Trendies in Sundre - updated menu!

In my opinion, one of the few drawbacks of living in a small town is the lack of choice when it comes to restaurants.  Take Sundre for example: one Greek place, one Chinese, a couple "family restaurants", a pub, two coffee shops, a Subway and an A&W.  That's about it.  So... I was quite pleased to find a new and updated menu at Trendies

One of my recent favourite side dishes has been yam fries!  My husband and I first discovered them over a year ago at a restaurant in Calgary....mmmm, yam fries with spicy chipotle dip!  But order them in Sundre?  No chance.

Until now!  :)

I ordered a chicken burger with a side of yam fries.  The burger was served on a ciabatta bun (how gourmet for Sundre!) and the yam fries were just how I like them - crispy and delicious!  My only disappointment?  No spicy dipping sauce for the fries.  But I eventually asked my server about it and she brought me some.  Yay!

Two of my other favs at Trendies...

1) the foccaccia bread that they serve alongside their salads!  Lightly salted and spiced, so yummy.

2) their pizza!  Yes, their is a new pizza joint in town (Canadian Pizza Unlimited), but I maintain that Trendies has the best pizza in Sundre for one reason: their sauce!  Although considerably more expensive, it is more delicious.

Overall...

I really like Trendies new and improved menu.  Everything that our group of 4 ate was delicious, but... I'd like to see more efficient service.  I've been there a couple of times where I've had to wait 45 + minutes for my food, which I find really frustrating.  Also, I'd like to see them renovate so it's not quite so open and small-town feeling.  :)

Summary
ambiance - fail! Open-concept, too bright, small-town feeling, very slow service

value - good! Very reasonable, I think.

flavour - great!  I love the new and improved menu!  Keep it up!

Black Forest Bakery, Olds

There's a fairly new bakery in Olds, on main street.  Its name is "Kim's Favourite New Place"... ahem, I mean "Black Forest Bakery"!

My friend and I walked in and couldn't believe how large it was inside!  Plenty of tables, nice and open, bright and cheery!

Bratwurst, schnitzel and cinnamon buns! A perfect combination?  Somehow, it works!

Being that it was late morning, it wasn't time for wiener schnitzel, but it was definitely good timing for a fancy coffee and a pastry!  What would you have chosen from the above selection?

My friend decided on a chai latte and a giant apple cinnamon bun!

 Notice how the cinnamon bun takes up the WHOLE PLATE and it was only $2.50!  Sweet (literally) deal!The outside layer looked nice and crunchy and it was topped with caramel drizzle, white icing, baked apples and walnuts. About halfway through the bun, my friend commented that she was experiencing a sugar high! She found the nucleus to be especially sweet and was kind enough to offer me a bite. Oh dude, was it ever good!

My only critique was that the cashier didn't heat up the cinnamon bun. It would have been extra ooey-gooey delicious if it had been warmed.

As for me, I chose a mocha and a slice of apple strudel.

My mocha was good and fancy-looking and my strudel was warmed up with whipped cream.  I should have taken a picture of the strudel from the side because it was layered THICK with delicious baked apples.  And yes, my mocha/strudel combination resulted in a nice sugar high for myself!

Did I say the place was big?  Yes.  Around the corner from the main seating area is a "European Market". They have about 4 shelf units filled with some typical European grocery goods.  My friend picked up a good-sized jar of antipasto for $3!

Summary
ambiance - fresh, clean, bright, open, large!

value - fantastic! ($2.50 for a huge cinnamon bun, sweet deal!)

flavour - sweet and delicious!

Has anyone been to the Black Forest Bakery for lunch?  Have you tried their lunch buffet or the schnitzel?  If so, please comment below!

The Highwayman Restaurant, Innisfail

Does anyone remember the delicious Thai restaurant that used to be on main street in Olds (a few years ago)?  Well, my friend Andrea has been inquiring around, trying to track down the owner/chef... and he has been found!  He is now at The Highwayman Restaurant in Innisfail.  Yes, it's the run-down hotel/restaurant right beside the highway that is currently undergoing major renovations.

It was 1:30pm on a Monday and when we walked in, the buffet was still out.  I should have taken a picture of it.  But suffice it to say that we did NOT choose to eat from the buffet.

Five pages of menu choices included pizza, hamburgers, steak, pasta, sandwiches, salads, and Chinese food.  After much searching I finally found what I was after!  The Thai choices.  Pad Thai, beef/chicken curry or chicken satay.  Blaine chose the pad thai and I went for the chicken curry masala.

Our little guy ordered a cheeseburger and fries. Unfortunately, we weren't given a kids' menu, so he had the full portion.

Blaine's pad thai included chicken and shrimp. 

He was pleasantly surprised by the generous portion of shrimp.  It had a nice, healthy spice to it as well.  I had a bite and was impressed as well.  However, I thought my chicken curry was better!  (So did Blaine!)

Again, lots of protein!  I personally hate it when there are only a few strips of chicken on a "chicken salad" or in a "chicken stir fry"!  The dish also had celery, green snap peas, onion, peppers and water chestnuts.  The sauce was delishiously spicy and flavourful.  It came with a huge side helping of rice - which was nice to soak up all the sumptuous sauce.  I would definitely order this again!

Jace's cheeseburger was nothing special.  He really liked the wedge fries though... I think he must be picking up on the food critic thing because he was making all sorts of comments. 
"These wedgie fries are very salty!  Mmmm!"
"My cheeseburger is super-messy!"
"I think it came with extra pickles!  Yesss!"
Oh, and he wanted you all to know that he ate his watermelon slice first.

When we were nearly done our meals, the waitress came out with a pleasant surprise!  Cream puff swans - Jace was totally impressed.

After we were done eating, the chef came out and asked about the spice level on our Thai food.  We both said it was good (mom, you should definitely ask for "mild" if you try!).  We started chatting with the chef and it turns out he has a full menu of 16 different Thai items if you inquire about it.  It sounded like he gets a little bit frustrated with people from Innisfail because they only tend to order the same old, same old.  Ginger beef, chow mien, and chicken fried rice.  C'mon Innisfail-ites!  Get your adventurous pants on and try some pad thai or some black bean sauce!

Summary
ambiance - poor (the restaurant area could certainly use a renovation)
value - good (typical of a family restaurant or Chinese restaurant in the area)
flavour - slightly spicy, non-greasy, delicious!

Mountain View Music Festival, Carstairs

Living in Victoria for 5 years, you kind of get accustomed to weekend music festivals and folk fests and the like.  Central Alberta doesn't host too many outdoor music festivals, but Carstairs does a really good job at their annual Mountain View Music Festival!

Apparently, Food Trucks are all the rage lately and who can't resist some greasy food out of a truck on a hot day anyways?  Blaine ordered up a plate of perogies....

The fried onions and bacon were a huge hit, but the perogies not so much.  But there is an explanation... it's because he's been fed deep fried EVERYTHING for the past 2 weeks (at work on the rigs - see earlier post).  We ended up switching and I really enjoyed the perogies, actually!  Crunchy on the outside and nice and cheesy on the inside!  A perfect match for the folk music on-stage, somehow.

I originally had ordered the Beef on a Bun.  I asked for BBQ sauce on mine and it was TASTY!  Nice, thick cuts of real home-cooked coast beef on a crunchy kaiser bun!  It even came with a tomato and lettuce (I opted out on the lettuce option).  I had a couple of bites before I switched with Blaine for his perogies and it was good.  It would have been better with some fried onions and peppers in some bbq sauce, but still... the homecooked beef was tasty!

And all of this in a perfect setting.  Blue sky, good music, fresh green grass and a blanket.  It brought out the true hippie inside of me.


Summary
ambiance - green grass, blue sky, great music - you can't beat that!  A++
value - a suggested donation of $20 per person plus the $5 per meal. Not bad, considering you're getting the entertainment as well.  I always feel good about supporting the arts.
flavour - mmmmm, yummy!

Candy, candy, candy!

There's a new sugar shack in town!  Sundre is home to "The Candy Shop"... a sweet-filled little gem with shelves stocked with sugary goodness!  Ahhh... this place truly speaks to my heart!

Fuzzy peaches, green frogs, big feet, sour cherries... it has all of the classics from my childhood. 

But it doesn't stop there!  Oh no.  They have chocolates that have been imported from Belgium as well as Canadian-made fresh treats.  So cool!

For our wedding (Happy First Anniversary to us today, btw), we gave out green apple and blue raspberry Jelly Bellies.  I love this Jelly Belly-dispensing unit.  Very cute!

They make candy gift baskets as well.  Hint hint, Blaine!  ;)

And tastefully (pun intended) located at the back corner of the Candy Shop is "Sugar Mama's".  Locked so that little candy shoppers don't wander in, this little secret has all sorts of goodies for adult taste buds!

Speaking of little candy shoppers... Back in the Springtime, a friend of mine was teaching elementary school and she was explaining a craft that the kids were preparing to make for Mother's Day.  One of the students suggested, "you could get some edible panties from the new candy shop to put on top for your mom!"  My teacher friend misheard the young girl and replied, "why yes, edible pansies would be a lovely addition!"

Oh dear.  I wonder if this girl's mother received edible panties for Mother's Day? 

Summary
ambiance - excellent!  Clean, new, well-organized.  I love the bubble-making-machine by the door!
value - mediocre  (specialty shoppe type prices, to be expected. If it was cheaper, I might buy candy there TOO OFTEN, if you know what I mean!)
flavour - excellent, sugary and chocolatey!

Tracks Pub, Olds

Located right by the train tracks (near the Scotia Bank) in Olds is a great pub/live music venue! According to their website, they have been open since August of 2009 and have hosted many Canadian musicians including  Bend Sinster, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, MAD COWBOYS, Joshuas Habit, Billy The Kid, Locomotive Ghost, The Rocky Fortune and illScarlett.

I was surprised to find a full menu!  I had heard that they had pizza and I expected them to have burgers and nachos, but surprised to see steaks, salmon, meal-sized salads, sandwiches, etc! After much deliberation, I ordered a pint of Keith's and the BBQ chicken pizza.  I had heard that the pizza was good and I saw on the menu that they made their own crusts, so I was excited to try it.

It was definitely enough to feed one very hungry dude or two not-so hungry dudettes!  Luckily, I was pretty famished.  The pizza had lots of flavour, the crust was crispy and it wasn't too greasy.  Really good!

Yummy!

Anyways, Blaine ordered the halibut fish and chips.  I'm not a fish fan and he couldn't convince me to try a bite, but he said it was good.  Maybe not quite as fresh as he'd like, but good.  Nice and crispy.  And the fries looked hand-cut, which was cool. 

The waitress was lovely and the atmosphere was good (we went on a quiet Monday early-afternoon).  Tracks won lots of awards last year, which is quite impressive considering it had only been open a year (or less) before receiving those awards!

I was especially impressed with these two:

Best live music venue (I can definitely vouch for that one) and best place for a pub night (agreed).

Now for the constructive criticism.  I'm holding nothing back, as stated in a post below.  I don't mean to hurt the business or hurt anyone's feelings.  This is just an observation.  If you don't want to read it, then don't scroll down.  There.  You've been warned.




Tracks has been open for almost 2 years now and I think it's time for a major clean-up job!  Although it is mostly kept clean and tidy, it could use a dusting on the window coverings and some touch-ups on the paint here and there.  I never noticed before (probably 'cuz I usually go at night, when it's dark), but during the day it's really noticeable.  Not a big deal.  Just an observation.  :)

Summary
ambiance - good! There always seems to be new stuff on the walls to look at!  Love it! (but, needs a thorough cleaning/touch-ups)
value - very good!  (about $14 for a 11" pizza)
flavour - excellent! I love the homemade quality to the traditional pub-style food.

PS> They are starting up BEER PONG on Mondays in September.  Not sure about the rules for Beer Pong?  Check here.

My experiences, my opinion!

Wow, I have had A LOT of comments about this blog in the past few months!  I took some time away because of some of these comments.  I've been accused of dividing the community, tarring the oil rig camp business, and have been called a busy-body!  Wow, calm down everyone.

I originally started doing this blog because I think there are a great number of excellent small town restaurants in between Red Deer and Calgary!  It seems that a lot of people drive into the city for a nice meal instead of supporting their local establishments.  I wanted to promote these local restaurants.  I wanted to provide citizens with a place to get new ideas for good restaurants in their area.

I will continue to eat at local restaurants and report on my experiences.  I will continue to tell it as it is.  I will not hold anything back.  If you are an owner of a restaurant who receives less then stellar reviews, then maybe take it as constructive criticism.

If you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen!!

Alberta Oil Rigs - A meal in the life of a rigger!

So... I haven't posted a restaurant blog in awhile.  The truth is, I've put myself on a tight budget and restaurant food doesn't exactly fit within that budget (thanks, Dave Ramsey!).

Warning: this blog contains info about opposing beliefs!
I'm an environmentalist. I volunteer for the Green Party, run an Environment Club at the local elementary school, and I reduce, reuse, recycle and repair.  My husband works on the drilling rigs north of Fort McMurray in Alberta. When Alberta can offer my husand work (that pays $25/hr plus overtime) building solar panels, I'll do my best to convince him to change careers - until then, we have to pay the bills!

Blaine (my husband) has gone back to work on the drilling rigs.  Recently he sent me some pictures of the food on his camp north of Fort McMurray.

This meal consisted of pork, applesauce from a can, reheated and unspiced frozen beans and baby potatoes.  Blaine was excited because he was used to chicken fingers and hot dogs.  I'd like to dispell a little myth... Rig Food is not delicious!  Blaine has been on plenty of drilling rig camps and always complains about the food.  Usually the biggest complaint is the lack of variety.  When you're being served chicken fingers 5 or 6 nights a week for 6 weeks... well, that just sounds yucky!

And here we have a chocolate eclaire donut.  Yummy!  :)

Summary

ambiance - hmmm... A bunch of riggers sitting in a trailer?  My rating: Poor!

value - "He works hard for his money, so you'd better treat him right!" (isn't that a song of some sort?)

flavour - repetitive and bland!

Bearberry Saloon - cheap wing Friday!

About 20 minutes northwest of Sundre, you'll find a cozy little spot called "Bearberry Saloon".  Rustic and cozy, it's full of charm...and a few drunken old fellas!

The walls are covered with wooden shingles signed by the bar's past customers.  The hockey game is on the big screen and the juke box is ready for your quarters.

The service is good and the atmosphere is open and friendly.  On Friday nights they have a wing special.  We ordered salt and pepper (really dry, no flavour), teriaki, and honey garlic.  The sauced wings were okay, but quite dry.  We asked for a side of sauce for the salt and pepper wings because they were so dry and tasteless.

I'm looking forward to motorcycle season again... the road to Bearberry is curvy and scenic - perfect for a Saturday afternoon cruise followed by a beer and some munchies!
(It's easy to find - just follow the highway west of Sundre and it'll take you right to it!)

Summary

ambiance - rustic, cozy

value - $5 for 12 wings.  Not bad.  It works out to about 42 cents a wing.

flavour - alright

Chips, Beer and Live Jazz!

So maybe this post is a little bit "off topic", but I think it's going to be a good one, nonetheless!

One of the main reasons I started writing this blog was to try to promote local restaurants, in an effort to convince small town Alberta-folk to "eat locally".  Well, what about local arts?

Who would have thought that I could walk 2 blocks from my home on a Wednesday night and enjoy chips, beer and live jazz?  In SUNDRE?!?

I think there's a real disconnect in the community of Sundre.  On the one hand, you have individuals and families complaining about the lack of opportunities, the lack of activities and entertainment in our town.  On the other hand, a live jazz trio comes to town and only 20 people attend, restaurants and small business struggle to make ends meet, and activities and events organized by Greenwood Neighbourhood Place or Sundre Public Library have low attendance.

Perhaps if these events were better attended, more events and opportunities would be offered?

The ABtrio was young, talented and entertaining!  Chips and salsa, $4 beer, live music and friends!  What a great evening... thank you, Sundre Arts Centre!  I look forward to some more great small town evenings spent in your company....

Summary

ambiance - dark, cozy, toe-tapping

value - $20/ticket typically; $4/drink - GREAT VALUE!

flavour - depending on your musical taste and the selection of the evening, but the jazz... quite palatable!



What do you think?  Leave your comment below!

Little Country Cappuccino, Sundre

The coffee shop war is on! 

Who has the best coffee shop in small-town south-central Alberta?!?  Cowboy & Co. has an excellent, fun and cozy atmosphere... but Little Country Cappuccino has got to have the best ice cream, smoothies and sandwiches!

One of my favourite things about Little Country Cappuccino is that the owner, Allison, will take my order and payment for a coffee and sandwich in the morning (on my way to work) and have my sandwich ready for me to pick up at noon (so it's not soggy)!  I feel like a princess - I walk in, past all of the teenagers waiting in line during their lunch break, grab my sandwich and scram!

The story of this little coffee shop is unique...

... it started as a little shop on their property, 17 miles northeast of Sundre.  Now they're open seven days a week and even do catering for the Sundre Arts Center productions!

One of the reasons I like Little Country Cappuccino more than The Koffee Binge is because Little Country has Splenda sweetener and The Koffee Binge has that nasty Sweet N' Low stuff that has an aftertaste!

So, I suppose I should say something somewhat negative about this place, otherwise you might think that Allison is paying me (in lattés, of course).  I like the idea that they have about having a library and kids' play area downstairs... but it seems like a bit of a dungeon down there! A new coat of paint would really freshen it up!

Summary

ambiance - homey, warm, friendly/ downstairs could use an update

value - good

flavour - excellent!

Cowboy & Co. Coffee Cafe, Olds

If only this coffeeshop was open when I was in high school... I could have just walked across the street for a delicious cup o' java and a nanaimo bar for lunch!  Would that have been any healthier than the KFC fries and gravy I chose instead?  :)

Located across the street to the south (not along the highway) from the old Olds High School, this quaint little coffeeshop is right out of an old western movie!

The barrista says that the antique copper espresso machine came from Italy.  It is a gorgeous piece of equipment and it made a lovely latté!

My favourite part of the whole experience though was when a couple of older gentleman were leaving.  The barrista politely called out, "see y'all later!"  Oh wait, maybe my favourite was the fact that they carry Roger's chocolates - imported from Victoria, BC!  Mmmmm....

Summary

ambiance - unique, fun, interesting

value - good

flavour - caffeine-a-licious!

The whole "western theme" of the place got me thinking about a conversation I recently had with a friend.  She was talking about how much culture there seems to be in eastern Canada and the eastern States because of the older buildings, older history, etc.  I argued that we have just as much culture as places like Québec City, even if we don't have as much history.  Our culture is that of the Calgary Stampede, cowboys, hockey, winter sports, etc!  We may not have cobblestone or century-old cathedrals, but we have culture. Yahoo!

What do you think?  How old does an area have to be before it starts to develop its own culture?  Is it more difficult for someone to recognize their culture while they're immersed in it?

The Swamp Donkey!, Sundre

Ahhh... the Swamp Donk!  My husband and I first met at this small town pub on December 14, 2008.  He was drinking long island iced teas (ha ha!) with his riggin' coworker and I was drinking beer with my teachin' buddy.  But, it's been recently renovated - new menu and all and so I figured it was time for a restaurant review!

Half of the establishment used to be a restaurant - but no more!  It's a full-fledged pub now, no minors allowed!  Downstairs is the "pool hall" and upstairs the "sports pub".  It's not too different, just fresh, clean and slightly updated.

After a long week, I was again having some beer with some teacher friends of mine. I was hungry and tired... was it my over-hunger or was it the beer that made my spicy chicken burger taste SO GOOD? A spicy breaded and deep-fried chicken breast, a nice spicy mayo, a crunchy bun, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  It was super-yummy!  And I love that you can order any sandwiches or lunch items with a side of veggies and dip... it makes for a slightly more healthy meal.

Most of the menu items are the same as before, but I think there are a lot of good options on the menu.  My only complaint is that most of the food is deep fried or drenched in cheese.  It's hard to watch your waistline at the Swamp Donk, but it's easy to watch people (and perhaps find a husband-to-be?)!

No picture this time, sorry.  I was too busy drinking my Bud Lite Lime!

Summary

ambiance - energetic, fun, love the log cabin look

value - a bit pricy  (the appetizers seem too expensive, but everything else is reasonable)
flavour - excellent! (because I was extra hungry or a bit tipsy?)

:)

KINH Vietnemese Restaurant, Olds

It used to be the dark & skanky bar called "The Signature Club"... and now it's a Vietnemese restaurant?!?  What a shocker!

Just to the south of The Brick on main street in Olds, you'll find a delicious place to stop for lunch or supper!  And what a fresh change - it's not pizza, hamburgers, or even Chinese food.... it's Vietnemese!

I first discovered KINH at the teachers' PD day in Olds. A bunch of us decided to try it out for lunch and since then, I've been back a number of times!  I'd like to tell you about two different dishes...

Lemongrass Chicken on Vermicelli Noodles
Strips of chicken in a light sauce, sitting on top of finely chopped lettuce, cucumber, carrot, sprouts and rice vermicelli noodles.  Oh, and it comes with 2 deep fried spring rolls.  The chicken is nicely seasoned.  I love the crunch of the sprouts mixed with the softness of the noodles.  I can eat the whole bowl (which is huge, by the way) and not feel disgustingly full.  It's so fresh and light, yet delicious.  It comes with a light sauce which I pour over the whole thing.  It's not spicy, but if you'd like some "zip", try adding some red sauce (on the table).

Chicken/Beef Curry on Rice/Noodles
Okay, it's 4:30pm and my mouth is watering just thinking about these dishes!  I might have to drive to Olds after I'm done typing these blogs!!  I prefer the chicken curry on rice, but Blaine prefers the beef curry on noodles - just mix and match according to your preferences.  The chicken/beef is tender and comes in a thick curry sauce with some peppers, onions and yams.  Pour the whole thing over your rice/noodles and then dig in!  Mmmmm.... the yams are so soft and the veggies are still slightly crunchy.  And there's just enough heat so that my nose starts running just a little bit.  This one is more filling than the lemongrass dish and it's definitely spicier.

Oh, and try the Vietnemese coffee... it's strong and very sweet, all poured over ice.  I can't wait to have one on a hot July day!

Summary
ambiance - informal, okay (the washrooms need an update)
value - excellent!  (about $12 for a huge plate/bowl of food)
flavour - excellent! (*drool, drool* I'm seriously going to drive to Olds now!)

One note of caution - minors aren't allowed.  They must still have it licensed as a bar.  :(
What does KINH mean?  Click here.

(credit: http://bambooatasteofasia.com/vermicelli_noodles)

Did you hear....?

The Cremona Hotel, owned by Gerry and Gail Neilon (source), has had a massive renovation!  My masseuse tells me that she went there last weekend with a party of 10 and it took about 3 hours for everyone in their group to get their food.  Hmmmm.... is it because of a new cook or new menu?  I'm not one for gossip - I need to find out for myself!  I'll give them a week to "work out the kinks" and then I'm going to pay them a visit!  Stay tuned!

Piros, Sundre Alberta

February 7th has been the beginning of three great things in my life so far: my life (yup, it's my birthday), my engagement to my now-husband, and now... my food blogging!  Blaine and I went out for dinner for my birthday last night and we chose Piros in Sundre. Usually quite a busy place, it is a popular spot for families and the grey-haired crowd.  The menu is huge - ranging from pizza (nice, spicy sauce) to steak (nicely cooked) to my personal favourite - Greek specialties!  The chicken souvlaki (seen above) is a full plate of heaping Greekness (is that a word?)!  The tzaziki sauce is delicious and the chicken is tender and perfectly cooked.  There is plenty of feta cheese in the greek salad!  However, if you're counting calories, I have some suggestions.... First, ask for a styrofoam carry-out dish (or be environmentally friendly and bring your own) and take half of it home for lunch tomorrow!  Second, get the salad dressing for your greek salad "on the side"!  What can I say, the chef really likes his olive oil!  One major flaw I found... the house red wine tasted like vinegar.  I think the glass I got was from an old bottle that's been left open for at least a few days.

Summary
ambiance - fair (very open area, it could use a reno)
value - great (plenty of food for the price!)
flavour - great (delicious, well seasoned, well cooked)

The Plan

Small town restaurants... they can be good or they can be REALLY bad!  Why do we insist on driving over an hour to the city on a regular basis for some good eats?  I believe that with a little bit of research, good food can be found right in our own hometowns... or at the very least, after a ten or twenty minute drive through the scenic countryside!