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.

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}

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.

__________________________________________

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!

__________________________________________

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

__________________________________________

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.

Café. Walk. Café. Walk.

{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 I went to Berlin a couple summers ago, Isabelle introduced me to Sandra Juto's blog, and I still look at it daily. She walks and drinks coffee (and enjoys her city) like nobody's business. So when I found myself without work commitments a couple Saturdays ago, I decided to do the same.

Stop one - A short walk to a Kashmiri chai with almond milk at Remedy downtown.

Construction, construction, construction in our city right now. Not without its drawbacks (mostly blocked sidewalks and other pedestrian routes, on my end at least), but nevertheless exciting. It sounds like the promenade outside the old federal building on 108 Street, and some of the meeting spaces inside, will be lovely.

It was about -11 or so that day, with a little wind. At the start of every winter, I forget about the icy breeze that blows across the bridge, and right across your cheeks. Nothing a solid hood can't help. Time for stop two - A cappuccino at Transcend Garneau.

I saw this horse and buggy going down Whyte earlier in the day and was happy to see it again across from the market (I know the Old Strathcona Business Association was doing buggy rides leading up to Christmas, but I didn't know it was still happening Saturdays). Afterward I wandered over to Under the High Wheel for a croque monsieur, and then hopped the number 7 back downtown. And that was my über luxurious day off.

Hope your weekend (regular or long) was wonderful!

Winefest Ticket Giveaway - CLOSED

{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.}

{Update: February 9} Thanks for entering the giveaway everyone! This was the first one on this blog. The winner of the two tickets to Winefest is Suzanne! Hope you enjoy!

____________________________________________________

Winefest is celebrating its 6th year at the Shaw Conference Centre February 14-15th, and I've got two tickets to the Saturday afternoon tasting session (2-5pm) to give away. Here's the info -

"Wine novices and seasoned vino lovers will enjoy a decadent... afternoon of all-inclusive wine tasting alongside delicious hors d'oeuvres... Celebrate and sample from 247 wines from the world's most renowned wine regions!"

How to win - In the comments below, leave your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). I'll select a random winner and contact them on Sunday, February 9th. Good luck!

*Please note that you need to be 18 to attend the festival. You will need to show valid photo ID to pick up your tickets.

Lunch at The Local Omnivore

Although it was very wet and snowy today, Claire and I held fast to plans to walk up to The Local Omnivore for lunch. The truck was ready for lunch a little after noon, already serving up soup and sandwiches to a small line up of patrons.

The order of the day seemed to be the special. We didn't deviate, both opting for the potato and bacon soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for $8. Service was fast - My order came up in no time at all, and we waited a few minutes longer for Claire's to come up in the next batch of specials. Wet and slightly cold at this point, we ducked into the nearest building to enjoy our lunch.

We were both impressed with the grilled cheese. Pretty classic, with sliced cheddar, but pushed over the top with incredibly crunchy yet tender bread, and some sort of herb butter/spread. While we enjoyed the texture of the soup, and appreciated its warmth on such a cool day, we agreed that a little more salt would have helped to round out the flavours.

Claire and I wouldn't hesitate to head back - The menu changes daily, giving us lots of options. I'm looking forward to venturing a little further for a fried egg sandwich on the way to the office next week. You can find The Local Omnivore at 100 Ave. and 108 Street (Drift's old spot) for breakfast and lunch, and on Whyte Ave. Fridays and Saturdays, from midnight to 3pm for late night snacks. The menu is updated daily via their Twitter feed.

On a related note, Tanya and I cooked up a pack of their bacon last weekend, and while I wasn't a huge fan of it's sweetness alone, it worked much better in their soup (and I imagine it would be excellent on top of a fried egg sandwich, or something else super savoury, at breakfast). You can purchase packages of their very smoky-sweet bacon directly from the truck for $5.

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).

___________________________________________________

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.
___________________________________________________
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.

___________________________________________________

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!

Street Fest

Since I usually post after these sorts of events, I figured I'd do a quick Street Fest post since there's an entire week left to check things out.

We stopped by on both Friday and Saturday evening and had a great time. So far our favourite performers are Grant Goldie, who's show includes miming, juggling and other cool, classy things, and The Adventurers Explorers League Club, two guys who roam the show with either backpacks or the fantastic canoes below.

Grant Goldie

The Adventurers Explorers League Club

Pancho Libre

Street Fest is on in Churchill Square up to and including next Sunday, July 15th. Performers are on from 11:30am-11pm. Make sure you check it out!

Olive Oil Cake

I mentioned in my last post that I was devoting that bottle of blood orange infused olive oil picked up at Evoolution to this olive oil cake, and that's exactly what happened a couple weeks ago.

The timing turned out to be perfect; we had a few straight days of heavy, cool rain, and the citrusy cake was a lovely warm contrast. While the cup of olive oil keeps the cake moist, it still has a mealy crumb which makes it perfect alongside a cup of tea.

The kick of citrus is nice in this cake - and I think pretty classic for an olive oil cake - but as the recipe indicates it would be lovely with a nice fruity or peppery olive oil. I added Valrhona's Manjari 64% to compliment the citrus flavour of the oil, but any dark chocolate would do. And while I didn't put nearly as much rosemary as the recipe suggests in this version, I'm certainly upping it next time.

Brunch at Zinc

Our friend Tanya announced around her birthday that she wanted to go for a big brunch. Big brunch? My list of brunch spots is not extensive, but after a bit of searching, we came up with Zinc. Three courses for $36, and reports from a few bloggers that we'd be waddling out once our meal was complete.

We hadn't been to Zinc in some time; probably a year and a half ago now. But the interior remains as striking as ever, with rich blues, steel and wood all contrasted against one another. Our server offered us coffee and tea (included in the price), while I asked for a run down of their sparkling cocktails on offer that day (there were three or four, plus a couple lovely sounding mimosas). I ended up with a floral cocktail that combined St. Germain Elderflower and Violet liqueurs with sparkling wine. It was a great way to start the meal, and we all loved the purple hue of the drink.

The first course of cheese, pastry and preserves arrived soon after selecting our entrees. Since Charles is not a cheese fan, they kindly moved his cheese portion to the plate Tanya and I were sharing, and gave him extra pastry. Alongside the cheese there were pieces of peppery, cheesy shortbread, fruit, tarts and glasses of yogurt with berries. We enjoyed everything on the plate, with the shortbread stealing the show. The only thing I would add is some sort of list or explanation of that day's cheese, either printed or verbal.

There were three different mains on the table that day - Tanya chose the frittata with tomatoes and asparagus, and chose to add the house made turkey and apple sausage. Charles went with the only sweet option on the menu - the Neapolitan of pancakes - with Lagavulin bacon. And I went with the Salmon Benedict.

Since there were three different dishes on the table, we were able to try a bit of everything. I thought Charles' pancakes were the winner of the three. They were light and fluffy, and the different toppings were fun additions. The cubes of bacon served alongside were the perfect smoky accompaniment. Tanya's frittata was also well executed, and came out fluffy and tangy thanks to the dollop of goat cheese served on top. And although I wasn't a huge fan of the turkey sausage - it stood no match for the bacon on Charles' plate - Tanya really enjoyed it.

And finally, the Salmon Benedict. Nearly everything about this dish was lovely. The hollandaise was buttery and rich, with a nice acidity cutting through everything; their house smoked salmon was sweet, savoury and wonderfully smoky, and the buckwheat potato blinis were a welcome change from bread. My only complaint was that the eggs were slightly over cooked, which meant that beautiful runny yolk was nowhere to be found. This definitely wouldn't keep me from ordering a benedict next time though... the lobster sounds particularly enjoyable.

Just when we thought we could eat no more, slices of warm apple strudel arrived at the table to finish the meal.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Zinc for Saturday or Sunday brunch. While there may be a couple kinks, the menu offers something for everyone on the list. And if you don't feel like indulging in all three courses, each one is available on its own. And with that the brunch list grows.

Zinc at the AGA
780.392.2501

Brunch: 11-2; Further hours

*Past posts on Zinc can be found here, here and here.

Finding "craft beer" at The Public House

I read in a couple different spots that The Public House, the newest venture from Oil City Hospitality, was making some sort of effort beer wise (a reader of OnBeer.org commented that they had some Tree Brewing on their list, and Sharon mentioned Mack's stopover a few weeks ago). So, after a long Friday last week, we stopped in our way home.

There was a hockey game that evening, but even with seven televisions around the room (and those are just the ones I counted from my seat), the place wasn't overly busy, and in the end we found it a bit cold and impersonal. Serious effort has been made decor wise to make the place feel "homey". A floor to ceiling bookshelf is featured on the west wall, and opposite is a chalkboard that features daily 'specials' (ie. $4 shots and the like). But in the end it felt empty and more ready for late night crowds than anything else. We grabbed a table next to the giant bookshelf and checked out the beer menu.

After glancing over the list, we decided fairly quickly on Tree Brewing's Hop Head IPA, a relatively hoppy brew from Kelowna. Overall, we were certainly impressed that they made the effort to add Yellowhead Brewing and Aprikat to the menu, along with a couple well selected brews like Blanche de Chambly and Affligem. We were disappointed, however, that their "Feature Craft" was simply a beer pulled from the regular menu for weeknight price specials, which means no rotating tap(s) or bottles.

What we wish they would change, is the way the brews are listed. I don't think it's fair to call brews like Rolling Rock, Bud, Stella Artois and others "craft beer", because they're not. Many of the brands on The Public House's list are owned and brewed by Anheuser-Busch/InBev, which means there's little substance to most of them beyond marketing ploys. Just like AB-InBev's marketing, we found parts of the beer menu misleading, implying diversity where there isn't much to be found.

In a pinch, we would certainly return to The Public House. It's great to see a chain that focuses so much on night life including some flavourful beer on their list. That said, I'd love for them to move beyond big brews and feature more real craft beer, and maybe even make Yellowhead's or Alley Kat's brew(s) their house beer, instead of Bud and Bud Light. With Mercer Tavern opening in the spring (I'm clearly expecting/hoping for great things), here's hoping The Public House will step it up.

*I wanted to mention that I did a quick post-work stopover at Transcend a few weeks ago. While they may not have a giant selection, Transcend Jasper has a tidy group of well selected bottles and a couple taps that change fairly frequently. Last time I was there it was Brewmaster's super hoppy Roughneck IPA, and more recently they had Pike Brewing's roasty, bitter XXXXX Stout ($7.5 per pint). Best of all, they're open until 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays for evening enjoyment.

We've also hit up the Jasper Ave. Remedy a few times for casual, late evening drinks. They've got a good selection of bottles (I've been sticking with Brooklyn Brewery's Brown Ale for the most part) and they've just installed some taps. Plus, they're open until midnight seven days per week.

Bua Thai

Bua Thai was the very first Thai restaurant I ever visited. When I first started at Folk Fest five years ago, my boss, who had spent much of the winter in Thailand, took me for lunch. From then on it was difficult to forget the coconut laced sauces and rice, or the perfectly cooked shrimp and sweet noodles. So just before the shop re-opened back in early January, Rachel and I took a break from our errands and walked the couple blocks to Bua Thai for lunch.

When we arrived around 1pm, they were still busy with office workers taking advantage of their lunch specials (there's about eight of them, priced around $13-14) and free parking. Nevertheless we were quickly shown to a two top table close to the kitchen. Ultimately we decided to forgo the lunch menu, opting to share some items from the regular menu - the papaya and carrot salad (Som Tam $10.5), a curry containing shrimp and Thai eggplant (Phat Phed Kung $19.95), and veggie noodles (Phat Thai Jai $13.95).

Our favourite dish of the day ended up being the papaya and carrot salad. It was full of garlic and peanuts, and had a lovely sweet, savoury, spicy balance. We also thoroughly enjoyed the curry, particularly the perfectly cooked shrimp and crunchy eggplant. And the Pad Thai easily satisfied our noodle craving that had started earlier in the day.

While Bua Thai is usually just a summer stop, I'm hoping visits during the rest of the year will be a bit more frequent.

Bua Thai
10049 113 Street
780.482.2277


Rachel and I are slowly (and I mean slowly) working our way around some of the lunch specials/lunch hours in the area on Mondays when the retail portion of the shop is closed. Last week we stopped at Wild Tangerine for 'Asian Po-boys' ($12-15), and a couple weeks ago, we ventured to Gabbana for their $5 Monday/Tuesday lunch special (unfortunately a let down, with super sweet sauces and a server run off her feet). We've also heard rumours of a $10 lunch special at Cibo that we're hoping to take advantage of soon (they're closed on Mondays which is making a visit difficult). Other suggestions in downtown/Oliver would be much appreciated!