Breakfast for Lunch: Pulled Brisket Eggs Benny

Pulled Brisket Eggs Benny, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

An impromptu visit to Ricky's for lunch led me to order off of their special diner menu.

The pulled beef brisket eggs benny was a feast. Two large slices of a bun (not an English muffin) were piled high with sauteed onions and peppers, fried onion straws, a mountain of pulled brisket in a sweet barbecue sauce, and finally topped with a poached egg. I opted for my chipotle hollandaise sauce to the side and could not finish the minted fruit that came alongside.

The flavours of all of the different elements of the benny came together perfectly. The fruit added some lightness to the dish - hashbrowns would have been impossible to deal with. This meal is a real winner and I hope Ricky's keeps it on the menu.

The Pho Files: Medium Steak and Brisket Pho at Ho Restaurant

Medium Steak and Brisket Pho, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Another Saturday working near Chinatown combined with a craving for pho, meant another trip to Ho Restaurant for lunch (107A Avenue and 97 Street).

I decided on a regular bowl of medium steak and brisket. The steak was tender as always and the broth flavourful. However, like I have experienced in many places, the well-done brisket was a disappointment. It was far too fatty for my taste.

When I want a bowl of beef pho, I think I will stick with the basic steak.

Hamburger at Hotel Selkirk

Hamburger, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I went for the burger on the lunch menu at the Johnson Cafe. First of all, you will notice my plate looks rather empty. That is because, even though we ordered our soups to start, the server interpreted that we wanted our soup as our sides. Otherwise, the burger would have come with fries. This was not a big deal, as I am trying to watch both my waistline and my budget.

The burger meat was AAA Alberta beef and it was dense, cooked to perfection, and very flavourful. I could have lived without the cheese bun - I ordered no cheese on my soup or burger, so the fact that I was not told about this in advance came as much as a surprise as the cheese bun itself. Who serves a burger on a cheese bun?

I would suggest that the Johnson Cafe be more specific in their menu descriptions. In this day of allergies being prolific, it would be helpful to both customers and the servers trying to help them.

Chicken Corn Chowder

Chicken Corn Chowder, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Today was the season opening day for Fort Edmonton Park. Fort Edmonton Park is my favourite Edmonton outdoor attraction (there are some indoor components, but regardless, a visit requires spending a lot of time outside).

We had lunch at the Johnson Cafe inside the Hotel Selkirk. We both ordered the Chicken Corn Chowder to start. For $4, I was not that impressed with the portion size. The three large tortilla chips added some nice crunch but got soggy quickly. Plus, I found maybe one piece of chicken in the cup. This was mostly a creamy corn chowder. Not bad, but not great either.