One Sweet Road Trip: Jelly Modern Doughnuts

This guest post was written by Mack, an Edmonton-based geek who fancies himself a part-time foodie. You can find him online at his blog, and on Twitter.

Last month, I spent a day down in Calgary at mesh west. It was a very quick down-in-the-morning and back-in-the-evening kind of trip, but I was under strict orders from Sharon to stop at Jelly Modern Doughnuts before coming home (especially appropriate as National Doughnut Day had just passed). I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make it before they closed, but fortunately we had scored an introduction just a week earlier at the TMAC Alberta social media workshop to founder Rita Tripathy. I emailed Rita and she graciously agreed to set aside a dozen doughnuts for me, so that I’d be allowed back into the house 😉

It was fairly late in the day when I arrived, but there was still a steady stream of people visiting the shop, located at 1414 8 Street SW. You can’t miss it as you pass by – the bright pink signage brightens up the otherwise dull corner (though I hear there’s an awesome coffee shop kitty-corner, Kawa). The space used to house real estate developer The Eden Group of Companies, and while I can’t say I had seen the previous interior, I can say the Jelly Modern Doughnuts space is beautiful. A white bar with clear stools lines one side of the shop, while wooden seats with pink pillows fills the other corner. You can’t miss the large display case, right near the centre of the store.

Unfortunately Rita wasn’t there when I arrived, but I did get to spend some time chatting with her husband and business partner Murray, and Chef Grayson Sherman. They told me about the doughnuts that were on display, some regulars on the menu and some special. The “seasonal” menu features a different special each month – when I was there in June, it was Chocolate Espresso. They also had a “Vancouver Canucks” donut to celebrate the cup run.

I left with a dozen doughnuts and a cinnamon bun for the road, all on the house thanks to Murray’s refusal to let me pay. Needless to say, Sharon was pretty excited when I finally walked in the door that night (for the doughnuts, that is), exclaiming “it looks like a box of flowers!” We wasted no time digging in!

Funky flavours like maple bacon and s’mores aren’t the only reason these doughnuts are unique. The “hole” in the centre isn’t really a hole! It’s more like a well, ready to be filled with peanut butter, jelly, lemon, etc. This means you get to see everything that you’re about to eat, and it also makes for a less messy treat. Additionally, Jelly Modern Doughnuts uses local, organic ingredients, as explained by Julie.

While I did enjoy the maple bacon, my favorite was probably the classic jelly (though I quite liked the coconut as well). Sharon liked the vanilla with sprinkles and the peanut butter cup best. I’m usually not a fan of sweets but I did enjoy the doughnuts, perhaps because the dough itself wasn’t overly sweet (which explains why Chef Sherman was thinking of making sandwiches with it). The cinnamon bun I ate on the way home really hit the spot as well!

Will Edmonton move beyond cupcakes someday as well? If we do, I hope we end up with something like Jelly Modern Doughnuts! In the meantime, follow @JellyModern on Twitter and stop by when you’re in Calgary!

Jelly Modern Doughnuts
100, 1414 8 Street SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 453-2053
Monday – Friday 7:00am – 7:00pm, Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm, Sunday 9:00am – 6:00pm

Food Notes for July 11, 2011

The Devonian Gardens’ 4th annual Green Festival runs on July 17, 2011. Expect sustainable gardening lectures and cooking demonstrations, among other things.
Fork Fest, which starts July 17, has a few menus up.
Have you checked out the menu for Sip! at Capital Ex? It looks pretty tasty!
The 2011 gluten-free pancake breakfast will be held on July 23, 2011.
There was more love in the blogosphere this week for Tres Carnales Taqueria – from Twyla, Baconhound, Edmonton Foodie and Cream and Sugar.
Transcend’s long-anticipated street food-inspired menu will be ready on August 1 and 2 at Transcend Garneau and Downtown, respectively.
Read all about one of Edmonton’s newest food trucks, Shaka Boys Shave Ice.
Vue Weekly wrote a great profile on Early Bird Cafe.
Liv and two friends rounded up cupcakes from bakeries all over town for the ultimate taste test (with graphs!). Delish Custom Cakes & Sweets came out on top.
How about a picnic? Avenue Edmonton pairs delis with parks in a spin on al fresco dining.
Ever want to peek into someone’s pantry? Liane’s article last week allows you to do just that. It features Michael Avenati of Mo-Na Foods and food writer Twyla Campbell.
Speaking of Twyla, she was involved in preparing the foods served to William and Kate at the reception in Ottawa on Canada Day.
Andree visited Top Chef Canada winner Dale Mackay’s Vancouver restaurant Ensemble. Good food, she writes, but “what bothered me most was that a lot of the menu wasn’t easy to share despite what they insisted was Ensemble’s focus.”
Did you pick up a free slurpee from 7-11 today? It turns out the promotion is actually a boon for the chain – they’ve found the tasting cup actually convinces most customers to purchase a larger size.
TV fame doesn’t necessarily lead to success. Take the example of Soul Daddy, the “winner” of America’s Next Great Restaurant.
Mack and I stopped by to check out SOS Fest yesterday. The rain dampened the crowd during the time we visited, but it looks like it picked up later in the day. It was great to see food vendors from the area on site too!

The Pack A.D. performs

Peds on the street!

Food vendors

Mack even met the Biebs!

We haven’t been dining al fresco as much as we would have liked this year, so it was nice to grab the opportunity last week.

Dining outdoors

Sturgeon County Bounty on Canada Day

Mack and I are creatures of habit, so for the past few years, it is no surprise that we haven’t changed up our Canada Day tradition of downtown fireworks…and nothing else.

This year, we were extended an invitation to check out the Sturgeon County Bounty, an event that was a part of the Canada Day festivities held at the Edmonton Garrison. Although the festival was first developed for the military families living on the base, it has now evolved into a full-scale community party, with residents of all surrounding townships participating.

Until we arrived, we really weren’t aware of the scope of the event. It. Was. Massive. The parking lot was filled to the brim, having transported literally thousands of people to the site (someone told us that 20,000 people were estimated to attend this year).

At the Garrison

Walking through the grounds, we discovered quickly why it was so popular – there was something for everyone. From musical acts to street hockey to an RV and vintage car show, the festivities were spread out over many acres, and yet, still had a small-town feel to it all.

Street hockey

The family area was absolutely packed, excited children lined up for face painting, old-fashioned carnival games, and amusement rides (tea cups! ponies!).

Childrens’ area

Tubs of fun!

Of course, the main attraction for us was the food, so we headed straight for the tents at the far end of the site. The vendors were equally busy, and one had to think the short serving period of 11am-2:30pm might have had something to do with it.

Tents

Because we were guests, we were lucky enough to skip the ticket line-up, and received 30 tickets (valued at $1 each) to spend as we wanted. Most items were in the 4 to 6 ticket range, although there were some steals to be had for just 1 ticket (you can see the menu here).

Delicious cookies made with Mack’s favourite no-nuts peabutter (and at 3 for 1 ticket, they were the best deal we found)

This was the second Sturgeon County Bounty ever organized. The first took place last October at the Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm, but was much smaller in scope (and, focused on the fall harvest, highlighted goods made with pumpkin). The objective of the event is to showcase area producers and food processors, such as Rose Ridge Land and Cattle, based in Thorhild.

Although each tent had a menu tacked up, it faced inside, making it difficult to see from a distance. Combined with the lack of individual paper menus (a nod to the environment?) made browsing the options a literal exercise. I liked that each producer had official Sturgeon County Bounty information cards available (similar to the ones distributed at Sip! last year), but as a takeaway, a single summary sheet combined with menu items would have been more efficient. On the environmentally-friendly front, especially given the volume, I would hope they consider plant-based cutlery and plates next year.

The lines weren’t for the faint of heart

We started out with a slice of perogy pizza, a fruity chicken skewer and stuffed mushrooms from Don’s Steak and Seafood Bistro. The pizza was quite good – all the fixings of a perogy (potato, sour cream, green onions)on a decent crust . The skewer, not so much, dry and flavourless as it was. The mushrooms were okay, though the stuffing of chicken and vegetables wasn’t prominent through the breading.

Pizza, chicken and stuffed mushrooms

I really liked the alpaca burger from Belle Valley Farms – I probably wouldn’t have known it was alpaca if not for the sign. And paired with the saskatoon jam, it would be an excellent way to introduce others to this lesser-known local protein.

Alpaca burger

We easily waited forty minutes for Rafter 2M’s beef sliders. They were definitely not worth the wait (nor could we figure out why they couldn’t push the food out any faster), but were tasty enough.

Mack wasn’t impressed with the wait for his beef slider

The shortcake from Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm was summer on a plate. The berries and rhubarb were fresh, just starting to seep their juices, and combined with a touch of whipped cream and doughy biscuit, was perfect on that sunny, summer day.

Shortcake with strawberries, rhubarb and saskatoons

The saksatoon sorbet from Berry Ridge Orchard was equally memorable. It was a little creamier and thicker than sorbets I am used to, but it was delicious.

Saskatoon sorbet

Elaine from Allium Foodworks was also on hand to do a cooking demo at the event. We sampled some of the alpaca meatballs she had on hand, coated with the most amazing sauce.

Elaine cooking up a storm

Before we left, we were treated to quite the show in the sky. Pilots showed off their deft flying skills, much to the delight of the crowd.

Is it a bird? No, it’s a plane!

Drinking in the sunshine

Thanks to the Sturgeon County Bounty for the invitation! It was great to discover such an amazing event right in our own backyard!

The next Bounty event is scheduled for October 1, 2011. Check the website for more details.

City Market Report: Week 8 (and Taste 118…sort of)

I thought I had popped down to the City Market at an opportune time this morning, finding a fortuitous break in the clouds. Well, it lasted all of several minutes, then the rain returned.

More grey

That seems to be the norm so far this year – I can only hope things get better from here, otherwise the market won’t achieve the same kind of banner attendance numbers that they did in 2010.

On the plus side, the rain does mean shoppers don’t necessarily have to be early birds in order to have a good selection (I was able to get the last box of strawberries from Sundog Organics at 11!). And, it was a very good week for vegetables.

Gorgeous herbs at Sundog Organics

Field grown tomatoes from Sundog Organics

Garlic scapes from Sundog Organics

Peas, glorious peas at Kuhlmann’s

Dill from Kuhlmann’s

A variety of lettuces at Kuhlmann’s

Broccoli at Green Valley Farm

Vibrant carrots from Riverbend Gardens

Kohlrabi from Riverbend Gardens

The Filipino festival was supposed to take place today, rain or shine, and we did hear some music later that morning, but I can imagine performing in the downpour would not have been pleasant. Here’s hoping there’s more market conducive weather next week!

Afterwards, Mack and I hopped on the train and headed to Alberta Avenue for the Taste 118 event. The event was to encourage visitors to explore the great restaurants in the neighbourhood, in addition to perusing sidewalk retail set-ups on a festive afternoon. Due to the rain, however, the event was cancelled – unfortunate and curious, given most of the activities would have been indoors anyway (the Highlands Street Festival last year went on regardless of the downpour, and the weather most definitely encouraged people to take refuge, and thus browse shops). Taste 118 may be rescheduled for next Saturday, but keep your eyes on the Facebook page to be sure.

Taste 118 poster

Still, the promise of the event got us down to Battista’s Calzones, which seemed to be the catch-all for other wanderers also hoping for good eats.

Full house

It was Mack’s first time at the restaurant (though I’ve brought him leftover calzones in the past). His first calzone served hot out of the oven lived up to the hype – success!

Delicious!

We found Liv behind the counter too, serving up samples of biscotti and cookies. She will be selling her products out of Battista’s – perfect for those looking for a sweet ending after their lunch. The Nutella biscotti I tried was fantastic – best of luck, Liv, with your venture!

Liv and Battista

We also sampled some of Baconhound’s homemade Baileys – there’s nothing more festive than a shot of liqueur on a summer afternoon.

Bottom’s up!

Hope you had an equally good Saturday!

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

Heat Up the Ave: 2011 Safe Streets and Night Market

My coworker (and all-around super citizen) Deborah and I headed to Heat Up the Ave: 2011 Safe Streets and Night Market after work on Wednesday. The original date in June had been rained out, so the rescheduled event made sure to have an indoor component in case of inclement weather (and, sadly for me, also meant the horse and buggy ride had to be cancelled). That turned out not to be necessary – yesterday was a gloriously hot summer night.

Heat Up the Ave

I’ve written before about my love of block parties – I think they provide fantastic opportunities for neighbours to meet and connect, especially vital for distressed and at-risk communities. In Central McDougall/Queen Mary Park, these informal gatherings have been used as a part of its revitalization strategy (Safe Streets was first held in June of last year, and the Night Market in August). As someone who works in Central McDougall, I am rooting for these initiatives to achieve their goals!

Tents

The Queen Mary Park Community Hall parking lot had been overtaken by tents featuring vendors, local businesses, non-profit organizations, and the Edmonton Police Service.

Deborah bought some bannock from the Creating Hope Society

Heat Up the Ave souvenir!

Live entertainment also helped set the tone, and I’m sure the music could be heard far down the street (that’s how block parties should be!).

Entertainment

It was great that a singer from Sudan was featured as well!

The community league and City of Edmonton had set up shop inside the hall, but it was clear the party was outside.

Inside the Hall

It was the perfect location for such a hot day, as a playground and spray park next to the hall were drawing many families to the area anyway. With face painting, a jumpy castle and hot dogs, kids were having a great time!

Queen Mary Park

The crowd was modest (though apparently we missed the biggest rush closer to the start of the event), but this event seemed better attended than the two last year. It was great to run into many familiar faces, and meet new ones too!

Pick-up soccer

Central McDougall will be hosting a similar event in September – here’s hoping it will be even bigger and better!

“Top Chef Canada”: Season 1 Wrap

Spoilers ahead.

Since I wrote my less-than-flattering mid-point review of Top Chef Canada over a month ago, I am happy to say the series did improve with time.

The biggest turnaround for me was Head Judge Mark McEwan. It’s almost as if halfway through filming, producers reviewing the tapes realized that he was coming off as stoic and tense, and started prompting him with “Smile!” cue cards behind the camera. Though he’s still no Tom Collichio, McEwan definitely showed signs of loosening up towards the end, which bodes well for the future of the show. Host Thea Andrews was also okay, though her delivery and smirk continued to be reminiscent more of tabloid entertainment than reality programming.

Resident Judge Shereen Arazm, on the other hand, I still could have done without – she didn’t add anything for me, and I’m not convinced that the canon of Canadian talent could not have provided someone more articulate and less shrill. I’m not sure if she has been secured for next season, but I’m hoping for a replacement.

In terms of guest judges, I know Canada doesn’t have the same obsession with “celebrity chefs” as our neighbours to the south, but Top Chef Canada is a great platform to start celebrating our homegrown talent. Most of the judges were Food Network alumni (some of whom, like Rob Feenie and Gail Simmons, I did enjoy), but I’d like to see future episodes utilize more non-screen chefs.

The challenges were also more entertaining as the show went on. I really liked the street food challenge (the “fusion” aspect not so much), and was pleased that “restaurant wars” did not disappoint. I am also glad the final challenge was open-ended – I don’t think the cheftestants were given enough opportunities towards the end to really showcase their true cooking styles. Mack and I both agreed that we hope future challenges embrace regional cooking more – I acknowledge that this inaugural season chose to highlight ethnic cuisines as its representation of Canadiana, but so much more can and should be done with the breadth of produce and proteins offered by our vast country.

Though I realize that the costs associated with building the studio in Toronto must be recouped, I’m hoping that future seasons will film across the country in a manner similar to Top Chef (season 9 will likely be based in San Antonio). In addition to celebrating talent, the show is a wonderful chance to expose viewers to venues and restaurants across the country, and can go a long way to encourage inter-provincial culinary tourism.

Lastly – congrats to Dale! But I have to be honest; I was rooting for Connie not only because of her Alberta connection, but also because it is rare to see a female chef take the title. There’s always next year (they accepted applications back in June)! Looking forward to season two – go Canada!

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

Food Notes for July 4, 2011

Hope you had a good Canada Day, and enjoyed the festivities! I feel like I’m again so behind with my posts – so much to write, so little time! But my goal is at least to capture a bit more of San Francisco (only ten months after the fact, sigh) before we leave for Toronto in a few weeks. On to this week’s food notes:

Press’d is celebrating the grand opening of their second location at 112 Street and Jasper Avenue by offering a chance to win free sandwiches for a year: simply head down and buy a sandwich on July 8 or 9 for one of five chances to win. In addition, from July 4 – 9, they are donating $0.50 from every sandwich sold at both locations to the Youth Emergency Shelter Society.
I thought I had posted about it earlier, but it seems I missed mentioning the opening of the Green & Gold Garden at the U of A. It works on a pay-what-you-choose model, but all funds collected support a not-for-profit organization that supports socially and economically marginalized women in Rwanda. Produce available this week includes lettuce, arugula, Chinese cabbage, pak choi and kale.
Kevin’s first From Local Farms video of 2011 is up! Featured is Tangle Ridge Ranch. Congrats also to Kevin for being named one of Alberta Venture’s “Next 10”.
There’s now an Asian food option in Century Park – Spring Roll Kitchen (2395 111 Street, 780-437-5547) was set to open on Canada Day.

Spring Roll Kitchen

Cupcakes are still going strong in Edmonton – Flirt Cupcakes just opened their second storefront downtown at 105 Street and Jasper Avenue. I stopped by this afternoon for a treat, and Michelle told me the renos aren’t quite done (the location was a former Treats Cafe). Expect more seating to come!

Flirt Cupcakes

I stopped by Pho Tau Bay for soup last week, just in time before their annual summer vacation. They will be closed July 4, and will reopen on August 25, 2011. Alternatively, you could always check this handy site to see if the restaurant is open.

I heart beef noodle soup

Mack and I picked up some bubble tea from Bubble Buzz to accompany our evening walk last week. I’d never had Hong Kong-style milk tea before – it was a nice, balanced alternative to iced coffee. Mack, who isn’t the biggest fan of bubble tea, couldn’t get over the bursting mango bubbles – his look of sheer glee every time he bit into a mango surprise was too funny. Liv checked out Bubble Buzz recently too.

Bubble Buzz

We met up with Mack’s Dad (and Thom) for dinner on Saturday while he was in town. His restaurant of choice? Origin India, which we had introduced him to about this time last year. As always, we thoroughly enjoyed their buffet.

Plate #2 at Origin India (the karahi paneer was particularly tasty that night)

Mack had lunch at Tres Carnales today, which opened over the weekend. Chris powered through the menu, and wrote an extensive review here.

Tres Carnales

While Mack dined on tacos, I had lunch at Taipan Cafe. The rice noodles with beef were okay (I think I prefer the Garden Bakery version a little more), but even more exciting, it was the first time in a long while that I had an iced Horlicks! Cold drinks made from powder always seem to transport me back to Asia…

Taipan Cafe

It’s a bit of a miracle I haven’t yet killed the tomato plant on our balcony, so the fact that we were able to harvest our first tomato last week was a bit of a personal victory. I have Jennifer and James at Sundog Organic to thank, for growing a hearty variety that can survive the likes of me!

Our first tomato!

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

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