Blog Archive
Past posts, all categories
Judgement Day: Vaticano Cucina
Vaticano Cucina opened in the old Koutouki Taverna on Gateway Boulevard. Despite being a little kitschy with a heavy play on religion, and being weak in execution on some dishes, a friendly 'can do' attitude and a solid pizza and pasta showing make this a good dining...
Whyte Avenue’s Pho Boy, for sure.
Fan of Pho? You're going to like Pho Boy, a little Vietnamese restaurant in the old B's Diner on Whyte Ave. The menu is concise with a half dozen appetizers, a couple of noodle bowls and a two soups plus the option to build your own. The pho broth has depth, the meat...
Takami Sushi – Fresh is Best
Takami is doing things right: three times a week, fresh fish is brought in from Japan and New Zealand within 48 hours of being harvested, and the proof is in the pudding — or, on the platter, as is the case here. For full details on my experience, read my CBC web...
More on ALTA: the Extended Restaurant Review
ALTA has been a long time coming. The restaurant finally opened on February 28, 2017 and since then I've gone three times. I had a lot to say about this place, and not enough time on CBC radio to say it. It's a highly ambitious approach from Ben Staley whose menu at...
Eat Alberta 2017: Back to Basics with an All-Star Presenter Lineup
"Eat Alberta shares food knowledge and tells the stories behind the people, local ingredients, and techniques to all who yearn to know more. This is our way to connect to our shared home of Alberta." - Eat Alberta website If you've never attended Eat Alberta, now's...
Calgary – Boutique Hotels, Wine Bars, Cocktails, Food, and Hipstamatic
I drive my kids crazy with my constant proclamations of love for Hipstamatic, a photography app that I've been using for a few years. Hipstamatic is easy to use, fun, and in a few quick clicks, turns photos into works of art. My trip to Calgary this weekend was full...
A Restaurant called Bündok – what’s the deal?
It's an odd name, for sure. For some reason I thought it was the name of a German punk band that got chef/owner Ryan Hotchkiss through his teenage angst days, but no, Bündok stems from a Tagalog word that means mountains and has become a colloquialism for "out of the...
The Scuttlebutt on Grandin Fish ‘n’ Chips
I had no idea how many common words and phrases stem from seafaring terms until I wrote my web article for Grandin Fish and Chips. I was, actually, overwhelmed. In fact, it was hard not to go overboard and get carried away with nautical nomenclature. What I do want...
Baijiu: Restaurant Review
There's been just a wee bit of excitement over the opening of Kevin Cam's second restaurant, this one a 1930s style Shanghai speakeasy called, Baijiu. For those unfamiliar with the Edmonton food scene, Kevin's first restaurant is North 53 on 124 Street. I wrote a...
Review: Dogwood Cafe at Victoria Golf Course
A cozy, comfortable space, an approachable wine selection, an unpretentious menu: sounds like a winning combination. That's exactly what you get at the Dogwood Cafe on the Victoria Golf Course in Edmonton's River Valley. Brad Lazarenko offers classic 'comfort food'...
Winter Destination: Jasper, Alberta
It's obvious that you'd go to Jasper in the winter because of the skiing, but, what if you're not a skier? Or an outdoors person, or, what if you don't like winter? Believe it or not, Jasper, is perfect for people like that, too. First of all, the area is beautiful,...
Ramen at Nudoru Hits the Spot
It's taken me a while to make it to Nudoru on Whyte Avenue, but they do say that good things come to those who wait, right? Happy to report that the ramen is very solid here and makes my list of places to eat in Old Strathcona. For a full review, listen to the on air...