Christmas indeed snuck up on us, didn’t it? I’m looking forward to Christmas morning and all, but there are still a few days of work standing in my way! I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday full of family and good eats. On to this week’s food notes:

• Daniel Costa, formerly of Red Star, opened Corso 32 (10345 Jasper Ave, 780-421-4622) last week. Anyone tried it yet?
• Queen of Tarts (10129 104 Street, 780-421-4410) is finally poised to open the first week of January. I know many are looking forward to accessing Linda’s delectable pastries year-round, but I’m looking forward to fresh, artisan breads baked right on our street!
• The next round of local restaurant excitement surrounds Bistro La Persaud, a French restaurant tucked in La Cite Francophone – a Journal review, a CBC review, and a food blogger review all in one week. Though the reviews all claim that the restaurant is still in “soft opening” mode, I’d say the doors have been blown wide open now.
• Lea reviewed a new Indian restaurant on the south side of Edmonton, called Shafi Tandoori Grill.
• I know Edmonton will never be big enough to have the critical mass to generate a post like this one, but a girl can dream, right? Eater tracks the taco explosion that hit New York in 2010.
• Though I know the trends projected in the US/New York take several years to land here (if at all), they’re still fun to read: here are two great roundups from Grub Street.
• For trends that are more likely to hit closer to home – check out this list of supermarket trends.
• And though this time of year is all about trends – what about the trends that weren’t?
• I spotted this 2011 Calgary Dining Guide, published by Calgary’s Avenue Magazine, at Chapters this weekend. Though I know their editions are routinely double the size of Edmonton’s version, I wonder if we’ll be lucky enough to have a similar guide produced for our fair city?

Calgary Dining Guide

• Sweet Lollapalooza, the Commerce Place-based chocolatier, opened up a second small storefront around the corner from its original shop, just for the holidays. The second shop sells pre-boxed versions of their popular truffles for those without time to select the bonbons themselves. I’m a big fan of their buttercrunch toffee…yum.

Sweet Lollapalooza

• Speaking of chocolate, I tried the hot chocolate from Credo last week, made with Jacek Chocolate. It had a depth and subtle cocoa powder sweetness that was the perfect accompaniment on our winter walk – I’ll be back for another cup soon! Also, it was awesome to read that Jacek sold out of all of their chocolate for the holidays – you snooze, you lose (that would include me).

Jacek hot chocolate from Credo

• We stopped by Duchess this weekend to pick up a few gifts. It was also a good excuse to check out Garner’s gingerbread Notre Dame cathedral in person. It is stunning, and from the photos on Facebook, even more so after dark.

Gingerbread cathedral

• Amanda managed to score us a pair of free tickets to the Oilers game on Thursday night, where we watched the Blue Jackets get rocked. Man, Linus Omark is going to be a star, isn’t he? This was also our first time seeing the newly-minted Octane dance team. They were underwhelming.

Thanks for the tickets, Kelly and John!

Just 12 days to Christmas…I know I say it every year, but it seems to be barrelling down on us awfully fast this year. It probably has something to do with the fact that it falls on a Saturday, but I know I am far from being ready! On to this week’s food notes:

• Congratulations to Unheardof, who celebrated thirty years in business back in November.
• Mack nearly leapt from his chair to tell me about the forthcoming La Poutine (8720 109 Street), a restaurant devoted to, well, poutine: “created by an Edmontonian and a Quebecois who have enjoyed poutine from east to west. Finally, both worlds are coming together in one place to deliver an incredible taste sensation.”
• People seem to be deliriously excited about the city’s first IHOP, to open on December 20 (3921 Calgary Trail). While it’s nice to have another option that puts us in “big city” territory, my only experience with IHOP (in Vancouver) was unimpressive.
• I know I’ve read so many “coming soon” pieces about the new Enjoy Centre that I’m not sure the actual building can possibly live up to the hype – but here’s another one.
• This is probably the cutest post I’ve seen in a long time – Valerie’s write-up of gingerbread making with Kevin and LeQuan’s children. You can’t help but smile when seeing their determined faces!
• A heads up about the newly-redesigned Chicken.ca website by the Chicken Farmers of Canada. The recipe section containing 300 recipes has been reorganized, with 200 more on deck to be added in the new year. Check it out if you’re in need of a dinner idea!
• The Wall Street Journal wrote about Italy’s campaign to educate patrons about authentic, made-in-Italy products (prosciutto de Parma, mozzarella di bufala, Italian olive oil, etc.).
• Thanks to Shermie’s comment, I found out that Big City Cupcakes opened their City Centre location this past week (next to Cleaning by Page). I wish their display cases were a little more visually appealing (a la Whimsical or Flirt), but it’s nice to finally have a cupcake option in the core.

Big City Cupcakes

• I stopped by Kerstin’s Chocolates on the weekend to pick up a few Christmas gifts. They are selling some special baked goods, just for the holidays, including caramel macarons and brownie cakes.

 Special treats from Kerstin’s

• Last week was a rough one, with many late nights at the office. So it was a nice treat to come home to a comforting meal on one of those nights – thanks, Mack!

Spaghetti and meatballs!

• If you’re still looking for unique Christmas gifts, you still have a few chances at local farmers’ markets – Alberta Avenue’s last market until the new year is on Thursday, December 16, Old Strathcona on December 18 and a special market on Thursday, December 23, and of course, the City Market on Churchill Square on December 18. Speaking of the City Market, Mack and I stopped by on Saturday – we were too late for eggs, and Kuhlmann’s, who would have been the only vegetable vendor, couldn’t make it. Needless to say, our basket was emptier than we would have liked! Ah well – there’s always next week.

City Market on the Square

The marshmallow-roasting pits doubled as hand warmers on Saturday

Carollers did their best to warm the spirits of patrons and vendors alike

As much as I enjoyed the first season of The Walking Dead (a mere six episodes that it was), I was really hoping the writers would throw the audience a bone – count me in as a part of the camp that needs to know the history behind the Zombie Apocalypse. And now – we have to wait until Halloween 2011 to find out more? Good thing I have Top Chef: All Stars to tide me over, at least for a while (Go, Jennifer!). On to this week’s food notes:

• Missed the recent Santa’s Anonymous Tweetup? Not to worry – another socially-conscious Tweetup benefiting Edmonton’s Food Bank is being held at Original Joe’s Varsity on December 17, 2010.
• Local Public Eatery, a restaurant that is opening in the old OPM spot (1820 99 Street) in South Common on December 8, 2010, will have a gluten-free menu.
• Congrats to Sergio, who opened La Monarca, a new Latin bakery at 4119 106 Street (780-218-9777) on December 1. Liane and Chris both wrote about it last week. All pastries are 2 for 1 until December 10!
• Liane also wrote about a new downtown lunch spot called The Sequel Cafe (10011 102 Avenue, 780-425-9210), which should have opened today. Always great to have more non-fast food options in the core!
• Lots of new around town lately – Culina’s outpost at the Muttart Conservatory opened on December 2.
• Another big congratulations to Valerie and Maria, who launched their Taste Tripping culinary business recently. Love that they’re cheeky enough to offer a couples sausage making class for Valentine’s Day.
• Andrea blogged about her order from the Organic Food Box – good to read about, as I was wondering what a typical order contained.
• Great piece from Newsweek about the growing class division in America as expressed through the food that we eat.
• You know food trucks are mainstream when…one of the networks builds a half-hour comedy around them.
• Tea Fusion in Edmonton City Centre is now open (thanks, Chowdown!). I was told it was supposed to be a tea purveyor (like David’s Tea), and though they do sell loose teas, it looks like their focus is on drinks – both hot tea and bubble tea (menu here).

Tea Fusion

• Oodle Noodle is now downtown (10842 Jasper Avenue)! We were amazed they opened on time, given they looked like they were very much in construction mode a few days earlier. It’s one of Mack’s favourite quick-serve restaurants, so we couldn’t pass up the 2-for-1 offer ( it expires on December 12). It’s a fun place, with loud music, bright LCD screens, and friendly staff. I’ve always thought it miles above Wok Box – give it a try some time!

Mack is thrilled to be at Oodle Noodle

Penang Laksa and Combo Box

• Corso 32, Daniel Costa’s 32 seat Italian restaurant, is set to open on December 10 (thanks for the comment, Shermie).

Corso 32, coming soon!

• Browsing at Chicken Scratch on Whyte Ave over the weekend, Mack and I came across a hilarious toy – who would win?

Will it be Mr. Bacon or Monsieur Tofu?

Have a great week, everyone!

If you haven’t yet entered the contest to win $750 worth of prizes to the Thompson Okanagan Region, make sure you do so by Friday, December 3! On to this week’s food notes:

• Vinomania is hosting free wine tastings every Saturday from noon-5pm until December 18, 2010.
• Foodie McPoon has uncovered some newish and soon-to-be restaurants in Edmonton: Sanpachi, a Japanese noodle house, and a dim sum joint in a Howard Johnson hotel, called Delicious, Delicious.
• I came across a new French bistro called La Persaud on the Campus Saint Jean.
• Kerstin’s is a great place if you’re looking to satisfy someone’s sweet tooth. And even better, besides knowing you are supporting a local business, you can also feel good that your purchases are benefiting those in developing countries too. As of December 1, 2010, Kerstin’s will be donating 10% of their profits to Change for Children, as the organization supports work in countries where cacao is grown.
• Similar to how Allan broke down his veggie cost from his CSA share this summer, Kevin calculated the cost of his whole cow from Nature’s Green Acres, or, as he calls it: Nouveau Beef-onomics.
• I almost missed Jennifer Cockrall-King’s post about “Gordonspotting” Gordon Ramsay at Hardware Grill on his recent stop in Edmonton.
• A new Loblaws store, No Frills, opened in Edmonton last week.
• Another group-based deals service launched, called Swarm Jam, courtesy of the Edmonton Journal.
• Paula Simons posted a recipe for the cookie heard ‘round the world, and Chris tried out the recipe himself.
• I can’t remember when I first saw these, but these collapsible bottles would be a great gift idea for a traveler, or really, anyone environmentally conscious.
• SF bans Happy Meals (well, at least the marketing ploy of a toy for meals over a certain calorie count.
• Sure, the Thanksgiving ramekin from The Dish was great – but how about most of a Thanksgiving meal stuffed into a croissant?
• Frank Bruni asks: have we gone too far with our quest for the perfect cup of coffee at home?
• There was a good piece in the NYT about one-note restaurants, with a particularly en-pointe statement: “‘Certain movie stars can carry a movie; certain foods can carry a restaurant.’”
• First Julie Powell (of Julie & Julia fame), now Sarah Bigelow – are female butchers the new “it” thing?
• Ruby Dragon, which has replaced Kai (10909 Jasper Avenue), is now open.

Ruby Dragon

• Look out for new establishments in the 124 Street area, including Somerville Wine & Cheese.

Somerville Wine & Cheese

• Also on tap, two doors down from Duchess, is Food Dish Wishes, a pet bakery.

Food Dish Wishes

• The board I volunteer for was treated to a lovely dinner at the Royal Glenora on Monday. The food was great – my favourite dishes included the cedar-planked, panko-coated salmon, and the creamy mashed potatoes (it really is difficult to get attractive photos of a buffet spread).

I had to take a photo with Vicki, who is my partner-in-crime on the board!

Have a great week!

On cold nights like this, walking home, it’s hard not to think about those who don’t have a place of their own. Even though this year’s homeless count estimates that the numbers have decreased since 2008, there is still a long way to go. As we approach Christmas – remember your local charities this holiday season! On to this week’s food notes:

• Billingsgate (7331 104 Street) is hosting an open house on Saturday, November 27 @ 10am-2pm, celebrating their 103 year in business. Lobster bisque will be sampled.
• Need some help deciding on a gift? Sherbrooke Liquor Store will be holding a Christmas Spirit”s” show at the Capilano Community League (10819 54 Street) on November 27 from 5-9pm, with sampling tickets available at the door.
• Transcend’s upcoming Barista Jam on December 4 at the Argyll location sounds like a lot of fun. Look forward to an espresso throwdown, taste Alberta-roasted espressos, and test your ability to identify the odd-espresso out.
• To celebrate Terra Madre Day on December 10, Slow Food Edmonton is screening the episode of The Endless Feast that was shot in Edmonton last year, as well as a documentary about a Prairie farming family. To sweeten the deal, there will be local meat and cheese to snack on, and Amber’s beer and EnSante wine to drink!
• For more food and drink events, check out City and Dale’s Holiday Eats & Drinks Guide.
• I had heard rumblings about this, but it’s nice to finally have it confirmed – Culina will be moving into the cafe space in the Muttart Conservatory! I have no doubt the recognizable name will help draw many more people into our beautiful river valley, and I am glad to hear they will be taking advantage of the greenhouses to grow their own food. They hope to be open by Christmas.
• New bakery alert: La Manarca, at 4119 106 Street, will be hosting its grand opening on December 1.
• On the topic of bakeries – Duchess has a brand-spankin’ new website. It looks great!
• Passing by what used to be Kai on 109 Street and Jasper Avenue, it looks like it is Kai no longer – a sign posted said they are hiring for Ruby Dragon. Though this ad says they will be opening on November 18, it still looked like it was under construction. Any updates?
• Chris reviewed Bubba’s BBQ & Smoke House last week. Sounds delish!
• Mack pointed me to a great little blog by Lightside Photo – they are currently doing a feature called “30 Days of Edmonton”, and alongside beautiful photos, they posted an interview with the owner of Cha Island Tea today.
• More on GMO salmon – and it isn’t good.
• Mack and I were in the area of Everything Cheese on the weekend, so decided to stop by. While the selection may not be as deep as Paddy’s (though they will be getting in shipments from Neal’s Yard Dairy soon), there is no doubt it is a stunning space. I also much appreciated the labels – both next to the cheeses inside the case, and printed onto labels for customers to easily reference. While it’s a little out of the way for us, I can imagine those in the area are floored with this new neighbourhood addition!

Everything Cheese

Hurrah for labels!

A fun stocking stuffer – bags that allow one to make a grilled cheese right inside the toaster

• Next door to Everything Cheese is Secret Sweets (14910 45 Avenue, 780-479-3387), whose tagline is “because you don’t always have time to bake!” The baked good sold leaned more towards nostalgic than gourmet (snickerdoodles, Rice Krispie balls, cupcakes and shortbread), but from what we sampled, it’s a solid local option to satisfy the sweet tooth. They’re also looking into offering bread some time in the future as well.

Secret Sweets

• We finally got our lights up outside (of course we waited until it was –30 to do so). Only 33 days until Christmas!

Love that LED glow

Last night, Mack and I attended the closing film of the Global Visions Film Festival. A Small Act tells the story of a Kenyan boy who was given the opportunity to continue onto secondary school because of a monthly donation made by a woman in Sweden. He now works at the United Nations. It was a reminder that our public education system should never be taken for granted, and to never doubt the possibilities created by any kind gestures, no matter the size. Onto this week’s food notes:

• University of Alberta’s Environmental Research & Studies Centre is currently putting on a monthly lecture series titled “Welcome to the Food Futures”. Next up on November 18, 2010 is Robert Paarlberg, who will be speaking about “Alternative Paths to Global Food Security in 2050:  Making the Right Choice.”
• It’s that time of year to mark your calendar for holiday shopping options outside of malls: check out the Handmade Mafia at Orange Hall November 27, December 4 and 11;  Just Christmas takes place on November 26-27 at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall; Make It takes over the Alberta Aviation Museum November 26-28; Royal Bison heads into its 9th edition November 27-28 at the Cosmopolitan Music Society; and a Winter World Market on December 11 from 10am-4pm at McCauley School (9538 107 Ave). And of course – don’t forget the farmers’ markets too!
• Thanks for the heads up about the IHOP coming to town – from the looks of it, they will likely be open late this year or early next year.
• Chris checked out Edmonton Cheese, the newest cheese monger in Edmonton.
• Marianne and Charles stopped by the new south side location of Urban Diner last week.
• Liane wrote about Press’d, a new-ish sandwich shop in City Centre.
• Thanks to Vue Weekly, I now know that Edmonton has a popular South African deli in Betsy’s South African Deli.
• I’ve always wondered what Christmas in November at the Jasper Park Lodge was like from a guests’s perspective – Valerie has helped me answer that question. It looks like a fabulous time!
• Thought-provoking article BruleeBlog linked to about the financial impacts of Open Table’s monopoly on online reservations, from the mouth of Mark Pastore, owner of SF’s Incanto.
• Though I mentioned it before, I actually passed by Pampa (9929 109 Street) over the weekend and snapped a photo. Look for the Brazilian churrascaria in 2011.

Pampa

• One of my coworkers hosted a fundraising dinner to help send her two children on school trips this year. She did all of the cooking, alongside two of my other colleagues – the food, which included Indian, African and Caribbean dishes was fantastic. And what can we say about the African doughnuts? Mack and I had four each.

My plate (we went back for seconds)

It was a bit of a whirlwind week at work – a (too) tight proposal deadline (thankfully, we made it), and my first ever (co)presentation at a conference (it went really well!). Unfortunately, this wasn’t the storm – instead, it is the beginning of a month-long sprint…but at least there’s Christmas to look forward to! Onto this week’s food notes:

• I am so looking forward to the Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up on Churchill Square. Not only is the 5pm fireworks show one of the best in the city, but this year, expect nearly 50 City Market vendors, starting at 11 a.m. Hope to see you there!
• The Local Food Values Chain workshop is being held on November 19, 2010. RSVP by November 12.
• Congrats to November’s Delux Burger Celebrity Chef, Jerry Aulenbach! Chris has some great photos of the launch at the Bourbon Street Delux on Friday.
• Nick Lees mentioned last week that Corso 32, Daniel Costa’s new restaurant at 10345 Jasper Avenue should be open at the end of this month. It’ll be nice to have another option close by.
• Saturday’s Journal mentioned a new-ish south Indian restaurant called Shudh (3464 93 Street).
• Liane wrote about her new favourite hole-in-the-wall restaurant, Won Jung Gak in the Journal last week – I would imagine it has been inundated with new customers in the same way Bubba’s BBQ and Smoke House was following its review.
• Both the Journal and Twyla reviewed The Marc – in the former, I liked the honesty from Patrick Saurette that things “take a long time to come together”. So short of their signature dishes like their beef cheek and lamb shank, it’s likely the loyal patrons that are the repeat customers at this point.
• Twyla also reviewed Battista’s Calzones, a new restaurant on Alberta Avenue – it sounds delicious, I hope to try it soon!
• We are very lucky to have our very own local test kitchen – aka Valerie’s home. This past week, she experimented with duck vs. chicken egg crème brulee.
• A great gift for the person in your life that strives to cook sustainably: the Ocean Wise cookbook.
• Is a Kobe beef burger not upscale enough for you? How about shaved white truffles on your burger then – and all for just $45!
• Bon Appetit just announced their new Editor-in-Chief, to replace long time editor Barbara Fairchild: Adam Rapoport comes from a pedigree that most recently included a decade at GQ.
• The brown paper has finally gone up at the newest location of Bistro Praha. The countdown to December begins for fans of this restaurant!

Coming soon…

• Kathryn and I had lunch at Culina Millcreek this week. They changed the ham & cheese sandwich ($13) since my last lunch visit – I loved the Sylvan Star cheese, and couldn’t believe the amount of roasted pork in my sandwich. And of course – the sweetness from the Prairie Mill raisin bread just elevated the sandwich that much more. Kathryn equally enjoyed her house sandwich

Ham & cheese with vegetable barley soup

House sandwich

• You know Christmas is coming soon when Starbucks releases their annual Red Cup! I’m not sure I’m a huge fan of the designs this year, but I love the season that this ushers in!

2010 Red Cup

• Mack and I had a great time at Kat Danser’s concert on Friday night – she just released her third CD, called Passin’-a-Time. It was fun to be able to attend the show with a few other coworkers! It was also our first time at the Arden Theatre, which we found to be a beautiful venue.

Inside the Arden Theatre

Me, Swamy and Kathryn (we’re going to miss Swamy – she’s leaving us for a volunteer placement in Peru with CUSO in two weeks)

• The coolest “perk” about presenting at the conference this weekend was to be able to get a glimpse of the Royal Suite on the 23rd floor at the Crowne Plaza (it served as the hospitality room for presenters) – I had no idea Chateau Lacombe even had a balcony!

Gorgeous view – the photo doesn’t quite do it justice

Only AMC could get me to watch a television show featuring zombies. In spite of the fact that I am averse to all things horror and fear-inducing, last night, after a barrage of previews during the Mad Men finale, there I was, watching the premiere of their new series, The Walking Dead. And inevitably, I am now hooked. Anyone else see it? Onto this week’s food notes:

• A reminder that the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Show takes place this weekend, November 5-6, 2010, at the Shaw Conference Centre.
• Gordon Ramsay will be in Edmonton on November 13, at WEM’s Chapters (thanks Lisa for the Tweet!)
• Christmas stock-up alert: Company’s Coming is having their next scratch & dent sale on November 13, 2010 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at 2311-96 Street, with an opportunity to meet Jean Pare!
• There’s a new cheesemonger in town! Everything Cheese opened up in Riverbend on October 29, with their grand opening slated for November 6, 2010.
• Thanks to A for a comment about a forthcoming Brazilian churrascaria restaurant called Pampa that she says be moving into the space formerly occupied by Mirabelle. Looking forward to the all-you-can-eat meat!
• Looks like Edmonton will soon get its first Beard Papa in West Edmonton Mall (they serve cream puffs – we sampled a few in San Francisco).
• Manna Noodle (3212 Parsons Road) seems to have changed hands (or at least their name?) – driving past I noticed the sign now reads Hanuri Korean Restaurant.
• The Marc got a few hits from local bloggers this week: from Jean Poutine at May Contain Nuts; and from Marianne: “ Overall, we had a good experience; that said, Charles brought up this morning that with their limited and static menu (save the daily fish and desserts), there’s nothing drawing him back any time soon.”
• Marianne also reviewed Pourhouse last week.
• This was fun: City and Dale posted the results of a blind cupcake tasting – I’m glad to see that Whimsical and Flirt both did well!
• I’m really looking forward to the opening of the Enjoy Centre – Liane posted that Julianna Mimande has just found her chef, Shaun Hicks.
• Congratulations to Andrew Fung of Blackhawk Golf Course for taking the top prize at last week’s 2010 Gold Medal Plates (you can see the Journal’s photos here). Interestingly enough, three of the last four champions have won with Asian fusion dishes.
• Congratulations also to the team behind the Green & Gold Garden, who raised $21,587.00 for the Tubahumurize Association to help women in Rwanda. They will be planning on operating a garden next year.
• GMO-salmon have been in the news lately – CBC has a great interview with John Buchanan, director of research and development for AquaBounty.
• A belated send-off – Mack and I had lunch at Madison’s Grill a few weeks back to wish Chef Blair Lebsack well on his European travels, and more importantly, to get him on Twitter. He was nice enough to treat us to their Sylvan Star grilled cheese sandwiches as promised (the spicy tomato ketchup could be eaten with everything), and though we are sad to see him go – he will be back next year, hoping to have his own restaurant open in fall 2011. Safe travels, Blair!

Sylvan Star gouda and gruyere grilled cheese sandwich

• With the demand for gluten-free options, it was no surprise to see a sign advertising a forthcoming GF bakery on 109 Street and 105 Avenue called Auntie B’s.

Auntie B’s

• After a media dinner at ZINC tonight (you’ll be seeing many write-ups of it around the blogosphere in the next few days), Mack and I stopped by City Hall to check out the revised version of the Capital City Downtown Plan. Of note: the plan makes mention of providing assistance to growing food downtown, as well as a multi-purpose arts/city market space. The plan goes to City Council on December 6, 2010.

Capital City Downtown Plan display

I could make reference to our first snowfall of the year, but that’s a bit depressing. So instead, I’ll talk about Glee. In a few short weeks, Mack and I have become full-on Gleeks. I’m not sure how it happened – we weren’t watching it at the height of its popularity earlier last season…but somehow, stumbled upon a few episodes, and well, we’re hooked. Airing tomorrow: the Rocky Horror Picture episode! Onto this week’s food notes:

• Take note, cupcake fans! Crave will be invading Edmonton in January 2011, moving into the space formerly occupied by damon j (7929 104 Street), next to Planet Organic south. Can three cupcakeries within two blocks of each other survive?
• Sure, it might be too early to talk about Christmas, but the Holiday Cocktails evening at deVine’s on December 2, 2010 sounds like the perfect way to usher in the season. On the menu: a Candy-cane Martini, Cranberry Snowdrift, Christmas Sour and Ginger Snap, among others.
• Many people were sad when Pharos shut down, but it turns out it isn’t gone for good – it will be reopening above Haven Social Club.
• The Edmontonian reviewed Press’d Sandwiches last week: “The sandwich itself is BIG. Did I mention that?”
• The Journal gave a thumbs up to the revamped Next Act on Wednesday: “The Next Act is an unassuming class act, a wonderful remount of an old favourite, and one of the best restaurant values in Strathcona, where honest, thoughtfully prepared plates rule.”
• Chris wrote about a special dinner he had at Joey’s, courtesy of Corporate Chef Chris Mills, presented in preparation for a meal to be presented at the James Beard House – don’t read this hungry! Vlad in Calgary had a similar experience.
• Vue had a great piece on Alan and Nicola Irving (of Irvings Farm Fresh), and their learning curve when it came to sausage making.
• Jennifer Cockrall-King is offering her annual food writing course at Grant MacEwan in November.
• Since the Double Down was released in Canada on October 18, I was expecting blog reviews of the monstrosity of a sandwich. Mack and I plan on conquering it one day (morbid curiosity, much?), but in the meantime, I am living vicariously through Andree’s review.
• I’m not sure why I was naive enough to think The French Laundry was the only restaurant in North America to Google diners, but it’s just amazing to me that some restaurants have the resources to do so (the Eleven Madison Park anecdote is pretty awesome).
• I stopped by Far East Sandwiches (10301 109 Street) on Saturday on my way to meet a friend. Turns out that like V Sandwiches on Rice Howard Way, they are bringing the banh mi to the masses. And while I realize the sandwich itself might be larger (and their rent more expensive – especially for such a beautiful, bright space), paying nearly $5 for something that can be had in Chinatown for $3.50 is something I’m not sure I could do.

Far East Sandwiches

• Mack and I made our first trip to the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market since the beginning of May. It was just as crowded as we remembered, but we were happy to see a few vendors from the City Market having joined its ranks this year, including Mighty Trio Organics and Sylvan Star Cheese. It was also neat to see that Alan now has his own wall stall with plug-in coolers!

Alan’s new stall

Gorgeous flowering cabbages from Peas on Earth (I’ve never seen these before)

I know many people probably know about Mack’s site, ShareEdmonton already, but if you haven’t checked it out for the election results, make sure you do! He’s been working really hard on it in the last few weeks, but especially in the last few days, to make sure it was ready for election night. I think he did a great job! Anyway, on to this week’s food notes:

• The U of A’s Office of Sustainability is hosting a Sustainability Awareness Week from October 18-23, featuring a mini farmers’ market on campus, an elk burger BBQ and more!
• Patty Milligan (aka Lola Canola) is organizing an event with Candace Savage, author of Bees: Nature’s Little Wonders taking place on October 24. Proceeds will go to the Canadian Bee Research Fund.
• Far East Sandwiches is now open, located at 10301 109 Street (780-756-3278).
• Cora’s has added two locations of their popular breakfast and lunch spots to the Edmonton market: one in the northwest (12520 137 Avenue) that opened today, and another in the west end (9977 178 Street), slated to open next week. And even more expansion for next year: “Cora plans on opening four more restaurants in the Edmonton area in 2011. A restaurant is coming to Sherwood Park and Cora is also looking at sites in St. Albert, the Oliver area near downtown Edmonton, Whyte Avenue and Leduc.”
• Erin e-mailed me earlier in the week and said that in addition to Cora’s, she’s also seen a few other eateries open up in the northwest, including Mt. Fuji at 9635 167 Avenue) – great news for those that live in the area!
• Foodie McPoon blogged about Rockford Grill, the new restaurant in the Sandman Hotel in southwest Edmonton (10011 Ellerslie Road SW).
• D’Lish has been getting positive reviews in the blogosphere – from Raoul, May Contain Nuts, and Chris.
• Urban Diner’s southside location (in the old Fiore’s spot) is shooting for an October 25 opening, shares Liane.
• The NYT had an article this week about Wal-Mart setting targets to source produce locally (defined as purchasing from the same state). It’s interesting that their goals in Canada are far higher than their American counterpart – by 2013, to source 30% of the produce for Canadian stores locally, and when available, to source 100% locally.
• It’s unfortunate on some level that the first cupcakery in the core is a franchise, but I’m still excited to have one close to home. Expect Big City Cupcakes to open later this year in City Centre Mall.

Big City Cupcakes

• Mack and I were fortunate to get a quick impromptu tour of the soon-to-be retail location and cafe of Queen of Tarts, located in the basement of the Armstrong Block on 104 Street. Proprietor Linda Kearney was especially excited about the artisan breads they will be offering – her husband Paul recently attended a course in San Francisco to perfect his skills. I’m looking forward to their late November opening already!

Queen of Tarts – coming soon!