Da Capo Lifestyle Caffe

Da Capo is a frequent stop for Nick and I (and my friends) when we're looking for a quick sweet treat or some great Italian pizza.

We had some time to kill in between the ceremony and the reception of a friend's wedding so Nick and I decided to grab a quick light lunch. The best words that come to mind when I describe there decor is cool and sterile - which sounds terrible, but I don't mean it that way. With it's low lighting, metal tables and chairs and minimal decorations, it gives off a very modern european vibe. Nick and I decided to settle on the patio to enjoy the sunshine.

I got an orangina to combat the heat, while Nick tried a beer from Montreal (I believe it was Palm Brewery) - which was really good. I ordered the Di Suhile - which was fantastic for a hot summer day. The crust was a little crunchier then typical thin crust pizza (I think due to the fact that most of the toppings weren't actually cooked with it), but it held the peppery delicious arugula, bresaola, parmesan and grape tomatoes well. All the flavours screamed light classic italian fair and I couldn't stop eating it! Nick got the Di Davide. The tomato sauce they use (just crushed tomatoes?) is so fresh and light! Along with the salty ricotta and crunchy pie nuts, I had to sneak many bites.

Unfortunately I was plagued with a very spontaneous nose bleed (which pretty much ruins any meal outing) so we had to leave before enjoying some of their gelato. However, from previous experience (of which I have quite a bit) I can tell you the Kinder Surprise is great! We'll definitely have to do a return trip to make up for my ailment!

Phobulous

Nick and I live just around the corner from Phobulous, so it's become our comfort food go to place when we need a pick me up.

The room is small and the decor simple and clean. There is a bamboo mural on one wall and local artwork on the other that changes fairly regularly (some better, and more suitable for the space, then others) with many paper lanterns lighting up the space.

Nick and I almost always order the same thing: green tea, green onion cakes, the pho real and the lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowl. I really like the green tea they serve - loose leaf and almost has a roasted taste to it! The only annoyance is the tea pots they use have a tendency to spill, and Nick gets really frustrated when he gets too many tea leaves in his cup.The green onion cakes are deep friend and delicious! Light and crispy, with minced chicken and green onions in between the "cake" folds. Served with spiced fish sauce - these are a great, and always go quickly!

Now the dilemma - who gets the pho and who gets the vermicelli bowl!? We've actually had to go to a rotating system (pho one visit, vermicelli the next) so we don't spend forever deciding on which we want. The vermicelli bowls are large and full of Vietnamese goodness. The meat is always juicy and flavourful, and along with the spring rolls, cucumber-carrot-lettuce-cilantro salad, and thin rice noodles, this dish satisfies. Add the fish sauce and crushed peanuts I'm in slurping heaven!

As for the pho - the broth is amazing! Star anise is really the star, along with the ginger flavour. Adding in sriracha and hoisin sauce really makes this broth something that warms the soul. The rare beef on the pho real is sliced very thin and stays tender as it gets cooked the broth. And if I haven't mentioned it before - I love bean sprouts - so these add a great fresh crunch!

I'll be honest in saying that I know very little of authentic Vietnamese cooking, and haven't tried a whole lot of other Vietnamese restaurants in the city, but with the good portion sizes, affordable prices, and always a happy tummy when I leave - I'm perfectly satisfied sticking with Phobulous!

Local Public Eatery

It was finally a sunny, HOT, beautiful afternoon, so spending some time on a patio was a must. Nick, a couple friends and I were on the south side of town, so we decided to check out Local Public Eatery.

When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised at the atmosphere. Very dark and modern, with clean lines and the feeling of one big open space. The patio entrance felt like an extension of the entire restaurant and had similar decor as to the inside. For 3 o'clock on a hot afternoon, the place was relatively quiet, which was surprising, as I've had many people label it as having a very loud atmosphere.

We sat down in the sun and decided to order a pitch of mojitos. When the pitcher came the mojitos looked orange and were definitely not mixed because the first pour was all rum. There was no mint flavour too them and were overall a really disappointing  summer heat quencher.

I decided to order their Flatlander Burger - with goat cheese and grilled mushrooms, with just their regular fries. Again this was a disappointment; while the burger itself was juicy and cooked well, I didn't get a single taste of either mushrooms or goat cheese. The meat, along with the sweet brioche bun that it was served on and the caramelized onions, totally knocked out any of the tangy flavor of goat cheese and meaty earthy texture of mushrooms. My friend has ordered The Frenchmen and agreed that he could not taste the blue cheese on his burger. The fries were fine, though almost on the verge of being under crisped.

Along with the food, the service was also a disappointment. She was somewhat inattentive (forgetting to bring someone's drink with the rest), but mostly just kind awkward and rude. I don't know if she's just never been a waitress before, but all her interactions with us were very contrived and almost aggressive, as if she was trying to be friendly but deep down felt too good to talk to us. I overheard her talking to a couple a few tables away from us, as they must have complained about a sauce they got with one of their appetizers. She mentioned that it was the chef's first day (which I am not sure I believe), and kinda brushed off the fact that they were clearly served something they weren't suppose to be. I think we would have stuck around longer and had a few more drinks if it hadn't been for her.

So if you haven't noticed by now, I was not impressed with this place. Maybe if we'd gone on a busy night when their A staff was on shift, the experience overall would have been better; but a slow afternoon is no excuse for poorly executed food, and unwelcoming service. 

The Creperie

I promise I'll get back to posting recipes soon - I just need to find where I downloaded my pictures to on my computer (my system is completely disorganized with folders labelled "a," "scan" and "pictures").


But for now I'll give my review of The Creperie. The Creperie was established 35 years ago in the financial district of downtown Edmonton, and has been a mainstay for romantic atmosphere and french cuisine for as long as I can remember (as a child I knew if you were going to The Creperie it was a special occasion). My last recollection of going was probably 10 years ago or so when my french class took a field trip there. And to be honest, I don't think a single thing has changed. Nick's birthday was this week, so we made our way over on Wednesday night.

Upon entering this basement restaurant you're flooded with a catacomb like restaurant with partitions between tables. Walking in the floors are old and charming, and there is a warmth to the lighting that makes it feel very intimate. We were seated in a small booth, next to a wall of jars filled with pasta, herbs and spices and corks and wrappers from old wine bottles. The table was simple with a small candle and white linens. While I did like the intimacy of having a small wall next to us, the jars looked like they had been filled in the 80's and have never been replaced, and really I only only describe the decor is "dusty." The upholstery was floral and worn out. Both Nick and I agreed that it was cozy, but needed some serious renovations. The character of the building itself was lost with the outdated decor. When we were leaving, I did notice a library type nook seating area that was exactly what I was hoping for the rest of the restaurant.

Our waiter was friendly, soft spoken, and very formal. Nick and I shared a bottle of St.Margherita Pinot Grigio, which was good but nothing to write home about, and started off with french bread and some extremely creamy garlic and herb butter. The bread was fresh and you can't go wrong whipped butter! We had the Escargots a la Chef as our appetizer - snails on mushrooms caps, served with  a spinach cream. The mushroom and escargot was soft and juicy, but the sauce lacked a thick consistency and much taste. 
  
We both then tried one of their specials - the butternut squash soup. This soup was a lot less creamy then what you traditionally think a butternut squash soup is, but it worked. Very light and fresh, with thin green apple slices on top to add some sourness to the sweet squash, and goat cheese of the bottom for a creamy, strong flavored finish. Both Nick and I really enjoyed this dish.

 For our main dish, we both got crepes. I went traditional and got the Crepe a la Reine (chicken and veal with wild mushrooms with a white wine cream sauce), while Nick chose the Crepe Seafood Americaine (scallops, shrimp and monkfish with a taragon lobster sauce). It came served with orzo pasta and sauteed vegetables. My crepe was unfortunately very disappointing. The chicken was incredibly dry and I found the veal to be scarce and the mushrooms to be nothing out of the ordinary. The sauce had consistency of how sauce seems to get when it's reheated - pasty and dry. The crepe batter itself wasn't anything spectacular either - not soft and chewy like I remember crepes being. I really got the sense that this wasn't made fresh, but a compilation of pre-cooked ingredient put together (though I never asked if this was the case).  The grilled vegetables and orzo pasta were boring and I hardly ate any of it. Nick seemed to like his crepe much more then mine, and of the bite a took the taragon lobster sauce did seems to add much more flavour to his crepe then my sauce did. 


We ended off the night with dessert crepes - ice cream filled and topped with raspberry sauce, whip cream and almond slices. Again, I think the crepes were made ahead of time, as they were cold and the crepe itself tough (a freshly made warm crepe with the cold ice cream melting inside was more of my expectation) but it's hard to not like ice cream and raspberry sauce.  

Overall I was pretty disappointed. Though it was partially due to my nostalgic memories of this place being something special that maybe over-hyped it in my mind, I really think this place suffers from being stuck on a decor and a menu that no longer functions in Edmonton's restaurant scene. The fact that the soup special was so amazing, makes me think that the Chefs really can be creative and cook, but are forced to put out the same uninspired regular menu year after year. Nick and I went to a small crepe restaurant in Vancouver called La Bretagne Creperie, that was incredibly simple and casual, but they crepes delicious and so much better then what we were served here - which really makes me sad for The Creperie. I see they are closed at the end of July for "building maintenance" so my hope is that they're doing so renos and might make some updates, but I really think The Creperie is going to remain a fond memory for me while I go eat elsewhere.

Block 1912

When our friends want to go hang out at a cafe we almost always end up at Block 1912. With it's large eclectic sitting area, late open hours, and great selection of drinks, pastries and gelatos, it usually has something to offer to please everyone.

Nick and I were craving pie after watching the food network so we thought we'd swing by Block 1912 to satisfy our sweet tooth. For a Thursday night is was moderately busy, but we were able to snag a love seat to enjoy our sweets.

One of the great things about this place is that all their desserts are made in house by their own pastry chef! Nick decided to settle on a little pear tart while I got the chocolate cheesecake and a white macchiato. The chocolate cheesecake was delicious. Very sweet (but what else you would expect) and very rich in chocolate flavour and a perfect dense creamy texture to it. My white macchiato was very satifying, a good mix of coffee and sweetness; it's one of the very few coffee beverages I have, as for the most part I find coffee pretty nasty and only drink it on very rare occasions.

As for my favourites I almost always go for the London Fog. I really enjoy the tea they use and they are never shy on the vanilla flavour and drinking out of a giant mug just makes the whole experience better. And of course there is their gelato which is always satisfying.

So if you've got a craving for well made sweets, an enjoyable relaxed evening, and coffee, this is a great place to stop. And if you do go, make sure to sneak a peek into one of the coffee tables to peruse over the many napkin notes that have been left there over the years, and add your own.

Sugar Bowl

Oh Sugar Bowl. This is a really great spot in the University area that we definitely under use.

We came in a Monday Night for a friend's birthday and were surprised that this place was hopping (and continued to be all night long). Maybe it was the awesome weather we were having but I also think the great atmosphere and drink selection is what keeps this place busy from open to close. It`s moderately sized, with a tiny but enjoyable patio, and a comfy dining room full of wood tables and chairs, and beautiful brick walls.

We started off the evening with some salted soy beans, and of course, beer! One of the specials of the evening was the De Koninick Pale Ale which was light but had an interesting zip to it (I am clearly better at describing food...). The beans were good, cooked but not mushy and just enough salt make it hard to stop eating them.

For the main I had their beef and cheddar burger. The burger was really juicy and came with nicely crisp fries and both their homemade ketcup (sweet but spicy - very different from regualr ketcup and therefore so much better) and a really great smoky chipotle aoili. I was really pleased, but did sneak a bite of Nick's Lamb burger which is a Sugarbowl staple - with it smothered in goat cheese how could it not be?!

This time we did pass on dessert, though Nick and I regret it and will be going back soon for their banana cream pie, which is killer. Thick gram cracker crust, delicious banana custard, whip cream and chunks of white chocolate - it's dessert heaven. I guess we were just too busy trying all of their beers (their extensive selection takes over the menu) that we forgot about it; having sips of a Raspberry Lindemans (great!) and grapefruit shandy (half beer half greatfruit juice - also great) was dessert in itself!

It hasn't been a week and I'm already ready to go back for more!

Cupcakes By Heather and Lori

After seeing their show, I was really interested to check out Cupcakes, while in Vancouver. After running the half marathon all I wanted was beer and a cupcake. So Nick and I headed to Steamworks Brewing Company for dinner (meal was pretty standard for a pub, but the beer was excellent!), then quickly hopped over to Cupcakes on Denman to hopefully grab a cupcake or two before they closed.

When we arrived we were just in the nick of time, and snagged the only cupcakes they had remaining, Mint Chocolate Chip.

The cupcakes were very nicely decorated and were a decent size. Biting in they were a good cake to icing ratio. I found the cake a little dry, but thought it was due to the fact that they were end-of-the-day cupcakes. The icing was a good, not too sweet and nice and minty. Overall I was pretty pleased.

The rest of the week went by, and the cupcake craving came back. I was really interested to try a different flavour and see if they'd be more moist earlier in the day. Nick and I went back on our final afternoon and grabbed 2 more cupcakes - Nick got a Banana cupcake with cream cheese frosting and I got the Diva (chocolate cake with pink buttercream).

Nick wasn't a huge fan of his cupcake, and of the bite I stole I had to agree. The banana cupcake was excellent, dense and moist, but the cream cheese frosting didn't complement it. I found it overly sweet from the cream cheese icing I was used to, but had just a bit of cheesy tang to it - seemed to feel like it was in limbo between a butter cream and a dense cream cheese icing. The Diva was a great standard cupcake, but again I found the cake a little dry.

So a good cupcake experience and I'd certainly go back if I was in Vancouver again, but it had me missing the moist dense cake from Crave Cupcakes.

Vij's Restaurant

This was by far the highlight of the trip to Vancouver. I've been wanting to eat here for a very long time; after really only having indian buffet options in Edmonton I was beyond excited to try a new spin on indian cuisine that wasn't bogged down with cream or cluttered with knick-knacks.

It's definitely a new take on indian fare - even in the decor. Unlike the regular restaurants that are heavily ornate and cluttered, you walk through a glass door into a small foyer that has a traditional ornate wooden door and into a very modern dining room. The walls were a bare grey with simple lanterns above the tables, with simple dark wood tables and chairs. You walk to the back to put your name on the waiting list, where there is a tiled bar, and a small casual seating area. Despite the lack of decorations the room had a great warm ambiance to it.

Though we went on a wedensday night, there was a hour long wait time to get a table. It went by quickly though - with being offered drinks as soon as we put our names down for a table and the numerous delicious finger foods that the wait staff were bringing around, you never felt ignored or neglected. While we waited I tried their Indian mojito, which was a traditional mojito, but with lichee. It was great - light and refreshing and not overly alcoholic, so it was great to drink start to finish.

Once we were seated the wait staff were quick to look after us and take our order. The wait staff were also unusual compared to the traditional indian buffet, in the fact that none of them were east indian, but rather young "hipster looking" women, who took your order on an iphone! We decided to start off with the Jackfruit, in a black cardamom and cumin curry. Jackfruit is very interesting, with a very meaty texture to it. The curry was spicy and rich and got into all the crevices. Needless to say, it went quickly.

Next we decided to share 3 mains: the sag and paneer with lentil curry and chipati; beef shortribs in a yogurt, fenugreek, and cumin curry, and a chicken curry with roasted red peppers. These were all served with rice and naan pieces. IT. WAS. AMAZING! The sag was incredibly fluffly, as if it were whipped, with the paneer tasting really fresh and perfectly fried. Both the beef shortribs and the chicken were incredibly tender (probably some of the most tender meat I've had). All the curries were incredibly flavourful, but surprisingly light feeling. The naan was crispy and chewy - perfect! Certainly these recipes are grounded in the traditional route of indian cooking, but have a new twist in terms of texture and body.

We all ended the meal off with their mango pistachio ice cream and some chai. The chai was nice and spicy, without being either to bitter or sweet, and the ice cream was great. Not overly creamy or too sweet as well, with the hint of mango flavour complemented well by the bold nutty flavour of the pistachios.

Overall it's probably one of the best meals I've had this year and when we left I was already wanting to go back for more. I would highly recommend this place - and if you don't want to wait an hour or more for a table, or pay the fine dining prices, I would suggest checking out the adjacent restaurant Rangoli (same owner and chef, just a more casual experience) as I am sure it's equally as good!

The Blue Pear

Nick and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary last week by going to The Blue Pear. I haven't heard a single bad thing about this place and was excited to taste the food and the wine!

The restaurant is one small room with a few tables and one amazing ceiling treatment! We got sat in the corner by the window and I had a good view of the surrounding. The decor is simple - clean light walls and linens with back accent chairs and banquets with a gorgeous water feature wall and abstract colourful art. It was very relaxed in there - servers were in no rush (without being inattentive or slow) and the guests slowly trickled in throughout our meal so you can tell that they don't try and rush you, or cram in as many reservations in a night as they can.

We decided to go all out with the 5 course menu and the Junior Sommelier Wine Pairing. They've just changed their menu, and I started off with Trout 2 Ways. I got a sashimi style soya cured trout fillet crusted with sesame seeds and served with a tofu sauce, and trout tar tar over a cucumber, radish and beat sprout salad that was served with seaweed roe. The Sommelier paired the dish with a Sake (which I've never had before). The dish was excellent. The trout was very fresh and the dish captured the essence of Japanese cuisine well. The tofu sauce didn't have much flavour (it may have been overpowered by the sesame seeds) but was interesting. The Sake was surprisingly good and was well balanced with dish.

Next came the soup of the evening, which was by far my favourite portion of the meal. It was a curried squash soup that had cilantro and coconut milk in it, and came with a great curried Papadum bread. This soup was spicy - but the good spicy that wakes up your tongue without blowing out all your taste buds! The coconut milk and cilantro lightened it up and balanced the spice perfectly.

Next came out Meze plate: Grilled haloumi cheese, walnut and red pepper stuffed eggplant with garnishes of riata, olives, pita and a slice of grilled lamb. I found the haloumi cheese too salty on it own, but was well paired with the riata and pita bread. I'm usually not a huge fan of lamb, but the small portion was well seasoned and cooked to be very tender and I quite enjoyed the little bite.

On to the main course: I order the Roasted Chicken Breast, which was served with a garlic and chive potato puree, grilled prawn, and mushroom ragout. This was served with a great white Italian wine. All the components of the dish were well prepared - I've never had such a juicy and flavourful chicken breast - but overall I wasn't blown away by the dish. I barely tasted the potato unless it was on it's own, and although I enjoyed the prawn I didn't really understand it's fit in the dish. I was getting full by this point and the food was not interesting enough for me to finish it completely. The wine was an excellent pairing to the dish though.

Finally we came to dessert. I choose the bread pudding. This came with a white chocolate ribbon, while chocolate semi-freddo, and strawberry sauce. It was paired with a delicious dessert wine that to me tasted like strawberry syrup (before I even tasted my dessert). The bread pudding was good, but I didn't overly enjoy the texture; for my palate I would have liked some crunchy component to the dish.

The service was excellent! Our server was great at refilling our glasses and moving dishes out of the way when we were finished, without rushing us, and was very friendly. The  Sommelier was fun and playful with her choices and I really enjoyed the selection she set out for us.

Overall I wasn't blown away by the food. I think it may suffer the same issue for me as does the Wildflower restaurant- amazing food that does not interest my own personal taste. The wine pairing was definitely the highlight of the experience: I know little about wine, but love it, so it was really enjoyable to have a knowledgable person pick out what goes best with my meal. With it's steep price and the fact that I wasn't thrilled with the meal I don't know if I'll return any time soon. But if you like eating local (which I do) and drinking great wine (which I REALLY do) this is definitely a restaurant you need to try at least once.

 These are the flowers Nick got me for our Anniversary. What a sweetie!

Bistecca Italian Steakhouse and Winebar

A large group of my friends went to Bistecca Italian Steakhouse and Wine Bar for a friend's birthday (Karen - she is a great baker!). I'd been there once before for another friend's birthday and really enjoyed myself so I was excited to go back for more.

It's part of the Sorrentino's Restaurant Group and definitely follows the aesthetics of the other restaurants in the group. The dining room is very large and dimly lit. The restaurant is lucky to have beautiful large windows and each table has classic white linens. We were lucky to get a spot in the back where they had a fireplace in the wall going, and with Edmonton weather being what it is a fireplace is always a great touch. Overall it has the fancy backbone of many steakhouses but has a comfy atmosphere to it at the same time.

The ladies of the group shared some Tenuta S.Anna Pinot Grigio, which was light, fruity and enjoyable (I love Pinot Grigio). I started off with the Arugula Salad which had toasted pine nuts, sopressata Abbruzzese (salami) and goat cheese. This was great! It was peppery and savoury, with a sharp acidic dressing, balanced with the creamy cheese and roasted flavour from the pine nuts.

For dinner I had the Marinated Flat Iron Steak. It was prepared to medium rare and had a great char on the edges. This was served with long stem broccoli and croquettes which were both well prepared. The meal was very good, though I felt the steak could have used a sauce to accompany it (which you can add for a price, but in my personal opinion think it should come included).

Full of wine and steak I didn't have room for a full dessert, but did snag a bite of Karen's chocolate cake. This was definitely made with very dark chocolate because it has the unmistakable bitterness to it.  It was dense but still felt light and was a great bite to finish off the meal.

The service was good - our waiter was pleasant and attentive when it came to refilling glasses. The only issue I had was that he opened up and served us a second bottle of wine when we didn't order it, so we ended up spending more on drinks then we had planned.

I really enjoy Bistecca. It's not a far stray away from most mainstream steakhouses but has a personal style to it that doesn't make me feel like I am eating a cookie cutter meal. I've yet to try their pastas but heard good things from those who ordered it that night and definitely plan to sample something from that section of the menu next time I go.

Wild Tangerine

 Last night I went out to dinner for a friend's birthday. We had our meal at Wild Tangerine- a locally owned and operated "west meets east" restaurant. I've heard good things and was excited to try it out.

Everything is a mix of styles in this restaurant. The decor is clean and modern, with a colourful, funky twist. It's a light and fun atmosphere. We were seated and quickly served water and menus. Here's the second mix of style with the restaurant - despite the clean and sleek look of the restaurant you get your water in coloured plastic cups and the menu is just printed on orange printer paper and attached to a small clipboard (that were looking quite ratty after all the use they'd clearly seen). It's an interesting juxtaposition that I think fits well with the restaurant, but does take you a little off guard.

The owner served us the entire night and was very friendly. He was eager to tell us that they try to get as much their supplies local as they can (and joked that with the way global warming is going he may soon be able to get wine from an Edmonton vineyard). I love eating local!

Out entire table shared a couple appetizers of the Shrimp Lollipops with Wasabi Yogurt. These were great! They were perfectly fried so that the outer shell was crispy, but the whole lollipop was light. The yogurt was light as well, with the wasabi flavour being very subtle as to not overpower the shrimp flavour.

For dinner I had Judy’s famous Thai Green Curry with Prawns & Tortiglioni. I have a love-hate relationship with green curry. It was the first meal my boyfriend Nick ever made me, so I am fond of it, but the packaged sauce mix that we use from the grocery store lacks flavour and we can never seem to find a mix of veggies to put into the curry that makes both of us happy (Nick would be more then satisfied if it just had peas and eggplant, while I want to go all our with baby corn and peppers). Judy's curry was excellent though and reaffirmed my enjoyment for green curry. It was full of lemongrass flavour and had heaping amounts of well cooked veggies like beans, peppers, baby corn, and onion. it was an interesting twist to have it on pasta (there we go with the mixing of styles again!) and the noodles were great in catching all that amazing flavour.  It has definitely given me some ideas on how to spice up my homemade green curry!


Overall it was a great meal. The food is very light and healthy and you don't leave feeling overfull, despite the large portions. The atmosphere is fun and the staff are friendly, and I'll definitely be back to try more things on the menu.

Wild Earth Bakery and Cafe

There is no other place I'd like to spend a Sunday afternoon then at Wild Earth Bakery and Cafe. Although it can be a hectic atmosphere (likely due to the massive amounts of people there constantly), the baking and coffee cannot be beat!

This weekend I got some of my favourites - a London Fog and a Chocolate Pecan Square. The london fog is made with loose leaf tea and is steeped in milk so it's nice and creamy. The foam on the london fog is light and dreamy and is what makes the drink so enjoyable. The square is dense, nutty and I was lucky to get a corner piece so there was a nice caramel crunch on the end.

My list of favourites at this place is pretty long and include: chai latte, raspberry white chocolate scone, their cinnamon buns, all of their tarts, and Nick loves the chanchamayo coffee (I'll take his word, not being a coffee drinker myself). I find the drink making consistent and the baking always superb!

I've also ordered a cake from them for a friend's birthday (chocolate cake with raspberry jam filling and their Italian buttercream) and it's one of the best I've had in a long time - light, fresh, but rich and full of flavour.

Okay, enough of me listing off all the things I like there - go give it a try!

Cora

This week has been all about eating at my favourite places! I met some of my best ladies for breakfast today at Cora.

This place is the dedication and hard work of Cora Mussely Tsouflido, a single mother of 3 who turned a little Quebec snack shop into a 120 restaurant chain (and counting!) across Canada and the USA. The restaurant is known for it's pencil crayon sketches of the menu posted on the walls and the heaping amouts of fruit offered with each dish! This place really feels like a ray of sunshine - it's always bright, happy and buzzing.

I love this place because unlike a lot of diners and other restaurants that serve breakfast, I always leave feeling full but not bogged down with grease. My favourite thing to order is one of their refreshing smoothies (usually I go with the special but they are all fruity, tangy and very satisfying) and the Sunshine Panini-Crepe with a side of hollandaise. The panini crepe is eggs, ham, and a crepe all wrapped into one delicious roll, with a heaping pile of fresh fruit (kiwi, strawberry, banana, grapes, melon - the works!).  It's always cooked just right, and satisfies my love for both eggs and fruit. I've tried many other things off the menu, like Waffles (amazing!) and the Eggs Ben and Dictine (also amazing!), and have never been disappointed! The have a lunch menu as well, and although I haven't personally been able to check it out, I've heard great things!

So don't let the constant crowds that occur at Cora deter you and go check it out!

Crave Cupcakes!

Cupcakes (and cakes in general) are something I rarely make (I leave that to Steph!) - that extra icing step just turns me off. Luckily my apartment is within walking distance of 4 different cupcake stores! Crave cookie and cupcakes, a Calgary based company just opened up a store in Edmonton.

I love Crave and have always made sure to stop by their store whenever I pass through Calgary. Their cupcakes are gigantic! The great thing about them though is they are really light for their massive size! The cake itself is fluffy and perfectly moist, while their buttercream is soft, not too sweet, but oh so delicious. And the ratio of icing to cake is perfect my tastes. They're simple, but really well made and definitely give you that home baked cupcake feeling.

So if you on Whyte ave definitely stop and pick yourself one up!

Culina's Family of Restaurants

If anyone were to ask me what my favouite restaurant is in Edmonton, without hesitation I would say the Culina Family of Restaurants. Nick and I spent both our one month and year anniversary at Culina Mill Creek, and because he knows how much I love this group, took me to Culina Highlands for this year's Valentine's day. I honestly cannot say anything bad about this group of restaurants and I'm in love with every aspect of it.

The decor is antique, dark and welcoming. It's the little touches like the velvet and lace curtains you walk through to get in, to the glass candy dishes that act as candle holders on all the tables that envelope you in a very romantic and cozy atmosphere. They serve you water from chilled old wine bottles and the menu design is simple but aesthetically pleasing.

The food feels like something fresh from the farmer's market - which it is! On the menu they list all their local suppliers and groups that they support (such as spring Creek Ranch, Pinocchio Ice Cream and Mighty Trio Organics). Eating there makes you feel like your supporting the community, and it's great local fare that's quality is far beyond any high caliber restaurant in Edmonton.

Along with great food they also have a concise but well thought out wine list. You're meant to buy by the bottle, which I think is great because it's definitely the atmosphere to overindulge in wine (and we've done so many a time), but you can ask the server for what wines they are offering by the glass for the evening. With Valentine's day being a Monday we decide just to go by the glass. On the recommendation of our server, Nick got Kim Crawford's Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand). I was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of peaches when I brought the glass to my lips, and had refreshing grapefruit notes. I chose the Grey Monk Pinot Noir (Okanagan) which was a beautiful ruby red and had the taste of blackberries and raspberries. Both were very pleasant and complimented our meals well.

For dinner Nick and I took advantage of their specials. We started with their crab and ricotta stuffed crepes that were served with a lemon and dill cream and arugula salad. These crepes were light but full of flavour - the cream enhanced the taste of the crab and the peppery arugula gave the dish a weight to the light ingredients, making it very well balanced.

For my main course I chose their special, bison tenderloin with a saskatoon demi-glaze, served with bacon fried spaetzle and fresh asparagus spears. The bison was the most tender I've ever had and the savoury meat was complimented by the sweet saskatoon demi-glaze. The salty spaetzle also worked well with the glaze and the asparagus was fresh and bright in flavour. Nick ordered their free-range roasted chicken with a garlic mustard sauce, spinach, buttermilk biscuit and topped with a cranberry chutney. It was a really unique take on the "chicken and potatoes" comfort food, with a great spicy kick from the mustard sauce.

To finish the night off I had their fruit cobbler, which was a starwberry and apple crumble with a vanilla burbon ice cream. It came piping hot and full of those comfort flavours. What really enhanced this crumble was that the strawberries were vibrant and full of strawberry flavour, so rare in any produce we have in Alberta at this time of year. Nick had their chocolate pate which was dark, rich, and as I described it as he was eating it: "the essence of romantic desserts." I finished dessert with a cup of Organic Mint tea blend from Cally's teas (also local!) which was unique and a great finish to the evening.

The experience there is always a relaxed and throughly enjoyable one, and I will continue to be a great supporter of this group!

As a note: my favourites at Mill Creek are the Line Caught Wild Salmon (smothered with an amazing almond goat cheese and served with a fresh cucumber and tomato orzo) and their flourless chocolate tart (amazing - just amazing).

The Marc (Birthday Dinner 2010)

Nick took me out to dinner for my birthday at the Marc restaurant downtown last night. The food was some of the best I've eaten in a long time - likely because I'm currently obsessed with simple classic french cooking, but also because the menu is concise and well thought out. 

The atmosphere is clean and simple - a definite reflection of the food. There is no booths, just banquets and sleek wooden chairs, so it's not exactly cozy and romantic, but still definitely comfortable and inviting.

We started off with one of their specials that evening, fois gras with bone marrow, homemade pickles and a simple cherry compote, served with grilled french bread crostinis. Nick and I have been quite interested about trying bone marrow after hearing about it from a friend in toronto (a new popular dish in that city). It's very hard to describe what it tasted like - very soft and buttery but packs a lot of savory, fatty flavour. The fois gras was also great, very smooth and delicious and was complemented well with the salty, sour pickles and the sweet fruit compote.

For my main dish I chose their seafood casserole, which was poached mussels, shrimp and white fish in a saffron, garlic aioli. It came with a spicy hollandaise and more crostinis. It was amazing. The seafood was cooked perfectly and everything was flavoured with the very delicate aioli. The hollandaise was a really interesting addition to the dish. It was very creamy and delicate to match the seafood, but had a really spicy finish to it that really heighten the flavour of the entire dish. Such simple elements that came together so well to make a very delicious dish.

Nick had the steak frites, and from the few bites I stole, it was also simple but well thought out. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and was juicy and tender. The steak came with a fois gras butter that complemented the steak and made it even more savoury. The frites were also really interesting, salty but not the way fries normally are - they had a depth of flavour to them that was unexpected. They came with a delicious truffle aioli.

For dessert we ordered their sugared beignets which came both with a chocolate and a caramel sauce, as well as their special almond tart. The beignets were fresh and soft but nothing as spectacular as the almond tart. This tart was stunning!!! It was the perfect nutty flavour and texture, and the whipped cream and citrus syrup that accompanied it turned every bite into heaven. Nick and I both agreed that we could have eaten 1000 pieces of this.

So overall I was really impressed with the Marc. The food is fancy in a very simplistic way - they use a few high quality ingredients well and layer flavours in such a way that their small menu offers a lot of depth. Nick and I were also very pleased with the price of our meal and would definitely go back in an instant! The restaurant's website is HERE.

So beyond dinner, I also got a great gift my my friends Casper and Amanda which I've been reading non-stop this morning:

I unfortunately won't have time to make anything from it until after my vacation but I'm already getting giddy about all the recipes I want to try (especially the fresh pastas and the sauces sections)! This book is giagantic so expect a lot of recipes on my blog from it in the new year! Thanks guys!

So this will likely be my last post until I'm back in town! Just want to thank those who follow me regularly and happy holidays - hope it's delicious!