Mr. Beast Burger

Mr. Beast Burger is in Edmonton care of Reef Kitchens (one of those ghost kitchen kinds of places that have licences to reproduce food from major restaurants), and available to order online for delivery. I love trying new burgers, and went for a Beast Burger combo with a double burger, fries, and canned pop. The patties are very thin and crispy, which I think is the unique aspect of these burgers. The bun is thick and dense, with a higher bread to meat ratio than I expected. The fries were very crispy, and I would try the seasoned variety next time instead of the plain, which were very bland. Overall decent food and value, but nothing super special.

Egg Salad Wrap Combo at Big Daddy Sandwiches

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Mixed Platter at Pizza Valley and Donair

Pizza Valley and Donair is a new place at 9333 156 Street. I wanted to get a good taste of the place so opted for the mixed platter. At $17.50, there was a good amount of beef and chicken, on top of rice, with a side salad, fries, and warm pita. The sweet sauce atop the meat was not too sweet. The chicken was quite spicy, while the beef was mild. The beef was cut into chunks rather than strips. Fries had lots of seasoning, and the salad was sort of like a Greek salad, with some crumbled feta. Good food, good portion, and I am hearing lots of good things from others concerning the pizzas and other offerings. 

Smorrebrod and Fries at Three Vikings

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Three Vikings, how I have missed you. I love the smorrebrod sandwiches, especially this smoked salmon with cucumber and cream sauce. Rounded out with house fries on the side, and washed down with a glass of Prairie Fairy. #yeg #yegfood #yegdt #smørrebrød #yegfoodie #edmonton #edmontonfood #edmontonfoodie #foodphotography #foodphotographer #124street #yegphotographer

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@apaulagetics) on Jun 13, 2020 at 7:29am PDT

Beef and Chicken Donair Platter at Roma Pizza and Donair

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There is a new donair and pizza shop on 149 street and 95 Avenue. Roma Pizza and Donair serves delicious food in huge portions at great prices. They deliver (both through Skip and directly). This is a beef and chicken donair platter. It came with a mountain of meat, with fries, a bed of salad, sweet sauce, and a can of pop. #yeg #yegfood #yegwestend #donair #foodphotography #yegphotographer #yegfoodie #edmonton #edmontonfood #edmontonfoodie #yegdonair

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@apaulagetics) on Jun 13, 2020 at 7:18am PDT

Fried Chicken Burger - Brick and Whiskey

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This fried chicken burger from Brick and Whiskey was total comfort food. The fried chicken was a pounded down thigh, with a crispy coating, coleslaw, and honey hot sauce (which I had to the side - it was total sweet and heat). The brioche bun was toasted and fluffy, while the fries were great. #yeg #yegfoodie #yegeats #brickandwhiskey #yegfood #friedchicken

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 2, 2018 at 5:13pm PDT

This fried chicken burger from Brick and Whiskey was total comfort food. The fried chicken was a pounded down thigh, with a crispy coating, coleslaw, and honey hot sauce (which I had to the side - it was total sweet and heat). The brioche bun was toasted and fluffy, while the fries were great.

Chicken Tenders at Rose and Crown (10235 101 Street)

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Chicken tenders - small, but plentiful. Excellent coating. #yegfood #yegfoodie #yegeats

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 9, 2018 at 10:49am PDT

Chicken tenders - small, but plentiful. Excellent coating.

Donair Plate at King of Donair

Donair plate with onions, tomatoes, and sweet sauce on fries. I held the cheese. The meat was the right spice level and the sauce carried well on the fries. I’ll think of this like a Halifax poutine. #yeg #donair #yegfood #yegeats #yegfoodie #nofilter #kingofdonair

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jun 23, 2018 at 12:34pm PDT

Steak Frites at The Almanac

Last night’s steak frites. For blogging purposes. #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 26, 2017 at 9:13am PST

I was at The Almanac Saturday night for a music show, and figured I may as well have dinner while I was there. It's a small menu and I went with something familiar: steak frites. I ordered my flat iron steak medium well, and it was perfectly done atop a mountain of fries, with a garlic aioli on the side (as well as ketchup). There is a butter that the steak is finished in, but I asked for it not to be used in my case, due to my issues with dairy. There is really no going wrong with this dish, and at $18, it is actually one of the less expensive items on the menu.

Fish and Chips at Grandin Fish 'n' Chips

Checking out Grandin Fish and Chips - cod was my choice. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 22, 2017 at 1:24pm PDT

I love fish and chips and have heard a lot of hype about Grandin Fish 'n' Chips, so I went here for lunch following an event at the Legislature on a Saturday afternoon. Despite it being an off-hour, the place was packed! You line up and order and pay, and then get a number and try to find a seat (unless you're taking your food to go). I love the decor and the service was good. The menu was also quite extensive as far as a fish and chips place goes: several different kinds of fish, salads, and even a few non-fish options. My main concern was the price. $16 for one piece of fish (I chose cod), which wasn't all that big, is a bit much. The fries were good and the tartar sauce and coleslaw were very fresh, but the sides really filled out the plate. The fish was delicious - flaky and the batter was just right. It wasn't too thick or greasy. I would come here again if I was in the area and my wallet allowed. Maybe I would splurge an extra $5 for one of the other sides (always wanted to try Bubble and Squeak!).

Veggie Burger at State and Main

Post-church veggie burger. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Mar 26, 2017 at 12:35pm PDT

I was asked to speak at a downtown church this past weekend, and after the service I went out for lunch at State and Main with a friend. I liked the complex flavours of my veggie burger, which included guacamole, hummus, and bruschetta - it made my tastebuds feel like they went on tour in the Mediterranean. My fries were lukewarm to cold, however, and this really soured the experience. I loved the dill dip that went with them, however.

Pulled Chicken in Adobo at Situation Brewing

Pulled chicken adobo sandwich. #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Dec 10, 2016 at 4:03pm PST

Situation Brewing is a new microbrewery and pub on my favourite block of Whyte Avenue. I finally got a chance to try it this past weekend, and of course ordered a pint of one of their beers. All pints are $7 which is good value. I had the Afternooner Tea Saison, which was an Earl Grey Blackberry ale. It was a pleasant, smooth ale, but I really could not taste the Earl Grey or the blackberry. I was disappointed, as I love both tea and fruit beers.

For my food, I chose the pulled chicken in adobo sandwich. It was a mountain of pulled thigh meat in a tasty adobo sauce, topped with avocado slaw. I loved the slaw, as it was full of avocado flavour, and I love avocado. The bun was also spread with avocado. However, I am not a fan of slaw in sandwiches, as the slaw tends to get room temperature as opposed to cold, and the hot filling cools down. Still, the sandwich tasted good enough for me to overlook this. Plus, there was a mountain of fries, perfectly crispy and seasoned, that I was simply unable to finish.

I would try Situation Brewing again, but definitely make a different beer choice and perhaps try some of the other menu items that caught my eye.

Butter Paneer Poutine at Naanolicious

Butter paneer poutine #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 5, 2016 at 12:01pm PDT

One of the favourite menu items at Naanolicious is the selection of poutines. You can get fries with butter or curry sauce, or you can add meat or paneer. I added paneer to my butter sauce, and the result was a rich, decadent treat. The fries carried the sauce quite well, and were literally soaked in buttery goodness. I could only finish about half because it was so rich. Fortunately, Naanolicious has take-out containers!

Pljeskavica at Kafana

I had supper at Kafana last week before a meeting in the area, and ordered the Pljeskavica - it's a HUGE hamburger served on top of a bed of fries, with a piece of bun on the side. This is apparently the traditional Balkan way to serve a burger, as opposed to the Balkan Burger on the menu, which is also huge but served with garnishes like ketchup and mustard. I love how the flavour of the meat took centre of the dish, while the beefsteak fries were seasoned and a delight.

Steak Sandwich at Riverside Bistro

The Riverside Bistro at the downtown Courtyard Marriott hotel has become my go-to place for supper before events at the Shaw Conference Centre. Last week, I was excited to attend the Chris De Burgh concert and had a steak sandwich before the show. The presentation of the meal was wonderful, with a balance between the fries and generous portion of onion straws. A few mushrooms graced the area around the steak, which I ordered well-done. And well-done it was - the charred crust was a bit over-done, but the meat inside was flavourful and not tough. I will be more explicit in my cooking instructions next time.

Vegging Out: Veggie Burger at Original Joe's

I ended up at Original Joe's for supper (on 125 Street and 102 Avenue) the other night and ordered a veggie burger. The patty was dense and soy-based, with a rather complex flavour profile coming from the guacamole on the top part of the bun and the hummus on the bottom. As well, a hearty portion of bruschetta was on top. I held the cheese (vegans be aware) and had fries and coleslaw as my two sides. The gravy is also vegetarian, which is just awesome. The coleslaw was very fresh and added some lightness to the meal. A win overall.

Festival Food: Fringe 2015

I was once again a volunteer on the Multimedia Team for the 2015 Fringe Theatre Festival so again I hit up some of the food on site. While there was actually quite an impressive selection of food this year, much better than in the previous couple of years, I stuck with the tried and true - I think I was more focused on taking pictures than eating.

I got started with the Chicken Tikka from Zaika. The dish is very flavourful and making it a combo with the samosa really made for a hearty meal.

It would not be a true Fringe experience without eating something greasy, so I went for the spiral potato from Punky Potato. The deep fried, thin slices of potato had a great texture in addition to flavour. Plus, Fringe volunteers got a 50% discount. Can't beat that.

I tried Quick Meals, which offers Mediterranean and Western fare, because they too were offering a 50% discount. My greatly reduced falafel was fresh and crispy, with refreshing tzatziki sauce that did not overpower the wrap.

Mini-doughnuts are also a staple of the Fringe, and again, the 50% discount for volunteers was more than an incentive. The portion was so huge, I had to share it! And thank you to all of the food vendors who supported the volunteers this year - much appreciated!

Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2015

I attended the 2015 Edmonton Folk Music Festival from August 6-9, and once again food was a part of my activities.

I decided to stay vegetarian for most of the weekend, and started off with the ginger beef from Padamandi. Kasim also threw in a spring roll and veggie chicken drumstick. The flavour and texture of the "beef" is a pretty good imitation of the real thing.

I also had the combo of Pad Thai, green curry with tofu, spring rolls, and rice from Numchok Wilai. The curry tasted great but was a bit too hot for me. Very satisfying portion size.

I have never eaten in Langano Skies before, but tried the split pea curry with injera from their booth. Tasty without being spicy, although a bit of a challenge to eat in such a setting.

The weekend got hotter as it progressed and I found the quinoa avocado salad from Sailin' On to be flavourful and refreshing. My only suggestion is to have the avocado better integrated - it could have been pureed and seasoned and presented more like a dressing as opposed to a few plain chunks here and there.

Calico Baking Company is a new vendor on the scene, selling its local creations at various events and farmer's markets around the city. Their fare was perfect for the morning/early afternoon workshop sessions. The mint water was especially wonderful on a hot day, and simple - water infused with mint leaves. My muffin was supposed to be banana sourdough with chocolate, but was actually more like bran.

As the weekend wore on, so did my resolve, and I wanted a morsel of meat. The lemongrass beef skewer from Hoang Long satisfied that craving.

My final full meal was the chili chicken from New Asian Village. A hearty portion, although the pile of saffron rice satisfied my need for carbs better than the cold roasted potatoes.

Of course, no visit to the Folk Fest would be complete with a green onion cake (from the food booth of that name) . . .

. . . Or, my annual serving of fresh-made greasy French fries.

Hot Turkey Sandwich at Highlevel Diner

Hot turkey is one of my favourite comfort foods, so when I was in the University area earlier this week, I went to Highlevel Diner for their weekly "Turkey Tuesday." Hot turkey sandwiches are on special for lunch. It was a pile of locally-raised turkey on fresh, multigrain bread with gravy and a choice of side. I went with the home cut fries because those fries are some of the best fries in the city, especially when paired with the house-made ketchup. But this lunch was about the turkey - oh, the turkey - this was real turkey off the bone, with pan gravy, just like home made. Not a turkey roast, not shriveled, dry pieces of leftover turkey, with thick, brown mystery gravy - this is the real deal. One of these days, I am going to have to come back later in the day for the full-fledged turkey dinner.

Chicken Shawarma Plate at Argana

I've read rave reviews and heard glowing testimonials about Argana Donair (4547 118 Avenue NW), located in the Beverley neighbourhood in northwest Edmonton. So, I was thrilled to finally try it out last weekend. I had the chicken shawarma plate, which featured a mountain of chicken roasted in-house on top of aromatic rice, with fries and garden salad. The fries were almost superfluous, as the chicken and rice were the stars of the plate. The chicken was tender with some acidic notes and the salad helped balance the plate with a bit of lightness. A hearty and affordable meal that is worth a trip to the north side.