I’m sure I’m jinxing it just by typing out the sentence, but I am loving this pseudo-spring weather! And even better than the sunshine and warm temperatures, I am glad to see many of the lake-sized puddles along my daily walk have since disappeared. Get out an enjoy it while you can! On to this week’s food notes:

• It’ll be an interesting couple of days at Grant MacEwan during Common Ground, March 9-11, “a week-long exhibition highlighting some of our community’s environmental stewards and their suggestions for finding local solutions to issues affecting our lives and our environment.” Greens, Eggs and Ham will be there on Wednesday!
• Mark your calendars – Seedy Sunday, an annual learning and seed sharing event, is taking place on March 21, from 11am-4pm this year. Speakers include Ron Berezan (aka the Urban Farmer) and Gwen Simpson of Inspired Market Gardens.  I checked it out last year – worth going if you’re a new or experienced gardener!
• Speaking of the Urban Farmer, Vue’s Education Issue this past week featured a piece on Ron Berezan, as well as on local foodie-about-town, Gail Hall.
• The Edmonton food blogging community just keeps on growing – let’s welcome Danielle (The Roving Taster’s Digest), Bianca (What’s For Dinner?) and Katie, who has just about the best blog name ever (For the Love of Nachos).
• Though the food blogging community just got together last week, some of us will be getting together again at NAIT on March 16, for a Date with Chef David Adjey. Join in on the conversation on Twitter!
• As seen on Chowhound – how not to communicate internal restaurant politics to the public.
• With the apparent success of the Valentine’s Day couples cooking class (Love is Free Edmonton), I’m certain more such activities are on the horizon in the city. Sorrentino’s Date Night Fridays and Saturdays cooking classes looks to pick up where Love is Free left off.
• On Tim Horton’s: Jon Lin’s fifth year of keeping track of his Roll Up the Rim To Win progress, and Paula Simon’s article on their touching commercial featuring a reunited immigrant family.
• Looks the fallout of the drama with the Calgary Farmers’ Market has led to the creation of a new market.
• The popular Vancouver-based Japadog is set to expand to New York.
• The Toronto Sun interviewed Susur Lee on his tough learning curve in New York.
• While the “secret menu items” at chain restaurants detailed in this post may not actually be available (according to the comments), it’s an interesting to scan to see what people will ask for (my favourite is the “hypocrite burger” at Fatburger).
• Eric Burkett asks, “Is food the new religion?”

I am totally going through Olympic withdrawal. I said I wouldn’t do it this year, the marathon hours in front of the television, and wouldn’t you know it, I did. Of course, if such marathons always included hockey games that involved beating the US in overtime, I would gladly sacrifice every weekend in a similar manner. Anyway, onto this week’s food notes:

• The location for the third Edmonton Foodie Meetup is set! For those who signed up on the wiki, I’ll see you at Famoso on Wednesday!
• A reminder that Downtown Dining Week gets underway on this Friday, March 5, and runs until March 14.
• The Melting Pot has scheduled their grand opening for March 10, 2010. On a side note, I love how active and responsive they have been on their Facebook page.
• As seen on Twitter – the long-awaited website for TZiN Wine & Tapas  is finally up! Nothing fancy, but at least we can see their menu online now!
• Avenue Edmonton released their annual food issue this month. It includes their second annual list of the “25 Best Things to Eat in Edmonton” (I think I like last year’s list better) and interviews with Shane Chartrand (of L2 Grill), Simon Smotkowicz (of the Shaw Conference Centre), Ajay Lala (of the Matrix Hotel), and Petina Haja (of The Dish).
• A profile I wrote about Chef Blair Lebsack of the Madison’s Grill was published last week in Vue. In the same issue, a lukewarm review of Skinny Legs and Cowgirls.
• Was it ever in doubt that Edmonton loves bacon?
• Liane posted about a new CSA listing for Alberta that is in the works.
• Twyla wrote about her foray into yak-cross meat – who knows, it might be all the rage in time!
• Worth a read: Calgarian John Manzo’s TEDx talk titled, “Coffee Talk: Calgary’s ‘Third-Wave’ Coffee Scene, and a Caffeinated Vision of our Future”. So interesting, and I love his perspective as a coffee aficionado grounded in his city.
• Back in August, I posted about the new Superstore on 17 Street and 44 Avenue, and in particular, about the community room available to groups that seemed built to house cooking demonstrations. Turns out, they actually do host cooking classes for both children and adults! At just $10 for an adult class, it might end up being a Loblaws commercial, but it’s probably one of the cheapest cooking classes in the city. E-mail Ashley for the schedule.

March is shaping up to be a busy month – but I guess that’s no excuse to let my weekly notes lapse until today. Anyway, better late than never…

• If you haven’t signed up for the Edmonton Foodie Meetup yet, but are intending to join us, please leave your name (and restaurant choice) on the wiki soon – should be a great evening!
• Edmonton’s seventh annual Downtown Dining Week runs March 5-14, 2010, and offers pre-fixe meals for $15, $25 and $50. Mack and I have a reservation at ZINC.
• Mark your calendars – Indulgence, a Canadian epic of food and wine, will take place on June 14 this year. I went last year, and well, the photos speak for themselves. Tickets are $50 and will be available after March 30.
• Mack posted about the second reading of the Municipal Development Plan, and the Greater Edmonton Alliance’s successful campaign to fill City Hall with supporters of local agricultural land.
• Liane wrote about Bon Ton Bakery’s completed expansion – in addition to a new oven, they’ve expanded their grocery section.
• Chris’s “breakfast sandwich throw down” is worth a look – he pits an Egg McMuffin up against Tim Hortons’ English muffin egg sandwich.
• Another local food blog joins the fray – welcome, Lea!
• Company’s Coming has started a new home-based business opportunity called Kitchen Parties. 
• New York’s current “pizza in a cone” craze is pretty strange, but they look better than the pizza-on-a-stick I saw at Capital Ex.
• I guess nothing is sacred these days: I recently saw an ad for Joy of Cooking frozen dinners.
• Suspicious about the validity of expiration dates on food packages? You should be.
• I’m a little surprised it didn’t come about sooner, but Scripps, the people behind Food Network, announced last week that Cooking Channel, a second all-food network, will launch on May 31.
• Oh how I’ve missed you, Bruni: Frank’s take on the current level of gastronomic excess impeding a conversation near you.
• Another NYT article, but this time on the wave of chefs on Twitter (it’s definitely a trend, but I’m sure the next group to be written about will be farmers – perhaps we are ahead of the curve, with Irvings Farm Fresh leading the pack?).
• Perhaps all you need to get a book deal nowadays is to learn how to cook: a young woman in NY ate in for two years, and wrote about it (and estimates she saved $7,200 in the process).
• I wasn’t able to attend the City Hall event last night because I was at a volunteer appreciation dinner, held at Tazza Cafe in LeMarchand Mansion. It was my first time at the restaurant, and I had a great experience. Though we weren’t the largest group (18 or so), each course was delivered promptly to all of us, and service throughout the night was great. My favourite dishes included the hummus and pita, and the chicken kabob. What was best about the restaurant were the portraits on the wall – a young woman on a horse in Egypt, and a suave young man seated on the steps of a hotel in Syria. It turned out the photos were of the chef’s father and mother, a silent homage to his parents who taught him how to cook. It’s hard not to love a restaurant with stories like that.

Appetizer plate

 Fattoush salad (loved the pomegranate)

Kabob platter

Chocolate cup with Belgian chocolate and pecan pie

Though I wouldn’t expect anything less, Canada is embroiled in Olympic Fever! I have to say I am enjoying my share of the Vancouver coverage, but there seems to be a daily limit of how much I can watch. In other news, have you taken a look at the plan for Fort Edmonton Park yet? It proposes the inclusion of several new restaurants, among other additions. I encourage you to take the survey – it’s a piece of the puzzle that will help shape the future of one of the city’s attractions. On to this week’s food notes:

• Jeff and Sally of The Edmontonian posted a great article on Culina – definitely worth a read. Also on the Culina front – the family of restaurants has started a blog. Knowing that this is their second attempt at this (the “blog” link on their revamped website was rarely used), I wish them luck with keeping it up!
• Farmers’ market news from Liane: Sparrow’s Nest Organics won’t be returning to the City Centre Market this year. However, interested consumers can still buy into their CSA program.
• Mary Ellen and Andres Gruenberg of Greens, Eggs and Ham are offering their pre-payment plan for a second year in a row – a minimum of $25o will guarantee you a great selection of products year round. I participated last year, and found it to be a convenient way to access local goods from a farming family that I trust. E-mail Mary Ellen for more information.
• Look out for a new Famoso to open soon in Christy’s Corner (13655 St. Albert Trail, 780-732-0222). The suburbs are just bursting with restaurants, aren’t they?
• I wrote a short profile on Brett Roy of Sweet Lollapalooza that appeared in this week’s Vue Weekly.
• Also on the subject of chocolate, Valerie wrote an exhaustive post about her recent single origin chocolate tasting at home. I think I experienced cocoa fatigue just reading it!
• Though I’ve seen online “cooking challenges” before (Food Network Canada has a monthly recipe invitation, for example), I think Valerie and BruleeBlog’s joint trial of a Momofuku recipe was a first at the Edmonton blog level. I hope to see more such challenges!
• Though Valentine’s Day is over – an interesting article from the NYT about new insight into the world of aphrodisiacs, and an amusing list of the ten most romantic restaurants in Edmonton from Urban Spoon that demonstrates the dire need for critical mass in some situations (Taco del Mar made it onto the list.  Twice.).
• I stumbled upon Ottawa Citizen food writer Ron Eade’s blog this week – it is fantastic. A notable post – his musings on the “Canadian credibility gap” between what the country says they buy…and what they actually buy.
• I forgot to link to this last week – Canadian Tire is venturing into food.
• I hope everyone had a good Valentine’s Day! Though Cookies by George has made a killing on their “Because you can’t eat flowers” slogan, someone should play on the cookie idea with bread. Who doesn’t love the smell and taste of freshly baked bread? Anyway, knowing my weakness, I came home on Friday to homemade bread. Given that it was his first attempt, Mack wasn’t expecting much, but his loaf turned out great! I especially loved the crust. The only downside is that I may now expect a loaf at every special occasion…

 

Mack’s first loaf!

• In lieu of our indulgent dinner at Madison’s Grill a few weeks back, Mack and I decided keep our expenses in check for Valentine’s Day. So we ended up at one of our favourite joints in the city to share a plate of poutine.

 

A Route 99 specialty

 

Fin!

Excellent, non-POTW (patient of the week) episode of House today – great to see Lisa Edelstein getting the opportunity to flex her acting chops. In other news, I’m happy to see America’s Best Dance Crew back on TV! But with the addition of a Canadian crew from Montreal this season, perhaps they should change the name to North America’s Best Dance Crew? Anyway, on to this week’s food notes:

• Chris and I are organizing the third Edmonton Foodie Meetup, to take place on March 3. Check out the wiki and add your name if you’re interested in attending, and let us know your restaurant choice!
• I’m looking forward to West Edmonton Mall’s celebration of Mardi Gras, taking place on February 16 from 4-9pm, called the Taste of Bourbon Street. There will be food samples, cooking demonstrations and entertainment.
• Think you make the best grilled cheese? Slow Food Edmonton just announced their first-ever Grilled Cheese Olympics, to take place on March 13. Judges include Chad Moss from Transcend and the Journal’s Liane Faulder. I think it will be a great event!
• Bravo to Julie van Rosendaal for putting together the Blog Aid cookbook for Haitian relief. 27 food bloggers contributed recipes and photos to the wonderful book, which, from the preview, looks gorgeous. To order, click here.
• Three local professionals are repeating their Working Poor Diet challenge in February – spending only $80 on food for a month, and doing their best to adhere to Canada’s Food Guide. Their hope is to raise awareness of the reality those working minimum-wage jobs face, in addition to raising $5000 for the Edmonton Food Bank.
• Kelly of Crazy White Girl with a Kitchen posted an early review of ZINC. On a related note, I’m disappointed that the restaurant didn’t opt to use OpenTable as their online reservation system.
• The Journal reviewed Avocado, the first of the Calgary-based franchises to open in the Edmonton area (expect a few more before the year is out). Verdict? Unremarkable.
• Alberta Venture has a great interview with Julianna Mimande on her side of the Bacon-fallout story (I interviewed Cindy Lazarenko back in November 2008 for Vue).
• I had read about the chicken + burger + fish + egg burgers at McDonald’s, but didn’t know they would actually serve it here – until Chris posted about his special request. What a combination.
• Liane wrote about the subject of plating design – L2 Chef Shane Chartrand provides home cooks with some useful pointers.
• An insightful, must-read piece by NY-based food critic Robert Sietsema on the evolution of the restaurant review in New York. And a response from Grub Street on the future of food media – in their opinion, the next step involves, “reviewers (or bloggers, at least) outright collaborating with chefs and restaurateurs.”
• With all eyes on Vancouver, NYT critic Sam Sifton provides visitors with a guide of the best restaurants the city has to offer. I’d be keen to visit the re-branded Refuel, and of course, dine again at Vij’s.
• Also on Vancouver – I couldn’t resist snapping a photo of the Vancouver Barista Bear at Starbucks. But shouldn’t it be wearing a parka, or at least a raincoat?

Too cute!

Anyone know what the “WHEN?” billboards all around the city are about? Though the campaign seems to be working because I’m asking the question, doesn’t it seem passé to use a similar technique so close to Southgate’s “August 5” campaign? At any rate, here are this week’s food notes:

• ZINC, the restaurant inside the sparkly new Art Gallery of Alberta, opened for full service today. Menus aren’t up on the website yet, but Liane wrote two articles about the establishment that provide an idea of what to expect. Also worth a read – a NYT article published this weekend about the trend of solid eateries in museums (partly as an effort to help make the museum some money).
• Though I liked Liane’s article about the current “rock star” quality of local butchers– I couldn’t help but think of this similar article in the NYT, published last summer.
• I forgot to link to this article last week, but I think it’s a clever idea – kitchen demos are the new showhome hook. Homes By Avi hired a chef to create appetizers for four different showhomes as a means of encouraging visits, and for potential buyers to see the kitchen “in use”.
• The second annual Winefest returns to the Shaw Conference Centre on February 27. Looks like tickets are available for the afternoon session at this point.
• Century Room, the revamped Century Grill lounge, is set to open this week.
• Unfortunate news – Sysco takes over Fin’s.
• To celebrate their one year anniversary, Flirt Cupcakes is giving away cupcakes to the first 100 visitors on Valentine’s Day!
• The Alberta Avenue Farmers’ Market is hosting a Customer Appreciation Day on February 11.
• Speaking of farmers’ markets, this is pretty cool – the CBC Broadcast Centre in downtown Toronto will be hosting a farmers’ market every week until April. How great would it be to have access to local food year-round in the core?
• Valerie (aka A Canadian Foodie) is inviting prosciutto lovers to take her taste challenge – she picked up prosciutto de parma, Serrano ham and Iberico ham for a savoury taste-off.
• Second Cup is really pushing their coffee – we found a card in our mailbox that entitles one to a free medium coffee after each similar purchase…11 times. Too bad I didn’t have one close to my office, or I’d be heading for numerous coffee breaks during the day.

 

Second Cup’s new loyalty program card

• Sweet Lollapalooza announced that they will be hosting chocolate making workshops in the coming weeks (February 20 and March 9) – contact them to sign up. I swung by there this evening and picked up some of their chocolate chip cookies I’d been wanting to try. Though the chocolate coating wasn’t as overwhelming as I expected, I think the cookie would have been better if it had been soft and chewy.

 

Sweet Lollapalooza cookies

• Before the wine tasting last week, I stopped by Blue Plate Diner for a comforting bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese. It was a cheesy bowl of warmth, but surprisingly, the soup of the day (Southwestern potato and sausage), stole the show.

 

My blue plate special

I know I am probably going to be saying this a lot this year, but I can’t believe it is already the last week of January! Help make it count by voting for Edmonton so we can be a part of the latest edition of Monopoly Canada. On to this week’s food notes:

• This is your last week to participate in Original Fare’s Fork Fest, with pre-fixe deals at some of Edmonton’s best restaurants going for $25 and $45. Marianne filed a review about The Blue Pear last week.
• Looking for something different to do with your loved one on Valentine’s Day? Check out Love is Freedom – for $195 per couple, you will get a 4-course cooking lesson, wine pairing, chocolate tasting, live band, and limo service home. Talk about decadence!
• Looks like L1, the lounge accompaniment to the Fantasyland Hotel’s L2 Grill, is set to open in March.
• Vue Weekly published an interview with Paulina Meza Romo of The Old Bread Factory last week.
• Bruce posted some shots of a delectable creation by Delux’s latest celebrity chef: Warren Smith of Wild Game Consultants. I have to say Bruce has the best job – he gets to sample each burger!
• Slow Food Edmonton has some great events planned for 2010 – I have to say I am particularly looking forward to the grilled cheese smackdown in February, and of course, Indulgence.
• The Journal published a story this weekend about why it’s tough to get reservations in some of your favourite restaurants. They also had a story about three lovely cafes to visit – The Wired Cup, Mandolin Books and Coffee Co. and Zocalo.
• I spotted a new-ish Vietnamese restaurant called the Basil Leaf (10023 107 Avenue) on a walk back from Chinatown today. It looked open, with cars outside and people inside. Around the corner from Basil Leaf was another new-to-me restaurant – Samurai Bistro (10003 107 Avenue). No activity around it though, so not sure if it is yet open.

Basil Leaf Kitchen & Sports Bar

• Hurrah – Edmonton finally has its own Starbucks mug! I have mentioned before that Mack and I collect these mugs on our travels, but of course, wanted to have one that celebrates our own city. I’m not sure I would have chosen the Edmonton Queen as our “defining image”, but then again, apart from the River Valley, I can’t think of anything else that would be suitable. I found the mug at the Starbucks on Jasper and 109 Street (thanks Maria for the tip!).

Starbucks’ Edmonton mug

I am loving this warmer weather, and though the slush is hard to wade through at some junctures, I’d much prefer this to colder climes. Anyway, on to this week’s food notes:

• Original Fare’s Fork Fest is on! Running January 17-21 and24-28, pre-fixe meals are on for $25 and $45, and is a great way to try out a new restaurant (or return to an old favourite). Remember to sign up for a VIP card if you haven’t already.
• The NAIT Culinary Arts program’s next Chef in Residence is Restaurant Makeover’s David Adjey (you may remember the school brought Rob Feenie in 2009). Adjey was in town recently for Capital Ex, where he conducted some cooking demos at the Sip stage.
• Liane posted that Century Hospitality is on track to finally open its second Delux Burger Bar in May 2010 in West Edmonton Mall (Chris Lachance had originally pegged the expansion to take place by November 2009) – curious that they would choose a location so close to Crestwood, where their first branch is, but then again, they are probably actively seeking the same clientele that would patronize Cactus Club.
• Also from Liane – a feature on The Bothy and three pubs with good grub (Red Star, Bibo and Filty McNasty’s).
• Twisted Yogurt, the frozen yogurt outlet in Sherwood Park, has a website up with its forthcoming locations listed. I’m looking forward to their growth!
• Also growing is Avocado (how could you not love the name?!), a Mexican restaurant. A St. Albert location opened up in the fall of 2009, but it looks like several more franchises are coming to Edmonton, including one in Ellerslie, coming soon.
• Shark Club in the west end of the city has shuttered after 18 months of business.
• Julie van Rosendaal wrote about her experience introducing Anthony Bourdain to a crowd of ravenous foodies in Calgary last week. While I wasn’t there, I’m sure she did a fabulous job – it’s too bad some people chose to rain on her parade.
• Chris posted about the first Five Guys location in Canada, to be in Medicine Hat of all places. Mack and I had the chance to visit Five Guys while in DC – I hope they expand to Edmonton soon.
• I guess it was just a matter of time: Guy Fieri will be hosting a game show on NBC, debuting in March.
• Mack snapped a photo of the new lower-calorie snacks now available at Starbucks. While I don’t often buy food at Starbucks, it’s always nice to have more options, just in case.

Starbucks’ snack display (at the store on Jasper Avenue and 109 Street)

• I heard about the Le Gnome closing early this week – they were unable to come to “reasonable terms” with their landlord, and will cease operations as of January 31, 2010. With a gift certificate I got for Christmas I needed to spend, Mack and I headed to WEM on Sunday. It was pretty busy (as you can see from the photos), but our wait in line wasn’t long. Everything was 30% off, but even with the discount, many things were still out of our price range, and like Brulee Blog, we kept our spending to a minimum. We ended up picking up a quartet of Emile Henry ramekins, a vegetable scrubber, and a soap dispenser – things we wanted anyway.

At Le Gnome

Inside the store

Mack and I made it back safely from Yellowknife on Sunday afternoon, just in time to watch the Canadian Juniors defeat Switzerland! Unfortunately, a volunteer commitment will prevent me from watching the final against the US (sniff), but Mack has faithfully agreed to update me via text. On to this week’s food notes:

• Looks like Melting Pot, the US-based fondue chain, is targeting Valentine’s Day for its grand opening (117, 2920 Calgary Trail, next to Cora’s).
• Lea’s handy site reports that popular Chinatown eatery Pho Tau Bay is closed January 3 – March 5, 2010.
• In case you missed it, watch for Original Fare’s Fork Fest later this month, January 17-21 and 24-28. Hopefully the menus are released a bit earlier this time.
• Local bloggers Chris at Eating is the Hard Part and Valerie at A Canadian Foodie started off the new year with new blogs. Go check them out!
• Liane wrote a good piece on educating Edmonton about food, published last week.
• Vue Weekly also had a wrap-up article – the best and worst trends of the last decade.
• Besides being in the press for their abysmal season thus far, the Edmonton Oilers were also in the news for a disputed bill at Osteria de Medici, an upscale Italian eatery in Calgary. Their disputed bill rang in at $16,796.39, including tax and tip. Interesting related thread on Chowhound about the restaurant – and it isn’t positive.
• I watched the lobster episode of Lynn Crawford’s new Food Network series Pitchin’ In and was not impressed. I was hoping it would be a sort-of farming counterpoint to Bob Blumer’s very well done Glutton for Punishment, but Crawford comes across whiney and condescending. I think it is partly due to choppy editing, but there was nothing of value in the episode – I didn’t learn any more about lobster fishing (techniques or sustainability), cooking techniques, or recipes. I guess it can only get better from here, but I won’t be watching.
• I finally perused Maple Leaf’s Republic of Bacon site and have to say, it is darn amusing (the “bacon porn” is worth a look, as are the restaurant menus). And though it’s not the same focus as the Hellmann’s Eat Real, Eat Local site, I think it is a better campaign because even though Maple Leaf is behind it, their logo and name aren’t stamped everywhere.
• Is Christine the new Jared? She could be, with a ridiculous campaign called the Drive Thru Diet from Taco Bell.
• Food Network Humor has some cute photos of your favourite Food Network chefs when they were younger.
• I’m sure the Vancouver 2010 merchandise will be even more ubiquitous as the Games approach, but I couldn’t help but snap a photo of the cute bottles of maple syrup bearing the Olympic logo that we saw at a Co-op in Yellowknife.

 

Does it taste like the Olympics too?

• Mack’s parents are tea aficionados, and have an entire cabinet devoted to loose leaf teas. In addition to a selection of fine teas, their brewing system also involved a cool Teavana tea maker that, once steeped, would dispense tea into a matching cup placed underneath.

 

Teavana Perfect Tea Maker

• Mack’s parents also have a Breville Keurig single-cup coffee maker. While I won’t be giving up our grind and brew system any time soon (nothing beats the smell of fresh-ground beans), it was neat to have a selection of over a dozen coffees at any given time. Mack was particularly blown away by how quickly the K-cup was able to brew a cup of coffee.

 

Breville single-cup coffee maker

• Seeing the new Skinny Legs and Cowgirls sign up, Mack and I stopped to check if they were open. While they aren’t yet offering lunch (they will be on January 9), they have been offering dinner and brunch since December 17! It looks beautiful inside, with the tinned ceiling and tiny chandeliers. Can’t wait to try out our new neighbourhood eatery!

 

Skinny Legs and Cowgirls (12202 Jasper Avenue, 780-423-4107)