EDMONTON: The baron’s burgers

Whenever we visit Edmonton, we try to satiate cravings for things we can only get there. Last time, I won with my urge for satay pho, so it was definitely Jason’s turn to pick.

He was dying for … Burger Baron. The closest one to Calgary is in Red Deer, but there are more than a dozen franchises in the Edmonton-area. It began in Lethbridge in 1957 as the first restaurant to adopt the drive-thru concept in Western Canada before the huge chains with clowns and kings moved in.

The Baron has persisted though, usually taking over abandoned locations of other fast-food chains and turning them into part of his small, but mighty, empire.

I’m very partial to the Mushroom Burger ($3.75) with mushrooms and mushroom sauce, while Jason’s usual is the Bacon Cheeseburger ($4.35) with onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato and their special red sauce.

You can get single, double or triple patty variations of any burger at the Baron, and they’re all made fresh to order, which is worth the wait.

The fries ($1.95 small) are thick-cut and the onion rings ($2.25 small) are hot and crisp. Everything is served in white paper bags.

Make sure you get a milkshake ($2.85 small); they’re really good and thick. Jason likes that he can get one in root beer flavour.

Burger Baron, 7007-82nd Ave., Edmonton. Other locations in Alberta, Kelowna and Fort. St. John, B.C. and Regina.

 

EDMONTON: A burger the size of my head

This is what you get when you tear the engine out of a Cadillac Eldorado and hand-weld pieces of metal and whatnot to create a beautiful purple double-decker bus, but then not quite fulfill the dream of living upstairs while hitting the road to California.

Plan B: turn the bus into the Motoraunt and serve up Edmonton’s best — and arguably biggest — burgers for the next 25 years.

Celebrating its silver anniversary this year, the Motoraunt has been in five locations around Edmonton including Jasper Avenue. The owner will bring out pictures if you ask. It’s been in this current spot the longest (13 years) but it’s not easy to find, tucked between Fort Road and Yellowhead Trail. And be warned, this isn’t exactly the swankiest neighbourhood.

Now, once you’ve arrived at the bus that’s surrounded by several ramshackle extensions, follow the path that leads to the sign that leads to the door. You can sit in the dining room (an addition) or upstairs in the bus’ second floor. Menus are large photocopies with your choice of all-day breakfast, hot dogs, sausage — and burgers that are big or ridiculously big.

Never one to turn away a challenge or the house specialty, Steph and Torsten (who insisted I try the Motoraunt) and I ceremoniously ordered the Monster Burger. The two-pound burger is the Motoraunt’s claim to fame. Behold!

This was one beautiful burger, people. It was loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and homemade ketchup on a great French loaf. The bread really made it sing, super-fresh but crusty enough to hold everything together. Apparently the 10-inch buns are picked up every morning from Safeway, of all places.

The Monster Burger comes with instructions. The owner told us to push it down with one hand while attacking it with a steak knife in the other. You have to cut it into pieces like a big layered cake!

Motoraunt uses 100% lean Canadian beef — and no salt and pepper or binding agents, like eggs or bread crumbs. The owner insisted that the beef stayed together because it was never frozen so it wasn’t all wet and goopy. I still think there’s a secret she’s not telling us…

The Monster Burger is $19.95 ($23.25 with fries) but it can easily be split among four people. You can also get the “regular” sized Motor Burger ($5.95/$7.95 with fries) like Rick did but I still think he’s a wuss. (You heard me!) He spent the rest of the weekend telling everyone I ate a burger the size of my head. For the record, I only ate a quarter of it.

This is a great place for kids because there’s so much to look at and explore. I think the Christmas tree and decorations stay up year-round, there are little knickknacks everywhere and the TVs are turned way up for Oilers’ games.

The distractions come in handy because it can be a bit of a wait for food. It’s usually only the two owners at the most in the kitchen, but c’mon, you don’t come here for a fast, frozen burger, you come for the Monster.

The Motoraunt, 12406-66th St., Edmonton, Alberta, (780) 477-8797.
Open Tues.-Sat. to 10 p.m., Sunday to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays.

 

EDMONTON: A Sunday morning

There aren’t that many places in downtown Edmonton that serve a decent cup of coffee, much less on a weekend. So it was nice to see the open sign on the Three Bananas Café in Winston Churchill Square on a Sunday morning.

It was even nicer to be sipping a lovely latté with a warm, flaky croissant and a view of city hall on a sunny day. Much better than a $20 hotel breakfast.

Three Bananas Cafe, 9918-102 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, (780) 428-2200. Open weekdays 7 a.m.-7 p.m., weekends 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Website here.

 

EDMONTON: Sataaaay

When we lived in Edmonton, we went to Pagolac several times a month. It was the only place that could satisfy my satay pho cravings — and still is.

Pagolac has Chinese food on its menu but I think it’s the best place in Edmonton for Vietnamese food. There are places with good pho and places with good bun but Pagolac serves both consistently well. Most dishes run about $10.

Quick Vietnamese primer:

Pho: rice noodles in clear beef broth with thin slices of beef (choices of rare, well-done, fatty flank, brisket etc.) and other options of tripe, tendon or meatballs to add both flavour and texture, topped with paper-thin slices of white onions and scallions.

I think a good pho is distinguished by a broth that’s full of flavour, simmered for hours with star anise, charred ginger, cloves and cinnamon.

Bun: cool rice noodles without the broth, usually topped with grilled meat and spring rolls with shredded lettuce and bean sprouts underneath. A “dressing” of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chiles comes on the side which I usually just dump right into everything.

I forget what number it is on the menu but this vermicelli bowl is one of Jason’s favourites: (from clockwise) lemongrass pork, crispy spring rolls, grilled meatballs, and beef la lop.

La lop, my friends, are the leaves of the betel plant. They’re wrapped around spiced ground beef and turn black when grilled. It’s a strange, tasty concoction of textures.

And here finally, my beloved beef satay soup. Oh I was one giddy diner when it arrived steaming hot in front of me.

I have yet to find satay pho like this anywhere else. The soup is thick and complex, peanuty with a spicy kick, topped with perfect slices of rare beef and raw tomato wedges that cook in the broth as you slurp it all up. It’s not a pretty dish to eat — Jason says it look like I have the flu when I’m devouring it, runny nose and all — but it’s soooooooo gooooood.

I’ve had satay pho at other places where the soup tastes like hot water with splashes of hot sauce and peanut oil floating in a film on top. Bleah.

Pagolac has one location in Chinatown and another on the south-side that’s worth visiting if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to eat Vietnamese food in a former steakhouse, still adorned with velvet curtains and heavy wood chairs from the ’70s.

If anyone can tell me what the laughing cow with earrings is all about, I’d love to hear about it. I’ve seen it used as a mascot at several Vietnamese restaurants but haven’t been able to find out its significance.

Pagolac, 10566-97 St., Edmonton, Alberta, (780) 425-1540 and 9642-54 Ave. (780) 433-8899.

 

EDMONTON: Skinny legs and cowgirls

I debated for a while before writing about Skinny Legs and Cowgirls because I don’t like to be anything less than totally positive in an entry. But I think the things that bugged us are fixable and there are enough things going for the “sort of bistro,” as it says on the sign, that people will still be curious enough to go.

I wanted to love this tiny, quirky restaurant run by Susan Kellock in the kitchen and her daughter Amy on the floor. Hidden in an unfashionable strip mall, it’s named after their shared love of writer Tom Robbins. Did I mention tiny? Just half a dozen tables we instantly recognized from Ikea. The resourcefulness, I thought, boded well for a focus on food.

We were seduced by the two specials on the blackboard: two salmon fillets ($37) with pineapple and the restaurant’s famous mixed grill ($73). Amy told us each would feed about two people so we ordered one fish and two grills between six of us.

It’s been a while since we all got together, so we lingered over the bottle of wine we brought (corkage fee is $25) and caught up.

Before long, the bowl of nuts and the chips and salsa provided to us were gone — and an hour had passed. We sent some anxious looks toward the bar where Amy and the other server were beyond busy. They smiled back but that was it.

We ordered a bottle of Foch ($50 - Quails’ Gate from B.C. I think) from their lovely wine list and tried not to eat the flowers on the table.

An hour and a half after we arrived, we got our first taste of Skinny Legs and Cowgirls. The large platters were pretty, scattered with copious amounts of organic vegetables: roasted brussel sprouts and red peppers, mashed sweet potatoes, wilted spinach, seared pear slices, grilled baby eggplant and zucchini.

The salmon was quite good, playing well with the bits of pineapple.

The mixed grill was great but the two platters disappeared quickly because we were starving. Each plate was piled with four breaded lamb chops, three bison ribs, about 6 oz. of sliced striploin and a potato gratin. The mint sauce was a revelation, made with horseradish, white vinegar and an undisclosed secret ingredient.

The regular menu is all meant to be shared — Caesar salad ($10.95) and chorizo and rice ($16) for example — in a hearty tapas kind of style. All the mains come with organic vegetables.

Dinner was delicious but two things niggled at us. We waited more than 90 minutes with no explanation or assurances when our food was coming. I understand things can get hectic in a small kitchen and we all like giving little places more leeway but 90 minutes is a looong time in an 18-seat restaurant.

(In the end, Amy waived the $25 corkage fee because we were celebrating our engagement, but not because of the wait.)

And while we have no problems with paying high prices for exceptional food — our group included Kat, who first introduced us to the world of fine wine — $37 for two pieces of salmon and $73 for the mixed grill was hard to swallow.

We applaud the prominent use of organic ingredients, but the specials weren’t special or generous enough to merit their price tags — which are also not posted anywhere and may be a shock for some people when they get their bills.

We left with mixed feelings because we do wish the best for the warm, friendly bistro and can only hope the time lapse was an anomaly.

Skinny Legs and Cowgirls, 9008 Jasper Ave., Edmonton, (780) 423-4107. Open Tuesday to Sunday 6-10 p.m. Reservations recommended.

 

JASPER: Fiesta in the mountains

Nothing gets a group of girls going better than a great meal. So to celebrate Katherine’s upcoming wedding to Tim, our favourite guy who is not my boyfriend, we started our night out on the town at a place called La Fiesta.

It’s in a great location off the main street and offers both Mexican and Spanish dishes. The smallish space is probably better suited to quiet romantic dinners, but for one night, we were “that” table. Ten boisterous girls with healthy appetites.

We shared three starters, including a standard warm artichoke dip ($10). The oven-baked calamari ($11) was charming, stuffed with a mushroom, caper and olive duxelle and served with a roasted bell pepper chutney.

I really liked the tortilla-crusted chorizo and goat cheese cakes ($9), its crunchiness mixing well with the jicama artichoke salsa that came alongside.

Dawn the lone vegetarian was delighted with her main plate - yam, potato and boursin cheese lasagna with curried lentil and tofu stew ($17). I’d give it points for creativity alone, with the yam and potato slices replacing the wide noodles, but as a bonafide meat-eater, this veggie dish was delicious.

Several others ordered the grilled salmon enchilada ($11). It came with salsa, sour cream, rice and refried beans. It didn’t come across so well in the photo, but I’m pretty sure everyone cleaned their plates.

I think I got the best dish of the night though in the paella velenciana ($23). I’ve never been to Spain but I’m pretty sure this is the closest I’ve come to the real thing. All the other paellas I’ve tried have been dry, bland or stingy in toppings.

This one was rich in mussels, prawns, chorizo, pork and chicken on top of saffron rice just bursting with flavour. Kate said the vegetarian version ($1 with grilled vegetables, black olives and artichokes was also good but liked mine better. Me too!

La Fiesta is a great mid-priced restaurant to relax in after a long day in the mountains - or to kick off your own fiesta which we did.

La Fiesta, 504 Patricia St., Jasper, Alberta, (780) 852-0404. More info here.

 

JASPER: Best bagel ever

Food tastes better in the Rocky Mountains. Even if it’s just a cheese bagel with vegetable cream cheese and a banana. And especially after a two-hour, five-kilometre, mostly uphill hike in Jasper National Park.

The trail up Bald Hills has an elevation of 480 metres along an old fire road. It ends at an old hitching rail for horses. The view, already pretty. But the girls insisted on a farther 2 kilometres and 130 meters up to a stunning vantage point overlooking Maligne Lake.

I was amazed at how fast the weather changes in the mountains. In four hours, we went from hot and sunny to cold and snowing and back again.

As much as my legs were tired, the view was worth it. I’ve never tasted a better bagel.

Oh yes, and a red fox toddled up to see what we were up to, too.

More info on the Bald Hills hiking trail here. Jasper is 362 kilometres from Edmonton and 414 kilometres from Calgary.

 

EDMONTON: Hangin’ on the back bacon

It’s hard for me to resist a place as boldly named as Bacon. It’s a friendly neighbourhood restaurant nestled in Highlands in Edmonton. I finally got a chance to try it while catching up with some girlfriends.

Many people told me Bacon is simliar to Culina in its casual vibe and fresh local food, so I was excited. I also recognized the chef in Bacon’s kitchen as a regular at the bar during Culina’s Saturday brunch. A good sign.

However, it was one of the hottest days of the summer and Bacon is not air-conditioned. The kitchen opens right up into the dining area so it was stifling. My quick glance at the room took in a bright teal wall with folk tapestry patterns. Luckily, Bacon has a patio - which the hostess cheerfully introduced as the “back bacon.”

Whew. Now we could start eating. We started with the perogy plate ($8), cheese and potato dumplings made by local babas. Looks like some of the proceeds go to the St. Michael’s Healthcare Group. Bacon adds a refreshing twist by topping it with an awesome bacon gremolata.

I opted for the special of the day, tandoori chicken thighs with coconut curry lentils and green papaya salad. The chicken was delicious but I’d like to see the portion upped a little, even with the side of whole wheat chapatis.

Katherine got the Prairie paella ($18), a hefty bowl of free-range chicken, andouille sausage, green beans, chickpeas and wild mushrooms with brown rice and Spanish saffron. She gave it a thumbs up, calling it “comfort food on a hot day.” (That’s her engagement ring she insisted on adding to the perogy picture.)

Steph, a former vegetarian, ordered the Alberta bison burger ($15) with gusto. I eyed it jealously when it came. A huge patty cooked medium-rare with molasses butter, remoulade, onion and Havarti on a whole wheat bun.

Steph’s ruling: “I liked it, but it made me sweat.” (She wanted to get in on the hand model action too. That’s her with the bottle of wine.)

Catherine got the Indian bazaar bowl ($15). I lost my notes for that one but I remember both a tomato and cream curry sauce on brown rice. She said she liked the curry because it was not too spicy. Catherine also had a cool drink, ginger beer with cranberry juice.

The rest of us split a bottle of 2006 Enrique Foster Malbec Ique from Argentina. Young and fruity, like the summer evening.

The entire back of the Bacon’s menu is a lengthy source list of its local ingredients, such as “free range eggs, red potatoes and herbs from Mary Ellen and Andreas at Greens, Eggs and Ham.” It’s a nice touch.

I don’t know what category Bacon fits into with its Ukrainian, ethnic, fusion, natural food etc. I’ll admit I was leery of the healthy aspects of the menu, flax this and brown rice that, but Bacon was more than tasty enough to lure me back.

Bacon, 6509-112 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, (780) 477-2422. Menu here.
Open Tues-Sun, 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday brunch 10 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Mondays.

 

I scream, you scream

It’s sweltering out. The only relief is ice cream. And these days, the only ice cream for me is Marble Slab Creamery. It’s a franchise started in Texas and it’s making its way through Canada.

They make each batch of ice cream and the waffle cones fresh in the store every day. The shtick is you choose one flavour and one “mixin” (crumbled chocolate bars, fruit, nuts, cookie dough etc.), then the hard-working, underpaid kids behind the counter mix them together by hand.

This involves strenously folding the ice cream and topping together on a frozen slab of marble with ice cream scoops in each hand. That falls into my “you could not pay me enough to do that for 8 hours” category.

A big cone with one topping is $5. It’s not a bargain but it’s one of those summer splurges that’s worth it.

My favourite is birthday cake ice cream - it tastes like angel food cake - with sprinkles or cherries. I forgot to take a picture until I was halfway done my cone.

Steph got banana ice cream with Skor bits (”Tastes like banana bread.”), Katherine got plain birthday cake (”So yummy!”), and Catherine got banana ice cream with strawberries (”Yum!”).

How good is Marble Slab? Steph was driving and got Katherine to hold her cone for two seconds while she backed the car out. Well, next thing you know, perfectly sweet Steph is yelling, “Stop licking my cone, b**ch!” But in a good way, you know?

We were four happy girls, savouring our Marble Slab ice cream, sitting on the edge of the beautiful wading pool at the Alberta legislature at dusk. It doesn’t get any better.

Marble Slab Creamery, click here for locations in Canada.
Looks like only B.C., Alberta and Ontario so far.

 

Eating local

My good friends at CBC Edmonton are starting a new series next week on the whole concept of eating local. It’s loosely based on the 100-mile diet, where you buy or gather all your food within 100 miles of where you live.

Two Vancouver writers did that for a year and turned it into a very successful book.

It looks like my friend and former chef Ivor Mackay will be taking his family on the 100-mile diet for a year and will be keeping a blog and posting recipes along the way.

There will be stories on an organic mill, the debate over organic certification in Alberta and a primer on Edmonton’s local markets. You can check out all the radio and TV programming here.

 

EDMONTON: My favourite brunch

I love everything about Culina - the cozy atmosphere, the sleek painted walls, the artwork, the mismatched coffee spoons, the toothpick bird, the red and gold mirrored women’s bathroom, and of course the food.

It’s a great place for a romantic dinner but it’s my favourite place for brunch, especially with a good group of girlfriends and the weekend paper.

Culina calls itself a neighbourhood bistro that makes comfort food with a twist. The brunch specials change every weekend so I’m always torn about what to order.

I usually fall back on the bacon and eggs: slow braised pork, mushroom frittata, potato hash and rye toast. The “bacon” is to die for especially dipped in the side of spicy ketchup. The frittata is topped with a creamy mushroom sauce laced with blue cheese.

There are some mouth-watering sandwiches like the ham & cheese (honey ham and edam on grilled raisin bread), the house sandwich (grilled zucchini, spinach, cream cheese, pickled peppers and chickpea spread), or Steph’s favourite egg, bacon and cheese panini.

On the lighter side are grilled cornbread and blueberry butter, an amazing fruit salad with marscapone cream, or the always delicious soups from sister company Soul Soup.

A new addition to brunch is the gingerbread French toast with apple sauce, marscapone cream and butterscotch. Jeannie loved it but said it was quite sweet and probably better as a shared dessert next time.

Brunch was limited to only Saturdays but I think Culina might be expanding to Sundays too. If you’re planning a busy weekend, try the gourmet TV dinners.

Culina, 9914-89 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta, (780) 437-5588. Reservations recommended.

 

EDMONTON: Ladies who lunch

It’s hard to squeeze in a decent lunch even on a full hour break. By the time you get to a restaurant, sit down and order, there goes 15 minutes. Then you wolf down your meal, throw down some cash, and run back to the office. Enough to ruin any good meal.

That’s why the Indian buffet ($13) at Haweli was perfect for lunch with the ladies at my former office. Haweli is quite a lovely place, soft draperies and soothing walls. A nice downtown respite in the middle of a workday.

The best part though - as long as you were smart enough to reserve a table - is you can head straight for the goods:

• beef curry
• saag paneer: cheese cubes cooked with minced spinach and cream
• tandoori chicken
• vegetarian pakora: fried fritters of potatoes, spinach, onions and cauliflower
• butter chicken
• dal: lentils
• aloo gobi: potatoes and cauliflower cooked in onions, garlic and ginger.

Business is brisk so nothing sits for long. The pakoras especially stay crispy and fresh. My favourite butter chicken is moist (it’s mostly dark meat) and hard to stop at just one helping.

There’s a small salad bar with cold veggies and yogurts and chutneys. Baskets of naan bread are brought straight to your table, fresh from the tandoor or clay oven. If you’ve got room in the end, there’s usually rice pudding and gulab jamun, a dough ball soaked in syrup.

Top it off with a Kingfisher Indian beer, just in time to return to the cubicle and a nap.

The lunch buffet is incredibly popular. Make reservations especially for a large group. I’ve been here for dinner, ordering off the menu, when the atmosphere is quieter and more romantic. The food is just as good at night.

Haweli, 10220-103 St., Edmonton, Alberta, (780) 421-8100.

 

The best game you can name

One-way LRT ride to Rexall Place: $2.25.

200-level ticket to the Battle of Alberta: thanks Tim!

Regular popcorn: $3.50.

20 oz plastic cup of Molson Canadian: $7.50.

Edmonton Oilers’ 4-0 loss to the Calgary Flames: Sucky.

 

Chinese brekky

I often get cravings for Chinese breakfast. It’s easy enough to make at home but it’s usually so much cheaper and faster at bakery restaurants, there’s no point.

Chinese breakfast is served til only about 10 or 11 on weekend mornings, and usually in a restaurant that doubles as a Chinese bakery. It’s great to sit there and smell the freshly baked buns while ordering breakfast.

There’s a standard menu of noodle soups, fried eggs and bacon or congee (rice porridge). These almost always come with white toast or a Chinese bun as well as tea or coffee - all for under $5. Everything is a combo. You can’t say you don’t get a bargain.

When I was little, my mom made macaroni soup for breakfast. I think every Chinese kid has memories of macaroni with sliced ham and frozen peas floating in broth.

Now, I usually get satay beef with rice vermicelli soup. No macaroni for me, thanks.

You can go the “western” route at Chinese breakfast and get eggs with some sort of meat - bacon, wieners, pork chop, or minute steak - but it will taste like Chinese food. It might have something to do with the oil or the pan used in the kitchen, but my boyfriend swears it’s true.

Breakfast can come with Hong-Kong style milk tea - black tea with evaporated milk. You add sugar to it at the table according to your own tastes. One teaspoon for me, four if you’re my dad.

No one really lingers at Chinese breakfast. It’s all about filling up first thing in the morning and then heading on your way.

ABC Bakery & Cafe, 112C-3rd Ave. SE, Calgary, Alberta, (403) 266-2888.
Garden Bakery, 10019-106th Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, (780) 421-1228.
Boss Bakery & Restaurant, 532 Main St., Vancouver, B.C., (604) 683-3860.

 

EDMONTON: Family-style dining

Everything about Zambelli’s is big. Big menu, big room, big entrees.

It’s a classic family-style restaurant where first dates and screaming kids would all feel comfortable. Though probably not next to each other.

There’s lots of room for big tables without feeling crowded, and the service is very friendly.

There’s something here for everyone: chicken fingers, pasta, Greek food, prime rib, and pizza. It’s not fancy but it’s done well.

It’s also a great value. The portions are generous, but so are the sides. I think that says a lot about wanting to send your customers home happy. Here the garlic bread is thick and the baked potatoes come with bowls of condiments that stay on your table.

The Greek salad that came with my beef souvlaki was huge, heaped with a mountain of crumbled feta. The beef was moist and rare, the way it should be.

Jason’s lasagna with meatballs - the fact this dish exists as an option is impressive - was only okay. It could’ve done with more layers of meat and cheese baked in between the noodles.

I regretted not being famished as the steaks and lobsters at the next table looked delicious. Next time, I’d definitely order a steak or prime rib.

Zambelli’s Prime Rib Steak & Pizza, 17925 Stony Plain Rd., Edmonton, Alberta, (780) 485-2444.