Karbuthnot24 – Vincent Tedjasaputra, Ph.D.

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.

July 29, 2013August 16, 2018 by Drvinnyt, posted in Foodmonton, Karbuthnot24, Pizza, Uncategorized

Summer is here! A gorgeous camping trip to Banff, AB. with @karbuthnot24 and @matdowling, few days spent in the woods, nothing but smiles here!

Amazing mountain biking through the gorgeous landscape, rolling terrain, perfect berms, technical features, rock gardens galore. Check out the pano view of Lake Minnewanka. Sweet eh?

Stopping in at Canmore on the way home to fit some more riding in, at the world renowned Nordic Centre, riding EKG Loop, a lung busting, leg jello-ing challenge that leaves you satisfied, but still wanting more.

After such a trekking, a refuel is needed. Being the pizza aficionado I am, I executed Ms. Arbuthnot’s recommendation of Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co. in downtown Canmore.

Cute little place, and eating alone I expected to be served quickly. I wasn’t in a hurry though, as the sun was shining and the day was perfect. Nice view outside!

Needed a little liquid libation, and opted for a Grizzly Paw Grumpy Bear ($4.75), a local brewery favorite.

Paired nicely with the daily special, a pizza adorned with yellow onion, roasted red peppers, dried apricots, smoked garlic, moroccan spiced lamb sausage, baby spinach and fresh thyme ($12).

First criticism will always be the crust. I enjoy a light, crispy crust, but strong enough to pass the tip-sag-test, akin to the NYC style pies.

Well, crust is a bit stale, not in the nice chewy, heavily developed gluten that I like, either. If they were aiming for a true flat bread, they certainly nailed it. A bit bland however.

The toppings did deliver, though, with the fresh ingredients being the real star of this show. Nicely balanced herbage, not over crowded, visually appealing.

Would I come back? Sure. But I wouldn’t make a trip of it. Wait time was especially long, given a table of 1, and no lunch rush. Beer was nice, and I am always glad to see local establishments promoting other local offerings, and sustainability of local organic produce. Free Wi-Fi is a plus, and friendly staff, and clean facilities cajole me to rate this establishment:

Grade: B-

Check em out!

Home

838 – 10th St.

Canmore, AB

twitter: @flatbreadCo

Review: Next Act Pub

April 16, 2012August 16, 2018 by Drvinnyt, posted in Foodmonton, Karbuthnot24, Whyte Ave

I had heard many about “Theater Sports” down at the Varscona Theater, and though it sounded like a fun new thing to try. I bought some tickets online for their weekly show, Friday at 11:00. 11:00 is kind of an awkward time for anything to begin, so I thought, what can we do for an hour or two before a show. Obviously good eats and good drinks was the most obvious option. So, in the spirit of the Theater, and the inspiration to try a new place, we went to the Next Act Pub on the corner of 104 Street and 83 Ave. The pub was small, but luckily we found seats. It was Friday night, so unfortunately it was a little loud for regular, sober communication. Good thing I always speak above proper room volume. The clientele was something I also noticed. Everyone was a little older, and looked more refined than the usual Whyte Avenue Friday night crowd. This I liked, mostly because I can appreciate a pub that’s devote to food, drink and good conversation.

The Menu, both food and drink, looked amazing. Diverse, yet comfortable choices, and most importantly, burgers. I will definitely return again to explore the other components of the menu, however, that night I chose the “Class Act” burger, very fitting if I do say so myself. Mr. D order the Macaroni and Cheese with the additional bits of bacon and jalapeno’s. To drink, we ordered a pitcher of Steam whistle. Probably not worth it as it was just less than 3 pints, and a single pint cost 6$. There were some really nice beer choices, however, not as deep and diverse as you’ll find at Sugarbowl.

The Burger included cheddar cheese, bacon, and an overeasy egg. The egg was cooked perfectly which allowed the delicious yolk to flow throughout. mmmmm. The Patty though, was seasoned so perfectly. The meat was juicy and cooked very nicely. I consider myself someone who knows a good burger as it’s my favorite food and I’ve consumed far too many in my lifetime, and I can easily say, this was one of the best I have ever had, ANYWHERE! damn. I’m craving it right now.

Mr. D ordered the Mac and Cheese which was baked and steaming hot as it arrived at the table. It was creamy and not overly rich, and the bacon bits were, well, bacon bits so delicious. The Jalapeno’s were a nice touch, however, they were really hot and overpowered a lot of the other components in the dish. If you can handle them, they’re great, but next time we’ll sans the Jalapeno’s.

Overall the meal was delicious, hot, and fresh. The ambiance was great, the menu tantalizing, and the servers friendly. I would absolutely recommend the Next Act to everyone! Whatsmore, they have a foodtruck on the way this summer people! Here’s the website if you want more info, http://www.nextactpub.com/.

Drift Food Truck

March 21, 2012August 16, 2018 by Drvinnyt, posted in Downtown Edmonton, Food Trucks, Foodmonton, Karbuthnot24

After a winter of following the hibernating exploits of Drift Food Truck I was incredibly pleased to hear of their return to the streets for Spring and Summer. With great excitement I perused the online menu all morning and shot my Boyfriend a text requesting his company on my food quest. He was pleased to accept, as I have a good history of leading him to delicious eateries (most of the time). Off we went on the train to a location only two stops beyond the University (Corona). Having emerged from the underground we quickly proceeded to a bank, as the food truck takes cash only, this is an important point to remember. Next we headed toward the truck location. It was easy to spot as it is the only bright metallic green truck on the street, and I am graciously supposing anywhere else in Edmonton.

Now getting cash and finding the truck were easy, however, I was left with a serious dilemma. What to order. The truck at this point in time had a selection of the following:

On the day, the Roast Beef was calling my name. We made it two and grabbed a fries to share. The Unfortunate part, it being very early Spring in Edmonton, the weather was not conducive to a picnic so we had to make a run for the LRT and head back to campus to settle in and enjoy our meal. This is one of the shortfalls of Foodtruck eating, the weather, and the requirement of getting creative in establishing an eating space, however, if you have a car, you will be fine.

The food was absolutely delicious, the ciabatta bun it was lovingly encased in was fresh and crisp, and the ingredients, Roast Beef, Peperoncini’s, Provolone Cheese and a Red Pepper Spread, molded together perfectly. Nothing over-powered or took away from the overall experience, and the serving size was just right. The famous fries which I had heard twitter rumors of for some time also delivered a flavored punch. The Drift Seasoning of roasted fennel, cumin, mustard seed and chili combined with fresh cut fries, and house made ketchup was a heavenly experience.

Since the first time, I have been back three times in as many weeks. I have tried all but the Jerk Chicken (once I do, I shall update the post), and the Vegetarian (I shall not update for this because I firmly believe in meat). The Braised Pork shoulder was a subtle, yet delicious sandwich once more. The addition of chunky pickle and cabbage gave the sandwich a beautiful fresh crunch, and the bacon, well, gave the sandwich bacon…mmmm… The other sandwhich, the Pork Belly, ahhh the Pork Belly. Easily my favorite selection of the bunch for many reasons. The first being, pork belly. This little doozy packs a brilliant punch of Vietnamese flavors with the inclusion of daikon, carrot, cilantro, and a lovely sweet chili mayonnaise. This sandwhich packs a flavorful punch and draws my eye each visit, and I must admit, I am craving one as I speak, especially with this little temptress of a photo:

The overall experience of Food Truck has been positive each visit, the owners are incredibly welcoming and kind, and the food is quickly prepared to a high standard each time. I would certainly recommend chasing this beauty down if you’re in town. The truck has a twitter acount: @driftfoodtruck and a website: http://driftfoodtruck.ca/ if you are looking for more information. And good news fanatic foodies, they attain all their ingredients from local businesses and producers!

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