Da Capo Caffe - a great place for Pizza, Paninis, Coffee & Gelato!

Update 2014: Da Capo has now moved down to Whyte Ave. In it's place is Rosso Pizzeria which has a real wood fire burning pizza oven!

Da Capo is located on the northwest corner of 109st and 76 ave. Sandwiched between the Garneau block to the left where Transcend's T2, Whimsical Cupcake Studio, and Kabuki Sushi is located, and Sugar Bowl and High Level Diner to its left. Personally, I'm a fan of Da Capo and not just for their food! I love the modern look of their slate floors, glossy white tables, and a mixture of booth-style seats, high seats and regular dark wooden table seats. There is even a small patio for those of you that love sitting outside in the warm weather!

Da Capo's physical menu has changed considerably from one that was recited to you, then to a scribbled chalk board, and now a 3 panel framed display ranging from small breakfast items, drinks, zuppas and insalatas, fresh paninis, thin crust pizzas, and of course their desserts (mmm..gelato)! The only complaint we had about their menu board's position, is that its located right next to one of their cash registers. This often resulted in the feeling that we had to order immediately. We appreciated that the server wanted to be helpful, but sometimes waiting a bit longer may have helped. Perhaps, having printed copies of the menu available would allow customers to decide on their order at their table.

Here are a few selections from my last two visits this month. To the right, Cafe Canadese for $3. This visit's coffee was a bit on the lukewarm side, but generally their coffee arrives hot! As well, they now have ecco-friendly to-go cups if you forget your own.

Pizzas are thin-crust creations. They have a good selection of either red (tomato based) or white based (olive oil and spices) pizzas (more red pizzas then white though). Pictured below is the Capricciosa (minus olives) - red pizza with mushrooms, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, ham, and basil.

Note: Minus olives, since my lunch companions were not huge olive fans.

The special that day was a pizza , who's name I've unfortunately forgotten! Regardless, this particular red pizza was equally tasty as his red counterpart. The pizza crust was perfectly thin and had just the right amount of ingredients on it. Pictured below is the red tomato based pizza with Italian Sausage, sun-dried tomato, mozzarella, and fresh rosemary.

Last night's dinner had us enjoying a particularly appetizing chickpea salad ($6 for the larger portion) and an incredibly tasty white pizza - the Di Roberto . We were surprised at first with the chickpea salad, since my friend and I both thought that there would have been some actual greens comprising the salad. In the end, we were happy with the portion size and the taste. The chickpeas were the perfect texture (not mushy and not hard) and tossed with sun-dried tomato and what seemed like bits of fresh parsley. There were also three crisp pieces of bread accompanying the dish.

The white pizza had thin slices of potato, mozzarella, gorgonzola, spicy sausage and fresh rosemary pieces. My friend commented on how thin the pizza dough was and wondered if it was machine made or hand-rolled, as the entire pizza was one uniform "thin-ness". The potato slices were cut so thinly and crisped a bit in the oven that it felt like eating potato chips. Definitely a great addition to a pizza and one I would recommend!

The other nice thing about Da Capo is that it's right next to the River Valley and its many trails. So the next time you're in the mood for a walk near the River Valley, consider stopping by Da Capo for a coffee and a bite to eat. Their gelato is also great company for your walk!

mm..Raspberry Gelato. Perfect after dinner or as a snack!

Da Capo

8738 109 Street

Edmonton, Alberta

780-433-5382

Monday - Thursday: 8:30 – 10:00pm

Friday - Saturday: 8:30 – 11:00pm

Sunday: 10 – 5pm

More pics from Battle of Alberta - Macarons

More pictures from the "Battle of the Alberta - Macarons". Check out those 'pied'! Such beautiful creations! Also, loved those meringue cakes with raspberries from The Duchess.

'Macaron Mashup' @ the ARTery

Thursday April 8 marked the much anticipated 'macaron-mashup/taste-off/smackdown in Edmonton at the ARTery - part of the Literary Saloon for that evening. For those that braved the incredibly windy and snowy day that landed unexpectedly in Edmonton, they were treated to a reading by former home-town boy Alan Reed (from his book Isobel & Emile), Lynn Coady's story of her hometown, and most importantly the reason why Dan & I were there - the macarons!

Upon walking in we were greeted with an amazing display of macarons from The Duchess Bakeshop. There were macaron trees - 9 macarons attached to a white chocolate cone, mini macaron cakes with raspberries and a large banana macaron cake.

While Dan was taking pictures, he was approached by Marina Endicott, author of Good to a Fault. She humbly did not introduce herself, but introduced us to everyone else's macarons . So, here they are! Furthest down the table are macarons from Yann's Boutique, next Marina Endicott's macarons, then The Duchess Bakeshop's, and finally closest to the camera, Jennifer Cockrall King's macarons.

At intermission, guests were invited to try out the different macarons. As there were a number of guests, Dan and I strategically selected two different macarons each so we could maximize the variety.

First Taste Test:

Pictured below (left) are the four macarons Dan and I picked (going clockwise from top: Almond macaron with caramel insides from Marina, Strawberry-sugar crusted macaron from Yann's, Lavender from Duchess, and Coconut with real coconut shavings from Duchess). Note how they ALL have pieds (feet)!

Marina's caramel macaron was very good for her first try! The meringue crust itself had pieds and its texture and consistency was in line with Duchess and Yann. Marina stated that hers and Jennifer's macarons were not really for comparison, but having tried making macarons myself, I think their creations were great! Jennifer commented on her macarons stating that she had started making them late, and was somewhat rushed with the macaronage which she explained may have resulted in them being more on the crunchy side. food note: macaronage is the beating of the meringue batter.

The sugar dusting on the strawberry macaron from Yann complemented the white coloured pied that it had, and didn't add as much sweetness to the macaron as one would think. The filling was more of a preserve than the typical ganache or buttercream filling. Dan noted that it gave him the (good) impression of a light strawberry jam.

While I find that Lavender often reminds me of soap, the lavender macaron is surprisingly tasty. I must admit, it does take a bit of getting used to - the idea that you have a soap smell in your dessert. The coconut macaron was dense and had a very strong flavour of (real) coconut and had the Duchess' characteristically chewy-ness.

Once the first round cleared there were still quite a few left to try out, so Dan and I chose a few more macarons from Yann's and Duchess' so we could make a better comparison between Edmonton's and Calgary's bakeshops.

As Marina stated later in the night that both her and Jennifer were "not really contenders". The second taste test included a lemon macaron from Yann's, strawberry and pistachio from The Duchess. Needless to say, Dan and I were definitely macarooned out by the night's end! All macarons were incredibly delicious. The lemon macaron from Yann's while carrying the Yann's shiny meringue surface, seemed to lack that punch of lemon flavour that I recalled of Duchess' lemon macaron (from a previous visit). As for, the strawberry and pistachio macarons - they too were full of natural flavours. With the audience vote of applause, The Duchess won the taste test!

Pictured above are macarons from The Duchess. From closest to furthest away: strawberry, coconut, lavender, pistachio, and dark chocolate.

After the taste test, there was a short Q & A with Garner, owner of The Duchess, led by Marina and Jennifer. One of the questions was how to ensure the formation of the pied (which is crucial for a macaron - since without it some say it cannot be called a macaron!). Garner responded with saying that macaronage is truly unique, "it's so special that it has it's own name". He deflected all the success of the macarons to his wife, saying that she is the expert and added that all he could say, "is that you need to mix the meringue until magma". Later on in the night, I had the chance to personally talk to Garner and was encouraged by the fact that there is no definitive method to make macarons. Garner also suggested a book by Pierre Herme, written in French and possibly no longer in print. So, if anyone has this book or knows where to find it, let me know! Of course, macarons are finicky in the sense that many factors can change depending on the city you live in (i.e. wet, dry), the temperature that day, the oven, and general procedures that can result in the creation of pied or none.

We had planned to go only for the macarons, but in the end we enjoyed listening to some great stories and meeting up with Edmonton's literary community. I am looking forward to the next literary saloon and being wowed by The Duchess on my next visit!

The Duchess
10720-124 St.
(780) 488-4999
check website for hours (Closed Monday & Tuesday)
http://duchessbakeshop.com/

Literary Saloon
http://literarysaloon.blogspot.com/

Cheese that lives in my fridge

Wow..such a busy week. Currently, still in the midst of writing and organizing pics from the amazing 'macaron mashup'! Meanwhile, here are some of my favorite cheese - from the Italian Center of course! The Piave Vechio and Italian Sharp Provolone.

 

Urban China - Dim Sum Goodness

When I was told that we were heading over to Urban China for New Year's Day dinner, I was curious as I thought I had tried out most of the Chinese restaurants in Edmonton. I was slightly uncertain at first because I was told that it used to be a Rosie's diner! Certainly, the image of low ceilings, glass windows and flooring tiles comes to mind. Well, friends, be rest assured that Urban China does not look like that when you step inside. Quite the contrary actually.

The inside is very modern! New Year's Day dinner had us enjoying a great menu (we ordered off the set menu), and service in a rather spacious dining area. So, naturally, I was anxious to try their Dim Sum as I've often found options in Edmonton somewhat limited in variety and taste. So, to be completely fair, I've compared my impressions of Urban China's dim sum to other places in Edmonton.

Typically most Dim sum dishes have 4 servings so if you only go with another person for Dim sum you end up filling up on only two or three dishes-a small fraction of the myriad of choices! So, going for dim sum with a group of 6-8 people seems to work out best, as you're able to try a great variety of dim sum (almost each one), each serving can be cut in half and the cost is split quite nicely at a reasonable cost per person. Here are a few selections:

Once dishes started arriving, I judged from the silence and minimal comments, that everyone was enjoying their food. Someone commented that she was no longer hesitant about Urban China given her initial impressions from a friend. The variety was fantastic, food was hot, and because all Dim sums still circulate on little push carts (Note: no yelling of Dim Sum dishes were observed as waitresses circulated) everyone could see what they wanted to order. You could still order off the paper menu, though we were encouraged to order from carts, if you didn't see what you wanted.

The traditional ha gao's and siu mai's were quite good, although I was never a big fan of the ha gao's wrapping as I'll much rather eat the shrimp inside. This particular ha gao had a thicker crepe then expected, but there was a substantial amount of shrimp inside. Other dimsums such as the stuffed eggplant, stuffed peppers (with their accompanying dips) and rice crepes were all fresh, hot, and eaten quite fast. Unfortunately, the steamed sticky rice, was a bit too sticky for our liking. The rice simply stuck to our chopsticks and made it difficult to split up. As for the Sweet Dim sums, the pumpkin taro cake is a must!

And finally, a selection of 3 Dim sum dishes that are certainly not for the faint palate. From what I've been told, "chicken feet" are the best Dim Sum dish and must be served hot. So far, I'm not convinced. However, my dim sum counterparts exclaimed that this chicken feet was hot and tender, to the point that the meat fell off the bone! They liked it so much we ordered 3 of them! Oh and the "Durian pastry" was definitely different. We all know that durians have an unusual and very pungent smell, so naturally I expected the taste to be unusual despite being fried and crispy. My first bite of it, reminded me slightly of mango paste in a crispy shell. However, I still couldn't get over the smell! So, if you're up for a challenge in your Dim Sum adventures then I invite you to try them! For the rest of you like me, we'll probably stay with the familiar. 

Dishes for the typical fare ranged from $3.75-$5.25 which isn't too bad given the clean and modern look. Plus, it ends up being reasonably priced when eating with a group. It's also a great option to do when you want more variety to your Dim Sum.

Note: we've been twice to Urban China for Dim Sum on Sundays around 1pm. Service didn't seem hindered by the number of people as many people had finished just as we arrived. Throughout the meal the flow of food and people coming into the restaurant was steady.

Urban China has become the place I would recommend for anyone looking for good and new Dim Sum.

Urban China

10604 101 Street NW
Edmonton, AB T5H 2S1
(780) 758-1888

Culinary Q & A posted on Only Here for the Food

Sharon Yeo at Only Here for the Food - Epicurious in Edmonton posted my Culinary Q & A. Check it out here:  http://www.onlyhereforthefood.ca/2010/04/09/culinary-q-a-with-lillian-leung/

A Visit to Bon Ton Bakery

Stopped by Bon Ton Bakery in the west end before my meeting today to pick up something for lunch. I've been meaning to go to Bon Ton for a while, but every time I was in the west end it was either closed or under renovations. So, not having been there before the renovations, I can only speak to how it was today. When approaching Bon Ton Bakery, you (or at least I) often wonder if it's open or closed as they have fairly tinted windows. I originally expected a smaller space, but upon walking in I found it was well lit and rather expansive. Fresh breads were behind the counter, desserts were to the left, pastries to the right and to the farther right a whole display of chocolates. There were also a range of gourmet products from local suppliers that I've seen at the farmer's markets. I didn't take too long of a look, as I was in a slight rush so I apologize for the scant details. However, I'm certain you can find out who else supplies products to them on their website.

I ended up purchasing a regular croissant, chocolate croissant and a stone-ground multigrain cinnamon bun. Prices were reasonable too as each item was approximately $1.85.

As I bit into the croissant, I could tell it was fresh. Not as buttery or flaky as the one I had tasted at Treestone Bakery, but nonetheless good. As I didn't finish the entire croissant for lunch, I brought it home and remade it for dinner. I sliced it in half, put in some sharp Italian provolone and slices of tomato, then toasted it in the toaster oven. The result was marvelous! The croissant regained its crunchy texture and was once again flaky. The provolone definitely added to its flavour. I also had half the chocolate croissant for dessert (toasted of course!) and that was good as well. I was expecting more chocolate, but I think they are hoping to focus more on the bread aspect of the pastry.

Oh, and for all of us that enjoy the Farmer's Market, Bon Ton also sells Dip-Sea Chicks products and Happy Camel dips and pitas. In speaking to the woman at Dip-Sea Chicks last Saturday she mentioned that a new shipment is delivered every Thursday. The dips she gives them are usually the more popular ones (e.g. Smoked Salmon). As well, if you're looking for some more unique ones by Dip-Sea Chicks, she does make a dip or two specifically for Bon Ton.

Bon Ton Bakery
8720-149 St. Edmonton, AB
780-489-7717

Monday: 8 am - 6 pm
Tuesday - Friday: 7:30 am - 6 pm
Saturday: 7:30 am - 5 pm
Sundays and Holidays: Closed 

Easter lamb Recipe

Easter lamb. Pictured below is one of the two lamb thighs that we had for Sunday dinner. Dan mixed a dry rub with olive oil, stuck garlic chunks into the meat, placed some bay leaves on top and wrapped it in foil before placing them into the oven.

Almost 2 hours later, we had this beauty! As you can see it is a lot of meat - almost 4 hand widths across! This was only one of the two lamb thighs on the dinner menu. I also made a gravy from the juices, garlic chunks and added some cornstarch to slightly thicken it.

To accompany the lamb we had some baby carrots and potatoes from the Farmer's Market. Certainly a very tasty dinner with friends and lots of meat!

Whimsical Cake Studio

Update 2014: Whimsical Cake Studio now has a new owner Darcy Scott. Go make a visit to check out her cupcakes, awesome cake designs and her well known caramels!

Met up with a friend today to try out Whimsical Cake Studio's cupcakes. The store front is highlighted with various cakes and the inside is incredibly cute, yet still classy. Located to the right of the Garneau Theatre it's easily accessible for pedestrians, but may prove to be slightly difficult for those finding parking as they have no dedicated parking lot. Once inside, I found my friend flipping through a giant book of pictures detailing the various cakes that they've made for kid parties, bridal showers, baby showers and weddings.  We sat in their comfy chairs for a bit, admiring the sample cakes adorning the store - one in particular which we loved with dark chocolate tones & baby blue circles on a rectangular 3 layer cake -, the atmosphere (the owners were busy preparing cupcakes in the open kitchen), and glancing at the laminated newspaper clippings easily accessible on a magnetic pole.

There were about 8 different cupcake flavors that were available when we finally made our way to the counter. These ranged from those with a vanilla or chocolate bottom and had either a sugar icing or buttercream topping. We both opted for those with buttercream as we felt that it would be less sweet; plus the description indicated that it would be fluffy.

After much decision making, we got the following:

Chocolate Haze (rich chocolate cupcake topped with frothy chocolate hazelnut buttercream)  and Razzle Dazzle Me (vanilla cupcake frosted with real raspberry buttercream)

They kindly boxed it into a plastic to-go container as we both wanted coffee from next door's Dacapo. Plus, coffee and cupcakes always make a great pair!  

Cupcake criteria:
Cupcakes are an interesting dessert/snack (depending on when you want it). Most of us who bake can make it themselves, but when it comes to buying there are a few criteria that I look for. The perfect cupcake depends highly on the slight crust on the top of the cupcake as you bite in (and this not from sitting out too long), not too sweet of a buttercream or icing topping, and a moist inside (not due to excessive butter). Now the crust is hard to maintain, as the icing or buttercream can impede the crust from remaining from the time the cupcake is finished to the moment that a cupcake enthusiast takes his/her first bite.


The first bite: 
My first impressions of the chocolate haze cupcake was good. It had a crust! The buttercream true to its description was fluffy and the cake was moist with a hint of buttermilk. The Raspberry vanilla cupcake was also consistent in texture and had a nice crust. The fluffy buttercream, moist insides and the raspberry flavour of the buttercream truly came out as you ate. Both cupcakes we agreed, still felt a bit sweet to eat on their own, so the coffee helped tremendously to balance the taste buds. 


Well, seems like Whimsical has my vote for cupcakes! I wish them the best of luck as there are now 3 cupcake shops within rather close proximity to each other (both Fuss Cupcakes & Flirt Cupcakes located a block away from each other on Whyte Ave).


Whimsical Cake Studio
8716 109 St.
(780) 988-CAKE (2253)
call for hours
www.whimsicalcupcakes.com

Comfort Food - Udon @ Manna Noodle

Update: Manna Noodle has now changed owners and is now known as Don Day. Udon is still on the menu along with many other delicious eats! 

One of my favourite places for lunch or dinner is Manna Noodle Cafe. Tucked into a tiny strip mall just off of 33 Ave on Parsons Rd, Manna Noodle is a tiny bit of my comfort food haven. Perfect when you're in the mood for Korean food and you're craving a bowl of hot Udon noodle & soup, spicy soup, Bugolgi with rice, or rice noodle stir-fried in terriyaki sauce. One March evening, I wanted just that. It was still winter out, so a nice hot bowl of Udon did just the trick to warm me up.

Delicious! Definitely, my go-to place when I want a bowl of Udon. The Udon pictured here is the Seafood Udon. They also have a number of spicy dishes, share plates and soup (spicy pork bone soup) & rice combos (bi-bam-bap). During the week, they also have an awesome lunch menu for a great price of either Chicken Terriyaki or Bugolgi on rice with 2 sushi pieces, spring roll and sides (bean sprouts & kimchi). As well, their complimentary ginseng tea is perfect in both the summer and winter.

Manna Noodle
101-3212 Parsons Rd. NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 469-9963‎
Not open mondays

Note: There is also a Korean store in the next block over (along Parson's Rd South) that has a good variety of seaweed for making your own sushi or putting in rice or soup as well as other Korean food and snacks!