Lan's Asian Grill

I was recently told Lan's had great pad thai so I headed there for an impromptu fix of one of my favourite dishes. It was almost 7 but there were only a few other diners. We were seated and decided what to order quickly as were very hungry.

We ordered a large size pad thai with chicken to share and four vegetarian salad rolls as well. We went with spice level one out of three. The food arrived and we dug in, quickly discovering the pad thai to be very spicy (I do have a low tolerance for spice). But the flavour was very good and we enjoyed it, despite the unexpected heat. The salad rolls were nice and fresh with peanut sauce on the side. I like my peanut sauce a little thicker and slightly more "peanuty".

Tom is a great host and I was pleased to see the restaurant fill up as we ate our meal. I will return again to explore the menu further.

Tres Carnales

On this hot Wednesday evening I headed to Rice Howard Way to try a taco or four at the newly opened Tres Carnales Taqueria. We went in and the place was buzzing with happy diners. We went to the counter to order our food and first posed a few questions to one of the three "carnales". We ended up choosing 4 pork carnitas tacos and 4 chicken tacos, a side of guacomole and a pitcher of sangria. I was a bit surprised by the bill coming to almost $40 (the tacos are a deal at four for $10) but reasoned that wasn't bad for dinner for two with drinks. We proceeded to our table to wait for our food. It came after a short wait and looked delish.

Our tacos were quite tasty. The food is authentic and the atmosphere fun. I will be back again soon.

Battista's Calzones

On a chilly Saturday in June a friend and I headed from the downtown market to Battista's on 118th avenue. We walked into the brightly painted building which set the tone for the trip.

We took a quick look at the menu board:

I chose the Classico and my companion chose the Spicy Italian. Our calzones arrived shortly and the portion size was generous and accompanied with a side of tomato sauce. The first bite did not disappoint and was worth the wait (I have been wanting to get there for ages). The dough was tasty and surprisingly light - none of the greasiness I have experienced at other establishments. The flavours combined well and I was stuffed after finishing just half of my calzone. My friend also thoroughly enjoyed her calzone and had to pack up the other half as well - so really we could have shared but why not have some leftovers to enjoy later!

Battista is a phenomanelly warm host. He chatted with us for awhile and I felt like we were in his home. I definitely recommend making the trip to Battista's Calzones soon.

Prairie Bistro

On a windy Sunday afternoon we headed out of town to a field in between Edmonton and St.Albert. We came upon the huge Enjoy Centre and made our way through the maze of shoppers to find the Prairie Bistro which was situated on one end of the huge, beautifully colourful space. The brunch menu was slightly different from what we had viewed online but sounded just as good.

We quickly ordered the fresh pastry starter which included 3 pastries; one mini apple cinnamon muffin, one croissant and one cheese and herb filled pastry. They didn't last long as we divided each one into a few tastes each.

We then ordered our entree selections; my mom ordered the eggs benedict, my sister the french toast with brie and berries, and I ordered the pork tenderloin with potatoes, greens and a bacon flan. When our food came we were not disappointed as we had our first bites.

When the pork tenderloin arrived my first thought was that it was a small portion. This idea however disappeared quickly as I realized the allusion created by the different components being stacked together. Some of the pork was placed on top of the bacon flan. The rest of the pork lay beside the potatoes and greens. Every flavour combined deliciously together. I was filling up quickly and with half left I offered to switch with my sister and try her french toast.

The french toast was crispy on the outside but pleasingly soft on the inside. The brie surprised me and combined well with with the sweet berries. I finished my piece and felt too full to get a coffee (they are using 49th Parallel) for the road. We are glad we caught brunch while we could, they are taking a break from it during the busy summer season as it is not possible to serve 300 people for lunch and 4000 in the cafeteria on the same day! All in all a lovely meal complete with friendly staff to boot.

Culina at the Muttart

On a rare weekday off I headed to Culina at the Muttart for lunch.

We arrived around noon and it was busy. I was pleased to see they had added more tables since I had last been there. The special sounded interesting - a mushroom and brie filled filo pastry.

I decided to go for it but ultimately wished I had gone with soup and a sandwich, which are always satisfying. The special was served on a bed of greens, I enjoyed the flavours of the brie and mushrooms but wished that the mushrooms had been sliced thinner. My sister had a ham and gouda sandwich which she enjoyed.

All in all Culina at the Muttart is always lovely. We also walked around the pyramids (we had admission tickets thanks to a Groupon deal). It was fun to look at all the different exhibits. I also purchased a lovely hydrangea plant while there. I hope to make it to weekend brunch there soon.

Culina Millcreek

On a windy Wednesday evening I headed to Culina Millcreek for a 5pm dinner reservation. The room is so inviting and comfortable but sophisticated at the same time. I had enjoyed my last visit a few months ago and had been looking forward to coming back. I thought I would have the chophouse salad again as I had enjoyed it very much (substituting the blue cheese for feta). However the cold wind made me want some warmth, so I decided to explore the menu.




We decided to share an appetizer and chose the applewood smoked cheddar and goat cheese with grilled garlic toasts. Our server graciously checked on whether the cheese was from one of their local suppliers and confirmed that the chevre was from Crystal Spring Farm in Coalhurst (southern Alberta). The smoked cheddar was not as they have not secured a local supplier yet. The dip was delicious and the toasted bread a good companion for it.

One of my friends selected the vegetarian special for their main course which was vegan spring rolls served with a miso tofu soup and the other chose the quinoa salad and added prawns. They both enjoyed their selections.

After some debate over the sable fish special, I chose the line caught wild salmon served with a goat cheese almond sauce and cucumber tomato salsa on orzo pasta. The salmon and salsa were very flavourful and the orzo pasta went nicely with it, however the goat cheese sauce kind of wrecked it for me. It was too "goatey" for my taste, but still a beautifully executed dish, and a good sized portion.

By the time dessert was offered we were all too full to think about partaking. I will return again soon - the weekend brunch menus sound yummy!

Z is for Zocalo

Zocalo had been on my "to get to" list for quite awhile and though I often drive north on 97th street, I always forgot to skip over to 10826 95 street to check it out. Finally last week I changed that and discovered  among other items, many beautifully bright bouquets and blossoms! I love flowers- and have been particularly missing them lately as I reminisce to springs spent in Portland a few years back.

Zocalo is celebrating the arrival of spring (this week it should actually arrive I believe) with "Tulipmania". From now until April 3 there are special prices on all things tulip, with a five-stem bunch specially priced at $4 and a 6" plant at $10.

The bouquets are not cheap - but if you are looking for something amazing, you can find it at Zocalo. The arrangement shown above was $60 and I believe most of the bouquets below were about $35. They are large and would fill a vase nicely. I resisted buying myself a bouquet but will certainly return for one in the future.

Besides the breathtaking flowers Zocalo offers a variety of retail items, ranging from mugs to greeting cards. You can also grab a tea, coffee or treat while you are there. On Saturday mornings they boast fresh cinnamon rolls.

Swing on by on your way to or from downtown or make a special trip if you need a bouquet for a special occasion. The shops hours are Monday to Wednesday 9-6, Thursday 9-8, Friday and Saturday 9-6 and Sundays 11-5. If you are looking for a specific flower you may want to call ahead, their number is 780-428-0754.