Food Notes

• Edmontonians can breathe a sigh of relief - Capital Health has announced that the inspection results of city-wide restaurants will be accessible to the public by July 1.
• The Matrix Hotel, besides being the home of Edmonton's newest Starbucks, will also house a new restaurant from the L'Azia Group, called the Wildflower Restaurant. Barring construction delays, it will open in November. The Edmonton City Centre location of L'Azia used to be a favorite pre and post-movie destination for my friends and I during high school. I have found, however, that the food and service has steadily declined over the years, and haven't been back. I hope the Wildflower is able to meet high expectations, otherwise, the Century Hospitality Group may have been a better choice to fill the space.
• Here's a reason, besides the cheap merchandise, to visit Wal-Mart: only available in McDonald's restaurants situated inside the discount retailer, are cinnamon pullaparts. Rich, warm, and an instant cure for any sweet tooth, these buns are only $1.79, about half the price of those found at Cinnamon City or Cinnabon. Try it. You'll never pay $4.50 for an icing-topped wonder again.
• On the topic of McDonald's, the company announced plans to breach the specialty coffee market by offering lattes, mochas, cappuccinos and espressos. But it may not be so easy - apparently many franchise owners are opposed to the $100,000 needed for initial equipment purchases and renovations. A surprising statistic from the article - about 1 in 5 Americans has an espresso based drink every day.
• I've never really paid attention to either Zagat or Michelin restaurant guides, so I was happy to read a sort of "primer" article on their influences and reputations this week in the Globe. Interesting fact - Michelin stars are awarded purely on the strength of the food, and ignore service and ambiance.
• To assist area restaurants affected by the Broadway strike, Mayor Bloomberg instigated a "Dining in the District" promotion - over 25 restaurants offering 15% off lunch and dinner menus. It was to end November 25; I wonder if it will be extended as the strike continues?