Meals in the ‘Hood: MRKT and Blue Plate Diner

One of the best things about living where we do is the plethora of restaurants within walking distance of our home. Although we’ve definitely been eating in a lot more than in past years, on those evenings where we feel like retiring from the stove, it’s great to have many neighbourhood options to choose from.

MRKT

Not too long ago, Jill, Mack and I had dinner at MRKT. Jill had never been before, but we knew she would like the atmosphere – laid back and unpretentious, it was the perfect place to have a casual bite to eat.

The MRKT ricotta was a lovely starter. Although the house-made ricotta itself didn’t have much flavour on its own, combined with the rosemary almond crackers and apricot-mango chutney, each layered bite begged for another.

MRKT ricotta

Like any of their soups, I couldn’t go wrong with the chickpea and beef stew (that night’s meat option). It was clear a lot of love went into that bowl – the meat and pulses were tender, the broth was well seasoned, and on that rainy day, the soup was thoroughly warming.

Chickpea and beef stew

Mack and Jill had both opted for the night’s special, a paella with chicken, mussels and shrimp. As far as they were concerned, the paella should have been on the regular menu.

Paella

With the kitchen’s consistency, you can never go wrong with MRKT. We’ll be back!

Blue Plate Diner

I cheered when Blue Plate Diner’s small, four-table patio was installed earlier this year (perhaps spring should not be measured in produce, but in patio resurrection?), but Mack and I hadn’t had the chance to enjoy it yet. The day finally came a few weeks ago before White Night, on an afternoon made for sipping a cool cocktail under the sun.

Cocktails always taste better on the patio

I love the new menus – laminated and sleek, they also feature a page highlighting which local producers and small businesses they source from! We weren’t all that hungry, so decided to split the Indian sampler platter.

The salad was unnecessary as far as we were concerned. Mack liked the samosas, chock full of potato goodness, while I actually preferred the cauliflower pakoras. Half the fun was experimenting with flavour combinations, as both cilantro yogurt and tamarind apricot chutney were provided for our dipping pleasure.

The spread

Like MRKT, Blue Plate Diner is another one of our go-to restaurants. Great for its proximity to our condo, but even better because we enjoy the food!

MRKT
10542 Jasper Avenue
Lunch: Tuesday-Friday 11am-2pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5pm-late

Blue Plate Diner
10145 104 Street
(780) 429-0740
Monday – Thursday 11 am – 10 pm, Friday 11 am – 11 pm, Saturday 9 am – 11 pm (Brunch 9 am – 1 pm), Sunday 9 am – 10 pm (Brunch 9 am – 2 pm)

Epic as Always: Indulgence 2011

Every June, there is no doubt the hottest ticket in town is for Indulgence. An evening of exquisitely paired food and wine, prepared by the best chefs in town, made using fresh, local ingredients? It’s a wonder organizers don’t charge double, given the reputation this event has gained over the past eleven years.

Entertainment

I was fortunate enough to have been given a free ticket this year, though we did purchase a ticket for Mack. Even better, we were let into the ballroom at the Delta Hotel a half hour before the doors officially opened – for that reason, perusing each of the stations this year felt much more relaxed and well-paced than in the past (Mack also attributed our stress-free evening to the fact that we now don’t sweat it if we can’t make it to every station).

Slow but steady

There were also some changes and additions that we really liked. First off, the forks were plant-based instead of the awkward wooden utensils (they were never able to pierce food in the way that they should have). Second, restaurants and producers were displaying banners all over the room, making it easier to identify stations (and of course, heighten brand recognition). Lastly, we noticed that more restaurants were handing out coupons this year. Really, Indulgence (like any other tasting event) should be a starting point, not the end, so I’m hopeful that the promise of discounts really helps drive new business through their doors.

Banners

Before the event really got going, Mary Bailey made a special announcement. Indulgence will be donating $26,000 to NAIT to start the Slow Food Edmonton Bursary. The annual $1500 bursary will “be available to NAIT culinary grads to fund a stage at a farm, vineyard or in locovore restaurants and purveyors. Not only does the bursary aim to encourage culinary alumni’s personal and professional knowledge of and connection with farm to table gastronomy, but it also continues the serious work of Indulgence — introducing farmers to chefs to continue growing our unique Northern Alberta gastronomic culture.” Given this is Mary’s last year of being directly involved in Indulgence, I can only imagine that this was something that she has envisioned for some time. I’m also sure Mary is now on to bigger and better things – thanks for your dedication to this event over the past decade!

Mary hands off a cheque to Louise Charron of NAIT Awards

As for the food, we tried almost all eighteen dishes. In the past, most stations have been pretty stringent on collecting tabs from the Indulgence program (which helps them enforce the one-dish-per-person rule), but this year, because some of the table numbers were incorrect, we found most were lax on this aspect. As a result, it was a little easier for diners to navigate stations (juggling a wine glass, plate, and booklet are difficult enough), but it also meant certain stations ran out of food an hour into the event.

Busy ballroom

One of our favourite dishes of the night was the Red Ox Inn’s slow-braised Irvings Farm Fresh pork shoulder on a carrot risotto cake and citrus jam. Given the line-up around the night, I’d say it was a crowd favourite also. The pork just melted in your mouth, set off by the crispiness of the cake. It was so good, I am seriously considering making it at home.

Slow-braised Irvings Farm Fresh pork shoulder on a carrot risotto cake

We also loved TZiN’s cayenne-braised Belle Valley Farms alpaca with Gull Valley piperade and Riesling-chive emulsion. We haven’t really been a fan of the alpaca served at Indulgence in the past, so this was a bit of a surprise. Flavourful and tender, we were happy to hear that Kelsey was considering this dish as a special at the restaurant.

Belle Valley Farms alpaca

Of the two spring rolls served, we thought Next Act’s Progressive Foods barley pork Asian spring roll with a sweet chili sauce took the cake. I loved the texture of the barley! The spring roll also had a definite kick, but the pairing of an Alley Kat worked well as a cooling and refreshing partner. I’m also a sucker for pea tendrils, so it was no surprise I loved their accompanying salad.

Progressive Foods barley pork Asian spring roll

Delta’s own 4404 Restaurant (which has replaced Botanica), crafted a blueberry and Greens, Eggs and Ham guinea fowl spring roll. The apricot relish was nice (and in many ways, made me wonder why sticky-sweet sauces are as popular as they are), but it just didn’t have the same panache as its Next Act counterpart.

Blueberry and Greens, Eggs and Ham guinea fowl spring roll

Little Straw wines

There were also two meatballs on the menu. Niche’s Tangle Ridge lamb meatball with fried kale, slow roasted tomato sauce and pecorino cheese was Mack’s favourite. It wasn’t tender enough for my liking, but it had congruent aspects.

Tangle Ridge lamb meatball

Wild Tangerine’s Amberlane Farm elk meatball stuffed with pecorino was probably the most gorgeous plate at Indulgence. The meatball was moist, and the chickpea puree was one of those wonders that tasted more like potato than legume to us. But it was a little difficult to eat, and made us appreciate dishes made with stand-up dining in mind.

Amberland Farm elk meatball stuffed with pecorino

The Marc had created a Four Whistle Farm duck sausage with red wine and roasted garlic, crème fraiche on a crouton. The sausage had great flavour, but it had a similar problem as the previous dish – it was oily and difficult to finish in one bite.

Four Whistle Farm duck sausage

A second crostini by NAIT School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts had great potential – Doef’s Greenhouse grilled zucchini, bell pepper and onion with tomato & sherry vinaigrette on grilled baguette with pecorino cheese (they had the best display at Indulgence!). But the bread had sat too long, and was much too hard to eat.

Ice sculpture

Beautiful display

Doef’s Greenhouse grilled zucchini, bell pepper and onion with vinaigrette on baguette

To me, the most interesting dish was L2 Grill’s “compressed” Japanese Spring Creek Ranch barbecued short rib with Alberta honey glaze and sake, sunamono broth. It was clear Chef Chartrand had wanted layers of flavour, and intended interplay of sweet and salty. Unfortunately, although the beef was prepared well, the broth was much too salty. We saw many an unfinished bowl on the sidelines.

Chef Chartrand

“Compressed” Japanese Spring Creek Ranch barbecued short rib

4th and Vine featured Nature’s Green Acres beef shank, braised in a red wine stock. It was a tasty few bites, with enough sauce to hold it all together.

Nature’s Green Acres beef shank

We had tried Hundred Bar & Kitchen’s modern scrapple a few weeks back, but didn’t expect them to actually serve the dish at Indulgence. I think most sane people would decide against cracking and cooking four hundred quail’s eggs. I should have thought more of them.

Modern scrapple with slow cooked Full Course Strategies pork, braised bacon, quails egg, micro green salad and smoked ancho-pepper tomato aioli

Similarly, Lux’s watermelon, toasted sesame and Hog Wild boar bacon with micro cilantro and honey citrus vinaigrette was also familiar to us. Again, I was reminded that all it takes is some bacon to make watermelon bearable for me.

Watermelon, toasted sesame and Hog Wild boar bacon

It occurred to us that your enjoyment of certain dishes is entirely influenced by when over the course of the evening you try them. One good example was Cafe de Ville’s Texas BBQ bison brisket served with a slaw. The brisket was smoky and pretty tasty, but what we particularly gravitated towards was the crisp, sweet cabbage. It was the first bit of produce to break our fog of meat, and thus, was refreshing. We were certain that if we had tried the same dish earlier in the night, we wouldn’t have had the same reaction.

Texas BBQ Bison brisket

Madison’s Grill had made a Berry Ridge Orchard Saskatoon berry and black pepper cheesecake. Mack liked the cake because it wasn’t too heavy, but could have done without the Saskatoon spaghetti – it had a texture that didn’t appeal to him.

Berry Ridge Orchard Saskatoon berry and black pepper cheesecake

As usual, Indulgence provided great food, drink, and venue for socializing. If you didn’t make it this year, be sure to mark it on your calendar for 2012 – you won’t be disappointed!

The Summer 2011 Menu at D’Lish

D’Lish launched its new summer menu yesterday, and it is fabulous. How do I know that? Well, I was among a dozen lucky guests who were invited to a tasting preview on Tuesday (Mack was invited too, but was held up at a meeting). We were not only given the opportunity to try each dish, but to also provide some feedback as well.

Chef Jason Durling, fresh from cooking in Niagara, has only been at d’Lish for a month (talk about getting thrown in the fire – he started just before the Indulgence crush!). But given what we were presented with, he already has an acute understanding of the restaurant’s philosophy of clean food and seasonal ingredients.

With good wine and great food, there was no doubt the conversation would be sparkling, but I have to say, the ladies at the corner of the table where I was seated were lovely dinner companions! It was great to eat and share with Ruth Kelly of Venture Publishing and Kim Hill of Thread Hill – I think we were all on the same page, palate-wise.

The eight courses started off with a bang – a roasted heirloom tomato soupa that elicited moans of enjoyment usually reserved for mains. It was a demonstration of simple but fresh ingredients made to sing – pureed tomatoes, sweet and glorious, enhanced with a touch of creamy basil crème fraiche. The plain house-made crostinis didn’t hold up to the soup, however, bland as they were. You can be sure the kitchen will be tweaking that.

Roasted heirloom tomato soupa

After trying the teenage greens, pickles and meat, I was certain that it was a salad that even Mack wouldn’t mind ordering. Deceivingly simple, but packed with layers of flavour, it was the ideal summer salad, with a light buttermilk vinaigrette that drew raves from around the table. The pickled red onions were a nice touch, but it was the slice of salty prosciutto that helped elevate each bite.

Teenage greens, pickles and meat

I will readily admit to being defeated by the wine pairings that night, but before raising the white flag, I was able to enjoy my favourite pairing – a Botani Dry Muscat with the roasted veg and goat cheese terrine. The Muscat was crisp and light, and given I waver on goat cheese most days, the wine softened its usual tang. The plate itself was beautiful in presentation, boldly accented with a vibrant red of so-called “beet squeeze” (which turned out to taste nothing like beets…we guessed that there was a fair amount of sweetener mixed in). And unlike the earlier crostini, the bread pudding cracker served alongside the terrine was delicious – it crumbled too easily, sure, but it made up for that with its rich, buttery texture. Paired with house-made spreads, the crackers could easily make a solid starter on its own.

Roasted veg and goat cheese terrine

The three mains were served up family-style, which, in this setting, suited the table well. My favourite of the dishes was easily the marinated Alberta striploin, cooked to a perfectly pink medium rare. Meltingly tender, eaten with the brown butter forked potatoes underneath, it was a version of steak and potatoes I will be dreaming about for days to come.

Marinated Alberta striploin

The rockin risotto, made with MoNa mushrooms and topped with microgreens, was creamy and well prepared. The only minor misstep was the mushrooms didn’t accompany every bite; this will be remedied for the menu’s launch.

Our corner was disappointed with the handpicked herb roasted chicken – the meat on our platter had dried out, an inconsistency that the kitchen will be looking at. The accompaniment, however, a warm potato salad that Chef Durling described as a “bowl full of love”, was excellent. Based on his grandmother’s recipe, mustard notes were prominent. Everyone around the table couldn’t get enough of it.

The meal’s finale featured not one, but three desserts. I was most excited for the trio of ice cream sandwiches, with flavours that will change based on the availability of seasonal ingredients (stone fruits, for example, will be coming in two weeks). I tasted the snickerdoodle, made with a rhubarb ice cream. The ice cream itself was great, bursting with rhubarb flavour, but I was expecting a yielding cookie shell instead of what I found. Kim and I agreed the cookie needed to be softer or at least thinner.

Trio of ice cream sandwiches

The chocolate cherry torte, a flourless chocolate cake, complete with a ganache, was intensely rich, and made with chocoholics in mind. The non-chocoholics at the table advised that the serving size be reduced, or the layer of ganache to be thinned out. We also recommended some liqueur be added to the sauce, though my preference would have been for the cherries to have been further macerated.

The third dessert was a bit of a bonus. Leah Kinsella, who had worked at d’Lish as a sous chef the year prior, recently left the restaurant to start her own company, The Art of Macarons (e-mail here). It’s currently a home-based business, but she hopes one day to have a storefront. Leah said she had to try innumerable recipes in order to obtain that perfect texture, but based on the samples we tried, I think it was worth the effort! They were perhaps a bit too large (given macarons usually deliver a concentrated saccharine burst), but I enjoyed the lemon and apple pie flavours. Best of luck to Leah!

Macarons and chocolate cherry torte

Thanks to Amanda for the invitation and to hosting a d’licious night! I’ll be returning soon with Mack in tow to make sure he gets a taste of what he missed!

D’Lish
10418 – 124 Street
Monday-Thursday 3pm-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11am-1am, closed Sundays

TMAC Alberta Retreat: Hotel MacDonald and Moriarty’s

A few months ago, I was asked to be a speaker at a retreat hosted by the Alberta Chapter of the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), an organization made up of tourism industry professionals and journalists. I had met Susan Mate, a member of TMAC who was also on the organizing committee, last year. I had provided some information to her for an article she had written about Alberta’s culinary scene, and because of the group’s interest in food blogging, she asked if I would share my experience at the retreat.

I have done conference presentations for my day job in the past, but never about blogging. Turns out, it’s not difficult to speak about something you’re passionate about!

Speaking at the TMAC retreat

Coincidentally, they also wanted a speaker to address the topic of social media. Someone else on the conference committee had contacted Mack separately, and it was only a few days before the conference that they realized we were partners in crime, heh.

We were fortunate to be invited to join the rest of the activities that evening, arranged by Bin and Amy of the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation. We started out the night with a light reception at the Hotel MacDonald.

I had no idea the gazebo behind the hotel even existed! Apparently, it is often used for small private parties. When I commented about the number of patrons in the Confederation Lounge, hotel staff made mention of the fact that the Harvest Room had been closed since January due to ice damage, and is not set to reopen until October.

Inside the gazebo

There was a lovely spread of nibbles, but nothing I tried that night was as tasty as the saskatoon berry cocktail. It went down like Kool-Aid, and though one should have been enough, I couldn’t help myself, and had seconds.

Salmon tartare and crab cakes

Saskatoon cocktail

Next, we were split up into smaller parties for dinner at nearby restaurants, treated by EEDC. The plan was to regroup at the Winspear Centre for an Edmonton Symphony Orchestra concert. Mack and I had been assigned to Moriarty’s, one of EEDC’s partner restaurants.

The small table facilitated conversations nicely, and it was great getting to know the visitors from Calgary. Lucky for us, we even scored an introduction to Jelly Modern Doughnuts, the city’s hottest bakery, fortuitous especially because Mack would be heading down south the next week (hello, doughnuts!).

Everyone seemed to enjoy the selection of cocktails they had ordered, but I was a bit disappointed with the food. I have a soft spot for butternut squash ravioli, so was eager to try Moriarty’s version with maple cream sauce. Given it was a dish under “small plates”, I assumed that for $12 several small ravioli would be served, instead of a single large one. The filling was nice, creamy and light, but the pasta was a touch overcooked. The vanilla tulle was also an odd choice – its sweetness was off-putting.

Butternut squash ravioli

I also ordered a second small plate of meatballs ($8.50). Unlike its predecessor, this dish could easily be shared among diners. Although a puree of beets would have made more cohesive sense, the fried golden beet chips were a guilty, well-seasoned pleasure. The meatballs themselves were okay, but the sweet root beer glaze didn’t work for me, especially alongside the jarringly sour mushrooms.

Mushroom meatballs

Mack found similar inconsistencies with his chicken apple gnocchi ($19.50). He enjoyed the gnocchi, but found it much too greasy. He felt chicken breast would have worked better than chicken sausage. It also lacked an elegance expected in the restaurant’s surroundings – it could have been plated in a bowl, with some garnish, instead?

Chicken apple gnocchi

The table was saddened to find out that their premiere chocolate dessert, supplied by Duchess, was no longer available (they also weren’t able to provide us with a reason why). In its place, we ordered the French profiteroles ($10) and saskatoon and rhubarb tart ($11). The latter was the better of the two desserts, fresh and tart. The profiteroles suffered from age – a few commented that the pastry tasted dry and lacked the airiness of a good cream puff.

Saskatoon and rhubarb tart

French profiteroles

The service was solid throughout our meal, but based on past experiences, I expected the food to be better. I’d just hope for some more consistency from the kitchen next time.

Thanks again to TMAC for the invitation (and for EEDC for hosting) – I had a great time!

Moriarty’s
10154 100 Street
(780) 757-2005
Monday-Saturday 11:30am-close, closed Sunday

Upscale Casual on the Ave: Absolutely Edibles

For our final inter-agency committee meeting before the summer break, one of the groups I am involved in at work decided to have lunch together at Absolutely Edibles on 118 Avenue. I had passed by the pink stucco storefront before, but had no idea what was inside.

Absolutely Edibles is another great example of some of the hidden gems on the Avenue. In the catering business for six years, the couple behind Absolutely Edibles opened a full service restaurant this past March. It is a gorgeous space, with an interior and fixtures common in your average upscale casual joint, and not necessarily in this neighbourhood.

Interior

The menu is a large one, so in a group as diverse as ours, it would easily appeal to all appetites, with a great selection of share plates and casual entrees, including ten different burgers. Although the website claims to source a wide range of ingredients locally, I would have liked to have seen more explicit reference to which producers or businesses Absolutely Edibles has partnered with expressed on the menu.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if we were the largest party the restaurant had ever handled, as service wasn’t exactly smooth. To be fair, they were also training new staff, but at the end of our meal, left the rookie server alone to handle the payment end of things, something she had clearly never done before. I am optimistic things will improve with time, however.

Mandie and I decided to split the sweet potato skins ($6.95), and each also ordered the triple sliders ($10.95), featuring small versions of their elk, bison and kangaroo(!) burgers. It was the most popular dish around our table, as it would afford the opportunity to try several different burgers at once.

The sweet potato skins weren’t what we expected at all – I think Mandie and I both thought the dish would have been closer to a plate of cactus cut potatoes, topped with a variety of ingredients, but instead, individual sweet potato slices had been garnished with spicy cream cheese, spinach pesto and asiago. They were a bit bland, and I was hoping for a crispy underlay instead of what we received. The portion size was also small given the price.

Sweet potato skins

The burgers, on the other hand, were a better value. And though I didn’t anticipate having a full stomach with three tiny burgers, they were quite filling in the end.

Triple sliders

The elk burger was by far the best of the bunch – topped with smoked cheddar and prosciutto, it was flavourful. The kangaroo (which apparently had some beef mixed into the patty) wasn’t distinct, and though I didn’t think it was possible, the bacon that topped the burger was too crispy, to the point of being gristly in texture. Some of my colleagues around the table liked the lamb burger, which had a great concept, topped with a tzatiki sauce.

With their diverse menu and chic surroundings, I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Absolutely Edibles again. It’s a great addition to the neighbourhood, and with time, I’m sure their service will catch up to the potential of the restaurant.

Absolutely Edibles
9567A – 118 Avenue
(780) 424-6823 or (780) 477-2971
Monday – Wednesday 11am-9pm, Thursday – Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Sundays

Night and Day: Five Guys

Looking back, one of my most vivid food memories from our visit to Washington two years ago was a late night dinner at Five Guys. On the plane ride to DC, we had overhead pilots discussing what they would be eating after they landed – Five Guys was their food of choice.

That first night, we wandered over to Georgetown, a bit disoriented, but eager to explore the neighbourhood, and finally came upon Five Guys. It was dimly lit, and truth be told, a bit of a dive, with peanut shells littering the floor in a restaurant showing signs of wear and tear – but the welcome we received was second to none. If the staff didn’t enjoy their jobs, they did an excellent job of hiding it, with orders being taken and hollered out, reminiscent of Fatburger, doling out efficient yet friendly service. Signs proudly labelled the origin of the day’s potatoes (Idaho), while open boxes of peanuts were strewn throughout the dining area, a thumb against the movement of nut-free zones. While the burgers were good (not great), our meal was forever coloured by the reception we received – and the environment it was consumed in. So when we visited the first Five Guys location in the Edmonton area at the end of May, it’s no surprise that Mack and I would be drawing comparisons to our DC experience.

Unlike the Georgetown location, tucked in a thoroughly walkable neighbourhood resplendent with historic walk-ups and charming boutiques, the Sherwood Park Five Guys was almost the opposite, situated in a sea of box stores and strip malls along Fir Street.

Interior

The contrast didn’t end there. Where the DC Five Guys was comfortably worn around the edges, this Five Guys was understandably new and squeaky clean (I did appreciate the open kitchen though – there’s nothing more reassuring than having the option of seeing your food prepared in front of you). Sacks of potato bags and boxes of peanut oil were used as a divider of sorts at the order counter, adding a bit of fun to the otherwise standard quick-serve décor. I also liked the bulletin boards where customers were invited to draw a message about their love of Five Guys.

Open kitchen

Bulletin love

Mack doesn’t appreciate peanut oil

The boxes of peanuts that Five Guys is so known for was relegated to the tops of the trash bins. We made sure to have a nutty appetizer.

Bulk peanuts served in open containers

Mack + peanuts?

My parents appreciated the extensive toppings menu offered by Five Guys, all at no extra cost. It’s a value add that aligns Five Guys with places like Rodeo Burger and Fulton Market).

I don’t know what happened though, as neither Mack, my parents, or myself read the fine print on the menu, and all ended up ordering regular burgers. A regular at Five Guys includes not one, but two beef patties (note to self: order the “little” next time). Needless to say, there was no need for the two large fries we also ordered.

My burger

The burgers were pretty good – thin patties, soft bread, and packed with our chosen fixings, they were satisfying, if not overkill because of our blind ordering. As a whole, compared with Rodeo Burger and Fulton Market, I have to say I enjoyed the Five Guys burger more.

Mack’s burger

The fries, however, were far from crispy. Fried in peanut oil, Mack wasn’t certain he should be indulging in the fries, but the rest of us were a) too overwhelmed by our double burgers and b) not enjoying the limp fries. The Cajun seasoning may have helped with the flavour, but not with the texture (we couldn’t recall whether or not the fries in DC had been made using peanut oil).

Fries

This location of Five Guys is too far out of the way for us to visit on a regular basis, but if we were looking for a quick bite to eat, we’d consider coming back.

Five Guys
993 Fir Road, Sherwood Park
(780) 416-7710

Birthday Brunch: Bistro La Persaud

May had told me that she had a good brunch experience at Bistro La Persaud, so I thought it might be a nice place to take Grandma Male for her birthday. The restaurant has garnered quite the reputation in the blogosphere for dinner, but I hadn’t read much about its brunch offerings. Still, based on its standing alone, I was quite certain we’d be in for a quality meal.

Bistro La Persaud patio

I had made a reservation for our party of three, but it wasn’t necessary. Though it took us a few wrong turns to finally make it to the restaurant (the signage wasn’t clear that the eatery was, in fact, at the bottom of the stairs), we found ourselves in a dining room with two other parties.

The space, modern in shades of steel and red, looked great at first glance. The artwork (including a stunning painting of the Edmonton skyline alight with colour by Con Boland) were also great choices. But after a while, both Mack and I felt that there was something faintly institutional about the room. We were only able to articulate it later that day – it was the fluorescent lights, likely a carry over from the campus design. Though it didn’t impact our experience (because of the flood of natural light from the open patio), it did make us wonder about the setting for evening meals.

The menu items have a familiar brunch air to them, but with a refinement that we weren’t used to. For example, instead of a diner-style French toast, meant to be slathered in butter and drenched in syrup, the La Persaud version is served with foie gras morsels and cherry verjus compote. Grandma Male and Mack both opted for the eggs benedict ($15), while I was swayed by the eggs ravioli ($16), something I’d never seen on any menu before.

Included in our meal were warm(!) croissants and corn muffins served with red pepper jelly and a lovely jam, along with an adorable pot of fruits in a light syrup. It felt like a little gift!

Warm croissants and cornbread

Fruit

Our food arrived in good time, but we wished our server had been a little more consistent with the coffee refills. Mack wasn’t sure how he would eat his towering stack of egg and bread, but after cutting into it, he realized the bread was softer than it first appeared. The eggs were soft poached, as promised, and he loved the lavender hollandaise as well. He didn’t care for the salmon mousse, though.

Eggs benedict

My eggs ravioli were as elegant as I expected, garnished with microgreens (is it just me, or have microgreens come back in a fierce way?). The truffle & brown butter sauce was delicious, soaked into the morels underneath the ravioli. I was hoping the ravioli yolk would be a little less cooked (they were medium and not soft poached), but as a whole, I enjoyed the dish.

Eggs ravioli

At the end of our meal, we were given another small treat – chocolate truffles!

A sweet ending

In all, our meal at Bistro La Persaud was pleasant. Based on this experience, I’d definitely be back for dinner.

Bistro La Persaud
11821 145 Street
(780) 455-1888
Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30am-3pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-close; Brunch: Sunday 11am-3pm

The 2011 4th Street Promenade Al Fresco Block Party

We’ve been looking forward to Al Fresco for a while now – I love a good block party, and all the better when it’s in our neighbourhood! It was great to see the street closed down to allow only pedestrian traffic, too – between the extended restaurant patios, the fashion runway, and the stage, it definitely put the street to good use!

An overhead shot of Blue Plate Diner’s patio

Crowds galore

Of course, I was particularly excited for the event’s new food program. Discussed as “what the Taste of Edmonton should be”, the block party would be highlighting “high end street food” from downtown and neighbouring restaurants, including MRKT, Elm Cafe, Pampa, Sabor Divino.and newcomer Tres Carnales Taqueria. Corso 32 dropped out last minute, and had been replaced by the always eager Eva Sweet. Pinocchio was also on hand, adding ice cream to the roster of items available.

Nate pretends to be fazed by the hungry hoards

Mack and I met up with Jane and Yi-Li at around 6:30, and at that time, the lines were already rampant! It was clear that food was the main attraction for many, with certain stalls barely able to keep up.

Line-ups

The organizers had opted for the Taste of Edmonton-esque ticket format instead of cash (which was likely good on the two fronts of fundraising and ease of use). At $1 per ticket, food items ranged from three to ten tickets each.

Ninja meat cleavers!

Our waffle appetizer kept us afloat while we waited in line for Tres Carnales, which had a crowd second only to Pampa. We ordered both the tacos and the corn on the cob, while Jane and Yi-Li opted only for the carnitas.

Jane and Yi-Li are Tres Carnales poster children!

The pork was well seasoned, and packed a worthy punch of heat. We all agreed that the flour tortillas underneath weren’t our favourite though – Yi-Li commented that between the two tortillas, the flavour of the meat was lost.

Tacos

The corn, though, was the surprise for me. I’m not usually a fan of mayo, and am definitely not on the fries and mayo boat, but for whatever reason, I loved the combination of corn, mayo and spices. Maybe it was the music, or the atmosphere, but I’d definitely order it again.

Grilled corn

Much can be forgiven because this was the first execution of Al Fresco’s street food program, but some improvements for next year would include a small handbill of menu options available, and larger menu displays at each of the food stands. A better layout, keeping in mind the possibility of long lines, should also be looked at (though I know a lack of power on certain sections of the street hampered the organizers this year).

Music played well into the night

It should also be noted that Al Fresco was again a successful fundraiser for the E4C School Lunch Program, though final numbers haven’t yet been announced. Congrats to the organizers for another great event – I’m already looking forward to next year!

Want more on Al Fresco? Courtenay, Chris, Liv, Sarah and Raffaella all wrote about it too!

Century Hospitality Group’s Top Chef: Finale

Last Saturday saw the culmination of the gruelling, month-long competition that was the Century Hospitality Group’s Top Chef Tournament.

The dining room at Lux, filled with guests, the judging panel, former judges, and event sponsors, was abuzz. Not only were they hungry for the six course meal to come, but also to see who would come out on top. Would it be the creative and resilient Ben Weir, who had pulled off the most unique entrée the week prior? Or would it be the bold and consistent Shirley Fortez, whose plating skills were unrivalled in the semi-final round?

Ben plates while Valerie assists

Each cheftestant had to incorporate a secret ingredient into their dishes: steelhead salmon in the appetizer course; Kobe beef short rib and spot prawns in the main; and eggs in the dessert. The cheftestants had also stopped by the City Market that morning to accent their dishes with local products.

Though it wasn’t quite set up like Kitchen Stadium, guests were encouraged to visit the plating area, where Ben, Shirley and their sous chefs were busy with final meal preparations.

Plating is intense

Both young chefs looked a touch nervous, but more than anything, with blank canvas plates gleaming in front of them, they both looked like they wanted to be let out of the gates.

To help whet the appetite of the crowd (and to help get the spirit of the competition rolling), two of Century Hosplitality’s seasoned chefs, Tony Le of Lux and Andrew Cowan of Hundred, served up a plate of their amuse bouches, side by side. It was also to serve as a taste of what Indulgence patrons could expect from the CHG booth in a few weeks. The audience was to vote for their favourite with a show of applause.

A pair of amuse bouches

I thought I’d instantly grapple towards Chef Cowan’s scrapple, topped with a perfectly fried quail’s egg. And though it was a bite of velvety richness, given my absolute dislike of watermelon, the fact that Chef Tony was able to make a cube of the fruit tolerable for me (with the addition of a piece of boar bacon and balsamic vinaigrette) won my vote. The crowd, however, was partial to Chef Cowan’s amuse.

First course: steelhead salmon

Ben’s salmon tartare was up first. Visually beautiful, with colour contrast provided by an Edgar Farms asparagus puree, it was a great way to commence the competition. I loved the texture of the tartare, kicked up with the addition of red onions, and how fresh the dish as a whole presented, bright with lemon.

Salmon tartare

Shirley’s cured salmon that followed showed us just how different their cooking styles were. She chose a flavour base of aromatic soy sauce and wasabi, complemented with a daikon salad. On first bite, I preferred Shirley’s salmon – it was brash and memorable. But towards the end of the plate, I had to agree with most around our table – the dish was too salty and overpowered the fish.

Cured salmon with soy and wasabi

Second course: short rib and spot prawns

There was no doubt that Ben’s short rib had been expertly prepared. Braised in veal stock and coffee, a collective sign of contentment could be felt around the room when diners tasted the fork-tender meat. His accompanying spot prawn ravioli was less successful, more dumpling than pasta, and a rather unfortunate deconstruction and cloaking of an ingredient that should have been better showcased.

Short rib with spot prawn ravioli

As an overall dish, Shirley’s main fared better. The prawn was front and centre (literally), with a whimsical presentation that ensured diners knew every part of the shrimp had been used. The prawns lent their essence to the coconut red curry sauce, a rich concoction that again highlighted Shirley’s love of bold flavours, and helped tie the two proteins together. Her short rib, however, was tough to get through. Some of the cuts around our table were extremely fatty, and as a result, was rather chewy and unpleasant to eat.

Short rib with coconut red curry sauce

Third course: eggs

To be fair, Ben did have a slight advantage in this course. One of his sous chefs, Valerie, was in charge of dessert, and with her “team” of Thermomixes, had decided to make a zabaglione, which would emphatically highlight the eggs. Served with Canadian winter berries and a raspberry cream, it ended his meal in a similar way to how it started – light and refreshing.

Zabaglione with winter berries and raspberry cream

Shirley’s dessert of carrot cake wasn’t the best use of eggs, but was transformational for many people, including myself. I’m not typically a fan of carrot cake, but Shirley’s version, moist and studded with pineapples and almonds, was one of the best versions I’ve ever had.

A sea of carrot cakes

The judging panel, which included Chef Blair Lebsack, the Journal’s Liane Faulder, Up! 99 and Telus TV’s Kari Skelton, and CHG’s Corporate Chef Paul Schufelt, had a tough decision to make. But given they would only be awarding up to 100 points each, diners, who each received a CHG poker chip, would also have a say. With 67 diner chips up for grabs, the crowd would definitely be able to influence the results.

Judging is serious business

In the end, the diners did sway the decision, given there was only 1 point separating Ben and Shirley as far as the judges were concerned.

Hearing the final verdict

So, after four weeks of intense competition, with fifteen other chefs in his wake, Ben Weir was crowned the CHG Top Chef!

Congrats, Ben!

Both Ben and Shirley deserve accolades for the meals they put together under such high pressure – both of them undoubtedly have bright futures ahead of them. Congratulations are also due to Paul, Tony and the rest of the CHG crew for putting together such an exciting event. It sounds like something that will happen on an annual basis – I’m sure it will soon become the hottest ticket in town.

Thanks again to CHG for the invitation!

Liv’s write-up of the finale is here, and you can see Mack’s Flickr set here.

Culinary Q & A with Courtenay

Occupation: Speech-Language Pathologist

What did you eat today?

Breakfast: special K vanilla almond cereal with milk

Lunch: cucumber slices, sugar peas, strawberries & blueberries. A sandwich with cream cheese, sundried tomato pesto, green olive with pimento, leftover rotisserie chicken and mixed greens on sourdough.

Dinner: spinach-strawberry salad, slow-cooked smoked ribs with roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus.

What do you never eat?

Smoked oysters

What is your personal specialty?

Hmmm…it’s got to be something baked. Maybe multigrain bread or chocolate cake.

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

Olives and cheese.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup (preferably homemade).

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My spiffy red KitchenAid stand mixer. I’d be so sad without it!

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

An antipasti plate with some cured meats, cheeses and olives with some fresh chewy bread on the side, a fresh salad, delicious fresh-made pasta with mushrooms and truffle and seared fish. Lots of delicious red wine and creamy rich tiramisu for dessert with a glass of moscato. Perfection.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

My favourite place is the Sugar Bowl. It just makes me happy. I could eat there anytime of day and I love everything (especially the cinnamon buns and the popcorn)

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

In my mind there are many “best” places, and I couldn’t narrow it down, so I’ll just list some favourites: Syphay Thai, DaDeO’s, Corso 32, Madison’s Grill, Piccolinos, Koutouki Taverna…and the waffle truck at the City Market (this is an abbreviated list but there are just so many!)

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

Okay, if there were no limits I would head back to Bangkok. When Trevor and I were there in the fall we found this amazing little hole-in-the-wall place (that all major food critics and guide books have recommended) and it was SOOOO good. It’s called Chote-Chitr and we let the owner order for us. The first time we went we had sweet and sticky noodles, which are like a crispy fried rice noodle with a tangy-sour-sweet sauce and it comes with greens and herbs to mix in. We also had red curry with river prawns – it was heaven. I could have eaten it everyday…but instead we tried the fresh crab with yellow curry the next time we visited, also amazing. It was one of those places that you feel fortunate to have visited…extra fortunate because we went twice.

A close second would be Florence, Italy for zucchini flower pizza, it was two years ago, but I still think about it frequently…

Courtenay blogs at Messy Little Cook.

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