It’s that time of year again – nope, I’m not talking about seeding your garden or scheduling long weekend plans – but I am talking about season finales! (Or in some cases, series finales.) The writers of House really know how to pull on my heartstrings (and churn out one of the best episodes I’ve seen in a while), and I almost can’t bear to watch 24 next week, with the anticipated showdown between my two favourite characters. Onto this week’s photo-filled food notes:

• Madison’s Grill has scheduled another Farmers’ Market Dinner for June 25, 2010. I attended one back in January, and though I love hearty, cold weather food, I can imagine the kitchen will be having a field day with warm weather produce. Call 780-423-3600 for tickets.
• I finally purchased my Indulgence tickets last week over the phone (through the Junior League of Edmonton, 780-433-9739). They are also available online, but for an additional $2 surcharge.
• Looks like there is a new craft brewer in town: Yellowhead Brewery will be situated in the space formerly occupied by Maverick on 105 Street and 102 Avenue.
• Something to look forward to: a downtown location of Transcend. In related news, Transcend coffee is now being served in place of Intellegensia at Three Bananas.
• Liane shared some news this week: changes afoot at Koutouki (looks like the only restaurant that remains unaltered is the 124 Street location), and a new organic and gluten-free shop to open on May 21 in the north side called Dutch Treats and Farm Fresh Meats (12769 50 Street).
• Lots of great stuff in this week’s Vue Weekly – including the 2010 Golden Forks Awards (I thought it interesting that readers voted for local restaurants with multiple locations like Doan’s and Sicilian Pasta Kitchen in the “chain” category) and Jason Foster and Mel Priestly’s pairings of beer and wine with exotic meats.
• See also published the results of their 15th annual Best of Edmonton poll (I know I’m out of touch when I don’t recognize 2/3 names in the “Sexiest Edmonton female” category).
• The Journal reviewed Salvatores, an overhauled Sorrentino’s outpost in Sherwood Park this weekend. It’s quite the cheeky write-up.
• You may remember that the series Endless Feast filmed an episode in Edmonton last year, featuring an idyllic dinner served at the Peas on Earth farm. Gail Hall isn’t yet sure if the episode will air in Canada yet, but in the meantime, check out this clip.
• Great news – it looks like Toby Young may be gone from the next Top Chef judging panel (with Eric Riepert and Gail Simmons alternating in his place).

• Speaking of coffee, Catfish Coffee opened up their retail location next to Culina Highlands (6507 112 Avenue) on April 4. They have limited operating hours (Tuesday to Thursday), but I’d be interested in checking it out sometime!

 

Catfish Coffee

• After Linda Hughes’ talk at the AGA last week, we wandered around the gallery (unfortunately, the Karsh portrait we took didn’t turn out). I was able to snap a picture of the now-installed Terrace Cafe.

 

Terrace Cafe

• Mack told me about a new cafe that opened on 97 Street, so we wandered over to check it out. Only open for breakfast and lunch, from the outside anyway, Early Bird Cafe (10221 97 Street, 780-420-6826) looks like a cute little diner. See their menu here, here and here.

Early Bird Cafe

• We ended that evening with a lovely latte from Credo. I wonder how long it would take me to learn how to pour such beautiful designs?

 

Vanilla latte from Credo

• Next door to Credo, LIT Wine Bar has had an “opening soon” sign tacked up since August 2009 – I didn’t think they’d ever open. On Saturday, they took advantage of the large City Centre Market crowds with an open house, complete with cannoli and orange juice. We didn’t get any really great shots of the interior, but it’s swank, with lots of leather, a floor-to-ceiling wine display, and a second level of seating. They open this Thursday, May 20.

Cannoli from LIT (they were a bit too hard)

• Lastly, coming soon – Far East Sandwiches, on the corner of 109 Street and 103 Avenue. It’s a bright and open loft space, so I’m interesting to see what they do with the place.

Far East Sandwiches

While at Southgate last week, I checked out the Canstruction sculptures at Centre Court – all made entirely out of canned goods.

 

A CAN-oe man, by Williams Engineering

• To accompany my shopping, I indulged in my first iced brewed Starbucks coffee of the year. Here’s to many more!

 

Iced brewed coffee

Last week, Paula Simons wrote about the campaign to rename 104 Street. I think it’s a great time to talk about it, with the City Centre Market kicking off this Saturday, May 15. It should be a great day, with a Chinese-themed festival (the first of many this year) complete with lion and dragon dancers bringing an even more celebratory atmosphere to the street. See you there! On to this week’s food notes:

• Want to learn more about urban beekeeping? Look no further than Lola Canola (aka Patty Milligan)’s Bust into Beekeeping, May 15-16. E-mail Patty for more information.
• Liane reports that Food Network is currently recruiting Canadian chefs for Top Chef Canada. I’m willing to see how host Mark McEwan works out, but he’s no Tom Colicchio.
• So happy we have Transcend here, not only for brewing superb coffee, but for asking questions like this about the difference between “direct trade” and “relationship coffee” that make me think.
• Something on the horizon – the Health Hub, which will have space for a spa, cafe, bakery, and Hole’s Greenhouses.
• Cool addition to the Edmonton Christian School, a solar-powered greenhouse!
• Following up on her awesome post on Borough Market, Valerie wrote another must-read (preferably not on an empty stomach) on Neal’s Yard Dairy, with seemingly every cheese available on the planet. I love how each cheese is labelled with the name of the cheesemaker!
• I’m not sure this upscale trend will ever hit our city, but who knows, if the demand is there: New York restaurants that cater to tots – everything from stroller parking to complimentary cookies.
• Co Co Di, snug in their new location in Oliver (11454 Jasper Avenue, 780-425-1717), look about ready to open. I was a bit sceptical about the space, but from the outside, they’ve done much with curtains and paint to enliven the interior.

 

Co Co Di

• Thanks to The Edmontonian, I found out that Fatburger is coming to Edmonton City Centre Mall (next to Carlton Cards). I’ll hold out judgement until they open, but can a diner atmosphere be captured in a mall?

 

Fatburger

• Also coming soon, Sigma, which will replace the downtown location of Cosmos (10020 101A Avenue).

 

Sigma

• After MediaCamp on Saturday, Mack and I were looking for a comfortable, low-key place to unwind. Not surprisingly, we ended up at Route 99.

 

Poutine! (Mack asks me why I still take photos of it, even though they are mostly identical. I don’t know, old habits die hard?)

 

Cheeseburger

 

Mack’s pizza

Though the rain brings days filled with grey, I’m happy to see that the rain also finally brought green to our fair city. Onto this week’s food notes:

• Congrats to Nate Box on finally securing a space for Elm Cafe, at 100, 10140 – 117 Street. He hopes to open up shop on May 31. Follow Elm Cafe on Twitter for updates!
• More new restaurants: Lillian reviewed Chinatown’s Noodle Maker (9653 102 Avenue) last week, and Kelly wrote about Rodeo Burgers (8525B 112 Street), a fairly new U of A campus option.
• On the flip side, closures: The Cake House (12415 107 Avenue) will transform into the Cellar Door Cake & Catering, sometime soon; Wild Tangerine Mobile Cuisine in Manulife Place is no longer (not sure when that happened); and Liane posted that Gino’s Italian Kitchen has closed for good.
• The same week Planet Organic celebrated its birthday (May 1), it also went into court-ordered bankruptcy protection.  Store officials say it’s still business as usual though.
• Make that another local restaurant that serves an amuse bouche – L2 Grill. Check out a review by A Wannabe Foodie.
• New-ish restaurant Oil Lamp (10247 97 Street) was also reviewed in See Magazine this week.
• I’ve mentioned Culina’s Back of House blog before, but if you haven’t checked it out before, Chef Stacy Brown’s post on how to turn ducks into hot dogs is a great step-by-step guide, if you wanted to attempt it on your own. For someone like me, I have to get myself to BiBo, pronto.
• Valerie’s post on London’s Borough Market is a must-read, her descriptions absolutely maddening (in a good way) and her photos absolutely amazing. It almost makes you want to get on a plane. Tomorrow.
• Check out Chris’s video on his glazed bacon burger (2 Tim Horton’s glazed doughnuts + a Wendy’s Baconator) – it is sure to go viral soon.
• Slow Food Edmonton is now on Twitter (currently maintained by our Convivium Leader, Thea).
• I have added another restaurant to our must-visit list in Calgary – Janice’s Beaton’s grilled cheese bar.
• Vancouver’s Mayor is pushing for more food carts, inspired by Portland (what isn’t inspired by Portland?). Can we have more carts too, please?
• I haven’t been inside the Citadel Theatre in some time – four weeks ago they added a Second Cup! While we were waiting for our matinee show to start, the cafe was absolutely bustling – looks like it was a much needed service.

Second Cup in the Citadel

• I spied this awning for a Pho Anh Dao on 97 Street, but I can’t figure out if it’s a new establishment or perhaps one that just caught my attention with a different sign. Anyone know?

Pho Anh

• To celebrate the purchase of a new patio set (al fresco dining, here we come), we picked up some Happy Camel hummus and Sunbake Pita from the Italian Centre and Fairwinds Farm fresh goat cheese from Planet Organic. Not the most balanced lunch, but we certainly enjoyed it.

Patio dining, with view of my favourite canopy

I can’t believe the writers did that to Jack (24). The only solace is that other fans of the show seem to be as enraged as I feel. Anyway, here are this week’s food notes:

• I know I’ve been egging everyone on about getting Indulgence tickets early, but it turned out to be a typo on the Slow Food website. So – the tickets will actually go on sale after April 30 (and this year, hopefully online as well!).
• deVine Wines is celebrating the opening of Southgate and Century Park LRT stops on April 24 with free bubbles at their store (at Bay/Enterprise Square). How cool would it be if a shop along every stop offered something similar?
• I love that the debate on backyard chickens is finally reaching a head in Edmonton. All the power to the River City Chicken Collective (how could you not love a name like that?).
• The Journal kicked off its new series of local “celebrity chefs” with an article about Bill Eddins, conductor with the ESO, and apparent master in the kitchen. They also had a feature on the city’s upscale bathrooms – wonder how many will be prompted to visit a restaurant just for a peek at the loo?
• Vue published an interview with Yvan Chartrand, the new owner of Tree Stone Bakery, last week (besides bagels, he’ll be introducing doughnuts to their product line). The same issue also contained a review of a five-course raw dinner at Refresh Organic Bistro.
• Kabuki, the newest sushi purveyor in Edmonton, was reviewed positively in See Magazine this week.
• Food lovers (especially those who love to live vicariously through decadent descriptions and photos), must read Valerie’s post on her experience at The Fat Duck. I felt like I was with her at the table.
• Hurrah, the Greens, Eggs and Ham website is finally live!
• Need a knife? Check out Chris’s post on Knifewear, a Calgary store that features a vegetable station where you can try before you buy!
• The NYT published a good read about the current food photography obsession. I feel exactly the same as the man in the article who indicated that seeing a photo triggers vibrant memories of the situation surrounding when it was taken.
• On the topic of the Times – I’m not sure about the invasion of critic Sam Sifton’s privacy, but I love that he tried a Double Down (KFC’s new breadless fried chicken sandwich) on the day of its debut.
• Also in NY – though it must be stressful for both the critics to maintain their anonymity and for restaurants to continuously chip away at it, I find it fascinating that bulletins like this on the city’s food writers exist. I don’t think it’ll ever come to that in Edmonton.
• I’m not sure a hotel with a Starbucks is as much of a draw to me as for those interviewed for this article, but sometimes, the feeling of seeing an SBUX when in an unfamiliar place is comforting.
• This is a great piece on the guy that started Five Guys – I love his quality-driven philosophy.
• I caught a few minutes of an episode of Cupcake Girls on the W Network, a reality show about Heather and Lori, the two women behind Cupcakes, the successful cupcakery in Vancouver. In the episode, they were whining about having to learn how to bake the cupcakes themselves – I have to say I was reminded (and not positively) of Lynn Crawford’s demeanour in Pitchin’ In.
• I’ve been trying to catch Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, though some of it does seem too good to be true. Grub Street has some links to stories that cover the fallout of his filming.
• While at Credo last week, I noticed that Lit Wine Bar had put up additional signage. That’s the most I’ve seen done on the storefront for some time – perhaps it’s not long until TZiN finally has some cross-street competition.

 

Lit Wine Bar

• Pho Tau Bay is finally open again, and has been since April 1. Not having lunch on Friday wasn’t such a bad thing when it meant I could order a steaming bowl of beef noodle soup. Yum.

 

Pho with well done flank and tendon

• Mack and I went to OPM to help Megan celebrate her birthday yesterday. The food was all right (calamari had a nice heat level, but was a bit on the salty side, but I liked the yam fries). It was interesting to see that they had a gluten-free menu, as well as vegetarian substitutions for their meat-based dishes.

 

Wok-fired squid

O

range ginger beef

 

Yam fries

I am so thankful for the long weekend – the beautiful weather and four day break was as relaxing as it should have been – hope you had a similarly restful Eater! On an unrelated note, if I can recommend one event to you for the month of April, it would be Catalyst’s Frankenstein, playing at the Timms Centre April 13-17. I was fortunate enough to have seen it two years ago, and will be going again, this time with Mack, who didn’t see it then – it is easily one of the top three productions I have ever seen in Edmonton. Tickets will be sure to sell out, so get yours soon. Onto this week’s food notes:

• Liane posted about a macaron throwdown as a part of a literary salon, to take place on April 8 at the ARTery.
• The Green & Gold Community Garden, an initiative that benefits Tubahumurize, a non-profit organization that supports marginalized women in Rwanda, is recruiting for volunteers to help with the garden this summer. Their volunteer orientation is taking place April 9 at noon, or on April 13 at 7 p.m. Both sessions will be in Room 1-38 on the main floor of the University Terrace building (8303-112 Street). I visited the garden last year, and found it to be a fantastic project.
• Whimsical Cake Studio will be celebrating their new digs next to the Garneau Theatre on April 17 with a grand opening celebration. Expect samples and more! Lillian over at Beyond Umami paid them a visit recently as well – check out her review here.
• Vue Weekly released this year’s Golden Forks ballots last week! Vote for your favourite local and chain establishments by May 2.
• Liane’s article on Edmonton’s signature dishes elaborated on an interesting concept, particularly because the idea can be interpreted in so many different ways, and really, at the heart of it, is so subjective and personal.
• The Journal also reviewed Melting Pot, Edmonton’s first fondue restaurant. I had to chance to try it over the weekend – I hope to write about it in the next few days.
• The Tomato (formerly City Palate) is now on Twitter.
• Expect to hear a lot more about the issue of raising backyard chickens in the next year or two – CBC’s Food Bytes posted an e-mail interview with Lesley Kelly, who raises chickens in Toronto.
• Sure, there were a lot of April Fools Day pranks last week, but College Humor’s attempt to make New Yorkers believe an In-N-Out was coming their way was my favourite.
• I had to laugh at this: Food Writer Bingo, inspired by Sam Sifton’s love of the word “bright”.
• Anyone catch an episode of the newest Food Network TV addition, Bitchin’ Kitchen? It was my first encounter with the popular-web-star-turned-television-host, and though I can see how the format of the show could have stayed true to her online roots, it was a bit jumbled and campy for my taste.
• My family and I had a quick lunch at our go-to Chinese food eatery on Friday – Garden Bakery (10019 106 Avenue). A little dodgy after dark, but a perfectly reliable establishment during the day (also great for baked goods and snacks!).

 

Rice noodles with beef (my Dad’s favourite)

 

Yangzhou fried rice (Amanda’s favourite)

 

Crispy noodles with vegetables

• Mack and I took advantage of a beautiful Saturday afternoon for a stroll on High Street, and couldn’t resist a warm weather hot dog from Fat Franks.

 

Mack at the condiment cart

 

A taste of summer!

It’s a little ironic that the weekend I was finally inspired to write about the food I ate in Banff and Canmore five months ago also happened to be the weekend where Mack and I ended up in Banff again. So – stay tuned for more Banff eats. On to this week’s food notes:

• Sorrentino’s kicks off their 19th annual Garlic Festival on April 1, and features black garlic this year. Funds raised from support a prostate health campaign.
• Tickets for this year’s Indulgence: a Canadian Epic of Food and Wine, go on sale after March 30 April 30. Call the Junior League of Edmonton at 780-433-9739. Possibly the best $50 you’ll ever spend on food and wine in Edmonton!
• On April 15, Trinity United Church (8810 Meadowlark Road) will be hosting a food, wine and beer tasting that showcases locally-owned food businesses and Albertan and Canadian-produced products (including Leva, The Dish, Alley Kat and en Sante). They will also be screening the Vancouver produced documentary, Tableland. Tickets are $30 (only sold in advance), and all proceeds go to support the Canadian Food Grains Bank. Contact Debbie Hubbard for tickets by e-mail or phone 780-458-9286.
• Kerstin’s Chocolates is hosting another Easter egg hunt for chocolate prizes, but this time,you’ll have to look for “four digital eggs inside four photographs from France recently posted to our blog. Find all of these digital Easter eggs by clicking on the pictures and looking closely at the larger versions of each photo, then figure what the letters on the eggs spell (in French!).” Claim your prize between March 30 and April 3, while supplies last.
• Looking for a grocery delivery service that specializes in local food? The Good Food Box is onto it’s second year, and is currently accepting customers for delivery to start in April.
• If you’re looking for something with a little less commitment, Locavoria is a good option. I’ve been on their mailing list for quite a while, and they’ve expanded their product line considerably. You have the option of only ordering what you want, so for smaller households, or for those just looking to slowly shift their dollars, it’s worth exploring. E-mail Locavoria here.
• Liane wrote that the Bistro Praha that was due to open this spring in one of the Icon Towers will be delayed – it’s almost expected that restaurants won’t open on time, so it’s not really a surprise.
• On the topic of closures: The Lingnan is closed for renovations from March 29 to April 29. You’ll have to get your Amy’s chicken fix at lunch!
• Looks like Calgary is following in the footsteps of Edmonton’s successful Grilled Cheese Olympics a few weeks back, with Janice Beaton kicking off her own competition.
• Oh yes, there is another food blog in Edmonton – welcome Lillian, author of Beyond Umami to the fray (Lillian was at the Foodie Meetup earlier this month).
• Chris blogged about his “5 bagel throwdown” – that’s an awful lot of chewing!
• Though I was sceptical (and still am, to some degree) of Hellmann’s Eat Real, Eat Local campaign that they launched last year, it looks like they are continuing to take steps for the better – they announced two weeks ago that their 1/2 the fat mayonnaise dressing will be made with Canadian free-run eggs.
• It’s probably my love of West Wing that makes me so delighted to read acronyms like FLOTUS being thrown around like everyday language, but I’m loving Eater’s chronicling of the First Lady’s food tour of NY.
• Speaking of New York, have you checked out NBC NY’s new food website, Feast? It’s nicely laid out, with some pretty good content to boot (an interview with Thomas Keller here and here), but what’s neat on first glance to me is Feast Rank: an algorithm that “will evolve to ensure that it represents accurately and distinctly the landscape of the web and the way people use their digital spaces to access and consume restaurant information.” Grand intensions, no?
• Fascinated, in a train wreck kind of way about competitive eating contests? You’re not alone – it’s a rising “sport” in America.
• Yes, Julia Child is getting another book deal: “Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will publish As Always Julia, a book of letters between Julia Child and her agent Avis DeVoto, this fall.”
• Has anyone been watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution? I only managed to catch the first episode so far, but it looks like an entertaining, if not eye-opening program. If you can’t get enough of Jamie, watch his inspiring TED talk.
• Watch for another Good Earth Cafe in the next couple of weeks to open up in Edmonton City Centre.

 

Good Earth Cafe

• I poked my head inside the new Sweeties Cafe on Rice Howard Way (10141 100A Street) and it looks promising, with cases of sweets and comfortable leather chairs to enjoy an afternoon coffee. I’ll have to come back to check it out on a different day.

 

Sweeties Cafe

• On our way back to Edmonton, we stopped at Crate and Barrel, which I couldn’t get enough of when we were in New York a few years back. Apparently, they’re talking about opening one in Edmonton, but the clerk wasn’t able to say when or where. I could spend a lot of money in their kitchen wares section, or at least, a lot of time, marvelling over the walls of single-use gadgets. My favourite:

 

An individual gravy boat, too cute!

• Crate and Barrel is located in Southcentre Mall, Calgary’s newest and swankiest shopping centre. Not only do they have beautiful water features and a huge food court equipped with LCDs and pretty light fixtures, but they also have a sports viewing area, complete with comfy chairs (with cupholders!).

At Southcentre Mall

I totally wasn’t prepared for this blast of winter, but then again, our seemingly early spring was too good to be true. On to this week’s food notes:

• You have just over a week to get your entry into the Edmonton Food Bank’s Expressions of Hunger Contest!
• I’m sure by now you’ve seen at least a few posts on David Adjey’s whirlwind few days at NAIT’s latest Chef in Residence. If you want to experience the Chef firsthand, NAIT has since posted the video, edited slightly for (PG) content.
• Whimsical Cupcakes celebrated their first day of operations in their new location (8716 109 Street, next to the Garneau Theatre) on Friday. Their grand opening will take place sometime in April.
• I had been wondering what the former Elkhorn Ranch & Resort space on Jasper Avenue and 114 Street was being turned into (a mishmash of banquets and chairs seemed to indicate some sort of restaurant was moving in) – thanks to Nate, I now know it’s the new location of CoCo Di’s.
• The Journal’s Alan Kellogg positively reviewed ZINC over the weekend. I do wonder what “trash talk…in cyberspace” he is referring to, and why he bothered to mention the Twitter incident without elaborating on what happened.
• Vue Weekly’s cover story last week featured the Enoteca wine system.
• Via Chris LaBossiere’s blog – Riverbend and Terwillegar communities are gauging public interest for a new farmers’ market in the area. Take the survey here.
• Mack sent me a link about a green roof that will be installed on the Williams Engineering building. While it won’t support produce, it’s a definite start.
• Congratulations to Laura Calder and her team at French Food at Home for their James Beard nomination – they’re up against some good company: Iron Chef America and Barefoot Contessa. Award results on May 2 and 3 (I also love that they actively use their Twitter account).
• Eater National compiled a list of “top 10 restaurant design trends that need to go”. I realize that we are behind the times (many of the trends haven’t even landed here yet), and I really do like Edison bulbs and chalkboard menus…
• My sister sent me a link to a coupon that will get you a free pastry at Starbucks on March 23 between opening and 10:30am. I think it’s neat that instead of printing the coupon, you can show it to a barista on your mobile device.
• Last week, I forgot to include a quick photo I snapped of David’s Tea, a new tea bar and shop in WEM. As soon as I stepped into the store, I was accosted by a perky sales clerk with a sample of a fruity rooibos tea. It looks like a sleek shop – I wouldn’t mind returning sometime to browse a bit more closely.

 

David’s Tea

• I mentioned last week that the old Way of Life/Mode de Vie (10203 116 Street) will soon be transformed into the city’s latest Indian restaurant. At the red light – a stop-by shot:

Forthcoming Bistro India

March is just flying by, probably due to a combination of the fabulous weather and too many meetings. On to this week’s food notes:

• Feel free to join in on the conversation between a few local food bloggers and Chef David Adjey on Tuesday – via Twitter, of course! See the teaser for the “Date with David”, March 16, from 6-7pm, here.
• Mark your calendars (and get on the phone!): the next Farmers’ Market Dinner at Madison’s Grill is set for April 23. Mack and I attended a dinner back in January, and were absolutely blown away – you won’t be disappointed!
• A reminder about Seedy Sunday, taking place at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall (9210 118 Avenue) on March 21, from 11am-4pm. It’s an opportunity to learn more about gardening (and to buy seeds for the upcoming season as well!).
• To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, deVine’s will be hosting a “Green Tasting”, featuring all organic wines.
• Save the date: the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues is planning for a city-wide festival on September 18.
• Original Fare launched their second Dine Local to Win contest recently – to enter, simply visit 10 member restaurants, have the entry form stamped, and you will have a chance to win a $250 gift card.
• Kelly wrote about the new Indian bistro set to open in the house formerly occupied by vegan cafe Way of Life/Mode de Vie (10203 – 116 St). Maybe this restaurant will host regular hours.
• Liane posted about the closure of longtime restaurant Mirabelle last week.
• Marianne over at Loosen Your Belt posted a very early review of Kabuki Sushi and Grill (8724 109 Street).
• I’ve been wondering about the “coming soon” signs in the window of the new vodka bar/lounge on Jasper Avenue and 100 Street, so it was nice to read about what was happening with The Treasury.
• An update about T2, Transcend’s forthcoming cafe in Garneau.
• I have to say I don’t frequent butcher shops very often, but with posts like Twyla’s about a new butcher called Real Deal Meats in southwest Edmonton, I know it’s only a matter of time before they become a regular stop.
• How about the ew factor: a New York chef made cheese out of his wife’s breast milk (really).
• A second Starbucks will be gracing West Edmonton Mall, in the space formerly occupied by Timothy’s, overlooking the Ice Palace.

Coming Soon…

• Flyers littering the ground around my work neighbourhood alerted me to the fact that Samurai Bistro (10003 107 Avenue, around the corner from Basil Leaf), is now open. I didn’t have a chance to peek my head in, but I am impressed that this little corner of Chinatown is cleaning up!

Samurai Bistro