Out and About: Heritage Festival! July 30 - August 1, 2011

Hello all! With summer in full bloom and August just around the corner, you know what time it is! That's right, Heritage Days and this year, Servus is proud to present the 36th annual incarnation of the festival! Sporting 62 pavilions worth of culture, heritage, and of course, food (!), this is one you won't want to miss! I'm sure to be around over the next few days (July 30 - August 1) so I hope to see you guys out at all the festivities! And as much as it shocks me to say, it's not just about the food *gasp*; there's tons to check out from cultural performances, entertainment, and beautiful crafts! Enjoy the sunshine (finally!), grab your friends and hit the festival, you won't regret it!

P.S. My personal favorites include elephant ears and bubble tea (Taiwan booth) from previous years!

Out and About: Culina Mill Creek

From the Culina Family's finest and most popular offering, Culina Mill Creek! A quaint place located just beyond the heart of Old Strathcona, Mill Creek delivers an intimate dining atmosphere as well as a cozy spot to relax after a long day! Plus, making a reservation at Culina is a snap - just look up your preference on OpenTable and presto! As a heads up though, to those of you considering this location, Scona Road (the easiest way to get there) is currently closed until November 2011 -- seems like Edmonton is constantly under-construction! -- so your best bet will actually be taking Saskatechewan Drive up until you reach 101 St. and then turning off to 89th Ave for the last two blocks! I, myself, had quite an interesting detour trying to get there from Connors Road (one particularly bad lapse in foresight) which ended with epic failure... seriously! Just a little tip =)

As the night was already getting on by the time we arrived... Seriously, it was Connors Road, not my fault! ...okay okay, we were like 30 minutes late but with some calling ahead, Culina was very willing to work with our reservation time to make sure we wouldn't miss it! For that, I have a hearty thank you! But enough distractions, back to the food! Because of the time, we decided to forego the whole appetizers shebang and just dive straight into the entrees. Make sure you don't forget to check out their specials though!

Overall Score:

What’s IN: Spring Creek Ranch Beef Sirloin (Blue Cheese & Chocolate Sauce!)

Fork Fest Reminder!

Reminder: Fork Fest starts today! Running from July 17-21, 24-28, make sure you get a chance to try this year's steals and deals over the next couple weeks! For those of you who don't know, Fork Fest is an excellent opportunity to try out a number of restaurants around the city for a reduced price. While it still won't count as "cheap", I would say that this is an amazing chance to go out and eat somewhere you wouldn't otherwise go! What's there to lose: loosen your belt buckle and come hungry! See you guys out!

Edmonton Fork Fest 2011! Another Reason To Go Out!

Fork Fest 2011 is upon us! Brought to us by the folks at Live Local, Fork Fest is a celebration of all the fine eateries here in the city at great prices -- you can get a multi-course dinner at any of the 14 participating locations for anywhere between $25-45! What are you waiting for, grab a friend or two and head on out to explore this city's dining and nightlife!

For a list of restaurants, please check out this. However, I can guarantee almost any of these will be a fantastic deal as well as amazing food -- just check out the menu to see which place is most appealing to you (http://www.live-local.ca/fork-fest-summer-2011-menus)! I hope to see you all out! Promotion runs July 17-21, 24-28 (basically just not Fridays and Saturday). Be sure to snag some of the good prices, good food and great company this summer! Let's just hope the weather and mosquitoes co-operate!

Out and About: Rice Bowl Deluxe

Continuing my escapade around the west end of town, I had the fortune of being invited to try out another great spot around Callingwood: Rice Bowl Deluxe! A recent addition to Edmonton's dining scene, Rice Bowl Deluxe has only been open for the past few months: since early February if my memory serves me correctly. Luckily for us, we spoke with one of the managing partners, Susan, and were invited to give it a review! As you can already see from this post, we graciously (and very willingly!) accepted!

Rice Bowls! Very vibrant and colourful, I like it!

Overall Score:

What's IN: Bubble Tea!
( and Frozen Yogurt! ..but that isn't out yet =( )

Out and About: Cactus Club Cafe

Hey guys, I know there's a lot of mixed feelings about this one: There are people who report some of the best food in the city while others have been less than impressed or have stood outside for a long long time trying to get in.. and this is true! It is both great food and notoriously long lines! In fact, I actually had to reschedule my blog on this one because the line at the door was huge! But... it doesn't have to be this way. You can have your cake and eat it too.

Honestly, at West Ed AND on a Friday night, it was wishful thinking on my part too -- take into account the day & time and I think it still falls into the realm of "reasonable". Yes, I agree, they fill up a lot and fast but there are ways to avoid this; for example, go out during lunch when it's almost empty or during a weekday! Hello, Monday lunch! If you're still not convinced, as a tip from my kitchen years, this will payback double when it comes to food quality! Less people equals more time spent making and paying attention to YOUR food equals better food! Chances are: if you're waiting a long time, well, you're going to get rushed service and rushed food and that's just going to make you twice as unhappy. So give yourself a break, plan out a nice weekday lunch and thank yourself later! Or not. Up to you. I'm not going to tell you what to do. This isn't communism! (Just joking!)

Once you get inside though, you can see why they would be so popular! Lively hostesses, great ambiance, soft lighting and background music all come together to set the tone for an upscale dining experience. Throw in some delicious food and North America's largest mall and it's no surprise this place is as busy as it is! Especially considering that this is a chain, I'm impressed! P.S. is it just me or do you love the pinecone lights too?

Overall Score:

What’s IN: Rob's Goat Cheese and Feta Flatbread! Plus, it's new!
P.S. Most dishes with the handy "RF" tag beside them are good choices if you're stuck!

Out and About: Red Ox Inn

After a stellar performance at Indulgence 2011 (pork shoulder on risotto cake!), I was enticed to pay a visit to Red Ox Inn for a chance to try out their regular menu offerings and boy, it did not disappoint! Unfortunately though, on the date of my visit, the chef wasn't in to speak to me, but I did get a chance to have a chat with the sous-chef, Brian, after my meal!

  Feature Interview with the Sous-Chef!

Are there any messages you want to convey through your food to your patrons?
  "Good food doesn't have to be complicated!" [We] get a lot of produce locally and around the Edmonton area whenever possible.
In a couple words, describe what makes your restaurant, Red Ox Inn, special? 
  Intimate setting and honest good food.
Do you personally have a favourite dish to share with our readers? 
  The duck! ..though the lamb does come in a close second!

Overall Score:

 

What's IN: Lamb 

(it was a race to the finish against the pork and the two desserts though!)