A Little Less Lustre: Red Star

Prior to checking out a show at Western Canada Fashion Week two weeks ago, May and I were intent on grabbing a bite to eat downtown. Though our original plan was to meet at MRKT, it turned out the restaurant was booked for a private function. As a result, we ended up heading down the stairs to Red Star (it’s great to have so many establishments within a stone’s throw of one another).

Given it was a Thursday night, we thought it would be much busier than the three small parties present. Perhaps the post-work crowd was elsewhere that evening for happy hour celebrations?

It’s been over a year since I’ve had a sit-down meal at Red Star, and in that time, star chef Daniel Costa had left to open his own popular venture. Although some of the menu items were similar to the old menu, there were a few less items to choose from, especially in terms of heartier dishes. And though I know Red Star doesn’t necessarily strive to be known for its food (the extensive beer menu is what is most often cited), I did appreciate the options before.

May and I decided to share an order of beef carpaccio, and each ordered Pembina pork pasta as a main (two items that remained from Chef Costa’s original menu). Our dishes took a little longer than we would have liked, but I’m sure the kitchen was putting up plates as fast as possible – one of the other tables had ordered food as well.

The carpaccio was not a subtle dish, as there was a little too much lemon and parmesan, overwhelming the beef. On the other hand, I loved the balance of the fresh arugula and the slightly tart and crunchy green apple.

Beef Carpaccio

The pasta was just the right serving size, with a generous amount of pork enrobed in the sweet tomato sauce. Instead of the expected sausage or ground meat in a dish like this, the pork had been pulled; a nice surprise. My only critique was for the meat to have had a fuller texture closer to distinct shreds as opposed to an almost mashed consistency.

Pembina pork pasta

Although Red Star is still a good, low-key option for a casual meal with more creativity than your average pub, I wonder if it has lost some of its lustre since Chef Costa’s departure. This visit wouldn’t deter me from returning again, but I’d likely try some of the other dishes next time.

Red Star Pub
10534 Jasper Avenue
(780) 428-0825

#yegalleyburger Redux

Back in April, my sisters and I lined up for Edmonton’s alley burger, offered by the enterprising Century Hospitality Group. Modelled after Charcut’s popular venture in Calgary, chefs at Hundred tweet out the time the burgers will be served so hungry patrons can plan to line up early to guarantee themselves some grub. This time, Felicia and I had Jeff and Mack in tow too – the two of them hadn’t yet tried a #yegalleyburger.

On Friday, we arrived in the back alley around a quarter after nine (the burgers were to be served at 10pm) and found that we were the first ones there! Over the next half an hour, thirty people or so arrived and joined us in line.

The line-up

At 9:50, Chef Andrew Cowan came out to trade $5 for a poker chip that we would ultimately exchange for a burger.

Mack and Jeff will gamble for good eats

Right on time, Chef Cowan came out with a tray full of burgers. He said that the kitchen had decided to do a classic cheeseburger, with lots of garlic, leaf lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo.

Chef Cowan

Success!

Mack’s patty in particular was cooked pretty rare, but he didn’t mind. They were also quite serious about the garlic – roughly chopped, it was definitely the dominant flavour of the burger. Though both Felicia and I preferred the previous alley burger incarnation featuring egg and arugula, this was still one tasty burger.

#yegalleyburger

The main difference between Edmonton’s alley burger and Calgary’s edition is the creativity Hundred’s kitchen demonstrates each time – patrons never know what to expect. It will be interesting to see how late in the year Hundred will continue this – how cold will they go?

Great for the Neighbourhood: Pho Huong & Mama Pizza

Although there are many restaurants within walking distance of my office, some which are quite good (Padmanadi, Basil Leaf and Pho Tau Bay included), when winter descends, I often wish for a closer alternative that is equally consistent. The day may have finally arrived!

Ellen’s Aunt and Uncle, Ken and Lisa Quach, took over Pho Huong & Mama Pizza (10531 107 Avenue, 780-422-6262), which reopened on September 30. Prior to this overhaul, I hadn’t set foot in the establishment – coworkers had warned me that it wasn’t exactly the most welcoming place.

Now, Pho Huong & Mama Pizza is a gem in the neighbourhood, reminding me very much of Absolutely Edibles on 118 Avenue. Ken, a carpenter by trade, redid the entire interior, installing the wood fixtures he built himself, and lining the walls with cozy but classy booths. I especially loved the photos of farmers with their fresh produce along the wall – a visual link to the ingredients that inspire the cuisine.

Interior (thanks to Suman who lent me her camera)

It has always been Lisa’s goal to open a restaurant. Having perfected her recipes after years of cooking (including that of fish sauce!), her dream has finally come true. Although Vietnamese cuisine is Lisa’s forte, because of the neighbourhood’s taste for pizza (they still get calls for delivery), they maintained the pizza side of the menu; hence the two names of the restaurant.

New bar and flat screens

A few of my coworkers had lunch with Ellen at Pho Huong & Mama Pizza on Tuesday. The patrons that were inside were already tucking into their dishes – and there was not one pizza in sight.

As Ellen knows, my personal “litmus test” for Vietnamese restaurants is an order of green onion cakes followed by an order of pho. The green onion cakes ($4.25) were golden and crispy, but weren’t quite salty enough for me (but then again, I prefer my green onion cakes very salty!).

Green onion cakes

The beef brisket pho ($8 for a large bowl) was absolutely a standout. The broth had great depth of flavour – meaty and substantial, fragrant but not overpowering. The brisket was served rare (just the way I like it), and cooked to shredded perfection in the hot soup. It was also a huge serving – I am rarely defeated by pho, but I was that day.

Pho with brisket

The rest of our table ordered a wide range of dishes, from grilled pork chop and grilled chicken on rice to the 5 colour vermicelli bowl to the seafood rice noodle soup. Everyone was very happy with their dishes, and Astrid wasn’t even able to finish her serving!

Grilled pork chop rice plate ($8.75)

Grilled chicken rice plate ($8.95)

5 colour vermicelli bowl ($10.50)

Seafood rice soup ($8.00 for small)

Businesses like Pho Huong & Mama Pizza are key pieces of the revitalization puzzle, they can become a draw to residents and visitors alike, invigorating the area in the process. I can only hope more enterprising people like Ken and Lisa choose to invest in Central McDougall – and in the process, we may get even more tasty restaurants in the neighbourhood.

Road Trip: Calgary Eats

Though we would have preferred to have had every meal from a food truck, that just wasn’t possible with so many vendors out of commission over the weekend. So we filled in the blanks with restaurants, which didn’t turn out so bad at all either.

Blink

Though we had good intentions to walk over to 17th Avenue for dinner, we succumbed to our lethargic mood and decided to choose a restaurant near our hotel (the Le Germain, our new Calgary favourite). We wandered Stephen Avenue, and decided to revisit Blink.

The last time we dined at Blink was three years ago, for a Dine Out Week prix fixe menu. I had been impressed by the service and the interior (I’m a sucker for exposed brick!), while the food was a mixed bag. Still, they had the most enticing menu on our walkabout, and it was a good opportunity to dine at the same place again.

Interior

Mack and I chose to share four appetizers and sides, something our server was clearly not accustomed to. But it worked out well, as all four dishes arrived simultaneously, so we could graze as we pleased. Our server was also very attentive – I don’t think my water glass ever reached half empty before being refilled.

The pork belly and roasted scallops ($14.50) were sensational. It was easily the best pork belly I’ve had in some time – the fat didn’t just melt, it burst, dissolving into a silky swathe for the tender meat beneath.

Pork belly and roasted scallops

It was great to see several tomato dishes on the menu, celebrating the best of what the late summer season had to offer. We would have easily eaten a bowl full of the roasted tomatoes that topped the tart ($12), but we were just happy that the vegetables (accented with a basil puree) were the star of the dish. The tart itself was thin and buttery, and complemented the tomatoes instead of overwhelming them.

Tomato tart

I had been wowed by the puree of squash varietals that I had tried previously, and was hoping for a similar impression from the roasted tomato soup ($12.50). It was good, but I would have preferred a touch more sweetness to balance the tartness.

Roasted tomato soup

The macaroni and cheese ($8.50) was the only real dud of our quartet. No question a generous hand dealt the great melting cheese that encased the crevasses of each noodle, but the cheese itself tasted flat and flavourless.

Our second experience at Blink would be enough to bring me back again. There’s something intimate about the restaurant, low-lit and understated. And with a deft kitchen in the back and stellar service up front, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it to others.

Red’s Diner

Maybe we just need to visit Calgary more often, but I find there’s always a new diner to try when we get there. This time, it was Red’s Diner, just down the street from Central Memorial Park.

Red’s Diner

When we arrived, there was already a cluster of patrons on the sidewalk waiting for tables. But we were told the wait time was just fifteen minutes, so we stuck around. And unlike at other diners, the estimate wasn’t deceiving – we actually did get seats after fifteen minutes!

Loved the “retro” coffee mugs

We sat at the counter (where there were purse hooks underneath in front of each stool – so thoughtful), and as a result, had a front row seat to the kitchen. This kitchen put up empty plates on the window, and filled them accordingly – an orange twirl to start, then some bacon, toast, then eggs…ding! Order up!

The view from the counter

I ordered Red’s big breakfast ($12.99), which definitely lived up to its name. Three eggs, bacon, sausage, a giant buckwheat pancake and two pieces of toast (sourdough cheese toast – not something often seen as an option); I was defeated. The eggs could have been creamier, but that was my only quibble.

Red’s big breakfast

Mack, who figured he wouldn’t be getting his perogy fix via food truck, decided on the Prairie breakfast plate ($13.99). It was also quite the hearty breakfast, with homemade perogies, kielbasa, two eggs, potatoes and toast. Mack thought the potatoes were seasoned really well, and his eggs were perfect.

Prairie breakfast plate

The kitchen was quick, service was friendly, and Red’s captured that perfect weekend morning atmosphere – bright, bustling and brimming with the simmering aroma of breakfast. We have many diner favourites, but Red’s is now close to the top of that list.

Jelly Modern Doughnuts

A Calgary food trip wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Jelly Modern Doughnuts. We were first introduced to their delectable treats back in June, when Mack picked up a dozen doughnuts on his way home from a conference. Their handmade, creative concoctions are made with local ingredients to boot!

Doughnuts!

I love the option of a kid-sized doughnut (available for most of their flavours), which for me, was absolutely the perfect size. The sprinkles were the best part.

Yum…

Though Calgary is only a few hours away, it always seems like a world away in terms of food. I’m sure it has something to do with its relative novelty, and feeling like a tourist in the city, but a trip to our southern neighbour is always a fun getaway.

Culinary Q & A with Liv Vors

Occupation: Calzone-maker/freelance journalist/erstwhile biologist

What did you eat today?

Some boring stuff like cereal but also a calzone for lunch and some beef tongue tacos at Tres Carnales for supper.

What do you never eat?

Cookies made from dough in a tube. Very nasty.

What is your personal specialty?

Brownies. They’re my mom’s original recipe.

Complete this sentence: In my refrigerator, you will always find:

Cheese.

What is your weekday meal standby?

If I’m tired, fried eggs from my friend’s farm. If I’m not tired, pizza made from scratch.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My stand mixer.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

A huge slice of my grandma’s bumbleberry pie with ice cream and a cup of good coffee

Where do you eat out most frequently?

It’s a toss-up between Corso 32 and Niche.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

Tough call. So many good places to choose from now. It’s a three-way tie between Corso 32, Niche and Tres Carnales. I love them all for different reasons.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

I’d eat salmon in Norway, risotto in northern Italy and roti in Trinidad.

You can find Liv’s musings at Dine and Write.

A Summery Sunday in Edmonton: Viva Italia Viva Edmonton and the Alley of Light

Mack and I started off our Sunday at Urban China for dim sum with my family. It’s been much too long since we’ve done that on a weekend morning, because we clearly underestimated the crowds: it was a forty minute wait from the time my parents arrived around noon. We’ll get an earlier start next time; Urban China is still one of my favourite places for dim sum in Edmonton!

Crispy pork dumplings

We then headed off to Giovanni Caboto Park for the last day of the East Meets West Festival that celebrated all things Italian!

This was our first time at Viva Italia Viva Edmonton, though we’ve taken in the Chinese and African legs of the celebration in past years. It was easily the best part of the festival we’ve ever attended.

Chasing Jones

Part of that had to do with the amount of space afforded in Little Italy, especially when compared with Chinatown or the McCauley School grounds. With a playground, spray park, wide green spaces as well as the street, there were definitely a lot more possibilities because of the area.

Lots of families were out!

That said, the organizers still had to program the wide expanse, and they did that with panache. We arrived around 2pm, and found an abundance of things to peruse. Between browsing the shops and the car show, watching the soccer tournament, taking in the cooking demonstrations, or enjoying the on-stage entertainment, there really was something for everyone (Maki thought so too).

Zocalo tent

Mack’s dream car

Soccer tournament

I have to say I particularly enjoyed Chef Daniel Costa’s demonstration. He made something I’ll never be able to pronounce, let alone spell out. Needless to say, it was a bucatini pasta with cured pig jowl and a San Marzano tomato sauce. He was great handling audience questions, and clearly loved sharing his passion for Italian cuisine with the crowd. Perhaps most invaluable was learning about some of his favourite products available at the Italian Centre (such as the Rio brand of olive oil for cooking).

Chef Daniel Costa

Speaking of food, one of the most entertaining moments of the day for us was the pizza eating contest. Four women who work in local media were recruited for the spectacle, which required them to eat as much of a medium pizza as they could in five minutes. Brandy Taylor of Sonic and Kit Koon of OMNI tied, and ended up in a two minute eat-off. Brandy emerged as the champion.

Sizeable crowd on hand

Chow down!

There was also plenty of food options to keep festival-goers well fed. Fantasia Gelato easily had the longest line-ups that day, though Sorrentino’s and the Italian Centre were also serving up Italian fare.

Gelato line

Cooking up sausages

Wine and cheese tasting tent

Our only suggestion for next year is to have all of the information up on a website prior. The postcards with the festival week schedule were nice, but didn’t have the detailed information that would definitely help them attract an even bigger crowd.

We hopped on a bus, and on the walk home, came across the Alley of Light public art installation still in progress.

It’s a really neat project – three artists were commissioned by the Edmonton Arts Council to create a design that could be made into a stencil. The stencil would then be used to paint a portion of the alley.

Featuring bold, bright colours, it is a project that puts art in unexpected (but welcome!) places, and will definitely turn some heads. And hopefully, as forecasted by the speech bubble, invite dialogue about public art and the Alley of Light itself.

Alley of Light

Check it out the next time you’re downtown!

A Taste of Whyte: The 1st Annual Red Shoe Crawl

Given how much I love exploring neighbourhoods on foot, I was predisposed to liking the idea of the Red Shoe Crawl, put on by the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta. The fact that it exceeded my expectations was just icing on the cake!

Red Shoe Crawl

I received an e-mail from Jen Panteluk a few months ago about a fundraising event the House was in the midst of organizing. The Red Shoe Crawl would be an opportunity for participants to sample fare from different establishments in Old Strathcona, with the entire $35 ticket price going to the charity. Jen shared with me that all of the businesses were not only enthusiastic about the idea, but had all generously agreed to donate food or drinks.

Red balloon markers!

We had a three hour window on that Sunday afternoon to visit all nineteen participating vendors. There was even an added incentive to complete the loop: the chance to win prizes. Mack and I thought: with ease! Boy, were we wrong.

Having purchased our tickets ahead of time, we signed in at Chili’s, received our passports adorned with red ribbon that doubled as a lanyard of sorts, and we were off.

Passport

Our first stop was Accent European Lounge. We were greeted by a friendly volunteer who signed off our passport, then asked us to help ourselves to a tray of tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella and a balsamic glaze. Because this was our first stop, we assumed all restaurants would providing made-ahead appetizers in a similarly casual, self-serve manner.

Tomatoes with mozzarella and a balsamic glaze

Well, perhaps some restaurants should have. Because this was a first time event, and the businesses were donating their food (and staff and space), it’s hard to fault the establishments that didn’t quite make it work. The Pourhouse was one of them. Situated a few doors down from Chili’s, they were slammed from the start, and in the fifteen minutes that we waited, we saw only a single plate of their nacho dogs with stuffed potato soup go out. We ended up leaving, with full intentions of returning, but didn’t get around to it.

The Pourhouse

In contrast, Two Rooms was pumping out plates of bannock and bruschetta like a well-oiled machine. It was also the stop that tuned us into the fact that if we had to consume fifteen more plates that size, we likely wouldn’t make it.

Bannock and bruschetta – the bannock was great, crispy on the outside, and chewy on the inside

Elephant & Castle had a special place for Red Crawl participants. Cordoned off upstairs, it made it easy for staff to identify who still had to be served.

Fish and coleslaw – good, but the fish was a little under seasoned for my taste (Mack disagreed)

With fried food in our bellies, we thought it would be a good opportunity to walk it off, given we still had three quarters of the tour left to go. McDonald’s was the furthest destination we had, and it sounded like at that point in the game, hardly anyone had made it that far. We were rewarded with a full size drink of our choosing.

The display cups were too cute!

Iced coffees (Mack remarked that he preferred these to the Starbucks iced brewed coffees – sacrilege!)

Back on Whyte, Irie Foods treated us to a beef patty. It resembled a pizza pop, but the spicy, well seasoned ground beef filling was so much better. At $3 a pop on the menu, we thought it would be an easy to eat item to pick up during the Fringe, and a much cheaper, but satisfying alternative to the food on the grounds.

Jamaican beef patty

Fuss Cupcakes, further down the street, offered us our first dessert of the afternoon, a cute mini red velvet cupcake topped with yellow icing – a delightful homage to the Ronald McDonald House. Our only grimace – the volunteer who told us she was sick, right before handing us cupcakes without gloves on.

Cupcake!

Mack had been looking forward to the next stop all day – Molly’s Eats was parked on 104 Street, just south of Whyte. We’d been wanting to try Molly’s for some time now, but this was the first time it worked out. And even better, it was worth the wait! The proveletta sandwich was delicious, packed with melty cheese and perfectly crispy, buttered bread. It was our favourite taste of the day.

Susan of Molly’s Eats

Proveletta sandwich

The skies were threatening to open up at this point, so it seemed like a good time to start wine-ing down (heh). Well, that and we were starting to get full. Eyecare Group was one of two participating non-food establishments (the other being The Tin Box), so I was eager to see how they fit into the picture. Turns out, they were perhaps the most savvy – offering a wine pour and encouraging guests to browse the store, with the added incentive of a coupon for a $50 discount.

Wine

We had our most relaxing experience that afternoon at Murietta’s. We were seated and provided with a glass of water while we waited. Staff were calm and professional, and though the visit was brief, it was the restaurant that impressed us the most, and one that we would most likely return to based on that day.

Garlic prawns – maybe shrimp would be a more accurate descriptor, but served warm, they were tasty

Next up was another beverage – a chillate from Second Cup. I can’t tell you how relieved Mack and I were when presented with sample instead of full-size servings.

Mini Chillates

At this point, Mack had been utterly defeated by the food. He was stuffed past the brim, while I was just uncomfortably full. We agreed to do two more stops. The first was Sabzy, which had set up its tasting station outside of the storefront. They offered tastes of both a quinoa salad and a rosewater-based drink.

Quinoa salad and rosewater

We had saved the ice cream for last – any flavour from What’s the Scoop?

Ice cream

We ended up missing six passport markers – Cha Island Tea, The Tin Box, The Pita Pit, Chianti’s (which was offering a full appetizer order – we were bursting just thinking about it), the Old Strathcona Rack (we had wandered in, but no volunteer – or staff for that matter – could be found), and Chili’s (where the after party was being held). I’m not sure how many people actually finished the rounds, but hats off to them!

We did our best!

We didn’t stay for the after party – we still had some errands to run that afternoon – but we’re sure it was a good time. On the way home, I kept thinking about how this was such a great medium for a taste event. Not only do chefs actually get to cook in a full kitchen, but diners set foot and get a feel for the actual restaurant. I think it’s also a great way to expose people to a neighbourhood – had Taste 118 gone ahead as planned, I would have hoped for something like this. But other BRZs or districts of interest should also take note – Chinatown/Little Italy, Avenue of Nations, 124 Street, Little India, Little Lebanon…the replication of this type of event is possible all over.

I’ve been told that the Red Show Crawl itself will be an annual event, and that even more restaurants had expressed interest than they could have accommodated this time around. So expect an even better (and possibly bigger) event next year! Kudos to Jen and the rest of the Ronald McDonald House staff and volunteers for planning a fantastic afternoon.

Fringeopolis: A Banner Year!

The Fringe threw its biggest party in thirty years, and more people than ever before showed up! I’m ecstatic that the festival attracted its largest crowds this August, but more than that, finally blew past the 100,000 ticket barrier (selling a total of 104,142 tickets)! I’m sure some of this had to do with the stellar weather over the ten days, and its anniversary year, but it’s likely also connected to the proliferation of BYOVs (Bring Your Own Venues) across the city.

Several of the shows I took in this year were hosted at BYOVs, but only one that we visited was far-flung from the Old Strathcona stratosphere, at the Stanley Milner Library. Though I do enjoy immersing myself in the festivities of the Fringe grounds, on a weeknight when we only had enough time or energy to take in one show, I really appreciated being able to have dinner at home, walk to the venue, and walk back, without having to transcend the crowds. I had to wonder if those who live in Oliver or on Alberta Avenue felt the same way about their neighbourhood BYOVs. I know it’s a train of thought engendered as a result of where we live, but if this trend of BYOV expansion continues, it’d be neat to see BYOV “districts” spring up, so that patrons wouldn’t necessarily have to leave Old Strathcona for just one or two shows. If they could base an evening or a day in that area, perhaps it would be win-win for everyone.

Sustainival

Sustainival was a new to the Fringe this year, carnival rides powered by used vegetable oil. I’m a sucker for amusements, so I was looking forward to taking this part of the festival in as well. I wasn’t sure how successful it was, as there never seemed to be that many people in line. From his remarks, Sustainival CEO Joey Hundert seemed happy with the response (25,000 rides sold), so perhaps a steady stream was all that could be expected from a sideshow that was new to everyone.

Mack and I rode the Tornado and the Ferris wheel (of course), and we definitely appreciated the lack of line-ups. From up above, however, Sustainival definitely seemed like a world of its own, not yet integrated into the Fringe world.

The Food

I felt like we bought and ate more food on the grounds that we have in past years – and like the plays we watched, some meals were better than others. My favourite was again Zaika – the mango chicken ($10) provided a healthy portion that wasn’t overly spicy or sweet, and a samosa with a crisp-perfect texture.

Mango chicken with rice and a samosa

The Nomad Kitchen was a disappointment, after hearing many good things about it. Service was poor: Jill and I weren’t acknowledged for several minutes, and when we were finally able to order the North African grill ($12), I received an incomplete dish (it wasn’t dressed with bean spouts, cilantro, or their signature sauce).

North African grill with tofu

Mack was similarly disappointed by his banana crepe ($6) from Crepes-Mania. The crepe itself was good, but they used green bananas so hard and tasteless he had to pick them out.

Banana crepe

Mini doughnuts are an annual tradition for us, and did (hurrah!) hit the spot.

Mini doughnuts

Some of the best food at the Fringe ended up being at sit-down restaurants. We had time in between performances one night, and trekked over to Route 99 to revel in our usual order of poutine and pizza.

Poutine! Pizza!

On another day, we lunched in a gloriously quiet Packrat Louie – a little pricey for a lunch at the Fringe, but a good trade-off for solace.

Spicy Hawaiian flatbread and Halibut ‘n Chips

The Plays

For the first time in recent memory, the balance of the dozen plays I watched this year tipped on the poor end of the scale. Two in particular I really didn’t care for, while a few others rounded out the middle. As I’ve said in the past, however, that usually makes me appreciate the ones I did enjoy all that much more.

Eco-Confessional: Just before walking into Eco-Confessional, Jill was scanning the Journal review of the play which noted how awkward and unrehearsed Mark Leiren-Young was. As such, we braced ourselves for the worst, but were both pleasantly surprised. Sure, Leiren-Young was far from polished (referring to his script now and then, or re-treading lines), even leaning into clumsy (acknowledging coughs and other noises from the audience), but because he weaved in an explanation of why he was the unlikeliest of performers, it all became a little endearing. The message of this show, which illustrated why “perfect is the enemy of the good” in the green movement, really resonated with me, but Leiren-Young also delivered his story with such passion and heart that it was easy to get swept up in his cause.
The Slipknot: I look forward to TJ Dawe every year, and he rarely disappoints. The Slipknot was the play that “catapulted” Dawe to fame a decade ago, the one that I never had the chance to see…until this year. Though it didn’t have the depth of Totem Figures, the show was every bit as witty as I expected, with amusing social commentary and observations throughout his tale of dead-end employment. I am always amazed at Dawe’s fast-talking ways, and his masterful ability to weave and connect seemingly parallel stories.
Mothership Down: Marty Chan’s Mothership Down, a play about Alberta’s Conservative dynasty and Canada’s political system, was presented in the form of a TED Talk. It was a vehicle I’d never seen used before, and alongside it, PowerPoint that had a hilariously omniscient presence and often, wielded clever punch lines. Frenetic, but at times poignant, it was very much a well-balanced play, with a lot owed to actor Taylor Chadwick, who did a fantastic job. It also featured Mack’s favourite ending of all the shows we watched, involving a pie and a victim we did not at all anticipate.
Little Room: The Slip-Knot did for TJ Dawe what Little Room did for Jon Lachlan Stewart – a play that made him a “household name” at the Fringe. It was another play I didn’t see when it debuted seven years ago, so I made sure to seize the opportunity this year. Intense and challenging, the semi-autobiographical show demanded much of Lachlan Stewart, who played different several characters with ease, and with three benches, transformed the stage into everything from a playground to a shopping complex. It was a coming-of-age story, but told with such raw honesty that even now, days later, I’m still haunted by the turn of events.

As a whole, I had a great time at this year’s Fringe, and as always, can’t wait for the next installment. Congratulations to the organizers, artists and volunteers for such a successful festival. Here’s hoping for 30 more years to come!

A Visit to Fort Edmonton Park

I’ve written in the past that Fort Edmonton Park is my favourite City attraction, but it has been a while since I’ve been able to enjoy it in on my own. So for my birthday this year, I asked Mack to take me to the Park.

The day started out with the kind of weather we have been accustomed to this summer – overcast, threatening rain, with fleeting rays of sunshine. But we didn’t want to let the grey spoil our day, and headed out anyway. Fortunately, the skies held up for the most part!

I was most looking forward to taking in the 1920s midway, and specifically, riding the ferris wheel (those Everwood fans out there will know why). I was disappointed that the ferris wheel wasn’t in operation that day due to the windy conditions, but we made the most of it anyway!

I heart the midway

The carousel was up first, its antique horses reminding me very much of the Zeum Carousel in San Francisco.

Whee!

We also decided to try our hand at some of the midway games. I think the one operator took pity on us, because he offered us not one, but two choice prizes even though we didn’t quite win the game.

Steady…

Yes, I missed

Mack’s favourite part of the day was riding the steam locomotive. He loves trains!

We took our time wandering the buildings and storefronts, Mack found a room with his name on it:

Can I move in?

Taylor Hall’s mini-me!

The pigs (on loan from Irvings) seemed so very happy rooting in the mud

Business at the Edmonton Bulletin

One room schoolhouse on 1885 Street

Beautiful table setting in the Rutherford House

Greenhouse on 1905 Street

Tea on the boardwalk

Encore!

We also tried our hand at the Tom Thumb Miniature Golf Course. I’m usually terrible at putting, but because it was my birthday, I think Mack let me win!

Fore!

Capitol Theatre, still under construction at that time

We ended the day at Johnson’s Café, the restaurant inside Hotel Selkirk. Our reservation was at 6pm to coincide with the closing of the park. It was so odd to see the streets nearly deserted, a stark contrast to just a few hours before.

But if we thought it was quiet outside, it was almost more so inside the restaurant – we were among just two other groups in the room. Because of the close proximity between the parties, one would think ambiance would be that much more important, and without any music, conversations were easily overheard. Our server was also a tad awkward, checking in too frequently for a meal that could have been paced much better, especially for a restaurant that is undoubtedly a destination.

Johnson’s Cafe

Unfortunately, the food didn’t make up for the lack of atmosphere. My cream of mushroom and leek soup with wild Alberta mushrooms, leeks, and chardonnay wine ($5) was my best course, seasoned well. Mack’s avocado caesar salad ($9) was great to look at – served in a parmesan frico cup with a generous avocado fan on top, but was difficult to break down and eat with a fork and knife. It would have helped if the frico was warm instead of cold.

Cream of mushroom and leek soup

Avocado caesar salad

I ordered the special – steak medallions with a chai tea glaze. For starters, I wouldn’t have called the meat I was served medallions, but I could have easily overlooked that if the steak had been cooked anywhere near the requested medium. The chai glaze was nice, but nothing could have remedied the overcooked, chewy meat (a diner at one of the other tables sent back his steak, perhaps something I should have done as well).

Steak medallions with a chai tea glaze

Mack fared better with his halibut wellington ($35), served with a lemon and dill sauce, but the fish was unevenly cooked.

Halibut wellington

At the end of the day, we were disappointed with Johnson’s Cafe, and wondered if our lacklustre meal was an isolated experience. If the grand vision for the redevelopment of Fort Edmonton Park is to succeed (which considered building up more evening food service options), because of the attraction’s location, the food and service must be top notch. Since the City’s expertise doesn’t lie in the hospitality business, perhaps for the future, a model such as the one adopted by the Muttart Conservatory (which saw popular local chain Culina provide the food services there), should be considered for Fort Edmonton Park as well.

Besides dinner though, I had a great time at Fort Edmonton Park. And with Capitol Theatre to check out (and a ferris wheel still to ride), I’ll be back again soon!

Some Things Never Change: Bistro Praha

There are two restaurants that are intimately woven into the fabric of my high school experience: the first is Boston Pizza, where countless birthday celebrations, post-movie dinners and impromptu meals were had. The second? Bistro Praha – for their Eastern European fare, their desserts, and a certain friend’s desire to cross paths with a certain teacher who frequented the establishment. So for nostalgic purposes (and to check out the new digs), I chose Bistro Praha for a quiet birthday dinner last month with Annie and May.

It was amazing to me how much the interior resembled Bistro Praha’s former storefront on Rice Howard Way (after having to close because of the 2009 Kelly-Ramsay Block fire, Bistro Praha finally reopened in the Empire Building in January). The walls, the furnishings, the accents – it really felt like the entire restaurant had just been lifted and pieced together in this space. The atmosphere hadn’t changed either – the same classical crescendos coalescing with conversational exchanges of patrons clearly enjoying themselves. We also did a double take on the menu – had the prices even changed since the last time we dined there?

Bistro Praha interior

Surprisingly, we all decided to order dishes that we hadn’t tried before. The food came lightning fast – it was almost as if the kitchen had known what we had wanted to order from the start! My filet of sole ($19.95), served with potatoes and butter mushrooms was generous, to say the least. The fish was under seasoned, but had a nicely browned crust and a flaky texture beneath. I have to say I probably enjoyed the sides more, the potatoes perfectly crispy (reminding me of those served at brunch) and mushrooms so tasty that makes one wonder why butter baths aren’t more common.

Filet of sole

May had her hands full too with the rack of lamb ($26.95). She commented that the meat was well prepared, and very much enjoyed her plate. Annie had been craving goulash ($9.75), bold and hearty, the better of the two dishes she ordered. The Hungarian sausage ($9.50) was good, but was served with an unappealing film of orange grease – Annie had to dab it off before digging in.

Rack of lamb

Goulash

Hungarian sausage

For dessert, we shared a strawberry crepe ($8.50). What a difference warm fruit makes! The berries just melted into its shell, finished with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and side of whipped cream. Had we not been full from our entrees, we could have easily devoured another.

Strawberry crepe

So many things have changed in the ten years since we graduated high school. But it’s a small comfort to know that Bistro Praha, in spite of its new location, hasn’t.

Bistro Praha
10117 101 Street
(780) 424-4218
Monday-Friday 11am-1am, Saturday 12pm-1am, Sunday 4-11pm

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