Blog Archive
Past posts, all categories
Bodega – The Little Gem of the Boardwalk
A couple of decades ago (or more), there was a divine restaurant in downtown Edmonton called La Bodega. That was in the 80s: the days of big hair, big shoulder pads and big expense accounts. I had all three, and I ate at La Bodega a lot. There's a new bodega in town,...
Meet Me at Meat – Restaurant Review
The Next Act branched out right next door, opening a Texas-style barbecue restaurant simply called Meat — the concept being, “Brisket, bourbon and beer - keeping it simple, and doing it well.” Edmonton has seen its share of barbecue restaurants in the past year and a...
Top Grocery Brands Comparison: Disturbing Truth About How Big Companies Exploit Your Shopping Habits
Guest Post By Alex Hillsberg Standing in the supermarket’s food section aisle you’re confronted with hundreds of different products compounded by the happy proliferation of subcategories. You have a wide choice of grocery items at your fingertips. Or have you? A 2013...
Bistrou 2100: A Post Mortem
Like other satellite communities around Edmonton, Sherwood Park is overloaded with fast food chains and quasi-Chinese buffet joints. Finding quality food is always a challenge here. When it became public that Chef Paul Campbell was shutting the doors of Sherwood...
Pok Pok at Home – Ike’s Wings
Everything about Thai food appeals to me: the layered flavours, the colours, the textures, the fresh ingredients. Same goes for Vietnamese; I've been a lover of these countries' foods since I moved to the big city in the early 80s and discovered South East Asian foods...
Bar Bricco – Meat. Cheese. Wine. Yes, please.
Think small. That could be the saving mantra for many restaurateurs thinking of owning their own restaurants. Don't think big, think small: small space, small menu, small bites. Daniel Costa, one of the most recognized people on the Edmonton food scene, opened tiny...
Restaurant Review of North 53 – Oh, Canada!
Last fall as I sipped my way through various south Okanagan wineries, I gleaned some valuable information. Apparently, only days before, a group of young guys from Edmonton passed through (each winery I visited) sampling wines for a new restaurant they were opening....
Hart’s Table and Bar – Restaurant Review
Century Hospitality Group has opened another restaurant, this one—Hart's Table and Bar—in Terwillegar, takes over the space previously home to Ric's Grill. A smart colour scheme of bright greens and dark woods makes this restaurant classy, inviting and comfortable....
Craft Beer Market Edmonton – Restaurant Review
Craft opened its third location December 2013 in the old Hy's Steakhouse on Rice Howard Way. I was a regular patron at Hy's back in the day but I had no idea - or perhaps no recollection - of the space being so huge. Our server said the newly renovated space can seat...
Restaurant Review – Glass Monkey
The Glass Monkey Gastropub takes over the space formerly occupied by the long-standing Lendrum neighbourhood eatery, Jack's Grill. The restaurant's reputation waned somewhat after Peter Jackson sold it to Mark Goodwin in 2009. In 2013 the doors closed for good -...
Square One, Sherwood Park – Restaurant Review
Square One, described as a "contemporary speakeasy" with the tagline "meticulously casual", opened its doors in the old Roger's Video space on Wye Road in Sherwood Park. The independent restaurant is an endeavour by Marko Mastoras and Chef Phil Caragannis, and any...
The Backroads: Houston to Austin, Texas
The drive from Houston to Austin should take you 2.5 hours - if you stay on the main highways (I-10 and State Highway 71), but main highways are for traveling wimps. There are way more interesting things to see if you take the backroads. Mind you, the I-10 overpasses...