North 53

After work last Wednesday, I walked down 124th street to meet Charles for our 8PM reservation at North 53. Although first impressions weren't great (I must have waited at the entrance for about five minutes before being greeted by anyone), service was friendly and prompt throughout the remainder of our evening, and the incredible food and drinks went well beyond our expectations.

Sparkly bar

Smoke + Oak Old Fashioned ($15) - A piece of maple wood is torched until smoking, and is then left to accumulate in the glass. At the table, the server pulls the glass off the wood and pours the pre mixed Old Fashioned into the smoky glass from a separate vessel. Smells delicious, tastes delicious.

There are two food menus - A tasting made up of six courses for $100 and an à la carte menu. We skipped the tasting menu, opting to share five dishes to test the waters so to speak, before committing during a future visit. Still though, I can't figure out if the tasting menu is meant for one person, or as something to share; The six dishes seemed to be the same as those on the à la carte menu, but I'm unsure of portion sizes.

Our server divided our order so that we had a cold course followed by a hot course. First up, 'Lamb', 'Carrot' and 'Various Beets'.

The lamb tartare ($16) was incredibly tender and flavourful, and we loved the various textures provided by the sunchokes (this was a theme throughout the cold dishes - one ingredient prepared in various fashions). My favourite feature of the dish was the cured egg yolk shaved around the side of the plate, providing a perfect salty punch.

Carrot ($10) - Pickled, roasted and raw carrot, with black garlic. Shaved caraway bread, watercress and carrot tops provided a lovely bitterness. This was Charles' favourite dish during our 'first course'.

The presentation and flavours of the 'Various Beets' ($12) plate was definitely my favourite. Beets prepared in different ways (roasted, raw, pickled, etc.), with beet meringues (amazing texture!), silky, sour crème fraîche and walnuts (I do not know what they did to those nuts, but they were an incredible mix of sweet-salt-fat).

Various Beets

Our 'second course' consisted of the 'Pork Belly' and, of course, the 'Sockeye Salmon' they led with in the Journal article.

The salmon ($18) was certainly impressive on all counts - The dish comes out with a glass dome over top, and upon arrival, the server lifts the lid allowing the juniper smoke to take over the entire table (and all your senses). It's magical. The salmon was incredibly soft, with the beans providing a contrasting mealiness; I also loved the tang from the crème fraîche wrapped around them. A small pile of pickles on the side provided some colour and lovely acidity when eaten with the salmon.

The pork belly ($16) won Charles over immediately (our server commented that it was cooked sous vide for 72 hours; the resulting texture was buttery soft). The black barley was a perfect contrast to the fatty pork belly, particularly with the ramps and pickled maitake mushrooms.

At the beginning of the evening, our server mentioned that all the ingredients on the menu were sourced from Canada, and while that was certainly reflected throughout our meal, it really hit me with the desserts; This is probably the first dessert menu I've encountered without chocolate or citrus (it was comprised of only three items, but still, they were all imaginative and fresh). I'd heard from co-workers that the desserts were delicious, so we decided on two - the 'Soured Yogurt' and 'Apple'.

In the end the soured yogurt ($10) won it for me, particularly with the creamy, flavourful chamomile ice cream (the part I had heard raves about). I enjoyed the crisp meringue, providing almost all the sweetness, the sour yogurt throughout the plate and the very floral bee pollen and elderflower. An incredibly fresh and lovely dessert to encounter mid winter.

The 'apple' ($10) dish was comprised of comprises a warm doughnut, apple curd (made with apple cider vinegar), an apple ice cream and tapioca (freeze dried I think). While apple cider vinegar is still not my favourite flavour, it was delicious alongside the doughnut and ice cream, and once again, they win with the textural elements.

At the end of our meal, we were full. We feel the portion sizes were fair for the price (the dishes went from $10 for the 'Carrot' to $20 for the 'Heritage Turkey'), and same goes for the cocktails ($11-15, with Calvados flights, comprised of two drinks, for $14). Our bill came to $92 for food, and $54 for drinks (two cocktails, two beer and coffee afterward).

North 53 is certainly impressive. It's early days, and I think the front of house service could use a little polishing, but the kitchen and bar staff are solid with both timing and execution. We can't wait for an excuse to head back.

*Their website is supposed to be finalized in the next couple weeks, though the reservation form is still working. They seem to be posting their daily menus on both Twitter and Facebook. They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays, but are open Wednesdays through Sundays starting at 5pm.

Apologies for the Instagram photos. We planned to bring the camera, but it was left at home in a rush. And if you got this far, thanks for baring with me - This was my first restaurant post in a long while... I'm a little very rusty.

Lately.

Oh how this space was neglected in 2012. Just 28 posts. 28. Here's hoping for a more solid number in 2013.

We had one of the strangest fall and Christmas seasons ever. I started my 'winter job' at the end of September; always a bit of an adjustment. Then, in November, a friend and long time staff member at Folk Fest passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer; needless to say this was and is a difficult hit. Finally, about a week into December, our landlords let us know that they wanted to put the Oliver unit we moved into last year, up for sale. Instead of waiting until February, we found something (unfortunately not in Oliver, but, fortunately, downtown), and three weeks later, we moved. We did have a great view of the New Year's Eve fireworks:

We have still been eating... a lot.

A few weeks ago we stopped in at Canteen (10522 124 Street) for dinner after hearing rave reviews from coworkers who had attended the soft opening the night before ('That was probably the best lamb I've ever eaten.'). Opening night kinks aside, the food was wonderful. I had a salad with fried chicken livers, arugula, spiced yogurt and an anchovy vinaigrette followed by the Moroccan lamb chops (how could I order anything but?), which were, indeed, lovely. Charles chose the citrus cured salmon with potato followed by the most tender, rich, comforting dish of beef short ribs. I received a gift certificate for Canteen for Christmas, giving us an excuse to head back soon (brunch sounds particularly lovely).

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Earlier in the week, we stopped by Sloppy Hogs Roed Hus (10406 118 Ave.) with a couple friends; it was a visit that had been in reschedule mode for the past two months. Although my initial intent was to go with a sandwich, the server suggested we order the Game Day Platter ($75) for the table, which would allow us to try each of the four meats they offer (ribs, chicken, brisket and pulled pork), each type of BBQ sauce (there was a classic, berry and mustard) and the sides (coleslaw, baked beans, fries and cornbread).

The giant platter

The BBQ itself was great, with the spicy ribs taking centre stage for most of us. The sides were less impressive, particularly the coleslaw, which was lacking in flavour. Although the sauces were all good, we were surprised at the tiny portions that arrived at the table - just a couple tablespoons of each between the four of us; with the meat on the dry side, a little more definitely would have been nice. We also agreed that next time, we could leave the fries in favour of more cornbread, with its sweetness balancing the meat well.
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I also haven't mentioned any of our stopovers at Underground Tap and Grill (10004 Jasper Ave.). We ventured over during their 'soft opening' in October with high expectations. They were definitely still working out the kinks with both food and beer - their final food menu was still in the works and many of the beers listed simply weren't available yet. In November, we tried again. With their full menu in swing, Charles went with a bowl of curry chicken, while I chose the classic burger. Charles found his curry okay, but commented on under seasoning, in terms of both salt and spices. I found my burger a little dry and overcooked, and the crumbly bacon served atop the patty didn't help much.

While we haven't returned for food, we've been back a few times since for beer and are happy to see things have solidly improved on that front. Awhile ago they dedicated 12 more tap lines to the rotational section, bringing the total to 24; there was a definite change in the selection between our last two stops. There are lots of beer tasting boards to choose from (in terms of numbers and the types of beer included) and it's nice to see more events coming down the line - their first cask night with Alley Kat, featuring the newest of the Dragon series - Plaid Dragon - will be taking place on Tuesday, January 29th at 6pm.

I'm not sure we will ever find the atmosphere at Underground as cozy as Sugarbowl or Next Act, but with the most interesting beer selection in town (of both local and imported brews), we will continue to head over.

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Beyond that we've been enjoying a very slow couple weeks. Unpacking, coffee dates, trips to the antique mall, multiple batches of these brownies. Last night I broke out the Dutch oven (because it always starts with that) and made these stout braised short ribs with a bottle of Rogue's Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout.

My mum has been wanting to check out Under the High Wheel for awhile, so earlier in the week we went over for lunch. I ordered the portobello burger while my mum went for the vegetable panini. As before, the portions are generous and their salad served alongside was excellent.

We hope the first couple weeks of 2013 are treating you well too!

The Clever Rabbit Vegetarian Café

The Clever Rabbit opened its doors way back in March, and sadly, I just couldn't make my schedule align to check out their brunch and lunch offerings. Last week though, with just a half shift making up my Wednesday, I made my way to the vegetarian café for some post work lunch.

At 1:30 in the afternoon I was the only table in the bright space save a couple finishing lunch towards the back of the restaurant. I ended up choosing a spot next to the window to observe the blustery day outside whilst enjoying a glass of unpasteurized apple juice. I have to say I was there for the lentil loaf, a veggie dish that is one of my favourites at Blue Plate Diner. But with the last slice sold earlier during the lunch rush, I opted instead for the Walnut Chickpea Burger along with a side of cream of tomato soup ($12).

Everything arrived about 15 minutes later. The burger was piled high with toppings and I could see a slathering of nut butter beneath the walnut-chickpea patty; the soup arrived hidden inside an adorable rabbit-topped cocotte. Along with the nut butter and groceries, the burger was fantastic, with a lovely nutty flavour and a creaminess that was amplified by the toppings. My only complaint was that the bun was cold, however that's something easily remedied.

The soup didn't fare quite as well. While I appreciated its brightness, the creaminess didn't come through and I never came around to enjoying the texture. Thankfully though, the soup changes daily.

Since this visit I've also stopped in for a smoothie - a super thick mixture of tofu and yogurt that I enjoyed in its peach incarnation - on my break, as well as a vegan cinnamon bun. And I will definitely be returning for some of those donuts.

The Clever Rabbit's tidy selection of vegetarian brunch and lunch items are just what 124th Street needed. I'm looking forward to my next visit... and a piece of lentil loaf.

The Clever Rabbit Vegetarian Café
10724 124 Street
780.455.4550
Hours: Tues-Sun (9am - 4:30pm)

You can also check out reviews from Sharon and Liv.

Friday evening at Somerville Wine and Cheese

On Friday evening Charles and I made plans to meet up with our friend Brenna at Somerville Wine and Cheese on 107th and 124th Street. Calling earlier in the day we secured a reservation for 6:30pm and arrived (a little late) to a bright, open space and a friendly greeting at the door.

Seated at one of the tables for four lining the north side of the room, we decided on four dishes that would be shared tapas style and asked that they recommend a bottle of red to compliment our selections. They came through with a spicy bottle of Dehesa Gago Cosecha from Spain (~$42) that went really well with all our dishes, especially the Spanish inspired 'grilled cheese' and the red wine and tomato braised bison short ribs.

Our server explained that each option on the menu could be ordered as an entree or as an item to be shared. We selected the latter option and everything came out together after a few sips of wine and a short wait.

Lox in the front and the Spanish Manchego 'grilled cheese' ($14) served open-faced in the back. With Charles out of the grilled cheese situation, it was left for Brenna and I. We both enjoyed this take on the sandwich, especially the bites containing spicy, smoky chorizo.

 

 The Lox (~$17). This was a welcome classic, and in comparison to our other dishes, was certainly the lightest thing to grace the table.

Red wine and tomato braised bison short ribs (~$22). Along with the pork belly, this dish was the hit of the table. The meat was tender, slightly spicy and smoky.

 Cider braised pork belly with caramelized onions and apples and fennel cream (~$15). This dish was rich but incredibly flavourful. The pork was soft and tender, the fennel cream was rich yet bright and fresh, which worked well with the pork, and the apples and onions provided a satisfying level of sweetness.

After indulging in the savory side of the menu we opted to share the restaurant's single dessert offering between the three of us - a goat cheese and blackberry blancmange prepared by Duchess ($9). The blancmange was creamy and tangy and the blackberry compote provided a rich, sweet contrast. My favourite part of this dessert was the spicy (ie. cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) poached pear.

Service throughout the evening was attentive and friendly, with water glasses topped up regularly and dishes promptly cleared. Lingering for awhile, the space was certainly comfortable. And despite the large birthday party happening on the banquette side of the room, we had no problem carrying on our conversation. At one point a party guest stood up and sang a great rendition of 'What a Wonderful World' to the birthday girl, and it turned out to be a real treat for us too (we weren't too fond of the restaurant's music selection throughout the evening, which seemed a little heavy on the classical side of things, and thus a little too formal for the space and atmosphere).
 

At the end of the evening the three of us agreed that our visit to Somerville Wine and Cheese was certainly successful. With a comfortable space, friendly staff, knowledgeable wine pairings and well executed dishes, we are definitely looking forward to our next visit.

Somerville Wine and Cheese
10723 124 Street
780.454.9463
Hours: T-W (4:30-11PM) Th-Sa (4:30PM - 1AM) Su-M (Closed)

A blurry picture from the end of the evening.

d'Lish Urban Kitchen and Wine Bar

Celebrating the season - the 'done school for three weeks' season of course - Charles and I met up with friends a couple Fridays ago for dinner at d'Lish.

After an unfortunate ETS experience (where the driver changed the bus to 'Not in Service' without letting anyone on the bus know, dropping us off north of Grant MacEwan with no other bus in sight), we arrived at d'Lish half an hour late for our 7pm reservation. Luckily our two dining companions had arrived promptly for the reservation time, and were able to enjoy a drink while waiting for our arrival.

The Friday before Christmas, I'm guessing diners were off at holiday celebrations elsewhere, for as we arrived we saw only our table plus one other table of four beside, and a table of two behind us. The space itself is beautiful - sparkling, sleek and perfect for the season. We settled into our table in front of the bar gazing a little longingly at the banquette along the north side of the room, which had several tables along it but all set for two.

Our server came to inquire about drinks, and we all quickly decided to share a bottle of Prosecco ($40) to celebrate. Arriving back with four glasses and the beautiful sound of the popping cork, we had already decided to try the 'Faith tasting' - $35 for seven 'selections'. There was one snag - one of our dining companions was vegetarian. I had called earlier in the week to make sure vegetarian options would be available and was told she would have lots to choose from. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but with our server informing us that the tasting plates wouldn't be an option, she ended up going with the tagliatelle with pesto (~$17) while we stuck with our original decision, also adding the wine pairing ($15 for three, 2oz glasses).

Everything came out fairly quickly, with the seven 'selections' turning into three small courses. First up was a shooter of parsnip soup. Creamy and warm, the soup was an excellent way to take the chill off. The soup was served alongside a root vegetable, apple and kale salad (which we were asked to share amongst ourselves), served with rillette crostini and fig jelly. All three of us enjoyed the rillette, but the hit was by far the salad, tossed with sticky, sweet maple dressing.

Next up was smoked applewood tenderloin, served on top of polenta along with a scallop. We picked up one of the applewood tenderloins from O Sol' Meatos during the summer and really enjoyed it, so this part of the tasting plate was already a hit, especially atop the piece of silky polenta. The scallop was nicely cooked - soft and tender - but the smokiness of the meat quickly over took any of its sweetness. The tagliatelle also came out at this point, and our dining companion said she thoroughly enjoyed the carby goodness.

Our final course was dessert - banana-chocolate bread pudding served with maple-apple compote. I think we all enjoyed this one, and the banana bread was particularly nice with the compote.

As our plates were cleared, we quickly realized the tasting had not been enough, and a couple more options were certainly in order. In the end it would be pulled pork sliders with mango chutney and 'Mona' mushrooms served with focaccia to end the evening. The pulled pork sliders were alright, but not quite as rich and moist as we had hoped. The mushrooms were great - flavourful, rich, buttery and comforting. Our only complaint was the amount of bread the mushrooms came with - with three of us indulging, a couple more slices of bread than the one we were given would have been preferred, and we were left to awkwardly split the single slice.

In the end, we had an enjoyable evening at d'Lish. Service was friendly, although sitting in front of the bar with only a few people in the place, it was difficult not to notice the three servers constantly chatting when more water, or menus after the tasting portion of the evening, were needed. I don't think the wine pairings were big winners with any of us, especially the red served with the tenderloin that clashed immediately with the smoky meat. But overall the food was enjoyed, the season celebrated, and we left happy and content, and I think Charles and I will certainly head back as warm weather approaches and the menu changes.

d'Lish Urban Kitchen and Wine Bar
10418 124 Street
780.482.2242

Almost there

It's the final stretch. The fall semester will be done next Friday, hopefully no later than 3:30pm. In anticipation of that study free Friday evening, we've made a reservation at d'Lish Urban Kitchen & Wine Bar. It looks like they've just changed their menu to something a little more wintery, so hopefully it will be a tasty, relaxing evening.

In general we haven't been eating all that well lately. Lots of snacky dinners on the go, or grabbing of sandwiches, chips and salsa, etc. etc. have made our lives that much more hectic. With three weeks off this holiday season, I've got some big plans. One includes sitting down to make some type of meal plan for January through April so that we don't get into this bind again. I found this blog the other day, and I think it will be an excellent resource.

On Monday night we finally managed to sit down to a meal of stuffed peppers around 9pm. Charles cracked open our copy of Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything to find a recipe of corn stuffed peppers with spicy tomato sauce. Unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. It needed a little more oomph, and clearly, we both decided, something essential was missing. Thankfully stuffed peppers are an easily adaptable recipe, so we are on the hunt for a new stuffing. If you've got any delectable ideas, please leave'm below.

And on a non-food note, I was sad to receive an e-mail from Nokomis Clothing Wednesday to say they will be closing their doors at the end of January. I've been shopping there since I started at U of A, and after re-discovering a love of dresses due to the Shop's excellent selection this past summer, it's become a dependable spot that will be dearly missed.

See you in a week with thoughts on d'Lish!