Under the High Wheel – Edmonton Restaurant Review

by | Jun 28, 2012 | Restaurant Review | 1 comment

Under the High Wheel bucks the latest trend of restaurants named with one word, or restaurants named in text format using fewest letters as possible. The name of this new restaurant in the Roots on Whyte building has left more than a few people scratching their heads. Apparently, owners Jennifer Ogle and Ada Kalinowski, got their inspiration for this business venture after travelling through Europe where they noticed the names of bistros and other eateries reflected their location by saying “under the (place landmark here)”. A high wheel is another name for a Victorian era penny-farthing bicycle, of which the owners plan to attach to the exterior of the  building sometime soon.

The interior is sparse but lovely, modern yet rustic, elegant but without pretension; a nice place to rest your weary bones after shopping, and the patio begs to be claimed as one of the best people watching perches on the Avenue.

So what about the food?

The menu changes based on availability of product, most of which is organic, seasonal and sourced from local producers — echoing the practises of bistros across Europe. The menu items are not complicated but still thoughtful. For lighter fare, you’ll find sweet and savoury crepes, Belgian waffles with house made chocolate sauce, soup and salad $5-$14.

Heartier fare is offered in the form of sandwiches, burgers, and quesadillas, and for dinner entrees, more substantial dishes with items like roast chicken, lasagne and steak.

White bean, ham and spinach soup $5
Salad trio $10
For starters we dipped into the soup and salad. The soup’s broth was light but the substance was stick-to-your-ribs with silky white beans, small chunks of ham and spinach leaves. Out of the four salads on offer, we chose the beet and orange, the Greek, and the tuna chickpea melange. Out of the three, the Greek salad was the one that failed to impress, but the beet mixture and the chickpea salads were unique and packed with flavour and texture. 

You might balk at paying $17 for a burger, but you have to see this burger. Topping near 6″, you’ll need to cut this beast in half if you have any hope at all of getting it in your mouth. The patty itself, made from Four Whistle Farms beef, is almost the size of a baseball, and was (thankfully) still juicy inside and not overcooked like baseball burgers usually are. Seasoned just right, and topped with a beautiful mayo and pickled beets, this burger (served with a  side of roasted potatoes and artisanal greens salad) was a hit.

The High Wheel Burger $17

But here’s where the big surprise really was: the Bangers and Mash.

Bangers (Pembina Pork) and Mash $17
I’m not a pork sausage fan, and the thought of eating eggs for supper makes my brain stall. But…when you combine these ingredients on a plate with the creamiest mashed potatoes this side of Spudsville and a heaping helping of caramelized onions, all nestled in a veal demi-glaze, you’ll understand why this dish has become iconic British pub grub–especially if you wash it down with a craft beer, like Dieu du Ciel’s Rosée d’hibiscus.
 
The fibre in the bean soup and the bean salad kicked in and halfway through our entrees and we were stuffed. Dessert wasn’t an option — not immediately, anyway. We grabbed a peanut butter cookie, a vegan chocolate chip, and a raisin tart to go and were able to enjoy them a couple of hours later. The vegan cookie was a tad dry and boring but the flourless peanut butter cookie and the tart were a hit.
The one area in need of improvement is server knowledge. In a restaurant such as this (supporter of local producers), the serving staff needs to know where the product comes from and how the food is prepared. Also, having the serving staff know what the foods and drinks taste like is imperative, otherwise the consumer doesn’t feel confident in what the business is selling.
The Roots on Whyte Building — which houses this cafe along with DaCapo’s gelato and coffee bar, the Blush Lane Organic grocery store, and several other community professionals to “nurture your body, mind and spirit”– is a welcome addition to Whyte Avenue east of the 103 Street train tracks that will, hopefully, bring more traffic to other retailers on the block.
My CBC Edmonton AM review of Under the High Wheel can be heard here.
Under The High Wheel on Urbanspoon

1 Comment

  1. Michelle Peters - Jones
    Michelle Peters - Jones on June 30, 2012 at 4:31 am

    I enjoyed my visit to Under the High Wheel, as its downstairs from the drop in child care place I use for my girl. The only thing I was disappointed in was that they didn’t really have an extensive child menu, and we ended up with apples and peanut butter. Very yummy, but still, money paid for sliced apples…

    I enjoyed my breakfast there, but to be honest, the prices are quite high, and this is unlikely to be one of my regular haunts, especially when Upper Crust, High Level and Urban Diner are all in relative proximity. But that said, I visit Blush Lane often, so maybe the odd coffee there.