Edmonton Folk Music Festival 2018

Folk Fest food (clockwise): fried gnocchi with tomato sauce from The Crazy Italian (satisfying but a bit salty); split peas and spicy lentils with injera from Langano Skies (very flavourful); potato chips from Lunchpail Catering (needed more dill dipping sauce; otherwise very average); fried cauliflower, veggie fried chicken, and spring rolls from Padmanadi (a perfect vegan snack). #yeg #yegfood #yegfoodie #yegeats #nofilter #folkfest #festivalfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Aug 13, 2018 at 8:11pm PDT

Pasta at Olive Garden

I took a friend and co-worker to the west end Olive Garden last week for supper. I ordered one of the mix and match, pick your pasta pick your sauce combinations, which in my case was three-colour vegetable penne, with the primavera sauce, and I added a grilled chicken breast. I was happy with the price and portion size (and took some home, which does not happen often), and found the sauce to be a bit on the sweet side. The best part were the large pieces of vegetables. I also found that the sauce has some parmesan in it, so it is vegetarian, not vegan. The chicken breast was cooked to perfection and actually paired well with the sauce. Of course, the unlimited salad and breadsticks brought me back in my mind to coming to the restaurant with my family as a kid.

Indian Arrabiatta Pasta at Naanolicious

There is not much I haven't ordered off the menu at Naanolicious, but the Indian Arrabiatta Pasta was one of them - until this past weekend. Tri-colour fusili cooked in an Indian butter sauce, with vegetables. I added chicken for an extra $3 and basically interpreted the meal as butter chicken on pasta with vegetables. You can't really go wrong with that - the sauce worked well with the pasta, which was cooked properly, and it went well with a piece of plain naan. Plus, the portion was huge - it was served in a bowl that was practically as a big as a bucket. If you like butter chicken and want to try a different take on the dish, definitely try this.

Steak and Spaghetti at Boston Pizza

Steak and Spaghetti, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I was convinced to have supper at the Westmount location of Boston Pizza this evening, even though I was not really in the mood for pizza.

The page of mains apart from the selection of pizzas and pastas drew me in, as a result. I had a seven ounce steak, which comes with freshly steamed vegetables and a salad; however, I swapped out my salad for spaghetti. I also tried the new tomato marinara, which was great as I never cared for the pomodoro sauce and find the meat sauce a little too spicy for my liking.

The serving of spaghetti was also huge! My steak was done to order and had very little waste. And at $15.99, it was not a bad price either.

Fusilli Al Pacifico at Chianti

Chiantis #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Fusilli Al Pacifico has long been my favourite pasta dish at Chianti's, so when I finally got a chance to have supper at the restaurant on Saturday, that is what I had.

I love pasts without a heavy sauce, and dishes like this are all too rare in Italian restaurants. The flavourful combination of olive oil, peas, onions, sun dried tomatoes, and smoked salmon makes for a light, refreshing meal that is also filling.

Santo's Reborn - Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce

Gnocchi with Bolonaise Sauce, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Breaking news in the dining scene of northeast Edmonton is that Santo's (10821 95 Street) is under new ownership. The family that had run the place for decades, after whom the restaurant was named, sold the place to new owners who renovated top to bottom. The dining area is far bigger, brighter, and classier than ever.

However, the biggest concern was over the menu. Would Santo's remain a place for delicious, inexpensive pizza and pasta? I am happy to say, the answer is yes. Reprinted in a much nicer form, the menu is almost identical to the previous one. There are a few new pizza toppings (like donair meat) and the smaller sizes of pasta are gone, but otherwise the burgers, sandwiches, steaks, pizzas, and pastas that have made the place famous remain intact.

I checked it out last evening and after I got over the initial shock of how the interior has changed, I ordered gnocchi with bolognese sauce for supper. The portion was deceptively large, served in a deep bowl. The gnocchi was suitably chewy while the sauce was rich and full of meat. I would say it was a winner. And at only around $10, quite affordable.

Santo's is a place some people have avoided because of the atmosphere. Yes, the horse racing and VLTs are still in the back, but much more separate than before. Now, it is a restaurant I would definitely go to more often and bring friends.

Penne and Meatballs

Penne and Meatballs, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Calling Boston Pizza Italian Food is one step worse than Olive Garden. Not that the food at either establishment is bad - it's just aimed at the tastes of the masses.

Boston Pizza (the Westmount location on 113 Street and Groat Road) is where I ended up for supper tonight. I went for a build my own pasta with penne, pomadoro sauce, and meatballs. No complaints - the portion was hearty. I especially like the meatballs.

Call this a guilty pleasure.

Penne with Meat Sauce

Penne with Meat Sauce, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

The pasta at Santo's (108 Avenue and 95 Street) is hearty. I especially enjoy their sauces, which are fresh and flavourful.

I had a full serving of penne with meat sauce for supper yesterday evening. It was hard to go wrong with it. The penne was cooked perfectly al dente and the sauce was rich and meaty.

Santo's may not be the prettiest place in the world, but the food is excellent.

Santo's Encore: Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce

Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I'm in post-Viva Italia Viva Edmonton afterglow and still feeling Italian. As a result, I headed back to Santo's today and indulged in a plate of gnocchi in tomato sauce.

The sauces at Santo's are totally homemade, and the tomato is one of the best I have ever had: not spicy, but rich and thick and full of flavour. The gnocchi is also special - the tiny potato dumplings soaked up the sauce and were perfectly chewy.

At around $10 the portion was excellent and kept me satisfied all afternoon. When it comes to Italian food served right, Santo's is hard core.