfest at the Shaw Conference Centre is an event not to miss. It takes place on May 26, 2013 this year, and tickets are $55. Take a peek at what’s in store on Twyla’s blog.
• Mosh Burger, the pop-up that celebrates medium rare burgers, is hosting a six course, Montreal-inspired meal on May 27, 2013 for $120, including wine pairings.
• Coffee more your thing? Chef Parker is hosting a food and coffee pairing event at Roast on May 30, 2013. Tickets are $60.
• RGE RD will be hosting several more farm dinners this summer: on July 7 @ Riverbend Gardens, and on July 14 @ Prairie Gardens. More details on the website.
• The next 10 Mile Meal is taking place on July 13, 2013, and will celebrate all things summer. Tickets are $80.
• Food trucks are back in the news! Liane had a great article about some of the new trucks on the street, including The Local Omnivore and the forthcoming Sailin’ On (the menu looks amazing!).
• Battista’s Calzones has a new website!
• The Shutter: Ousia on Whyte Avenue has closed.
• Has poutine jumped the shark? Jones Soda has released a poutine flavoured soda – unfortunately, it isn’t available in Alberta if you were hoping to try it.
• Spicy Garden (9700 105 Avenue) in Chinatown has been taken over by Urban Shabu – from peeking in the windows, it looks to be a modern interior for a Japanese staple.

Urban Shabu

• Patios are out in full force in Edmonton! Hurrah for summer!

 

Blue Plate Diner

This guest post was written by Mack, an Edmonton-based geek who fancies himself a part-time foodie. You can find him online at his blog, and on Twitter.

Sharon is in Toronto with her Mum this week, so I’m on food note duty! Here are this week’s food notes:

• Tickets for Indulgence go on sale May 1!
• Do you like beer? Pork? How about beer and pork together?! Slow Food Edmonton and Yellowhead Brewery are hosting Berkshire & Beer on May 26. Tickets are $60 for the nose-to-tail event!
• Bistro Saisons, located in the old 4th and Vine spot in Oliver Square, was reviewed positively in the Journal. Scott & Sandra Ards are the duo behind the new venture – I love that they met “on the kitchen line at the Shaw Conference Centre nine years ago”.
• Keep your eyes open for Localize stickers in a grocery store near you. Hopefully they last longer than the Eat Local First signage!
• The Next Act are looking to open a BBQ restaurant next door called Meat for Dinner, but they’ve run into issues with the zoning bylaws. Support them and let’s see this happen!
• Andrea reviewed Pure Kitchen, The Makk’s new sister restaurant located just down 124 Street. That Cheddar Apple Smoked Turkey sandwich looks good. She also reviewed Menchie’s, a new frozen yogurt shop located near Remedy on 109 Street.
• Tomorrow is TEDxEdmonton’s Salon Series event focused on Food for Thought. Green Drinks celebrates Local Food on Wednesday at The Common. Lots of opportunities to connect and talk food!
• Have you eaten at a food truck this season? There’s a number of them on the streets already!
• Marlow Moo reviewed Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus and really liked it. I did too!
• Credo, Transcend, Elm, and Leva all made this list of the 25 best coffee shops in Canada.
• La Cité Francophone is looking for a restaurateur to take over the dining room in the heart of the French Quarter. Here’s the RFP in English and French.
• The Callingwood Farmers Market reopens this Sunday at 10am!
• Liane posted some details today on Sip and Savour, a new feature coming to Taste of Edmonton this summer. I think it’s great that the festival is working to transform itself, but we’ll have to wait and see just how different Sip and Savour is (Paul Lucas, the new head of Taste of Edmonton, was the one who initiated Sip! at Capital EX).
• Sounds like SWICH is hosting a lunchtime Mother’s Day pop up on May 12. You need to DM them on Twitter to RSVP!
• Sharon was home for lunch last week (a rare occasion) so she made sure to take advantage of the opportunity to try The Cavern‘s grilled cheese sandwiches ($8.75). Each gooey and delicious sandwich was accompanied by some pickled vegetables and some chips.

Tempting pastries at The Cavern!

• I know how much Sharon loves pho, so I had to take a photo of this V Sandwiches sign the other day – pho is now available!

I’m really looking forward to a brief vacation this week, when I’ll be heading to Toronto with my Mum to visit my sister. I will likely not be blogging while away, so make sure to check out my culinary counterparts if you’re looking for reading material! On to this week’s food notes:

• TEDx Edmonton’s next Salon event is all about food, “from how it gets produced to how we understand it before making purchasing decisions.” Speakers include Carol Neuman of 10 Mile Meal and Meagan Dear of Localize. Check it out on April 30, 2013 at the Mercer Warehouse.
• Chop Suey on the Prairies, an exhibit at the Royal Alberta Museum about the history of Chinese restaurants in Alberta, opened on April 20, 2013. What the Truck?! has paired up with the exhibit to organize a special Truck Stop: Throwdown Edition, taking place in May. More details soon!
• Taste pairings are all the rage in Edmonton – we really enjoyed our wine and chocolate pairing a few months back. Now, Cookie Love and Alley Kat are hoping people might enjoy a cookie and beer pairing! Get your tickets to the May 17, 2013 event here, to be held at the Edmonton Petroleum Club. All proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House.
• Smokehouse BBQ’s Edmonton location is now re-open! Congrats to Terry and Sherry on getting the shop up and running again.
• Nearby, The Makk’s sister restaurant, Pure Kitchen (12325 102 Avenue), is also now open! Check them out for light breakfast and lunch fare.
• It looks like Menchies at 8705 109 Street, the newest frozen yogurt chain to open in Edmonton, will be open on April 23, 2013.
• Andrea wrote a review of Taste of Yogurt, another new fro-yo shop in Riverbend.
• Food trucks galore – I can hardly keep up! Liv posted a review on the newest truck to hit the streets, The Food Fighter, which specializes in all things parmigiana.
• The Cheesiry will be hosting a cheesemaking workshop on May 4, 2013.
• Speaking of cheese, we have wine and beer of the month clubs (courtesy of places like Sherbrooke Liquor), but how about a cheese of the month club? Check out Everything Cheese for more details on how you can sign up to receive a few different cheeses every month, starting in September.
• Congratulations to Sylvan Star for winning the awards for best gouda and farmhouse cheese at the 2013 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix.
• Have you heard about FarmOn? It is a social media group trying to encourage young farmers to share their stories on social media.
• Michael Pollan has written a new book, called Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. It is his call for a return to the kitchen.
• A heads up that Pho Tau Bay will be closed April 29-June 30, 2013. A few coworkers and I made sure to visit last week to get our fill before the void begins.

My regular

• Eat Alberta 2013 is a wrap! Thanks to everyone who participated, from attendees, to presenters, to our fabulous volunteers. A special thanks to our MC Jennifer Crosby who kept things moving! I hope to write more about the conference in the next few weeks, but I have to say it was a pleasure working with my fellow committee members – we did it!

Allan’s brilliant tasting board

Have a good week!

I can hardly believe the time for Eat Alberta has already come upon us! It’s going to be a great day on April 20! On to this week’s food notes:

• It’s great that the River Cree dreams up festivals of all sorts to try and entice diners to their relatively isolated locale. First it was tomatoes, now, lemons! The Lemon Festival is taking place on April 25, 2013, serving up a 5-course meal for $60.
• Smokehouse BBQ’s Edmonton location on 124 Street is close to re-opening after a fire shut the restaurant down last November.
• RGE RD’s website is up! The restaurant might still be months away, but you can tempt yourself now!
• Zembaba, a new Ethiopian eatery, was reviewed by Vue Weekly.
• Liv reviewed The Cavern’s sandwiches – I can’t wait to try one of their grilled cheeses, too!
• Twyla posted about Bistro Saisons, and was impressed by their commitment to sourcing ingredients locally.
• The Shutter: 104 Street Grill has been sold. Liane reports that you can expect The Burg, a burger bar, to move into the vacant space in June.
• Linda wrote about Chef Andrew Parker’s interactive Couples Cooking Night – it sounded like a lot of fun!
• It will be cheaper for local restaurants to open up a patio this year, though it sounds like the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission won’t be changing rules to permit serving liquor in patios not connected to an establishment.
• It’s amazing the number of successful restaurant chains that got their start in Edmonton: Earls, Booster Juice, and Boston Pizza, just to name a few. The Journal wrote about some of them, in addition to a few up-and-comers.
• I loved Lillian’s comparisons between her U of A chicken eggs bounty with regular supermarket eggs.
• I’m sorry to hear that the Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market will not be returning this season. But given the influx of other markets, it isn’t a surprise.
• Montreal has finally opened the gates to food trucks! It may be a pilot only open to existing caterers or restaurant owners, but hopefully, it can grow from there!
• The Globe and Mail had an interesting article about the rise of dining aggression – not from customers, but from chefs directed at customers, including one who tweeted about customers being a “douche”. Too far?
• Golden Orchid will be replaced by a new Vietnamese eatery, Uyen Uong on April 15, 2013.

Uyen Uong

• Just down the street, a new Chinese bakery opened up in Chinatown last Wednesday. Shan Shan Bakery (10552 97 Street, 780-974-7788) has all of the favourites I was looking for in a sparkly, clean space (I appreciated that the tongs and trays were kept in a closed cabinet).

Shan Shan Bakery

• I had no idea there was a Lindt outlet store in South Common (2011 99 Street)! Needless to say, I loaded up on my share of discount chocolate.

Inside the Lindt store

• I returned to Oil Lamp for a work lunch last week. I ordered a pepperoni and mushroom pizza, and though the kitchen was generous with the cheese, it wasn’t nearly as good as the same dish from my beloved Route 99.

Pizza from the Oil Lamp

• After some shopping, May and I headed to Joey’s nearby for lunch on Saturday. The beef dip sandwich itself was tasty, though the accompanying au jus was extremely salty.

Beef dip

• Sustainable Food Edmonton will be hosting its 20th annual Community Garden Potluck on April 20, 2013. Expect permaculture presentations and a seed swap.
• Sailin’ On, the forthcoming vegan food truck, will be taking over the kitchen at Three Boars on April 16, 2013. Sample three of their menu items, including gluten-free soft tacos.
• Staff Meal will be hosting a pop-up five-course dinner at Canteen on April 22, 2013. The menu will be inspired by the chefs’ most “memorable food experiences.” Tickets are $75.
• An event called Sowing Seeds of Possibility: From Food Mapping to Asset Mapping is taking place on April 26, 2013. It sounds like a great opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, and to hear from a representative of FoodShare Toronto. The cost to attend both days is just $30.
• The next Green Drinks on May 1, 2013 is all about local food – get your tickets while they’re still available!
• Liane wrote about The Cavern, the new cheese shop that opens its doors on 104 Street on April 9, 2013.
• Liane also updated the status of Café Amore’s new downtown location – they are aiming to open by April 22, 2013.
• On the hunt for food trucks? Marianne reviewed an early meal from the newest truck to hit the streets – The Local Omnivore, open from 7:30am-1:30pm at 108 Street and 100 Avenue. It looks great, and I also love that you can pick up a packet of bacon to take home for $5!
• Liv posted about Creole Envie’s first back alley po’boy (a take off of Century Hospitality’s alley burger) last week. If you’re sad to have missed it, it looks like you’re in luck – they will be offered again on April 9.
• Liv also previewed Roast Coffee’s new menu, designed by Chef Andrew Parker.
• After 37 years, Java Jive is shutting its doors. I can attest my own coffee drinking started at University, with a daily cup of joe from Java Jive – I wish the owners well!
• Cheryl wrote a “treatise on the principles of customer service” – I appreciated her point of view as both a customer and someone with serving experience.
• Have you checked out Shovel & Fork lately? They’ve just updated their website with new courses and dates!

This Easter long weekend couldn’t have come at a better time! I don’t know if it was because of the wonky temperatures lately or a busy time at work, but it was great to have some time and space to decompress and relax at home. Hope you had a good weekend too! On to this week’s food notes:

• Love Hundred’s Alley Burgers? Creole Envie is putting their own spin on the concept by offering “back alley po’boys”. Look for them on April 2 at 6pm.
• The annual month-long garlic festival kicks off at Sorrentino’s April 8 and runs until May 11, 2013..
• Woodwork, the forthcoming restaurant from Nomad and the Volstead Act, is hosting a pop-up at the Rossdale Brewery on April 13, 2013. They have also announced Sunday Dinner memberships (permitting you to four seasonally-inspired dinners) and their Top Shelf program (where you can keep a bottle of your favourite spirit behind the bar!).
• Gail Hall will be hosting her first Alberta-based Seasoned Solutions tour on June 15 and 16, 2013. Included in the tour will be visits to several Smoky Lake-area farms including Smokey Valley Goat Cheese and Serben Farms. Check back on the website for more details.
• Food trucks and craft beer will be paired at the Urban Craft Beer & Food Festival on April 19, 2013 at the Alberta Aviation Museum. Four food trucks will be participating, with over 100 beer choices (thanks to Su for the heads up!).
• On the heels of their successful nose-to-tail pork dinner, Ousia will be hosting a nose-to-tail lamb dinner on April 29, 2012.
• Best of luck to the Fruits of Sherbrooke on their expansion plans – I love the idea that they will be working with university students as well as low-income individuals.
• The big news last week was Elm Cafe’s impending takeover of the food service operations at the Devonian Gardens on May 1, 2013, to be dubbed The Birch Patio. It looks like Nate has some great ideas up his sleeve – if anyone can transform the Gardens into a food destination, it would be Nate!
• Sad to hear about the fire at Bubba’s Smokehouse. Unfortunately, the article states that nothing was salvageable – I hope Rand chooses to rebuild – he would leave a void in Edmonton food scene.
• The April Fools jokes were rampant on the internets today. Triffids, anyone?
• With the addition of Sloppy Hogs Roed Hus to the city last year, and an Edmonton location of the Memphis Blues franchise (at 50 Street and 23 Avenue), barbecue continues to gain traction here.

Memphis Blues

• Congrats to my friends Annie and Andres who got married this weekend! It was a lovely ceremony.

A champagne toast to the couple!

• A small group of us met up at Wild Tangerine after the ceremony for a casual dinner. The bison shortribs were fantastic, and the shrimp lollipops were as good as we remembered.

Shrimp lollipops

Bison potstickers with a refreshing carrot and daikon salad

Bison shortribs

Mack’s green curry with prawns and tortiglioni

Thanks to everyone who picked up tickets to the third annual Eat Alberta conference – I’m happy to announce that less than two weeks since we released them, they are now sold out! On to this week’s food notes:

• Creole Envie will be hosting a farm-to-fork dinner on April 14, 2013. Tickets are $75.
• Vue Weekly has released their ballots for their annual Golden Forks Awards (I’m hoping the online link will work soon). The deadline to submit your favourite restaurants is April 24, 2013.
• I was sorry to hear that Jack’s Grill closed as of Saturday. The owner Mark Goodwin’s comment regarding competition from newer eateries was heartbreaking, but seems to ring true, “‘We changed the menu six or seven times a year, but trying to get the young people to come here instead of to Corso 32 … it’s hard.’”
• The Greenhouse is expanding downtown! They are moving in next to Bistro Praha on July 1, 2013. It’s been a while since I’ve been, but given it will be located just across from The Chopped Leaf in Commerce, perhaps salad bars are on their way up?
• The Edmonton Pubs group (including Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty’s Bistro) has been sold.
• Liv reviewed Pizzeria Rossi, the new incarnation of da Capo on 109 Street.
• Chef Chris Consentino was in town as the Chef in Residence at NAIT last week. Both Maki and Phil popped by one of his classes. Love to hear that he dined at Corso, Tres Carnales and Three Boars!
• Vue published an article about food bloggers last week, and I was happy to be interviewed for the piece, alongside Liv and Michelle.
• I wasn’t able to make it out to the inaugural 10 Mile Meal this past weekend, but I hope to attend one of their upcoming events this summer! Anyone have tales to share from dinner?
• Great to hear that the Heritage Chickens program at the U of A is already fully subscribed! It’s such an innovative idea to adopt your own heritage chicken, and I love that you can name it too!
• Three organic milk producers in Alberta have called it quits, and are reverting to conventional milk. It makes me thankful that I can source locally-produced Rock Ridge milk next door at Pangea!
• It will be April next week, so it’s the perfect time to think about joining a CSA! Take a look at what Riverbend Gardens is offering. It’s great that they have several options, including a “couple size” package!
• After the Make Something Edmonton launch on Thursday, Mack and I refuelled at our favourite diner, Route 99. There’s nothing like poutine to help get the gears going on a new project!

Poutine

It’s been a great week for Eat Alberta, even though the conference is still over a month away: since releasing tickets last Tuesday, we’ve managed to sell all but 10! Thanks to everyone who has bought tickets so far – and for those of you who haven’t, make sure you act fast! On to this week’s food notes:

• Did you know Chef Chris Cosentino (of Top Chef Masters fame) is in town? Join him online for a Twitter chat on March 19, from 5:30-6:30pm, using the hashtag #naitchefchat.
• Teatotaled, the next High Street Social Club event is taking place on March 24, 2013. Expect unusual teas incorporated into both the dishes and cocktails.
• Staff Meal Edmonton has made it easy to celebrate Easter at home with a basket full of scratch-made goodies, including Easter bread, hot cross bun crackers, charcuterie and earl grey and salted caramel chocolates. Order yours for pick up on March 28, 2013.
• Linda has organized a Dishcrawl event that will highlight four of Downtown Edmonton’s eateries. It takes place on April 9, 2013. Tickets are $50.
• Bannock Burger looks like it is worth checking out – love the idea of a soft, deep-fried bun encasing a beef patty and all the fixins’. See Liane and Liv’s takes on the new restaurant.
• Based on Lillian’s tweets, the wood-fired oven at Pizzeria Rosso (replacing Da Capo at 8738 109 Street) is up and ready!
• State & Main, a Calgary-based “urban-inspired kitchen and bar”, is adding a location to Edmonton at Southgate Centre.
• The Downtown Business Association launched their 10th annual Downtown Dining Week with a tasting event at the Alberta Art Gallery on Thursday. To celebrate, they are offering a chance to win 50 bottles of wine from deVine’s – all you have to do is dine out at one of the thirty participating restaurants. Mack and I have reservations at TZiN on the weekend, something we are definitely looking forward to!

Dining Week launch at the AGA

My favourite dish that night – a pork medallion with a cinnamon maple demi glaze from ZINC

• I met up with Jill for a quick lunch at Oodle Noodle off 104 Street on Friday. This was my first time there during the lunch rush, but boy, was it ever busy! I was a little disappointed with the wor wonton soup ($8.95) though – not only did the broth taste diluted and bland, there were only a few wontons to be found.

Wor wonton soup

• After the Culinary Cook-Off on Saturday, Felicia and I popped by the Mercer Collective in the basement of the Mercer Building. It was our first time at this pop-up craft show, and we found it to be great! The graffiti art on the walls brightened up the space, and the DJ set the tone for the unique shopping experience. I thought it would be a great complement to the City Market. Make sure you check out the next show on April 20!

Mercer Collective

Eat Alberta 2013 is coming! I wrote about it on Friday, but make sure you check the website for ticket information. And yes, we had a bit of fun coming up with the different track names – my personal favourites are “beet route” and “carrot corridor”. On to this week’s food notes:

• A mild winter means food trucks are back out on the streets early. Look for Drift at their usual location of Jasper Avenue and 107 Street starting on March 12!
• Downtown Dining Week starts March 15 and runs until March 24, 2013. The set menus range in price from $15-$50.
• A reminder that the Culinary Arts Cook-off is scheduled for this Saturday, March 16, 2013 at Mount Royal School. Sliders are on the menu this year, and will cost just $2 a pop, with all funds raised going towards arts programming! I missed out last year, so am looking forward to checking it out this time around!
• The annual Seedy Sunday will take place this Sunday, March 17, 2013 at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall (9210 118 Avenue). Jennifer Cockrall-King and Kevin Kossowan are among the speakers.
• Mark your calendar: the second annual Palestinian Bazaar is taking place on March 30, 2013 at the TransAlta Arts Barns.
• Bannock Burger (14020 142 Street) celebrated their grand opening today! I’d be interested in checking out their version of a fast food staple with a bannock twist.
• Amelia tweeted me about the forthcoming Menchies Frozen Yogurt in Garneau at 8705 109 Street.
• Twyla tweeted that a new South Indian restaurant called Roti-N-More (2976 Ellwood Drive SW) has opened.
• The Shutter: The Phat Noodle on Jasper Avenue is now closed.
• An early review of Japonais Bistro from Cindy – it looks like an upscale addition to the city’s existing Japanese restaurant scene.
• Twyla wrote about the newest diner in Edmonton, Rockin’ Robyn’s Diner in Mayfield Common (16604 B 109 Avenue).
• At Cafe Amore in December, we were told the owners were scoping out new locations for expansion, but nothing was finalized yet. Liane reported last week that the restaurant will in fact be relocating downtown to 108070 106 Avenue. Look for it in April.
• Vue Weekly featured Blue Plate Diner Chef Cean Holmes in their Q & A last week.
• Vue also highlighted the art of food photography in the same issue.
• Beer Revolution, a craft beer market/pizza bar operated by Brewster’s, is opening up in the old Kelsey’s in Oliver Square (11736 104 Avenue). Jason Foster blogged about it back in February.

Beer Revolution

• After a meeting a few blocks away, I walked over to Duchess to pick up some goodies. All it takes is a gander at their deliciously arranged baking cases to lift my spirits.

Duchess

• My “soup buddy” at work and I headed over to Pho Tau Bay for our first beef noodle soup this year!

Pho!

• Mack and I kick started our weekend at Three Boars. We found out that they have been busy renovating the rooms on the south side of the building. Watch for a private event space on the second floor, and a pour-over coffee bar on the first floor.

Gin and house-made tonic

Swedish meatball poutine