OT: Visiting Edmonton

[OfCorsiDid]

NYR fan here - Coming to Edmonton for the rangers/Oilers game in Feb.

Any bar/restaurant recs? Thanks!

You’re coming to Edmonton in February?

I mean this in the kindest and honest way possible; what’s wrong with you?

 

[Fourier]

You literally wrote that you had some fantastic meals at hole in the wall places, and terrible meals at places you expected much more from.

I said it reminded me of my friend I had to travel with for work LITERALLY lives and dies by that creed, and will only eat at completely impulsive choices made based on how dingy it looks, and will refuse ALL recommendations from anyone, especially Yelp reviews, restaurant lists, and travel blogs.

Because of my food poisoning experience due to his shitty choice, when I travel I will ONLY eat at recommended places now. I will absolutely outright REFUSE to eat at places with shitty Yelp scores or dingy places that are picked on impulse.

And I will never again try the f***ing POUTINE.

I have also had great meals at fantastic restaurants and bad meals in dives as well as vis versa. What does that prove other than the fact that food is a very personal thing and there is no universal right vs wrong.

There is a lot of snobbery going on here. A guy from NYC comes to Edmonton and wants to get a bit of advice. Can't even mention pizza without somehow showing off a lack of worldliness even if a highly respected travel magazine picks Edmonton as one of the top cities for pizza in the world. Specifically, how could a place like Tony's even touch what you can get in NYC? Just because the origins of the restaurant are Italy-NYC-Edmonton and the core ingredients are imported from Italy doesn't mean they have a clue what pizza is all about. Another highly respected magazine Phaidon Publishers explicitly called Tony's one of the best pizza places in the world. (And as Messier11 points out the family has another highly acclaimed restaurant in Raggazzi.) But that doesn't count because Nostradumbass disagrees and does not think it compares with NYC pizza. Yet in the same breath recommends Alberta raised wagyu. Our friend from NYC has dozens of options to get high quality Kobe and other wagyu. But even then, this ain't Tokyo so why even bother.

People are free to like what they like. What should our visitor do, not eat at all during the visit because no matter what food is chosen there is probably a place in NYC that will do it better?

 

[OfCorsiDid]

It’s Edmonton, people…why has no one suggested Uncle Ed’s for a Ukrainian Platter. (With extra sour cream). Jeebus you people!

Sorry man that got replaced with a restaurant only serving Borscht as part of a special food operation.

 

[OfCorsiDid]

Agree with @Drivesaitl that we need a stickied thread for this.

I'm going to essentially copy/paste what I wrote in the last one for my restaurant recommendations with a few side comments for OP in bold:

Food will depend on the cuisine you like and obviously your budget but I'll make a list encompasses a little bit of everything from cheap eats to higher end and all in between.

Here's a list of some of my personal favourites or my go-to spots in no particular order:

Turkish/Mediterranean and Donair: Swiss is probably your best bet but I like Top as well for donairs. Turquaz is great and so is Sahara for sit down Mediterranean kabob spots. Donairs are particularly good here, coming from a Mediterranean guy.

Indian: I like Little India, Zaika and Punjab Sweets but there's a bunch of spots on 34th Ave and after 91st just outside of Mill Woods.

Southeast Asian: I like Pho Hoan Pasteur or Volcano for Viet. Syphay is good for Thai, Boualouang is decent Thai and Laotian. (Since you're visiting in winter, Pho will hit NICELY)

Korean: Bul Go Gi House or Hanjan. 34th Ave and 91 area also has plenty of Korean choices though

Chinese/Hot Pot/Dim Sum: Chinese Hot Pot buffet, Tasty Noodle. There's also Lucky 97 but tbh that area around Chinatown can be kinda sketchy

Sushi/Japanese: Sushi Toshi is all you can eat and pretty solid but make a reservation ahead of time if possible.

Italian: Amore, Sicilian Pasta Kitchen, Chianti is decent for the price. Tony's is probably the best pizza in town. Most spots in Little Italy will crush it in this category though. (You're from New York though so this is all probably very meh for you which is totally understandable. Yes I'm on that side of this debate)

French/Poutine: The Marc for fancier if I had to pick with stuff like foie gras etc. Or La Ronde. Otherwise French Canadian we'll go with Cheese Factory for poutine or even La Poutine

BBQ/Cajun/Steak: I find we're lacking a real BBQ scene here so MEAT is probably your best choice for this. Otherwise honestly go to The Keg and get a steak. Alberta beef is amazing.

Mexican: I like Huma but El Cortez or Très Carnales are alright too (same as Italian, you're from the US so it'll probably disappoint)

Portuguese/Spanish: Sabor and Bodega. Tzin is also good I enjoyed it there.

There's like 30 cafes I can suggest depending on where you are in the city. I still personally like Block 1912 but there's sooo many, Café Bicyclette, Paramo, Credo, La Boscoe and Square One are all good. Brewandbloom if you're here with a lady. (It'll be cold AF so not a bad idea to get some good hot chocolate from any of these spots. Tim's is garbo but I can understand wanting to maybe go there)

Idk I'm probably missing others but this should cover food

Things to do: Go to WEM, go to the muttart, go to ice district and catch an Oiler game. Art Gallery is cool, same with the new Alberta museum if that's your scene. Enjoy your time here (it'll be winter so definitely do something indoors)

Sicilian Pasta Kitchen South can stand up for itself against any Italian restaurant really.

 

[brentashton]

Sorry man that got replaced with a restaurant only serving Borscht as part of a special food operation.

Thanks, did not know. Not surprised. There is so much turn over in restaurants. I’ve often heard it’s not a vocation to get rich, but more of a passion for cooking and socializing with patrons.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I have also had great meals at fantastic restaurants and bad meals in dives as well as vis versa. What does that prove other than the fact that food is a very personal thing and there is no universal right vs wrong.

There is a lot of snobbery going on here. A guy from NYC comes to Edmonton and wants to get a bit of advice. Can't even mention pizza without somehow showing off a lack of worldliness even if a highly respected travel magazine picks Edmonton as one of the top cities for pizza in the world. Specifically, how could a place like Tony's even touch what you can get in NYC? Just because the origins of the restaurant are Italy-NYC-Edmonton and the core ingredients are imported from Italy doesn't mean they have a clue what pizza is all about. Another highly respected magazine Phaidon Publishers explicitly called Tony's one of the best pizza places in the world. (And as Messier11 points out the family has another highly acclaimed restaurant in Raggazzi.) But that doesn't count because Nostradumbass disagrees and does not think it compares with NYC pizza. Yet in the same breath recommends Alberta raised wagyu. Our friend from NYC has dozens of options to get high quality Kobe and other wagyu. But even then, this ain't Tokyo so why even bother.

People are free to like what they like. What should our visitor do, not eat at all during the visit because no matter what food is chosen there is probably a place in NYC that will do it better?

When you travel, a lot of people view it as a unique opportunity to try the regional cuisine. Taste the local fare.

Bakeapples in the maritimes with Lobster, maybe razorback clams. It's from there. There's a story there. Yes you can have it frozen and sent on a plane to Edmonton, but it's not 'Edmonton's food'. I won't recommend seafood places in Edmonton even if it's good.

There's many interesting flavors that make the cuisine specific to Edmonton. There's a story there, there's culture reflected in the cuisine.

Eating a replica of the same pizza as where he's from isn't it.

 

[McShogun99]

I have also had great meals at fantastic restaurants and bad meals in dives as well as vis versa. What does that prove other than the fact that food is a very personal thing and there is no universal right vs wrong.

There is a lot of snobbery going on here. A guy from NYC comes to Edmonton and wants to get a bit of advice. Can't even mention pizza without somehow showing off a lack of worldliness even if a highly respected travel magazine picks Edmonton as one of the top cities for pizza in the world. Specifically, how could a place like Tony's even touch what you can get in NYC? Just because the origins of the restaurant are Italy-NYC-Edmonton and the core ingredients are imported from Italy doesn't mean they have a clue what pizza is all about. Another highly respected magazine Phaidon Publishers explicitly called Tony's one of the best pizza places in the world. (And as Messier11 points out the family has another highly acclaimed restaurant in Raggazzi.) But that doesn't count because Nostradumbass disagrees and does not think it compares with NYC pizza. Yet in the same breath recommends Alberta raised wagyu. Our friend from NYC has dozens of options to get high quality Kobe and other wagyu. But even then, this ain't Tokyo so why even bother.

People are free to like what they like. What should our visitor do, not eat at all during the visit because no matter what food is chosen there is probably a place in NYC that will do it better?

Pizza is just dough, cheese, sauce and some toppings. Pretty simple to make good no matter what country or city you're in.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Pizza is just dough, cheese, sauce and some toppings. Pretty simple to make good no matter what country or city you're in.

You obviously never took home Ec in school. Those ingredients improperly dealt with can make globuous masses of martian mess.

Careful with the yeast as well. you might create a living life form that is alive for years..If it starts moving get out of there. Get out! heh

lol We actually made a great smoked ham and veggies pizza and won the class award. But other people, oh man. Of course in our school they had to scrape dried pizza dough off walls and ceilings for the next year..

I could write a book out of bad idea school stories. New teachers might benefit in the knowledge of everything that can go wrong..

 

[AM]

For pizza Ragazzi is good, but I would only suggest their pizza choices. Don’t ask for Hawaiian. Meat is good, though a-bit too industrial decor wise for my tastes. Any of the breweries has good beer, and the usually have a food truck. Sherlock homes downtown, or the bar across the street are good for bar food.

 

[Fourier]

When you travel, a lot of people view it as a unique opportunity to try the regional cuisine. Taste the local fare.

Bakeapples in the maritimes with Lobster, maybe razorback clams. It's from there. There's a story there. Yes you can have it frozen and sent on a plane to Edmonton, but it's not 'Edmonton's food'. I won't recommend seafood places in Edmonton even if it's good.

There's many interesting flavors that make the cuisine specific to Edmonton. There's a story there, there's culture reflected in the cuisine.

Eating a replica of the same pizza as where he's from isn't it.

As someone who has been spent over 60 years living in or spending a lot of time in Edmonton, aside from beef I'd like you to tell me what is the regional cuisine of Edmonton that is not borrowed from somewhere else??

I am also going to guess that someone who is born in NS that brings back lobster with them on the plane might do so because a touch of home is always welcome.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

As someone who has been spent over 60 years living in or spending a lot of time in Edmonton, aside from beef I'd like you to tell me what is the regional cuisine of Edmonton that is not borrowed from somewhere else??

You can adapt a food to the ingredients of the region. Which is what New York pizza is. It became it's own thing. I'm korean and they largely did that with the Korean food in LA. (2million koreans, and they adapted the food to be LA korean. Quite a bit different than Seoul, but also amazing).

The beef is legitimately one of the best parts of Alberta's food. Burgers and steaks are amazing. Trust me. Live in Montreal for over a decade, and we only eat slaughtered dairy cows here. Its generally flavorless and sinew-y.

Some of the fancier establishments will get Alberta AAA angus, and dry age it a couple of weeks, but its rare. (Shwartz's smoked meat is Alberta Angus). But beef here generally sucks

My wife is blown away at the ribeye we get from the Edmonton Costco. We have a list of burger places we go to.


Then there's donairs, things like Saskatoon berries, and the massive polish/ukrainian population. The Kelbasa in Edmonton is awesome. I've been told by my ex its a bit different than Warsaw, but it's awesome.

I generally like a lot of farm to table establishments (we went to one in Calgary, not sure about Edmonton). The 'french culinary techniques on local ingredients' is always a hit. The highest rated restaurants in Canada are that. (Toque, Joe Beef). The Fairmont in Edmonton has it and it's pretty spectacular.

 

[Fourier]

You can adapt a food to the ingredients of the region. Which is what New York pizza is. It became it's own thing. I'm korean and they largely did that with the Korean food in LA. (2million koreans, and they adapted the food to be LA korean. Quite a bit different than Seoul, but also amazing).

The beef is legitimately one of the best parts of Alberta's food. Burgers and steaks are amazing. Trust me. Live in Montreal for over a decade, and we only eat slaughtered dairy cows here. Its generally flavorless and sinew-y.

Some of the fancier establishments will get Alberta AAA angus, and dry age it a couple of weeks, but its rare. (Shwartz's smoked meat is Alberta Angus). But beef here generally sucks

My wife is blown away at the ribeye we get from the Edmonton Costco. We have a list of burger places we go to.


Then there's donairs, things like Saskatoon berries, and the massive polish/ukrainian population. The Kelbasa in Edmonton is awesome. I've been told by my ex its a bit different than Warsaw, but it's awesome.

I generally like a lot of farm to table establishments (we went to one in Calgary, not sure about Edmonton). The 'french culinary techniques on local ingredients' is always a hit. The highest rated restaurants in Canada are that. (Toque, Joe Beef). The Fairmont in Edmonton has it and it's pretty spectacular.

I am going to remind you what started this debate. Here is what you wrote:

You honestly think people who grew up with that level of representation in their pizza is gonna want to try Edmonton Pizza? I'm not saying Edmonton Pizza is bad. But for f***s sakes, don't recommend a guy who comes from a city with millions of Italians to try it. THEY won't like it. They don't even like the shitty Chicago deep dish either.

You followed this up with:

When people travel for the food, believe it or not, they don't want to eat what they can eat back home.

When I go to Mexico, I want their Tamales, not their burgers. Even if the best burger in Mexico is decent, I don't want to even try it.
When I go to Italy, I want their Pasta, not their sushi. I don't care if the locals think its good, I didn't go there to eat their sushi.

When I went to Osaka, I didn't even bother to try what their version of pizza tastes like. Too busy with the Ramen, Okanomiyaki, and Michelin star Sushi.

The reason I said this was snobbery is because when you reference "people" what you really mean is you and others who share your very specific interests. By the way, if you want a nice breakfast in NYC I recommend the Opening Bell Ceremony at the NYSE.

The OP can correct me on this but I am going to guess that the OP is not traveling to Edmonton for food. If that was the purpose of the trip a hockey forum is not the best place to ask for suggestions. If the OP wants to try the Bison Tartar at the Fairmount (by the way locals call it the McDonald) then have at it. But it is also possible that he or she is just looking for someplace to eat and is not looking for a Michelin star experience.

I travel a lot. I enjoy local foods, but I also have personal favourites which in my case includes pizza and beef. With respect to beef, I grew up in Alberta. According to you I would not enjoy my meal at Joe Beef's (a place I have actually eaten at. And by the way they shamelessly have lobster. ) or the meal I had at Harry's. I have also had smoked meat at both Schwartz's in Montreal and at Katz's in NYC. Which one should I like??? Was I wrong to later eat at the late Katz's Deli in Toronto when I was there for a term at the Fields Institute? What about my colleague who grew up in Montreal. Should he have turned up his nose at the thought of eating there? Or is the fact that he loves smoked meat enough to justify swallowing his pride?

My wife loves Pacific salmon. When we return home I guess she should not have it and just wait until we are next in Vancouver. Since she is Ukranian she should just stick to the local specialty. Doesn't matter that she almost never orders Ukrainian food in a restaurant because she prefers her mom's even though Uncle Ed's is just a short walk from where she grew up.

Speaking of Uncle Ed's...I suspect that you know that the most famous kielbasa in Edmonton is not even from Edmonton but rather from Mundare, and that most of the other versions you say are awesome are probably attempts to duplicate the "Mundare sausage". If I have eaten at Stawnichy's original place in Mundare I guess I should not even consider the Edmonton version since its an import. I also assume that being polish your ex did not like the kielbasa in Edmonton because after all, there are a lot more Polish people in Warsaw than there are in Mundare. I mean if a person from NYC would definitely not like a pizza made by a family from Italy in a business that started in NYC just because it is located in Little Italy in a town with only about 20k Italians, how could your ex even stomach eating polish sausage from a town with less than 1000 people.

The bottom line is that for 99% of the population Edmonton has a wide variety of good eating choices. This is true no matter what their tastes and desires.

 

[Incubajerks]

Sicilian Pasta Kitchen South can stand up for itself against any Italian restaurant really.

But then those who are Italian are curious to read these things and of course, leafing through the menu and looking at the dishes, discover the usual thing, Italian names that attract but in substance it is Italian / American food, stuff very far from Italian cuisine.

 

[rangers1314]

You’re coming to Edmonton in February?

I mean this in the kindest and honest way possible; what’s wrong with you?

You’re coming to Edmonton in February?

I mean this in the kindest and honest way possible; what’s wrong with you?

Haha, I’m a slave to the schedule makers. Is what it is. Might as well go there when the temps are at the most extreme.

I’ll be sure to maintain a liquor baseline to keep myself protected.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

The reason I said this was snobbery is because when you reference "people" what you really mean is you and others who share your very specific interests. By the way, if you want a nice breakfast in NYC I recommend the Opening Bell Ceremony at the NYSE.

The OP can correct me on this but I am going to guess that the OP is not traveling to Edmonton for food. If that was the purpose of the trip a hockey forum is not the best place to ask for suggestions. If the OP wants to try the Bison Tartar at the Fairmount (by the way locals call it the McDonald) then have at it. But it is also possible that he or she is just looking for someplace to eat and is not looking for a Michelin star experience.

I travel a lot. I enjoy local foods, but I also have personal favourites which in my case includes pizza and beef. With respect to beef, I grew up in Alberta. According to you I would not enjoy my meal at Joe Beef's (a place I have actually eaten at. And by the way they shamelessly have lobster. ) or the meal I had at Harry's. I have also had smoked meat at both Schwartz's in Montreal and at Katz's in NYC. Which one should I like??? Was I wrong to later eat at the late Katz's Deli in Toronto when I was there for a term at the Fields Institute? What about my colleague who grew up in Montreal. Should he have turned up his nose at the thought of eating there? Or is the fact that he loves smoked meat enough to justify swallowing his pride?

My wife loves Pacific salmon. When we return home I guess she should not have it and just wait until we are next in Vancouver. Since she is Ukranian she should just stick to the local specialty. Doesn't matter that she almost never orders Ukrainian food in a restaurant because she prefers her mom's even though Uncle Ed's is just a short walk from where she grew up.

Speaking of Uncle Ed's...I suspect that you know that the most famous kebasa in Edmonton is not even from Edmonton but rather from Mundare, and that most of the other versions you say are awesome are probably attempts to duplicate the "Mundare sausage". If I have eaten at Stawnichy's original place in Mundare I guess I should not even consider the Edmonton version since its an import. I also assume that being polish your ex did not like the kebasa in Edmonton because after all, there are a lot more Polish people in Warsaw than there are in Mundare. I mean if a person from NYC would definitely not like a pizza made by a family from Italy in a business that started in NYC just because it is located in Little Italy in a town with only about 20k Italians, how could your ex even stomach eating polish sausage from a town with less than 1000 people.

The bottom line is that for 99% of the population Edmonton has a wide variety of good eating choices. This is true no matter what their tastes and desires.

When I moved to Montreal from the West Coast, I mentioned how medicore the sushi was. I was basically told to try like 30 sushi restaurants, and they were ALL f***ing terrible.

So for a decade I just didn't understand why Montreallers could not accept that their sushi was mediocre compared to Vancouver. I now take a scorched earth policy on this now. When a Montrealler tried recommending a f***ing sushi place to me, I tell them its absolute f***ing horseshit, nobody can make good sushi, and I've eaten at all the restaurants. The best was maybe Park Sushi (A celebrity chef on Food Network), which set me back about $140 and was about as good as the food courts in Richmond.

So as a blanket rule, I now tell Montreallers.. DO NOT RECOMMEND TO PEOPLE FROM VANCOUVER THE SUSHI BECAUSE IT f***ING SUCKS HERE.
100% of the time they're like.. ohh, "but did you try Mikado"?

YES MIKADO IS f***ING RUBBERY FLAVORLESS GARBAGE AND THE SOY IS TOO SWEET.

"Umm,, did you try Kazumi"??

YES IT'S f***ING HORSESHIT, I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THAT OVERPRICED GARBAGE TO A VANCOUVERITE.


I ask them if they've tried the poutine in Vancouver. And when it invariably does not meet your expectations, they start throwing MORE AND MORE AND MORE recommendations for what they think is good poutine.
Of course it's terrible?

Why would someone from Montreal want to travel to Vancouver.. which is reknown for their sushi.. try the f***ing poutine??




(Back to Edmonton)

I'm not saying you shouldn't try the pizza.

I'm saying when a vietnamese person comes to Canada and asks locals where to eat, it's f***ing weird to recommend the Banh-Mi. Even if we think it's good. They have a very high-end refined sense of what Banh-Mi is, they've been eating it their entire lives. Unless Edmonton has a unique take on banh-mi that's become engrained in their culture (like the Korean taco's in LA), then it's really not even worth mentioning to someone from Saigon.

BTW Joe Beef is a seafood place, not a beef place. It's named after a local military hero who was able to scrape meat for his troops no matter how dire the conditions, so they called him 'Joe Beef'. But yeah, the lobster spaghetti is their signature dish.

And I'm not saying 'don't eat it'. I'm saying it's weird to 'recommend it' to someone where it's copied from (aka the bastardized version of).

 

[Fourier]

I'm not saying you shouldn't have it.

I'm saying when a vietnamese person comes to Canada and asks locals where to eat, it's f***ing weird to recommend the Banh-Mi. Even if we think it's good.

BTW Joe Beef is a seafood place, not a beef place. It's named after a local military hero who was able to scrape meat for his troops no matter how dire the conditions, so they called him 'Joe Beef'. But yeah, the lobster spaghetti is their signature dish.

And I'm not saying 'don't eat it'. I'm saying it's weird to 'recommend it' to someone where it's copied from (aka the bastardized version of).

Do you recommend someone who has access to Katz's pastrami the pastrami in Edmonton?

So if I enjoyed a steak at seafood place in Montreal rather than having the a lobster dish because I have eaten great lobster in Halifax or PEI was I wrong?

And by the way...what you actually said is THEY won't like it.

Your sense of what people might want/like is not shared by everyone. I had an office mate from Vietnam when I was a grad student. He absolutely loved the food in the area around 107 ave. Lots of non-Vietnamise locals eat there as well because some of those places are/were excellent so yes I would be happy saying that the 107 ave area was an option if the visitor wanted something familiar.

Not everyone is a food-tourist. In fact the vast majority of people are not. That is why there are thousands of McDonalds around the globe. But even people with a more adventuresome palate can enjoy food that is not 100% authentic.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Agree with @Drivesaitl that we need a stickied thread for this.

I'm going to essentially copy/paste what I wrote in the last one for my restaurant recommendations with a few side comments for OP in bold:

Food will depend on the cuisine you like and obviously your budget but I'll make a list encompasses a little bit of everything from cheap eats to higher end and all in between.

Here's a list of some of my personal favourites or my go-to spots in no particular order:

Turkish/Mediterranean and Donair: Swiss is probably your best bet but I like Top as well for donairs. Turquaz is great and so is Sahara for sit down Mediterranean kabob spots. Donairs are particularly good here, coming from a Mediterranean guy.

Indian: I like Little India, Zaika and Punjab Sweets but there's a bunch of spots on 34th Ave and after 91st just outside of Mill Woods.

Southeast Asian: I like Pho Hoan Pasteur or Volcano for Viet. Syphay is good for Thai, Boualouang is decent Thai and Laotian. (Since you're visiting in winter, Pho will hit NICELY)

Korean: Bul Go Gi House or Hanjan. 34th Ave and 91 area also has plenty of Korean choices though

Chinese/Hot Pot/Dim Sum: Chinese Hot Pot buffet, Tasty Noodle. There's also Lucky 97 but tbh that area around Chinatown can be kinda sketchy

Sushi/Japanese: Sushi Toshi is all you can eat and pretty solid but make a reservation ahead of time if possible.

Italian: Amore, Sicilian Pasta Kitchen, Chianti is decent for the price. Tony's is probably the best pizza in town. Most spots in Little Italy will crush it in this category though. (You're from New York though so this is all probably very meh for you which is totally understandable. Yes I'm on that side of this debate)

French/Poutine: The Marc for fancier if I had to pick with stuff like foie gras etc. Or La Ronde. Otherwise French Canadian we'll go with Cheese Factory for poutine or even La Poutine

BBQ/Cajun/Steak: I find we're lacking a real BBQ scene here so MEAT is probably your best choice for this. Otherwise honestly go to The Keg and get a steak. Alberta beef is amazing.

Mexican: I like Huma but El Cortez or Très Carnales are alright too (same as Italian, you're from the US so it'll probably disappoint)

Portuguese/Spanish: Sabor and Bodega. Tzin is also good I enjoyed it there.

There's like 30 cafes I can suggest depending on where you are in the city. I still personally like Block 1912 but there's sooo many, Café Bicyclette, Paramo, Credo, La Boscoe and Square One are all good. Brewandbloom if you're here with a lady. (It'll be cold AF so not a bad idea to get some good hot chocolate from any of these spots. Tim's is garbo but I can understand wanting to maybe go there)

Idk I'm probably missing others but this should cover food

Things to do: Go to WEM, go to the muttart, go to ice district and catch an Oiler game. Art Gallery is cool, same with the new Alberta museum if that's your scene. Enjoy your time here (it'll be winter so definitely do something indoors)

no way we have good Indian, Mexican, Korean etc. food in Edmonton

according to @Perfect_Drug ..it's only good when it comes from the country of origin

 

[sepHF]

Haha, I’m a slave to the schedule makers. Is what it is. Might as well go there when the temps are at the most extreme.

I’ll be sure to maintain a liquor baseline to keep myself protected.

nice avatar

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

So if I enjoyed a steak at seafood place in Montreal rather than having the a lobster dish because I have eaten great lobster in Halifax or PEI was I wrong?

And by the way...what you actually said is THEY won't like it.

Your sense of what people might want/like is not shared by everyone. I had an office mate from Vietnam when I was a grad student. He absolutely loved the food in the area around 107 ave. Lots of non-Vietnamise locals eat there as well because some of those places are/were excellent so yes I would be happy saying that the 107 ave area was an option if the visitor wanted something familiar.

Not everyone is a food-tourist. In fact the vast majority of people are not. That is why there are thousands of McDonalds around the globe. But even people with a more adventuresome palate can enjoy food that is not 100% authentic.

I'm not sure why there's so much projection happening for a simple question from a poster origin unknown who's simple request was looking for ideas to be fed and watered during a hockey road trip to see the Rangers get beat in Edmonton ... during winter months.

The idea of being a slave to guidebooks to be essentially told where to eat or not eliminates one of the other prospective joys of travel and that's a serendipitous uncovering of experiences like a good meal in an unlikely place.

This post offers some good advise lol on how to find best Chinese food in major metropolitan markets. Context is important and we collectively know nothing about the poster beyond help me eat, drink and help his sports roadie be more awesome (last part is my own projection).



EDIT: Best Vietnamese food I've ever had was Monsier Vong's in Berlin and quite possibly street stalls in Hanoi.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

no way we have good Indian, Mexican, Korean etc. food in Edmonton

according to @Perfect_Drug ..it's only good when it comes from the country of origin

As a korean, I can actually attest that the korean BBQ is very good and is very interesting twist with the Alberta Angus.

So if I enjoyed a steak at seafood place in Montreal rather than having the a lobster dish because I have eaten great lobster in Halifax or PEI was I wrong?

And by the way...what you actually said is THEY won't like it.

Your sense of what people might want/like is not shared by everyone. I had an office mate from Vietnam when I was a grad student. He absolutely loved the food in the area around 107 ave. Lots of non-Vietnamise locals eat there as well because some of those places are/were excellent so yes I would be happy saying that the 107 ave area was an option if the visitor wanted something familiar.

Not everyone is a food-tourist. In fact the vast majority of people are not. That is why there are thousands of McDonalds around the globe. But even people with a more adventuresome palate can enjoy food that is not 100% authentic.

Well yeah, if they're staying for a long time of course they might want familiar food.

But someone from new York coming to Edmonton for a Rangers game? Recommending the New York style pizza is wierd.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I'm not sure why there's so much projection happening for a simple question from a poster origin unknown who's simple request was looking for ideas to be fed and watered during a hockey road trip to see the Rangers get beat in Edmonton ... during winter months.

The idea of being a slave to guidebooks to be essentially told where to eat or not eliminates one of the other prospective joys of travel and that's a serendipitous uncovering of experiences like a good meal in an unlikely place.

This post offers some good advise lol on how to find best Chinese food in major metropolitan markets. Context is important and we collectively know nothing about the poster beyond help me eat, drink and help his sports roadie be more awesome (last part is my own projection).

This is a comedy piece BTW.
And also serves to underline my point:

I would not recommend the Beijing Duck in Edmonton, to ANYONE who came from Beijing.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

This is a comedy piece BTW.
And also serves to underline my point:

I would not recommend the Beijing Duck in Edmonton, to ANYONE who came from Beijing.

Comedy ... really? I didn't think it need explanation. Appreciate your helping to decipher that. Must have been lost in translation.

 

[Oilhawks]

When I moved to Montreal from the West Coast, I mentioned how medicore the sushi was. I was basically told to try like 30 sushi restaurants, and they were ALL f***ing terrible.

So for a decade I just didn't understand why Montreallers could not accept that their sushi was mediocre compared to Vancouver. I now take a scorched earth policy on this now. When a Montrealler tried recommending a f***ing sushi place to me, I tell them its absolute f***ing horseshit, nobody can make good sushi, and I've eaten at all the restaurants. The best was maybe Park Sushi (A celebrity chef on Food Network), which set me back about $140 and was about as good as the food courts in Richmond.

So as a blanket rule, I now tell Montreallers.. DO NOT RECOMMEND TO PEOPLE FROM VANCOUVER THE SUSHI BECAUSE IT f***ING SUCKS HERE.
100% of the time they're like.. ohh, "but did you try Mikado"?

YES MIKADO IS f***ING RUBBERY FLAVORLESS GARBAGE AND THE SOY IS TOO SWEET.

"Umm,, did you try Kazumi"??

YES IT'S f***ING HORSESHIT, I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THAT OVERPRICED GARBAGE TO A VANCOUVERITE.


I ask them if they've tried the poutine in Vancouver. And when it invariably does not meet your expectations, they start throwing MORE AND MORE AND MORE recommendations for what they think is good poutine.
Of course it's terrible?

Why would someone from Montreal want to travel to Vancouver.. which is reknown for their sushi.. try the f***ing poutine??




(Back to Edmonton)

I'm not saying you shouldn't try the pizza.

I'm saying when a vietnamese person comes to Canada and asks locals where to eat, it's f***ing weird to recommend the Banh-Mi. Even if we think it's good. They have a very high-end refined sense of what Banh-Mi is, they've been eating it their entire lives. Unless Edmonton has a unique take on banh-mi that's become engrained in their culture (like the Korean taco's in LA), then it's really not even worth mentioning to someone from Saigon.

BTW Joe Beef is a seafood place, not a beef place. It's named after a local military hero who was able to scrape meat for his troops no matter how dire the conditions, so they called him 'Joe Beef'. But yeah, the lobster spaghetti is their signature dish.

And I'm not saying 'don't eat it'. I'm saying it's weird to 'recommend it' to someone where it's copied from (aka the bastardized version of).

Better to recommend a Vancouverite eat some sushi in Japan and shut the f*** up about sushi from Vancouver

 

[Drivesaitl]

Its kind of funny that a poster from NY walks into a bar and asks a question for direction and is never seen again. In the meantime almost everybody in the bar is arguing over whatever the unseen person asked ever since.

hehe. This board argues a lot. Yes I speak from experience but its not needed to go the extra mile on this kind of trivial topic. So you're right, so you're wrong. Does it matter? What global significance is there in proving Edmonton pizza is good.

Its like I mentioned at the outset of this thread on page 1. There was no reason to even make an effort in responding. This should be stickied and one and done. Not rehashed 16 times a season somebody asks. Next the OP provided zero information on inclination, what they want etc. So that all the effort in the thread has been all the responses. heh

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

As a korean, I can actually attest that the korean BBQ is very good and is very interesting twist with the Alberta Angus.

Well yeah, if they're staying for a long time of course they might want familiar food.

But someone from new York coming to Edmonton for a Rangers game? Recommending the New York style pizza is wierd.

and what happens if he wants pizza?