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!

Beer + Coffee

During the past few weeks Charles and I have found ourselves at Sugarbowl, Transcend and Da Capo more often than we'd like to admit. While the latter two both provide great spaces for studying or writing, Sugarbowl is the answer when these aspects of my life need to be left behind for an evening. Either way, here are a few shots from our more recent stopovers.

Transcend

Da Capo

Sugarbowl

These shots come from two evenings at Sugarbowl a couple weeks ago. During one we were lucky enough to find Jason Foster present with samples from Half Pints Brewing Co. Of the IPA, stout and amber ale we tried, the latter was definitely the favourite. It was caramel-y, sort of nutty and for some reason I kept smelling buttermilk. I had a full glass a couple evenings ago and it really is a great one, especially alongside a plate of warm cookies...

The very next evening happened to be cask night. I made it to one cask night back in October and since then have been foiled by assignments due the next morning or by the large line that forms around 5pm just as the keg is about to be tapped. This time though, Brenna finished her last exam (congrats, lady!) and got there just in time to snag us a window seat. Thus a few pints of the Maibock were ours!

Maibock

Me and Rachel

La Poutine - Open!

On the way to Sugarbowl to meet up with a friend yesterday evening, Charles and I encountered an 'open' sign at La Poutine. We stopped in to grab a 'Traditional' ($5.95 for a regular) and ate it outside on the sidewalk, watching poutine lovers go in and out of the small space.

Though only water, diet coke and orange juice were available yesterday - their first day of business - it looks like they will have several exciting soda options ready to go soon (Stewart's, Boylan's and the like). Poutine wise, other options include The Quebecois (traditional + Montreal smoked meat), Granny's Poutine (Traditional + peas + chicken) and a Vegan Poutine.

There will definitely be a return visit and more thoughts as they settle in. Right now hours are limited, but nevertheless La Poutine is open!

Alley Kat Loaded Goat Maibock Launch + U of A Design Grad Show

Just a quick note that Alley Kat is launching the second beer in its Big Bottle Series tomorrow evening (April 28th from 5-8pm at the brewery): the Loaded Goat Maibock.

A couple friends and I managed to grab a table at Sugarbowl's cask night last Thursday and each got a pint of the cask aged version of this beer. It was incredible and none of us could quite place a finger on the flavours, but it was beautifully smooth and perfect for spring patio enjoyment.

And if you're looking for something to check out afterward, the U of A Bachelor of Design grad show opens tomorrow evening at 7pm at the FAB gallery on campus. Entrance is free but the purchase of a program is appreciated. And Da Capo will be catering...

Alley Kat Brewery
9929 60 Avenue
780.436.8922

FAB Gallery
1-1 Fine Arts Building
780.492.2081

Portland on the horizon

I know it's awhile away, but Charles and I booked a trip to Portland, OR for mid-September that we're really looking forward to. We're still not completely sure how we ended up with Portland as our destination (to be perfectly honest I'm blaming the Chow Tour of Portland), but the seat sale incredible seat price and killer deal on a vacation rental sure helped out. Here are some things we're looking forward to post Folk Fest craziness...

*Edited: April 23, 2011

Food Possibilities

• Dinner at Le Pigeon and Toro Bravo
• Lunch or dinner or a trip to the butcher shop at Laurelhurst Market
• Something at Clyde Common
• A Reuben at Kenny & Zuke's (Anonymous)
• Brunch at Beast, if we can swing it our last Sunday there (Anonymous)
• Breakfast at Mother's Bistro and lunch at Gravy (Foodie Suz Travels)
• Stumptown Coffee and dessert at Papa Haydn's (bluebutterflyblissfulbites)
• Food carts!!! Apparently Schnitzelwich is 'a must' so it's on the list.
• Portland Farmers' Markets - it looks like they have several operating throughout the week, so we should be able to access some great food and utilize the kitchen in our 'cottage'
• Food and drink 'Happy Hours'
• Maybe a Forktown Tour
• And maybe even the Scappoose Sauerkraut Festival

Drink

• Incredible cocktail culture...
• Same with the microbrewery situation
• Brew 'n' Views - theaters + beer on tap. Wow.
• Happy hour at Portland City Grill's 30th floor lounge (bluebutterflyblissfulbites)

Transit

• A bicycle friendly city which means we can rent bikes for the week and explore
• Street car + the MAX Light Rail and free rides downtown- so many transit options

Other things we hope to check out

• Pink Martini at the Arlene Schnitzer
• Portland Japanese Garden - the tranquility we need at the end of the summer
• The Grotto
• A day in Newport + a couple pre-Portland days in Corvallis with my (great) uncle
• Columbia Gorge by bike
• The Portland Saturday Market - crafters, art, food, etc. etc.
• Powell's City of Books
• Lan Su Garden

I'm clearly one of those crazy itinerary people, though we've got a week so I'm going to leave some 'random' time and meals in there as well. That said, if anyone has further suggestions (and anything is very much appreciated!), please let me know and I shall add them to the list.

Continental Treat

I've lost count of the number of times we've walked past Continental Treat. Though I had been for lunch about four years ago - and have always had fond memories of their Dill Pickle Soup - we always discounted the place for some reason. When Jason Foster mentioned the restaurant a couple weeks ago, we decided to grab a reservation for this past Friday evening in celebration of the end of essay season.

We arrived a little late for our 8:30pm reservation, but were greeted right away, told not to worry and our coats were hung by the front door. Happily we were led to the window seat on the 'lounge' side of things, as requested when we made our Open Table reservation.

As water, a half loaf of rye bread and butter were set in front of us, we contemplated the lengthy beer list. Our server told us they had about 60 on the list currently (heavy on European and Trappist), but the next goal is to get to 100. They are also getting a Trappist on tap at the end of the month and are the first in Edmonton to do so. As Jason reported, the restaurant is also focusing on beer and food pairings (Yay!), and they are slowly re-working the beer list to make it more presentable. In the end, Charles chose a Zywiec while I went for my beloved Rochefort 8 which I hadn't had in some time.

Rochefort 8 in appropriate glassware

Food wise I decided on a cup of Dill Pick Soup ($4.95) along with the Lamb Chops ($30.95), and Charles couldn't resist a bowl of French Onion Soup ($8.95) with the Polish Cutlet ($23.95) as his main.

Though service was friendly throughout, this place definitely doesn't focus on speed. Ultimately this allowed us to have a long, lingering evening (we were the last to leave the restaurant), but we were also happy to see each course on its way to our table.

The soup: the Dill Pickle soup was as remembered - creamy with chunks of potato and pickle throughout, and the perfect vinegar dill combo that sets the entire bowl off so nicely. I think many people have experienced a sad French Onion soup in a restaurant before, but thankfully this version was incredibly well done. A rich, earthy mushroom broth was filled with caramelized onions and topped with cheese and bread.

 The Dill Pickle

French Onion

Mains: Charles really enjoyed his main - breaded veal with dill cream sauce. It was rich and comforting and I think there was little nostalgia happening. The lamb was admittedly a let down. Though parts were tender, I also hit quite a few tough spots, and considering the cost of the dish more consistency would have been appreciated. The burgundy sauce served alongside was too peppery, though eating it with a forkful of spaetzle certainly toned things down a bit. The pickled beets, carrots and cabbage (aka the 'vegetable medley') that came with the plate were great, and ultimately I enjoyed them more than anything else.

Polish Cutlet with pan-fried potatoes and vegetable 'medley'

Lamb Chops with burgundy sauce, spaetzle and vegetable 'medley'

By the time we finished our mains the space had begun to clear out. After waiting for a bit, we were offered dessert and in the end decided to share the Napoleon ($9.95) - the flavours were enjoyed here but we both agreed flakier pastry would have been ideal.

Though my main was a let down, I would certainly return to Continental Treat. The soup was great, Charles enjoyed his main and there is no denying that their beer list is amazing. We also quite enjoyed the space - it, along with the menu, decidedly characterized classic 80s Edmonton. And though the service came with positives and negatives, we had an enjoyable, relaxing evening overall. Ultimately, I think our next visit will be for lunch - a Ruben and a bowl of Dill Pickle soup with a glass of the Trappist on tap alongside sounds like an excellent way to enjoy an afternoon.

Continental Treat Fine Bistro
10560 82 Avenue
780.433.7432
Hours: Every day of the week from 11am to 10pm

Pizza + Tosca

As I mentioned in the latest Meal Planning Saga post, this week has been disastrous plan wise. But on Tuesday evening we had to pull things together. For Christmas we had invited Charles' mom to come for dinner and to the final opera of the season - Tosca.

Charles managed to pull Peter Reinhart's pizza dough together on Monday evening and grabbed some topping on his way home from work Tuesday. Maybe I've forgotten other pizzas, but right now I'm going to venture out there and say that this version had the most glorious topping combo ever - tomato sauce, mushrooms, marinated artichoke hearts, ricotta cheese and plenty of black pepper. Thankfully I have a few jars of artichokes in the pantry - this one will make its way around again soon.

We certainly enjoyed each opera of our first ever season, but of course we each had our favourites. While Charles went for the humorous Abduction from the Seraglio, I was all about Tosca - dramatic, emotional and completely capable of transporting me out of paper writing mode for a few hours. As the Journal mentioned, the costumes were beautiful, as was the set, and Yannick-Muriel Noah brought the house down. The Edmonton Opera has already released their 2011/2012 season, and we can't wait to head out.