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!

Fringe Food - Version 2014

For the fourth year I was on the Multimedia Team volunteering at the Edmonton Internatinoal Fringe Theatre Festival. As a result, I had several meals and snacks on the Fringe grounds. I won't even bother to illustrate the mini doughnuts and popcorn which were delicious staples of my afternoon snacks. I will, however, present a photo of my annual green onion cake.

After trying their beef garlic steak at Taste of Edmonton, I was eager to have a real portion from Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse's food truck. For $9, the serving of steak was exactly the same as Taste of Edmonton's, with the addition of a dollop of potato salad. Still delicious, but quite pricey.

A good value was the Chilli Chicken from New Asian Village. Large chunks of chicken were atop a bed of saffron rice and a few seasoned potatoes. If only the wasps left me alone long enough to enjoy it!

While the portion seemed deceptively small at first, the Chicken Tikka from Zaika Indian Bistro was packed with rice and chicken, which was flavourful without being too spicy. The salad on top added some fresh crispness to the meal. I was so impressed, I actually had this on two separate shifts.

Fringe Food 2013

I spent several afternoons at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival last week because I love roaming the grounds and taking in the buskers, and also because I was part of the volunteer Multimedia Team. As far as food goes, the pickings seemed a bit slimmer than in previous years. The biggest surprise was the lack of any food trucks (other than ones used for special events).

I had to have an onion cake, with its crispy outside and soft interior. I ended up having two (on different days).

Soner's Donair is a yearly hit because the food is incredible. I had the falafel and there were at least four large balls of fried ground chickpeas, amidst the tzatziki sauce and veggies. A little messy to eat, but worth the effort.

As much as I love kettle corn, my favourite kind of popcorn is the traditional, movie-style kind. I am happy to see it available at festivals and enjoyed a couple of bags during the Fringe.

The mango chicken from Zaika is another yearly favourite for me. Think butter chicken, but sweeter. I also love the addition of a veggie samosa. I could have added naan for another couple of dollars, but the portion would have ended up being too large for me.

Who doesn't love mini-doughnuts? So soft, so hot, so sweet. Best of all, they were half price for volunteers!

Cherry Slush Puppy

Cherry Slush Puppy, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

This brought me back to my childhood. A sweet cherry Slush Poppy drink sure was refreshing during a hot shift at the Fringe.

Deep Fried Oreos

Deep Fried Oreos, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

A once a year treat no more - also from Punky Potato, I think these over-fried, greasy morsels contributed to my gastrointestinal distress. Really, cookies and chocolate bars are not meant to be fried. I am a reformed woman.

Evil Corn Dog

Corn Dog, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I have never had a real corn dog before (just the vegan variety). Since they are usually made with pork, I avoid them. However, brilliant me asked Punky Potato at the Fringe if their corn dogs were beef. I was told they were chicken. Fine - I went for it. The corn coating was not as thick or greasy as I had imagined. The filling was pure pink nitrite - didn't exactly taste like chicken, but didn't not either. I put some mustard in my tray and devoured the entire thing, a move I regretted that night as I expunged the contents of my stomach, most likely due to this lapse in my culinary judgement. Never again.

Mango Chicken at Zaika

Mango Chicken, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

For supper after my shift at the Fringe was over, I went for the Mango Chicken Combo from Zaika.

I sure wish Zaika was closer to me as I would love to experience the food there, if what they are serving up at the Fringe is any indication. Mango Chicken is like Butter Chicken but with a hint of sweetness. The basmati rice is actually aromatic and the vegetarian samosa had the biggest kick in terms of spice - the delicious chutney helped cool things down.

If you are Fringing and are hungry for some real food, go for Zaika.

Fringe Festival 2011 - Green Onion Cake

Fringe Festival 2011, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

The Fringe is one of my favourite summer festivals. It also marks the end of the major summer festivals, so it is almost like a seasonal transition. This was my first year at the Fringe as a volunteer. I was part of the multimedia team, taking photos. Unfortunately, a bad cold forced me to cancel most of my shifts and did not allow me to visit the grounds as much as I normally like.

As a result, I did not eat as much festival food as normal, which was a shame because there were a lot of new and interesting choices. I did manage to swing an onion cake - they are almost obligatory. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, it is not quite as flavourful as the ones I order in Chinatown, but was satisfying nonetheless.

I'm already looking forward to hopefully being able to do more Fringing next year!