Blog Archive
Past posts, all categories
Raiding the Rock Vault – Best Rock Music Show in Las Vegas
Sigh. Vegas is getting old. I’ve just returned from Sin City – my third trip this year, 15 times in the past decade. I’ve stayed in hotels on the Strip, and off. I’ve spent $1,000 on meals at Michelin-starred restaurants, and eaten $1.99 shrimp cocktails on Fremont...
Tavern 1903 Restaurant Review – Come for the Whisky, Stay for the Tacos
Hardware Grill owners Larry and Melinda Stewart opened the doors to Tavern 1903 a few weeks ago. Judging by the crowds, I’d say they’re off to a good start. They have the resto-cred and the building (the restored Alberta Hotel) to make this one of the more popular...
Cafe Bicyclette Restaurant Review – Just Say “Oui”
I had lunch in Paris last week - at least it felt like Paris. Actually, I was dining al fresco, or manger à l'extérieur, to be precise, at the new Café Bicyclette in Edmonton's La Cité Francophone. Surrounded by French conversation and the heady aroma of fresh-baked...
Dishing Up the Dirt – Plow & Harvest Review
Update: On October 22, less than three months after opening, Plow & Harvest abruptly closed its doors. Their concept hit the dirt and the tractor went off the rails. Below is my initial blogpost and review from September 13, 2013: The local food movement....
The Path to Real Food – Rge Rd Review
Three years ago I overheard someone at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market welcoming a friend back to Edmonton, asking him how he enjoyed France. As I stood in front of the Peas on Earth kiosk, the conversation turned to something of particular interest to me. It...
Belgravia Hub – A Neighbourhood Sweet Spot
Cozy, intimate and classy are words that come to mind when describing the interior of a new restaurant in Edmonton's university area. The Belgravia Hub opened mid-May in the space previously occupied by Belgravia Books and Treasures. The restaurant is owned by NAIT...
Exploring the BC Wine Trail – South Okanagan & Similkameen
British Columbia has five wine growing regions: Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, Fraser Valley, the Okanagan, and the Similkameen Valley. According to www.winebc.com, three more regions are emerging: Kooteny, Lillooet, Thompson/Shuswap. In April 2013, I travelled...
Smokin’ Good Q at Smokehouse BBQ, Edmonton
Smokehouse BBQ re-opened on 124 Street much to the salivating delight of Edmonton barbecue fans. The restaurant shut its doors for a few months after a fire broke out in November 2012. Well, they're back, and they're bad - in a good way - with beer, blues and...
OOOysterfest 2013 – Celebrating Oysters and Wine in the Okanagan
Old Man Winter arrived in November and by April he was still hanging on like an unwanted guest. After six months of living in thermal underwear, I needed a sunny deck - preferably one with a bottle of wine on it, not one covered with snow. What I was really looking...
Massimo’s Cucina Italiana – The Greatest?
Massimo: in Italian, the word means "the greatest", so when a restaurant hoists that name above its door, expectations run a little high. Massimo's Cucina Italiana opened in December adjacent to the south side Italian Centre Shop (50 ave/104A St.) and, like the...
Review of Japonais Bistro – Sushi with Creme Brûlée?
Fans of Japanese food in Edmonton have a new place to get their sushi on at Japonais Bistro, located at 11806 Jasper Avenue. The bistro opened in the space vacated by the short-lived One One Eight, previously home to Suede Lounge. At first glance, one might be...
Putting and End to Winter with Moroccan Ragout
We have snow. Still. April is almost half over, and the snow clings like a skeletal hand at the edge of a cliff. A tad dramatic perhaps, but this never-ending winter brings out the Poe in me. As I type, a raven is cawing in the birch tree. I need heat - not only of...