June 14 update: Tony Krause is no longer with Revel and hasn’t been cooking there since beginning of April. Kunal (formerly of the Butternut Tree) is the head chef with Mike MacLean as sous. When MacLean came out of the kitchen to speak wth people at a table, I asked our server if that was the chef tonight, she answered “yes”. Chef Krause is working at Privada handling food orders for special events.
After a very impressive 2017 culinary scene, 2018 is turning into a bit of a drag.
Maybe Biera ruined us.
Maybe Ryan Hotchkiss and his precise execution of flavourful and seemingly simple presentations (at Bündok) gave us something we didn’t deserve. Maybe, like the final episode of Dallas, 2017 was all just a dream.
Clementine, with their flawless cocktails, gave us something so great, not one establishment this year comes close to being even remotely close in creativity, quality, or class.
I’m not sure what happened, but something better change quick before a quip I heard from a radio listener out there proves true, that being, “She never likes ANYTHING.”
The highlight of 2018 so far has been The Moth (sorta) until Rooster Cafe topped it—but that was when Charlie Rothman was in the kitchen with a good front of house crew. Both those things have changed and so has the food and dining experience in the process.
Even the restaurants that were worth getting excited over, seem to have more ‘meh’ days than great days, now. Hot and cold; hit and miss. Ugh.
The bar is slipping, Edmonton. We’ve got the eyes of the nation on us. It’s time to get your fire back.
So, come on, Revel, raw quail and soggy gnudi isn’t doing us any favours and those cartoons on the wall have got to go. Please. I can hear Toronto laughing from here.
Listen to my on-air review of Revel with Mark Connolly, or grab a coffee (or something stronger) and read the web article.
Crispy chicken burger.
Mumbai sandwich.
Stonefruit salad with roasted quail.
Mussels in cilantro, lime, tomato and coconut.
Braised shortrib with panisse and rapini.
Pan-roasted chicken with gnudi.