Sunday Dinner at High Level Diner

With a veggie burger craving already surfacing, Charles and I decided to head to High Level Diner for dinner this past Sunday evening. Walking into a slightly busy space around 7:30pm, we were seated at a cozy table for two near the bar, and were soon greeted by our very friendly server (Christina of August Studio Ceramics... she will be at Make It this weekend, btw).

Given the cold, snowy conditions that evening, we both opted for a warm pot of Earl Grey, and while Charles went immediately for the Sunday Prime Rib Dinner ($22), I was off to veggie burger land ($13).

We were happy to see our plates come out in good time, as we spent the 15 minutes in between listening to the threesome next to us talk about what is (and isn't) considered 'art'... just as they started getting into the Blair Witch Project (the original only!), we dove into our plates. Charles seemed to enjoy his prime rib, which came out medium rare, moist and tender (it starts at medium rare, but they will continue cooking at your request). While the steamed veggies weren't anything to write home about, it was certainly a welcome Sunday evening meal to counter the cool winter weather outside.

Prime Rib Dinner

I also enjoyed my veggie burger - full of sunflower seeds, brown rice and flax, amongst other items, it was cooked until crispy then loaded with sprouts and a whole wheat bun. And really, you can't go without the burger toppings here - dijon, corn salsa and beet relish... the latter is incredible. Oh, and the house ketchup, which is full of spicy horseradish. Like Charles' vegetables, there's not a lot to say about the green salad here - spinach, red onion, carrot and a balsamic dressing that's slightly overwhelming... next time I'll head back to my standard side, the caesar.

Veggie Burger

The toppings

As the snow came down a bit harder (and the threesome next to us moved into 'abstract art'), we decided to share the bread pudding as a final warm up. Thankfully it came out quickly, heated through and sitting in a pool of rich brown sugar bourbon sauce. Dense, moist and rich, we were happy for the small bowl of whipped cream that comes alongside to 'lighten' things up a bit. After many desserts around this City, I still think this is my favourite 'cold-snowy-evening' dessert.

No matter how much this little intersection of restaurants and cafés changes, I don't think we'll ever be leaving High Level Diner. Although all the meals we've had here in the past haven't been phenomenal, there are some times when it's just the perfect spot.

High Level Diner
780.433.0993
10912 88 Avenue
Hours can be found here.


*I also wanted to mention that back in August, we stopped for brunch with my Aunt, Uncle and cousin from Bonnyville. My uncle has had a severe case of Coeliac disease for the past 10 years or so, and he was the happiest person I ever saw munching on a club sandwich - "I can't believe I'm eating a club sandwich!"

While the kitchen is not wheat free, and the Coeliac friendly menu is mostly made up of their other menu items that can be made either with substitutes (ie. gluten free bread) or without the item containing gluten, he said the big thing was that they understood what was going on (ie. they weren't going to serve him a steak on top of a piece of garlic toast... yes, that's happened to him elsewhere, even after he explained the gluten thing pre-order). So thumbs up for that.

A late evening dinner at Urban Diner South

We popped by Urban Diner (8715 109 Street) Tuesday night around 8:30 for a late evening dinner (we noticed a couple weeks ago that they had opened, although nothing seemed to be announced and their website still says location 'coming soon'). The place was pretty much empty but for a table of two and a table of about six construction workers... likely the same ones who's scissor lifts I've been dodging in HUB on my way to class.

Anyhow, we had our choice of seating so opted for a window seat. I'm glad they chose to take down the 'secluded patio' feature of the old tenant's (Fiore Cantina) - not only is it much brighter in there, but you can gaze out the window onto the increasingly busy little area of 87th and 109th. I'm wondering though, if a piece of glass or something will appear on the patio come spring to help block the noise and exhaust of 109th traffic from patio diners.

I always forget that Urban Diner carries Fentiman's Sodas, and I ended up with the Dandelion & Burdock brew which was a delicious treat. Charles went for the Organic Lager from Mill Street Brewery from the Diner's pretty excellent, though short, beer list. I also noticed that they were doing a cask night last week with one of the breweries they carry on tap, which is definitely encouraging. Food wise, I went for the reuben with butternut squash and sweet potato soup ($11.95), while Charles decided on the steak sandwich with fries ($16).

Food came out quickly, and we got right into it. Charles steak was cooked slightly past his requested medium rare, but the mushroom gravy was the perfect rich, savoury accompaniment. The shoestring fries were excellent - peppery, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and especially good when dipped into the gravy. My reuben was good too, although I'm pretty easy when sauerkraut (or any cabbage for that matter) is involved. The corned beef was moist and well seasoned, and the sautéed onion and swiss cheese made for a wonderful late evening mess. The soup seemed to contain a little curry, which was definitely welcome, and was a perfect fall warmer before we ventured back out into the cold.

For dessert we decided to share the lemon-sour cream pie. The small piece was perfect after our largish meals, and although slightly tart, it was certainly the light ending necessary.

I think Urban Diner will be a welcome addition to this block of cafés and restaurants, especially on busy weekend brunch days, when Sugarbowl and High Level Diner have lineups stretching out the door. We're definitely glad to have another casual spot in the area, and that the spot is Urban Diner is definitely nice, since we don't get over to the 124th location too often. We'll definitely be stopping again soon.

Urban Diner (South)
8715 109th Street
780.437.7275


*Just a note on breakfast in the area - Da Capo has been doing breakfast on weekends. We stopped a couple Saturdays ago, and my over easy eggs, as well as hash browns, were excellent.

**Sugarbowl is featuring Wild Rose Brewery's Velvet Fog right now. It is a pretty lovely one, managing to be both smooth and tangy at the same time. Also, Sugarbowl seems to have recently increased the amount of garlic in their hummus quite a bit, so if your partner/friends/whoever is concerned with your breath, or vice versa, go with the cornbread or crab fritters.

***We walked by Urban Diner Thursday (today) to take the picture of their sign above, and they were packed!

March 14, 2011 - We stopped in for dinner here this past Friday. Things are as good as ever, and happily their beer list is growing. The most recent addition - Yukon Brewing's Porter on tap. Food wise, we clearly don't deviate from favourites - once again, Charles did the steak sandwich and I did the Reuben... here are some pictures though.

Steak sandwich

Reuben