"Oreos" & Gnocchi

{As per usual, an excuse for my absence. Work was a little really crazy this spring, but I think I've got a short lull, so here's hoping for a few posts. I'm off to Vancouver for a few days, so any recommendations are appreciated since I've never really been... I know! What!?}

Earlier in May I made a couple items that I considered of note. Firstly, "Oreos". With both of us on the brink of colds, Claire suggested we tackle the project. I had read about them on Smitten Kitchen some time ago, but passed since I don't really have a particular attachment to the cookie. At any rate, it was fun and they were delicious.

Next time I would lean toward a T.K.O. (Thomas Keller Oreo) with white chocolate ganache instead of icing, but none-the-less, the flavour of these was great, and I'm sure a little mint oil would add a new level.

And gnocchi. This one has been on my list for years. Years. I don't know why it took me so long, but it's incredibly simple. The only thing left to tackle is the perfect fork-tine-roll.

As an aside, I had the best burger I've ever eaten (...in Edmonton) at Sugarbowl earlier in the week. A perfectly cooked Four Whistle Farms beef, simply topped with pickles, mayo and lettuce. Delicious. Can't wait until that special roles around again...

Southside

I don't want to jinx it or anything, but the warm weather, patios and length of my workdays has been increasing. It must almost be spring. That means saying a temporary goodbye to the rich, brown sipping liquids of the winter, and hello to my very favourite - gin. While browsing Food 52 last week, I came across this lovely looking thing.

I enjoyed citrus throughout the winter (this lemony corpse reviver, for instance), so the mint makes for a fresh transition. Not only that, but the ingredients - gin, simple syrup, lime and mint - are easy enough to keep on hand, and come together quickly. I'm looking forward to a couple slices of cucumber a little later in the season for an Eastside.

A little note on the hipster cocktail shaker there. Yes. A belated birthday gift from a friend {believe me, he saw this and loved the irony... Hipster}. I didn't have a cocktail shaker before, so this worked out well, and just in time for the summer when drinks want to be shaken.

Anyways, I've been on the hunt for a while, and after reading a whole lot of reviews, seriously considered this one. Just look at it. I couldn't do it. While the mason jar thing has certainly run its course, this shaker did not leak, and it holds a lot of boos. The two main items on my list. My only complaint is that the un-insulated glass vessel can be a little chilly on the hands. I guess that's what those hand knit cozies are for...

Southside

From Erik Lombardo of Food 52

2oz gin (I used Victoria)

1oz lime juice

3/4oz simple syrup

4-6 mint leaves

Place ingredients in a shaker and shake. Strain into your glass of choice.

Beer Revolution

We found ourselves at Beer Revolution Monday evening, perfect since I realized I hadn't posted on the spot. Since opening last summer, we've probably stopped by at least a dozen times - The beer menu changes lots, and there are almost always seats, particularly important at the end of a long summer day of EFMF set up.

Considering the recent addition of beer focused spots to Edmonton (MKT, Underground and Craft Beer Market), Beer Revolution is easily my favourite. While I'm not particularly drawn to the food at any of these places (the nachos at BR are notable), I'm consistently impressed with the beer selection at Beer Revolution. Fewer taps mean the board is constantly rotating, though familiar brews from the likes of Granville Island and Brewsters are always around just in case. There is also no Bud, Coors, Molson, etc. masquerading as 'craft beer', something I've had issue with at MKT, Public House (which is apparently now closed) and most recently, Craft Beer Market.

Since Beer Revolution is Calgary based (owned by Brewsters), there's almost always something from Wildrose or Village, though it is consistently matched by a brew from Alley Kat. And almost anytime I've had something from Hog's Head on tap, it's been at Beer Revolution. So kudos for keeping the locals in rotation. On Monday evening we enjoyed the Natural Born Keller from Wildrose, alongside Hog's Head's Hop Slayer IPA, and Fallentimber's Hopped Mead; Incredibly impressed to see the latter on tap.

And a moment of appreciation for those beer boards. While they can be a bit of a pain depending where you're seated, it allows them to change a keg and let you know right away (they added two or three during our visit). It also tells you when the keg was tapped, and about how much is left, and makes it easy to tell which beer are on special. As you can see, they also give you the option of an 8oz size, which I love when I want to try a few different brews.

Food wise Charles and I decided to share the Chopped Salad ($13) along side the Furious Pete ($19) pizza. The pizza was as expected - Lots of toppings served on a crust my dad likes to refer to as 'cracker crust' (super hard and crispy). Okay, definitely not great. The salad, however, was pretty solid. A little sweet thanks to a maple vinaigrette, but balanced well by tart green apple, smoked gouda and a little bacon. I definitely wouldn't hesitate to order it again, save the bread/croutons served with.

While I'm still holding out for a small tap room, with hard to find beer, good snacks and a killer atmosphere, cozy and not-corporate-feeling, with solid music, beer-geek staff and growler fills (hey, I can dream), I'm happy that Beer Revolution is keeping things interesting, on the beer end at least.

Easter Eggs

Earlier in the month some of the Provisions ladies got together for an Easter egg dyeing party, with the hope they'd turn out well enough to use in our window display. That they did.

We used this oil technique to achieve the marbleized look, and kept it classic and pastel like for the rest. Not the most involved thing ever, but crafty enough for most of us at the table that evening. Happy Easter, everyone!

Bar Bricco

We're pretty spoiled living downtown - So many options. The newest of which is Bar Bricco, Daniel Costa's newest addition in a still growing little stretch between 103rd and 104th on Jasper Avenue. I stopped by with a friend a couple weeks ago to check it out, and we munched away on a large plate of cheese and fennel salad, alongside a Negroni and grappa.

Since then I've been back twice - once for a belated birthday dinner, and another for drinks and snacks. Both times I've ordered the egg yolk ravioli... Make sure you order the egg yolk ravioli. And order a little bread (if you didn't save any from your meat or cheese dishes) to help soak up whatever remaining ricotta/brown butter/egg yolk is left on that plate.

The salumi tasting plate with homemade porchetta, and delicious Iberico ham, prosciutto and mortadella is wonderful if you're feeling carnivorous, and don't skip on the fennel salad or the house ricotta.

In addition to that Negroni, they have a lengthy lists of grappa, and of course, wine. Though I'm not a wine drinker, I enjoyed a glass of sparkling red (Lambrusco) the other night that I wouldn't hesitate to order again.

This is a bar, and they don't take reservations, so if at all possible, get there at six when they open to score seats at the bar or one of three tables. A groups of us (4) arrived around 7pm on a Wednesday and waited for about a half-hour before being able to grab seats... and there were people behind us.

Bar Bricco
10347 Jasper Avenue
Wed-Sun {6pm - 1am}

Edmonton List

I've had various Edmonton related lists on the blog for a long time, but as I made lists for other cities (especially that New York one), I knew I wanted to do something similar for Edmonton. The little template-lift back in February got me going in earnest. Now that I've worked on it for a few months, I think it's good enough to share.

As I mention at the top of the list, there are some really good guides around Edmonton. The restaurants, shops and other things here are simply my favourites. Happy weekend!

Lunch - Café Bicyclette

It took me an embarrassingly long time to get to Café Bicyclette. I stopped by for a quick lunch with a co-worker just last month, and enjoyed a smoked meat sandwich and tea before heading out.

Last week a friend and I decided to meet up for lunch, and I suggested this spot... And not just because I wanted to eat there again. They have parking right out front/beside the building, and the restaurant features lots of banquette seating, two things I've recently learned are handy when travelling with a two month old.

When we arrived just after noon, they had clearly hit their lunch rush. Thankfully though, there were lots of take-out orders, which meant we had our pick of tables. We joined the line - which moved at an impressive pace - selecting Niçoise (~$10) and orzo salads (~$12), and sat down at our table with our number.

Marie's salad - the Niçoise - came out quickly, and my warm salad followed 10 or so minutes later (we did pay separately). The piece of salmon that came with my pasta salad was cooked and seasoned perfectly, and went well with the simple mix of orzo, red pepper, onion and cucumber. There were very good reports from Marie about the Niçoise salad as well.

Apparently the dinner menu at Café Bicyclette is wonderful, and I can't wait to check it out. I have big plans for patio season this summer. Until then, I'm happy to stop by during the day for wonderful light lunches.

Marie's adorable little girl... And me.

And a little Duchamp.

Portland - The 2014 Version

So we went to Portland, again, and it was amazing. Even better than last time, which I didn't think was possible. Highlights of this trip were a food cart tour with Brett from Food Carts Portland, beer and cider, the Laurelhurst Theater, Ken's Artisan Pizza, Pok Pok, spring time... I could probably go on. We had a couple family related events almost as soon as we got back, hence the quiet blog.

Anyhow, I've got a few photos up, plus a new list for PDX here.

Donuts from Blue Star Donuts

Eat Alberta 2014

I'm a little late with this, but tickets are still available! I volunteered for Eat Alberta back in 2011 (the first year) and am happy to be able to volunteer again this year - Their fourth conference! Here's the info:

'Eat Alberta is pleased to announce our fourth hands-on food conference, taking place on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). This year’s theme is “Seed the Possibilities”.

Eat Alberta is a non-profit association, managed entirely by volunteers. Our annual, one day, workshop-style conference features a mix of hands-on learning, food tastings, and presentations that focus on local and regional Alberta foods. Participants come together with farmers, chefs, foragers, botanists, and bakers to learn about what is produced in our province, how to prepare it, and what it tastes like.

This year’s conference features fifteen different presenters and fourteen different sessions, many of which are new to Eat Alberta. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about jowl bacon, pumpkin ravioli, cider-making, Alberta cheese tasting, and much more. The full list of sessions can be found on our website.

Our keynote speaker for 2014 is John Schneider, from Gold Forest Grains. He will give his thoughts on how to re-focus our attention on food advocacy and real-life ways to pressure law-makers to improve our food and agriculture systems. He will also offer a glimpse into life on his farm, and how he produces food for his family.

The day will close with three “Seedy Business” discussions –  5-10 minutes presentations on backyard bees, backyard chickens, and raw milk – followed by “Taste of Alberta” tasting boards and a wine down.

Tickets for Eat Alberta are $150 each and include the keynote and lightning talks, four sessions, breakfast, lunch, the “tastes of Alberta”, and the wine down. Registration opens on Tuesday, March 25.

For full event details, session descriptions, presenter bios and more, please visit our website at - http://www.eatalberta.ca'

See you there!

PDX 2014

We are heading to Portland tomorrow, for a very short trip... We're back Tuesday. I'm doing my best to balance spots we loved last time, whilst trying to get some new ones in there. Details on our last visit to PDX are here.

My current list is below, sort of arranged by neighbourhood. If you have any musts, please leave 'em in the comments below.

Buckman/SE (where we're staying)

Ken’s Artisan Pizza (304 SE 28th Ave)

Heart Coffee (2211 E Burnside St)

Screen Door (2337 E Burnside St; Dinner and weekend Brunch; Southern food)

East Burn (1800 E Burnside St – Beer and Food)

Café Castanga (1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd)

Little T Baker (2600 SE Division St)

Apizza Scholls (4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd)

Church Bar (2600 NE Sandy Blvd)

Coava Coffee (1300 SE Grand Ave)

Pok Pok (3226 SE Division St)

Ava Gene’s (3377 SE Division St; Cocktails and Italian food)

Olympic Provisions (107 SE Washington St)

Eastside Distilling (1512 SE 7th Ave)

Downtown

Tasty N Alder (580 SW 12th Ave – Walk down Burnside Bridge)

Clyde Common (1014 SW Stark St, Portland)

Little Bird (219 SW 6th Ave, Portland)

Blue Star Donuts (1237 SW Washington St)

Ken’s Artisan Bakery (338 NW 21st Ave)

Pearl Bakery (102 NW 9th Ave)

Bailey’s Taproom (213 SW Broadway)

Cacao Drink Chocolate (SW 13th Ave)

Stumptown Coffee (128 SW 3rd Ave; 1026 SW Stark St)

Courier Coffee (923 SW Oak St)

Barista (539 NW 13th Ave)

PSU Farmers Market (SW Park Ave & SW Montgomery St; 8:30-2)

Tenth Avenue Liquor (925 SW 10th Ave)

NE (our local last time)

Nedd Ludd for brunch (3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd)

Other Plans

Food Carts Portland Tour (1000 SW Washington St)

St. Vincent (Crystal Ballroom 1332 W Burnside St)

Other Reference

Under the Table with Jen

The Martinez

I've been staring at the Martinez for awhile now, ever since Food 52 shared this recipe in January. After trekking around {a little} for a bottle of Luxardo Maraschino, I finally got to make one. While it still doesn't oust my favourite Negroni, this comes pretty close.

The vermouth provides a lovely sweet spiced note, whilst the gin takes things in the other direction with juniper and florals; The maraschino (with an almond like flavour) balances the two. Finally, some orange bitters and an orange twist for extra complexity.

This is certainly a fall/winter cocktail, with the sweetness and spiced notes of the vermouth and maraschino, but it coincided perfectly with our 'New York night' on Friday. We made kale crostini with harissa aioli, meatballs (and spaghetti) and caesar salad, all inspired by Frankies Spuntino in NY... And ate and chatted with two friends in our very tiny apartment.

A martinez recipe is below, and you can find a recipe for Frankies' Meatballs here.

Martinez

Adapted from Food 52

2 oz gin (I used Victoria)

1 oz sweet vermouth (VYA)

1/2 oz maraschino (Luxardo)

2-3 dashes orange bitters (Victoria)

Garnish - Orange peel

Fill a mixing glass about half way with ice, add everything but the garnish and stir. Strain into your glass of choice and garnish with an orange peel.

A Food Blogger Meet-up at The Common

Wow. When Maki and I chose March 4th as the date for the food blogger meet-up, we thought it was relatively free of conflicting events. The High School Culinary Challenge, a celebration of Avenue's Best Restaurants and a Taste of Iceland preview all happened between Monday and Tuesday. Busy couple days. Nonetheless, we had a great turn out at The Common, with 20 bloggers in attendance and a total group of about 30. You can find the final list of attendees, and links to their blogs, here.

The Common was at the top of my list when I emailed Maki back at the beginning of February. We had no real idea of numbers, but considering our guesstimate - 20 to 30 - their south room seemed perfect. It was sort of funny arranging what was basically a restaurant reservation for a group of 30 or so individuals - Can you keep that many individual bills separate? Do we need to do a set menu? Will we need to sell tickets beforehand?

Kyla at The Common was breeze to work with. She said they could easily allow everyone to order separately off the regular food and beverage menu, and they kept track of tabs using peoples' names. They also allowed us to use the room for free, which eliminated any sort of ticketing process ahead of time, and offered up two $50 gift cards - one for best food photo and one for best drink photo - tweeted during the event. Incredibly generous. The servers at the restaurant were lovely, and the kitchen impressively turned out all our food orders quickly.

We couldn't have asked for more from the room itself. Their staff added tables throughout the space so we could move around as needed (also why keeping tabs under names was genius), and had coat racks set up upon arrival. The only extras we brought along were some name tags, pens and the RSVP list.

It's sort of amazing when that many food bloggers get together. Things you sometimes feel awkward about - 'Don't touch that plate I need to take a picture.' - are automatic (see below). Not only that, but this is a random group of people (...super cool people) that happen to LOVE to eat. Fantastic.

A giant thanks to Maki for co-organizing this event with me! And of course to The Common for hosting. Already looking forward to the next one.

I didn't take any photos at the event (check out Maki's post!), but happened to be glued to Twitter. We chose the hashtag #yegfoodblogs and got lots of traffic. So instead of photos, I thought I'd post tweets from the evening.

#yegfoodblogs #party Me & @MarianneStover r at @TheCommonYEG 4 foodie night! Looking forward to everyone! #yegfood pic.twitter.com/ZTAL83wX3F

— Maki Blazevski (@MakiBca) March 5, 2014

Whiskey Sour @TheCommonYEG #yegfoodblogs #yegfood pic.twitter.com/iBJQNOf6hW
— Marianne Stover (@MarianneStover) March 5, 2014

#yegfoodblogs meet up at @TheCommonYEG. Loving hanging out with old and new friends. #yegfood pic.twitter.com/EEIUeO5fGU
— Michelle PetersJones (@michpetersjones) March 5, 2014

@theCommonYEG food bloggers galore! drink of choice: Canada's #caesar! #yegfoodblogs pic.twitter.com/dvOaeCGCkO
— cindy nguyen (@cindurh) March 5, 2014

Bacon fettuccini egg house pasta at @TheCommonYEG!! Yum!! And beautiful plate. #yegfoodblogs #yegfood pic.twitter.com/UV9TTtpIl2
— Linda Hoang (@lindork) March 5, 2014

Pork belly lettuce wraps @TheCommonYEG. @lindork gives 2 thumbs up #yegfoodblogs #yeg @PassionForPork pic.twitter.com/QQS87TRin0
— Sharman Hnatiuk (@ThePorkGirl) March 5, 2014

@beyondumami was keen to try her nsmesake @TheCommonYEG's Umami Burger :-) #yegfoodblogs #yegfood pic.twitter.com/noxXz8bdV0
— Michelle PetersJones (@michpetersjones) March 5, 2014

what foodies do best, next to eating! #yegfoodblogs @thecommonYEG pic.twitter.com/xZFCJ0Xmee
— cindy nguyen (@cindurh) March 5, 2014

You know you're at a food blogger meet up when this happens :-) Ahem... @MakiBca! #yegfoodblogs #yegfood pic.twitter.com/OJHJKUQT9c
— Michelle PetersJones (@michpetersjones) March 5, 2014

Drink number 3 (whiskey sour, yum) at @TheCommonYEG at the #yegfoodblogs meet up. Woo! Tuesday! #party pic.twitter.com/4GbR3XJZzr
— The Edible Woman (@EdibleWomanBlog) March 5, 2014

Reputation ruined! Caught @baconhound eating a LETTUCE WRAP! @TheCommonYEG #yegfoodblogs pic.twitter.com/i4iqfdQPbu
— Robyn (@LadyAgathist) March 5, 2014

So this is how @michpetersjones takes food pics @TheCommonYEG. #Weirdo #YEGfoodblogs #NoneOfUsFoodBloggersDoThat http://t.co/gUUueqEP8E
— Andrea (@littlmissandrea) March 5, 2014

@britl: winning Caesar drink photo #yegfood #yegfoodblogs pic.twitter.com/uBux6GZ7bI
— The Common (@TheCommonYEG) March 6, 2014

@littlmissandrea winning Warm Beet Salad photo #yegfood #yegfoodblogs http://t.co/y2D5BcOytv
— The Common (@TheCommonYEG) March 6, 2014

Had a great time at #yegfoodblogs tweetup! Thanks @MakiBca @MarianneStover for organizing - Looking forward to the next one (dance party!).
— Diane (@Argenplath) March 5, 2014 

Thanks to the staff @TheCommonYEG for hosting all us #yegfoodblogs! And thanks to everyone who attended this evening! #goodtimes #yegfood
— Marianne Stover (@MarianneStover) March 5, 2014

Once again, you can find the list of attendees here, and my blog roll (where I'm trying to list as many food and beverage bloggers from Edmonton as possible) here.

Old Fashioned for the North

This drink is actually named the Toronto, but given the outstanding rye produced just south of us, I feel like it's okay to appropriate it. I also didn't want to call this post 'The Toronto', because I've got nothing to report on Rob Ford, and have driven through TO once on the way to the airport.

I wish I would have gotten it together to share during the -20 weather - The Fernet-Branca lends extra warmth to the whisky, making it the perfect cozy-up-indoors beverage. But I'll likely still enjoy one or two whilst watching the snow head out. Summer is coming fast, people!

Toronto for Edmonton

Adapted from 'Bitters' by Brad Thomas Parsons

2oz Alberta Springs Dark Horse Whisky

1/4oz Fernet Branca

1/4 simple syrup

2 dashes aromatic bitters (I've been using Scrappy's)

Orange or lemon garnish

Fill a mixing glass half way with ice and add everything but the garnish. Mix and enjoy in whatever glass you would like (I have accumulated a giant ice cube tray, and really wanted to use an ice cube...).

Things I ate {But didn't take photos of}

{Are you a food or drink blogger in Edmonton? Come to The Common on March 4th and meet up with fellow food bloggers from our fair city! Details here.}

That lengthy blog break (let's face it, it was like two years) really did a number on my relationship with my camera. It's slowly making its way back into my bag, but I ate a bunch of excellent food sans camera that I thought was worth reporting on.

Bistro India {10203 116 Street}

Somehow Bistro India has worked their magic in that once cursed house turned restaurant on 116 Street. When we lived nearer to them in Oliver, we got take out all the time (which is why it's even stranger I haven't posted about them here). To stay or to go though, what you really need to get your hands on are the dosas... and maybe some of the Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani, and anything else on the 'Southern Favourites' menu. During the day, they have a wider range of dosas, but you can get masala and paneer dosas any time of day. We had a little feast of take-out on Valentine's Day, and watched House of Cards.

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97 Hot Pot {10602 97 Street}

So, hot pot. I just tried hot pot - for the first time - a couple weeks ago. A friend and I were driving down 97th late on a Thursday evening, looking for soup, and saw the bright neon sign.

We arrived around 10pm (they are open until midnight), and there were only a handful of tables filled... It sounds like this is a rare occurrence, with the place normally packed. Our table for two was equipped with an induction burner each (with a temperature control... keep it on one) and a little gadget that allows you to alert the server, ask for more water, etc. It's buffet style - You mark your order on the menu, and they bring it out. Everything on the menu (unless you want a specialty broth) is included in the $25.95 per person price.

Our order consisted of a bunch of things... Thinly sliced lamb and beef, taro, winter melon, bok choy, cuddlefish balls, minced, spiced lamb and some sweet potato noodles. Make sure you ask about portions if it's your first time there; The sliced lamb and beef, for instance, is piled high, but when you order a cuddlefish ball or the minced lamb or taro, you get one.

They also have a condiment station with everything imaginable (minced ginger, red bean paste, vinegars, etc.), where you can grab items as needed.

Everything was delicious, but my favourite was certainly the cuddlefish and minced lamb. We ordered a second round of those. For dessert we decided on the osmanthus cake, a cube of tea flavoured gelatin, which was beautiful, tasty and delicate. A perfect way to finish the meal.

Since there was barely anyone in the place, we found the service pretty good (water and broth refills, mostly), and they were happy to answer any questions we had. Can't wait to head back!

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Woodwork {10132 100 Street}

Probably no more needs to be said about Woodwork, but I can't not. We share an alley with the restaurant, which means I get to smell the delicious woodsmoke every day I head out the door. We've been for drinks, snacks, lunch and dinner a number of times. And I went to a work Christmas party (just before they opened) where they roasted an entire pig and made a six foot bûche de Noël... I have one photo of a Violet Fizz.

The lunch special is excellent - $15 gets you one of four hot options (if they have the meatball sub, do it), with a side kale salad or soup. They also have a few excellent house sodas, well worth shelling out an extra $3 for.

For dinner, we rarely stray away from an order of Smoked Chicken Drumsticks with house bbq sauce ($8 for three) and the full rack of ribs with fennel slaw and the best beans ever ($25). If we're with others, we like to add the Steak Tartare ($13), made a little more delicious with pickled beets and smoky chips served in lieu of bread, and maybe some Mac n' Cheese ($14), famed from their food truck days.

And dessert. The PBJ thing ($10) is quite good, but if you like liquorice and a good cocktail, and something a little more delicate, make sure you try the Tiger Tiger ($8). Although a little more hearty, the Pear and Goat Cheese Galette ($10) is also well worth your time.

If you enjoy cocktails, you've likely already treated yourself at their bar. My favourite continues to be the house sour, which has the added benefit of a fire display and a resulting smoky flavour. But the 'Savoy Shuffle', a random, daily creation, has yet to disappoint. They also have a tidy, carefully chosen beer list, and feature bottles.

As for the cold thing, they've recently installed a fabric panel (which I heard will be turned to bison hide next winter) to direct the air into the corner; It seems to do the job. And as you can probably tell, this is about the meat. The only real vegetable (and vegetarian) dish is the kale salad, which is delicious as well, by the way.

Lunch is served weekdays only from 11:30-2

Dinner service starts at 5pm weekdays

They are closed Wednesdays

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There it is. A food blog post without many pictures... I'm not sure that's a thing these days. Next time I'm at these spots, I'll be camera ready.

Sunday Brunch ~ Rosso Pizzeria

{Are you a food or drink blogger in Edmonton? Come to The Common on March 4th and meet up with fellow food bloggers from our fair city! Details here.}

Oh brunch in Edmonton. Since visiting cities like Portland and New York, where going for brunch is a given, I'm always trying to find solid versions of the meal here at home. Giant lines twist outside of casual spots like Sugarbowl, High Level Diner and Urban Diner throughout the weekend, and my favourite homes to weekend brunch - Manor Bistro, Under the High Wheel and Next Act - can be just as busy. Fingers crossed Elm Café will one day add some sort of permanent brunch to their lineup on 118th Ave, 'cause the brunch offered during Deep Freeze was too delicious to just be a pop-up.

When we lived in Garneau, we regularly enjoyed large glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice and fluffy frittatas offered at then DaCapo. With that in mind, we met up with friends at Rosso to check out their weekend brunch situation earlier in February.

As assumed, patrons were lined up outside other spots at the intersection, but when I arrived at Rosso around 10:30 (a half hour before our scheduled meeting time, just in case), I had my pick of tables. I still miss the café style ordering system from DaCapo, but someone stopped by soon enough with a menu, and to take my latte order. It took a while for the latte to come out (at least 10 minutes), but their super milky version is wonderful. Sadly, the juice machine is no longer there, which means there is no orange juice on offer.

Other than the granola, all the dishes on the menu are savoury, and the general theme is, 'Put an egg on it'. Charles selected the Canadese pizza (sans the egg) whilst I went with the Calabrese pizza. Our friends opted for the granola and a 'breakfast skillet' of sorts.

I loved the topping combination on my pizza, with the bitter rapini and fennel sausage playing well. Unfortunately, the eggs on top suffered from the heat of the wood fired oven and weren't in a good state by the time they reached the table. Next time, I'll likely opt for a side of poached eggs and add them afterward.

A moment of praise, though, for the pizza crust. When I visited just after the DaCapo-Rosso changeover, I didn't notice much improvement pizza wise, but it seems they now know exactly what they're doing. Crispy, chewy, slightly charred - Hands down the best in the city.

The Canadese pizza - with potato, bacon, rosemary and olive oil - hit the spot, especially with that latte on the side.

They aren't kidding when they say 'large cup' of granola. It's really a gigantic goblet. The granola and fruit were very good, but what makes it is a generous layer of their house made ricotta. Very creamy and fresh.

And finally the 'skillet' (Patate arrostite con salsiccia e peperoni) - Probably the favourite of the table. Perfectly poached eggs, with their rich tomato sauce, potatoes, fennel sausage, peppers and some of their homemade bread on the side.

We wouldn't hesitate to head over for brunch again, especially with brunch lineups in the area being what they are. They lose points for lack of orange juice (and breakfast specific beverages), but they easily overcome that negative with those lattes, and pizza for breakfast.

The brunch menu is available from 10am-3pm on weekends and holidays.

An almost Manhattan

{Are you a food or drink blogger in Edmonton? Come to The Common on March 4th and meet up with fellow food bloggers from our fair city! Details here.}

Just before Christmas, I wandered over to Plum and found a whole bunch of preserves from Mojo Jojo Preserves. Although I was tempted to walk away with everything, I limited it to a jar of Drunken (Brandied) Cherries. Eventually I plan to make the black forest cupcakes in the Mast Brothers book and use them as toppers, but for now, they are very pleasant in a Manhattan.

I should mention that I have yet to invest in a bottle of rye or bourbon (for shame), so out came my bottle of whiskey from Breuckelen Distilling, which seemed to work well enough. And although a classic Manhattan contains only Angostura bitters, I like a recipe from Bitters that suggests using half Angostura/aromatic and half orange bitters - A perfect mix of bitter and sweet.

A Manhattan made with whiskey from Brooklyn and cherries from Edmonton

Adapted from Bitters by Brad Thomas Parsons

2oz Whiskey (really though, it should be rye or bourbon)

1oz Sweet vermouth (again that Vya one)

1 dash aromatic or Angostura bitters

1 dash orange bitters

Garnish - Drunken Cherry (or amarena cherry or lemon twist)

Fill a mixing glass about half way with ice and add everything but the garnish. Stir thoroughly until chilled then strain into a coupe or other glass. Garnish with a cherry or lemon twist.