| Wine of the Week: Frank Cornelissen’s Munjebel 8
Don’t let its relative lightness in colour and weight fool you; this mountain wine from Mt Etna has complexity and depth in spades, lively acidity and tastes like spring — earthy greens and wild strawberries, a hint of smoke and tart cherry. Everything about this wine is a trip —unfiltered, no sulphites, from two vintages of a rare native Sicilian grape variety called nerello mascalese — most importantly, it is delish! Cornelissen’s wines are sought after the world over. How exciting to find this at Color de Vino http://www.colordevino.ca. Have with Easter ham.
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| Think patios are only for summer? Think again! Enjoy the Winter City Patio Party, April 1-3, where après-ski meets urban chic with cozy blankets and warm heaters at Little Brick, Cafe Bicyclette, Urban Green Café, Wild Earth Zoo (at the Valley Zoo) and at bistro tables at Sir Winston Churchill Square. Visit wintercityedmonton.ca for the full list of venues. |
| We are so excited that we can finally start talking about the Sugarbowl’s new project, right next door at 10926 88 Avenue, the Eleanor and Laurent. We love that you will be able to purchase breads, pastry, rotisserie, charcuterie and toothsome house-made terrines and pâté to take home as well as enjoy the 40-seat café and a seasonal patio (so 14th arrondissement). Plans for the top floor include what owner Abel Shiferaw is calling a continuous pop-up available for itinerant cooks and chefs. Thank you Abel, we need more cooking and entertaining spaces! Abel’s partner in the venture is Garneau aficionado Todd Babiuk; the architect is Manasc Isaac. The sweet name is in homage to Laurent and Eleanor Garneau, for whom the Garneau neighbourhood is named. Plans are for a fall opening. |
| This weekend Earls Kitchen + Bar features Easter brunch on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (depending on location). Noted: chorizo and mushroom hash, poached eggs, avocado, crispy fried potatoes, field mushrooms and hollandaise; a classic eggs benny with sweet Virginia ham; savoury bacon and fried egg sandwich (pictured) with Gouda, tomato and a caramelized lemon aioli on a warm griddled sourdough. The regular menu is available too for non-brunch lovers as if there are any people like that.
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| El Cortez (8230 Gateway Bvld, 780-760-0200 www.elcortezcantina.com) does brunch, and it’s about time we say. Mains ($14) include huevos rancheros; chilaquiles with verde cream, peppers onions, eggs, queso and chorizo; a breakfast burrito and the avocado and bacon torta — guacamole egg salad, a spicy berry aji aioli, greens and queso on grilled corn bread with fried potatoes. Sides ($4) include bacon, beans, eggs, coconut, banana and fruit with walnut, corn bread and fried potatoes. Giddy up. They all sound so good we’re getting hungry in anticipation.
Saturdays and Sundays 11am-2:pm. |
| Edmonton author and part-time Naramata resident Jennifer Cockrall-King has written Food Artisans of the Okanagan (TouchWood Editions, $24.95). The book profiles over 125 growers and producers of craft food and drink including chefs, farmers, cheesemakers, butchers, foragers, beekeepers, distillers and craft brewers, in both the Okanagan and Similkamen valleys. Complete with maps, lists of farmers’ markets, shops, farm gate markets and fruit stands, this book will become your indispensable guide to food in this verdant part of the country. It’s marvelous! In bookstores April 5; at 7pm Wednesday, April 13, join Jennifer at Audreys Books for the launch. |
| Alberto Aruzi, proprietor of Argentina’s iconic Luigi Bosca Estate is in Edmonton April 20 for a winemaker dinner at Ernest’s Restaurant (11762 106 Street, 780-471-8676) five wines, five courses, $95. Call 780-471-8676 to reserve. |
| Meet Don Triggs, proprietor of the Okanagan’s Culmina Family Estate Winery at a winemaker dinner at Rge Rd (10643 123 Street, 780-447-4577, rgerd.ca) on Tuesday May 3. Call to book. |
