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}

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.

More eggs, please.

I have been eating a lot of eggs. And I mean a lot. Serben Free Range has a great deal on eggs each week at the City Market - two dozen for $8 - that I've been taking advantage of. Combined with a little spinach, and usually a piece of toast, I'm perfectly happy with poached, fried or scrambled eggs at either breakfast or dinner. For lunch, hard boiled eggs have become a quick standby.

By far the best egg-involved recipe I've come across is on the cover of Nancy Silverton's "A Twist of the Wrist" - Pappardelle with bagna cauda, wilted radicchio and a fried egg.

At first I was a little confused by this book. Really, most of Silverton's shortcuts are things I already do everyday; the majority of our pasta comes from a bag or box, our mayo from a jar and our tomatoes from cans. But what I think she's asking people to do is meet her halfway. To pick up a great can of tomatoes, or a really great pasta, and go from there, instead of heading toward frozen entrees or take out. Her combinations are quick and easy, and most importantly, tasty. Plus, they're introducing tinned/jarred items that I wouldn't normally keep stocked at home, like anchovies.

I've tried to make bagna cauda - a combo of butter, olive oil, anchovies, garlic, lemon and parsley - in the past and it didn't go well. The oil must have been too hot and the anchovies too cold, because they spattered everywhere and were burnt far before melting into the olive oil like they were supposed to. So this time I turned down the heat and pulled the anchovies out of the fridge and tin about an hour before I needed them, and everything went beautifully. In just five minutes the sauce was done. No jarred bagna cauda required.

Instead of pappardelle I used some tagliatelle we had in the pantry, and instead of radicchio, I braised some kale the night before and warmed it in the sauce before adding the pasta, pasta water and parmesan and topping everything off with the fried egg.

For such a quick meal this one is beautifully rounded. Salty and savoury from the sauce, silky smooth thanks to the egg and pasta. The kale cut through the richness well, as I imagine the radicchio would too. What I love most about this recipe is that it can be scaled up or down quite easily. I quartered it and had enough for yesterday's dinner with a little leftover for today's lunch. If you need something a little more hardy, it's easy enough to add that extra egg.

Noorish: Conscious Eatery and Superfood Elixir Bar

I was pretty skeptical of Noorish - "Really!? Superfood!?" - as we observed their sign going up a few blocks from our apartment earlier this fall. The health claims, marketing strategies and general use of the word "superfood" remain confusing on my end, but who am I to turn down an excellent veggie burger? Twyla over at "It's a Weird, Wild and Wonderful Life" visited the spot earlier in November, and we followed suit the very next week.

Although we were expecting casual, café style service a la DaCapo, when we arrived for a Tuesday evening meal we ran into a sign that said, "Please wait to be seated." A few minutes later we were greeted at the door and led to a table in the middle of the busy restaurant. Water was provided quickly, as was coffee for Charles and a chai tea for me. Food wise, the Bodhi Tree Burger ($17) was undoubtedly coming my way, and eventually Charles decided on the Laughing Buddha's Belly Bowl ($16).

Our food arrived at the table relatively quickly, though I had just enough time to browse their 'grocery' collection of bagged 'superfoods', spreads and gift totes from The Chocolate Doctors and raw-vegan books amongst other health food style items.

The portions at Noorish may appear small, but we struggled to finish our entrees. My burger was packed with chickpeas, walnut-basil pesto, cashew cream and avocado - an entire meal in itself. And it was one impressive veggie burger, with a soft interior and wonderfully crisp exterior. Combined with accompanying salad of kale, sprouts, seeds, beets and carrots, I was plenty full by the end (though not full enough to skip the dessert menu, of course). Charles ended up enjoying his bowl of quinoa and Thai green curry quite a bit, and now that I look at their menu again, it seems that it would be easy enough to re-create at home on a cool winter evening.

Charles had been eyeing the Walnut Brownie ($8) since we arrived, and we ended up sharing one prior to leaving. It was dense and certainly chocolate-y, and the cashew cream and cocoa nibs sprinkled on top provided nicely contrasting textures.

We also picked up four confections from The Chocolate Doctors ($10) to go. Since my current employment situation makes me slightly really biased, I'll just say that their confection style offerings are all available at Noorish.

While I remain skeptical about 'superfoods' and some of the general lifestyle prescriptions Noorish puts forward, their veggie burger is excellent, and if for nothing else, I would certainly return for another.

Noorish: Conscious Eatery and Superfood Elixir Bar
8440 109th Street
780.756.6880
Hours

Leaving the familiar for Padmanadi

That's what we've been doing a lot of lately - the familiar. Transcend, DaCapo, Sugarbowl, repeat. We're trying to make the most of Garneau, since we'll be moving out of the neighbourhood, across the creek and into downtown/Oliver at the end of the year. Simultaneously sad and exciting.

Tonight, however, we ventured away from our regular hangouts to head to Padmanadi with Tanya after some puppy sitting. Neither Charles or I had visited the spot in sometime (although Charles mentioned just last week that he would like to swing by). The food is as good as ever, and the atmosphere is eternally friendly and welcoming. The three of us indulged in some favourites:

Bean curd "drumsticks"

The famed Curry "chicken"

Ginger "beef"

Shanghai Baby Bok Choy

Creamy rice pudding with coconut milk and cinnamon

We also swooned over their cups. Charles got a heart shaped cup and saucer full of coffee, while Tanya and I received our Jasmine tea in a couple green beauties.

I always forget just how comforting a trip to Padmanadi is. Here's hoping for many more visits throughout the cooler months.

Padmanadi

10740 101 Street

780.428.8899

P.S. Here is said puppy - Willow - who recently came home with Tanya. How could you turn down a request to look after her for a couple hours?

Oodle Noodle: Jasper Avenue

I remember my first trip to Oodle Noodle - I had stopped at the Whyte Avenue location with my dad after my very first semester at U of A. The noodle boxes were tasty and the crazy strobe lights and singing and dancing employees were even better.

Since then they've expanded incredibly, with four franchised locations throughout the City and a 'Downtown 2' location in the works. Due to a last minute call into work on Sunday, Charles and I found ourselves at the Jasper Ave location for some quick eats.

Generally, I pass straight by a packed Oodle Noodle during weekday lunch hours and head the half block over to Drift for a sandwich (sadly they're now closed for the winter... there's catering, though!). On Sunday though, the place was quiet and our orders came up quickly - two lemongrass boxes, one with tofu for me, and one with beef for Charles.

As in the past, the noodles seemed slightly oily, but in general I found some improvement at this location compared to my last few encounters at their Whyte Ave local. The 'seasonal' vegetables - broccoli, carrot and cabbage - were still crunchy, and although I would have appreciated some more flavour via the sauce, Sriracha livened things up a bit. Charles consumed his noodles in no time, so I'll assume he concurs with most of my thoughts...

Although I can't necessarily see myself waiting in line for one of their boxes at lunch, evening and weekend visits are certainly in the cards. And actually, Rachel and I found ourselves there again on Thursday evening for a quick and in the end, satisfying, pre-chocolate tasting bite. The guy at the wok was even dancing.

Oodle Noodle - Downtown
10842 Jasper Avenue
780.756.6637
Hours: Su - Th 11am-10pm, F-Sa 11am-11pm

V Sandwiches

A few months ago Cathy posted on V Sandwiches, and more specifically on their Signature Sandwiches - 9" toasty baguettes topped with pickled carrots, lettuce, cucumber, onion, cilantro, house mayo and your choice of various preparations of chicken, beef or pork. I made a mental note to check the place out and proceeded to forget about it.

Last Wednesday though, things fell into place. I neglected to pack a lunch and decided to take the walk up Bellamy Hill from the office to grab a cup of Soul Soup. On the way I (re)found V Sandwiches.

By the time I arrived last Wednesday around 1pm they were sold out of chicken and beef options, so I went for the BBQ Pork. A few minutes after ordering the warm sandwich was wrapped in parchment, an elastic was placed around it and I was off.

Without a doubt the walk up the hill was worth it. As Cathy noted the balance of flavours and textures is incredibly satisfying - rich pork, toasty bread, tangy carrots, savory mayo and the perfect amount of cilantro. I raved about the sandwich to Charles that evening and we decided a dinner stop at some point this week was necessary.

So last night I pre-ordered a half-dozen sandwiches for Charles, myself and some of the other office staff, and we indulged before a box office crew meeting. When I called around 2pm yesterday we had our choice of the entire menu, nevertheless there ended up being four Lemongrass Chicken and two Sate Beef.

Once again the subs hit the spot. There were many raves about the crusty bread, the mayo and the overall enjoyment of the sandwich. The price was also very agreeable, with Signature Sandwiches ranging from $6.75 (chicken and pork) to $6.95 (beef). Though I ordered a Lemongrass Chicken last night, I think my go-to will definitely be the Sate Beef - the slight spiciness is excellent with the cooling cucumber, cilantro and tangy carrots.

With a sandwich like that at the end, the trudge up Bellamy Hill or even the stair climb is made much more enjoyable. And there will surely be more of these enjoyed around the office as the summer progresses.

V Sandwiches
10135 100A Street
780.426.1888
Hours: M-F (11am - 6pm), Sa (11am - 5pm), Closed Sundays


*If you can't eat your sandwich straight away, have no fear. Just unwrap and place in the oven/toaster oven for a few minutes and you're good to go. The office toaster oven allowed for some much enjoyed leftovers for lunch today.

The view on the way back down to the office. Just two and a half months and there will be a Festival where that snow is!

Leva - Morning, Noon and Night

On Wednesday my Mum and I met up for lunch. With class until noon, we decided to convene at Leva for salad, pizza and chai lattes.

The place was packed with hungry students, university staff and others, but we managed to squeeze in at a table for two along the window. I meant to mention after our visit last Saturday, that Leva under went a small renovation recently; the 'ledge' that previously ran along the window has been replaced by square wooden tables that comfortably seat two, while the round tables that filled the rest of the space have been replaced by tables that more easily seat four (or a couple studying students). There are also some fancy new lights that run the length of the space.

After heading up to the front to order, we soon found a salad each in front of us and dug in. Like the roasted pear salad I had on Saturday, this one was beautiful, with roasted zucchini, yams, red peppers and onions providing an enjoyable sweetness amongst the spinach. Our pizza came out soon after our plates were cleared. Although this pizza featured mushrooms, I think it's also comparable to a version I love at Da Capo, with potatoes and blue cheese also making an appearance here, along with porcini cream and mozzarella. Both my Mum and I enjoyed the flavours, but I think next time I'm at Leva, it's just going to be a simple Margherita, which is where they really seem to shine pizza wise.

Beyond our dinner this past weekend and this recent lunch, Charles and I have been finding ourselves at Leva fairly frequently during evenings for several reasons. It's always a good place to study/read, with excellent music at a volume just loud enough to tune others out. They also make a latte that Charles finds enjoyable, they have an excellent selection of Kusmi teas for me, the almost-always-irresistible desserts, and best of all, they are open fairly late (until 11pm on weekdays) and are only three blocks or so from our apartment.

I should also mention that I have become addicted to their muffins. Last semester, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I had an English class in Humanities 'early' in the morning. With Leva on my way to class, there was no reason why I couldn't stop to grab a freshly baked muffin. There are new flavours daily, usually with two types per day.

The situation on Tuesdays and Thursdays is the same this semester (although 'Reading Class and Ideology' has been replaced with 'Canadian Literature: Writing and Colonial Contact to 1900'), and I stopped on Tuesday for a lovely blueberry version. There's much to love about these muffins, namely that they aren't cloyingly sweet, with just a little sugar sprinkled on top. But they are also slightly over-baked so that the edges get a little crisp and caramel-y - my favourite - and the flavours are always fresh and enjoyable (there was a fig and pistachio version awhile back that I loved).

This evening we did head to Leva for tea and coffee (and a rhubarb square and molasses-ginger cookie), and I picked up a muffin for tomorrow morning's 'early' class venture (sadly it happens on Fridays too, though the 112th street route is far more convenient). A carrot, apple and raisin muffin will surely make my History of Archaeological Thought lecture just a little better... or at least I like to think it will.

Leva Café and Bar
11053 86 Avenue
780.479.5382
Hours - M-F (7am - 11pm); S (9am - 12am); Su (9am - 6pm)


P.S. One day last semester I ordered a breakfast croissant. It was incredible - a fried egg, spicy salami, mozzarella, potato and pesto all sandwiched between a flaky croissant and grilled in the panini press. Needless to say this 'sandwich' was a little more indulgent than my usual morning muffin, and I only ordered it once so as not to become addicted. But if you're in the neighbourhood, I'd strongly recommend one of these beauties. Like the muffins, there are daily versions, usually one vegetarian and one meat.

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

Fantastic Fork Fest offerings at the Red Ox Inn

Worried that Zed and I would not be able to get a reservation at Red Ox Inn during Fork Fest, I called yesterday to inquire whether or not any seats were available for this Thursday evening. Luckily they had a table for two at either 8 or 8:45, so I happily took the 8PM seating, which ended up working well with the bus schedule.

We walked through the door and immediately found that we had arrived in a tiny (but tastefully decorated in a contemporary style) dining room. I had heard Red Ox was small, but I was still expecting somewhat of a larger space (the tight space worked out well until a louder group of six arrived, who also ended up taking lots of flash photography. I think they almost blinded the woman next to them, and we thought they would have been asked to turn the flash off, but...). At any rate, we were greeted at the door by one of two servers who took our coats, seated us, and immediately provided us with water.

A lengthy wine list was already laid out on the table, but after taking a glance I think Zed and I both knew we needed a beer. Our server appeared again with both the Fork Fest menu as well as the regular menu (he mentioned that he was aware we were down for Fork Fest (I asked them to note it when making the reservation), but just wanted to let us know the regular menu was still available). He inquired about drinks and in return we asked about our beloved beer. I was glad to find that Anchor Steam and Alley Kat were a part of the lengthy list, so I went for the Anchor Steam and Zed for a Keith's (apparently the last in the house).

The second server appeared to ask whether or not we had any questions about the menu, which I did - I was in for the Wild Mushroom Soup with Madeira and Gruyere-Mushroom rye crostini, but found out it included chicken broth (not unexpected). But he did mention that holding the bacon in the Warm Goat Cheese, spinach, almond and cranberry-port dressed salad was an option, so I took it. I also chose the Seared Arctic Char with ratatouille and mashed potatoes with a garlic-butter sauce and the warm chocolate cake for dessert. Zed did take the Mushroom soup, then also opted for the Char and chocolate cake.

Our meal started off with the soup and salad shortly after placing our orders. This was the first time Zed had ever looked at me and said, "Wow, that's really good," after taking a bite of any food, especially soup. My salad was also very well done: the tart cranberries mixed well with the sweet port and coated the spinach and almonds nicely. A warm round of soft goat cheese crusted with Panko bread crumbs sat on top of the salad and provided a nice fresh and tangy side to the dish.

The char followed soon after. This was a great entree - the meaty fish was nicely lightened by its crispy skin, and the slightly spicy ratatouille set it off well. I was really glad to see the crispy skin on the fish; ever since I saw Jamie Oliver do this with a piece of salmon skin I have wanted to try it. (Also, in the middle of our mains Sharon Yeo of Only Here for the Food arrived with Mack and was seated next to us, so a review of Red Ox will be coming from her shortly. I was really glad to meet Sharon, however brief, as her blog was the first I stumbled on about food in Edmonton. And although I know taking pictures of our restaurant fare is important, I haven't quite worked up the confidence yet to do this at each place, and I know Sharon will have some nice shots of their meals.)

The evening finished off nicely with the warm chocolate cake and a scoop of vanilla bean. The cake was full of a deep rich chocolate, and the warmth met nicely with the coldness of the ice cream.

I also have to mention the service - Zed and I both agreed the service was some of the best we've found in Edmonton. From taking our coats upon entry to the knowledge and help they provided with drinks and food, it helped make the evening really fantastic. The two dining room servers sort of tagged teamed it throughout the evening, not because the other one didn't have time, but more because it looked like we were ready to order, we were finished our meals or were in need of a cup of coffee. We both enjoyed this approach and thought we received the perfect amount of attention.

At the end of the evening Zed and I were really impressed with Red Ox Inn - the food was fantastic and the service really matched and made the evening. Fork Fest provided a great introduction to the restaurant and Zed and I will definitely be returning for more.

Red Ox Inn
9420 91 Street
780.465.5727
Open for dinner only Tuesday - Sunday beginning at 5PM

Lots of Bloggers have hit up Red Ox in the last little while; check out some of these write ups: from Take it and Like it, from Foodie Suz, from Brulee Blog