restaurant buzz
Happy Birthday Glass Monkey! The Lendrum Place Shopping Centre restaurant (5842 111 Street, 780- 760-2228, theglassmonkey.ca) celebrates its second anniversary in December. It’s a family friendly room, in fact kids 12 and under eat free on Sunday evenings during November and December. The kitchen is open from 3:30pm until at least 10pm six days a week, closed Tuesdays. We love their burgers and the wine list.
We look forward to the opening in 2016 of Daniel Costa’s new restaurant Uccellino next door to Bar Bricco on Jasper Avenue. The fabulous Chris Hyde heads up the kitchen.
12 Acres Restaurant (8 Mission Avenue, St Albert, 780-569-1779, 12acres.ca) now offers several daily food and drink specials. We’re excited about the $10 buttermilk chicken on Tuesdays, but you might prefer Thursday’s all you can eat chili.
Pampa (9929 109 Street, 780-756-7030, pampasteakhouse.com) Here’s a great deal: Book your holiday party November 2-20, or January 11-31, 2016 and receive a $25 Pampa gift card per guest when booking a group of 20 or more.
Chef Tony Krause is back at Privada Wine and Tapas (100-21 Perron Street, St. Albert, 780-569-5479, privadawinebar.com) bringing the fun back to tapas, with corn dogs, donuts, house-made chorizo, larger sharing plates and lots of pickles and preserves. Fans of Chef Krause’s Salt Room (now closed) should check out the five-course tasting menu available Wednesday and Thursday.
Madison’s in the Union Bank Inn (10053 Jasper Avenue, 780-401-2222, unionbankinn.com) offers holiday lunches and dinner from November 17 to December 23, and is now booking the sumptuous five- course Christmas Day and six-course NY Eve dinners, $99.50/guest. Book soon, they always sell out.
Sage Restaurant at River Cree (300 East Lapotac Boulevard, Enoch, 780-484-2121, rivercreeresort.com/dining.php) has a new dinner menu, all locally sourced at very accessible price points. The chef Shane Chartrand has achieved this by being careful about sourcing cuts—lamb ribs instead of luxury lamb racks for example and by offering a medium-sized plate with a more reasonable portion size.
Nineteen (5940 Mullen Way, 780-395-1119, dinenineteen.com) just launched their winter menu, featuring Dijon lamb shank, Dungeness crab-crusted grouper, while keeping favourites such as the tuna twist appetizer, duck confit and hoisin shortribs. The new menu is also on offer at the second Nineteen at #104 150 Bellerose Drive, St. Albert, right by Hicks Fine Wines.
Pampa (9929 109 Street, 780-756-7030, pampasteakhouse.com) Brunch like a Brazilian! Chef Joao Dachery’s new brunch menu features panquecas de carne, crepes with ground beef, eggs, fresh herbs, bechamel and Parmigiano and ovos mexido, scrambled eggs with salmon, cheese, tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs. Brunch also includes over 50 hot and cold items and the charcoal-grilled meats carved tableside. Doesn’t get much better than that for brunch lovers.
product news
The Italian Centre has a beautiful way to say grazie and te amo: an Italian Centre gift basket. Chose a basket on-line or call Gosia at 780-989-4869 for a custom look brimming with signature items and specialty foods. Or bring your own board and they will design a custom board with chunks of delicious cheeses, salumi, antipasti and fruit. Prices from $60, visit italiancentre.ca/store/gift-baskets. Baskets must be ordered at least a day in advance and picked up at the south side store, 5028 104A Street.
Knifewear (10816 82 Avenue, 587-521-2034, knifewear.com) has moved two doors down to make room for White Ave’s newest addition, Kent of Inglewood (10820 82 Avenue, kentofinglewood.com) Canada’s shave shop. Knifewear’s Garage Sale is November 2-8. Expect to find smokin’ deals on prototypes, samples, scratch and dent items, and unique things owner Kevin Kent picked up on his travels.
Find the Newget Kompany Downtown Market in City Hall on November 7, 14, 21 and December 5 and 12. Also at Make it, November 26-29, at the Royal Glenora Club Gift Show November 22 and at the St. Albert Country Fair on November 21-22. Place your Christmas orders online at newget.ca or email newgetko@gmail.com.
K&K Foodliner (9944 82 Avenue, 780-439-6913, kandkfoodliner.com) is not only the place for all wunderbar German holiday delicacies. Check out the charming hand-painted wooden incense burners, traditional German wooden smokers, that look like little chimney sweeps and Mr. and Mrs. Claus, 6″ to 12″ in height, priced from $20 to $120.
Cally’s Teas (10151 82 avenue, 780 757-8944, callysteas.com) looks like a European Christmas market; fine Polish pottery, Japanese tea ware, heaps of quirky and fun items to stuff the stockings for tea lovers. Lots of tasty food too, Choc-Stars bars, Summerdown Peppermint Creams, Mrs. Bridges Lemon Curd and Mango Lime Ginger Chutney. Cally’s Customer Appreciation night Wednesday, November 18, with blueberry tea, door prizes, spot sales and a staff performance of Tea Tea Glorious Tea. A portion of sales is donated to the Suit Yourself Wardrobe for Women.
Hillaby’s Tools for Cooks (101 Riel Drive, St. Albert, 780-651-7373; 14251 23 Avenue, 587-524-7277, toolsforcooks.ca) Lynn Hillaby, remembering her own childhood apple juice and Ritz cracker tea parties on cold winter days, has found a line of tea sets and cooking sets for kids that will bring back that fine tradition. Children’s Tea and Cooking Sets, $40-$50.
Chocolate Haven is a new chocolate company you may have experienced at the Night Market this summer. Find their Christmas collection at Santa’s Little Helper Shopping Extravaganza at the River Cree, November 15, or check chocolatehaven.ca for custom ideas or to order their seasonal handmade bars and bonbons.
Find exceptional raku pottery by Patti Hartnagel along with items from fellow artisans Othelia Jenkins, Brenda Grant, Isabel Becking and handcrafted treasures from Rwanda at the Holiday Studio Sale from 11am to 4pm, November 14 and 15, 12203 39 Avenue.
New at The Pan Tree (220 Lakeland Drive, #550 Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631, thepantree.ca) Staub Tomato cocotte’s regular price is $320, promo priced at $180. The OXO Greensaver prolongs the life of produce using an activated carbon system, $22-27.
culinary travel and cooking classes
Join chef Vinod Lohtia on a culinary tour featuring the flavours, culture, colours and history of south India, on the Culinary Journey of South India, September 17-30, 2016. Visit en.toureast.com/Destinations/Indian-Subcontinent/India/Culinary-Journey-of-South-India-with-Chef-Lohtia for all the details and itinerary.
Kinnikinnick (10940-120 Street, 780-424-2900, getitfresh.ca) offers a free demo on Gluten Free Holiday Entertaining on Thursday, November 5.
Lingua Vina director Margaux Burgess DWS has completed the Sherry Educators course in Jerez, Spain offered by the Consejo Regulador de los Vinos de Jerez y Manzanilla, making her the sole certified sherry educator in Alberta and one of only two in Canada. Congrats Margaux!
Cooking classes and demos at The Pan Tree (220 Lakeland Drive, #550, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631, thepantree.ca) November 3, Winter Desserts with Chef Toll; November 16, Nespresso Evening; November 17, Tacky Sweater Tapa Party with Chef Wu and Sarah Louise; November 18, Holiday Appetizers with Chef Cherwoniak.
wine tastings, happenings and events
Fine Wines by Liquor Select (8924 149 Street, 780-481-6868, liquorselect.com) Annual Charity Christmas Open House December 2, 6:30-9:30pm. Grab your friends and come down to sample over 50 specialty wines, beers, and spirits. Donations at the door ($5+) will once again go to the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Relish Food on Film Festival November 6: The Cook it Raw Stories and An Alberta Farm plus Modern Farm panel discussion; November 7: Short Film Challenge, Cheese, The Empire of the Scents by Kim Nguyen, with Skype Q&A with the director after the screening. Visit relishfilmfest.org for info, trailers, schedules and tickets.
Upcoming tastings and events at Hicks Fine Wines (109-150 Bellerose Drive, 780-569-5000, hicksfinewines.com) November 5, 7pm Port Tasting, $80; November 17, 7pm, Riedel glass tasting with Privada Wine & Tapas, $125; November 24, 7pm, An Evening with Masi, special guest Masi ambassador J. Wheelock; December 3, 5-8 pm, Hicks Fine Wines Christmas Open House. Celebrate their first year in business and get ready for the upcoming holiday season.
Holiday events at Aligra Wines & Spirits (#1423, West Edmonton Mall, 8882 170 Street, 780-483-1083, aligrawineandspirits.com) December 1, 7pm, Christmas Spirits with Ken Bracke, $30; Saturday Sipping 2-6 pm every Saturday; Give the gift of wine or spirits education, pre-pay for your friends. Please register online at aligrawineandspirits.com/events.
Keg ’n Cork, 3845 99 Street, 780-461-0191, kegnkork.com) Everything Malbec with Sebastian Mendoza of Bodega Enrique Foster, 7:30 pm, Thursday, November 5, $25; Taste of Christmas, 7pm, Thursday, November 26, $15.
Let’s Rodeo! Chateau Lacombe Hotel (10111 Bellamy Hill, chateaulacombe. com) in partnership with WICC (Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade) is proud as punch to wrangle the inaugural Rodeo Week Pancake Breakfast. Git into the rodeo spirit and enjoy a full buffet breakfast with all the fixins. Western wear encouraged. Griddles on at 7:30am, Thursday November 12 in the Alberta Ballroom. For advance tickets ($20) call 780-428-8364.
Mark the date: The Kids Kottage Valentine Event, Love of Wine is Friday, February 19, at the Chateau Lacombe Hotel.
Free entrance, free parking, a bake sale and lots of great door prizes along with stellar vendors (Fruits of Sherbrooke, River City Soups, Newget, Loyal Loot, Berg & Betts) makes The Royal Glenora Club Gift Show the don’t-miss craft sale of the season: Sunday, November 22 from 10am-3pm, 11160 River Valley Road.
in memoriam
Rick Wood-Samman aka Dirt Willie passed away September 27. We remember visits to Dirt Willie’s compound near Elk Island National Park with fondness and will be eternally grateful to him for teaching legions of chefs how to cook a wild bird. Read Judy Schultz’s tribute.
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