Friday, December 22, 2017

Brunch, Brisket, and Steak at the Brick and Whiskey

Brisket sandwich, fries, and a highball. #yegfood #yegeats #yeg #foodporn

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I have been to this location (8937 82 Avenue) in several previous incarnations, most recently reinvented as the Brick and Whiskey. I am happy to say both the food and ambiance have improved. My first meals was the brisket sandwich, which had the meat piled up thick, with a mountain of fries. The meat was a little fattier than I like, but otherwise it tasted great.

Corned beef hash #yegfood #yeg #yegeats #brunch #foodporn #yegbrunch

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From opening until 4 p.m. on weekends, Brick and Whiskey has a longer brunch time window than most other establishments in the area, which stop serving at 2 p.m. I went for the corned beef hash, which was almost like a deconstructed reuben - huge chunks of house-cured meat atop seasoned hash browns and sauerkraut, topped with a poached egg (I held the cheese).

Steak for supper. #yegfood #yeg #yegeats #foodporn

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On another Thursday evening jam, I tried the steak. At $17 and served with mushrooms, fries, and a grilled tomato, this is an excellent value. My well-done steak was cooked to perfection, still juicy on the inside without being burned on the outside.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

"Penelope" Pizza and Fish and Chips at Rebel Food and Drink

“The Penelope” pizza. #yegfood #yeg #yegeats #foodporn

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A restaurant/bar in this location is exactly what the neighbourhood needs. There really aren't any casual dining restaurants within walking distance in the Parkview area. Rebel Food and Drink is casual but upscale (as a previous reviewer mentioned). Likely because it was so new, it was extremely crowded. The tables are rather close together, making walking to and from a bit awkward. As well, the high volume of music combined with the high level of ceiling made for a noisy experience. All of the drinks are on one side of the menu, with food on the other, and the type is small to read in the dark-ish light. That said, the service was great despite it being so busy. During "Anarchy Hour" (what the restaurant called Happy Hour), all shareables and pizzas are $10. This is an excellent value considering most of the entrees run in the $16-$30 range (some even higher). I had The Penelope pizza, with was 12 inches of mozzarella, smoked salmon, capers, red onion, and sprigs of dill. It was a white pizza with excellent flavour.

“Hook, Line, and Chips.” #yegfood #yeg #yegeats #foodporn

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We also had the fish and chips (it had some sort of cutesy name) which was listed as a shareable. The cod bites were simply adorable and delicious, with a good amount of fries and an aioli infused with malt vinegar. I would like to try the weekend brunch here - it might be a quieter crowd.

Beef and Vegan Sausage at Otto

I finally got a chance to visit Otto this past week, and it definitely lived up to the hype. A very cozy neighbourhood establishment, it wasn't all that busy on a Friday night. My server was very friendly and helpful. I loved how the menu was divided into pork and non-pork sausage options. I had the beef bratwurst and a vegan sausage. The vegan sausage was hearty, totally nailed the texture, and had a slightly sweet taste to it. The beef bratwurst was incredible. I'm not a huge fan of beef sausages because I find they often taste like hot dogs, and I don't love hot dogs. However, this sausage had more of a texture and flavour reminiscent of a kofta kebab - ground beef with seasonings in a very thin casing. Intensely flavourful. For my side I had a small dill coleslaw, and it was extremely fresh without the dill being overpowering.

Five Piece OG Combo at Seoul Fried Chicken

I finally got to try Seoul Fried Chicken the other night, and I think my mind is blown. I went for the five-piece combo with original chicken, slaw as my salad, and the corn fritter as my side (as opposed to fries). The chicken was crunchy and extremely juicy, while the slaw was fresh and had lots of hearty carrot in it. I loved the corn fritter, which was served in a milky, sweet liquid. I did not find the chicken too greasy, and the price point was great. I definitely want to get back here and try another flavour of chicken.