Recap: Northern Lands’ Meet Your Maker Event

Edmonton might seem like an odd choice to hold a national wine festival, given we can’t produce grape vintages in Alberta, but apparently our neutrality in part helped sell the idea of Northern Lands to wineries from across the country. Billing itself as the “largest gathering of Canadian wineries from coast to coast”, the two day festival featured twenty producer dinners at restaurants across the city, wine seminars, and cumulated in a stand up wine and food event at the Shaw Conference Centre on March 28, 2015 called Meet Your Makers.

Meet Your Makers swag

Festival Director Gurvinder Bhatia is no stranger to organizing large-scale food events. In 2012 and 2014, Gurvinder’s brainchild Hot Chefs, Cool bEATS successfully brought together some of Edmonton’s best chefs for an evening of food and drink with a backdrop of eclectic entertainment. With Meet Your Makers, we could definitely see the resemblance to Hot Chefs (including some familiar faces), but the spotlight on wine was a definite departure.

The event was sold out, so we tried to arrive early to avoid the crowd. Maximizing the space, the lobby of Hall D had been set up to feature breweries, with a few food stations sprinkled between.

Welcome beer

It was great to see so many of the city’s prominent culinary professionals under the same roof. In spite of the fact that it was a Saturday night, chefs were front and centre, serving up their creations to the 800-solid crowd. The organizers also enhanced the bill with appearances from several key names from “abroad” – namely, Vikram Vij and Charcut’s John Jackson and Connie DeSousa.

Daniel Costa focuses on preparing his agnolotti

Tickets to the event were $85, and by the end of the evening, we knew we had reaped their value and then some. Although portion sizes were reasonable, with twenty restaurants, the food definitely added up.

Yes, that is truffle being shaved onto a forest floor-inspired dessert from Duchess

Among our favourites that night were the Tangle Ridge Ranch lamb and olive arancini from Century Hospitality Group and the Rajasthani-style goat meat stew from Vij’s.

Mack also couldn’t resist the butter chicken potli from Guru

Though we did have our share of wine that night, with 47 wineries pouring over 150 different wines, we were a bit over our head. We did gravitate towards the names we were familiar with (such as Joie, Cave Spring and Mission Hill), but it was also a pleasant surprise to learn about some new producers. For example, Mack and I didn’t know that Kamloops is now home to three wineries (we had spent some time there for a conference a number of years ago).

Harper’s Trail, one of our Kamloops discoveries

While we also did our best to pair wine with the food we were sampling, it wasn’t as seamless as it could have been. Often, Mack and I ended up splitting up – he’d grab a wine to try while I waited in line for the dishes. Still, we did encounter a few wineries that asked what we’d be eating next before pouring a selection.

Mack with Eau Claire Distillery, an Alberta-based distillery

There was also a bit of off-kilter fun in the hall – a seemingly random ping pong tournament pitting producers against one another. At the very least, when else can I say I watched Vikram Vij flex his ping pong skills (barefoot, naturally)?

Vikram Vij shows his stuff

One of our favourite aspects of the event actually had nothing to do with the consumables. It was great to catch up with some people we hadn’t seen in a while – in many ways, the conversations forced us to pace ourselves throughout the evening so the walk home wasn’t as unpleasant as it could have been.

With Elm Café’s Allan Suddaby

Meet Your Makers promises to return in 2016, and given its success, I’m sure it will be even bigger. It’ll be interesting to see if organizers will choose to showcase fruit wines in the future, given besides beer and spirits, they are Alberta’s contribution to this beverage market.

Congratulations to Gurvinder and his team on a great first event!

Toronto Transplant: The Burger’s Priest

Before the Rush game on Friday night, Mack and I walked over to The Burger’s Priest to see if this Toronto transplant could live up to all of its frontier hype. The Burger’s Priest is among the latest of fast casual premium burger joints to invade our city, following in the footsteps of places like Fatburger, Five Guys and Smashburger. Promising a higher quality product, it does seem Edmontonians are willing to pay a premium for burgers classed a cut above fast food chains.

I’m sure it’s been just as busy since day one, but a combination of a long weekend and its newly-minted status meant it was a packed house. Being the polite Canadians we are, though, the table turnover was reasonably quick, so most who ordered weren’t left awkwardly waiting for a seat (otherwise, I was certain to flashback to our stress-inducing experience at Shake Shack in Manhattan).

As with the conversion of any other former dentist’s office or optical shop into an eatery, The Burger’s Priest is a compact space. But they’ve made the most of it, leaving a majority of the windows uncovered and incorporating as many seats as possible along the walls. Mack was saddened that like most of the businesses along the 109 Street strip, The Burger’s Priest also opted to hive off their Jasper Avenue entrance in favour of the door that predictably faces a parking lot.

Exterior

The Burger’s Priest offers a menu of ten different burgers (one vegetarian option), fries, milkshakes, fresh-baked cookies and ice cream sandwiches. I did find the tongue-in-cheek names amusing (the “Red Sea” is a cheeseburger with chili on top, while Lethal Weapon partners “Riggs & Murtaugh” inspire the name of their black and white shake). Mack and I didn’t hesitate before ordering – we knew we had to try the “Vatican City” ($11.99), double cheeseburger served between two grilled cheese buns. We also opted to share fresh cut fries ($3.69).

We didn’t have to wait long before our order was called up, piping hot and labeled to distinguish between Mack’s burger with all the fixings and my own. Unwrapped, in all its glory, the Vatican City was definitely a photogenic burger, the melted processed cheese calling back to adverts we’ve all been conditioned on. The patties themselves were juicy (The Burger’s Priest prides itself on grinding its beef on-site), but the seasoning could have been more consistent throughout. I also could have done with just a single layer of meat, so as to better emphasize the grilled cheese buns.

Vatican City

In all honesty, Mack and I both went into the experience hoping to find an Edmonton version of our Portland revelation – the YouCanHasCheeseburger from Brunch Box. $6 for a burger bookended by two Texas toast grilled cheese sandwiches – no pretense, just a well-made burger. But we didn’t find that solace in Vatican City.

Mack about to dig in

The fries were fine but nothing special, and one order was more than plenty for the two of us – I’m not sure how an individual could finish a single order of fries on their own.

Fries

So although we didn’t find a burger that met our Portland standard, it will be handy to have a grilled cheese sandwich burger option in the neighbourhood. And even better, it’s one we’ll have to walk to, in order to build up an appetite…and to walk it off afterwards.

The Burger’s Priest
10148 109 Street
(780) 760-0777
Monday-Wednesday 11am-10pm, Thursday-Saturday Noon-10:30pm, Sunday Noon-8pm

Meet for Brunch: Meat

Mack and I rarely get out for brunch in Edmonton. Weekends are an opportunity for us to sleep in, but more than that, we find there are only a handful of places in the city that are worth waking up for. In this instance, Calgary has us beat – their brunch culture is far more dynamic, offering variety to spare.

On Saturday morning, after dropping off Mack’s Mom at the airport, it seemed prudent to take advantage of the fact that we were already out and about. After stopping at the nearby Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, we headed over to Meat. The restaurant just started offering brunch on weekends from 11am-2pm earlier this month, so it wasn’t a surprise that the crowd was tame; it’s still a well-kept secret.

Mack at Meat

In some ways, Meat was made to host brunch. Their expansive windows allow in ample natural light, and also double as a vantage point for the bustling street outside – people watching over coffee isn’t a bad way to start the weekend. Lastly, their large communal tables make Meat a natural meeting place for large groups gathering over brunch – something not necessarily seamless in other establishments.

The menu is straightforward – 7 breakfast dishes, 3 sandwiches and the option to add booze to your coffee. Most of the dishes incorporate their smokehouse staples – buttermilk fried chicken & flapjacks, for instance, or housemade Southern grits with your choice of brisket or pulled pork. Mack selected the beef brisket benny ($15), while I couldn’t resist the biscuits & gravy ($13).

The kitchen was right on top of things, as our dishes arrived in no time. Mack’s benny was built on a buttermilk biscuit, topped with brisket, caramelized onions, a perfectly soft poached egg and housemade hollandaise. He liked the fact that the usual English muffin had been replaced with a flaky biscuit, and did especially enjoy his crispy, indulgent hash brown.

Beef brisket benny

My biscuits & gravy weren’t advertised as anything else, and its components were tasty. The biscuits were definitely the highlight, and would have been worthy of unadorned consumption. The sausage gravy wasn’t overly studded with meat as I’ve encountered before, and because of that, I think there could have been more to the dish. Canteen’s version adds hash browns and sausage patties, but what makes Meat unique is their namesake. As they work through enhancing their brunch offerings, it would be great to see an “add on” section on the menu, where diners could not only add a poached egg on top of their biscuits & gravy, but also some pulled pork or brisket. A fellow diner commented on how her request of pulled pork on top of the smoked apple and cheddar flapjacks is what made them sing. Or, how about a side of fried chicken? Sure. An extra biscuit? Why yes, please!

Biscuits & gravy

That said, it’s still early days in Meat’s brunch service. They have a great foundation – service was excellent, as always – and the food did convince us that waking up some weekends could yield some rewards. We’re looking forward to returning again on an early bird inspired weekend.

Meat
8216 104 Street
(587) 520-6338
Sunday-Thursday 5-10pm, Friday-Saturday 5-11pm; brunch Saturday-Sunday 11am-2pm

Something Borrowed, Something New: Gama Cafe

Gama Café, tucked away on a side street in Old Strathcona, was known for their unique green cap milk tea, a Taiwanese specialty drink featuring cheese foam. The space, however, was divided between the café and retail, and eventually, the former seemed to outpace the latter.

Three weeks ago, Gama opened in brand new digs further west on Whyte Avenue, with décor more fitting of a café. There is now ample seating, with plenty of cushy, cozy booths, and even a semi-partitioned area ideal for larger groups. The crystal light fixtures definitely brought an air of elegance to the space, seemingly made for lingering over coffee with girlfriends or a casual first date.

Interior

Su had noticed the new storefront a week prior, and suggested it as our meeting point on Friday for a quick bite before another engagement in the neighbourhood. That evening, we were one of several parties, so the word has been spreading quickly about Gama’s transplanted location!

With a full kitchen, Gama can now work towards offering full lunch and dinner menus. However, at this time, savoury dishes are still under development, with only three on the current menu. Both Su and I agreed that we would have to return to sample some of their desserts – the table adjacent to us had ordered the Tommi Toast, which looked like a many layered cake topped with ice cream!

Latte

Su had decided on the porcini risotto ($13.99), while I chose the dry noodle ($12.99). The risotto arrived several minutes before the noodles, likely because the server assumed we were sharing. Although we both remarked that it seemed an odd fit for the café, the risotto was fine. The egg was perfectly poached however, and having not been referenced on the menu description, was a nice surprise.

Porcini risotto

The noodles had, in fact, been tossed in a very light, flavourful sauce. The accompaniments had been minimized to a few mushrooms. Although we were assured of its authentic nature (and found the noodles themselves to be quite tasty), I’d still prefer a dish with more texture and variants.

Dry noodles

Service was spotty, but understandable considering its recent opening. It may take some time for Gama to reach its full potential in its new state, but it is full of potential! I look forward to returning in the future to see what new surprises may await on the menu, or at least to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Gama Café
10813 82 Avenue
(780) 438-2382

A New Menu at Mercer Tavern

Mercer Tavern has been open for more than two years, but the food program has been inconsistent. Although it’s just down the street from our condo, Mercer definitely became more of a watering hole than a dinner destination for us. For that reason, when Mack and I were invited to a media dinner last week, we were both interested to see what changes have been made.

Mack with his Old Fashioned

Chef Robbie Oram, who had worked at Sage most recently in Edmonton, joined Mercer Tavern about ten months ago. Prior to that, he was the travelling chef for the Tragically Hip, and cooked at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing during the Olympics. With that experience, he has sought to elevate Mercer Tavern’s menu from the ground up. He relayed his desire to source more ingredients locally, though shared that this is a challenge in the winter months.

Mercer Tavern

The first dish we sampled was a testament to the fact that, depending on availability, some seasonal dishes could only be served as short-term specials. The Moroccan-inspired carrot salad had been on the menu for a brief time in December, and wonderfully showcased Chef Oram’s desire to let the ingredients speak for themselves. Baby carrots from Greens, Eggs and Ham had been tossed in spices and roasted just long enough to warm through, allowing the vegetables to remain crisp. They were then topped with Reclaim Farm microgreens and served with a balancing dollop of Fairwinds Farm goat yogurt.

Moroccan-inspired carrot salad

The menu also focused on comfort foods. The table couldn’t get enough of the MFC, or Mercer Fried Chicken. Brined for 24 hours, the exterior was fried to a deliciously seasoned crisp, while the meat underneath remained moist and juicy. Although it was served with a honey sriracha, most agreed the chicken didn’t need any accompaniment.

MFC

The white cheddar mac and cheese was a solid dish, though fairly basic. There was a bit of heat from Serrano chilies, and the pasta had been well sauced (something, as we’ve found in this city, is not always a given). The added texture from the toasted breadcrumbs was appreciated.

Mac and cheese

For dessert, Chef Oram brought out the liquid nitrogen to make crème fraiche ice cream as we looked on. He said the ability to instantly freeze the crème fraiche meant a smoother end product.

Chef Robbie Oram

The pea-sized pellets were used to top individual mason jars of apple crumble. In many ways, it was easier to eat this form of ice cream with the crumble than more traditional scoops.

Apple crumble with crème fraiche ice cream

Most of the items we had that night can be found on the Mercer Tavern’s present menu, though we were told to expect more additions in the future.

The changes are promising on the menu end, and if the kitchen is able to execute these dishes with consistency, they will be well on their way to improving their reputation of what diners can expect. In warmer months, it will be interesting to see what other locally-sourced products make their way into the kitchen. Thanks again to Mercer Tavern for having us!

Mercer Tavern
10363 104 Street
(587) 521-1911
Monday-Friday 11am-late, Saturday-Sunday 11am-2am

Hand Pulled Noodles and More: Noodle Feast

I recognize that I am biased towards selecting restaurants that are centrally-located, or establishments that are transit-accessible. When I’m on my own, walking or utilizing transit are my only means of transportation, and with Mack, we typically choose to spend the least amount of time in our vehicle as possible. So when a few friends and I chose a southside restaurant for dinner Thursday night, I was grateful for carpooling from a transit hub and as the snow continued to accumulate, the fact that the driver had a jeep.

Noodle Feast has been open in an inconspicuous strip mall off Gateway Boulevard for nearly two years. I would have probably continued to be unaware of its existence without Maria, who had tried the restaurant once before. Noodle Feast offers a “taste of Northern China”, with a specialty of hand pulled, house made noodles.

The storefront itself is clean, but plain; a blank canvas where the obvious focus is on the food. Even on that cold winter night, most of the tables were occupied when we arrived.

The menu may look intimidating at first glance, but the base options involve sliced, rolling or hand pulled noodles. Different meats, soups and toppings rounded out the iterations. Illustrations would have helped distinguish between noodle varieties, but half the fun was playing dish roulette. We also chose one plate from the “other” section of the menu, which featured pancakes, fried rice and dumplings, among other things.

The food arrived swiftly, but short of that, service was non-existent. To have our tea refilled, we had to bring the pot to the counter. But the food definitely made up for some things.

It is difficult for me to choose the better of the two noodle dishes, but because the rolling noodles (with minced pork sauce and hot chili oil, $11.95) reminded me of street food dishes I’ve had in Asia, it edged out the other slightly. Don’t be afraid of the chili – the heat was mild and warming. The noodles, fresh out of their bath, lapped up the surrounding sauce, meaning each bite was deliciously enrobed.

Rolling noodles with minced pork and hot chili oil

The hand pulled noodles served with beef in soup ($11.95) was also a standout. The individual components of the dish were superb: the beef had been stewed into submission, with just an ounce of fat; the noodles were springy and substantial, about the width of a ruler; and the broth was full of flavour and depth.

Hand pulled noodles served with beef in soup

The Chinese chives and pork dumplings ($10.95) were great to nibble at, especially between the three of us. But though they were tasty enough, the dumplings stood a distant third in my eyes.

Chinese chives and pork dumplings

In spite of the barely-there service, Noodle Feast was a welcome respite from the cold, serving up high-quality, reasonably priced food. It was a worthwhile trip to take, and one I will likely make again soon.

Noodle Feast
3440 99 Street
(780) 439-8088

Black Box Dry Run: The Westin’s Chef Ryan O’Flynn Prepares for the Gold Medal Plates

Mack and I were privileged enough to be invited to Chef Ryan O’Flynn’s dry run for his upcoming appearance at the National Gold Medal Plates competition.

Chef O’Flynn has been at the helm of The Westin Hotel since early last year, and in November, he won gold at Edmonton’s Gold Medal Plates, earning him a berth to the national contest. Taking place in Kelowna from February 6-8, 2015, the competition is comprised of three stages, including a “black box” portion: “Chefs will receive only 10 minutes notice, and a black box containing 10 ingredients of diverse foods before having to produce and plate one spectacular dish using 6 of the 10 ingredients for the national judges. All in one very short hour!” Tonight’s black box dry run was meant to help Chef O’Flynn flex his culinary skills in preparation for next week.

Chef O’Flynn originally hails from Edmonton, but had spent the majority of his career overseas in high-end kitchens in Europe. That experience is helping him raise the standards at The Westin, and now, on a national stage, he is proud to be just one of two hotel chefs represented at this year’s Gold Medal Plates. Given the winner is essentially crowned Canada’s best chef, the competition is fierce, but Chef O’Flynn has his eye on the prize.

On Wednesday, Mack and I arrived just after Chef O’Flynn had started cooking. The clock ticking down, he only had sixty minutes to create a dish using at least six of the ten ingredients chosen by the Westin’s Director of Food and Beverage. In the box: oyster mushrooms, chanterelle mushrooms, lamb, Chilean sea bass, nutmeg, cilantro, goat cheese, figs, dates and lady fingers.

Guests were encouraged to interact, ask questions, and otherwise, get in the way of Chef O’Flynn, as to simulate the environment he would encounter in Kelowna. I’m not sure we did the best job at this, as I know I was content to watch him work, but it was obvious Chef O’Flynn could handily multitask, and even in conversation, was duly focused on the task at hand.

When asked the process he underwent to compose the dish, he responded by asking, “How does a musician write a song?” – he has just come to know how to combine and balance flavours. One could also say that this might be in his blood; his dad Maurice O’Flynn was a chef and managed Culinary Team Alberta to a world title in the 1990s.

Chef O’Flynn finished his dish with fourteen minutes to spare. And instead of incorporating six of the mystery ingredients, he ambitiously worked in all ten.

We all marveled at how well the components worked with one another: the base of whipped goat cheese melted into the medium rare lamb; the nutmeg sauce enhanced the earthy mushrooms; the perfectly crispy sea bass skin topped with sweet cilantro-lady finger crumble. Our only criticism was related to the toughness of the oyster mushroom – the hour wasn’t enough to reconstitute the dried mushroom, and in hindsight, Chef O’Flynn shared that would likely have left them out of the final dish.

Chef O’Flynn deserved the applause he received; we can only hope it will be a good omen as he travels to Kelowna next week. Best of luck to him as he strives to make Edmonton proud!

Thanks again to the team at The Westin for having us – it was a treat to be a part of the preparation process!

Take Me To The Arcade Bar: The Denizen Hall

After a very full day at work on Thursday, I needed to unwind, so it seemed like a good opportunity to finally visit The Denizen Hall (10311 103 Avenue).

Located in the historic Grand Hotel, in the space formerly occupied by the sketchy Richelieu Pub (an establishment I’ve scurried past, but had never stepped foot in) Denizen Hall has been completely refurbished. Urban Sparq Hospitality (the company behind The Pint and Knoxville Tavern) had taken over, in another example of the optimism surrounding the promise of the new arena district. Still, it’s difficult not to be attracted to the narrative being told by the new owners, one which seeks to continue the tavern’s 110 year history as a prime space to gather and celebrate.

To that end, the room itself has been refreshed, with cozy booths, wall-mounted animal taxidermy, and more than a dozen retro arcade machines (hence the arcade bar label, but more on that later). On that Thursday evening, there were only a few other tables occupied, but of course, we would have been considered early birds.

Mack at Denizen Hall

This did allow us to take advantage of their great happy hour offers, which included $2.75 hi-balls on Thursdays between 7-8pm, and a $3 Thursday special for pints of Yellowhead plus two arcade tokens. Denizen Hall definitely recognizes the need to compete with other area bars; make sure to check the website for more up-to-date food and drink discounts.

Based on early reviews, I already knew their “Alberta homestead” comfort menu, designed by Elm Café’s Nate Box, would be right up my alley. Although there are some lighter plates to choose from, most of the dishes could be found at a diner or a country fair – think grilled cheese, fried chicken and pork ribs. But with the bar slant, much of the menu items can be shared, which is what Mack and I decided to do.

We split the buttermilk biscuits ($5), mini corn dogs ($8) and the mac ‘n’ cheese ($13), which was enough to satisfy both of our appetites. The biscuits arrived toasted, and reminded us of the flaky, savoury counterpart we’d had once at an Elm Café Dining Room brunch, but were obviously not fresh. It would be unrealistic to expect otherwise, but we knew how much better they would have tasted right out of the oven.

Buttermilk biscuits with savoury butter and house jam

The mini corn dogs were Mack’s favourite – easy to eat, with a thin, crisp batter, they easily had enough flavour to do without the dipping mustard. We agreed we’d be back for more.

Mini corn dogs

Unfortunately, the mac ‘n’ cheese didn’t quite live up to our expectations. It was under-seasoned, and neither of us tasted bacon or the promised chili heat. We did like the fun topping of Ritz crackers, but this added texture was lost when we ended up having to mix it through the pasta to bring the creamy sauce throughout the dish.

Mac ‘n’ cheese

Service was excellent – our server was attentive, and made sure to check in with us before happy hour expired, which was appreciated. Her only minor misstep was mentioning that Grizzly Gouda, the Sylvan Star cheese used in some of the dishes, was sourced from BC.

After dinner, we headed over to the arcade. Token prices were reasonable – $5 earned us 10 tokens (most machines only needed 1 token to start a game). We played our way through a few machines, including an Atari racetrack, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and my personal favourite, Star Wars (what’s better than a basic target practice game to release some tension?).

Ms. Pac-Man

I’m an unabashed adult fan of Chuck-E-Cheese, but there’s something about a more mature atmosphere and the possibility of having a cocktail in hand during a games session.

Flying through Hoth

There’s still a lot of items we’re excited to try on Denizen Hall’s menu, so with it being just down the block from us, we can see ourselves returning soon for the food. But with the added appeal of challenging ourselves in the arcade, I anticipate some hours will also be lost over drinks and games.

The Denizen Hall
10311 103 Avenue
Tuesday-Saturday 4pm-2am

We Got Married!

Mack and I got married in Edmonton on September 27, 2014. We had the most wonderful day. But, as anyone who has planned a wedding can tell you, the number of people and goods involved can be complex. We wanted to sum up our day, which would also pay homage to the great vendors we worked with along the way.

Sharon: The most common question leading up to the wedding was whether or not it was stressful planning it. To be honest, the wedding was one of the most fun occasions I’ve ever organized – it was a chance for Mack and I celebrate with our loved ones, and through the process, work with vendors we respect. Any stress leading up to it was related to the fact that the wedding was the last of four “events” we were producing in the seven weeks leading up to the end of September, followed by our honeymoon departure two days after. But we made the bed, so although it was hectic, it was entirely by choice.

Mack: I was thrilled with the way our wedding day went and it was all thanks to Sharon. I certainly tried to help, but it probably won’t surprise you to learn that she was the one that truly made it happen. Maybe it was because we’ve attended a bunch of our friends’ weddings over the last few years, but she just knew what to do, from start to finish. As usual, I’d have been completely lost without her. I appreciate that she included me in the planning process and always asked for my opinion, even if sometimes she had already made up her mind!

What We Wore

Sharon: I have always loved the look of Audrey Hepburn’s wedding dress in the final scene of Funny Face – elegant, chic, and tea-length. Although conventional wedding dresses are typically to the floor or beyond, I knew something less fussy and easier to wear would suit me better.

A few years ago, while visiting Amanda in Toronto, we were riding the streetcar on Queen West, when I caught a glance of a storefront window featuring cocktail-length wedding dresses. The shop I was admiring turned out to be Cabaret, a respected vintage retailer which, in recent years, had also developed an in-house collection of vintage-inspired wedding dresses. The Cabaret staff were fabulous to work with, and I loved that the garments were handmade in Toronto. In May, I ordered “The Bijou”, one of the dresses I had seen in the window all those years ago. They shipped it out to me free of charge, and it fit perfectly, requiring no alterations. I couldn’t have imagined getting married in anything else.

Sharon: For my sisters’ bridesmaids dresses, we were hoping to continue that vintage look. Our colour palate was cranberry and charcoal. After shopping around, we couldn’t shake the appeal of Alfred Sung’s line of dresses. We found a great selection at Bridal Debut in Sherwood Park.

I also wanted to mention the two lovely ladies who did our hair and make-up that day. It’s an understatement to say I rarely dabble in beauty products, so I entrusted Jenn Chivers and Jenise Wong to help me. Jenn was efficient, professional, and was able to create art from an image. Jenise, a friend of Felicia’s, knew my apprehension about not looking or feeling like myself, so made sure I was comfortable with the make-up. I think she did a fabulous job!

Mack: Honestly, I had never really considered what I would wear on my wedding day. There’s no “That Suit is a Beaut” or “Say Perfecto to the Tuxedo” show on TLC for guys. I guess I always figured my bride would guide me. Fortunately, she did. At Sharon’s suggestion, I decided I liked the lighter grey color with some red to pop. I wanted to look good, but I certainly didn’t want anything that would take attention away from Sharon and her dress. So with that in mind, service became the most important criteria for choosing where to get my tux.

After checking out a couple of options, we made our way to Moore’s on Calgary Trail, where we met an awesome sales associate named Agnus. She was helpful right from the start, and made great suggestions such as getting an off-white shirt because Sharon’s dress wasn’t pure white (and could look yellow in photos if my shirt was). I ended up renting a BLACK by Vera Wang tuxedo, and was very happy with it. Again, the service at Moore’s was fantastic.

Sharon: Although we were impressed by the sample arrangements at Wild Orchid, our deciding factor to book with them was their proximity to our condo. Being one block away, we negated delivery charges, and a member of our wedding party simply walked over the morning of to grab the bouquets. Sticking to vendors close to home definitely had its advantages!

Taking Care of Business

Sharon: I liked the idea of a first look – not only would it take the pressure off waiting until the start of the ceremony to see each other in our wedding attire, but it also meant we could be more economical about our time that day.

We squeezed in an extra location for our wedding party shoot in the time leading up to the ceremony, taking advantage of having the City Market right outside our front door. It was important to us to incorporate as many of our favourite Edmonton activities into our day as possible – sure, our wedding was primarily to celebrate our love of each other, but why not celebrate our love of Edmonton, too?

Mack: Though I was happy for Sharon to take the lead on figuring out what our day would like, I knew for sure that I wanted a tea ceremony to be part of it. The modern tea ceremony is a nod to Chinese culture and tradition and is a great way to show respect to our parents. There are variations on the procedure, but in general it consists of the bride and groom serving tea to their parents (and sometimes other elders like aunts, uncles, and grandparents). In exchange, they are presented with a small gift to wish the couple good luck.

In our case, we served our parents tea. We also included Sharon’s sisters, and they served us tea in exchange for a red pocket (as we’re their elders). It was a fun way to include a little bit of Sharon’s familial heritage into our day.

Saying “We Do!”

Mack: Because we have decided to live in the core, Sharon and I walk whenever possible – we walk to work, to the market, and to activities. So it was important to us that we be able to walk on our wedding day too. That meant a venue downtown, and though we initially had our sights set on the Citadel’s Tucker Amphitheatre, we ultimately settled on the historic McKay Avenue School. Located a few short blocks from home, we knew it would make the logistics on the day much easier for us, and we hoped that being centrally located would mean easier access for our guests too. The third floor assembly hall was where we held our ceremony, a beautiful space with old wooden beams and floors, and a skylight too. We are thrilled that City Council has recently decided to proceed with designating the building as a Municipal Historic Resource, so that other Edmontonians can enjoy its history and character for years to come.

Sharon: Mack and I had elected to use an internet-based system to manage our guest list instead of issuing paper-based invites. And though we had some functionality challenges with Appy Couple, it was still the right choice for us. It also allowed us to invest more of our budget into the paper program, which we treated as the primary souvenir from the ceremony. Erica Leong, a close family friend, is a designer based out of Vancouver, and she did a fantastic job translating our vision for a whimsical representation of a few of our favourite places in Edmonton. The program text itself was adapted from an online template.

Sharon: After moving to 104 Street, I started associating City Market mornings with the sound of Martin Kerr’s voice. Windows open, his acoustic songs would float up into our condo, and over breakfast, we’d be able to enjoy his renditions of everything from Oasis to Jack Johnson. Knowing he also performed at weddings, we booked him early on in the planning process – while we didn’t get a chance to shop at the market that morning, we did have a piece of the market at our ceremony that day.

Mack: Friends of ours had Fat Franks at their wedding a few years ago and we thought it was a fun, unique way to offer guests something to eat after the ceremony. Plus, with our penchant for food trucks, we knew we wanted to incorporate them into our day in some form! We decided to ask Eva Sweet to serve the waffles we have enjoyed so regularly at the City Market downtown. They were also one of the very first participants at What the Truck?! Back in 2011.

What We Ate

Mack: Whenever Sharon and I are feeling gluttonous and don’t want to cook, we make a trip over to Route 99. We have been eating there since our first trip together in 2007 and I guess you could say that over the years it has become “our place”. We love the easy-going atmosphere, the quick service, and the non-traditional but extremely tasty poutine.

It was important to Sharon that we plan lunch for the wedding party into the schedule of the day as this is often overlooked and just makes everyone hungry and grumpy until the reception. That’s how we found ourselves at Route 99 for lunch in our fancy wedding clothes! It was a great way to relax slightly after the stress of the ceremony, to take a look at the social media posts that had gone up, and to go over our plans for the remainder of the day.

Sharon: We’ve always loved Chef Blair Lebsack’s food. Since his tenure at Madison’s Grill, to his outdoor farm dinners, and now, his celebrated establishment RGE RD, Blair has been an integral part in our journey of understanding the possibilities of locally-sourced ingredients. That said, we knew hosting our reception at RGE RD would require a very select guest list, as the restaurant only has the capacity of forty. We didn’t regret our decision – an intimate group meant we were able to spend more time with our friends and family, and the absolutely gracious staff made us feel right at home.

We were able to customize a menu with Blair (to the point of requesting specific dishes we’d enjoyed in the past), while Caitlin designed the drink pairings. Mack and I especially appreciated Blair’s willingness to introduce each dish – the guided tasting elevated the experience, which was a first for many of our guests. And of course, the food – I will never forget the tempura-fried, ricotta-stuffed tomato, the incredibly flavourful potage, the wood-fired roasted chicken and the panna cotta that everyone couldn’t stop talking about. It was a beautiful end to a wonderful day, and I’m so grateful to the staff that made it happen.

Mack: Photography is of course an important part of any wedding, and truth be told we’ve known for a while who wanted to help us capture the day. We first met Bruce and Sarah Clarke of Moments in Digital a few years ago at one of the tweetups we hosted, and we were immediately impressed with not only the quality of their work but also how great they were to work with.

We knew that Bruce and Sarah would make us feel comfortable and that the result would be a series of beautiful images that we’d be able to enjoy for years to come. They were incredibly helpful right from the start, and played a big role in helping us to organize and plan the day. We’re very happy with how the photos turned out and hope you enjoy them too!

Sharon: No wedding can happen without the help and support of family and friends, and ours was no exception. From our parents to our wedding party, and our friends who lent, manned or otherwise ensured things were done before or on the day, Mack and I are in your debt.

More to Love on 124 Street: Solstice Seasonal Cuisine

For Mack’s belated birthday dinner last Friday, he chose Solstice Seasonal Cuisine, the newest restaurant to open on 124 Street. While it replaced Somerville Wine Room & Bistro, which means the total inventory hasn’t changed in the neighbourhood, it still reinforces the fact that 124 Street still commands attention for those seeking what is new and hot.

The restaurant’s pedigree is strong, with the four partners having trained and honed their skills at the respectable Packrat Louie. Not to mention that Executive Chef Jan Trittenbach has Canadian Culinary Championship and local Gold Medal Plates titles to his name. Solstice opened quietly on December 22, 2014, so though it has only had a few weeks under its belt, we were eager to see what they had to offer.

The interior of the restaurant is recognizable from its previous tenant in terms of the colour scheme and basic layout, but some changes have been made. The banquet has been removed in favour of standalone chairs, and the bar has been remastered, now sharing its space with an urban cultivator. The room as a whole is understated and comfortable.

Interior

When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed and immediately ushered to a table. On that Friday night, there were only three other parties that came through during our visit. Although January can be a slower month for restaurants, I’m sure its entrance into the food scene during the holiday season has translated into a more gradual start.

We started with cocktails. Solstice had a number of original cocktail creations, but we decided to choose from drinks that had been inspired by bartenders from elsewhere. Mack’s Mad Man, influenced by Frankie Solarik of Toronto’s Barchef, featured tobacco syrup, while my NYC Si Mamacita was a refreshing combination of grapefruit, tequila, chamomile syrup, aperol and lime.

Cocktails

The food menu contained less than a dozen appetizers and mains, but the selection is varied enough to appeal to different tastes. Given the restaurant’s stated commitment to local producers (and their inclusion on the website), it would have been nice to see some of their names on the physical menu as well. Their motto claims a desire to cook seasonally, so expect menu changes based on the availability of ingredients.

On that night, craving warmth over diversity after our chilly bus ride over, both of us ordered the soup of the week ($9) to start, an enticing potato and bacon. The potato base wasn’t wholly smooth, which was Mack’s preference, but it definitely hit the spot.

Potato and bacon soup

My beef short ribs ($28) were well prepared, though the accompanying baked potato perogies ended up being the stars of the plate. I loved the smoky bacon flavour, and declared them a very close second to RGE RD’s house made bundles.

Beef short ribs

Mack’s halibut and prawns ($32) had no shortage of tastes and textures. He found the halibut slightly overcooked, but no fault with the rest of the dish.

Halibut and prawns

For dessert, the caramel apple crème brulee ($12) caught our eye. While we couldn’t discern the apple flavour in the brulee itself, we appreciated the generous sugar crust and creamy custard. The green apple sorbet was wonderfully tart, and in warmer months, it could be a featured dessert all on its own.

Caramel apple crème brulee

While the food was solid, what set Solstice apart was the service. Sure, it wasn’t a packed house, but our server was attentive, friendly and gave us the space we needed to enjoy each other. We lingered over our coffee and never felt rushed to leave as we relaxed our way into the weekend.

It’ll be interesting to see how Solstice’s menu shifts with the seasons, but hopefully traffic will pick up as their name spreads over the next few weeks.

Solstice Seasonal Cuisine
10723 124 Street
(780) 488-4567
Monday-Saturday 5pm-11pm

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