Chicken and Mushroom Pot Pie at District Café

Chicken and mushroom pot pie #yegfood #yegeats #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 15, 2017 at 9:02am PST

An organizational meeting brought me to District Café a couple of weeks ago. I figured that in addition to coffee, I may as well have lunch. I had a chicken and mushroom pot pie, which was extremely fresh because the baker had just made another batch. While the size did not seem large, it was deceptively dense (but in a good way). The flaky, buttery crust enrobed the chicken and mushroom filling, with a side salad to lighten things up. This is comfort food at its best.

Funghi Misti Pizza at Rosso Pizzeria

Funghi Misti pizza. And wine. Can't forget the wine. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Mar 15, 2017 at 4:24pm PDT

I was attending an event a couple of weeks ago at the Metro Theatre, so stopped in to Rosso Pizzeria for supper beforehand. I ordered the Funghi Misti which had lots of mushrooms, a very mild mozzarella, fresh parsley, garlic, and white truffle oil. There was another kind of cheese on it also which I held in favour of just mozzarella (I'm funny when it comes to cheese). It was incredible, with a thin, chewy crust, and a light feeling overall made decadent by the truffle oil. Definitely exceeded my expectations.

Funghi Pizza at Famoso

Fun funghi at Famoso. #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Dec 10, 2016 at 12:40pm PST

An organizational meeting over lunch led me to Famoso on Whyte Avenue on a recent weekend. I ordered the "pizzetta" (7 inch) size of the Funghi, which may not sound like an appetizing name, but to a mushroom lover like me, it sounded delicious. The creamy mozzarella was topped with a generous portion of caramelized onions, oyster mushrooms, roasted white mushrooms, and the decadent finishing of truffle oil. I held the parmesan crema, as I am not fan of parmesan. It was rich and delicious, with a great texture.

Mushroom Sandwich at Sandwich and Sons

Mushroom sandwich #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 7, 2016 at 2:03pm PDT

I went to Sandwich and Sons for supper last Thursday before heading to Latitude 53 to photograph their weekly Patio party. The vegetarian option for the day caught my eye, because it was a mushroom sandwich. Most mushroom sandwiches include the huge top of a portobello. This was a sandwich of toast and buttons - button mushrooms, that is. Sauteed with olive oil and delicious. I needed a fork to catch all of the falling mushrooms, like stars in a dream. Can you tell that I like mushrooms? Really, really like them? Cheese was an option that I skipped, that would probably have held the sandwich together a bit better, but seriously - why add anything to take away from the incredible, natural taste and texture of mushrooms? (This is a rhetorical question.)

Chicken Three Ways at Panda Express

I was in the very far north of Edmonton this week en route to St. Albert and stopped in to Panda Express (16704 127 Street). Not to be confused with Panda Hut Express, which I visit frequently in south Edmonton, this is an American chain that presents a variety of Chinese-inspired fast food. I had orange chicken (supposedly their specialty), sweet and sour chicken, and chicken with mushrooms. I liked the orange chicken the least - it was over-fried and did not really taste much from orange. The mushroom chicken was spicy but had a good, deep flavour, while the sweet and sour was exactly as described. Combined with a huge helping of fried rice, my playte was just over ten dollars - good value for sure.

Mushroom Soup at Culina Muttart

I have already sung the praises of the house salad at Culina Muttart with its craisins, candied pecans, heritage greens, and delicious viniagrette. While lunching there earlier this month on a visit to Putrella, the corpse flower, I had a small salad paired with the soup of the day, which was mushroom. It was a cream of mushroom although the broth was thin, but very flavourful. The garlic in particular was sweet and not overpowering, with small, soft bits throughout the liquid. The mushrooms were plentiful and in large pieces, which I like. This was my first soup at Culina Muttart and I doubt it will be my last.

Frogburger at Brewsters

An evening function near the Meadowlark location of Brewsters made the restaurant the perfect location for supper last week. I was craving a hamburger, so I tried the "Frogburger" featuring "Frogsauce." The sauce was like a kicked up Thousand Island dressing and definitely added flavour to the perfectly grilled pressed brisket. The red onions were grilled and sweet (normally I hold onions on burgers) and I had some mushrooms instead of cheese. With a side of fries and gravy, overall this was a very satisfying burger.

Vegging Out: Lunch at Cafe Mosaics

I wanted to try Cafe Mosaics again, my second time since the renovations and change in ownership. I started with an appetizer, the "toona" avocado with wontons. The "toona" tasted like tuna salad only because of the herbs and veggies added to it. The base itself was more like hummus. The wontons were also actually deep fried pita chips.

I was blown away by the vegan pho when I had it last year, even though at $15 it is pricier than any bowl of pho I have seen elsewhere. Alas, the new version did not live up to my expectations. I am not going to pull any punches here: it was the blandest bowl of pho I have ever had (and I eat pho regularly). It contained a variety of mushrooms, mostly buttons, with a few pieces of white fungus and some soft tofu. The veggie mutton as advertised on the menu was nowhere to be found. I was later told that the supplier the restaurant uses has been closed. The broth had absolutely no flavour that I could discern. A total disappointment.

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.

Mushroom Calzone at the Italian Centre

I was in need of a quick lunch at the north end Italian Centre last week. On special was a mushroom calzone. The light crust was packed with mushrooms and some mozzarella. It tasted great but was a little dry - it was lacking any sauce on the inside (or something to dip on the outside). Still, a hearty piece of calzone for $5 is a hard bargain to beat.

The Pho Files: Veggie Pho at Pho Delight

A weekend lunch at the Pho Delight side of the duel Friends and Neighbours (10838 82 Avenue) allowed me to indulge my curiosity about the place's vegetarian pho. This is not to be confused with the Buddha Pho, which is the same thing except spicy. This was definitely one of the heartiest vegetarian versions of pho I have ever had. It included lots of tofu for protein, as well as almost a garden's worth of carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms (just a few), kale (the first time I have ever seen it in pho), and brussels spouts. I was a bit leery when I noticed the latter, as I absolutely hate brussels sprouts. However, I bravely put one in my mouth and was surprised by a rich, almost roasted flavour with very little bitterness. That says something to me, that when I can enjoy an ingredient I normally hate then a dish is indeed very well done. There was also quite a bit of celery, which was superfluous as most of it sank to the bottom. The broth was also vegetarian yet rich and flavourful. The noodles were a bit difficult to retrieve at first because of all of the vegetables weighing them down, so as a result many of them broke before reaching my mouth. This is just a minor criticism. Vegan and vegetarian lovers of pho need to try this.

Mushroom Pie at Cafe Blackbird

Cafe Blackbird is located in the Crestwood neighbourhood where Jeffrey's Cafe was located for many years. Cafe Blackbird has kept the wine bar, redone the interior slightly, and totally revamped the menu. The small menu of sandwiches and salads are featured on a blackboard, along with the soup of the day, the savoury pie of the day, and a few other items. A variety of baked goods are in a display case. The menu was developed with help from Culina and the coffee from Iconoclast Coffee, as well as other local businesses. There is still live music, and the place has a neighbourhood charm to it. A sandwich will run you about $9 while a soup and sandwich combo is $14.

I had the featured pie, which was creamy mushroom. It was small and rich, with lots of mushrooms in a flaky pastry. I did not realize from the description on the blackboard that there would be cheese in it - this was a problem for me. It was also served with sweet chutney, which I did not understand flavour-wise in context with the pie. I also found the price to be a little high given the small size of the pie. The best part of the meal, for me, was actually the coffee. It was fresh and aromatic. I would definitely head back here for a coffee in a heartbeat. As for the food, I hope in the future there is more of a selection and that the descriptions are better presented.

Teppan Beef and Mushrooms at Pagolac

Everyone at Pagolac (10566 97 Street) knew this dish was coming to our table - the sizzling and smoke trail were impossible to ignore. A mountain of beef and mushrooms served on a sizzling platter - the one it was cooked on. The beef was a bit on the chewy side, but tasted great. Perfect for sharing, and be sure to order some rice or noodles to the side.

Vegging Out: Vegan Bowl at Pho Delight

I went to Pho Delight on Whyte Avenue for lunch yesterday and because it was too hot for soup, had the vegan bowl. This is one of the house specials not on the printed menu. It is a huge bowl of vermicelli noodled topped with picked carrots, cucumber, lettuce, lots of lemongrass tofu, onions, and mushrooms. This is probably the first time I have ever experienced mushrooms in a vermicelli bowl. The flavour of lemongrass permeated the tofu and the onions, which were sweet and delicious. There was a slight spicy kick, but not overpowering. Filling and really excellent. As a note, the bowl does not come with onion cakes or salad rolls - what you see in the picture is my share of some other goodies on the table.

Breakfast For Lunch: Building an Omelette at Smitty's

Omelette with Turkey Bacon and Mushrooms, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Smitty's has a new customizable omelette menu, where you can pick several meat and vegetable fillings with cheese. I went for the most basic variety (one item plus cheese) and had turkey bacon with sauteed mushrooms (instead of cheese).

The omelette was quite substantial, with a lot of turkey bacon running throughout it, and a decent amount of mushrooms too. Cubed hash browns and two slices of toast rounded out the meal.

Chicken Two Ways at Naanolicious

Hanging out at Blues On Whyte for most of the day Saturday led me to have a couple of meals at the adjoining Naanolicious. The pickled chicken is probably my favourite dish there so far. The sizzling platter of chicken, sweet onions, and mushrooms are cooked to perfection in seasonings commonly used in the pickling process. However, the dish does not taste like a bunch of pickles! The chicken is sort of like tandoori but more flavourful, the onion is so sweet that it decadent, and the mushrooms absorb a lot of the flavour too. This is perfect with a piece of naan to scoop up all of the sauce.

Later in the day I did a take out of a special of the day, which was grilled chicken in a teriyaki sauce with coleslaw and a piece of naan bunched up in the middle. It was a really good combination of flavours and the naan was a perfect starch. However, being bunched up in the middle made the dish a little difficult to eat - maybe it should have been cut up into wedges. The red cabbage in the coleslaw was also on the bitter side, which detracted from an otherwise fresh and delicious dish. The shining star of the meal was the chicken, which was grilled to perfection.

Vegan Tofu Loaf

Vegan tofu loaf #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Well, this vegetarian and vegan food seems to be a recurring theme for me these days. On Saturday I had supper at Cafe Mosaics, one of my favourite Whyte Avenue restaurants.

I had the vegan tofu loaf, which was full of vegetables, seasoning, and tofu (duh!) which was crumbly in places and chewy in others. The texture almost reminded me in this way of ground meat. I loved the mushroom gravy, with its large pieces of mushrooms, along with the roasted potatoes and salad. Healthy, filling, and delicious.

Tofu and Mushrooms at Double Greeting Won Ton House

Tofu and mushroom on rice at Double Greeting Wonton House #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

A number of my friends think Double Greeting Won Ton House (10212 96 Street) is the best Chinese "greasy spoon" restaurant in the city. And greasy it is - from its no frills exterior to somewhat grungy looking interior, the place spells "cheap."

I opted for one of the menu's front page specials: tofu and mushrooms on steamed rice. This came with a glass of soy milk. I found this an interesting beverage choice, but fine since I like soy milk. Tea was also provided with my meal. I probably should not have also ordered a cold Hong Kong style coffee (like Vietnamese coffee, but it comes already stirred), but I had not yet had any coffee that day so I felt justified in my abundance of drinks.

When my meal came, I stared in disbelief. The huge plate of rice, mushrooms, tofu, and vegetables could easily have filled two people. It tasted great and I loved the sauce, which penetrated into the rice.

My meal deal was only around $9. Amazing. The coffee was around $3 extra.

Now, while I mentioned at the beginning that some of my friends rave about this place (and I can see why), others have warned me about it. In particular, they said that the restaurant would not meet my need for a high level of cleanliness. Personally, I didn't see anything that grossed me out in particular (admittedly, I did not visit the washrooms).

However, without going into graphic detail, a little while after I ate I was not very happy. In fairness, it could have been something else I had eaten that day. It could have been the strong coffee. It could have been that I ate a little too much. Or, I could have just been having a bad day.

Still, if I return to Double Greeting Won Ton House, I will do so cautiously, and possibly with others - this food is meant for sharing.

Steak and Mushroom Pie

Steak and mushroom pie #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

A quick lunch at the downtown Sherlock Holmes Pub on Rice Howard Way in between events on a busy afternoon. The Steak and Mushroom pie was more like a stew or soup - a hearty one at that - with a large piece of puffed pastry instead of bread. There was a lot of meat, potatoes, and mushrooms.

My main complaint was that the service was a bit lacking. Despite the fact the majority of the lunch crowd had cleared out, after being ignored for at least five minutes we had to get up to get our own menus, which finally caught the attention of our server. The rest of the meal went relatively well.

Salty and Crispy Shiitake

Salty and crispy shiitake #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I finally made it back to Veggie Garden Restaurant for supper during a day working downtown. I often have the Hot and Salty Tofu, but decided to give the Salty and Crispy Shiitake a try, just for variety.

The thin slices of mushroom were breaded and salted to perfection, with a crunchy mix of carrots and peppers (both the bell and hot variety). I found the dish a little difficult to eat, with the threads of mushrooms getting tangled like noodles, but it was very flavourful.