Soup and Sandwich at Italian Centre (95 Street Location)

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Comfort food: chicken and rice soup with a turkey focaccia sandwich. The cheese was removed. The bread really made the sandwich in this case. #yeg #italiancentre #italiancentreshop #yegfood #yegfoodie #nofilter

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 6, 2018 at 1:50pm PDT

Comfort food: chicken and rice soup with a turkey focaccia sandwich. The cheese was removed. The bread really made the sandwich in this case.

Beef Dip at Brewsters

Beef dip - the roast beef was piled high with tangy onions and savoury horseradish aïoli in a pretzel bun. #yeg #yegfood #brewsters #yegfoodie #nofilter #beefdip #sandwich

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Aug 4, 2018 at 5:41pm PDT

Breakfast for Lunch: Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich at Cafe Leva

Smoked salmon breakfast sandwich, with lots of salmon, avocado, red onion, and a few (too few) capers. I held the cream cheese. The toasted multigrain bagel was terrific. #yeg #yegfood #yegfoodie #yegeats #cafeleva #smokedsalmon

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Aug 4, 2018 at 5:35pm PDT

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Sandwich at BRU

Late lunch of a smoked salmon and avocado sandwich. #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #smokedsalmon #sammie #sandwich #yegdt #yegfoodie

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on May 4, 2018 at 1:06pm PDT

Smoked Salmon Croissant Sandwich at Chocorrant Pâtisserie + Cafe

Smoked salmon croissant sandwich and Italian cold brew. #yeg #yegfoodie #yegeats #124street #nofilter #smokedsalmon

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on May 10, 2018 at 11:45am PDT

Soup and Sandwich at Homesteader's Kitchen

Egg salad sandwich and borscht - Saturday’s lunch. #yegfood #mystonyplain #yegeats #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 21, 2017 at 12:42pm PST

I gave a presentation at the Multicultural Heritage Centre in Stony Plain last weekend, and afterwards had lunch at their Homesteader's Kitchen. The menu items are prepared from local ingredients, and the prices are incredible. I had an egg salad sandwich, which was on thick white break. The egg salad was prepared with dill and vegetables, and on its own would have been filling enough. However, I had the borscht on the side, which was a creamy, garlicky broth with beets, carrots, and other seasonings. I actually have never had hot borscht before, and this was a pleasant introduction. If and when I am back in Stony Plain, I will definitely head here for lunch.

Italian Sandwich at Tony's Pizza

This Italian hero was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. Stir-fried chicken with onions and peppers, with fresh tomatoes and seasonings. I skipped the cheese. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 19, 2017 at 11:02am PDT

I was at Tony's Pizza last week for an event with an organization I work with, and decided to try something on the menu I had never had before. I noticed an Italian sandwich made up of a stir fry of one's choice of chicken, veal, or Italian sausage, with peppers and onions, served on a torpedo bun with mozzarella and topped with fresh tomatoes and seasonings. I chose the chicken and skipped the cheese. The filling was incredible, as the peppers and onions were brought to a point of tenderness and sweetness that resonated on my palate. The bread was fresh and crispy, lightly toasted. And, it was HUGE. I want this again, and I want it soon!

Smoked Salmon Biscuit Sandwich at Lock Stock Coffee

Discovered Lock Stock Coffee yesterday and had an Americano and biscuit sandwich with lox. #yegfood #yegcoffee

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 17, 2017 at 12:52pm PDT

I discovered Lock Stock Coffee while on Jasper Avenue looking for a place to grab a cup of coffee and maybe a quick bite, on a Saturday afternoon. Thanks to the signage, I headed down, looked at the small menu, and ordered an Americano and one of the biscuit sandwiches. My Americano was brought to me first, and it was very good. Deep, rich flavour. The sandwich had lox, arugula, pickled scallions, and dill cream cheese on an herb and cheddar biscuit. I normally don't like cream cheese, so if it is flavoured it had better taste strongly from the flavour - and indeed it did. The richness of the cream cheese paired perfectly with the fresh lox and bitterness of the arugula. I also normally don't go for cheese biscuits, but this one was so fresh and flaky, with little crispy hints of cheddar. I thought at first $8.50 was a lot to pay for a small sandwich, but it was deceptively rich and filling. The staff were very friendly and I liked the vibe of the place. I am definitely coming back!

Roast Beef Sandwich at Culina Muttart

The Muttart Conservatory is one of my favourite Edmonton attractions. My visit there this week started with lunch at Culina. I had a roast beef sandwich with the house salad. The sandwich was divine on a fresh baguette with real roast beef that was served slightly warm with mustard. I asked to have the cheddar held. The salad was a star on the plate unto itself with slightly pickled vegetables, almonds, dried cranberries, and greens. I held the feta. It looked as beautiful as it tasted and would consider ordering the salad as a meal.

Vegging Out: Vegetarian Triple Decker at Friends and Neighbours

I am starting to make Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) a regular habit. Last week I tried the vegetarian club sandwich, which is a huge trip decker stacked with soy bacon, grilled tofu, lettuce, tomatoes, with roasted red pepper spread on toast. There appeared to be margarine on the bread as well - I am not sure if this can be held, as I know the buns and bagels are pre-margarined. The sandwich is too big to fit into most people's mouths. The soy bacon really steals the show, while the tofu was rather bland. I chose the house made has browns as my side. This is a very heart sandwich, but I prefer the veggie sandwich I had there on my previous visit, with just soy bacon, avocado, and spinach on a bagel.

Smoked Meat Sandwich at Culina Muttart

Smoked Meat Sandwich, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I went to the Muttart Conservatory last week to take in the new Lunar New Year feature display. I also wanted to meet someone for lunch, so it just made sense to dine at Culina Muttart.

I had been here once before for brunch, but that was a couple of years ago. The small lunch menu had a number of sandwiches, soups, salads, and a few mains. I opted for a sandwich with a side of salad, in this case the smoked meat, and the salad was the sweet and spicy slaw.

The sandwich was piled high with fresh, lean smoked meat. The bread was a panini that was so fresh, literally every bite was crunchy. I skipped the cheddar, and could have done with less of the spicy mustard (I will definitely tell them to go easy next time).

The slaw was a meal in itself, and reminded me of a teriyaki stir fry, except cold. The vegetables were crunchy and fresh, and it was an excellent pairing with the sandwich.

$11 for a sandwich and side is a reasonable price to pay for an excellent, fresh, delicious lunch. I can't wait to come back and try another sandwich or one of the mains.

Grilled Turkey Sandwich and Iced Coffee at Gracious Goods.

Turkey grilled sandwich and iced coffee at Gracious Goods. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I had to finish reading a book in preparation for a talk I am giving. Problem is, it seems like no matter which cafe I pick, someone knows me and strikes up a conversation, thus causing me to set aside the purpose for which I am there. So, I headed to Belgravia yesterday to Gracious Goods Cafe where I could read in peace.

Thing is, I was also hungry and thirsty from the bike ride there. I had a grilled turkey sandwich in flatbread (other choices were as a wrap or on focaccia), replacing the provolone cheese with avocado (which normally costs 50 cents extra to add). The flatbread was grainy, with a hint of sweetness, and served almost like a wrap.

The combination of the spinach, cranberry sauce, and turkey made the sandwich almost taste like Thanksgiving dinner, while the avocado added an earthiness. The way the sandwich was heated caused all of the ingredients to be hot, including the avocado, which was a bit strange. However, the most remarkable think about the sandwich was the fact they use actual, pulled roast turkey - not turkey deli. It was also a bit on the small side.

To drink I had an iced coffee. Freshly brewed, it was deep and fantastic.

I really like the location and atmosphere of Gracious Goods and will be back, hopefully on a regular basis.

Matterhorn Sandwich at Swiss 2 Go

Matador sandwich at Swiss2Go, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Swiss 2 Go is a popular sandwich shop that recently relocated from the east part of the city to the west end. It sells mostly sandwiches, soups, and salads.

The selection of sandwiches is as unique as the ingredients, which include dried roast beef, apple crisp, brie cheese, and many other savoury delights - and one sweet Nutella option! I went for a regular-sized Matterhorn, which has the dried beef, avocado, cilantro, and I held the jalapenos and butter.

First of all, the regular size is enormous. A large sandwich, served on a larger bun, would be nearly impossible. Oh, and the bun - it is a fresh pretzel baguette topped with lots of kosher salt. The roast beef almost had the texture of jerky without being quite as dry. The avocado was fresh and in chunky slices, while the cilatro was also coarse.

The beef was definitely an acquired taste, but the food here is very fresh, and service quite friendly. I would perhaps give another sandwich a go. Speaking of going, this is mostly a take-out place with a few tables and no apparent washrooms.

Celebrating Old Strathcona

On July 7, I stopped by the Old Strathcona block party organized by Blues On Whyte. 103 and 104 Streets were blocked off, two stages were filled with music, vendors sold unique items, and, of course, there were food trucks.

I had lunch while I enjoyed some live music and started with a brisket sandwich from Smokehouse BBQ. The slightly sweet, fresh bun was filled with chunks of brisket. The meat was lean, with just a tiny bit of sweet fat to make things rich. The sauce was not overpowering, and the spoonful of coleslaw on top made me glad I grabbed a fork - things could have gotten messy!

I had a snack later on, and went for a vegetarian samosa from Naanolicious. It was interesting seeing the street food truck right there, when their physical location was right nearby! The samosa could have been a little warmer on teh inside, but the outside was satisfyingly crunchy. I also wanted something sweet, so tried an order of Can-naandians, which are pieces of naan bread in the shape of maple leaves in a maple sauce. They were almost like soft cookies in a sauce.

Although the weather did not fully cooperate when I was there, I had a great time hanging out on Whyte Avenue and celebrating the culture the area has to offer.

Butter Chicken "Panaani"

Butter chicken panini sandwich #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Naanolicious is becoming one of my "go-to" food places on Whyte Avenue. I unexpectedly ended up there for lunch and had a pressed naan sandwich, whimsically called a "panaani." The combination of the crispy naan bread with rich butter chicken on the inside satisfied by cravings for both. I would have appreciated a few more of the savoury Bombay potatoes and the salad was more of a garnish. Still, I really enjoy how Naanolicious presents Indian food in unique ways.

Soup and Panini at Three Bananas

Soup and Panini, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I needed a quick, light lunch before heading to a rally on Sunday afternoon. Three Bananas is located conveniently on Churchill Square and a favourite place of mine to go downtown for coffee.

I had a bowl of one of the Soups of the Day, which was chicken noodle. It was good enough - hot, good chicken flavour, a little light on the meat, and the noodles had a texture of being made from scratch. I thought the portion was a little light for $5 though.

My grilled panini sandwich was the disappointment of the meal though. It was the smoked turkey featured sandwich, and had maybe one or two slices of processed turkey throughout, topped with sliced tomatoes. The dijon mustard, while delicious, dominated the flavour. The multigrain bread was very good, but basically all I could taste was bread and mustard. And why was the bread upside-down, other than to give the nice grill marks? With sandwiches in the $10 range, if this is any indication they are overpriced.