Almost there

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

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

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

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

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

Packrat Louie

Walking down Whyte a couple Saturdays ago to take some shots for a presentation, Charles and I decided to stop by Packrat Louie for lunch. I've lost count of the number of times we've passed this place on our way down Whyte, and I'm not totally sure why we've never stopped... mixed reviews maybe?

After perusing the menu posted at the entrance, we decided to give it a shot. Thankfully we arrived just before noon (almost the entire place filled up just fifteen minutes later) and were seated at a table for two towards the back of the house.

There were many things on the menu we were drawn towards, and in the end, Charles decided on the Packrat Burger ($15) that would come topped with double smoked bacon, aged cheddar, sauteed mushrooms and onion, dijonnaise and roasted red pepper relish, and served with fries and dill aioli. I decided on the Fresh Catch ($18), which that day included a duo of trout and pesto marinated snapper, along with a warm spinach and potato salad and corn and black bean salsa.

As others have noted, the space is beautiful

As we waited for our mains, we were provided with a basket of focaccia bread that we think was house made. While the bits of rosemary and thyme provided a warm, appealing flavour and aroma, the slices were a little dry, and the airy, whipped butter didn't help much.

After a trip to the bathroom each (that always makes the food come, right?), I was happy to arrive back to plates on the table. Charles' burger looked fantastic, loaded with toppings on a lightly toasted bun. Although slightly greasy, the savouriness of the well-cooked, moist burger far outweighed this, and the combo of toppings worked incredibly well - a little smoky, sweet and savoury.

I also enjoyed my dish, with the warm potato-spinach salad providing a satisfying contrast to the lightness of the fish, and the corn and black bean salsa mingling well with everything on the plate. While the piece of snapper was cooked well - still moist and flaky - the trout faired a bit worse coming out a little dry. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to sample another of their fish selections in either the form of the daily special or as a regular menu item.

After clearing our plates, we were left with a dessert menu to peruse. Lured first by the thought of London Fog Crème brûlée or a Chocolate Pistachio Tart, in the end it was difficult to resist a slice of Lemon and Lime Meringue Pie ($8), with freshly squeezed lemon and lime, a ginger snap crust and torched meringue.

I have to say, we were a little disappointed as our dessert was set in front of us. While the actual custard looked good, the meringue looked sort of under-whipped as a result of the piping, and there was a strange neon green gel underneath that neither of us could figure out; maybe it was supposed to be the lime? Taste followed appearance here, and the slice was a bit of a let down, with the crust not giving off anything gingery, and the meringue being cloyingly sweet, heavy and sticky.

Service: Overall service at Packrat Louie was fine. While we waited a little to long for our server to appear, then a bit for our mains, our water glasses were filled frequently and we were checked on regularly. However, we seemed to have a bit of a personality clash with our server, who was a little too loud and over bearing for our liking. Needless to say, by the end of the meal, we were glad to get our bill and head out. I suppose you can't win 'em all, so next time we stop by, it'll either be at a different time or we will request a different section.

Enjoying our dishes (save dessert), there's no doubt we'll be heading back to Packrat Louie. With plenty of items catching our eye on their menu, hopefully our next stop is for a quiet, relaxing dinner.

Packrat Louie
780.433.0123
10335 83 Avenue
Hours: M-Th (11:30am - 10pm); F-Sa (11:30am - 11pm); Closed Sundays

A paper writing pot-luck

On Sunday afternoon my 'Anthropology of Health and Healing' group got together to work on our term paper, and this was the sight of our table in the Rutherford South common room at the end of the day:

One of our group members had the great idea to combine paper writing with potluck, which made the four hours spent at the library far more pleasant, although there was a little more procrastination than normal. We had quite a few students walking by giving us strange looks as we chowed down on pork dumplings, spring rolls, spinach dip, turkey loaf, vegetables, potato salad, chocolate (Zotter's Scotch Whisky Highland Harvest bar, to be exact) and cheesecake, but secretly, we knew they would have liked to join in on our library potluck.

**Thanks to Claire for her picture via Blackberry... and the potluck-paper combo.

Duchess - The Holiday Goods

Does anyone else go crazy for the special treats that come out around the holidays? Duchess posted yesterday on Candy Cane Meringues, Pates de Fruits, Croquembouche, Bûche de Noël, and not necessarily a Christmas item, but a weekend macaron flavour of Strawberry and Balsamic Vinegar.

So Charles and I headed over with my parents and Nanny this morning to sample a few goods. It was coffee all around, along with an almond croissant for my dad, a butter tart for my Nanny (she said it was one of the best ones she had ever tried), dark chocolate, strawberry-balsamic and amazing gingerbread macarons to share, an excellent Candy Cane Meringue, also to share, and Charles inhaled the entire maple-pecan pie above all by himself... clearly he's prepping for tourtière, pecan squares, sucre à la crème and similar holiday treats coming up in a couple weeks.

Also, have you checked out the gingerbread Notre Dame de Paris that Garner Beggs built? It's amazing, and requires getting up close and personal to check out the detail... specifically in the evening when the candied windows are lit via christmas lights. And because you made the trek to see this awe inspiring masterpiece of baking and architecture, you of course deserve a treat... gingerbread macaron, anyone?

Duchess Bake Shop
10720 124 Street
780.488.4999

Yeah, nope - Rodeo Burger

With me on my way back to the library Monday evening, and Charles meeting up with a friend, we decided to give Rodeo Burger a try. On good days, I pass this place twice on my way to and from class, and on busy days, many times more; and at least once a week we receive a flyer in our mail box.  After thoughts from both Sharon and Chris, I was eager to finally try the place.

Walking into a fairly full space around 6:30pm, we arrived at the counter and began to peruse the menu. Not really sure what to go with, we each ended up with a "Rodeo Burger" with their suggested toppings - tomato, 'Rodeo Sauce', relish, ketchup, lettuce, caramelized onions and pickles. A little surprised when our order came to almost $20 (two burgers with fries and a water for me), we were expecting great things.

What arrived at our table looked pretty good. Golden, crispy (sea salted vs. seasoned) fries spilling out of their containers and a burgers wrapped loosely in brown paper. Unwrapping our burgers, we were met with a lot of lettuce, a thin patty, but with a bun that looked appetizing, and which was given a good layer of their house relish, 'made fresh several times daily with fresh cucumbers'.

I don't think anything here was much of a win. The patty was incredibly thin and didn't provide much flavour. I did enjoy the house made relish - fresh, a little tangy and just pleasant - as well as the topping of caramelized onions. The fries didn't fare well either. Pretty salty, they also tasted like raw potatoes, or maybe those green ones that don't provide that satisfying potato richness.

For us, this spot is simply a pass, but while there, I overheard two patrons tell the person at the counter how much they enjoyed everything... so I guess I would say give this place a try and see if it fits.

Rodeo Burger
8525B 112 Street

Roots On Whyte

After leaving Origin India, we decided to head down to check out Return of the Magic's nativity scene at Avenue Vacuum (10041 Whyte), since we had heard it looked best in the evening (as a note, the display at Coney Island Candy, as well as the ones at Vivid Print and Little Royal Framing, look a little more sparkly at night too).

Anyhow, we passed this sign proclaiming that the spot where Pad Thai used to be (10159 82 Ave) is soon to be 'Roots on Whyte', a complex which will house Organic Roots, a restaurant, bakery, meat market and coffee bar (all by Organic Roots?) with the second floor becoming home to yoga and pilates studios amongst other things.

Origin India

Deciding to put off pizza making until tomorrow evening, we walked down Whyte to Origin India for dinner tonight. We've been quite a few times since they've opened, and usually ordering off the menu, Charles requested that we try the buffet this evening.

For $20 each, we got far more variety than ordering off the menu, although we missed favourites like samosas and saffron rice (which I suppose could have been ordered on the side). That said, I got to fill up on copious amounts of Aloo Gobhi, Chana Masala and the Paneer dish (things Charles doesn't care for as much), while he went straight for the butter chicken. There were lovely chutneys arranged on the side, and we were provided with fresh, piping hot Naan whenever needed. While we enjoyed the buffet, I think it'll be back to the menu next time for a little more freshness and those dishes which don't make it onto the buffet line (I also enjoy taking home leftovers, and sadly the buffet doesn't allow for this).

Origin India often claims of having the best Butter Chicken in Edmonton, and while I'm not familiar enough with the various versions around the City to enter a debate, I have to say, we have enjoyed it in the past in their wraps, as well as tonight from the buffet. Moist chicken and the delicately spiced smooth, creamy sauce make for a wonderful, warm combo, and it's certainly lovely with their Naan.

And when I arrived home this evening, as I unravelled my scarf, I realized the butter chicken aroma had escaped from the dish becoming trapped in the fibres of my scarf. I asked Charles to smell it, and he immediately said, "Wow! That smells like butter chicken!" Anyhow, although I know my scarf won't smell like that forever, I hope it at least persists until tomorrow sometime (I'm still working on smell for a school project, so this is not the last time the smell subject will come up...).

Finally, I got a few pieces of melon for dessert and a single Gulab Jamun, which was the perfect sticky, sweet ending. I noticed they had rice pudding (Kheer) and a couple other items out as well - Rasmalai (cheese balls cooked in milk) and Rasgula (cheese balls in sugar syrup). Next time I'll have to make a note to leave more room for dessert.

Origin India
10511 82 Avenue
780.436.0558
Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week; take out window open until 3am on weekends