Turkey Burger from Bully Food Truck

This turkey burger from @bullyfoodtruck was amazing! A huge patty with excellent seasoning, topped with turkey bacon, garlic aioli, and pickled onions. I held the cheese. Knife and fork were required. #yeg #yegfood #yegfoodie #yegeats #nofilter #bullysfoodtruck

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 24, 2018 at 6:06pm PDT

Smoked Turkey Leg and BBQ in a Bowl from Smokehouse BBQ

Smoked turkey leg #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 3, 2016 at 1:54pm PDT

Summer means festivals, and festivals mean food trucks, and for me, that means I am going to having some meals from the Smokehouse BBQ food truck. At the Blues On Whyte Block Party at the beginning of July, I ate at the Smokehouse BBQ truck not once, but twice! My first item was the smoked turkey leg. This is usually offered as a special and always sells out before I can get one. Well, it was not going to elude me this time! The huge - and I mean, huge! - leg was smoked to perfection, the skin crispy on the outside with the inside remaining moist. Simple and good.

BBQ in a bowl . #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 3, 2016 at 4:31pm PDT

BBQ in a Bowl is a speciality that is a layered dish of French fries, meat, baked beans, and coleslaw. I had the version with the brisket. Lots of tender chunks of brisket was found between the fries, beans, and coleslaw. The slaw was fresh and delicious, and it has been ages since I have had good baked beans (for me, they are hard to find because they are usually laced with pork. Not here.). It was a hearty meal that covered all of the BBQ bases.

Turkey Drum at Brewsters

My first trip to the Meadowlark Brewsters in quite some time led me to order something off of the Irish-inspired special menu. It was a turkey drumstick - a whole drumstick grilled with crispy skin, a drizzle of a lemon aioli, and a slightly spicy barbecue sauce on the side. The meat was tender and juicy, coming away from the bone with only the use of a fork. The side of apple fennel slaw was a disappointment, though - it tasted pretty much like run of the mill slaw with a few apple slices thrown in. An additional small side of a starch would have rounded out the meal nicely - perhaps some tater tots?

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.

Hot Turkey Sandwich at Highlevel Diner

Hot turkey is one of my favourite comfort foods, so when I was in the University area earlier this week, I went to Highlevel Diner for their weekly "Turkey Tuesday." Hot turkey sandwiches are on special for lunch. It was a pile of locally-raised turkey on fresh, multigrain bread with gravy and a choice of side. I went with the home cut fries because those fries are some of the best fries in the city, especially when paired with the house-made ketchup. But this lunch was about the turkey - oh, the turkey - this was real turkey off the bone, with pan gravy, just like home made. Not a turkey roast, not shriveled, dry pieces of leftover turkey, with thick, brown mystery gravy - this is the real deal. One of these days, I am going to have to come back later in the day for the full-fledged turkey dinner.

Bavarian Turkey Dip at Brewsters

I went out for supper this week with my brother to the Meadowlark location of Brewsters. I tried a menu item I have been eyeing for a while: the Bavarian Turkey Dip. Served on a pretzel bun, thin slices of turkey breast is piled high with tart cranberry sauce and mayo. I held the provolone. The dip part was the turkey gravy to the side. It was one of the best turkey gravies I have ever had: thick and flavourful without being too lumpy or spicy. It also went well with the fries I had to the side.

The Gobbler at Press'd

I grabbed a quick bite last week at the university location of Press'd. I normally order the Bird, which has turkey, sprouts, and avocado (I skip the cream cheese). The Gobbler, I am assuming which is a seasonal special, has turkey, spinach, and cranberry sauce (I also skipped the cream cheese). My verdict? There was too much cranberry sauce, and it dominated the taste. I felt like I was eating a sweet spinach salad at some points where the turkey was thinner. If you love cranberry sauce and spinach you'll like this. Otherwise, I am sticking with the Bird.

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.

Roast Turkey Bagel

Smoked Turkey Bagel, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

New York Bagel Cafe (8430 Gateway Blvd.) is one of my favourite Old Strathcona cafes. However, whenever I am in the area it is so darn busy that I hardly ever get a chance to eat there. A weekday afternoon trip to the Ice On Whyte Festival brought the opportunity to get some lunch when it was not nearly as busy as on the weekend.

I have had breakfast dishes there numerous times, but never a bagel meal. I ordered the roast turkey, which came with organic veggies, cranberry sauce, potato salad, and cream cheese (which I held). The plating surprised me - everything was independent, meant to be assembled at the discretion of the diner. Personally, I love tasting each element individually and getting a feel for its flavour.

And lots of flavour there was. The bagel was a meal in itself. I chose a multigrain, and it was covered with nuts and seeds. The turkey was deli style, but it had a deep, smoky flavour and there was plenty of it. And the potato salad: it was so fresh and delicious. The only element on the plate that disappointed was the cranberry sauce. Too tart, and with some strange off smell, I did not use much of it. It needed more sugar and I think it may have been sitting for too long.

At around $17 per meal, the bagel platters at New York Bagel Cafe are not cheap, but it's such a great little place and the food is decadent (and the people who work there are really nice).

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.

Plow and Harvest

Turkey big plate at Plow and Harvest #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

As a lover of home cooked, home style meals, I was eager to try the new Plow and Harvest which opened up on 170 street and 100 Avenue, in a large space formerly occupied by a number of restaurants.

I love the decor - the country theme is perhaps played up to the point of kitsch, but that is sort of the place's charm. Our greeter was very friendly and explained how to order. Of course, by the time we sat down, we had completely forgotten. Fortunately, there are staff wandering around, and one of them picked up on our confusion and helped us out.

The line between restaurant and cafeteria is blurred when it comes to payment. I don't mind paying for my food first. The main advantage for me is not having to wait for the bill after (my least favourite part of dining out). Tipping is another matter. Perhaps there is some way to tip afterwards that the management can incorporate.

I ordered a turkey entree and my friend had the "not so sloppy" Joe. Sandwiches come with fries, which cannot be substituted for another side (although sides can be ordered for an addition $4 each). Entrees come with a side, and you can pick one additional one, so I went for fries. I found them crispy and seasoned. My stuffing was one of the best I ever had. I loved the gravy, which was not overpowering and went especially well with the stuffing, and the turkey - five or six thick slices of white breast meat. The accompanying artisan bread (a pumpernickel bun) was also great - and I don't even like pumpernickel!

I did not taste the sloppy Joe but my friend was satisfied with it and said he would order it again. He also had a side of stuffing in addition to his fries and shared my enthusiasm for it. We loved the presentation - sides are in these mini cast iron skillets and condiments are in tiny silver buckets.

My main disappointment was our beverages. I was initially excited about Boylan's pop being on tap. The problem was that it tasted very watered down. Also, the chairs are not comfortable - my lower back felt sort of caged in. The restaurant is definitely not perfect, but I the food and service were good. I am hoping the standard will be maintained on future visits.

Tarragon and Lime Turkey Wrap

Tarragon and lime turkey wrap #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

The need for a mid-afternoon snack led me to Jeffrey's Cafe and Wine Bar (9640 142 Street) today. I ordered the featured wrap, which was turkey, cucumber, tomato, and lettuce with a lime and tarragon aioli (I held the cheese).

The wrap was grilled slightly, giving the outside a pleasant crunch. Lots of smoked turkey and the associated veggies filled it out. However, the shining star of this wrap was the aioli. It did not have a strong taste, but added balance and a unique twist to what otherwise would have been a plain turkey wrap. I hope this aioli will be available for other sandwiches and wraps.

I added a small bowl of cream of turkey soup - thick, hot, and fresh. It almost had the consistency of a chowder.

Turkey Burger at High Level Diner

Turkey burger and tabbouleh salad #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I had supper at High Level Diner yesterday evening prior to an event at Metro Cinema.

I ordered the turkey burger, since I have been meaning to try it for a while. The meat was ground with sage, vegetables, and cranberries. It tasted like turkey dinner with all of the elements at once! I wish I could have detected more of the taste of the turkey itself - the cranberries and sage dominated.

Adorning the whole wheat bum was a creamy dressing, greens, red onions, and some of the most ripe tomatoes I have ever seen. I decided on a tabbouleh salad instead of fries. It's lightness and acidity paired well with the burger.

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: Blueberry Comfort

Blueberry pancakes and turkey bacon #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Nothing feels more like comfort food after being sick for a while, than blueberry pancakes. The ones at iHop (3921 Calgary Trail) are very moist and covered in blueberry compote. I opted for turkey bacon instead of the piggy meat that usually accompanies. It was just the right amount of food, and worth the substitution costs (for the turkey bacon as well as having blueberry pancakes instead of plain buttermilk).

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.

Breakfast for Lunch: Vancouver Double Berry Pancakes Breakfast

Vancouver Double Berry Pancakes Breakfast, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Denny's currently has a "Tour of North America" special menu. When there for lunch earlier this week, I had the Vancouver Double Berry Pancakes Breakfast.

I am not sure what pancakes with strawberry and blueberries have to do specifically with Vancouver, but they were huge and bursting with fruit. I actually would have preferred normal maple syrup to the cream cheese topping - it was a bit too sweet.

The rest of the meal included two eggs, hash browns, and two pieces of meat (I had turkey bacon).

On the Street: Turkey Sausage

Turkey Sausage, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Welcome to "On the Street," my series of food blogs on Edmonton's growing street food scene.

When I think of street food in Edmonton, I think of Fat Franks. For me, spring arrives when I start seeing the company's carts on the street. Munching on a hot dog outside is one of my favourite spring and summer pleasures.

I went for a bike ride this afternoon to the cart on 124 Street and 102 Avenue outside Mountain Equipment Co-op. I was tempted by a new special: turkey sausage. I know I had this once before, last summer, I think at the Folk Fest, but could never find it on anyone's carts since.

The sausage was $5, and slightly larger than the Jumbo Dog, which is what I typically get. Within the crispy casing was ground turkey meat that was light in both texture and taste, with a hint of seasonings. I tried the cranberry mustard as per the cart attendant's suggestion, but was glad I did not put much on - it tasted like cranberry sauce in a squeezable bottle moreso than mustard - a bit too sweet.

Overall, I would say I find the Jumbo Dog more satisfying and also with a stronger taste.

Breakfast for Lunch: Bananas Foster French Toast Skillet

Bananas Foster French Toast Skillet, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

This edition of Breakfast for Lunch should actually be Breakfast for Supper, but who's keeping track? Not me! Anyways, I was pressured into going to Denny's yesterday evening. It's amazing the power someone has over me when they are the ones doing the driving.

While he gulped down his turkey dinner, I opted for something lighter, as I had a very late lunch. The Bananas Foster French Toast Skillet appeared to be exactly what I was looking for - more like a dessert. The French toast was indeed very sweet as it was cooked in a buttery caramel sauce, and topped with cooked bananas (which were a tad over-ripe). However, the meal also came with two eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage - I opted for turkey bacon, and ended up with sausage also (which my companion happily took from me).

In the future I would get the French Toast Grand Slam instead, as I found the caramel sauce just too sweet (tasty, but too sweet). This is assuming I get dragged to Denny's again, of course.

Ricky's Christmas Menu: Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey Pot Pie, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Ricky's All Day Grill introduced their Christmas menu this week. My friend and I were the first to try it at the St. Albert location.His turkey reuben sandwich was thick with turkey, corned beef, and sauerkraut, accompanied by a mountain of fries. He was happy.

I had the turkey pot pie. It was served in a ramekin, topped with filo pastry. I was surprised there was stuffing under the pastry. Although the combination of pieces of turkey, vegetables, and potato in a creamy broth was nothing to complain about, the portion was a bit on the small side. The side of salad or soup was also diminutive. I opted for the soup, which that day was bream of potato - it went well with the pie's stuffing.

At. $8.99 it's not a bad value - just don't be overly hungry.