Fumaca Brazilian steakhouse, SC at River Cree, house-made gelati, sorbet and ice cream, Food Artisans of Alberta, Imagine Okuda, Tomato Extravaganza, plus new gustatory pleasures at Olive Branch
fumaca means smoke in portuguese
There is a new Brazilian steakhouse in town. Fumaca (pronounced fumassa) overlooks the river valley on Saskatchewan Drive (where there was an Indian resto for several years). All vestiges of that are gone with a brand-new kitchen and dining room, including a private room for 30. Anup Kundu and Lalit Kumar Singh are partners in Fumaca, with experience gained in the kitchens at Pampa. Expect the whole delicious Brazilian shebang for lunch and dinner, seven days a week as well as Sunday brunch. Fumaca, 10143 Saskatchewan Drive, 780-249-8995, fumacasteakhouse.com.
damn good food
The menu is ready, the pickles made, the photography is hung. SC, Shane Chartrand’s new restaurant in the River Cree Resort is now open. And, it’s worth walking through the smoky casino to get to. The fried chicken is amazing—flavourful, moist, not greasy, served with a hot and tangy green chile sauce and fried matchstick potatoes. The charry bannock flatbreads make a terrific starter; there is a savoury noodle bowl and a really good steak. Expect some fun too—mussel ceviche in cans, drinks in bags, plateware by Calgary’s Medium Rare Chef Apparel. There is a private room for dinners or receptions and chef Chartrand plans to create indigenous-inspired chef’s table dinners. Check it out!
we all scream for ice cream
Both FanFan Pâtisserie (10330 80 Avenue) and Arno’s Fine French Pastry (10038 116 Street) are offering house-made gelati, sorbet and ice cream to stay or go. And, on Friday, July 13, from 6pm-8pm, FanFan is offering scoops for a buck.
the best of alberta
Food Artisans of Alberta by Karen Anderson and Matilde Sanchez-Turri, Touchwood Editions, 352 pages, $25. Learn the stories of the farmers, ranchers, growers, cheesemakers, brewers and purveyors who are creating our food scene today. Karen and Mathilde have covered the province in this new book, including over 200 producers, farmers markets and watering holes.
It’s been almost 20 years since The Food Lover’s Trail Guide to Alberta (Vols. 1 & 2) by Mary Bailey and Judy Schultz. Food Artisans of Alberta is a terrific update on our growing culinary development.
beyond graffiti: imagine okuda
Street art is huge, all over the world. And Michael Maxxis, a partner in the Merchant Hospitality Group and a filmmaker who is crazy about art, wants to put a six-storey mural on the side of the building which houses the Holy Roller, just off Whyte Avenue. He has contracted Okuda San Miguel, an artist based in Madrid and the big name in street art, to do it. “Art reminds us that anything is possible and to follow our dreams,” says Michael Maxxis. Visit okudayeg.com to help bring this big idea to fruition.
five tomatoes, six tomatoes, seven tomatoes, more
The Tomato Extravaganza is back at the Enjoy Centre, September 3, 11am-4pm, tasting competitions, tomato talks and demos, raffle prizes and activities for the young ‘uns. The Extravaganza won Outstanding Start-Up Event at the Edmonton Event awards in 2017, presented by the Edmonton Horticultural Society, $5/p, kids under 11 free.
the olive branch brings home greek flavours
Try out these new products by Olive Branch. Yes, you could make your own, but how terrific to have a few jars of these in the pantry for impromptu entertaining. What we love is the short ingredient list, just like you would make in your own kitchen, if your kitchen was on Crete or in the Messenia region of Greece.
Three dressings, Orange Balsamic (enjoy with blue cheese and walnuts or as a glaze for salmon), Fig Balsamic (with ham, soft cheeses, mixed greens) and the Greek Dressing made with a unique wild herb vinegar from the Agia Triada Monastery on Crete. Two tapenades, Green Olive with goats’ cheese, rosemary and a hint of chili to keep things interesting; the Kalamata Olive with fig and mint (this would be amazing in a sandwich) and the Sweet Olive Relish with fig and almond (have this on a cheese board). At the Italian Centre West End and other fine food shops.