Beef and Vegan Sausage at Otto

Five piece original with potato slaw and a corn fritter. My first time at Seoul Fried Chicken. #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #seoulfriedchicken #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Dec 20, 2017 at 6:01pm PST

I finally got a chance to visit Otto this past week, and it definitely lived up to the hype. A very cozy neighbourhood establishment, it wasn't all that busy on a Friday night. My server was very friendly and helpful. I loved how the menu was divided into pork and non-pork sausage options. I had the beef bratwurst and a vegan sausage. The vegan sausage was hearty, totally nailed the texture, and had a slightly sweet taste to it. The beef bratwurst was incredible. I'm not a huge fan of beef sausages because I find they often taste like hot dogs, and I don't love hot dogs. However, this sausage had more of a texture and flavour reminiscent of a kofta kebab - ground beef with seasonings in a very thin casing. Intensely flavourful. For my side I had a small dill coleslaw, and it was extremely fresh without the dill being overpowering.

Breakfast for Lunch: Big Beer Breakfast at Situation Brewing

Big Beer Breakfast (with beef) #yegfood #yegeats #foodporn

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 25, 2017 at 1:06pm PST

Saturdays for me often means brunch, and this weekend I headed back to Situation Brewing. I opted for the Big Beer Breakfast: two eggs any way, hash browns, toast, and my choice of bacon or beef sausage. I chose the latter: two thick, juicy sausages that went well with the rest of the dish. It's not an overwhelmingly huge portion as the name of the dish implies, but it's got pretty much all of the elements of a hearty breakfast.

Breakfast for Lunch: Morning Grill at Albert's

I had a Morning Grill yesterday even though it was the afternoon. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 13, 2017 at 1:04pm PDT

I had a Morning Grill for lunch at Alberta's Family Restaurant, even though it was already the afternoon. It consisted of two pancakes, two pieces of French toast, and a choice of bacon or sausage. They were kind enough to substitute beef sausage for pork. The pancakes were light and fluffy and as large as the plate upon which they were served. The pieces of French toast were rather mighty as well. It turned out I did not care for the taste of the beef sausage, but they were also quite big. I did not finish. I will remember this for when I am really, really hungry.

Breakfast for Lunch: Coast Plaza Hotel

I was at the Coast Plaza hotel for a function recently, and grabbed some breakfast while I waited, even though it was already around noon. The breakfast buffet was being put away, so I ordered an eggs/meat/potato dish from the breakfast menu - and it was more than enough food. The two eggs were done perfectly to my liking, while the beef sausages (a substitute for the pork) were crispy and delicious. The potatoes were a bit hard to deal with - they were undercooked, and served whole. If they were sliced they might have been more fork-tender, and also stood up better to the seasoning.

Breakfast for Lunch: Sausage Hash at The Almanac

The Almanac is a very nice little spot on Whyte Avenue that is sort of a cross between a French bistro and brunch joint. I went here for brunch and tried the sausage hash. To my surprise, I found out the sausage was maple turkey (not pork) and gluten-free to boot! I hope they put this information on the menu, because there are a lot of gluten-free and non-pork eaters out there. The portion was HUGE and I still had sausage left on my plate after all of the baby potatoes and sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms were gone. The fried egg on top brought the dish together, with its runny yolk.

Chicken Sausages at Hudson's

I am always amazed when I see options for sausages that are not pork-based, so I was happy to see chicken sausages on the menu at Hudson's. I ordered them when I was at the Whyte Avenue location for lunch this week. The Spolumbo's chicken maple sausages were large and had a good texture, although I did not pick up much of the sweetness from the maple. The onion demi-glace was extremely thick and soupy - more like a rich gravy, and that really dominated. Instead of the cheddar mashed potatoes I had fries (I don't like cheese in my mash and it was already all made up). Very filling comfort food, but if I ever had it again I would ask for the demi-glace on the side.

Breakfast for Lunch: Brunch Special at Artisan Cafe

Saturday morning brunch at Artisan Resto-Cafe saw me order the special: two turkey sausages, two eggs any style, potatoes, and a piece of blueberry French toast. It was a good portion, and one doesn't find turkey sausages being served that often. The French toast was not overly sweet, and my eggs were done perfectly. A great way to start the weekend.

Breakfast for Lunch: Country Harvest at Artisan Resto-Cafe

I have had brunch before at Artisan Resto-Cafe on Whyte Avenue, usually an omelette, but tried the Country Harvest for something different. Two eggs any style, potatoes, two thick beef sausages, and a choice of a piece of French toast or one pancake - this is indeed a unique combination. The sausages in particular were filling, and the piece of French toast I chose made a pleasant alternative to the plain toast usually served with such a meal. My eggs were perfectly done, and the potatoes were Artisan's own. My only criticism was that the onion that garnished them was raw - and strong. Lightly fried or sauteed onions would have made a huge difference. Otherwise, a very good meal, and a restaurant with a cool atmosphere.

Breakfast for Lunch: Urban Diner

I haven't been to Urban Diner in ages, so when I ended up spending some time on 124 Street on Saturday, I headed there for brunch.

I started out with an order of poffertjes, which are small pancakes served with chocolate sauce and hot maple syrup for dipping. This was one of the dishes featured on the Food Network's You Gotta Eat Here. I can see - I mean, taste - why. These little morsels absolutely melted in my mouth.

Next up was my main course of two eggs, hash browns, toast, and chicken apple sausage. The eggs were done to perfection and large, and the has browns are very unique by incorporating sweet potato. Two huge pieces of toast would otherwise round out the meal, but I opted for the two egg breakfast with a side of meat. In this case, I chose the chicken apple sausage, which costs slightly more but is well worth it. The huge, dense, sausage is full of flavour, slightly sweet, and is probably the best sausage I have ever had.

Breakfast for Lunch: Blue Plate Breakfast at Blue Plate Diner

Big Breakfast, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

It has been a while since I had brunch at Blue Plate Diner, something which was rectified this weekend. I had the Blue Plate Breakfast which has always been my choice, with two eggs, potatoes, toast, and veggie sausage. The potatoes were different from the house made hash browns of the past, and while the eggs used to be advertised on the menu as Hutterite eggs, they were just simple states as eggs, so I am assuming that has changed as well. The veggie sausage has turned into a huge link of slightly sweet soy goodness, and was the star of the meal.

Eugene Onegin Opera Brunch

I love brunch - when I have time, it is my favourite thing to do on Saturday mornings. And although I love the arts and music, I have never been to the opera.

So, I was thrilled when I was invited to join the Edmonton Opera for its Eugene Onegin Opera Brunch at the Sutton Place Hotel on April 7.

The brunch is one of the diverse ways the Edmonton Opera presents the art form to audiences. It is part of a quarterly series for Opera patrons to enjoy a meal while listening to performances by cast members of the forthcoming production. In this case, it is Tchaikovsky's romantic Eugene Onegin. This production is notable as it is one of the few Russian operas the Edmonton Opera has presented.

As a result, the food had a Russian and Eastern European theme to it. Along with traditional breakfast items like eggs benedict and sausage (although in this case the sausage was turkey), there were Russian dumplings, cabbage soup, beet salad, three cheese tortellini, roast chicken in a mushroom and sour creme demi-glace, blinis (thin pancakes), and several other salads.

It was quite an unusual assortment of foods for an 11 a.m. meal indeed. Quite frankly, if served later in the day many of the items would have made a fine supper. That being said, the food was well prepared and the staff extremely helpful and friendly. I had to make a couple of inquiries into ingredients and was promptly given the answers I needed so I could make the right selections for my plate.

First, I had a mimosa, which was absolutely spectacular. I wish I had gotten the name of the champagne being used, because it was very resonant with the orange juice, without being overpowering. The coffee being served was also excellent - I drank mine black, which is rare for me.

Of the food I sampled, I enjoyed the roast chicken the most. Moist, tender, and carved, the sauce was deep and delicious. It went well with the has browns, which were sliced, pan fried potatoes that were lightly seasoned. The rice was a little watery for my taste, probably a victim of the steam tray. I especially liked the cold beet salad with walnuts - the beets were soft and flavourful, and the creamy dressing brought all of the components together very well.

The only two items on my plate that were slightly traditional were the turkey sausage and blinis. I liked the sausage well enough - someone at my table commented that they did not taste much different than the pork variety (I would not know). The blinis were slightly sweet and quite spongy. I like the flavour but found them hard to cut as a result of their texture. Finally, a cup of cabbage soup certainly felt Eastern European to be eating, although it was basically a beef soup with lots of cabbage.

By the time I hit the dessert table, I was already quite full yet tempted by the choices of cheesecakes, layer cakes, mousses, fruit, and pastries. I settled on a small croissant, which was flaky and melted in my mouth. I also had a small danish, which I think was strawberry under its lattice topping. Of course, I could not resist a serving of the decadent chocolate mousse.

Slightly earlier than indicated on the program, the performances began. Cast members from Eugene Onegin performed short selections of Eastern European opera, particularly from Dvorak, Bartok, Rachmaninov, and Tchaikovsky. I enjoyed the variety of songs and their brevity allowed for a substantial program in a short span of time. For me, these "bite-sized" portions of opera were an excellent introduction to seeing the art form live.

I was tempted to head for a piece of Oreo cheesecake after the performances were complete, but I was utterly stuffed. This was the final brunch of the season. Next season, they will take place at the Petroleum Club.

Many thanks to the Edmonton Opera for a delicious and entertaining experience!

For my full photo set from the brunch, click here.

Breakfast for Lunch: "Ham" Omelette at Padmanadi

"Ham" omelette at Padmanadi #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I have been a fan of the Indonesian vegan fare at Padmanadi for years, ever since the restaurant was still located in Chinatown. However, I never had the opportunity to have brunch until this past weekend.

Only available on Saturdays and Sundays until 2 p.m., the brunch menu concists of a variety of pancake, French toast, scramble, and omelette dishes - all made without actual eggs, meat, and dairy. Substitutes mostly made from different formulations of bean curd are presented.

I had a "ham and cheese" omelette, sans cheese. I have realized that even in vegan form, I cannot handle the taste and texture of it. The "butter" on the organic multigrain toast tasted so much like the real thing, I was almost afraid I would actually have a lactose reaction. A side of fresh fruit added colour to the dish, while the root vegetable hash was ample and had a nice seasoning to it, some of the pieces were undercooked.

Now, for the omelette itself. The "egg" part was bean curd spread thin. It had the look and texture of egg with a very pleasant crispy outside, but did not much of a flavour in and of itself. It absorbed flavour from the filling, which was spinach, mushrooms, and large slabs of "ham", also a soy or tofu substitute I have had many times at the restaurant. I was amazed at how much of the meat was in there. I opted out of the "cheese" but I am sure it would have been generous.

I added a side of "sausage" to my meal but really did not have to. This was as filling as a supper entree. Bean curd is much denser than eggs and I was full for the rest of the day.

At around $15 per meal, plus drinks and additional optional sides, brunch at Padmanadi is a bit pricey but very unique and with huge portions.

Breakfast for Lunch - Chicken Sausage

Chicken sausage and eggs #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

While unexpectedly ending up at Albert's Family Restaurant on 99 Street and 51 Avenue, even more unexpectedly I discovered several breakfast specials on the menu - including chicken sausage!

Made in Alberta, this huge hunk of sausage was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with a hint of sweetness. I did not feel like I was eating a chicken hot dog - the skin was far too crispy, with the texture and seasonings being quite unique.

This was definitely the highlight of the meal, which was otherwise mediocre. My eggs, ordered over easy, were actually over medium (the yolks barely ran) and the hash browns were cold.

Breakfast for Lunch: Beef Sausage Breakfast

Two eggs, potato pancakes, and beef sausage. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I always get excited when I see beef sausage on a breakfast menu. As a non-pork eater, this is one of the few chances I have to enjoy some meat with my eggs and potatoes.

This is one reason why I had breakfast for lunch at Albert's Family Restaurant on 51 Avenue and 99 Street on Saturday. Three huge, thick, ctispy links of beef sausage were served alongside two eggs (over easy, of course) and potato pancakes (other choices included regular pancakes and toast with hashbrowns).

The best way I can describe this meal is with the word "huge." Two sausage links would have been enough (and they tasted great - not too spicy but still bold). The potato pancakes were also large, with plenty of apple sauce and sour cream on the side.

Interestingly, the server informed me that the beef sausages were new - the previous kind were the same size as regular pork sausages (which is why four were listed on the menu instead of the three I was served). Whether or not these will be kept or the old ones will return will be decided largely on customer reactions. Never having ever had the previous kind I could not comment other than I thought these current ones were excellent, if not slightly too large.

Folk Fest 2011 #4: Turkey Sausage

Food - EFMF 2011, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Fat Franks was the one vendor I visited twice during the weekend. First, I had a veggie hot dog, which is nothing new to me. While I was paying, I noticed a new addition on their menu - turkey sausage. Fat Franks has had other kinds of sausages for a while, but being a non-pork eater for religious reasons, I have never tried them. This one, I could.

The next day, I ventured up to the Fat Franks stand and ordered a turkey sausage. I was told it had been a hot seller, despite being a new product. After my first bite, I could tell (or taste, as the case may be) why. The skin was perfectly crispy, with juicy turkey within. It was not spicy in the least bit, and much thicker and a bit longer than their Jumbo Dog. It was a lot of meat. It was also not cheap, at $6, but sometimes festival prices are inflated. I am going to definitely order another one of these on the street and see if it lives up to this first one.