Summer is typically the biggest party of the year, and one of most popular area events is the 26th annual Taste of Edmonton.
Edmonton has a certain harshness that turns some people off. It’s far from any other major centre. The winters are cold, and summer weather is unpredictable at best.
But at Taste of Edmonton there’s a certain joie de vivre that invites you to set aside the hustle and bustle and take a load off your feet. The food supercharges the senses, the vibe is warm, and the wine and beer gardens exude a relaxed camaraderie.
For die-hard foodies that love tasting signature dishes from varying cultures, this is an opportunity to sample a mosaic of world cuisine at a fairly reasonable cost.
Running until Sunday, Aug. 1 at Winston Churchill Square, Events Edmonton, the organizing agency, has amassed 40 restaurants, non-stop live entertainment, wine tasting, art displays, and of course yummy food.
Foodies will revel in the laundry list of items from steak bites, chicken enchiladas and seafood pancakes to spanokopita, vegetable tempura and stuffed pyrogy. However, not all dishes are created equal.
On the refined scale, the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald’s wild mushroom bisque is a smooth creamy aphrodisiac while Sutton Place Hotel’s chocolate dipped strawberries border on the erotic.
Chef’s Grill and Bar rustles up perfectly barbecued beef ribs slow-cooked in a semi-sweet “secret sauce.” Portions are big, the meat is moist and the sauce is spot-on. Just grab a handful of wipes as it gets messy.
Hudson’s Canadian Taphouse’s Atlantic butterflied shrimp, breaded and fried, delivers a beautiful crunchy texture paired well with a cool beer.
Tropika Malaysian Cuisine cooks up a Thai Chicken Salad, grilled chicken chunks on a bed of spinach and doused with mango sauce. While the multi-coloured presentation is a work of art, it’s short on palate pop.
For the vegetarian crowd, That’s Aroma offers a lovely bruschetta driven garlic tomato salad while Krua Wilai introduces Pad Thai, a delicate sweet/sour dish skilfully blending noodles, bean sprouts and a mix of greens. Unfortunately, Taste of Ukraine’s rice and onion stuffed cabbage rolls, while seemingly tempting, are short on tomato sauce and seasonings.
At the dessert end, Pazzo Pazzo’s cannoli (custard-filled pastry dipped in chocolate sauce) misses the wow factor with powdery flavoured custard.
However, Brewster’s Brewing leprechaun pie is a frozen mint chocolate decadence that beats the heat. The green slices, made with a smooth white chocolate mousse topped with dark chocolate chips, simply jolt the taste buds.
The big hit was definitely The Creperie’s crepe glace au chocolate, a mini-crepe filled with vanilla ice cream and slathered with Belgian chocolate sauce and topped with toasted almonds. It’s complete nirvana, but pick up a few extra napkins, as it gets sticky when eaten by hand.
Tickets are $1 each and most menu items range from 2-5 tickets. For a menu list visit www.eventsedmonton.ca.
