Food Notes

• Mucho Burrito, a fast-food outlet which bills itself as a "fresh Mexican grill" just opened its first Edmonton franchise recently (10124 109 Avenue). A second is already in the works for North Town Mall.
• The City Centre Market opens on Saturday! The updated vendor list isn't up yet, but I look forward to joining many other "scuppies" (socially conscious upwardly-mobile person)in our weekend best on Jasper and 104th (is it just me or are markets the new Sunday Promenade for those 20-35?).
• Speaking of Farmers' Markets, Lex Culinaria linked to a listing of all of the approved markets in Alberta, complete with hours of operation and links to their websites.
• Taken by their flashy silver packaging, I bought a bag of President's Choice brand (get ready for it) General Tao Chicken Chips. I wasn't expecting much with that name, so who knew I'd actually enjoy them? They taste like a spicier, more flavourful version of BBQ chips. Worth the $1.49 I paid.
• Also on the cheap end of things, Mack and I tried the new $1.39 Iced Coffee from McDonald's over the weekend. Three flavour options were available to us: regular, vanilla and hazelnut. Between the regular and vanilla, the former was surprisingly better. Mack commented that while the coffee taste was more genuine than a Tim Hortons' Iced Cappuccino, he wasn't sold on the low price alone, and would still opt for a Starbucks Frappuccino. I, however, wouldn't mind another regular now and again.

Iced Coffee from McDonald's

Food Notes

• It looks like they are just putting the finishing touches on the Sobeys Urban Fresh (10404 Jasper Avenue), which opens this Thursday. I am excited to hear about the local products they will be offering (Greens, Eggs and Ham, among them), and the partnership they have with the City Centre Market.
• A new Wok Box is under construction in the old bakery space on Jasper Avenue next to Who Cares?
• Judy Schultz mentioned a new deli in Edmonton in her Bistro column last week - Careit Urban Deli (5236 199 Street) apparently specializing in healthy takeout meals.
• Check out 630 CHED's website for gift certificates priced at half their value every Wednesday at 10am. This week, they were offering $100 vouchers at Von's Steakhouse for $50.
• Kerstin's Chocolates will be offering their first ever chocolate making course next week.
• Mack sent me a link about a new service where dialing "#PIZZA" on your cell phone will not only connect you with viable delivery options, but also recommend new places to try, based on customer ratings and research and the cheapest eats.
• The Olympus Stylus 1010 camera has a "cuisine" function! Too cool.
• The FN Dish, a web show on the Food Network, focused on food blogging last week. Ed Levine, one of my favorite NY-based bloggers, is featured in the interview.
• The New York Times sent nine writers to review chains in the suburbs, and the consensus was one of pleasant surprise. A few write-ups in particular are deliciously condescending, including one on The Cheesecake Factory: "On a recent Saturday night, there were at least 150 people in their best jeans and T-shirts, beepers in hand, happily waiting 30 or 40 minutes for tables." Worth a read.

Random Notes

Weekends really are for blogging!

• A new tea shop is now open in Edmonton: Felicitea Tea Lounge (15047 Stony Plain Road) serves all kinds of tea, both hot and cold, including bubble tea.
• The Globe thinks that Vancouver has replaced Toronto as the new culinary capital of Canada.
• Teatro La Quindicina will be back on May 1st with their first show of the season, a double billing of What Gives? and the brand new Revenge of the South Sea Bubble.
• Broadway Across Canada released their 2008-2009 season recently, which includes Spamalot, Hairspray, and Annie. After the sound debacle at The Producers last year, I am hesitant to risk being disappointed again.
• House is finally back tomorrow in its new time slot!
• World Malaria Day was on Friday, April 25. Take a look at a striking photo slide show on the Globe & Mail website of images captured by children and youth in Liberia and Rwanda. Image #13 is incredibly haunting.
• After three days of blizzard-like conditions this week, I am happy that the weather is finally cooperating. Because of the snow, I was particularly amused by this sign:

Springtime in Edmonton

Food Notes

• First Daniel Boulud, now Jean-Georges? UrbanDiner has a rumor that J-G Vongerichten may be opening up a restaurant in Vancouver.
• Via Chowhound: the Prarie Regional Barista Championship is being held in Calgary on May 24-25.
• I really hope these "splash sticks" (plastic plugs to cover the sip holes on lids) are barred from Starbucks locations in Canada.
• And I thought KitchenAid stand mixers were tech-saavy: a kitchen atop a ski hill in France relies on broadband and programmable recipes to create its gourmet dishes.
• A political affiliation by wine preference: some American pollsters claim the food people eat can reveal whether or not they are a Democrat or a Republican.
• I went back to Leva again last week, and gave their Prosciutto Pizza ($13) a try. It was easily twice the size of the Margherita Pizza I had last time, and tasted very similar to the type of pie served at Da Capo. Leva is still as charming and as chic as ever though!

Prosciutto Pizza

Food Notes

• Heads up: Original India on Whyte Ave and 105 Street (opened by the owners of Little India's Maurya Palace) is coming soon (though a little later than the Edmonton Journal had reported).
• A new Ric's Grill will be opening in the summer on the city's west end (17520 100 Avenue).
• Edmonton's "newest cocktail venue" (as they are billing themselves), Stir, is now open downtown (10304 111 Street).
• Vue Weekly has released their ballot for their annual Golden Fork Awards. Answer at least 10 questions to be entered into their draw for $700 worth of restaurant gift certificates!
• I love the idea of so-called "one trick pony" restaurants. While perhaps better for curious food tourists than locals, it's a neat idea that I hope spreads north soon.
• A good answer to the question: should one always dress up when going to a semi-formal restaurant?
• Need a time-killer? A vocabulary game called FreeRice donates 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program for each word the player selects correctly.
• One of my favorite food bloggers, based out of New York, flipped a complete 180 last week and is going back to blogging basics, and is uncertain as to whether or not she will be able to honestly review again, as she's not only become friends with some of the people in the food world, but also because she's "ultimately someone who wants to make other people happy." Having some kind of cover of obscurity is essential, as she notes, and I know that's one of the reasons why I cling to this more anonymous medium of publishing.

Food Notes

Sparse this week:

• Mack and I went to a preview of the upcoming California Wine Tasting at deVine Wines on Friday. For a nominal $20 donation between the two of us, we sampled four wines, and had we stuck around longer, probably could have tried even more flights. Well worth it!
• Select Edmonton restaurants are participating in the annual Dining Out for Life fundraiser to help those living with HIV/AIDS.
• The Edmonton Journal's Style section introduced Calgary-based Julie Van Rosendaal's blog, dinner with Julie. It does have great pictures and good meal ideas, but I'm sure a portion of the readers check in just to see the photos of her too-cute son helping out in the kitchen.
• Culinary coup: Toronto's Susur Lee will be heading to the restaurant hotbed of Manhattan to open up an eatery in a Lower East Side Hotel. While I can't say that I'm that familiar with his cuisine, one of my must-read bloggers is very sad to see him go.
• Burger King will be opening "Whopper Bars" in the U.S. that won't serve alcohol so much as make a customizable burger for you. Hm.

Random Notes

• Mack and I decided to go on a photo walk on a lazy Sunday afternoon - just snapping pictures as we wandered around Downtown Edmonton. Check out the photo set here.
• I received a nice surprise in the mail this week - a package advertising the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's upcoming season, complete with a CD of music which samples what will likely be played next year. Cool!
• Teatro la Quindicina will be back in May! At long last.
• I had to cringe when I saw a page advertising South Edmonton Common as a neighbourhood to visit in the March/April edition of Where Edmonton. Do we really want out-of-towners to think box stores are all the city has to offer?
• There was actually a banner advertising The Hills on the front page of tsn.ca the other day. Though I'm sure many women frequent the sports website, are there enough in the show's target demographic to make it worthwhile?
• More Hills-related news: there may be a feature-length film in the works. Seriously?
• I finally watched Atonement, and boy was it disappointing. I couldn't get used to how the camera lingered on seemingly unimportant scenes for much too long, and how the relationship between Keira Knightley and James McAvoy wasn't fleshed out, especially as it was framed as the crux of the movie.
• On the good-rental front, I loved Enchanted! The musical numbers were fun, and this was definitely a star turn for Amy Adams. It was nice to see Idina Menzel pop up as well. Have you seen any good movies lately?

Food Notes

A supersized version to make up for a lack of food notes last week:

• I've been found: Kerstin's Chocolates linked to my blog post about The Cocoa Room on the News events of their website.
• Rumor, as reported by Bob Mac on Chowhound: "the folks from Luxe are opening a lounge in the space below the reovated condos formerly occupied by Terry Vaugn's Sports Bar." Hmm...
• Edmonton has a new-ish independent coffee house: The Wired Cup (9418 91 Street) is part cafe (serving coffee made from Transcend beans and tea from Steeps) and part gift store.
• Speaking of coffee, Starbucks announced their acquisition of The Coffee Equipment Company, makers of the $11,000 Clover coffee maker. Besides phasing in Clover machines into their stores, they will also be introducing a rewards program and an online community.
• Judy Schultz was back this week with a Bistro column on the Grueneberg family behind Greens, Eggs and Ham.
• I like the idea of alternative dining areas - in Calgary, Vue Cafe offers art alongside their open kitchen, and the Calgary Zoo offers brunch on Sundays!
• If you're looking for a local farmer's market to tide you over until the City Centre resumes operation in May, look no further than the Salisbury Greenhouse in Sherwood Park. A list of about 30 vendors is here (I love that they've done their best to take pictures of the majority of the vendors as well).
• Via Serious Eats, a quote in the New Yorker worth considering from chef David Chang on the internal pressures he faces: "It's not that I'm not happy; I'm just fearful for the future. I'm fearful that everything's gonna be taken away. Fear is a driving force for most of the things that I do. I don't know if that's healthy." So honest.
• Chang is one of the five chefs nominated in the "Best Chef: NYC" category for the prestigous James Beard Awards. Nice to see Gramercy Tavern nominated, if not only because I had the privilege of eating there in December, and even nicer to see Canadian Trish Magwood's book Dish Entertains up for an award.
• After reading what a New York Times writer did with food purchased from local 99cent stores, I'm tempted to attempt a similar experiment.
• Iron Chef America is being turned into a video game. It was only a matter of time, I guess. But then again, if I can "be" Bobby Flay, I can't say I wouldn't give it a try!
• I can't speak highly enough of Route 99 Diner (8820 99 Street). Comfortable, clean, offering good service and greasy spoon favorites, if you need a quick meal, look no further than Route 99. Here are a few photos to whet your appetite:

Grilled Ham & Cheese

Pepperoni & Mushroom Pizza

Poutine

Random Notes

• The fabulous Frankenstein will be staged in Calgary early next year at Alberta Theatre Projects, in partnership with One Yellow Rabbit. I am happy to see the play getting even more exposure in Canada!
• The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra released their schedule for 2008/2009. For those outside the Pulse8 Club age range, perhaps you might want to consider convincing a few friends to purchase a 2-for-1 season sampler pass, a great way to dabble in their musical offerings.
• I just heard that NBC is doing its best to reunite the original cast of ER for its final season next year. I haven't followed the show in a while, but that would definitely make me tune in.
• Mack introduced me to TripIt, an online travel planning tool, while we were organizing our New York trip, and though I did use it for our Calgary outing, but I still prefer a good old-fashioned paper and pencil schedule. TripIt just doesn't fit in my purse the same.
• Here is an interesting article from Alberta Venture that uncovers how difficult it really is to bring in a high-profile speaker for an event.
• An article in this week's New York Times talks about the movement towards intimate restaurants where chefs are close enough to conveniently serve the food directly to the diner. An interesting fact from the piece, which may explain the phenomenon: "Cooks and other restaurant employees who do not interact with the customers cannot legally earn tips or share in the tips earned by the waiters. For the purposes of the New York State Department of Labor, cooks and and dishwashers have the same status: they are paid an hourly wage, with overtime, but they are not paid more for a busy Saturday night with 300 covers than for a slow Tuesday lunch with 30."
• There's a new food blog in town: Edmonton Eats. It's still in the beginning stages, and there's no information about the authors of the website, but it's always exciting when new voices join the discussion about the city's restaurant scene.
• Expressionz Cafe is a new community-oriented coffee house, seemingly modeled after The Carrot. Dare I say this will be a trend in Edmonton?

Food Notes

• They should have called it Truth: Impossible: it seems Dinner: Impossible host Robert Irvine lied about his credentials and some of his experience, leading to his release from the hit Food Network show.
• A coup for Canada: Daniel Boulud will be assisting in the transformation of the space once occupied by Feenie's. The best thing about the article is Rob Feenie's quote where he celebrates his own greatness: "Do you think he came cheap? If this is the only way they can replace me, that's great."
• An amusing rant against the 100-mile diet phenomenon in The Province.
• I've been looking for food blogs to add to my reading repetoire, and this one caught my eye. I especially like her "Mom Series" - posts written as a tribute to her Mom's traditional Chinese home cooking.
• Avenue Magazine's March edition is all about food. Check out this comprehensive list of local dinner preparation kitchens.
• Also from Avenue, a spotlight on Pizzaria Prego (5860 111 Street). I will have to get myself to Lendrum Mall soon to try their Sunrise pie. Made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, bacon, scrambled egg, cheddar and tomatoes, it would be like having breakfast for dinner!

Random Notes

• I know some people were able to "find themselves" in the absence of television during the WGA strike, but I don't think I was one of them. Until The Hills in late March (which has a fabulously enticing trailer, might I add), I face a black hole of fresh, small screen entertainment. Sob.
• My appointment television has been reduced to testosterone-driven House and Prison Break (the latter of which I hope comes back next season). While they are both good shows, I am left wishing for more whimsical female programs of the past, like Gilmore Girls. Perhaps it is time to jump on the Gossip Girl train?
• I like Matt & Nat's new line of bags - the Jorja Fox finally comes with a zipper closure!
• The Mayor's annual Celebration of the Arts is scheduled for April 7th. Teatro la Quindicina is performing, hurrah!
• I just received my confirmation for the Edmonton Transit System Community Conference taking place on March 15. Anyone else attending?

Food Notes

• Mack pointed me to an article by Stephanie Vacher about how to take better food photos. Worth a read.
• Ching's Asian Kitchen & Dim Bar (yes, "dim bar") has taken over the storefront that used to be occupied by Nikita's (10162 100A Street).
• A restaurant in Dorset, England, has instituted an "anti-price", pay-what-you-want menu on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in an attempt to increase patron numbers. I wonder how it will work out in the long run, but the owner isn't worried. From the article, the owner is quoted as saying: "I believe that the majority of people are fair if you give them good food, a good time and a nice place. People are quite on the ball on prices and are within a couple of quid of the normal prices."
• Project CHEF, a program that uses cooking as a medium to teach children in elementary school about nutrition, among other things, is a model that should be emulated across the country.
• It's better in Calgary: Cowtown's Dine-Out event spans the entire city, with over three times the number of participants when compared with Edmonton's version. Moreover, it is unacceptable that the relatively few participating restaurants in our city either haven't bothered to submit their menus, or the website maintenance staff haven't bothered uploading them. I do think Edmonton's culinary scene does itself a disservice by essentially offering two competing tasting events (Original Fare's Forkfest and Downtown's Dine-Out).
• Via Serious Eats, an article from the Village Voice that reveals the true "reality" of Iron Chef America. Sure, the recipes might be rehearsed, but it still takes a heck of a lot of creativity and skill to execute the plan just so. In any case, I will still be watching.
• I can't say I know all of the food professionals cited in the first annual Clog Awards, but the concept surrounding some of them are pretty funny (e.g. The Cat Cora Award for most fame based on least actual culinary achievement).
• While I do think the drip coffee at Starbucks is consistently better than what is available at Second Cup, I have to give kudos to the Second Cup in Telus Centre, which always has incredibly *hot* brewed coffee.
• I feel like such a McDonald's fangirl reporting this, but their Cinnamon Melts are now available at branches outside of those in Wal-Marts. They are a whooping 460 calories, but are worth every icing-coated bite. Yum.

Food Notes

• Sure there’s the matter of service, ambiance, and of course, the food to consider, but who knew some critics also consider the noise level of a restaurant? Apparently, it is becoming a rapidly increasing issue with diners (Vancouver's Salt Tasting Room, featured on a recent episode of Giada's Weekend Getaways, rated off the the noise charts).
• The Clover individual-cup coffee brewing machine is taking the world by storm. Starbucks is testing it in Seattle and Boston, selling the French-press brewed coffees for $2.25-2.50.
• As Starbucks phases out their hot food menu, Second Cup has decided to expand theirs.
• I am not alone: I found a group of Chowhounders who aren't shy about their dislike of Earls and Joey's, amongst other chains. Long live dissent!
• Also scooped from Chowhound: The Cocoa Room (10139 112 Street) is now open downtown, a retail location dedicated to the Chocophilia line of goods.
• As reported in the Edmonton Journal, the purveyors of Maurya Palace will be opening up a "high end" Indian restaurant on Whyte Avenue and 105th Street in about six weeks called Original India.
• Philanthropic food photography: New York's City Harvest is the beneficiary of an auction selling pictures of mouth-watering dishes prepared by well-known chefs. Cool idea.
• There's a great piece by Ed Levine over at Serious Eats which addresses the question: does "authentic" ethnic food trump delicious?
• Lastly, I joined my first group on Flickr - pictures of Ina Garten's recipes.

Entertainment Notes

• The writer's strike is over! Check out this list to see when your favorites will (tentatively) return. Unfortunately, the new season of 24 has been pushed back until January of next year, but a few more House episodes will be finished before the close of spring.
• Does anyone remember the time when the Edmonton Public Library was in the business of lending toys? Well, they no longer have such an inventory, but a company named Baby Plays has taken this idea and is making profit off the renting of toys. Great idea for grandparents or those who only care for young children for a short time.
• The controversial Body Works exhibition is coming to Edmonton's Telus World of Science in June.
• Upcoming events in February: the Silver Skate Festival at Hawrelak Park, free activities at Churchill Square on Family Day (why they continue to think Movies on the Square is a good idea while there is still snow on the ground is beyond me), and what is sure to be some great theatre, including the student-produced New Works Festival at the University of Alberta - up to 4 shows for $5, and Famous Puppet Death Scenes at the Roxy Theatre.
• Speaking of theatre, Jeff Haslam's biography in the program of H.M.S. Pinafore says that two Teatro la Quindicina productions are in the works for the summer of this year. I can only hope!

Food Notes

• Think twice before dipping: an article in the Journal of Food Safety warns about the amount of bacteria that may be present in the communal dip bowl. The best quote from the article is from Professor Dawson, who proposed the study, "'...before you have some dip at a party, look around and ask yourself, would I be willing to kiss everyone here? Because you don’t know who might be double dipping, and those who do are sharing their saliva with you.'"
• From a very cute blog called Cupcakes Take the Cake: Chinese New Year cupcakes (with what looks like gold leaf!), Super Mario-themed cupcakes (the mushroom is too clever), and a very elegant Neopolitan cupcake (this recipe is definitely a keeper).
• Rob Feenie is no longer unemployed: as reported in the Globe & Mail, he will be the "food concept architect" for the Vancouver-based Cactus Club Cafe chain of restaurants. I can't help but think he is biding his time until opening up another restaurant of his own, even though Feenie claims this isn't a "step down", so to speak.
• Speaking of Vancouver, a recent episode of Giada's Weekend Getaways saw the host touring the city's sites. She avoids the Robson area altogether, opting to visit spots in the more locally-trendy neighbourhoods, including Yaletown, Gastown, and Granville Island. While her visit to Lumiere was friendly, the waiter serving her was a tad too distant, and while out at Vij's, she and her friend were actually served by Vikram Vij himself (sure, they don't cater to celebrities...). Salt Tasting Room, a wine bar, looked pretty cool, and would be a place I would consider visiting.
• Had questions about favorite foods of the U.S. Presidential candidates? Wonder no more. (The Associated Press article is also a good read - Giuliani's hidden talent made me laugh.)

Random Notes

• Congrats to my sister Felicia and the rest of her McNally cheer squad for winning first in their division in the University of Alberta Extreme Cheer Competition this weekend.
• Do you remember S Club 7? I've been listening to some of their "hits" and have been reminded of how sweetly addictive their music is. Besides that, their videos are just as cute as they were when I first saw them ("You", for one, and "You're My Number One").
• Another Sawmill is opening up in the Capilano Mall parking lot in May, reports the Edmonton Journal.
• Mack pointed me to a very cute blog titled simply breakfast - every day the author posts a photo of her morning meal. I may end up with breakfast envy, heh.
• I tried a chocolate cupcake at Starbucks this week (these perfectly preserved sweets show themselves right around Valentine's Day). It wasn't as good as the vanilla version, but for $2.05 including tax, it's a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
  
  
  

  Tempting, no?