The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald restaurant recently reopened and re-launched with a menu that’s as fresh as this seafood pasta. Large, round ravioli stuffed with butter-poached lobster float with tender fava beans on a sweet-and-sour tarragon vinaigrette and concasse, a chopped tomato pulp. It’s crowned with lobster tail meat, perfectly curled around fresh micro greens to create a rich and balanced dish.
10065 100 St., 780-429-6430
They’re made with hearty mounds of shredded coconut mixed with eggs, sugar and butter, and then baked to a delicate crisp on the outside but are surprisingly moist and chewy inside. They’re finished with a thin coating of dark chocolate on the bottom. Pair with a hot cuppa and you may want to work them into your afternoon tradition.
Available at the City MarketDowntown, 780-485-5517
This bianca pizza starts with housemade thin crust and melted fior di latte. The rest of the toppings are added fresh and unbaked – arugula tossed in lemon juice and olive oil, large rosettes of prosciutto di Parma, shards of parmesan and sliced grape tomato.
8738 109 St., 780-433-5382
It’s street food that Qubcois would be proud of: Piping hot, hand-cut, skin-on fries (prepared on location daily) topped with locally made cheese curds from the Cheese Factory and a light, zesty gravy (that happens to be vegan-friendly). It’s taken a while, but authentic poutine has finally arrived in Edmonton.
8720 109 St., 780-757-7222
It’s the longest lunch-hour line up in Scotia Place’s food court, which can be a good thing when you’re tring to figure out what to order before you meet eye-to-eye with Amy Quon (yes, the head of The Quon Dynasty reality show on Citytv). While many items may entice, this box of Chinese noodles or rice will make your choice easy. It’s loaded with veggies and topped with lightly battered chicken flecked with hot chilies. Amy’s comments are free – and only add more spice to the dish.
Lunch only, served Mon. to Fri., in the lower level of Scotia Place, 10060 Jasper Ave., 780-425-9614.
The owners are French Canadian and Serbian with an expertise in cheese and pastry making. Teamed together, they’ve created burek, traditional Balkan scratch filo pastry filled with housemade cheese and spices shaped into long rolls. It’s flavourful, tender and rich. Bake frozen until golden brown and – voil – an unforgettable hors d’oeuvre, or sit down on the restaurant side and order it as a hot side dish.
8943 82 Ave., 780-450-2143
This wrap is a handful – two large housemade falafel balls topped with parsley, onions, pickled turnip, chopped tomatoes, a touch of sumac,hummus and a generous squeeze of sesame sauce. It’s folded into a pita wrap, gently grilled and served warm. It’s one of the many tasty Middle Eastern treats that owner Fadi Smaidi creates daily.
10235 124 St., 780- 488-7656
Thin and light as air, the Wiener schnitzel is as good now as it was when the “Bistro” opened 35 years ago. It’s a very generous serving of tenderized inside round beef, dipped in flour, egg and homemade bread crumbs, then lightly fried and served with pan-fried potatoes or Czech-style potato salad.
10117 101 St., 780-424- 4218
It’s easy to see why this signature dish is so popular. It’s a combination of west coast scallops, crab, fresh Prince Edward Island mussels and shrimp with andouille sausage (made exclusively by Irvings Farm Fresh), Valencian rice and tomatoes. The kitchen adds a touch of sambal olek to round out the flavours and a finish of beurre blanc sauce.
10115 104 St., 780-428-8946
“Transcend” this city to the streets of Brazil with one bite of this Latin creation (pronounced “co-sheen-ya”), brought back by owner Poul Mark and chef Chad Moss from their coffee travels. Its dumpling shape, said to replicate a chicken thigh, involves a savoury dough wrapped around braised local game from Greens Eggs and Ham. It’s served with a fresh salsa.
Two locations for menu items:Garneau (8708 109 St., 780-756-8882) and Jasper Avenue (10349 Jasper Ave., 780-421-7734)
Combine Alberta sunlight with acres of greenhouse glass in Central Alberta and you’ve got a successful formula for growing delicious hydroponic tomatoes without herbicides or insecticides. Available throughout most of the year, these vine-ripened beauties come in red, yellow and orange, from cherry-sized to beefsteak and everything in between. They smell and taste like real tomatoes. Imagine!
Available at the Old StrathconaFarmers’ Market, the CityMarket Downtown andother farmers’ markets.
This new “conscious eatery and superfood elixir bar” features vegan and raw food dishes. The Bodhi Tree burger is a spectacular vegan dish, both artfully presented and delicious, combining sprouted chickpeas, sundried tomato pesto, fresh basil, marinated zucchini, mushrooms,bell peppers, spinach and a drizzleof cashew chili cheese – all on a substantial whole wheat bun with a side of soup or salad.
8440 109 St., 780-231-9000
Butter chicken is addictive enough as it is, but the chefs at Guru turned this creamy entree into an appetizer of (two or four) samosa triangles stuffed with the delicious East
Indian concoction. So now youcan beat that craving at the beginning of the meal and move on to other dishes.
17021 100 Ave., 780-484-4300
This jar of Venezuelan salsa is a complex blend of cilantro, fresh garlic, parsley, peppers, chili peppers, vinegar, onion, habanero and tomatoes. More than a dip, it’s fit as a condiment for roasted or barbecued meats, poultry or fish. Or, just do what I do and eat it out of the jar.
Available at the City Market Downtown
While its namesake dishes are tasty, don’t overlook the soup, in particular the Szechuan dan dan noodle soup. Guaranteed to satisfy two, it’s about half a litre of fragrant homemade broth around layers of ground pork, peanuts, cilantro, noodles and topped with homemade chili sauce. Order it “crazy hot” and add a bit of sweat to the brow.
2431 Ellwood Dr., 780-469-8885
Of one thing I’m certain; Nate Box loves tochallenge his customers to think outside thesandwich bag. The miniature cafe combines an over easy egg on a crispy water bun that’s soft enough on the inside to hold the yolk (not too runny, not too firm). It’s topped with grilledprotein or grilled vegetables that are locally sourced whenever possible. Now that’s a breakfast sandwich that delivers (sorry, no drive-thru).
10140 117 St., 780-756-3356
This appetizer of four wings can easily be your dinner. These wings are de-boned and over-stuffed with ground pork, Chinese vermicelli and mushrooms, and then served with a sweet and salty Thai dip. It’s one of the most challenging dishes on the menu to make, but worth it.
10049 113 St., 780-482-2277
What started as a hobby in 1996, shortly after dairy farmers Hennie Bos and Tinie Eilers moved from the Netherlands to Lacombe, has become a full-fledged dairy business producing over 5,000 litres of yogurt per week. Their yogurt is naturally smooth, slightly tangy and creamy, containing only milk bacterial culture and flavourings. It comes in a variety of tastes and sizes.
Available at select grocers, including the Italian Centre Shop (10878 95 St. and 5028 104A St.), SunterraMarket (5728 111 St. and 10150 Jasper Ave.) and Planet Organic (7917 104 St. and 12120 Jasper Ave.).
The French influence in Vietnamese cuisine shines through in this hearty submarine by proprietor Loi Van Thai. He’s been making these authentic sandwiches for 14 years, combining cold cuts on a crunchy baguette spread with pt and butter, topped with crunchy carrots, cucumber, cilantro and a light splash of fish sauce.
10648 98 St., 780-413-8887
This hand-made sweet is built on a foundation of white chocolate, with a chewy centre created from roasted almonds and fresh ground espresso beans. The result is a chocolate treat that’s sweet and spicy. Enjoy Xpresso nougat as a mid-afternoon nosh, a dessert or with your favourite aperitif.
Order online at newget.ca, or at Bon Ton Bakery (8720 149 St.), elm caf (10140 117 St.) and
the City Market Downtown.
This fresh Atlantic salmon is marinated in a mixture of sugar, salt, pepper, vermouth, brandy, olive oil and fresh dill to create a Scandinavian style of gravlax that is juicy, sweet and salty. Top it with Sgambaro’s Three Mustard Dill Sauce for a flavourful open-faced Scandinavian style sandwich.
Available at specialty grocers, including ItalianCentre Shop (10878 95 St. and 5048 104A St.),Wild Earth Foods (8910 99 St.) and Sunterra Market (5028 111 St. and 10150 Jasper Ave.).
This brand new restaurant on Whyte Avenueserves foods from the Mediterranean region.Patatas bravas is a Spanish tapa consisting oflarge potato cubes lightly fried in oil to a perfect crispiness, topped with a housemade spicy chili aioli (an emulsion of garlic, egg, chili peppers,lime juice and olive oil) and finished with dollopof sundried tomato pure.
10846 82 Ave., 780-761-1910
Combine locally sourced portabello mushrooms with shiraz, aged balsamic gastrique (a sugar vinegar sauce), lots of black pepper, Parmesanand cream cheese for one versatile concoctionthat can serve as a dip, spread, pasta filling,finish for risotto, or a sauce. Or, just place a dollop on a steak or chicken as it comes off the grill to add a bit of decadence.
Available at the Italian Centre’s north side location (10878 95 St.) and the City Market Downtown.
Hungarian baker Gbor Dobos has a repertoire of healthy European artisanal breads at St. Albert’s Enjoy Centre. A fan fave is the carrot bread, a light rye sourdough loaded with fresh shredded carrots, organic sesame seeds and sprouted pumpkin seeds. It’s well worth the drive, but why not buy two loaves and put one in the freezer? Toast it with a touch of butter and get a taste of heaven.
101 Riel Dr., St. Albert,780-651-7362
The best thing at this Mexican street food jointis the pescado, or fish, tacos. Three traditional corn tortillas are topped with Mexican red snapper in a light tempura-style batter, then cloaked in avocado tomatillo salsa and a pico de gallo-like sauce with shredded cabbage and adobo style mayonnaise. True Mexican flavours don’t get much better than this.
10119 100A St., 780-429-0911
