Day 5 in San Francisco: “Top Chef” Thursday

Things we loved in San Francisco:

Two Buck Chuck (Seriously. Wine for $2 a bottle in North America?)

Consumer warning labels in stores (how’s that for awareness?)

Scramble crosswalks (coming soon to Edmonton)

Something else we loved? Sleeping in. We decided to give ourselves the benefit of a late start on day 5, as we felt recovery was in order after two consecutive early mornings.

The day as a whole was a lazy one – without any concrete plans besides a dinner reservation and a late show, it felt freeing to be able to wander without direction. So after grabbing a coffee from Peet’s, we spent the morning shopping at Union Square.

Union Square

It was easy to get used to that kind of shopping experience – stores densely packed together, all accessible from street-level, with crosswalks at every block. Sure, some of the stores we visited have locations in Edmonton also, but only locked inside a mall or car-driven complex.

Pedestrian-friendly shopping

We eventually walked over to the Yerba Buena Gardens, which, on first glance, appeared to be the city’s outdoor bedroom. We lost count of the number of people idling on the grass, enjoying the shade and the soothing sound of the water features.

Yerba Buena Gardens

Waterfall

I had read about there being a century old carousel at the Gardens, and, like my giddy stint at the Musee, I couldn’t pass up a visit.

Carousel!

Mack initially wasn’t as keen on reverting back to his childhood, but even he enjoyed circling the wooden animals to select his steed. And at only $3 for two rides, it was well worth it!

Whee!

Mack gets in the spirit of things

I knew we were near ‘Witchcraft, one of Tom Collichio’s casual sandwich outposts, and given we were to later dine at another restaurant connected to the Top Chef series, it just seemed fitting to stop there for lunch.

Interior

At 2pm, we found the restaurant nearly empty – perhaps we just missed the lunch rush? ‘Witchcraft wasn’t in the most inspiring location (it faces a parkade), but the interior definitely tried to make up for it. We loved the floor-to-ceiling windows, the second floor loft-style seating, and the stylish prints featuring antique kitchen equipment.

Mack

From what I had read about the restaurant though, I really thought the menu would grab me. But somehow, the sandwich combinations didn’t excite me at all. I ended up with the grilled cheese sandwich and soup of the day, while Mack chose the BLT. Our lunch for two (with one drink) cost $23.

My grilled cheese was good (solid bread foundation, nice combination of cheeses), but the soup was better (great texture and depth). Mack liked the BLT well enough (especially the bacon), but thought the tomato overpowered everything.

Grilled cheese and soup

BLT

The side of Tim’s Chips ended up being our favourite part of the meal – kettle-style, they were just the right thickness to offer both a satisfying crunch and a rounded flavour from the frying oil. Best of all, they didn’t have any additives.

Tim’s Chips

It’s something to be said when the package of chips stands out the most – so all told, ‘Witchcraft was a bit underwhelming for both of us.

A brief sojourn back to the hotel had us ready for our trip’s most anticipated meal. While watching the second season of Top Chef Masters, both Mack and I fell head over heels for Chef Hubert Keller. His personality and modest nature outshone his competitors: where others put ego first, Chef Keller always seemed to let his food speak for itself. So we knew a visit to SF wouldn’t be complete without reservations to Fleur de Lys.

The restaurant was just a ten minute walk from our hotel, allowing us to build up an appetite for the multi-course meal. When we arrived, we were whisked inside a sumptuous room, lined with curtains and complete with a tented ceiling. Most of the tables were arranged like streetside Parisian cafes – facing inwards instead of towards one another. It really felt like we had stepped into another world.

Unlike our experience at Gramercy Tavern in New York a few years back, when I was afraid to even take out my camera, it didn’t seem out of place at Fleur de Lys. Most of the diners were our age, and nearly all of them were snapping pictures of their experience. Also, through the curtains, I spotted a television set tuned to Food Network – of all shows, Top Chef Masters was on!

We chose the $82/person 4 course meal, which of course, with wine, was much more than that. Given that we were provided with several options for each course (starter, seafood, meat, dessert), the price seemed reasonable.

The vegetable ragout with truffle oil was a bit underwhelming to me, though the egg was poached very nicely. Mack enjoyed his Maryland soft shell crab, but had a bit of trouble determining how best to eat it, given the crab had been deep fried whole.

Vegetable ragout

Maryland soft shell crab

My salmon (sustainably raised, of course) was well cooked, and I loved the accompanying broccolini. The dish also marked my first ever encounter with porcini flan, and I have to say, I quite enjoyed the savoury version. Mack’s dish of prawns ended up being just a singular prawn, albeit one that was pretty tasty, and one that he enjoyed more as it was served alongside pork belly.

Sustainably raised salmon

Wild jumbo prawn with brioche crust

The duck, moist as ever, was a play on duck l’orange, served with fresh orange segments. I wasn’t a fan of the spetzle though – they were bland. Mack equally enjoyed his filet mignon, though not surprisingly, he devoured the lobster truffled mac & cheese (stuffed into a brioche bun!) first.

Muscovy duck breast, grenadine pickled onions

Seared filet mignon

We both absolutely adored the dessert course. My chocolate souffle was easily worth the additional $6 charge, light and fluffy on top with a satisfying and rich centre. Mack’s plate was a whimsical play on burger, fries and shake, with slices of kiwi standing in for pickles.

Chocolate souffle

Fleurburger

The restaurant saved the best part for last – towards the end of our meal, Chef Keller came out to meet all the diners! I’m pretty sure everyone in the room knew who he was, but he still made sure to introduce himself at each table, “Hello, I’m the chef here”. Mack didn’t want to wash his hands afterwards. #fanboy

With Chef Keller

Our dinner at Fleur de Lys was a memorable experience, though only partially because of the food. We were so happy to have met Chef Keller!

We didn’t plan it that way, but the 19^th annual San Francisco Fringe Festival happened to be running the same week we were there. Of course, we had to take in at least one show.

The fact that Edmonton is the home of the second largest Fringe Festival in the world is so often bandied about that I think Edmontonians take it for granted. At least, I know I do. So it was a shock to me that San Francisco, an enviable city in so many ways, could not even hold a candle to our fabulous theatre festival.

With just three venues and a total of 42 shows, the scale of the SF Fringe was much, much smaller than Edmonton’s Fringe. Show times were also confined to evenings on weekdays and the venues weren’t clearly marked. It also probably didn’t help that their theatre district was in the shadiest part of the city that we’d come across thus far (the aforementioned neighbourhood that we were warned by hotel staff not to walk through).

The biggest difference, however, was the lack of a festival atmosphere. The festival grounds are one of the biggest reasons Edmonton’s Fringe is the place to be in August. The buskers, the food, the music and the activities are all such an integral part of the Fringe now that it is difficult to consider what it would be like without it.

We chose Star Crossed Love based on the description on the website, and had pre-purchased our tickets online (just in case). There really was no need – granted, it was a 10:30pm show on a Thursday night, but for a supposed “pick of the Fringe”, the dozen people in the audience was disappointing, to say the least.

Star Crossed Love

The premise of the theatre company is the showcase of badly written scripts. That is to say, all of their productions are culled from rejected Hollywood screenplays, performed on stage verbatim. For example, any time a character nodded, the actors would nod in exaggerated fashion. As you can guess, some of the actions got old fast, but others, including “lovers a long time” (where the couple looked to be bored of one another) were amusing.

The script itself was indeed awful – an over-the-top, implausible, rags-to-riches tale where the heroine ends the show up on stage, accepting an Oscar. But wasn’t as funny as it could have been, and for that reason, wasn’t that entertaining. We did want to commend the actors though – they really committed to the roles, and tried their best to wring every bit of unintentional humour from it.

We made our way back through the Tenderloin and retired to our hotel for the night. On to the next day!

Calgary Food Recaplets

One day, I might catch up on all of the back posts I intend to write…but I’m not there yet. Here are a few of the food-related places Mack and I checked out while in Calgary a few months back that didn’t fit into my previous posts.

Kingsland Farmers’ Market

Though I know our own farmers’ market scene has its own share of politics, the fact that Calgary’s ups and downs has played out in the public eye made it all the more intriguing to me as a non-resident. When I read that several vendors were breaking free from the Calgary Farmers’ Market to start their own (what has become the Kingsland Farmers’ Market), I knew checking it out would be at the top of our Calgary to-do list. Mary Ellen of Greens, Eggs and Ham has been selling at Kingsland for a number of months now, and has been providing us with updates along the way, so it was even better to be able to see it in person.

Kingsland Farmers’ Market

It’s another Calgary market that is open on multiple days – Thursday to Sunday. Most of the vendors seemed to have permanent stalls, selling everything from produce to meat to wine and prepared food.

Interior

It was a decent space, a converted car dealership, with high ceilings accented by nice wooden beams. With the large number of hot food vendors, it was great that the farmers’ market also had a large, bright seating area set aside – I can imagine friends meeting up for a bite to eat at the market, which would be a great draw for those not necessarily looking to shop. The same area also housed craft vendors – separation much appreciated by those just looking to do their grocery shopping.

Greens, Eggs and Ham

Like the Calgary Farmers’ Market, the Kingsland Market also allows the sale of imported produce. Mary Ellen told us that they operate on the bullseye diet – goods that can’t be sourced locally can be brought in from elsewhere. She commented that Calgarians seem to prefer the “one-stop shop” farmers’ market.

The tropical fruit table

We didn’t want to buy too much, given we would be in Calgary for a few more days without cold storage options, but we did pick up a bag of pretzel buns from Rustic Sourdough Bakery (they were miles above the pretzel bun we had at Loungeburger), plus two cute “pies on a stick” from Sugar Pie Bakery. What can’t be served on a stick these days?

Pretzel buns

Sugar Pie Bakery

Phil & Sebastian at Chinook Centre

I’m not sure I ever considered the possibility of one of the third wave darlings like Transcend or Credo ever setting up shop in one of our major shopping complexes, but after stumbling upon Phil & Sebastian in Chinook Centre, I’m wondering if that day might be closer than we think.

Phil & Sebastian

Open since September, the Phil & Sebastian is located in the newest wing of Chinook, but is also accessible from a street entrance. It was absolutely hopping, with many patrons (like us) stopping by for a caffeine boost to break up an afternoon of shopping, but it seemed many others were oblivious to the mall’s connection.

Interior

We loved the design, with the central coffee bar dominating the space, an open invitation for patrons to watch their coffee being made, and to interact with the baristas.

Coppeneur

The space vacated by Kismet on Stephen Avenue has been turned into a charming chocolate shop. Coppeneur is a micro-batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker, based in Germany (some of their products are carried by Kerstin’s Chocolates in Edmonton). This is their first retail location in North America.

Coppeneur

I always enjoy browsing for chocolate, and this occasion was no exception. We picked up a mixed package of their cuvee bars, which were almost too beautiful to consume – barks of dark, milk or white chocolate studded with everything from almonds to cocoa nibs to pink peppercorns. Worth a visit – particularly because they were one of the few storefronts downtown actually open on a Sunday!

Cuvee bars

Spoon Me

The cheekily named Spoon Me is a frozen yogurt chain with twenty locations in the U.S., and two locations in Calgary. We stopped in for a snack at the Kensington branch just before heading back to Edmonton.

It was a delightful space to spend some time in, bursting with natural light, bright wall colours, and funky furniture. The bathroom walls were decorated with decals playing off their name, such as “May the spoon be with you!” and “You can’t handle the spoon!”. The fun continued with their fill-in-the-blank napkins.

Frozen yogurt treat

At $5 for a small (with three toppings), it was on par with other frozen yogurt bars, but between the interior and the laugh we had reading through some of the napkins pinned up to the wall, it was well worth it.

And it just keeps on growing…

I really appreciate that such a lovely food city is only a few hours from us – and though we share many similarities with Calgary, it always feels a bit like a world away. I’m looking forward to our next trip down already!

Edmonton’s Own Alley Burger

When an idea is as great as Charcut’s alley burger – involving $5 versions of their upscale burger sold from their back alley door – you know it is just a matter of time before it appears in other cities as well. Edmonton has jumped on the bandwagon, with Century Hospitality Group’s Hundred embracing their back alley to purvey $5 gourmet burgers.

Friday saw the debut of #yegalleyburger, widely publicized in both the Journal and Metro. For that reason, I figured it would be best to line up early, just in case, so we joined the line-up of half a dozen people at 9pm.

Felicia and Amanda made sure to dress for the weather

Hundred’s alley was without a dumpster, patrolling security guards, or the threat of passing cars, so it provided a bit of a different experience than standing in line outside Charcut. But perhaps the biggest disparity was the lack of devices and cameras being used. Sure, there were a few people snapping photographs and updating their statuses, but relatively few when compared with that night in Calgary.

The line at about 9:15

Eventually, there grew to be about 30-40 people standing in line, eagerly awaiting the back door to open. A few minutes before 9:30, Chef Andrew Cowan appeared, trading $5 for a Century Hospitality Group poker chip that would guarantee the bearer a burger.

Doesn’t it look like a shady exchange?

Winnings!

The kitchen was on top of things, as the burgers started coming out right at 9:30. We grabbed our burgers, loosely wrapped in paper, and headed back to the warmth of the condo.

#yegalleyburger

It was well worth the wait – the patty was well cooked, with a ton of flavour, and the duck egg was a nice touch, but what the three of us were most drawn to was the peppery hit of the arugula. I’m sure that even Mack, ever the rocket-hater, would have enjoyed it as a fresh counterpoint to the beef. On that note – Jerry posted a video of his friend devouring a burger – warning: don’t watch it while hungry!

We read later on Twitter that some people were turned away, so if you are planning on snagging one next week, make sure to get there early! It was fun, Hundred – looking forward to the next one already!

Follow @cheftonyle, @chefcowan and @chefpshoey to find out the details of the next #yegalleyburger!

Can You Say Breakfast Poutine?! Wake Bistro

Brunch at Wake Bistro was the perfect way to end our last day in Calgary, given we’d wanted a chance to explore the quaint Kensington neighbourhood anyway.

I’d read about it originally on Andree’s blog, and though she indicates in her post that the place is small, I wasn’t prepared for exactly how small. With 16 seats, plus an additional 4 seats at a narrow bar, Wake on the outset seems built more to house a café rather than a full-service restaurant. But with the line-up we encountered that day, it seems people are willing to wait, but more than that, it seems their imminent plans of expansion can’t come soon enough.

The interior is charming – a very simple green and white space, augmented by lots of natural light. Service was also solid – not exceptional, but good – though the two servers did a great job jumping on vacated tables so diners didn’t have to dawdle any longer than necessary.

Interior

The menu, though, is what would bring both Mack and I back again. I normally have a difficult time deciding what to order at brunch, but Wake made that decision excruciating, with an amazing array of dishes, particularly given the size of the restaurant. Vegetarians were well cared for among the options of breakfast sandwiches, burritos, pancakes and French toast.

The dish Mack chose is something I hope Edmonton establishments unabashedly steal. Using common ingredients served at brunch (fried potatoes, bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise), then adding cheese curds, their creation of breakfast poutine ($13.95) was a little bowl of heaven for Mack. Ingenious. His only minor quibble was the need for soft poached eggs (to take advantage of the runny interior), instead of medium poached eggs.

Breakfast poutine

The crepes ($10.95) that I ordered were nice and light, served with perfectly crispy potatoes. I would have preferred slices of ham used instead of cubes (for a better melding of textures), and perhaps a bit more cheese, but overall, it was an enjoyable dish.

Ham-stuffed crepes

Wake Bistro was a pleasant place to spend the morning, and one both of us would not hesitate to return to again.

Wake Bistro
207 10 Street NW, Calgary
(403) 264-4425

Serving the “Mack Burger”: Loungeburger

Before we realized we’d even have a shot at getting our mitts on an Alley Burger while in Calgary, we were craving beef. A quick search on Chowhound led us to Loungeburger, an upscale casual joint whose lineage we couldn’t help but link with Edmonton’s Delux.

It was insanely packed – or maybe it has just been a while since we had to compete for seats during the Saturday night rush hour. The restaurant does accept reservations (which, of course, we did not have), but curiously also honoured reservations in their so-described first come, first served lounge. We waited about half an hour before being ushered to a table.

As mentioned, Loungeburger falls into the genre of restaurants popularized by Joey’s, Earls and Cactus Club, sharing the traits of pulsating background music, dim lights, and servers in form-fitting clothing. But perhaps because of its burger-forward menu, this restaurant also seemed to draw its share of families with young children.

The dining room, dressed in all wood and shades of brown, was not appealing. My friend Jill would have called it regretful feng shui, but to me, it just did not have a sense of flow – with oddly placed columns, a raised enclosure in the centre of the space, and a poorly planned combination of open tables and booths, I couldn’t help but think they should have consulted the designers of Local Public Eatery (a great example of how to combine the best of booth and table worlds). Thankfully, the food didn’t reflect our opinion of the décor.

Though Loungeburger isn’t quite a one-note restaurant (they do offer a range of appetizers and non-burger options), their burger menu is mighty impressive. Not only are there eighteen different burgers, but with the possibility of customizing your own, the true count is endless. They also serve six kinds of fries, alongside ten different dipping sauces (at extra charge).

The lounger ($23) Mack chose was made for him– with a 1/2 pound blend of Kobe and triple A beef stuffed with applewood smoked cheddar and bacon (two of his favourite things!), it’s a wonder his photo wasn’t on the menu itself. And boy, did it live up to his expectations – it was a hefty burger, with an acceptable amount of grease, and in between bites of bacon, beef and cheese, Mack declared it “money.”

The Lounger with homestyle fries

Mack digs in

My burger was a little more straightforward – I embraced the opportunity to try a Kobe beef burger ($21), sandwiched between Loungeburger’s pretzel bun. It was a satisfying meal, but for me, nothing really out of the ordinary. The beef had a nice rounded flavour, and like Mack’s patty, had a perfectly charred crust. I just wasn’t sure I’d be able to distinguish the Kobe from any other type of beef. I was also expecting a little more from the pretzel bun – it certainly looked good, with a twisted top and a nice sheen. And though its dense interior was able to hold together with the assault of the patty’s juices, it reminded neither of us of a pretzel. The curly fries were the best of the two kinds we ordered, and tasted like those served at Arby’s.

Kobe beef burger with curly fries

Service was steady, and our waitress deserved props for her efforts to try and fix our wobbly table. Based on that, and the fact that they didn’t disappoint on their namesake dishes, we would definitely return. Especially on nights when the Alley Burger isn’t in session.

Loungeburger
#270, 14 Avenue SE, Macleod Trail South, Calgary
(403) 250-2747

Culinary Q & A with Karlynn

Occupation: stay at home mom who gets out in the evenings/weekends once in a while to work at a hospital here in Edmonton.

What did you eat today?

Breakfast was french toast made with my homemade 8 grain bread, maple syrup and blueberry/strawberry fruit salad, A&W onion rings and a root beer for lunch, (I know, I know). For some end of the day recuperation I had a mini cupcake from Bliss (I just brought them home from Calgary) and a glass of white wine. My late supper was spinach salad with strawberries/toasted almonds/vinaigrette and a tuna sandwich on same homemade bread, with more of that white wine. Throw in a banana, mini carrots, cucumber..and that about covers it. I also foresee some popcorn with butter in my future tonight since it’s movie night at home with the husband.

What do you never eat? We try not to eat anything with hydrogenated oil in it, we’ve cut it out of our diets completely, even my son now reads labels to check for “the bad oil”. After cutting it out for so many years, it truly makes our stomachs ill if we eat a product containing it now.

What is your personal specialty?

Desserts, I think I am a little of a scone fanatic, actually. I must have more than a dozen recipes for scones on my site, all my favorite in some way.

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

Butter, fresh fruit and wine. What that says about me, I have yet to figure out.

What is your weekday meal standby?

Winter: spaghetti sauce with ground steak hidden in it (so my “vegetarian” son gets protein) over whole wheat pasta. Don’t worry, he doesn’t have moral issues concerning meat, just texture. He has no problem inhaling deep fried fatty chicken nuggets, but doesn’t believe me when I tell him that’s not eating vegetarian.

Summer: toasted tomato sandwiches on homemade bread with tomatoes from my garden or a simple Greek seasoned chick pea salad with same garden tomatoes,cucumbers, olive oil and feta.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

My KitchenAid mixer, hands down.It whips icing, mixes cookies, grinds meat, makes pasta….and it’s purty. It also takes up so little space compared to the return of what it does, I hate kitchen clutter, so an all-in-one works for me. Oh, wait, or my bread machine, until I am down to driving my kids once in the morning and once in the afternoon instead of three daily trips, hand made bread is not entering my food world. I love that I can set it to have hot, fresh bread done right when we wake up in the morning. You sure won’t see me up at 4 am kneading dough!

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal. A make your own sundae buffet with the kids and Mr Magpie, ice cream, brownies, chocolate and sauces and whipped cream galore. Everything I don’t allow them to eat on a regular basis, because if it’s my last meal, I want to spend it with them. Maybe some duck leg confit from the Hardware Grill…it seems to be permeating my food dreams lately….

Where do you eat out most frequently?

Daawat‘s on Whyte Ave, I can’t get enough of their vegetable or chicken Korma with a side of coconut naan. Heavenly hot spicy cream sauce and sweet honey coconut flavor at the same time.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton? Kevin Kossowan’s house. However, my opinion may change at any moment, Valerie hasn’t had me over yet.

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

The only thing I really can bemoan in this area is the lack of fresh seafood and having it as integral a part of the markets here as it is in coastal towns. Not that it would do me any good, as I am the only seafood lover in my family.

Karlynn blogs at The Kitchen Magpie.

For the Love of Sharing: Taste

Some time ago, Bruce and Sarah recommended that Mack and I try Taste, the next time we were in Calgary. Located in the same building as Hotel Arts (which we stayed at the last time we were in Calgary), we were sorry to have missed it, but vowed not to make the same mistake again.

It was just a short walk from our hotel, just south of the Fairmont, but because of their subtle signage, we really had to know what to look for. The dining space was probably slightly larger than Corso 32 in Edmonton, but had a similar vibe, intimate and laid-back. There were a mix of table options: high, bar-height arrangements, most of them open for communal dining; banquet seating against the window; and where we ultimately decided to sit – at the bar.

Similar to our experience at The Slanted Door, our choice was affirmed by the friendly and knowledgeable bartender (it was also neat to get a peek behind the counter – where the Flames game was being live-streamed on a laptop). The bartender filled us in on the monthly overhaul of the wine list, changed to keep things fresh – it could be based around a region or type of grape, for example.

The menu at Taste is built upon the idea of small plates meant to be shared, a concept that might be a dime a dozen at the moment. What sets Taste apart, however, is the fact that their kitchen (if one could call it that) consists of a few hot plates, and nothing more. Perched at the bar, we had a great view of the kitchen masters, churning out dish after dish, unhampered – and unfazed – by their cubbyhole workspace and its lack of standard appliances.

The kitchen (my apologies for the terrible/lack of photos – we were playing with Mack’s new camera, which you would think would result in better photos, but this was the outcome of a combination of poor lighting and setting unfamiliarity)

The duck meatballs ($15) were served with crispy spaghetti – their version of spaghetti and meatballs. It was our favourite dish of the night, fatty and flavourful, with just the right amount of whimsy. We thought the duck would also make a great slider patty, sandwiched between a tiny brioche bun.

Mack also really enjoyed the mac n’ cheese ($10) with aged cheddar and parmesan. It wasn’t as rich as some we’ve had in recent memory, but we liked the crunchy topping.

The mini beef tacos ($15) were a great idea in theory, but just didn’t work for me. The crispy wonton shells shattered into pieces at first bite, and though the beef tataki was well seasoned, the texture, combined with the carrot slaw and the crumbled wonton skins, wasn’t appealing. Mack didn’t mind these so much.

Mini beef tacos

The gnocchi ($10) were nice and light, perfect little bites that convinced me that pasta actually could work well in small portions. But though I loved the fragrant top notes of the truffle oil, it completely overwhelmed the wild mushrooms.

We sprung for the most adorable dessert – three different creme brulees served in three tiny ramekins. Between the lemon, lime and blueberry, with nicely caramelized tops, we both preferred the lime custard.

The menu changed on March 7, and has been reviewed by a slew of Calgary food bloggers, who were invited for a, erm, taste (they also have photos that you can actually discern). In addition, they offer fun weekly events such as a discounted menu on Tuesdays, and sausage party Thursdays – how can one pass that up?

Taste
1210 1st Street SW
(403) 233-7730
Monday-Saturday 11:30-late

The No Line Brunch: Big Fish

In perusing Chowhound threads to determine a brunch spot while in Calgary last month, I came across the suggestion of Big Fish, a restaurant run by the same folks behind the ever-popular Diner Deluxe. Posters commented about the restaurant’s under-the-radar quality, meaning that one could snag a seat without a gratuitous wait. We were sold.

Arriving at Big Fish on a Saturday morning, we got exactly what we expected – a table upon arrival. (other pluses – the restaurant has a decent-sized parking lot, and even takes reservations). There were two other parties when we sat down, but the restaurant was no more than half-full during our stay.

Interior

The dining room was flush with natural light, and cozy, with well-worn wooden furniture. I could easily see why the family seated behind us had chosen this as the venue for a birthday celebration – in many ways, it felt like eating in a friend’s kitchen, laid-back and comfortable. The service mirrored the room, friendly but relaxed (and our coffee mugs were never empty!).

In spite of the restaurant’s name, Big Fish does have a few brunch options devoid of seafood. I chose two of them. First, the wild mushroom, truffle, basil and white cheddar scramble on duck confit hash ($15). It was a rich, filling dish (my first time enjoying duck for breakfast), with a generous cap of melted cheese on top. The pea shoots were a nice touch, but I was hoping for something more than smashed, boiled potatoes for the hash.

Wild mushroom, truffle, basil and white cheddar scramble on duck confit hash

The second was due to my indecisiveness, and a bit of a Gilmore Girls moment – the Urban Baker raisin brioche French toast with orange curd and maple syrup sounded too good to pass up, and the server said it was all right to order just a slice. And yes, it was worth the indulgence, the citrus providing just the right burst of freshness to balance out the butter and syrup.

French toast with orange curd and maple syrup

Mack ordered the eggs benedict with dungeness crab ($14). Like me, he would have preferred crispy potatoes, but he did say that the smashed potatoes willingly soaked up the runny yolks. And the most telling picture of all: he finished his plate.

Eggs benedict with dungeness crab

It’s odd, the line that separates brunch from lunch. While that line is formed to some degree by the time of day, day of the week, and menu items, atmosphere also plays a big factor, at least for us. Though the food was solid at Big Fish, the space just didn’t have that buzz, that intangible weekend zest for life that our favourite restaurants do. Half the fun of brunch is the people-watching, after all! For that reason, though it’s probably not rational to choose line-ups over reservations, unless we needed to secure a table in advance, you’ll likely find us back at Dairy Lane or Over Easy instead.

Big Fish
1112 Edmonton Trail Northeast
(403) 277-3403

The Quest for Okonomiyaki: Ichiban

The original reason Ellen and I had decided to dine at Mikado late last year was two-fold: she had wanted me to try sushi (the raw kind), but we had also heard that they apparently offered okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake) off-menu.

Though Mikado ended up not serving okonomiyaki, Ellen did finally track down a restaurant that does serve it – Ichiban on the west end, located in the same strip mall as Bon Ton Bakery. We made a date with Jill for dinner there two weeks back, mostly so we could finally share that elusive okonomiyaki.

It was surprisingly busy for a Monday night, but Ichiban had the vibe of being a go-to neighbourhood restaurant – nothing fancy decor-wise, but clean and comfortable, with a mix of booths and tables to choose from. We opted to share a number of small dishes, which, short of going the bento box/udon route, seems to be the ideal way to dine at Japanese establishments.

We started with a dish probably the furthest from my comfort zone – an order of sunrise maki ($9.95), rolls comprised of shrimp tempura, tobiko and fresh salmon and tuna. The battered shrimp was an interesting addition, and enveloped by a ring of rice, could have been the sort of one-bite appetizer served at an upscale cocktail function, but for me, the raw element was again a stumbling block. Here, the difference in temperatures between the tempura and the salmon just highlighted my aversion further. I hated disappointing Jill and Ellen though, especially knowing how much they love sushi, and want for me to love it too.

Sunrise maki

The rest of the meal was rounded out by other small plates that would definitely have a wider appeal. Kara-age tofu ($4.50) remains one of my new favourite Japanese discoveries – a lightly fried shell giving way to silky tofu within. The oyster ponzu ($6.50) was a little less successful, with a bit too much breading impeding on the taste of the oyster itself. And how can anyone not love tempura ($10.95)? Ichiban seemed to do a particularly good job – light and crisp, it didn’t feel like as much of a guilty pleasure as it should have been. We also thought the restaurant was quite generous in its serving, with a number of shrimp to go around.

Kara-age tofu

Oyster ponzu

Tempura

But of course, the main event was the okonomiyaki ($7.95), a savoury pancake of sorts which could include a variety of fillings. In Ichiban’s case, it was dried shrimp, cabbage and bacon, worked into the batter, then fried. Given this was my first encounter with this dish, I chose to defer my judgement to Jill and Ellen. They said that they were used to puffier versions, and said the kitchen should have included more cabbage. They were also hoping for a drizzle of Japanese mayonnaise on top. In all, we enjoyed it, but we agreed that it wasn’t worth going out of your way to seek.

Okonomiyaki

Service was good but nothing exceptional – food arrived at a fair clip, and our server checked in on us every so often. But while we enjoyed our meal at Ichiban, the experience left us with the same feeling that the okonomiyaki did – we’d likely only visit again if we were already in the neighbourhood.

Of course, I’m thankful to have friends that are willing to push me to try new things, friends that ultimately put up with my stubborn palate. We even have our next Japanese adventure already planned: shabu-shabu!

Ichiban
8750 149 Street
(780) 481-5252

Something to Celebrate: ZINC

My parents were married thirty years ago Monday. As a child, I’m pretty sure I took for granted the fact that Mom and Dad were always there, in solidarity. Now, in an adult relationship of my own, I can truly appreciate and admire their milestone.

To celebrate, my family assembled at ZINC last Saturday. ZINC is one of those restaurants that seems tailor made for occasions. High ceilings, ample natural light, posh azure accents – it’s a room that invites glasses to be clinked and raised.

The restaurant was busy that night – perhaps a confluence of Downtown Dining Week and that evening’s Refinery party – so in some ways, it was fortunate that our reservation was slated just before the rush, as all of our dishes were well-paced.

The amuse bouche was a darling profiterole featuring chicken riette and cumberland sauce. Here, I particularly liked the microgreen garnish, a burst of freshness to balance the salt-forward bite.

Chicken riette

Mack and my sisters ordered starters. Last November, Mack and I had attended a preview dinner at ZINC, where we were invited to try dishes from Chef David Omar’s new menu (a concept that allows diners to choose small or large plates of the same dishes). Mack’s favourite “bite” from that night was the seared scallop ($6), which of course he wanted to have again. It was perfectly cooked, and just the right size to relieve his craving.

Scallop (Mack wishes this was actual size)

My sisters shared the panzanella ($10) with bread, tomatoes, asparagus, prosciutto, lemon garlic preserve and a balsamic reduction. They fought over the last piece of prosciutto.

Panzanella

For entrees, our party size allowed us to try nearly every main on the menu, and just about all of them were well-received.

My Dad cleaned off his herb panko dusted rack of lamb ($41) – literally – there wasn’t a shred of meat to be found on his plate. Served with a couscous and anchovie tapenade, baked apple and pear chutney and eggplant ratatouille involtini – nothing else was left either (it’s of the highest praise, really. It’s tough to impress my Dad).

Lamb

Amanda liked her plate of alpaca and house-made pasta noodles ($26), ZINC’s version of spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs were moist (thankfully, as we had found them to be rather dry in my previous encounter).

Alpaca

Mack’s Spring Creek Ranch beef tenderloin ($42) was cooked to a tasty medium rare, though he remarked that he wasn’t asked about specifications upon ordering. It was served with a potato and watercress mash, caramelized onions and baby carrots.

Beef

My pan-seared line caught pickerel ($34) was delicious, coated with a light, dreamy potato foam. The bed of vegetables was as colourful as it was a textural contrast to the flaky fish, consisting of beets, edemame beans and pickled mushrooms.

Fish

The only dish that didn’t enthral was the duck ($32). While well-cooked, with crispy layers of skin atop the tender meat, it was much too salty. My Mom and Felicia did enjoy the accompanying pumpkin and potato purée though.

Duck

Sometimes, the small, seemingly insignificant things about a restaurant help to elevate a meal. One example at ZINC was the brioche bread. It was warmed through, sweet and slightly toasted, and easily lapped up the tomato compote butter it was served with. We asked for seconds!

No pictures of the bread, unfortunately

That said, personal gestures are also a welcome addition to the dining experience. When I made the reservation, I was asked if it was a special occasion. At the end of our meal, Chef Omar came to greet our table, and brought with him two miniature ice cream trees and a great story about how this became the signature special dessert.

Chef Omar and my parents

The trees each held five different house-made ice creams and sorbets – the favourites around the table were the avocado ice cream and the lemon sorbet.

The ice cream tree!

The service was attentive throughout our stay (nary a wine or water glass was left unfilled), and we felt very well taken care of. And between the good food and personal gestures, ZINC really was a great place to celebrate. Congratulations, Mom and Dad: here’s to thirty more years!

ZINC (inside the Art Gallery of Alberta)
2 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Lunch: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-2:30pm; Dinner: Tuesday-Wednesday 5-9pm, Thursday-Saturday 5-10pm; Brunch: Sunday 11am-2pm; closed Mondays

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