Breakfast for Lunch: Smoked Meat Scrambler at Jay Bee's

Smoked meat scrambler #yegfood #eatalberta150

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 15, 2017 at 4:43pm PDT

I had my first experience ay Jay Bee's (3633 188 Avenue) this past weekend, as the person I was with told me his workmates recommended the place highly. This is a diner with all of the things you would expect to find on the menu: breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, pizza, and traditional mains like fish and chips and hot turkey. Some of the breakfast offerings are quite unique for this sort of establishment, like the option of beef sausages and turkey bacon with your eggs. I had one of the "scrambles" with smoked meat. It was more like a flat omelette that was so huge, it covered the plate. Underneath was a bagel which was very fresh and actually tasted like a bagel (as opposed to some places where bagels just taste like bread in a round shape), and hash browns. The server said they were going to be cubes, but they were small strings that were a bit greasy, and a bit overcooked in places, but then again this is a "greasy spoon" sort of place. My eggs tasted heavily from the smoked meat, as it should have, and the onions were sweet and cooked. I held the marble cheese that would also have been a part of the dish. I was totally stuffed at the end, and the dish was less than $15. The place was clean, spacious, and the service was good - my server went back to the kitchen several times to get answers to my questions. I will definitely be back if I am in Beverly, and I hope future visits will live up to this one.

Smoked Salmon Bagel at Toast

I was en route to a rally and stopped in to the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market to grab something quick to eat from Toast, the concession at the back of the market. I had the smoked salmon bagel, because I love smoked salmon. I was not disappointed: the house-cured salmon was served in huge slabs upon the lightly toasted bagel, along with greens and caper cream cheese. I was a little disappointed in the cream cheese because I could not taste any capers in it - and I enjoy capers. However, it was the smoked salmon, so fresh and plentiful, that would make me return to order this again.

Mushroom Soup at Zocalo

I have been having lunch and snacks at Zocalo more often, since it is conveniently located near work. The bagel and smoked salmon is my favourite sandwich there and one of the only times I eat cream cheese. I have not tried many of Zocalo's soups, but went for the cream of mushroom because that is my favourite. Zocalo's take on it is rich and creamy, with just a hint of garlic. And, lots of mushrooms. Excellent cold weather comfort.

Vegging Out: Veggie Sandwich at Friends and Neighbours

I returned to Friends and Neighbours Cafe (10834 82 Avenue) yesterday for another late lunch. This time I tried the veggie sandwich, which included a load of soy bacon, spinach, avocado, and tomatoes with red pepper spread on a toasted whole wheat bagel. The sandwich was not exactly as described: the menu said there was also grilled tofu, and made no mention of the red pepper spread, but the soy bacon was plentiful and the spread worked overall to bring the flavours together. For my side I picked the hash browns, which are really more like home fries. A note to vegans: the bagels and buns used for sandwiches at Friends and Neighbours are pre-buttered (margarine, actually). However, I could not taste it and would not have known about it at all had I not asked. Still, this may be an issue for some of you, so I thought I should mention it.

Roast Turkey Bagel

Smoked Turkey Bagel, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

New York Bagel Cafe (8430 Gateway Blvd.) is one of my favourite Old Strathcona cafes. However, whenever I am in the area it is so darn busy that I hardly ever get a chance to eat there. A weekday afternoon trip to the Ice On Whyte Festival brought the opportunity to get some lunch when it was not nearly as busy as on the weekend.

I have had breakfast dishes there numerous times, but never a bagel meal. I ordered the roast turkey, which came with organic veggies, cranberry sauce, potato salad, and cream cheese (which I held). The plating surprised me - everything was independent, meant to be assembled at the discretion of the diner. Personally, I love tasting each element individually and getting a feel for its flavour.

And lots of flavour there was. The bagel was a meal in itself. I chose a multigrain, and it was covered with nuts and seeds. The turkey was deli style, but it had a deep, smoky flavour and there was plenty of it. And the potato salad: it was so fresh and delicious. The only element on the plate that disappointed was the cranberry sauce. Too tart, and with some strange off smell, I did not use much of it. It needed more sugar and I think it may have been sitting for too long.

At around $17 per meal, the bagel platters at New York Bagel Cafe are not cheap, but it's such a great little place and the food is decadent (and the people who work there are really nice).

Bagel and Lox at Block 1912

Smoked salmon bagel - a nice, Jewish brunch. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Block 1912 is my favourite place to go for coffee on Whyte Avenue. However, other than an occasional basked good, I have never really had a meal there.

For a light Saturday lunch I had the smoked salmon bagel (minus the cream cheese - yes, I know that is sacrilege, but I am a woman of unique tastes. And lactose intolerance).

The fresh, lightly toasted multigrain bagel made the dish filling. The lox was of good quality and the portion was quite reasonable. I love tomatoes on a bagel and lox, although the red peppers were a bit strange. The capers added some zest to the over all flavour, and I even ate a few onions - just a few, as they were strong.

A basic salad was a garnish on the plate - I would have appreciated a side of a little more substance, like a small cup of soup as I did find the dish rather pricey.

I had a regular coffee as well, and with a tip the meal came to around $15.