Pan-Friend Sole at Friends and Neighbours

Sole amandine. It's been too long. #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Feb 1, 2017 at 6:51pm PST

Sometimes my favourite comfort food comes from surprising places. Friends and Neighbours (10834 Whyte Avenue) has such an extensive menu, that it comes as no surprise that there are a number of reasonably-priced fish dinners. What the surprise was, for me, was how good my choice was. I had the pan-fried sole, which consisted of several delicate pieces of fish that were lightly breaded and garnished with sliced almonds. Basically, it was a take on sole amandine, which I have not had in ages. My baked potato was perfectly cooked and had a light, thin skin. Rounded out with some vegetables, coleslaw, and a huge piece of garlic toast, I remained happy and full for the rest of the evening.

Breakfast for Lunch: Farmer's Breakfast Skillet at Friends and Neighbours

Farmer's breakfast skillet - all veggie! #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 4, 2016 at 1:20pm PDT

A late lunch a couple of weeks ago at Friend and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) allowed me to further explore the abundant vegetarian menu. The Farmer's Breakfast Skillet was a sight to behold, with potatoes, a tofu scramble with kale, sweet and smoky tofu (which doubles in some dishes as veggie bacon), and crispy tofu. This meal really could have been called "Tofu Three Ways." I found the crispy tofu sort of difficult to eat since it crumbled very easily, and the bites that were not perfectly crispy were hard to chew. Some imitation ham or sausage may have been a better choice. Oh, and there was toast. This is the ultimate vegan breakfast.

Breakfast for Lunch: House Breakfast at Friends and Neighbours

House breakfast #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jun 19, 2016 at 12:26pm PDT

I had a late brunch this afternoon at Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) and did not feel like something super heavy. I opted for one of the many vegetarian choices, the House Breakfast. Usually something with that name will have a meaty component, but this plate of two eggs any style, toast, and hash browns was accented with a spinach and craisin salad, as well as lots of avocado. I think there was probably an entire avocado cut up on my plate, and it was perfectly ripe. I enjoyed putting avocado and craisins on my toast, and using it to sop up my over-easy eggs. This was definitely more substantial than it looked.

Breakfast for Lunch: French Toast at Friends and Neighbours

I had brunch at Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) last week, and was in the mood for something sweet, so French Toast was the order of the day. Three thick slices of French bread was slathered in a rich egg batter that was literally overflowing off of the sides of the bread. I added a couple of eggs and veggie bacon to make it a full meal.

Breakfast for Lunch: Steak and Eggs at Friends and Neighbours

I had brunch on Saturday with a friend who was visiting, and we opted for Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) because of its location and selection of breakfast items. I had the steak and eggs. My eggs were done perfectly. I ordered my steak well done, and there was some pink around the edges, something I have often encountered with rib eye, which is what I think the cut was. It was soft and had a good flavour though, although we had to wait an extraordinarily long time. I chalked this up to the fact it was busy and steak can take a while to cook. The toast and potatoes nicely rounded out the meal.

The Pho Files: Chicken Pho from Pho Delight

Chicken pho #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 22, 2015 at 2:00pm PDT

An oncoming cold made me crave pho, and since Pho Delight, the soup side of Friends and Neighbours (10838 82 Avenue) was near a meeting, that is where I went and had chicken pho. Admittedly, my sense of taste was diminished as my head congestion grew, but the broth was soothing, the slices of chicken breast were ample enough, and the noodles were comforting. I could have done with a few more herbs in the broth but it got the job done.

Breakfast for Lunch: Smoked Salmon and Eggs

I really enjoy the Pacific Omelette at Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue), but decided to try the smoked salmon and eggs when I went there for lunch earlier in the week. It has the same components as the Pacific Omelette, but arranged differently: scrambled eggs, cold smoked salmon, and a spinach salad with craisins. The toast and roasted potatoes come to the side just like with the omelette. It was a huge portion and everything tasted delicious, but I prefer the integration of the salmon, spinach, and eggs better in the omelette. Live and learn.

Vegging Out: Diner's Veggie at Friends and Neighbours

A late lunch on Saturday led me at Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue). I was really hungry and opted for the Diner's Veggie, which at $13.95 is one of the most expensive items on the menu. The crispy, grilled pita was packed with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, and crispy soy bacon - definitely the star of the dish. I thought that the vegetables would have been sauteed, other than the avocado, of course. Otherwise, it was basically salad in a pita. The sour cream and salsa to the side made for some good dipping of the accompanying potatoes, as well as the pita itself, which also had vegetable spread on it. The flavours worked well together and the dish was filling.

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.