Small Plate Sampler at HALO

I was seeing a friend off at the Edmonton International Airport this week, and we decided to enjoy some pre-flight drinks and dinner at HALO Bar and Bistro, which is located in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel. I had a sampler platter, giving me a choice of three of the menu's small plates. The chicken pot stickers reminded me of a similar dish I get in another restaurant/bar I frequent - nothing really unique. The green onion chicken was two skewers of chicken breast deep fried in a crispy batter with green onion. The green onion flavour really did not come through - I expected more of a green onion cake sort of batter - and the flavour and texture was sort of a "fish and chips" kind of thing, making the aioli they were served upon go well with them. The star of the plate was the Alberta prime rib meatball slider, which was a dense, perfectly-cooked meatball in a fresh bun with slaw. I found that while the green onion chicken was hot, the other items had some temperature inconsistencies. Overall, for the price, I was not blown away by the food,e ven though I really liked the atmosphere of the place itself.

Just Desserts: Pumpkin Mousse Cake at Block 1912

Before going to see one of my favourite bands at Blues On Whyte, I decided I needed some coffee and dessert to keep me going throughout what was going to be a late evening. I headed a few doors down to Block 1912 for coffee and a piece of pumpkin mousse cake. The top of the cake was fluffy mousse, with a thin layer of moise spiced cake underneath. Delicate sprinkles of dark chocolate enrobed the outer layer. The mousse part itself did not taste much from pumpkin - one had to scoop up the mousse and cake together for the full flavour experience. This was one of the lighter desserts I have had here, as far as a cake can go, and made a good after-dinner treat.

Brisket and Green Beans at MEAT

Sometimes I just need to treat myself, and on Sunday evenign I did by taking myself out for supper at MEAT. I had the brisket, which is my favourite meat there, and for something different chose the green beans as a side. I am not usually a fan of string beans, but when they are fresh they can be wonderful. They were blanched and cooked lightly in butter, not enough to be overpowering, and sprinkled with bread crumbs. It was a light-tasting, comparatively healthy choice (butter aside, green beans are a great source of fibre), and went well with th brisket.

Breakfast for Lunch: Steak and Eggs at Friends and Neighbours

I had brunch on Saturday with a friend who was visiting, and we opted for Friends and Neighbours (10834 82 Avenue) because of its location and selection of breakfast items. I had the steak and eggs. My eggs were done perfectly. I ordered my steak well done, and there was some pink around the edges, something I have often encountered with rib eye, which is what I think the cut was. It was soft and had a good flavour though, although we had to wait an extraordinarily long time. I chalked this up to the fact it was busy and steak can take a while to cook. The toast and potatoes nicely rounded out the meal.