Author: Rebecca
Get Your Knosh On!

Get Your Knosh On!

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Knosh Catering is a family run business, headed by a gentleman that is generous, creative and talented. Knosh prides itself on supporting local producers.  The majority of the ingredients used are provided by some of Edmonton’s best local farmers and independent producers. They specialize in British and European cuisine.  Cream Tea,  Afternoon Tea and High Teas are their specialty.

Stuart Parry is completely self taught.  The passion that he puts into his cooking and baking is evident in anything he puts on your plate.  His customers are family and are treated as such when they have a meal with him.  I have been following Stuart and family since the food truck days.  The sandwiches and traditional English breakfasts are just as tasty as the Trifle and Victorian Sponge Cake!

Knosh Catering now calls the Crestwood Curling Club home; Stuart and family run the concession.  They still cater for weddings and events.  It’s nothing fancy,  unless of course, you are attending a Knosh Tea Party.  I was lucky enough to get an invite to the most recent event.  The tickets always sell out.

When you see the concession area transformed into Grandma’s dining room, you can’t help but marvel at it’s beauty.  The tables are covered in matching linens with the tea trays and teacups all ready to be filled for the guests.  Stuart and his family are busy in the kitchen filling the tea trays for the guests that have already been seated.

Once you are comfortable, you have your tea brought out to you with your own tea set on a silver platter.  Your tea tray is also brought to your table filled with tea sandwiches, savouries and Stuart’s famous scones; one of each for everyone at the table.  The scones by themselves are delightful, but Stuart puts it over the top with in house made clotted cream and strawberry preserves.

If that wasn’t enough, there is also an entire table loaded with traditional cakes, tarts and biscuits!  You will never leave Knosh hungry.

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I LOVE dressing up for tea, but it is not mandatory.  There is no dress code at Knosh.  If you want to dress fancy, or if you want to dress down.  Everyone is welcome.

After I was completely sated with such a delicious tea, I got the chance to chat a bit with Stuart and congratulate him on his new granddaughter.  Proud Grandpa!

RR: What inspires you to cook and bake?  What is your muse?

SP: All of my most treasured memories as a child are centred around
food.  I have always cooked for Family and Friends.  I am self taught
by trial and error.  My wife Karen says that I am most happiest in the
kitchen and even on  worst days I still have a smile on my face when
baking.  When people come to Crestwood they are treated like family, I
am always pulling people into the kitchen at Crestwood to eat this,
sample that.  Crestwood curling Club has become an extension of my
family, so for me Family and Friends inspire me to cook and I love
nothing more that see people eat and smile.

RR:  What can we expect from Knosh in the near future?

SP: I truly have found a home at Crestwood Curling Club. Knosh has
been made to feel welcome and we have been given a great opportunity
to be able to expand while at the club.  We still offer catering
services in the non-curling months, but we are also are now able to offer
traditional afternoon teas, fish and chips nights and full English
breakfast and brunch on Saturdays.  The Crestwood Curling Club is open
to the public to come any time, so I encourage people to come check
out the club and grab a bit to eat.  The upstairs lounge area is
totally family friendly, children are welcome and they have a great
selection of local craft beers on tap.  We also are providing fresh
baked scones and pies to Mandolin book store.  Knosh is a family owned
and operated business.

RR: Can I please get a brief background on how you started cooking and how
Knosh came to be?

SP:  I have always loved to cooked, feeding people is one of my biggest
joys.  I started professional by fluke.  I had just been laid off from
my Nursing attendant position with The Good Samaritan and a friend
recommended me for a job at a catering company.  I got the job there
and worked there for 10 years, I learned so much it was great but
decided to take some time off to be with family.  That did not last
long as I saw an ad for a food truck for sale, something I had been
thinking about for a while.  So I bought the truck and Knosh Catering
was born.  I have not looked back.  Loved every day working on the
truck and meeting some amazing people that I still keep in contact
with.  The Food Truck owners are a tight knit family that help and
support each other.  After four seasons I decided to sell the truck
and was invited to move into Crestwood Curling Club which has given us
the ability to expand our menu and offer special events such as
Afternoon Tea and Fish and chip nights.

Traditional British food is hard to find in Edmonton.  I hear rumours that the traditional British fish and chip nights featuring “Effing Seafood” cod, mushy peas and the works, will be taking place the third week in October.  The afternoon teas will continue as well after September. Keep your eyes on the Facebook page for the event listings.

 
Greens, Eggs and Ham Family Farm; It Takes a Village

Greens, Eggs and Ham Family Farm; It Takes a Village

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This particular story that was shared with me could probably fill a book, so I will need to condense it down into a few pages and still make sure you get the whole picture.

Andreas and Mary Ellen are a wonderful pair of human beings that were living like any of the rest of us.  Andreas had a job teaching and Mary Ellen was working as an Ultrasonographer.  Andreas had a dream…  He wanted to farm.

The original farm started in 1999 located just south of Edmonton.  Andreas and Mary Ellen were both still working and then coming home and working some more.  They had 10 acres of land with a barn and a house.  The whole story started out with some hogs.

Andreas found himself out of work one day and decided that he would try this whole farming experiment full time.  He started a non-conventional farm that specialized in ducks and heritage vegetables.

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YEGfoodie Visits Meals on Wheels

YEGfoodie Visits Meals on Wheels

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As a Social Media Influencer in Edmonton, I am often invited out to restaurant openings and food events in and around Edmonton.  My favourite things to do are when we have “tweetups” for charity.  This is where influencers get together with the marketing team of a charity and live tweet, Instagram or Facebook information about the charity at a peak time to get the word out to the social media world.

Meals on Wheels has invited me a few times now and sometimes this has been in a setting where I actually get to volunteer in the kitchen.   This was one of those events.

Meals on Wheels is a wonderful charity organization that delivers nutritious meals to a diverse mix of people in Edmonton.  A large percentage of their clients are seniors.  Now that my day job involves working for a Home Care company, I understand how that daily visit with a hot meal is the highlight of that person’s day.  The volunteers are able to make someone smile with a quick daily visit.  “Feeding Body and Soul” is their motto.

Volunteers do make a difference.  It takes 25+ people per day to deliver meals.   Volunteers use their own vehicles.  The shifts are generally about 2 hours and you are given a route map.  It is easiest with a driver and a navigator.

My favourite place though is the kitchen.  Dietary requirements from low fat and allergies to full on medical diets are made in house by a Dietitian and Red Seal Chef.  Volunteers are encouraged to have knowledge of food safety before they come into the kitchen.  Proper attire is required and aprons and hairnets are provided.  Pedal style hand-washing sinks await you.

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There are lots of stations to choose from in the kitchen and it is a great team-building experience for your corporate team.  There are areas to help with preparation, serving areas and packaging areas.  Something for every skill level.  I always find it to be an up-beat experience in the kitchen.   I even got to operate the sealing machine once!

This time around, I got to hang out with the lovely Kim Q. from YEGTweetup.  She is a local social media influencer like myself and she now runs her own social media marketing company.  Go Kim!  We were assigned to do the portioning of some frozen spaghetti meals.  By the end of our 2 hour shift, we had over 220 meals assembled.  It was awesome to be able to chat and catch up with Kim and to be able to help out at the same time.

We learned about the “Grow a Row” program while we were there.  If you have a garden at home, you can “grow a row” for the Meals on Wheels program and deliver it to the kitchen where it will be used in the meals.  If you have excess produce, it can also be donated to MOW.  This means that the MOW clients can enjoy fresh produce as part of the summer program. There are so many ways to help out!

They are having their large fundraiser in partnership with Yellowhead Brewery this year.  Beers and Bands will take place September 21. The night will feature live music from Lindsey Walker & Two Bears North,  brewery tours, a silent auction, raffles, great beer, and so much more. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online.

Meals on Wheels is not just for seniors, anyone can use the service.  You can also stop by the office and pick up frozen “Chefs Choice” meals as a healthier option to just pop in the microwave when you don’t feel like cooking.

Such a wonderfully diverse charity right here in Edmonton.  Grab a friend and volunteer today!

20 Questions with Graziano Catering

20 Questions with Graziano Catering

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I thought this would be a great way to get to know a small business.  I have known Gerry from Graziano’s Catering for a few years now.  Besides being a wonderful human being, he is also wonderful with Italian food.

Here we go:

  1. What is your muse?  What inspires you to come up with new menu items?  I just think of flavours that I have experienced and think of other ways to apply them. A lot of my influence came from two trips to Italy, albeit 16 years apart. I was amazed at the freshness of everything, but also the simplicity. Italians love to grill, but they don’t rely on heavy sauces for the meats. Just fresh quality cuts, oil and a variety of spices and herbs.
  2. What did you eat for dinner last night? A few of us from Twitter that had never met, got together at Lingnan for a fabulous dinner and fun conversation. It was lighthearted and fun and a testament to what can happen when people use Twitter for good and not evil. Plus it’s always nice when you can express yourself directly to people using more than 140 characters.
  3. What is your favourite place in Edmonton to eat when you are not cooking? Piccolinos Bistro, Famoso, Lingnan
  4. What is your most favourite ingredient to work with? Prosciutto
  5. What is your favourite charity event that you do?  I have spent a lot of time working with Ronald McDonald House and their “Meals That Mend” program.  If you have never been, it really is a heart warming experience. The thing I take away the most is that I can instantly see the impact a few hours of my time makes on so many people. A home made meal to a family coping with a sick child in hospital is much more powerful than people may realize.
  6. What can Graziano Catering fans expect from you in the next year or so? I’m taking my time and planning things out. This industry can be unforgiving and one wrong move can sink you. For now, lessons, hopefully more pop ups and of course always available for caterings.
  7. Tell me a bit about your in home cooking classes.  These are something I have wanted to start for a while. Basically it’s meant to be a fun 3-4 hours, in your home with me and just making some sauces and fresh pasta. Eventually I want to incorporate a few other cooking lessons with meats or desserts. For some, they may have no idea where to begin, for others it’s a refresher. A few months before the wonderful Gail Hall passed away, we had a great conversation about her experiences. She told me, there comes a point when it’s okay to share what you have learned with others. I just feel like that time has come.
  8. First word that comes to mind when I say foodie? Frienemy
  9. Last weekend on earth – what city are you eating in? Florence, Italy
  10. If you weren’t cooking for a living, what would you be doing?  Probably working in the Radio/TV industry
  11. What did you want to be when growing up? In order, Fireman, Chef, Sportscaster, NHL Linesman
  12. If you left Edmonton to cook somewhere else, where would you go? Florence, Italy or Vancouver, BC
  13. Most embarrassing cooking moment? Sometimes, you get busy and attention to details are missed. I got a call from a school wondering if I was on the way with their hot school lunch order. I thought it was the following Monday. Needless to say, I had to scramble. I bought pizza for 125 kids, and apologized profusely. That school still does business with me to this day. Here’s a tip kids, if you make a mistake, own the hell out of it. Things can still work out.
  14. Person you would most like to cook for?  All of my family back in Italy. One huge family dinner starts around 8pm ends around midnight.
  15. What project are you most excited about right now? The Graziano Sunday Dinner. This will give me a chance to cook for people in a manner I haven’t been able to do before, at least not on such a large scale. When i had my cafe, we were busy and pumping out a lot of tasty lunches. This dinner is much different and at a higher skill set. I am loving the challenge it will present to me.
  16. Do you have any pet peeves? People that don’t courtesy wave in cars.
  17. What’s your karaoke song? “Ain’t That a Kick In The Head” by Dean Martin
  18. What do you like to do when you aren’t in the kitchen? I just like to unwind, and relax with a great cigar, some Port and listening to some old school jazz.
  19. What is your favourite sports team? Being a born and raised BC boy, as unpopular as this will be in Edmonton, I’d have to say the Vancouver Canucks. However, I’ve always thought of the Oilers as my step son. So they’re a very close second.
  20. If you had $10,000 how would you spend it? I will be cliche like so many chefs on cooking shows and say, I would take my family on a much needed vacation.

Speaking of which, Gerry has “The Graziano Sunday Dinner” coming up on May 28th.  This is a pop up style event taking place at Privada Wine and Tapas in St. Albert.  Tickets are a mere $50 per person for a wonderful meal featuring Effing Seafood and local Piedmontese Beef.   I would love it if you could join us!  Tickets will sell fast, and must be purchased before May 19.
The Colombian Mountain Coffee Company

The Colombian Mountain Coffee Company

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To many of us, coffee is life… That first cup in the morning is heavenly, and for some of us, can make the day better.

Local coffee was not something that I had ever planned on, but then I met a couple who are making that happen.

From the website:

“Born and raised in Colombia, Santiago was surrounded by coffee culture and hardworking farmers. Fast forward to today, Santiago’s family now owns a coffee farm of their own and asked if he would bring the family coffee to the Canadian coffee connoisseur. He went one step further and together with his partner in crime, Kristin, threw himself into the world of coffee. Multiple trips to Colombia to tour farms, and to meet the producers and the families who pick the coffee, inspired Santiago and Kristin to start a micro coffee roastery right at home in Alberta!”

This project has been one of passion for this couple.  They have had a lot of roadblocks that they have had to overcome to bring YEG their family’s best.  The business is very new to Edmonton, so they are only available at farmers markets, handmade shows and through their website.  You will be able to find them at the 124 Street Grand Market on Thursday evenings and the Collingwood Farmers Market on Sundays.

They have a small roastery nestled in an industrial area located west on 118 avenue.  If you are very lucky, you will get invited to attend a tasting.

Santiago and Kristin are warm and inviting and will teach you everything that there is to know about coffee. From the growing of the beans, to managing to get the beans shipped back to Canada, and to the whole roasting experience.  Quite a lot of work goes into your morning cup of coffee!  Kristin comes from a teaching background, so she has her photo display boards all ready for her story telling time!

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The coffee is grown ethically/fair trade;  the surrounding farms think that the Santa Rita Farm in Columbia has got a great thing going.  Happy farmers means a great product.

Santiago loves his beans, and it shows!  He will proudly show you the different types of beans that come in for roasting and how each one is different.  The aromas that were in the air during my tour were heavenly.

I was surprised by how short a roasting session actually was.  It was only a few minutes!

Technology does take its effect on roasting as well.  Temperature, humidity, outdoor weather and many other factors go into how the end result will taste.  And the taste…

The Santa Rita Columbian roast is my favourite so far.  I normally like anything from Ethiopia because of the complex flavours that the beans can present.  The Santa Rita is bright and flavourful, and will make you want a second cup!

You will need to keep your eyes on the website to see where the coffee will be available locally.  I am excited to share the journey of this local startup.

Follow them on Facebook

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Urban Leaf Farms Wheatgrass Shots

Urban Leaf Farms Wheatgrass Shots

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When I was approached by Urban Leaf Farms to go for a tour of the business, I was a bit hesitant.  My relationship with wheatgrass is not necessarily a good one.  My first and last experience with a nationally franchised smoothie and juice business was not a good one to say the least.  The stuff actually made me gag, and it was just not pleasant at all.  I have not re-visited since then.
I know this stuff is a “super food” and is really good for you, full of nutrients etc. Here is the wiki on wheatgrass in case you are curious. Since one of my goals this year is to try to eat healthier, I thought, why not?
Wheatgrass is a powerful health food that is packed with highly concentrated chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and enzymes;
  • one of the best natural sources of living chlorophyll
  • wheatgrass detoxifies the liver, circulatory and digestive systems
  • reduces high blood pressure and alleviates stress
  • activates white blood cells to boost your immune system
  • helps prevent tooth decay and improves digestion
  • restores alkalinity to the blood and circulatory system
  • heals cuts and bruises when applied topically
  • gluten free even though it is a wheat product
I met with one of the owners, Mark Farrugia.  He is an Australian native, but has been in Canada now for several years.  He is familiar with our Alberta winters and all of the difficulties that they present our farmers with.
Urban leaf grows their plants hydroponically and aerophonically INDOORS. Their system is completely automated with a dedicated server that monitors water, light, carbon dioxide, humidity, temperature etc.  The water, phosphates and nitrates are measured and timed.  Each crop has a “grow ID” that is very much like a growing recipe.  All of the information is saved so that a crop can be replicated with the same growing conditions. It was a really interesting sight for this nerd to see!
All of that scientific information and measuring leads to a very consistent, high quality product.  Mark and his team are always trying to improve everything as well.  They have also done a light study on the plants.  There is a difference in taste between when fluorescent lights and LED lights are used.  LED light apparently makes the product taste better.

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Harvests are done once a week and then juiced with a special commercial juicer, packaged and frozen to preserve freshness.  They have only been approved to sell since January of this year, so I imagine like everything else, this process will be improved upon and changed as well.
Mark tells me that home juicers can destroy some of the nutrients in wheatgrass due to heat.  Their motors and blades heat up and in turn heat the wheatgrass.
So how should one consume wheatgrass?  Straight up.  First thing in the morning on an empty stomach.  Each box of Supershots contains a 14 day frozen supply.  Take one out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw.
Mark made sure I got the full meal deal with my visit.  They sent me home with a 28 day supply.  I will definitely need to update this article on my blog to let you know how I am doing on my wheatgrass journey.
Urban leaf wheatgrass is actually palatable!  It wasn’t anything like the smoothie bar experience that I had before. It is a sweet taste along with the herbal, grassy taste.  If you have ever chewed the soft end of grass as a kid, it is very similar to that.
I suffer from IBS.  This means that I have a hard time digesting raw vegetables and the nutrients that go with them.  I try to ensure that I make a smoothie for myself every morning because it is the only way I can really “do” vegetables.
I have also done some research on Turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties.  It needs to be mixed with black pepper to activate those nutrients.  Here is my mixture:
  • 3 Tbsp powdered turmeric
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp powdered ginger
If you put these ingredients in a small mason jar and give them a shake, they are ready to add to smoothies, or heat up a cup of milk, or coconut milk.  Add 1 tsp of the mixture to your favourite smoothie recipe.
Coincidentally, guess what is next on the growing roster for Urban Leaf?  Turmeric, ginger and basil!  With the experience that I have had so far with the high quality of the supershots, I am excited for both the turmeric and the ginger.  My smoothies will be super packed with nutrients!
So where can you get your hands on this amazing health product?
Keep your eyes on Glo Juice as well, during the month of March Urban Leaf will be performing pop ups in their Edmonton locations (incl St.Albert and Sherwood Park) to promote a new juice flavour they are developing that contains Urban Leaf SuperShots wheatgrass.
Soon to be on the Urban Leaf website will be recipes that you can use wheatgrass and their other products in.  Mark was telling me about a pesto-like recipe that he had experienced that sounded amazing.  I will look forward to trying it.
You can get more information on the product and stay up to date on new products by following Urban Leaf on one of their social media channels:
Calle Mexico; A Neighbourhood Gem

Calle Mexico; A Neighbourhood Gem

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Calle Mexico is a hidden gem located on 107 avenue and 111 street. Juan Taiango and Angelica Del Carmen started out in Edmonton with their food truck of the same name in May of 2015. It was so popular that they were able to open a tiny restaurant in March of 2016. This restaurant expanded to double the size on December 1, 2016 and they got a liquor license!

Juan is a red seal chef, the man behind all of the social media, and the face that you will see on the food truck. His partner Angelina is the sweet smile you will see at the restaurant when you pop in to enjoy some really great food. Both are from Mexico and have been in Canada for 8+ years now. They used to manage a Cora’s before they ventured out on their own.

Calle Mexico is truly unique. When you walk through those doors, you are greeted warmly; like walking into someone’s home as guests.  There is always some great music playing in the background.

Everything on the menu is FRESH! Juan and Angelina pride themselves in making everything from scratch on a daily basis. I love the salsa verde so much that I suggested Angelina should bottle it and sell it. When she explained to me that it was made fresh daily and would be so hard to get it to the customer as fresh, I think I finally understood.

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The menu is absolutely awesome, with a little of this and a little of that. The Foodtruck menu is also available on their website. My favourite is the Alambre Tacos with sirloin, bacon and ham.  The salsas are “help yourself” but my favourite is the salsa verde made with tomatillos.

The daily specials are also a “must try”.  Brisket tacos are amazing and Angy always has something sweet and wonderful made for dessert.  I highly recommend the tres leches cake (three milks cake).  It was absolutely delicious!

Now that they are licensed, they have cerveza, margaritas and tequila to add to the already awesome selection of Jaritos flavoured sodas, horchata and Jamaica (a drink made with hibiscus flowers).

Now that there is more room to sit, you can invite all of your friends to come and join you for some awesome food!  They are closed on Taco Tuesday unfortunately, but that is the only day that they are not open during the week.  If you have a large group, you may want to call ahead for reservations.

If you can’t make it down to the restaurant, they can deliver through Skip The Dishes.

Summer brings the food truck back to the streets, often seen in Leduc as that is where Juan and Angy live.  If you haven’t downloaded the Streetfood App yet, you really should!  You can find out Calle’s schedule as well as other popular trucks in the Edmonton area.

If you love Mexican food as much as I do, you really need to come down to the restaurant, or find the food truck and give these guys a try!

 

Calle Mexico Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Sweet and Nerdy; The Gummi Boutique

Sweet and Nerdy; The Gummi Boutique

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Do you have a nerdy person in  your life that is hard to shop for?  Search no more and get yourself to the Gummi Boutique!

The Gummi Boutique is located in Old Strathcona at 101-10345 82nd Ave NW. They have just recently celebrated their fifth birthday in Calgary and their first birthday here in Edmonton.  If for some reason you got snowed in, or just didn’t feel like putting pants on to go out and get your candy fix, or suddenly craving a 5 pound gummi bear, you can have your Gummi Boutique candy DELIVERED!! How awesome is that?

They carry all of the classics that you could ever think of.  They have your Garbage Pail kids, cola balls, licorice babies, gummi candy, Jelly Belly etc. all in the bulk area.

For international choices, they have a good variety of the US candy bars that are hard to find.  They carry the European original Haribo gummi bears as well as a very popular line of Japanese confectionery.

Soda; lots of it!  Your cherry and vanilla headquarters.  There are also some brands of soda available that are just weird and awesome all at the same time.  Old fashioned favourites are also available.

It’s not all just sweetness either.  There are all kinds of unique gift items to browse through.  Blue Q, Pez dispensers, metal lunch boxes, board games, and gifts that are great for a laugh.

I almost forgot the bugs!  Crickets, chocolate covered ants and insect lolipops.  Perfect for that creepy cute bug lover in your life.

 

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Oh the nostalgia when you walk through this store!  There are so many things that I saw that brought me back to my childhood.  There is a lot of Willy Wonka that graces the walls of the store; one of my favourite movies as a kid.

I came up with some great gift ideas and stocking stuffers while browsing.  One of my ideas was to buy an appropriately themed metal lunch box and fill it up with their favourite candy.

Gummi Boutique also has thier “Eat More Candy Club” which is a subscription that can be a one time only, or on a month to month basis.  This is something that you can sign up for online, or go down to the store to give the staff all of the details.  The package will include items that are new to the store, things that are on special for that month and other surprises. It’s like a “Nerd Block”, only it’s candy.

The little kid in me just squees every time I walk in to this place.  This visit was no exception.  I brought home my favourite cola balls and they had some Dad’s Rootbeer Barrel hard candies as well.

I will look forward to my next visit for stocking stuffers!

Don’t despair… If you have taken a peek at the website, it is only a small portion of what they offer in the store. Treat your sweet nerd with sweets and give Gummi Boutique a visit in person soon.

Experience Edmonton International Airport

Experience Edmonton International Airport

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I was invited last year to do a food crawl of some of the more popular restaurants that exist on the secure side of the Edmonton International Airport. There are some restaurants there that don’t exist anywhere else in Edmonton. This time, I was one of the food bloggers that was chosen to “Experience EIA”.

This experience started out with being spoiled with priority valet parking. It’s incredibly simple. You make sure that you call ahead with your reservation. When you arrive, you pull up and the valet takes care of everything from there. More information and rates are listed here.

I had a lovely companion to join me for my lunch experience; Jacquie. For security reasons, my visit was required to be supervised.

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Sabor’s Sweetheart Supper

Sabor’s Sweetheart Supper

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Sabor is a marvel that lives right here in Edmonton;  “classy with a family feel”.   It is listed as one of the top 100 restaurants in Canada for the “Open Table” reservation app.

Located near the Boardwalk in downtown Edmonton, Sabor is run by Chef Lino and his childhood friend Christian.  Chef Lino is very passionate about what he does, and influenced by growing up in Portugal.  Christian is the showboat of this partnership, and can sometimes be seen singing for the guests in the restaurant.  It is a treat, he has a lovely voice!

The food at Sabor “features the flavours of Iberian coastal cuisine using sustainable seafood—served alongside the passion and energy of live music with a Latin flare”.

The vibe can be casual or dressy.  There are always both when we go.

The live music is on Wednesday thru Saturday.  There is a grand piano or a musician of some sort to serenade you and your sweetheart during dinner.  Pro tip:  bring cash to tip the musicians.

You don’t need to be a seafood lover to visit Sabor, but it certainly helps!  Iberian coastal cuisine features a lot of seafood.  What is different about Sabor though, is that they use Oceanwise sustainable seafood.  This means that they are using seafood that is in season and not at risk of being extinct.  It was actually quite interesting to learn about, and I now ask before I order at other restaurants.

There are daily lunch specials listed on the website.  They are very good about keeping everything updated.  I would highly recommend phoning ahead and finding out what the “Family Style” dinner is that night.  It is a daily 3 course menu which is awesome to make into a date night with your sweetheart.  This is what my husband and I did for our last anniversary and it was awesome!  The price-tag is $55 per person, but worth every penny and you are not walking away hungry!

The “Family Style” meal is served exactly like you would have it at home.  The food comes out on a serving plate and you help yourself.  It really does make it feel like a more intimate meal than having it come out plated.  I love this about Sabor.

The food is amazing!  I am from the West Coast, so I am used to fresh seafood.   Sabor does not disappoint. The seafood is fresh and cooked to perfection.  It can be difficult to cook scallops, calamari and prawns.  A lot of restaurants tend to overcook and make them rubbery, which turns a lot of people off those particular items.  Chef Lino and his team only turn out perfection.  The Piri Piri Prawns and the Lobster Risotto were favourites at our table.

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The beverage list is equally amazing.  The “Chocolan” house wines are really good to this “not wine” palate.  Your servers are all very knowledgeable about what pairs well with what you are eating, so if you don’t know, just ask and they will give you some great options.

Let’s take a moment and talk about the service.  Our server the last time we went was named Darren,  he was amazing.  When he found out it was our anniversary, he went above and beyond.  He brought out a Triple Chocolate Slab on the house complete with sparklers, AND he took photos of us on our phones.  All of the servers at Sabor are attentive, taking care of every little detail and making you feel at home.

Sabor is on my “Special Occasion” favourites list.  If you have a special someone and you want to surprise them with a romantic date night, this is the place!

For more information, please give the website a look: http://www.sabor.ca

All of the menus and daily specials are online.

 

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