E-Festive French Toast - Chez Cora

E-Festive French Toast -"Rediscover a childhood favourite, festively dressed for the holiday season. How can you resist out Festive French toast? Imagine delicious cranberry and orange bread dipped in French toast batter, plus melted brie cheese, crispy bacon, topped with an egg, then garnished with clementines and sweet cranberries." - $9.95 (CAD)

***

CJ doesn't quite recall this dish being a "childhood favourite", but maybe it is out east in La Belle Province?

If this dish wasn't "For a limited time" this review would be on the "1990's harvest", another well portioned, fruit-laden meal. But, alas, CJ decided to go against the norm and ordered the french toast dish.

The restaurant was busy, just like any other Sunday morning. The service was friendly and prompt. The table and cutlery were all clean.

The presentation of the dish is pretty important at Chez Cora's - in fact, EVERY dish/drink is plated quite well. Lots of colour and fruit to tease the eye.

The bread is what really makes the dish (why doesn't more bread come with fruit?) - well, that and the brie cheese. It smelled delicious. And the cranberry sauce! Ho, ho, let CJ tell you about it! No, it's not like the cranberry sauce you get out of a can for your turkey dinner, but it was a sweet glaze that was layered onto the toast with bits of clementines added in for good, citrus-y measure.

When you get a hunk of bread, cheese and egg all on one forkful, and manage to dip it in to the cranberry glaze... well, you know that you have a very good breakfast then.

The photographic evidence:

The grade: 8.5 out of 10.0. Solidly an honours grade...


PS: turns out you only need to lay out about $500,000 to $800,00 (CAD) for a franchise opportunity. CJ keeps trying to tell good ol' Alabama (you may remember him from here) to set up a franchise in the Queen's City (AKA "The Paris of the Prairies", but nothing has graced the business pages of the Leader Post to indicate that such a new business venture has come to fruition... The fickle diners of Regina continue to wait...

Highlands Platter - Highlands Kitchen

Coffee - $2.50 (CAD)
Highlands Platter - 2 cheesy scrambled eggs, ham, sauerkraut, buttermilk biscuit, preserves, choice of salad or potato hash - $15.00 (CAD)

***

Realistically, they should have had a nice big "гарне харчування" sign. It wasn't GREAT food, but it was pretty good. And you could soon see the Ukrainian influence soon after you walk in the front door...

The setting was small, wooden floors,drafty as we were near the front door, a little cramped, and busy (it was a Saturday morning). Menu was very simple, white paper with black/grey lettering with a simple description for each dish. Yes, yes! Pyrogy and cabbage rolls did make an appearance! It was like a Fall Supper (Breakfast?) dream come true!

But, CJ didn't go to fill his belly with comfort food from the motherland. Nay. It was breakfast food to induce winning picks in the weekly NFL Proline Syndicate (Fuck you, Aaron Rogers for losing to the Colts! Where's your championship belt now???...CJ has always disliked the Packers, ever since they stole Reggie White...) So eggs it must be!

The presentation of the dish was good. It wasn't a lot of food, and for $15.00 (CAD), it was a little less than I was expecting. Regardless, the dishes came out in a timely fashion.

CJ ate the eggs and ham first. They were pretty good, although the eggs were just a tad runny. Maybe they could have set for another minute or two on the stove. The potatoes, on the other hand, were very tasty, and cooked to perfection. Honestly, a grade of 8.7 for the potatoes (or should CJ say "potatoes and sweet potatoes"?). Yummy. And the preserves and biscuit finished it off. The jam seemed fresh and full of flavour, while the biscuit had that soft, warm, recently baked feeling to it. Pleasant to the palate.

Supposedly there's been some good reviews for the restaurant in the past... "Top 10 Best New Restaurants in Canada 2009"? Really? Finally, we can say that Air Canada got something right...

The photographic evidence:

Overall grade: and 8.1 out of 10.0. It would have been a little higher had it not been an expensive breakfast.

Ginger² - High Level Diner

Ginger² - Your favourite Crabbies Original alcoholic Ginger Beer with a 1 oz. shot of Skyy's Ginger Vodka, served in a 20 oz. glass over ice - $20 (CAD)

***

Hmm... I think CJ may have accidentally deleted a post on the spicy octopus salad...

So, my sous chefs of note may recall that CJ had done a review of Crabbies a little while ago, and when he had breakfast a few months ago with his ex-coworker at High Level Diner, the Ginger² was discovered.

CJ knows how Christopher Columbus must have felt when he discovered the Americas... "Damn! I need a good drink!!"

The presentation of the drink is fine: a shooter glass of vodka, the green-bottled Crabbies and a class filled with ice and a slice of lime and a slice of lemon. All very nice, yes?

The taste? Well, pretty ginger-y, if that's a word. I suppose the first half glass you could sense the vodka, but after it's been watered down a bit and you pour the rest of the beer in, it's basically just Crabbies.

The cost? A little on the high side. Mind you, Crabbies is expensive all by itself anyways, and adding the shooter was only an additional $2.50 (CAD) anyway, so you aren't going to have to sell your first-born just to get the vodka added.

The proof:

The grade: just because Ginger Spice was CJ's favourite Spice Girl doesn't mean he would give her (or this drink) a perfect score: a 7.9 out of 10.0.

Braised Veal - Ale Yard Tap & Grill

Braised Veal - ale & coffee braised veal topped with beer braised onions & mushrooms & served with grilled asparagus, roasted beet ale horseradish, Yukon gold smash & Yorkshire pudding ($21.50 CAD)

***

Large portions: check!

Sub-par service: check!

Great beer selection: check!

Female staff who are easy on the eyes: check!

Another pub/grill who's competing in the same crowded space as Canadian Brew House: check!

Meat that tastes like it's old, stale and been sitting in the vegetable crisper for 7 weeks: check!

A meal whose potatoes taste better than anything else on the plate: check!

Awkward "Home Brew Ketchup": check!

Just check out the photo below: check!

No Yorkshire pudding: check!

Dinner rage that engulfed the other patrons (see fists pounded down upon the table): check!

Another satisfying evening of overpaying for a disappointing meal: check!

A restaurant that gives the word "braised" a bad name: check!

The worst veal that CJ has ever eaten: check!

Left 3/4 of the food for the waitress to take away: check!

Grade: 4.2 out of 10.0.... CHECK!

Fellow patrons who also gave the Yard a "glowing" review: check!

Natchez Shrimp - Louisiana Purchase

Natchez Shrimp - Jumbo shrimp cooked in white wine & herbs with mushrooms & smoked Chipotle pepper butter (Dinner portion $22.95 CAD)
Alligator Lager - Alley Kat Brewing (apprx. $6.00 CAD)

***

CJ thinks it best to split this review in two:

The beer portion, and the meal portion.

Now, don't get me wrong - everyone likes a good lager, even CJ. But over the past 15 years, there isn't one beer from Alley Kat that I've enjoyed. Not one. I shouldn't have ordered it, but I was feeling open-minded. Foolish me. I didn't get a photo. It wasn't enjoyable. I really don't have much to say about it. Sorry for the short review. Just another disappointment. <Sigh>

Grade: 5.2 out of 10.0

Meal portion

This was much more enjoyable than my beverage.

The dish came out in a reasonable time, and included roasted vegetables (green beans and yellow squash) with a few grape tomatoes thrown in for good measure, and a sliced, roasted potato. The sides came out quite nicely, and dipping the potato slices (and complimentary bread) into the shrimp/mushroom/wine juice was well worth it. The sauce had a very nice "earthy" taste to it. Quite enjoyable. Not quite "hot", but just the right amount of creole and/or cajun spice to it. Definitely in the top 3 sauces of 2012 (at least so far!).

Both the shrimp and mushrooms were done to near perfection - not chewy due to being overdone at all. Very pleasant.

I suppose the only complaint would maybe be the price, but that's pretty minor.

Here's the photographic evidence:

And the grade: an 8.3 out of 10.0

Breakfast Combo with Bacon & Swedish Coffee - Ikea

Breakfast Combo -$1.00 (all prices are in CAD) - this dish was 2 mini-sausage, scrambled eggs, and hashbrowns
Bacon - $0.99 for 3 small pieces of bacon
Swedish Coffee - $1.00

***

Well, this was my first foray into the cafeteria over at Ikea. Not only was the meal inexpensive, but we also had our dishes served up by both Linus and Magnus, as they had their job-training that day, as their final shift for their current jobs end on Sunday. Yes, it was quite the celebrity event: all we were missing was Mats Sundin and Beaker helping out the Swedish Chef in the kitchen...

There really isn't much to say about this breakfast. It was cold, miniscule, and uninspiring. Not unlike the Edmonton Oilers of 2010-2011. Or the Edmonton Oilers of 2009-10. Or the Edmonton Oilers of... well, never mind. But, it was pretty cheap.

The cafeteria was busy, but we were able to get some seats with a beautiful stunning view of the South Edmonton Common parking lot. We really lucked out.

Here is the photographic evidence:

You can see Chef Jeremiah above, pointing  to the "deluxe" breakfast. No breaking the bank or pancakes for him! Notice the left hand trembling before his first morning coffee? Those were difficult times...

And here is the dish:

Grade: 5.8 out of 10. But can you really go wrong for $3.14?

Boston Brute w/ side bolognese, 2 mug Canadian draft, 2 side Clamato juice - Boston Pizza

Boston Brute - A deli style sandwich for the ages, this BP Favourite is loaded with Genoa salami, pepperoni, smoked ham, pizza mozzarella, onion and pizza sauce w/ a side of fries. Baked on a French-style bun. $9.95 CAD
With bolognese meat sauce. $2.25 CAD
2 Mug Canadian Draft - $8.00 CAD
2 Side Clamato - $1.90 CAD

***

I have no idea why they don't have a write-up on the beer or Clamato. That stuff goes together like the Dude and White Russians.

Well, it's pretty easy to make an Edmonton Oilers - Minnesota Wild regular season NHL game more entertaining - just do something else while the game is on. Seriously. I cannot remember the number of times I curse the Heavens for investing 2.5 hours into watching those games. Even the Count can't count that high. After watching too many Wild games, you become a broken man...

Anyway. So for what we all knew was going to be a boring game, a little sandwich with meat sauce and beer is a good solution.

I think there's one that Boston Pizza does well - their pizza sauce. Other than that, they are mediocre. Not terrible, and not fantastic. The atmosphere in the lounge was fine. Not too loud. Service wasn't bad, although the big screen tv had a few technical difficulties, making the game awkward to watch.

Jade, our waitress, was quick with the beer and drinks. And I didn't have to ask twice for the Clamato. Nothing causes rage like having to order your clam a second time.

The sandwich, while it has gotten smaller over the years (I had the "pleasure" of working at the Leduc BP when I was a teenager), was still pretty tasty. That salami and onions dipping into that sauce is all good. It helps when everything is still hot too. Generous portions all around.

Photo:

The grade: 6.4 out of 10.

Eggs Benedict - Café Upper Crust

Eggs Benedict - 2 poached eggs on an English muffin, with back bacon & Hollandaise Sauce; hashbrowns & fresh fruit garnish - $11.25 CAD

Chai Latté - $3.75 CAD

***

Yes, I met up with a few of my AIMCo ex-corkers again. This time for breakfast. Yes Felix and Kim (the woman who ate my sandwich). We just chewed the fat about their work, my new work, my CASB results, winter tires, Christmas holidays and nothing about the New Orleans Saints. That was surprising.

It seems like the Upper Crust is in an older building. In need of a bit of an update. Like new windows and/or a new furnace, because it was darn cold in here (it was a balmy -26Celsius outside...) and my nipples were harder than diamonds. It's a fairly open dining room, and a little noisy considering that the average age of the patrons had to be about 50 years old.

I've been hankering some eggs benny for some time, so my decision was made moments after I opened the menu.

The food came within a reasonable time frame. It looked delicious. But it was cool - maybe it was due to the poor climate control or the fact that our waitress was, as Felix would say "on a Sunday pace on a Saturday". Disappointing. Regardless, it was still quite tasty - the Hollandaise sauce met the Chef's approval - just enough lemon juice to please the palate.... The fruit salad/garnish was definitely not made of "premium fruit", but those melons were still refreshing. Not a lot of hashbrowns, and they were cool but they were still seasoned well enough. Felix complained about his bacon - guess he's not a fan of Canadian back bacon...

Yeah, the waitress had some very nice legs (the Chef would give those an 8.2/10) it's just too bad she/they weren't coming over to check up on us often enough. Seriously, considering how busy it was (it wasn't), I don't know why it took so long to get our drinks or to get our(my) coffees refilled.

Here's the evidence:

Yes - if you look closely enough you may notice some food in my ketchup, but that's because some must have flown out of Kim's mouth onto my plate because she eats like this guy. I'm only kidding... well, half-kidding.

Overall I'd give my Upper Crust breakfast a 7.0 out of 10.

Guru Restaurant & Bar

1 Tahiti Treat $7.00  (no, not the soda pop)
2 Cobra Beer $12.00
1 Guru Sparkler $7.00
1 Butter Chicken Samosa $11.00
1 Fish Pakora $13.00
1 Lamb Vindaloo $18.00
1 Chana Masala $14.00
1 Coconut Rice $6.00
1 Saffron Rice $7.00
1 Paneer Naan $6.00
1 Rabri Gulab Jamun $8.00
1 Gajar Halwa $8.00
1 Kulfi $8.00

***

Chef's note: all prices in CAD. while I would normally give the entire menu description of my food choices, I just felt that providing a link to the restaurant site would be more efficient. Translation: I'm too f@cking lazy to type them all up.

I had first seen this restaurant late in the summer, back when I was driving to and from my work battling communism. It had only been about three weeks since my last visit to an Indian restaurant, but with nary a dinner date with my food friends for months and their recent move to St. Albert, I thought something on the west side of town would be appropriate. So I set the reservations for Friday evening and we were off!

The decor was quite nice - dark browns and nice lighting. Very clean. We also got a table near the naan ovens - and I with a direct view of the naan chef and said ovens.

The service was quite friendly, and for the most part quick and knowledgeable - just not very quick with the description of the Guru Sparkler, which my friend's wife had ordered.

First up - our drinks and appetizers! The beer was fine, nothing to write home about, but I was quite impressed with the Fish Pakora (not fishy at all) and even more so with the Butter Chicken Samosa. Honestly, I could have eaten those samosas all night. They were packed full of buttery chicken goodness, and cooked just right. While enjoying our apps, one of the chefs came out to check on us. Impressive.

The entrées came soon thereafter. The coconut rice was surprisingly good and sweet. Honest chunks of coconut and not just shavings were contained therein. The saffron rice, however, was a little disappointing. Maybe we were all just expecting too much? It was fine, but the flavour was quite faint. Probably a good thing so it could accompany and not over power the Lamb Vindaloo and Chana Masala (vegetarian dish). The lamb was seasoned and cooked just right, and the dish was quite spicy (you may notice that I had to have 2 Cobras....). The vegetables (chickpeas, onions & tomato) was also in a gravy, and was surprisingly hot as well. A friendly disagreement broke out between my friend and his wife over which dish was hotter. Using my quick wits and diplomacy, I was able to diffuse the situation by mentioning Nigella Lawson and her boobs... Not really - we just talked about how much of a crapbucket of a show "Village on a Diet" is. Again, the same chef came out to check on our food. Most impressive.

We had more than enough food, and I was certainly glad to not over eat. Our desserts comprised of: Gajar Halwa - shredded carrot mess (my dessert), Kulfi -frozen mango stuff (Chantelle's) and Sean had the Rabri Gulab Jamun - dumplings. At least that's what our bill says. I'm not so sure that's what he got... Regardless, saying I was disappointed with my dessert would be akin to saying that the Chargers' were disappointed with this guy. Yeah... I paid the price for getting something new, for going outside the box. Poor decision. The gajar halwa wasn't nearly sweet enough for a dessert, and the texture was very couscous-like - not my favourite. I shouldn't really say it was a poor dessert, rather I should say that my palate and my expectations were clearly too refined this evening.

The evidence:

Here's the Guru Sparkler.

The main courses:

Check out the Svenson elbow! You think those strips on the Lamb Vindaloo are bamboo shoots? So was I, but it's actually ginger.


Very good meal indeed. I'd give it a solid 8.1 out of 10. No question I would go back.

Dubliner Cheddar Bacon Burger with Hungarian Potato Salad - Ceili's

Ceili's signature beef burger, maple peppered bacon, melted Dubliner cheddar, served on a Kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and barbeque bourbon aioli. Side - Hungarian Potato Salad - $15.75

Actually, that's a lie. That's from the Calgary menu, and I can't quite read the Edmonton location menu at this time. Suffice to say the burger is quite similar but the fixin's are a bit different.

***

So I went to Ceili's for lunch over the holidays for a bite to eat. Ja, ja, your regular Irish pub fare, albeit a bit pricey.

I just don't think any restaurant burger compares to a homemade burger - save those from DeLux. And that's a maybe. The net result wasn't bad - it was quick, cooked well and the cheese was very much melted. It wasn't on a Kaiser bun, but a brioche bun (very soft - with a bit of a sheen to it) that was well suited to the task of transferring it's tasty goodness to my mouth. The sauces and condiments were all quite good and appropriate.

The Hungarian Potato Salad on the other hand, was quite disappointing. All my little Sous Chefs will know that I like a good potato Salad (Russian or German), and now we have the Hungarian.

Needless to say, my expectations were high - (is that Hungarian Paprika on top???). And this potato salad failed. Not spectacularly mind you, but still failed. It was like the New Jersey Devils of the potato salad world - playing not to lose, not playing to win. Oh the potatoes were soft, and it was a creamy dish, but it just didn't have the chutzpah to make my über-palate take notice. No interesting flavours to enjoy or think about. Correction - no flavour at all... And nothing to remember it by other than the partially filled void in my stomach. I think my Warm German Potato Salad was much better. Which, as I've just noticed, I have not yet written about...

Here is the evidence:

Bah! Well the burger was good, I'd give it a 7.0 out of 10 - a pretty good score for a restaurant burger (although still over-priced). The potato salad a 5.0 out of 10. The"104th Avenue Boring Potato Salad" would have been a more apt name.

Elm Café

Early Sandwich $8 (CAD)
Americano $2.5 (CAD)

***

Well, my friend's ex-coworker suggested we go to Elm Café for breakfast. I'm just guessing their ex-coworker's, but I'm not too sure. 

Anyway, this little place is just off of Jasper in the Oliver area. It's probably only 80 square feet, with about 20 square feet designated as eating space. This place is small, with a correspondingly small menu.

I haven't had an Americano for quite some time, so I ordered one. I was just a little displeased. I can't quite put my finger on it. Was it too bitter?

The sandwich was okay - it had eggs, spinach, ham and cheese in it. But for $8 (CAD)? Really? I mean it was okay. Not too filling, and, but not value for your hard-earned sestertii. Nothing that really wows you at all. Not a lot of flavour.

Overall, I'd give it a 6 out of 10. Mildly disappointing, but perhaps our hearts were misguided - as it wasn't really a breakfast spot. It was more of a "I've-got-to-walk-the-dog-this-morning-and-I-need-a-coffee-and-I'm-in-the-neighbourhood" kinda place.

It is what it is.

Regardless, you can feast your eyeballs on this:

Grilled 5-spice Octopus Salad with Spicy Tangerine Vinaigrette & Rendang Beef Asian Po'Boy - The Wild Tangerine

Grilled 5-spice Octopus Salad with Spicy Tangerine Vinaigrette  $9.00 CAD
Rendang Beef Asian Po'Boy                                                      $14.00 CAD

***

Three people who contributed a lot to society to come from Saskatchewan: Gordie Howe, Leslie Nielsen, and Felix. No, not this Felix but my ex-coworker. He (on a moment's notice) decided that we were to meet at "The Wild Tangerine" for lunch today (10383 112Street NW, Edmonton). It's on the South side of 104th Ave., right beside the Starbucks. I didn't even know this place existed, but well Felix opened my eyes to some pretty good food...

I ordered the Octopus salad and the beef Po'Boy. I've never had a Po'Boy before, so I was licking my chops in anticipation of that. And well, I order the Octopus salad because it had 5-spices and octopus.

The salad came first:

You really can't see the tentacles or the suckers very well. In fact, the Octopus plays a very minor part of the salad. The best way I can describe this salad is like a Thai mango/papaya salad. It was simply scrumptious. Crunchy vegetables and fruit combined with a slightly spicy and sweet dressing, it was very superb. The octopus wasn't really required - it was really 3rd wheelin' it like nobody's business.

The Po'Boy didn't disappoint:

Yeah, you only see half of the sandwich here. One of my ex-coworker's, "Kim" with her voracious appetite stole half my sandwich before it even got placed in front of me. It kinda went down like this. (Is that Captain Picard's voice?). Anyway, the sandwich was quite good - a slight curry taste to the beef. Hmm. Maybe that's what "Rendang Beef" is? The bread was soft, and the roasted red peppers and onions added some nice flavour.

Overall, a very good lunch surprise. The dinner menu looks great too, and the potato and lavender soup they served to the other table smelled divine. A little pricey, but a score of 8 out of 10.

Earl's - One Pound Wings

One pound of chicken wings - hot, with parmesan dip and celery sticks.

***

Here you can see my lunch today:

Yes - your eyes don't lie - that character to the right of my plate is a cow. It's "Kimberly the AIMCo Cow". Yes, she dresses like a dude, but she's a good friend of mine from my days with AIMCo.

But no, I didn't meet her for lunch today, but another ex-coworker. It was at Earl's on campus.

The wings were just as tasty as I remember, from my days as an undergraduate at the U of A. Just hot enough to warrant a second beverage. And the wings meaty enough to fill my belly. I must say Earl's has kept their wings tradition intact. In fact, it was also Wings Wednesdays today, but that doesn't take effect until after 3 pm. The only thing I think I would like would be a blue cheese dip. That could be a nice sharp offset to the hotness of the wings.

Yes, you probably do pay a little too much at Earl's, but you also pay for the environment and ambiance... Not that I was paying. My ex-coworker did that. :)

Overall, I'd rate the wings an 8 out of 10. Very good.

The Free Press Bistro - The Kubla Khan with Russian Potato Salad

Lean strips of beef, marinated in Mongolian spice and pressed with chiles, shredded carrot, Hoisin sauce and mozza. $12.95

***

I ventured downtown into the big city today for lunch. The Free Press Bistro was my friend's choice, but I was still eager to go. Once I looked at the menu, I realized that the focus was on sandwiches - not what I was expecting at all. I didn't know what to expect, but I just wasn't expected so much focus on the Earl's invention.

I was originally tempted by the Cuban, as I could compare it to my own work (click here). And then the Kubla Khan caught my eye. And then the Shrimp Po' Boy caught my eye (I've never had a Po' Boy). What was Chef Jeremiah to do? In the end, after some discussion as to what "Russian Potato Salad" is and the exciting night the Oil had on Friday, I decided on the Kubla Khan.

It was pretty good. I chose it because it reminded me of the subs I got at the Saigon Givral. I miss that place. Anyway, the sandwich was pretty good, although the bread was just a tad dry for my liking, and the price just a bit too much for what you get (I opted up for $1.50 to get the Russian Potato Salad). The meat was tender and flavourful - in fact it reminded me of a pulled pork sandwich. And the carrots and Hoisin sauce added enough zest and moisture to it. I would have it again, no questions asked.


Here is the proof:

Now, that is only half the sandwich as well - I had forgotten to take to photo until partway done.

I wish I could have quizzed the waitress again about what makes up a Russian Potato Salad, but she was just too busy after we had received our meals. There just isn't enough time at lunch during the week to allow Chef Jeremiah to get his questions answered.

Overall I'd give the experience about a 6.5 out of 10. It would have been better had we accompanied our sandwiches with some beer.