little bear ice cream and sorbet, chartrand’s red chef revival, wined-down humpday and downtown alfresco
enjoy your little bear
Franck Bouihol of FanFan Pâtisserie (10330 80 Avenue, 587-524-9899, fanfanpatisserie.com) was looking around for a new name for his ice cream and sorbet. He found it close to home. “My son is my little bear and he loves gelato,” Franck says.
The gelati is in several classic flavours—pistachio, hazelnut, salted caramel, vanilla and Belgian chocolate (on the Top100 this year); the sorbet is in several seasonal fruit flavours and our fave, Champagne. They are outstanding, smooth and rich, with a tremendous clarity of flavour and very little air, handmade and hand packed, available by the scoop or by the
500 mL container. “Most of our gelato are gluten free and our sorbet are gluten free and vegan,” says Franck. Find at the shop on 80 Avenue, also at Culina to Go in the Oliver Exchange, Bountiful Market, and at the International Street Performers Festival, July 5-14 and Taste of Edmonton, July 18-28.
chartrand’s saga
Chef Shane Chartrand (SC by Shane Chartrand) is on a journey of discovery in Red Chef Revival, a six-part series by Black Rhino Creative (via Storyhive by Telus). Episode 3 explores his affinity for Japanese food and culture and his excitement to discover what forms indigenous food takes in Prince Rupert. It’s a glorious episode, hypnotic and soulful. In Episode 5, chef visits the Blood Tribe in southern Alberta—personal and raw and riveting.
Chef Chartrand has been making culinary waves for several years. He has appeared on Chopped Canada, was a Cook it Raw chef and the first indigenous chef to take top honours at a Gold Medal Plates competition, going on to compete nationally at CCC in 2017. Chef Chartrand is joined in the series with Algonquin chef Cezin Nottaway (Kitigan Zibi, Quebec) and Top Chef finalist, Rich Francis (Six Nations, Ontario).
Shane’s first cookbook Tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, House of Anansi, $34.95, is available for pre-order now at Audrey’s or Indigo, and will be in shops in October. More on the book in the fall issue.
canada’s great kitchen party yeg chef competitors announced
Here’s the lineup for the 2019 Kitchen Party—chefs Serge Belair, Edmonton Convention Centre; Levi Biddlecomb, Why Not Café; Scott Downey, Butternut Tree; Eric Hanson, Prairie Noodle Shop; Ryan Hotchkiss, Bündok; Doreen Prei, Zinc; Medi Tabtoub, Vivo; Spencer Thompson, The Marc and Jesse Woodland, Spotlight Cabaret. This year’s Kitchen Party is on Thursday, October 10 at the Edmonton Convention Centre. Tix: greatkitchenparty.com.
a little something to help with hump day
Wined-Down Wednesdays at Partake in the High Street (12431 102 Avenue, 780-760-8253, www.ouipartake.com) offers a specially priced menu and drinks list from 5-11pm. It’s a fun menu, perfect for a snack or if you just want a little nosh before the movie. Make sure you order something with sauce vierge (essentially, an extra virgin olive oil sauce plump with chopped tomatoes and herbs first made by the king of nouvelle cuisine, Michel Guérard, back in 1976) which you can have with baguette or in the savoury tart. Partake is an adorable spot, plus there is that delish popcorn.
dining alfresco downtown
Bündok (10228 104 Street, 780-420-0192, bundokyeg.com) has opened their perfect tiny patio (12 seats) and also will be opening at 3pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for snacks and drink specials. It’s a bit like having a picnic in the middle of the city. Magical.