Skirts On Fire

Lunch in the City – Soul Soup

140-10020 101A Avenue NW (Rice Howard Way, across from the former Praha Bistro)
(780) 409-8272

Hours: M-F 11a-5p

Braved the rain today to go to Soul Soup with co-workers.  Soul Soup is run by the guys who do Culina and they strive for fresh, tasty, local ingredients.  They switch up the menu everyday and I was happy to see that their veg option could be celiac-friendly if you were so inclined.

Ate: Split pea and ham soup in the size of medium.

Paid: $7

I am very, very full.  How Nathan conquered a large is beyond me.  We’re attempting to establish #soulsoup but this is still in progress and doesn’t happen everyday.  Also worth while to note that grouping together some friends and getting a bigger size to take back to the office is a much cheaper way to go.

Lunch in the City – Credo

http://www.credocoffee.ca/

Location: 104st and North of Jasper, next to Taco Del Mar

Cost: $9.50

Ate: Veg Panini and a rootbeer

Came across this review via a tweet from @mastermaq and so decided to check it out today.

Good: nice decor, friendly staff, food nummy

Bad: limit on number of sandwiches made daily.  After they are gone, you are out of luck.  Four co-workers > 3 sandwiches so there was an odd man out who opted for A&W instead.  We were there about 12:30p I figure.

I didn’t try the coffee but if I can remember, I will tomorrow.  A co-worker had a macchiato and proclaimed it really good.

At the very least, it’s nice to have a coffee place so close to work – hmm, you know, because that extra half a block to Axis was so inconvenient, oops.

***Update***

So I remembered to stop for coffee.  This is the best americano I’ve ever had.  I am now very impressed.

Lunch in the City – Curry Fix

http://www.curryfix.com/

At my work Thursday is now known as Curry For Lunch Day.  (Well, some people are still hitting Chicken For Lunch but that’s because they make poor lunch choices…)

Cost: ~$10 depending on naan, drink, and how many sides.

Two locations:

1. Commerce Place Food Court – CASH ONLY!!  I highly recommend the chickpeas as a side.

Monday to Friday 11am to 3pm

2. Riverbend Square – Lunch Buffet $10 – go hungry!

Tuesday to Thursday noon to 9pm
Friday & Saturday noon to 10pm
Sunday noon to 9pm

Lunch in the City – Souvlaki Place in City Centre East

Ate: Chicken souvlaki pita, salad, fries
Cost: $6.90 plus tax
Verdict: Next time, just eat at Wrapture*. It’s better for you and tastier. It’s only been 10 minutes since you’ve finished and you are already getting sleepy.

gg brian >: (

*The Yoshi Wrap is lovely if you aren’t a wuss about tofu.

Taste of Edmonton – July 17-26, 2009

The menu is up for this year’s Taste of Edmonton.  If you haven’t been before, it runs from 11am to 11pm daily in Churchill Square downtown.  Several restaurants in the city set up booths and offer up individual, mini-portions of some of their favourite menu items.  It’s a good way to try out new restaurants and new foods. You can buy advance tickets at Tix On The Square for 10% off before July 16th.  Here’s a quick copy and paste of the menu:

Note: new menu items are in bold
(S) Menu items containing Seafood
(N) Menu items containing nuts
(V) Menu items Vegetarian approved
(C) Menu items Celiac approved

• Beijing Beijing – Ginger Beef & Pork Dumplings
• Blue Willow Restaurant – Chicken Chili Puff Pop & Apple Chocolate Roll (N)
• Brewsters Brewing – Sweet Chili Beef LoMein & Spicy Chicken Cibatta (N)
• Canadian Brewhouse – Steak Bites & Chili Lime Prawns (S)
  
• Century Resorts Alberta – Grilled Beef w/ Sweet Rice & Wild Blueberry Cream Tart
• Chef’s Grill & Bar -BBQ Beef Ribs & Sno Cone w/ fruit & cream
• El Rancho Spanish Restaurant – Pupusa & Mexican Fried Ice Cream
• Fairmont Hotel Macdonald – Mac Scones w/Saskatoon Berry Compote & Wild Mushroom Bisque (V)
• Firestone – Bacon Wrap Scallops (S) & Triple Layer Chocolate Explosion
• Globe Tap Bar & Grill – 3 Flavor Chicken Wings (C) & Bailey’s Mocha Pie (C)
• Hawkeye Too – Lemon Grass Chicken Wrap & Wasabi Beef on a Bun
• Hoang Long Restaurant – Beef Lemongrass Skewer (C) & Veggie Spring Roll (V)
• Hong Kong Bakery – Green Onion Cakes & Chocolate Mousse w/ Cocoa Crisp
• Hudson’s Canadian Taphouse – Atlantic Butterflied Shrimp (S) & Alberta Beef Mini Cheddar Burger
• Japanese Village – Bean Sprout w/ Ginger Sauce (V) & Sirloin Beef Bowl w/Special Sesame Sauce
• Khazana – Butter Chicken & Rice Pudding (C)
• Korean Village – Vegetable Tempura (V) & Dakabi Bat (Korean French Fry-coated Chicken Dog w/ Hot Sauce)
• Krua Wilai – Pad Thai & Stuffed Chicken Wing (S) (N)
• Kyoto Japanese Restaurant – Canada Maki (S) & Green Tea Ice Cream
• Lee Gardens – Szechuan Beef & Vietnamese Spring Rolls
• L’Espresso Café – Lahem Mishwi (Halal Beef) & Baklava (N)
• Lingnan – Dry Spicy Chicken & Beijing Style Kung Pow Chicken (C)
• New Asian Village – Chicken Ticka w/ Garlic Naan & Channa Masala w/ saffron rice
• Noodle Noodle Rest – Cracking Shrimp Balls (S) & Home Style Chow Mein (V)
• Old Spaghetti Factory – Chicken Penne & Strawberry Cheese Cake
• On The Rocks – Beef Taco & Apple Crumble w/ Jack Daniels Carmel Sauce
• Padmanadi Vegetarian Restaurant – Vegan Curry Chicken w/rice (V) & Vegan Salty Chicken (V)
• Palace Banquets – Chicken Caesar Pita & Maple Devine
• Panda Hut Express – Lemon Chicken & Deep Fried Wonton w/ Crab meat and Cream Cheese (S)
• Pazzo Pazzo – Jumbo Garlic Shrimp (S) & Canoli (custard filled pastry dipped in chocolate)
• Roma Bistro – Chicken Enchiladas & Cheese Empanadas (V)
• Sutton Place Hotel – Chocolate Dipped Strawberry & Cappuccino Chocolate Shooter Cup
• Taste of Ukraine – Potato Onion Varenyky (Pyrogy) (V) & Ham Garlic Sausage (Koubasa)
• That’s Aroma – Garlic Chicken Satay (N) & Garlic Tomato Salad (V)
• The Creperie – Croustille Au Fromage/Deep fried cheese crepe & Crepe Glace au Chocolat
• The Gas Pump – Coconut Ice Cream with Fresh Fruit & Stuffed Mushrooms
• The Hat – Crab Cakes w/ Cajun Mayo (S) & Deep Fried Mars Bar
• Traamici Café – Veggie Panini (V) & Seashell Pasta
• Zen Sushi & Grill – Teriyaki Salmon on Rice (S) & Sweet Potato Fries (V)
• Zucchero Cappuccino Bar – Pizza Grillo & Caffe Affogatto

Pina Coladas – How to Fix Tuesdays.

Here are your choices:

1. Go to Kelsey’s.

Now I hate Kelsey’s.  It is important you understand this.  The food is crap and is not well-priced for the quality.  Furthermore, chances are you are going to be sitting next to loud, annoying children who should’ve been marched out to the car 25 min ago.  But.  They make a great pina colada.

2. Make your own.

You will need: a blender, RUM, ice, puppies, pina colada mix, Tom Jones, and coconut milk

Attempt #1: Buy that mix stuff from your local grocery store and follow the recipe.  Results: sok, but not that great.  Tastes like you used a mix. <snob>

Attempt #2: Mix recipe + extra pineapple juice.  Results: more juice like.  Similar to when you make a smoothie with juice instead of soy milk.  Is not as sweet either.

Attempt #3: Mix recipe + extra coconut milk.  Oh. My.  I feel like Tom Jones is serenading me and only me while I play with happy, fluffy puppies a la Natalie.

I’m also thinking that this would be good with some sort of coconut gelato/sorbet in a sort of pina colada milkshake type of thing.  I’m also guessing that Malibu would also be good as I was using Appleton’s because I like darker rums.  Well, all rums, really.

Star Trek (2009)

In a word: yes.

In several more words: JJ Abrams is a god.  First of all, I like all the things he’s created thus far so there was a good chance I’d like this movie.  Second, I did come in as someone who likes Star Trek to begin with so that ups the chances  even more.  Lots of action, great pace, good dialogue – everything you want in a sci-fi flick that’s aiming to restart a brand.  I’m wondering how long I’m going to have to wait for the next movie.  I’ve also decided that the best way to see a movie is to know absolutely nothing about it beforehand.  No or low expectations are the way to go.

Lastly, amusing JJ Abrams note: apparently this guy likes big red balls of liquid that float.  See Alias, season 1, episode 1.

Up The Yangtze (2007)

Don’t make comparisons of Canada and the US.  Don’t talk about Quebec Independence.  You have to love a doc that can define Anglo-Canadian identity so summarily.  These are two of the rules defined by the manager of a cruise ship that takes Western tourists up the Yangtze river in China for a farewell tour.  With the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, the water level was slated to rise a total of 175m.  That is fine if you happen to not live next to the river, your father a poor farmer who can’t afford to move his family.  Yu Shui is the elder daughter in just such a family.  At 16, with dreams of becoming a scientist but unable to afford high school, she goes to work on one of these cruise ships to make $200 a month – the equivalent to her father’s annual income.

I like a doc that can drop your jaw in the first view minutes.  Between shots of the beautiful scenery and bridges spanning the Yangtze to the concept that a family couldn’t afford to move, this one nails it.

http://uptheyangtze.com/

http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeyesunday/uptheyangtze/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Gorges_Dam

CBC Docs: Dolphin Dealer (Oct 2008)

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2008/dolphindealer/

More love for the CBC – this doc is about a Canadian named Christopher Porter who spend 15 years at the Vancouver Aquarium working with dolphins.  He set up an export business to sell dolphins from the Solomon Islands to marine parks around the world.  Given that tourists will pay $100 to swim with a dolphin, this is a highly lucrative venture and throughout the doc you see clips of happy, shrieking tourists doing just that.  However, you have to wonder if there’s any conservation/environmental understanding being taken in, which is what Chris Porter would have you think.  You can hardly believe a 5-star Dubai resort is an affordable or natural setting for the average person to encounter these incredible creatures.  It’s the classic entrepreneur vs environmentalist theme but still worth a watch, especially as this one runs under 45 min and you can check it out online.

April 5, 2009 – Triage: Dr James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma

I saw this documentary at the Global Visions Film Festival last November.  It follows Dr. Orbinski’s trip back to Somalia, Rwanda and Goma 15 years after he was there with Doctors Without Borders.  This isn’t a happy movie but it’s an eye-opening one.

You can see this movie on Sunday at 2pm at the Stanley A Milner library for a whopping $0.  The NFB Film Club shows a variety of Canadian movies about once a month and you can borrow copies through the EPL.

Also worth checking out: Cinema at the Centre