Sweet Corn Muffin at District Cafe and Bakery

Cappuccino and a sweet corn muffin. #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jan 31, 2018 at 12:27pm PST

I love corn bread and muffins, and not just as sides to soups and barbecue. A good corn muffin should be able to hold its own, the the sweet corn muffin I had recently at District Cafe and Bakery hit the spot. It was sweet, crunchy on top, and full of corn.

Fried Chicken from Northern Chicken

Just tried @northchickenyeg via @skipthedishes! Wow! #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 16, 2017 at 4:57pm PST

I finally tried the much-hailed Northern Chicken last week, thanks to Skip the Dishes. I had the original three-piece fried chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, which had a good crunch on the outside and was so moist on the inside (I think it was brined, which is a technique that helps keep those juices in). I also loved the coleslaw, which comes on the side. We also had the maple creamed corn, which was very thick, and while it had a sweetness, it did not taste much from maple. The chicken was definitely the star here.

Vegan Corn Chowder at Padmanadi

When I go to Padmanadi with my brother and father for supper, we like to start with a soup. This time we had the corn chowder, which was piping hot, full of sweet corn, and accented with veggie ham. A warm and comforting way to start a meal.

Breakfast for Lunch: Hash at De Dutch

I stopped in to De Dutch for a late lunch after doing some filming downtown a few days ago. I had the hash, which features a generous portion of the finely diced hash browns mixed with corn, green peppers, tomatoes, and edam cheese (which I held, with two eggs, a protein of choice, and toast. My soft poached eggs were perfect with this, the runny yolk providing a rich sauce in place of the edam. My smoked salmon blended in with the other flavours, which were dominated by the pepper.

Vegging Out: Ginger Beef at Padmanadi

I had lunch today with a co-worker at Padmanadi. There is an extensive lunch menu featuring perfectly proportioned meals of protein, rice, and vegetables, along with two spring rolls. I opted for the ginger beef, which was strips of soy beef in a tangy ginger sauce. There was a good amount of rice, some broccoli to give the dish colour, and the spring rolls were crispy and excellent. We also shared some corn cakes (sweet, crispy, and gluten free) as an appetizer, two of which you can see in the photo.

Pot Roast at IHOP

When at IHOP (3921 Calgary Trail), I usually order a breakfast dish. Not this past weekend, when I had supper there one evening. I opted for the French onion pot roast, which came with buttered corn and mashed potatoes. I liked the corn and potatoes (although I honestly could not tell if they came from a mix or were fresh), but the meat was disappointing. The amount of gelatinous gravy and pieces of onion outdid the amount of actual meat. This was a clear case of the photo on the menu looking better than the actual serving. I would definitely not order it again.

Tacos de Res o de Higado

Tacos de Res o de Higado, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Mamenche's (10831 101 Street) has been on my list of restaurants to try for some time, dating back to when it was still located on 97 Street in Chinatown. I finally had lunch there last week and was amazed at the friendliness of the service and freshness of the food.

This was my first foray into Salvadoran cuisine. I opted for the Tacos de Res o de Higado, which are two tacos in a fresh, soft corn tortilla with diced steak, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and avocado. The flavours blended perfectly. It was light, refreshing, and delicious.

I look forward to my next visit!

Snacking at Mercer Tavern

Fritters at Mercer Tavern #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I really like the atmosphere of Mercer Tavern. I was here for lunch this week, but I just wanted a snack, so went for the fritters - they were delicious, like little savoury doughnuts with corn in them, served with jam. All they needed was some confectioner's sugar! Hot, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside - and they went great with my beer.