Just Desserts: Made By Marcus

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Lined up in the alley for ice cream, in between Fringe shows. IIt was worth it. Salted caramel and goat milk, and double cookies and cream. #yeg #yegicecream #whyteave #yegfood #yegfoodie #edmontonfood @madebymarcus

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@apaulagetics) on Aug 18, 2019 at 2:12pm PDT

Cheap Eats at Old Town Pub

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We were looking for an inexpensive, meat-and-potatoes place to eat on a Saturday night on Whyte Avenue. Old Town Pub was right across the street from where we were, so we walked over. The place was pretty empty for a Saturday night - not that we minded. We went upstairs via the spiral stair case. A server soon followed and took our drink orders. The menu is a collection of pub basics, with a few surprises thrown in, like the perogies and pickle soup. Just about everything is $10. We each ordered a steak sandwich with fries, as well as an order of salt and pepper wings to share, and I had a cup of the pickle soup. It was like a cream of vegetable, with dill pickle slices in in, along with carrot and potato. Very creamy and hearty, and a good portion for the cup size, along with toast. The chicken wings were a bit skimpy on the portion and the size of them, but for $10 I am not really going to complain. Our steak sandwiches were done to perfection and tasted great. All of our food was brought at once, and rather quickly. Drink prices are also reasonable, and service was very friendly. Good location, excellent prices, great service - we will definitely be back. #yeg #yegfood #whyteave #yegeats #yegfoodie #pubs #barfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Dec 6, 2018 at 7:02pm PST

Champion Beef Brisket Soup at Chef Hung

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Champion beef brisket soup. The broth was a clear beef stock, while the brisket was quite fatty. I had flat noodles, which held up well. At $17.50 though, it seemed a bit overpriced. #yeg #yegfood #noodles #brisket #yegeats #yegfoodie #whyteave

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Nov 24, 2018 at 4:09pm PST

Breakfast for Lunch: Smoked Salmon Scramble at Cacao 70 (10430 82 Ave.)

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Cacao 70 Eatery on Whyte Avenue - I came here for brunch. I had a mocha, which tasted like a melted chocolate bar without any hint of coffee. It read to me more like a rich hot chocolate. My smoked salmon scramble was meh - maybe 5 pieces of smoked salmon with a salad, a portion of scrambled eggs (the best part of the meal), toasted panini, and potato wedges that were limp and had an off taste to them. Also, I noticed that the the woman who was making the hot drinks kept coughing and coughing, and although she was covering it with her sleeve, it made me uncomfortable. Service was adequate, and prices are rather high. I wish the food matched the decor. #yeg #yegfoodie #yegfood #yegeats #cacao70 #brunch #whyteave #whyteavenue

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Oct 14, 2018 at 5:20pm PDT

Cacao 70 Eatery on Whyte Avenue - I came here for brunch. I had a mocha, which tasted like a melted chocolate bar without any hint of coffee. It read to me more like a rich hot chocolate. My smoked salmon scramble was meh - maybe 5 pieces of smoked salmon with a salad, a portion of scrambled eggs (the best part of the meal), toasted panini, and potato wedges that were limp and had an off taste to them. Also, I noticed that the the woman who was making the hot drinks kept coughing and coughing, and although she was covering it with her sleeve, it made me uncomfortable. Service was adequate, and prices are rather high. I wish the food matched the decor.

Taro Bubble Milk at Chatime

There’s a new Taiwanese bubble tea and snack place on Whyte Ave. Chatime is huge and spacious. My regular size Taro bubble milk with pearls was the right size and taste. You can pick toppings and how much sugar and ice you want. #yeg #bubbletea #taro #yegfood #yegbubbletea #yegfoodie #whyteave

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Aug 4, 2018 at 5:39pm PDT

Paneer Tikka and Chicken Biryani at Y Not Indian

Paneer tikka and saffron rice. #yegfood #yegeats #foodporn #yeg

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 5, 2018 at 12:35pm PDT

Y Not Indian is the restaurant that has replaced my dearly departed Naanolicious. The restaurant interior looks very much the same, and the menu has a few familiar items like stuffed naan break and wraps. Staff and service are very friendly, and prices are reasonable. I tried the paneer tikka the first time, and found the cheese moist and full of flavour - paneer can often be dense and dry, but that was not the case here. Paired with saffron rice, it was a very satisfying dish.

Chicken biryani #yeg #yegfood #foodporn #yegeats #biryani #whyteave

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 21, 2018 at 6:16pm PDT

I had the bone-in chicken biryani the next time. The chicken was tender and delicious and the rice which enveloped it had a symphony of flavours. It was a bit spicy for my taste and the chicken was completely buried within the rice making it a little difficult to eat in terms of avoiding bones. I would probably go for the chicken tikka or tandoori chicken instead.

Just Desserts: Bubble Tea & Egg Puff at Teapsy Cafe

Bubble milk tea and an egg puff. #yegfood #yegeats #whyteave #nomnom #bubbletea

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 28, 2018 at 12:39pm PDT

I had to kill some time on Whyte Avenue and stopped in to Teapsy Cafe for a cold drink on the first hot afternoon of the season. I ordered a bubble milk tea, which was served in a tall glass that was wider at the bottom so it was a bit awkward sucking the tapioca balls out, even with the wide straw. The tea itself was a somewhat bitter, which means it was probably strong. I hadn't had any coffee yet that day, and found myself suddenly not jonesing for caffeine afterwards. I also had an egg puff, which has a flavour similar to a waffle but is made up of a bunch of round balls that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was a lot of fun and went well with the drink.

Blueberry Smoothie at My Tea

Blueberry bubble tea smoothie. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 8, 2017 at 5:18pm PDT

I love bubble tea, as anyone who knows me is aware. I have passed My Tea (10728 82 Avenue) countless times on my Whyte Avenue journies. Last weekend, during the Art Walk, it was so hot out that I just had to stop in and get some bubble tea. It's a very small, clean place with a solid menu of different kinds of hot teas, and cold bubble teas made with fresh fruit or as smoothies with milk. I had a blueberry smoothie and it was fantastic. It had an abundant blueberry flavour and the ice did not separate from the juice as it often does with these kinds of drinks. Love, love, love - I will be back!

Chicken Kebabs at Kebab Express

Chicken shish kebab combo. #yegfood #eatalberta150

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 2, 2017 at 4:29pm PDT

I was at the Blues On Whyte Block party this past weekend, and had Sunday evening supper at Kebab Express (10355 82 Avenue). The seating allowed me to enjoy my meal while still having a clear view of the street stage. I had the chicken kebab combo platter. The chunks of chicken breast meat were grilled to perfection. They were served on a bed of white rice that had a slightly salty flavour, almost like butter. A small side of salad added some lightness to the plate. Of course, there was pita bread and a yogurt dip (I was expecting garlic, but this was very light and refreshing). At close to $18 it was not cheap and the portion was not huge, but it really hit the spot.

Breakfast for Lunch: Pacific Omelette at Friends and Neighbours

Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) is easily one of my favourite cafes on Whyte Avenue. The Pacific omelette is one reason why. It had at least three eggs and was loaded with smoked salmon and spinach. It also comes with Swiss cheese, which I held. Add toast and house made hash browns and you really can't go wrong.

Breakfast for Lunch: Tofu Scramble with Soya Bacon at Friends and Neighbours

I went to Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) a long, long time ago, and recently started dining there regularly for pho (the restaurant is divided into two sections: pho/Vietnamese and Western, although one can order from either menu on either side). However, I decided to venture into the regular menu, which features a huge variety of vegetarian items. For a late lunch last week I had the tofu scramble with soya bacon. The tofu was chopped up to give a texture like scrambled eggs, with lots of white onion. The "bacon" was plentiful, crispy, and seasoned. It did not taste as much like bacon as other bacon substitutes I have tried, but it had a great flavour and is somewhat addictive. My only criticism would be that the onions in the scramble should have been cooked longer, as they were still very strong. I would possibly ask them to hold the onions next time. The meal was also served with a generous portion of pan-friend hash browns and two slices of toast.

Steak Sandwich at Rosie's

Steak sandwich at Rosie's #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Rosie's (10475 80 Avenue) is a Whyte Avenue dive. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It's as close as you are going to come to find greasy spoon diner food near the main drag of Whyte. Prices are also very reasonable.

I had the steak sandwich, which at $12 was one of the most expensive items on the menu. It was cooked almost perfectly to order and was served alongside very crispy fries, a couple of onion rings, and a vegetable medley (frozen veggies, but at least not overcooked). Just plain, basic food, adequate service, and no frills ambiance.

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.

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.

Bagel and Lox at Block 1912

Smoked salmon bagel - a nice, Jewish brunch. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Block 1912 is my favourite place to go for coffee on Whyte Avenue. However, other than an occasional basked good, I have never really had a meal there.

For a light Saturday lunch I had the smoked salmon bagel (minus the cream cheese - yes, I know that is sacrilege, but I am a woman of unique tastes. And lactose intolerance).

The fresh, lightly toasted multigrain bagel made the dish filling. The lox was of good quality and the portion was quite reasonable. I love tomatoes on a bagel and lox, although the red peppers were a bit strange. The capers added some zest to the over all flavour, and I even ate a few onions - just a few, as they were strong.

A basic salad was a garnish on the plate - I would have appreciated a side of a little more substance, like a small cup of soup as I did find the dish rather pricey.

I had a regular coffee as well, and with a tip the meal came to around $15.