harvey's - edmonton, ab

harvey's
10350 34 ave
780.439.4445


I figure if you are hungry and crave a fast food burger, one of your better options is Harvey's. You get a freshly grilled burger and your choice of garnishes. All of which is put together right in front of you. It is a simple deviation from your average fast food burger yet I think it puts them all alone at in this category. Is there any other burger made like this?


They are currently promoting the Angus Mushroom Melt, and I just happened to have a 2 for 1 coupon so I figured it was a perfect time to visit. It's funny how simple the options are when you get to make the burger. You have a choice of a regular patty (with cheese, bacon) or a angus patty (with cheese, bacon). Pretty simple right. So what makes the Mushroom Melt distinct is the addition of mushrooms (obviously) and a slice of swiss cheese.

Here are the two creations in all their glory. The first has mustard, relish, ketchup, mayo, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, and onion.


The second has cheddar subbed in for the swiss, along with banana peppers, mustard, mayo, lettuce, onions and pickles on the side.

I have to say the presentation is great. While it may suffer from take out, unwrapping these two burgers in house did nothing to detract from their great looks. If I didn't explain that right, check out this website that compares the advertised vs actual product. The toppings were fresh, and I think the angus patty adds a nice touch. I also happen to really enjoy both poppy seeds and sesame seeds, so to have both on the bun was great. Speaking of the bun, it had a slight yellow hue to it; does anyone know if they use more of an egg dough for their buns? The biggest let down on this occasion were the sides. The fries were barely seasoned, if at all it seemed, and the onion rings were just ok - nothing like the A&W version. Overall, I think this might be a real option for your burger craving if you are in a rush and can't take the time to sit down.

Oh and don't forget, Harvey's Free Hamburger Day is fast approaching. Sunday May 24th, from 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM, you can stop by and eat lunch for nothing!

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hajar's halal meats

hajar's halal meats
11320 134 ave
780.406.2225


I've been meaning to pick up some lamb lately, so the timing was perfect when Liane Faulder mentioned a local supplier on her blog a few days back. I drove up to Hajar's Halal Meats this morning to check things out and along with 2 pounds of fresh Alberta lamb, I snapped a couple of pictures.


The store is tiny but what space they have is jam packed with meaty goodness. I know Liane is planning an article, so it'll be interesting to hear what she has to say. I mentioned to Mr. Hajar that I read about the store online, and he declared I was the first customer to come in after his interview and mention it. He was friendly, and quite happy that I drove all the way from the south side.


There was a great neighborly vibe; he mentioned I should stop in next door and check out the treats at Paradiso Bakery. I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures because the goodies looked amazing and could probably push your blood sugar level to new highs!

I also walked into Elsafadi Bros Super Market next door for a quick peak, and walked out with 8lbs of strawberries for $5. So here I am; full of berry goodness and planning my lamb meal!

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the week that was and is - april 29th, 2009

I was amazed to see tomorrows vegetarian lunch option at my work (on the staff side) is battered fish...when did that become a vegetarian option. Anyways..on with the show!

• It's a free food throw down in the US. With KFC giving away a free piece of their new grilled chicken today, El Pollo Loco is upping the ante by offering TWO pieces of chicken, two tortillas, and salsa. What a great battle for chicken fans to partake in.

• I made mention last week that Liane Faulder was writing an article "Edmonton's best sammies" for our local paper. I was surprised to see a mention of Teddy's. While I've enjoyed my share of Po' boys at Dadeo's and the previously mentioned banh mi at Van Loc, I've never even stepped into Teddy's or had any one recommend it. I'll have to make a mental note.

• "Sushi for tots? Dad shares how to raise a foodie" - this kind of weirds me out; am I alone? It's like those golf crazed parents who want the next Tiger Woods.

• I wonder what the vegetarian 'ready to eat meals', from the US Department of Defense, taste like and where can I order one?
  

• "He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels". I've always enjoyed Dos Equis beer and their new advertisements are hilarious if not reminiscent of Chuck Norris slogans. I love the finishing line, "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis".

• Stopped in at Careit Urban Deli on 142st this week. The space is small, with the counter side dominated by display coolers and the other a few open style coolers. You can pick up, meat (both deli and fresh), salads, prepackaged dishes, and a selection of jams and jellies. It didn't seem that spectacular, and only stopping in because I was in the neighborhood, I didn't see any reason for myself to make this a destination from the south side.

• I ended up way up on the North side of Edmonton this past week, so I stopped in and saw Wild Ocean (IMAX) at the Telus World of Science. Some of the scenes are just amazing, and on huge screen it's unreal. Highly recommended.

• Now go get your ice cream fix at Baskin Robins with scoops of both soft and hard serve ice cream just 31 pennies....You'll have to limit yourself to 3 scoops though.

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cobs bread - edmonton, ab

cob's bread
9680 142 street
780.447.9995


My father is a bread lover, and even though I can fill him up with homemade goodness his appetite can catch me by surprise at times. This is exactly what happened on this day, and with no time to prepare some buns for dinner, I accompanied him over to Cob's.


While I haven't purchased bread in a few years, Cobs and Bon Ton are two of the bakeries I use to visit. My favorite loaf from Cobs, would have to be their cape seed loaf, something I would recommend if you like a hearty seedy bread. While the store is small, you can get quite a few choices, and even some sweets.


Just picking up 4 buns, I promised to have bread ready asap, I was surprised to be given bread samples. It's a nice gesture and a great way for customers to try their more 'exotic' breads, although our samples didn't taste that great and found their way to compost. I wonder with higher end restaurants already seeing a decline in visitors, if these more expensive breads are going to suffer a drop in sales as well.

I thought they set up a cute display for their cinnamon breads.

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edo japan - edmonton, ab

edo japan
millwoods town centre
780.461.5133


One day while out and about getting some goodies, I ended up at Millwoods Town Centre. I'd already eaten lunch, but the two friends I was with had stomach rumbles and were enticed by smells of mall food. With your basic choices, and nothing that stands out in the food court, both decided on Edo. This was after a lengthy debate between Edo and a donair. I had to giggle inside as the two dishes are not in the same league, let alone the same sport.

Edo was created in Alberta (Calgary) in 1979 and has 52 locations in Western Canada alone. I for one did not even know they had locations in the US. Apparently they are famous for their time honored teriyaki sauce and offer a pretty basic menu. Chicken, shrimp, pork and beef dishes, along with udon soup and sushi(at some locations). You can get your teppan style dish put on rice or noodles and if you like, finished with a spoonful of the sauce!

Dish one was pork


Dish two was chicken and shrimp


All of us decided that while the meal did it's job, the vegetables were on the mushy side and the rice was like glue. I suppose there is a reason I don't eat out like this very often and I'm not bummed out that I ate before I started my day. As we ended up sitting near the stall, I couldn't help but notice the continual evil glares I got from the woman behind the counter after I took a photo.

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