Coffee Break: Mocha at Block 1912

Feeling the need for both a caffeine and sugar high, I ordered a mocha during a meeting at Block 1912 a couple of weeks ago. Yes, it did the trick. The chocolate and coffee notes worked well together, and the whipped cream on top added another touch of decadence. Don't expect to fall asleep after one of these.

Perogies at The Canadian Brewhouse

I stopped in to The Canadian Brewhouse for lunch before attending an event at MacEwan University a couple of weeks ago. I happened to have been craving perogies, so ordered them when I saw them on the menu as an appetizer. I thought $12 was a bit steep, but when I received a large serving of extremely cute, bite-sized cheese and potato filled fried dumplings, I was feeling better about the price. The size was very mouth friendly. I just wish the fried onions were, well, fried more. Some were sweet and fried, but most of them were pretty much raw and I had to avoid them. This caused the perogies to be very one-note - they needed the onions, and perhaps a little seasoning.

Coffee Break: Latte and Granola Bar at Credo

I stopped into the new 124th Street location of Credo recently. To go with my latte, which was creamy and strong without being overpowering, I had a granola bar. Soft and full of fruits and grains, it was quite filling. Granola lovers will rejoice.

Coffee Break: Iced Coffee and Rice Square at Good Earth

I recently discovered that Good Earth Cafe is a lower cost coffee house on campus. My iced coffee and rice square cost less than five dollars. Okay, so it was more like half a square, and the coffee was not as rich as I have had in other places, but it's a nice place with wifi. If you are on a budget (and possibly a diet) it's worth stopping in here.

Spring Rolls at Pho Huong

Pho Huong/Mama Pizza (10531 107 Avenue) is one of my favourite pho joints in the city. I normally have green onion cakes when I am in the mood for something crunchy to go with my pho, but when I found out that they have vegetarian spring rolls I simply had to try them. They were crunchy and filled with shredded veggies and cellophane noodles. Served with fish sauce, I opted for hoisin instead. Can't really go wrong with this.

Breakfast for Lunch: Fried Chicken and Cornmeal Flapjacks at MEAT

I was excited to learn that MEAT now has brunch from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. on weekends. I headed there this afternoon after an event nearby and ordered the fried chicken with cornmeal flapjacks. My two pieces of fried chicken were moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, just the way it should be. The three cornmeal flapjacks were fluffy and got most of their flavour from the cornmeal, which was enhanced with the rosemary maple syrup adding some savoury to the sweet. If you like chicken and waffles, you will love this. It is a huge portion to boot, so come hungry.

Just Desserts: Indian Sweets at Naanolicious

Naanolicious has a new chai bar with dozens of kinds of flavoured chai. I had a chocolate chai recently, and it tasted like hot chocolate with a spicy tea twist. A new addition at the chai bar is a showcase of delicious Indian sweets. The milky, dense, sometimes chalky sweets are very hard to find in the city other than in the extreme southern neighbourhoods, so I am very excited that I will be able to enjoy them more often. And if Indian sweets are not your thing, there is also in-house made chocolate mousse. I like that too.

Tandoori Chicken Popsicles at Naanolicious

I stopped in for a quick lunch at Naanolicious on Saturday, in between attending a couple of events and heading to the afternoon jam at Blues On Whyte. I was eager to try a new menu addition: Tandoori Chicken Popsicles. Two freshly fried chicken fingers on a stick were presented to me with Naanolicious' signature dipping sauce and a small cauliflower salad. The chicken tenders were not overly seasoned, with just a hint of sweetness from coconut milk. Really good bar finger food.

Frogburger at Brewsters

An evening function near the Meadowlark location of Brewsters made the restaurant the perfect location for supper last week. I was craving a hamburger, so I tried the "Frogburger" featuring "Frogsauce." The sauce was like a kicked up Thousand Island dressing and definitely added flavour to the perfectly grilled pressed brisket. The red onions were grilled and sweet (normally I hold onions on burgers) and I had some mushrooms instead of cheese. With a side of fries and gravy, overall this was a very satisfying burger.

Vegging Out: Lunch at Cafe Mosaics

I wanted to try Cafe Mosaics again, my second time since the renovations and change in ownership. I started with an appetizer, the "toona" avocado with wontons. The "toona" tasted like tuna salad only because of the herbs and veggies added to it. The base itself was more like hummus. The wontons were also actually deep fried pita chips.

I was blown away by the vegan pho when I had it last year, even though at $15 it is pricier than any bowl of pho I have seen elsewhere. Alas, the new version did not live up to my expectations. I am not going to pull any punches here: it was the blandest bowl of pho I have ever had (and I eat pho regularly). It contained a variety of mushrooms, mostly buttons, with a few pieces of white fungus and some soft tofu. The veggie mutton as advertised on the menu was nowhere to be found. I was later told that the supplier the restaurant uses has been closed. The broth had absolutely no flavour that I could discern. A total disappointment.

Breakfast for Lunch: Waffles at The Sugarbowl

I had lunch at The Sugarbowl this week and was in the mood for something sweet, so I opted for the Belgian waffles. Three thick, sweet waffles filled the plate, topped with whipped cream and seasonal fruit, which in this case meant only melons and grapes, but they were fresh and plentiful. An absolute must for any sweet tooth.

Steak Sandwich at Hudsons

I ended up at the Whyte Avenue location of Hudsons Tap House by accident, after visiting about five brunch locations and finding all of them full with line ups. The steak sandwich is on special every day between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., so that is what I had, paired with the soup of the day, which was beef vegetable.

My steak was cooked to perfection: well done, but still juicy. The soup was rather bland, with lots of potato and hardly any meat, and a few raw green onions on top to garnish which did nothing except dominate the flavour in those spoonfuls. Good value though, and at least there was somewhere to sit down.

More Meat at MEAT (A Review in Verse)

Last night I went to MEAT
Had lots of things to eat
Had the brisket again
And had some with a friend
The chicken was divine
Moist and juicy - it was fine!
Rosemary yam mash was sweet
A true delight to eat
With bread and a pickle
Since I am very fickle
Bourbon was my drink
Smooth and clean, I think
I look forward to my next visit at MEAT
Because the place is such a treat!

Breakfast for Lunch: Brunch at CRAFT

On Saturday I had brunch for the second time at CRAFT Beer Market. I had the smoked salmon eggs benedict, sans hollandaise. I also asked if there was cheese on the bennies, and was told no. I ended up with a mouthful of cream cheese with my first bite. Fortunately, I don't mind cream cheese, but it wasn't listed on the menu and obviously the server did not know the menu well. The eggs were done to perfection and the smoked salmon was fresh and delicious. I also enjoyed the homemade biscuit upon which the eggs were served. The hash browns were well cooked and seasoned, while the skewer of fresh fruit made for a nice finish. I had a glass of Liefmans on the rocks, which is a fruit beer that almost tastes like a cranberry mimosa.