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About bcorbett907

I'm a Calgary-based writer who enjoys exploring the landscapes, and menus, of western U.S./Canada

The 4 Best New Things I Ate in 2013

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The greatest thing since sliced pizza: the garlic knot at Milo & Olive

The greatest thing since sliced pizza: the garlic knot at Milo & Olive in Santa Monica, California

There are plenty of mouth-watering distractions at Milo & Olive in Santa Monica, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. But I’m here for only one reason: something called a garlic knot. It features plentiful whole cloves of garlic roasted in confit fat, wrapped in pizza dough and then cooked in a wood-fired oven till slightly blistered. I tear this trussed treat apart with my hands, dipping chunks of the soft bread in the warm extra-virgin olive oil and a little dish of fresh tomato sauce they give me to try. Oh, my God, is this good, and only $7 for one of the best new things I’ve eaten in a long time.

Milo & Olive
2723 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California
Daily, bakery opens at 7 am, restaurant 8 am-11 pm

The name alone, Hangtown Fry, makes me want to put it on this list. A celebratory dish for California gold miners in the late 1800s, it remains a signature San Francisco breakfast: a mixture of oysters, eggs and bacon cooked in a skillet. Brenda’s French Soul Food does an outstanding version, the crispy oysters blending wonderfully with the other ingredients and accompanied by some grits and a feathery biscuit.

Hanging out with some excellent hangtown fry at Brenda's French Soul Food in San Francisco

Hanging out with some excellent hangtown fry at Brenda’s French Soul Food in San Francisco

Brenda’s French Soul Food
652 Polk Street, San Francisco
Monday-Tuesday 8 am-3 pm, Wednesday to Saturday 8 am-10 pm, Sunday 8 am-8 pm

The name, Healthy Bread, isn’t particularly inspired and scarcely prepares me for what is to come at Revelstoke B.C.’s outstanding La Baguette. Likewise, the ingredient list—including kamut flour, flax, coconut and dates—elicits more curiosity than excitement. Still, I’m in the mood for something light, and a $3.50 sandwich of toasted bread with melted cream or three-berry jam in the middle sounds about right. But the first bite blows me away, the wonderfully soft middle offset by the slight crunch of the oat-flake topping. And the flavours! I don’t know if I can ever go back to ordinary toast again.

Mind-blowingly good "healthy bread" toast at La Baguette in Revelstoke, B.C.

Mind-blowingly good “healthy bread” toast at La Baguette in Revelstoke, B.C.

La Baguette
103, 607 Victoria Road, Revelstoke, B.C.
Daily 6:30 am-7 pm

Chicken wings? Really? Well, when they’re a Vietnamese take on the standard bar food and they’re the biggest, juiciest, messiest, best wings I’ve ever tasted, then yes. At Portland’s legendary Pok Pok, the wings are marinated in fish sauce and sugar, deep fried and then tossed with garlic, more fish sauce and my choice of spicy chile flakes. Pok Pok has a lot of other northern Thai choices that could make this new food list: charcoal-grilled eggplant salad, pork belly curry, lemongrass-stuffed game hen…

Fantastic, monster chicken wings with an Asian twist at Pok Pok

Fantastic, monster chicken wings with an Asian twist at Pok Pok in Portland, Oregon

Pok Pok
3226 SE Division Street, Portland, Oregon
Daily 11:30 am-10 pm

The 5 Strangest Things I Ate and Drank on Road Trips in 2013… Good Mind You

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The centrepiece of this gorgeous appetizer at Kama'aina Grindz is those pink pieces of grilled spam

The centrepiece of this gorgeous appetizer at Kama’aina Grindz, in Everett Washington, is those pink pieces of grilled spam

When I’m road-trip dining or drinking, it sometimes takes a sizable leap of faith to order something completely off the tastebud charts. But such adventures often lead to memorable culinary discoveries. Here are five that stood out in 2013.

For me, spam conjures up long-repressed memories of canned luncheon meats from when something healthier like, say, baloney was unavailable. So I’m curious to see what noted chef Dean Shinagawa can do with an updated version, called spam musubi, at his new, *Kama’aina Grindz in Everett, Washington. And I’m floored to find it, dare I say, delicious, the soy-marinated “meat” crisply grilled, perched atop rice and wrapped in seaweed—a 1960s’ sushi square if you will from this Hawaiian-Asian master. Needless to say, this spam dish is beautifully presented and a $5 bargain appetizer. The only thing I can ask, Dean, is where were you 40 years ago?

Kama’aina Grindz
2933 Colby Avenue, Everett, Washington
Monday to Thursday 11 am- 7 pm, Friday-Saturday 11 am-8 pm. Closed Sunday
Kama'aina Grindz on Urbanspoon

I’ve heard of blackened fish and blackened chicken. But blackened soup? Or bamboo charcoal dark miso ramen, to be more precise. In Asian cultures, charcoal powder is considered a tonic for digestion, skin problems and aging. But the flavour? At Motomachi Shokudo, a top Japanese ramen house in the west end of downtown Vancouver, the soup is delightful—beautifully presented in a large ceramic bowl, with curled noodles, a soft-boiled egg and barbecued pork. But the revelation is the dark, pungent broth, highlighted by the smoky charcoal powder.

Charcoal soup at Vancouver's Motomachi Shokudo. Much healthier and better tasting than it sounds

Charcoal soup at Vancouver’s Motomachi Shokudo. Much healthier and better tasting than it sounds

Motomachi Shokudo
740 Denman Street, Vancouver
Daily noon to 11 pm, except closed Wednesday
Motomachi Shokudo 元町食堂 on Urbanspoon

A lot of culinary innovation is happening on the food-truck scene. So it’s no surprise that Portland, with some 700 stationary food “carts”, is at the forefront. Of the many interesting cart creations I sampled on a recent Portland visit, perhaps nothing overcame my “not bloody likely” reflex quite like PBJ’s Grilled, which you may have deduced stands for grilled peanut butter and jam sandwiches. In my case, it’s the award-winning grilled Oregonian—a medley of challah bread, Oregon hazelnut butter, Rogue Creamery blue cheese and house-made marion berry jam (duck is an add on). Don’t know why, but it lives up to the cart’s motto: “Deliciously addictive.”

Keena assembling my hazelnut butter, blue cheese and marion berry jam sandwich at PBJ's Grilled

Keena assembling my hazelnut butter, blue cheese and marion berry jam sandwich at PBJ’s Grilled in Portland

PBJ’s Grilled
SE 12 Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard (also at 919 NW 23 Street), Portland
Tuesday to Sunday opens at 11 am. Closed Monday
PBJ's on Urbanspoon

I’ve had chiles added to chocolate. So it was probably just a matter of time before they showed up in one of my beers. It’s actually on a Portland sidewalk, where I encounter Burnside Brewing brewmaster Jason McAdam grilling some Scotch bonnet peppers and peach halves on a little Weber charcoal grill. They’re being used to dry hop a version of the brewery’s Sweet Heat Ale, which when sampled definitely has some citrus notes, along with a searing punch to the back of my throat.

Grilled peaches and Scotch bonnets for a spicy, citrusy beer at Burnside Brewing in Portland. What will they think of next?

Grilled peaches and Scotch bonnets for a spicy, citrusy beer at Burnside Brewing in Portland. What will they think of next?

Burnside Brewing
701 East Burnside Street, Portland
Monday to Thursday opens at 3 pm, Friday to Sunday at noon
Burnside Brewing Co. on Urbanspoon

Talk about fusion, or maybe confusion. How about some booze and barbecue added to breakfast? At The Red Wagon Restaurant in Vancouver, it’s the stack of pancakes layered with pulled pork and topped with, get this, Jack Daniels maple syrup. The result is filling and unique—the salty, moist pulled pork nicely complemented by the sweet bourbon syrup. I’m just hoping the alcohol has evaporated before I hit the mid-morning streets.

How about some pulled pork layered between these pancakes, with Jack Daniels maple syrup as a sweetener?

How about some pulled pork layered between these pancakes, with Jack Daniels maple syrup as a sweetener?

The Red Wagon Restaurant
2296 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Weekdays 8 am-9 pm, weekends 9 am-9 pm
The Red Wagon on Urbanspoon

In Praise of the Simple Coffee-Making Aeropress

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The Aeropress is the brew method of choice at Phil & Sebastian's new Calgary coffeehouse

The Aeropress is the brew method of choice at Phil & Sebastian’s new Calgary coffeehouse

In the high-tech coffee world, cafes spend thousands of dollars on fancy machines to produce perfect cups of espresso or drip java. Yet a $25-35 plastic tube is increasingly elbowing its way into the mix at highfalutin coffeehouses.

It’s called the Aeropress, invented by Alan Adler, who also came up with the Aerobie flying ring. I do the Aeropress a bit of disservice. It’s actually two plastic tubes, one rubber-bottomed tube fitting tightly inside the other. There’s just one other piece, a black plastic cap, with a bunch of small holes, that screws onto the bottom of the larger, outside tube.

Here’s essentially how it works. Place a thin, circular paper filter inside the black cap and screw the latter on to the outside tube, placing said tube on a warmed-up cup. Dump freshly ground coffee (16 to 22 grams, depending on cup size and strength preference) into the tube and pour near-boiling water to almost fill the tube. Stir, wait a bit and then push the rubber-bottomed inner tube to the bottom of the outer tube, expelling the coffee through the filter into the cup. It takes a surprising amount of force and time, about 20 seconds, to push the liquid through.

David preparing an inverted-style Aeropress drink at Cupper's Coffee & Tea in Lethbridge, Alberta

David preparing an inverted-style Aeropress drink at Cupper’s Coffee & Tea in Lethbridge, Alberta

The Aeropress has been around for nearly a decade. But maybe because it was so simple or/and coffeehouses had invested so much in expensive machines that it’s taken awhile to win more widespread commercial appeal. But that’s certainly changing. Indeed, I saw Aeropresses being used in three upscale southern Alberta coffee shops in the past couple of weeks.

“It’s incredibly simple but brilliant in the way it works,” says Phil Robertson, co-owner of Phil & Sebastian, which uses the Aeropress to make individually brewed cups of coffee at one of its three Calgary coffeehouses. He loses me when delving into the details of things like the backpressure created in the tube. But the essence is the Aeropress produces a great cup of coffee. I like making it super strong and adding hot water for a potent Americano.

A little chocolate cake? No, it's the thick puck I produce from the Aeropress grounds when making my potent Americano

A little chocolate cake? No, it’s the thick puck I produce from the Aeropress grounds when making my potent Americano

Now, as in anything coffee related, there are many nuances in the way various shops use the Aeropress. Some prefer paper filters, others metal. Some like a coarser grind, others a finer one. Some like the standard method, others an inversion technique. Brewing times may vary.

But the beauty of the Aeropress, beside the low cost, is the simplicity of its use. The average coffee drinker using a home espresso maker is at a considerable disadvantage trying to compete with a skilled barista manning an industrial espresso machine. But with a quality bean and a wee bit of practice, home users can pretty much match the Aeropress results of the pros. A bonus is the workout you get doing those one-armed “pushdowns”.

So when you hear coffee connoisseurs talking about espresso “pulls”, don’t be surprised if they also get into Aeropress “pushes”.

Great Java in Cochrane, Alberta

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Java Jamboree owner Jess Johnston meticulously making a pour-over coffee

Java Jamboree owner Jess Johnston meticulously making a pour-over coffee

Okay, I’ll say it. *Java Jamboree, in the bedroom backwater of Cochrane, is one of the best coffeehouses in Alberta. Take that, snooty Calgary and Edmonton.

The reason is threefold: first-rate coffee, a place you want to linger in—beyond staring at a computer screen—and fine food that’s largely made in house.

Let’s start with the most important thing, the coffee. Young owner Jess Johnston or any of her exacting baristas can make coffee any newfangled way you want: espresso-based, inverted Aeropress, Chemex or pour over. Ironically, the only knock I have on Java Jamboree is its reliance on lightly roasted beans from Calgary’s Phil and Sebastian and Victoria’s Bows & Arrows. I just like a darker roast.

Java Jamboree hits all the right touches, like this gorgeous china cup and saucer

Java Jamboree hits all the right touches, like this gorgeous china cup and saucer

Second, there’s the setting. Sure, Java Jamboree is in a nondescript mall with Safeway and Canadian Tire as neighbours and an acre of parking in between. But step inside the door, and you enter a calming world of beige walls decorated with good art, reclaimed wood tables and brushed aluminum chairs, a comfy couch, soft lighting from hanging fixtures and an unobtrusive jazz soundtrack that promotes actual conversation or book reading.

Isn't this the kind of coffee shop you'd like to hang out in?

Isn’t this the kind of coffee shop you’d like to hang out in?

Finally, there’s the food, a trucked-in or warmed-up afterthought at most cafes. Here, there’s a short but good menu of house-made fruit scones, breakfast wraps, a daily soup and a couple of paninis. The culinary features are four grilled cheese sandwiches, highlighted by an aged cheddar with caramelized onion jam and prosciutto and a side of their own ketchup.

Java Jamboree features four grilled cheese sandwiches, including this one with aged cheddar and prosciutto

Java Jamboree features four grilled cheese sandwiches, including this one with aged cheddar and prosciutto

So, you might prefer a café in Alberta that serves a bean or even food you like better. But I challenge you to find a place that can match these three pillars of a great coffeehouse.

Java Jamboree
#9, 312 5 Avenue West, Cochrane, Alberta
Monday to Saturday 8 am-6 pm, Sunday 9 am-6 pm
Java Jamboree Coffee Co. on Urbanspoon

Savour the French at This Edmonton Cafe

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The menu at Cafe Bicyclette is in French, but the taste is universal

The menu at Cafe Bicyclette is in French, but the taste is universal

It’s been decades since I studied French in high school. So at Edmonton’s Café Bicyclette, my poor brain is taxed deciphering today’s menu board, with the server kindly translating phrases like pain perdu (French toast) and saucisse dejeunet (breakfast sausage). Fortunately, I need no help figuring out croque monsieur avec oeuf, a very nice version of the ham, cheese and fried egg sandwich, on a fresh baguette, for only $6. I finish things off with a good Iconoclast coffee and a delicately crumbed pineapple scone, perhaps the highlight of my petit dejeuner.

A wonderfully delicate crumb to this pineapple scone

A wonderfully delicate crumb to this pineapple scone

Bicyclette is a lovely new French cafe, with just about everything— muffins and pain au chocolat to soups—made from scratch. And it comes by its French roots honestly. It’s located in the heart of Edmonton’s historic Francophone quarter, with the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean campus just up Rue Anne-Marie Gaboury. Bon appetit!

Cafe Bicyclette
8627 91 Street (Rue Anne-Marie Gaboury), Edmonton, Alberta
Weekdays 8 am-5 pm (opening at 10 am for weekend brunch), dinner Thursday to Saturday 5 pm-10 pm
Café Bicyclette on Urbanspoon

Lovely Lebanese Pita Pies in Leduc, Alberta

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Kassem Fedda (left) and sone Hassen own the delightful Pita Hut Bakery in Leduc, Alberta

Kassem Fedda (left) and son Hassen own the delightful Pita Hut Bakery in Leduc, Alberta

It’s a bone-numbing winter’s day (-35 Celsius with wind chill) as I step inside Leduc’s Pita Hut Bakery, south of Edmonton. So I’m enviously eying the woman stationed in front of a large, metal gas-fired oven. It’s like a pizza oven, complete with the long-handled paddle. But instead of pizzas, she’s tending made-to-order pita pies and stuffed pies, the latter a Lebanese version of a calzone.

For a bargain $4, I get a half-and-half pita pie—zatar (oregano, sumac, sesame seeds and olive oil) on one side and Lebanese cheeses on the other. These savoury mixes are enhanced by my choice of additional briny toppings, including crunchy, pickled turnip. I top things off with some delightfully crispy and slightly oily pita chips and garlic dip and a piece of complementary baklava.

Half zatar, half cheese pita pie for only $4 at Pita Hut Bakery

Half zatar, half cheese pita pie for only $4 at Pita Hut Bakery

Pita Hut is a friendly Lebanese family affair, with father Kassem Fedda assembling the food in the kitchen, his wife tending the oven and son Hassen kibitzing with takeout customers at the front counter when I visit. It’s a great, inexpensive new place for a delicious light meal just two minutes off Highway 2.

Pita Hut Bakery
Unit 40, 4916 50 Avenue, Leduc, Alberta
Monday to Saturday 9 am-7 pm
Pita Hut Bakery on Urbanspoon