I had a bit of a harrowing end to my Friday last week, and as a result, made the game-time decision of foregoing a home cooked meal in favour of eating out. As we had tickets to a show at the Varscona, and would be taking public transit, dining at the neighbouring Packrat Louie just [...]

I sometimes wonder what tourists that visit Edmonton ultimately think of the city. Festival central? Expansive river valley? Pedestrian unfriendly? Dominated by big box stores (and a monolithic mall)?
I suppose a lot of it comes down to what the visitors are interested in (and as a result, what they seek out), and who, if anyone, [...]

I’ve raved about lunches and dinners at Madison’s Grill, but there was still one meal they serve that I hadn’t yet sampled – breakfast. A birthday brunch with the girls provided a good opportunity to finally do so, on a sunny morning in June.
When I initially looked at their breakfast menu online, I just couldn’t [...]

Birthdays provide me with a yearly excuse to try something new, in a price category that is normally out of the question (particularly in light of having recently taken on our first mortgage). Last year, we checked out the decadent Sunday brunch at the Hotel MacDonald. This year, I wanted to do something a little [...]

Before the Energy game, Amanda and I planned to grab a bite to eat downtown, then hop on the bus to NAIT. It’s a little amusing – with all my harping about unnecessary television screens in bars, we almost ended up at The Hat so we could watch the Oilers draft Taylor Hall. Fortunately, my [...]

At the rate we’re going, Dickson and I will be sampling pho restaurants into the next decade. With new establishments popping up all the time (such as Pho King on Alberta Avenue and Phonatics in the north end), old favourites yet to sample (like Pho & Bun), and restaurants changing hands, it’s guaranteed pho lovers [...]

In thinking about brunch places where we could take Grandma Male to celebrate her birthday, my mind drifted to Café Haven. I first noticed Café Haven on Twitter, active in announcing their daily specials and musical acts. However, we didn’t often visit Sherwood Park, and as with most restaurants outside of the core, usually need [...]

A few weeks ago, my Dad asked me for my opinion on two new-ish Chinese restaurants downtown, looking for an evening venue: Bird’s Nest of Beijing (10425 100 Avenue) and Urban China. I haven’t yet been to Bird’s Nest (though I had heard that their dim sum was fairly reasonably priced), and though my only [...]

May and I met up on Victoria Day to catch up over brunch. While holidays are a lovely opportunity to linger with a friend over coffee, it was easier said than done. Most of the independent restaurants I could think of were either closed for the holiday, or closed on Mondays, so we resorted to [...]

Earlier this month, I mentioned that The Cake House (12415 107 Avenue) was no more. A sign posted on the door said that a new establishment would take its place soon, called Cellar Door Cake and Catering Co. I was curious as to what they would be offering – more savoury or sweet items? I [...]