Welcome!

The 2013 season for the 124 Street Grand Market kicked off this evening. The skies threatened rain, but this didn’t deter the modest crowds from celebrating the market’s return.

124 Street Grand Market

The Misery Mountain Boys

Four trucks offered plenty of options, and included Drift, Nomad, Little Village and Sailin’ On. My sister and I took this opportunity to give Sailin On’s vegan dishes a spin, and ordered the BLT ($8), containing coconut bacon, lettuce, tomato, carrot, and a homemade garlic vegan mayo.

Sailin’ On

We weren’t sure what to expect from the coconut bacon, but after trying it, were shocked at how the texture and taste so closely mimicked meat bacon. We learned that the coconut bacon was comprised of roasted coconut flavoured with spices, but besides a hint of coconut, it was a pretty impressive stand-in!

Felicia was almost fooled!

We also indulged in an ice cream sandwich from Cookie Love. Over the weekend, they picked up their bicycle-powered cart from Portland, and though it isn’t quite finished (awaiting decals and an umbrella), it was ready for its first trial run at the market.

Mike from Cookie Love

I bought an ice cream sandwich ($5), made up of a double chocolate chip cookie, regular chocolate chip cookie and vanilla ice cream. The cookies were thin enough to make it easy to eat, and were as soft as they could be having come out of a freezer. It was a nice treat on a warm night.

Ice cream sandwich

It was great to see some new vendors out as well, including Duchess. Giselle explained that although the shop was quite busy on market nights, it made sense to have an actual presence at the market. To sweeten the deal for shoppers, Duchess developed specific products that are exclusive to the market, such as marshmallow macarons and a line of bottled drinks. As you can expect from Duchess, everything was beautifully-packaged and gift ready!

Duchess iced teas and lemonades

This market is also a great place to find funky treasures and gifts. Tonight, we stumbled upon Kristine MacDonald’s “yeglaces”, silver/copper charms in the shape of our fair city, with a river etched through it.

Yeglaces

Although I don’t (yet) own a bike, it was such a novel idea to have a bike repair specialist on-site. Instead of park and ride, how about a tune-up and dinner?

Dusty Pedals

Congrats to Krista and her team on a great first day!

124 Street Grand Market
108 Avenue & 124 Street
Every Thursday evening from 4-8pm until October 3, 2013

I attended the very first Red Shoe Crawl that took place in Old Strathcona in August 2011, and was blown away by how well organized it was, and loved how it promoted exploring a particular area on foot. The ticket price provided incredible value (we were far from able make our way through the food provided), and it was even better that the entire ticket cost was directed to the charity.

Fish and chips from Elephant & Castle

In 2012, the Red Shoe Crawl took place twice that year, and expanded to include the burgeoning 124 Street neighbourhood as well. Though there perhaps wasn’t as much food when compared with the Whyte Avenue event, without question they made up for it with a more diverse range of participating shops, including several that I had never stepped foot in before.

Gelato from Cococo

If you still haven’t had a chance to attend a Red Shoe Crawl, now is your chance! The 2013 Taste of Whyte takes place on June 9, 2013, from noon-5pm. Tickets are just $40, and is inclusive of all food and beverage samples. Expect a great line-up of businesses, with more to be confirmed. So far, the list includes:

• Cha Island Tea
• Eye Care Group
• Famoso
• The Food Fighter (food truck)
• The Keg
• Marble Slab
• MKT
• McDonald’s
• Naanolicious
• The Plaid Giraffe
• Planet Organic
• Sabzy
• Second Cup
• Ten Thousand Villages
• The Tin Box
• Tutti Frutti

The organizers were nice enough to allow me to give two tickets to the event away! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment with a valid e-mail address that answers the following question:

Which Old Strathcona business are you most looking forward to trying or revisiting at the Red Shoe Crawl?

A winner will be chosen randomly from all responses collected before the deadline. The contest closes on May 27, 2013 at 11:59pm. Good luck!

• A reminder about Slow Food Edmonton’s Berkshire & Beer event at the Yellowhead Brewery on May 26, 2013. The menu is now up as well.
• Dishcrawl will be hosting their next neighbourhood crawl around Southgate Mall on June 12, 2013.
• Liv professed her love of the sandwiches at Pure Kitchen.
• Vue profiled Sailin’ On, the newest food truck to hit the streets in Edmonton.
• Sad news: the Arbour Room at the Rutherford House is now closed due to staffing and financial challenges.
• I missed this article last week – ever wanted to peek into RGE RD Chef Blair Lebsack’s kitchen? Now you can.
• I also missed linking to Omar Mouallem’s fantastic piece about the history (and his history) with Burger Baron.
• Mack sent me this amazingly nutty clip from a recent episode of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. The  owners are so stubborn and blind to their toxic behaviour that it’s hard to believe the confrontations aren’t staged.
• Valerie posted a recap about Eat Alberta 2013. Her pictures are gorgeous, and bring me right back to the day.
• Mack and I trekked across the High Level bridge over the weekend for dinner and dessert. The latter was made up of visits to Transcend and Menchies. Transcend was advertising their new cold brew coffee (something we’ve made at home, but are generally too lazy to do on a regular basis). Mack loved it, commenting that it actually tasted like coffee, though given it is filtered several times, we were surprised to see so many unidentified flecks in the mixture.

Transcend’s cold brew coffee

• Menchie’s, the newest frozen yogurt chain to land in Edmonton, is set up in the same way as other self-serve froyo establishments, with a wall of yogurt options and an adjacent topping station. I did appreciate the easy access to sample cups, though was hoping for more fresh fruit options. Overall, I enjoyed the strawberry sorbet, but probably wouldn’t be able to pick it out of a froyo line-up.

Menchie’s

• Felicia and I hit up Hundred for an Alley Burger last night. I don’t know what it is, but the burger always tastes better when consumed outside on a warm summer night.

Alley burger!

• Tickets for the first Red Shoe Crawl of the year are now on sale! Taking place on June 9, 2013, the event will showcase some of Old Strathcona’s best restaurants and businesses. Tickets are $40, with proceeds supporting the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta. We had a blast at the 124 Street crawl last October.
• The Edmonton Community Foundation’s upcoming Annual General Meeting on June 13, 2013 will feature Jeremy Isles, Chief Executive of the Federation of City Farms & Community Gardens, UK.
• Beer Revolution (11736 104 Avenue) opened today.
• Look for Belgravia Hub (7609 115 Street) to open this week!
• La Poutine’s truck is now on the streets! Looking forward to our first mobile poutine.
• It also looks like Sailin’ On, Edmonton’s first vegan truck, will be on the streets on May 14, 2013!
• Marlow Moo wrote about a pop-up over the weekend with forthcoming food truck Switch.
• The rise of Italian in Edmonton continues with the opening of Enzo’s on 76.
• Liv also wrote about Amato Gelato in Lewis Estates, the first of a Vancouver-based gelato chain to open up in the city.
• The Makk was positively reviewed in the Journal last week.
• Vue’s annual Golden Fork Awards were announced last week! I found it interesting how many of the winners were concentrated in the Old Strathcona area – will we soon see a shift to more Downtown and Oliver-area restaurants?
• The same issue featured a Vue writer taking on the burger challenge at Soda Jerks – could you finish three monster burgers in thirty minutes?
• Valerie is looking to hone in on our “Canadian voice”, and is inviting writers to help her identify uniquely Canadian experiences and foods. Find out more about The Canadian Food Experience Project here.
• A call for Edmonton Food Council members is now open. Interested parties have until May 20, 2013 to submit applications.
• It looks like Remedy is expanding again, this time into the space vacated by Booster Juice in the Palomar Building on 82 Avenue and 104 Street.

Remedy – coming soon!

• The Burg announced their presence in a big way on the 4th Street Promenade – probably hoping to capitalize on all of the foot traffic the street garners when the outdoor City Market begins on May 18.

The Burg

• Kabsa is now open at 10332 82 Avenue – anyone know if it is the same folks behind the space that was taken over by Corso 32 downtown?

Kabsa

• We stumbled upon a new bubble tea shop just off the main Whyte drag, called Teapsy Café (9959 82 Aveue). They offer the variety of cold drinks found at similar shops, but enhance their menu with Peking dogs (think a Chinese-style Japadog). The peach slush we tried was very refreshing.

Teapsy Cafe

• After a meeting with the folks at The Next Act on Thursday, we stayed on for dinner. It was a good call – the omnivore grilled cheese hit the spot!

Omnivore grilled cheese

• We were happy to join other “Drift-ers” at Red Star today for a group viewing of their Eat St. episode! It was great, and showcased their food well.

Of course, Kara and Nevin made sure the audience was well fed!

Perogy making with Chef David Omar of Zinc

We know changes are never embraced by everyone, but for the most part we think the implementation of a set track registration system (as opposed to attendees being able to select from all available workshops) was a success! It guaranteed every attendee at least two hands-on classes, and we hope the tracks facilitated some deeper connections with fellow root-ers as well.

Maki makes ricotta!

I have to say I didn’t end up stepping foot in many of the classrooms this year, so while I don’t have personal account of the sessions, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive!

Artisan sausage making with Allan Suddaby

We tried to achieve a balance between new and returning presenters, knowing that our attendees would be made up of those both familiar and unfamiliar with Eat Alberta. For new presenters, we were thrilled to have many members of the food community answer our call, including Nevin Fenske of Drift, who taught the finer points of butchering a whole chicken, and Chad Moss of Shovel and Fork, who inspired many on the merits of homemade bacon.

Nevin teaches The Whole Chicken

Bacon making!

To end the day, we were certain a concept like “lightning talks” would be the perfect way to connect attendees with resources beyond our annual event. But we never knew how effective it could be until the presenters blew the doors off the place! The nine speakers were engaging, funny and informative, though it was hard for anyone to top Mark Stumpf-Allen (aka “The Worm Guy” of the Master Composter Program), who threw packages of worms out into the audience during his address.

The Worm Guy!

One of the highlights of the day for me was the unveiling of the tastes, to accompany the wine down after the lightning talks. Allan Suddaby, a chef and one of the organizers, crafted a brilliant board of seasonal, local bites. The icing on the cake was listening to Allan describe each of them! We also poured exclusively Albertan fruit wines, a first for us. Given our provincial mandate, we expanded the selection and brought in Field Stone Fruit Wines, based out of Strathmore, but currently unavailable for purchase in Edmonton. After hearing the comments around the room, however, I think we should lobby for their sale locally!

Tasting board

As a whole, it really helped that we were at the same venue for the second year running – we were able to tighten up some things, partly because we were more familiar with the building, but partly because we worked with staff rock stars, led by Toby and Josh, who made meeting any last minute needs seamless.

We also managed to fill the void of a host this year, one person who could tie the day together and provide some cohesion. Global’s Jennifer Crosby filled those shoes with grace and humour to spare.

It takes a village to put on an event like this. Thank you to the presenters who stepped up to share their knowledge and enthusiasm, to the volunteers who generously donated their time and to the sponsors who believed in what we are trying to achieve. To my fellow organizers – it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside you.

If you are interested in being a part of Eat Alberta, let us know! We’re looking to expand the organizing committee, so just send me an email!

Thanks Valerie for letting me use your photos!

The Cavern is the newest storefront to open up on the 4th Street Promenade, and in spite of being first and foremost a cheese shop, owner Tricia Bell has designed a dine-in concept that easily transitions from day to night. Early birds can head to The Cavern for an espresso and a bite of breakfast in the morning, while downtown office workers might be more interested in her daily grilled cheese lunch options. For the after work crowd, The Cavern offers wine and spirits alongside meat and cheese boards, great for some nibbles leading up to dinner, or as the main attraction before a night out on the town.

Mack and I walked in to a near full house that Thursday, and snagged the last two seats at the bar. During our previous visits, Tricia and the rest of her staff have always been warm and welcoming, and tonight was no different. It was clear they were all very busy trying to manage the room and handling new walk-ins, but we never felt rushed or not taken care of.

The Enomatic system makes it ideal for The Cavern to serve small 3 ounce pours of wine in addition to 6 or 9 ounce glasses, but Mack and I were fine with a regular glass each. For those interested in pairings, the cheese menu lists both wine and beer selections.

Malbec and Cava

We had to choose between a cheese board for two featuring three cheeses ($19) or a cheese and meat board with two of each ($24). We opted for the latter, and selected two meats from a list of five, and two cheese from a list of twenty. Tricia was a great help in answering our questions and guided us to a Quebec washed-rind cheese, Le Douanier, with a unique vegetable ash centre. It was soft and mild, with a lovely creamy texture. Our other cheese choice was Sylvan Star’s award winning Grizzly Gouda.

Meat and cheese board, with all beef salami and prosciutto di parma

The board was beautifully presented, with some fruit, fresh bread, and dollops of cherry jam and jalapeno jelly. I also loved the ability to imprint on the board itself with chalk, a seamless way to identify multiple items.

Cheers!

The Cavern was a wonderful place to spend the evening, and one that we will be returning to again.

The following evening, Mack and I walked over to the Winspear Centre for Radio from the Head, a show in the “Late Night with Bill Eddins” series. It has been a while since we last took in one of these concerts, but we knew we were in for an entertaining night, mostly due to the conductor’s personality and ease on stage.

The beautiful Winspear Centre

I was particularly drawn to this show because of the promise of a song to be paired with chocolate. Symphonic Chocolates by Maxime Goulet is composed of four movements, where the audience was invited to eat a different chocolate during the corresponding movement. The ESO partnered with local chocolatier Carol’s Quality Sweets, who produced the custom boxes of chocolates which were sold prior to the performance for $5 each.

It was an innovative multi-sensory experience that reminded me of Karen Brooks’ presentation at Feast in Portland which involved a communal tasting component, and the trend of food deliberately being paired with music. While we weren’t floored by all of the pairings, Mack and I enjoyed the dark chocolate which accompanied a theme cloaked in mystery, and a mint chocolate coupled with a movement reminiscent of a spring breeze.

Chocolates!

The show’s special guest was Christopher O’Riley, known for his piano interpretations of Radiohead. Mack, more familiar with Radiohead than I, was drawn to O’Riley’s performances of the three Radiohead songs. And though we can appreciate the difficulty of the four-hands Stravinsky piece, its 33 minute length was a rather bulky way to end the late-night concert.

“Late Night with Bill Eddins” will be back in the 2013-14 Edmonton Symphony Orchestra calendar. No mention of chocolates, though.

The Cavern
2, 10169 104 Street
(780) 455-1336
Monday-Thursday 7am-8pm, Friday and Saturday 7am-11pm, Sunday 10am-5pm

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Winspear Centre, 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square

What: Ginger Beef Throwdown
When: May 17, 2013
Time: 5-8pm
Where: Royal Alberta Museum, 12845 102 Avenue

Our Pulled Pork Throwdown was so well received last year that we didn’t hesitate when the Royal Alberta Museum approached us earlier this year with an idea to partner on an event.

To celebrate the RAM’s newest exhibit, Chop Suey on the Prairies, this Truck Stop will serve up different versions of ginger beef-inspired dishes, a staple on Chinese restaurant menus across the prairies in the early twentieth century. The Act Out & About, Bully Food Truck, The Lingnan Express and Smokehouse BBQ will be throwing down the gauntlet and doing their best to earn your vote. Four trucks, four dishes. You decide who made it best.

The Lingnan’s ginger beef

The museum will be open until 8pm that night so attendees can visit Chop Suey on the Prairies. Admission will be by donation (the rest of the RAM will be closed). This Truck Stop will be a great opportunity to not only taste some unique interpretations of a classic Chinese-Albertan dish, but to also explore some of the roots of our ethnic Prairie cuisine.

Check back on the What the Truck?! website on Monday for menus. Hope to see you there!

• Should Canada tax unhealthy foods? That is the question that will be debated by a panel of experts on May 22, 2013 at the Westin, as a part of the Western Summit on Sustainable Health. Although the debate is open to the public, it is too bad tickets to the event are $55.
• Outdoor farmers’ markets are here! Salisbury (Thursdays) moved outdoors at the end of April, Highlands (Thursdays) opened its season on May 2, Callingwood (Sundays and Wednesdays) began on May 5, Beverly Towne (Tuesdays) starts May 7, the South West Edmonton Farmers’ Market starts next week on May 15, and my favourite City Market downtown (Saturdays) starts May 18.
• There are a ton of food events to check out in the next few months! If you love lobster, I’ve heard the annual Lobsterfest at the Shaw Conference Centre is an event not to miss. It takes place on May 26, 2013 this year, and tickets are $55. Take a peek at what’s in store on Twyla’s blog.
• Mosh Burger, the pop-up that celebrates medium rare burgers, is hosting a six course, Montreal-inspired meal on May 27, 2013 for $120, including wine pairings.
• Coffee more your thing? Chef Parker is hosting a food and coffee pairing event at Roast on May 30, 2013. Tickets are $60.
• RGE RD will be hosting several more farm dinners this summer: on July 7 @ Riverbend Gardens, and on July 14 @ Prairie Gardens. More details on the website.
• The next 10 Mile Meal is taking place on July 13, 2013, and will celebrate all things summer. Tickets are $80.
• Food trucks are back in the news! Liane had a great article about some of the new trucks on the street, including The Local Omnivore and the forthcoming Sailin’ On (the menu looks amazing!).
• Battista’s Calzones has a new website!
• The Shutter: Ousia on Whyte Avenue has closed.
• Has poutine jumped the shark? Jones Soda has released a poutine flavoured soda – unfortunately, it isn’t available in Alberta if you were hoping to try it.
• Spicy Garden (9700 105 Avenue) in Chinatown has been taken over by Urban Shabu – from peeking in the windows, it looks to be a modern interior for a Japanese staple.

Urban Shabu

• Patios are out in full force in Edmonton! Hurrah for summer!

Blue Plate Diner

Sharon is in Toronto with her Mum this week, so I’m on food note duty! Here are this week’s food notes:

• Tickets for Indulgence go on sale May 1!
• Do you like beer? Pork? How about beer and pork together?! Slow Food Edmonton and Yellowhead Brewery are hosting Berkshire & Beer on May 26. Tickets are $60 for the nose-to-tail event!
• Bistro Saisons, located in the old 4th and Vine spot in Oliver Square, was reviewed positively in the Journal. Scott & Sandra Ards are the duo behind the new venture – I love that they met “on the kitchen line at the Shaw Conference Centre nine years ago”.
• Keep your eyes open for Localize stickers in a grocery store near you. Hopefully they last longer than the Eat Local First signage!
• The Next Act are looking to open a BBQ restaurant next door called Meat for Dinner, but they’ve run into issues with the zoning bylaws. Support them and let’s see this happen!
• Andrea reviewed Pure Kitchen, The Makk’s new sister restaurant located just down 124 Street. That Cheddar Apple Smoked Turkey sandwich looks good. She also reviewed Menchie’s, a new frozen yogurt shop located near Remedy on 109 Street.
• Tomorrow is TEDxEdmonton’s Salon Series event focused on Food for Thought. Green Drinks celebrates Local Food on Wednesday at The Common. Lots of opportunities to connect and talk food!
• Have you eaten at a food truck this season? There’s a number of them on the streets already!
• Marlow Moo reviewed Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus and really liked it. I did too!
• Credo, Transcend, Elm, and Leva all made this list of the 25 best coffee shops in Canada.
• La Cité Francophone is looking for a restaurateur to take over the dining room in the heart of the French Quarter. Here’s the RFP in English and French.
• The Callingwood Farmers Market reopens this Sunday at 10am!
• Liane posted some details today on Sip and Savour, a new feature coming to Taste of Edmonton this summer. I think it’s great that the festival is working to transform itself, but we’ll have to wait and see just how different Sip and Savour is (Paul Lucas, the new head of Taste of Edmonton, was the one who initiated Sip! at Capital EX).
• Sounds like SWICH is hosting a lunchtime Mother’s Day pop up on May 12. You need to DM them on Twitter to RSVP!
• Sharon was home for lunch last week (a rare occasion) so she made sure to take advantage of the opportunity to try The Cavern‘s grilled cheese sandwiches ($8.75). Each gooey and delicious sandwich was accompanied by some pickled vegetables and some chips.

Tempting pastries at The Cavern!

• I know how much Sharon loves pho, so I had to take a photo of this V Sandwiches sign the other day – pho is now available!

Occupation: Dish Editor/Staff Writer at Vue Weekly

What did you eat today?

Granola and yogurt for breakfast, a steak and goat cheese wrap for lunch and tilapia with steamed vegetables and rice for dinner.

What do you never eat?

I’m always open to trying new things when it comes to food, but I can’t say I’m a fan of tomatoes when they’re by themselves. There’s just something about the texture that I don’t enjoy. If they’re incorporated into something like a pasta sauce, I’ll eat them. Strange, I know.

What is your personal specialty?

I would say either stir-fry or different pasta creations, like lasagna.

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

Fresh produce, yogurt, eggs and almond milk.

What is your weekday meal standby?

To be perfectly honest, I’m pretty terrible about cooking big meals for myself during the week due to a busy schedule, so it’s usually something quick—but still healthy.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

The kitchen and I have only become closely acquainted with one another in the last year-and-a-half (I was a college student prior to that and cooking ranked low on the priority list), but I would say the KitchenAid mixer.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

That’s a tough one. I would either go all-out on sushi or anything my mom cooks—she’s fantastic. For dessert, It would have to be her chocolate raspberry torte hands-down.

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I don’t really have a go-to place when I go out to eat. I like to spread things around and try out different places.

Where’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

It’s so hard to choose one because Edmonton has such a diverse range of restaurants and so many of them have fantastic things to offer. However, I really enjoy TZiN and XIX when I’m able to make it down to the far south end of the city.

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

I spent a month in Europe during the summer of 2011, and I would go back to Italy and France in a heartbeat. The food was fantastic, particularly macarons, pastries and duck a l’orange in Paris, as well as gelato, traditional Neapolitan pizza or pasta dishes in Italy, where it seemed as though you couldn’t go wrong with anything you ordered.

You can check out Meaghan’s writing in Vue Weekly’s Dish section every week.