Taste of Edmonton Gets a New Home

Farrow (Potato) Crisps with Southern
Dressing and Cajun Seasoning
(Farrow Sandwiches)

Taste of Edmonton has been an event that has been a part of my summer tradition for as long as this bovine can remember. In my almost 2 years in Vancouver, I am not sure that I have seen any festival that is quite the same as Taste of Edmonton. So I was very happy to be in Edmonton to catch at least the last part of the festival. Due to the LRT construction, this years festival has moved to Capital Plaza and Capital Boulevard. Capital Boulevard has in my opinion, been woefully underused since it was completed in 2014. It was meant to increase the public space downtown and be a pedestrian friendly area where people could stroll about or sit and visit. Although Capital Plaza tends to be used on Canada Day, it sits fairly empty and quiet the remainder of the year.

Butler Steak Sandwich with Demi
Butter and Confit Tomato
(Vintage Fork at Rutherford House)

The location itself is far more convenient for Moo, a mere 2 blocks from where we used to live and where I currently stay with my Grammie when I am in town. A welcome addition to this years festival is the ability to purchase alcohol and wander about looking for food, as opposed to being confined to the beer gardens. There also seemed to be more room to move about, as it often felt like wall to wall traffic in Churchill Square, with no room to maneuver from stall to stall. 

Braised Feeb Cheek with Mushroom
Risotto and Parmesan
(Solstice Seasonal Cuisine)

This year I went with the female human and @caldwellcreates, as the man human was still in Vancouver. A giant lemonade from Lemon Heaven is a MUST on a hot day, helping to quench our thirst. 

The humans tried the Butler Steak Sandwich with Demi Butter and Confit Tomato from the Vintage Fork at Rutherford House, which costs 4 tickets. Although they felt the feeb was perfect cooked, the dish itself was not what they expected and a tad overpriced. They thought it most certainly was not a sandwich, but rather feeb with a tomato on a small piece of toasted bread. Nor was it more than 2 bites if you ate it very daintily, more likely a very expensive 1 bite portion. 

Lemonade (Lemon Heaven)

In comparison, the Braised Feeb Cheek with Mushroom Risotto and Parmesan from Solstice Seasonal Cuisine was quite a large portion for the same number of tickets. The dish was unanimously recommended to us by @argenplath, @lindork and @Neko01 and the humans were not disappointed. They said the feeb was extremely tender and most and the risotto was divine. 

What is with all the feeb dishes this year?!? I personally enjoyed the Farrow (Potato) Crisps with Southern Dressing & Cajon Seasoning from Farrow Sandwiches, which was very crispy and flavourful, and quite a large portion for only 2 tickets!

There are still 2 more days to enjoy the festival, today from 11am to 11pm and tomorrow from 11am to 8pm.

Afterthought: Living near the festival, I noticed a lot of confused and lost people both inside and outside Grandin LRT. ETS points everyone to the 98 Ave exit, while the Taste of Edmonton website lists the location at 108 St and 99 Ave, so it's understandable why people are confused as to why ETS signage points everyone towards the 98 Ave exit. Those who manage to find their way up to the 99 Ave exit get confused as to which directions to turn once they reach the top of the stairs. Technically, everyone should turn left and head towards 99 Ave (past Le Jardin apartments on your right side), then turn right on 99 Ave, walk over the bridge towards 109 St) and you won't be able to miss seeing it from there. It would be great if Taste of Edmonton stays at Capital Plaza if ETS or the festival would place directional signage consistent with the address, and have it both inside and outside the LRT to direct people.

Taste of Edmonton

The Capital Plaza

108 St & 99 Ave

Edmonton, AB

July 18-29, 2018 

Twitter: @tasteofedm

Instagram: @tasteofedm