Unseasoned at Packrat Louie Kitchen & Bar

Black Truffle Meatballs

Packrat Louie Kitchen & Bar has been located in Old Strathcona for as long as the humans can remember, however neither had been there since their post secondary days, and the only thing that they could remember about Packrat Louie Kitchen & Bar was that the restaurant seemed expensive when they were in their early 20’s. When a Groupon for $40 worth of food at Packrat Louie Kitchen & Bar went on sale, they took the opportunity to revisit.

La Boulange - Bistro Style Elevated

Ricotta Ravioli

Having been a fan of Starbucks and the unofficial mooscot for Starbucks Omega for almost my entire existence, I was excited when we went on an impromptu trip to San Francisco as I was stoked to try out La Boulange, a Bay Area bakery and café that had partnered up with Starbucks to provide artisan pastries for Starbucks.

There were several La Boulange locations in downtown San Francisco, so I opted to try out the one located in the Westfield Center. La Boulange du Dome had ample seating and offers a variety of food that extended beyond pastries. They had cheese and charcuterie plates, sandwiches, and even pasta. The best part was that in addition to coffee, tea and other non alcoholic beverages, they also had alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine and even sparkling wine!

Mercato Mission - Italian with a Difference

Bruschetta

When looking for places to dine in Calgary, my pal and classmate @bluebirdsy suggested Mercato, as she and her husband dine there often and enjoy the food. Mercato has two locations in Calgary, one in the Mission district, while the other is further afield in the Westside of Calgary. She noted however that the menus in the two locations do differ slightly.

Edo Elves Giveaway!

Since the holiday season is so near, I thought this uplifting story about Edo Japan sending elves out into Edmonton to perform random acts of kindness would be appropriate to get everyone into the holiday cheer mood! Little known fact, Edo Japan is an Alberta made venture, started in 1979 in Calgary to make fresh and hot Japanese Teppan-style cooking accessible to all diners, by placing this dining concept in food courts and suburban shopping malls.

Bloom Cookies Bloomin' Awesome

Oatmeal Stout

I had first heard about Bloom Cookies from @thepolishviking and decided to pick up a few bags at @CityMarket104 when I first got the chance. They make all vegan cookies, including one vegan and gluten free option, and sell them at the farmers market in bags of three. They have a few flavours that are always available such as chocolate chip, while other flavours rotate, along with a feature flavor of the week.