A 100-year-old heritage brick building in the Brewery District is the home to Wilfred's, a contemporary diner and cafe. The space is gorgeous - lit with natural light, accented with beautiful blush pink tones, and brightened up with a playful mural of Mayor Wilfred in his town.

Wilfred's - 10429 121 Street NW - Edmonton AB

Dutch Baby Benny
Wilfred's bills itself as a place to meet and gather, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. The menus offer a contemporary take on classic dishes for an elevated diner experience. To kick off the new year Wilfred's has launched a new dinner and cocktail menu, and I had the opportunity to taste a handful of dishes and drinks.


Irish Coffee: Irish Whiskey, Ace Coffee, Demerera, Cream
The dinner menu is split between lighter fare and larger dishes but sharing is encouraged to get a better taste of the menu. The offerings are comforting and affordable and there's something for everyone.

The House Biscuits ($10) are crispy and flaky and come with your choice of velvety chicken liver mousse or mushroom herb duxelles. Of the two the mousse was my favourite, it was very well seasoned and smooth.

The Deviled Duck Eggs ($5 for 2) feature Four Whistle Farm's duck eggs with dijon, horseradish and chives. The eggs are creamy and tangy little morsels with a hint of smokiness, making them perfect as a pre-dinner snack.


Turms of Endearment: Irish Whiskey, turmeric, Strega, vanilla, lemon juice
Roasted baby potatoes, mustard dill vinaigrette, capers, onions and dill come together to make the Warm Potato Salad ($12). The dressing has all the right notes - it's sweet, savoury, acidic and well balanced. It isn't quite what comes to mind when you think of a potato salad, but this is a very good kind of different.

An exciting addition to the dinner menu is the new Bourbon Burger ($20) featuring a Meuwly's beef patty with bourbon braised short rib, lettuce, tomatoes and aioli on a soft brioche bun. It's a juicy, hefty burger patty, and would be delicious for dinner with a side of fries.


Lamplighter: Irish Whiskey, apricot, Verjus, vanilla
The Smoked Salmon and Pancakes ($18) is a light, shareable option for dinner featuring Sgambaro's smoked salmon. The salmon is served with buckwheat pancakes, creme fraiche, fresh dill, capers, and a cucumber salad.

My surprising favourite of the night was the Southern Cornbread ($12), made with sweet corn and sourdough. The cornbread was fried to a beautiful golden crisp which broke to reveal a creamy, sweet and savoury bread pudding. Paired with the refreshing fennel and parmesan salad topping I could eat this all day.

One of the largest offerings on the menu is the One Month Dry Aged Striploin ($36). 10 oz. of medium rare striploin is served with flavourful cambozola butter and scalloped potatoes. The meat is flavourful, tender, and such a good deal for the price.

To round off the meal we enjoyed the Kaffir Lime Pie ($6). It was tangy, sweet, and so fragrant from the kaffir lime - a must have to end your meal.

Being the go-to neighbourhood spot to meet and gather, the menu at Wilfred's has great offerings at affordable prices and the menu can cater to vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets. Wilfred's is on the way to becoming the prime location for all meals of the day, but considering their delicious cocktails it is an excellent spot for post-work drinks or dinner with friends.

*Disclosure: I was invited to a media night at Wilfred's. Views expressed in this post are solely mine. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.

The holidays are my favourite time of year. The season is cheerful, bright, and there's a real sense of giving - in the form of gifts, or giving back to the community - in the air.

I have more fun giving than receiving, so in the spirit of the season I've partnered with 12 local businesses and restaurants to bring you the 12 Days of Local Food Love! I'm sharing these 12 businesses that I frequent and support - I truly love what they are doing in the Edmonton food scene. It's so important to support the community by shopping and dining locally, so I hope you'll love and share these businesses that I'll be featuring. Over the next 12 days I hope you either discover a new business or learn something new about them!

Each day I'll be posting across my social media platforms (Instagram/Facebook/Twitter) about a different business, and lucky for my readers each business has generously provided items to give away. Entrants must be from Edmonton & surrounding area only. Entries for each giveaway will be accepted up until midnight on December 24th, and the winner for each giveaway will be chosen at random on the 25th from across my three platforms! 12 winners will be contacted on Christmas day - Merry Christmas!

I'll be updating this post daily with links to each giveaway, so check back frequently and enter often! As always, thank you for the love and support. Good luck and Happy Holidays!

--------------------------------------------------------------Local Food Love Day 1: Jacek Chocolate

Enter to win a Sipping Chocolate + Jackie Bar
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
Jacek Chocolate was born in 2009 out of a love for fashion & chocolate by owner Jacqueline Jacek. As a self proclaimed ‘Cocoanista’ she combines her two passions in creating artisan chocolate bars, seasonal chocolates, and even a bean-to-bar collection. I love the beautiful designs and flavour combinations, but what I always look forward to in the summer is the weekly collaborations made with City Market Downtown vendors. Jacek is so innovative and I truly admire their commitment to giving back to the community through various fundraising projects. What’s not to love?

Congratulations to @avaoxia on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 2: XIX Nineteen

Enter to win Sunday Brunch for Four People
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
Headed by Chef Andrew Fung, the kitchen at XIX Nineteen cooks up a delicious range of dishes using locally sourced ingredients at their two locations - Terwillegar & St. Albert. Nineteen is truly a great spot to celebrate any occasion, and I’ve celebrated two of my birthdays there with their famous Ahi tuna twists! The restaurant recently launched their new brunch menu and it’s worth checking out, as XIX is a solid choice for the weekend’s finest. The Five Spice Bao Benny is unique and I highly recommend the house-made cookie top cinnamon buns! Add a pear-jito and you’re set!

Congratulations to @jasonwoods780 on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 3: Apollo Donuts

Enter to win an Apollo 13 (Baker's Dozen of Donuts!)
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
Some people like their donuts cakey, others like them light and fluffy. Apollo Donuts likes them handmade in small batches with a light brioche-style dough. Made for preorders only, Apollo creates unique flavour combinations that pack a punch in each bite. Production occurs in the early hours of the morning with fresh ingredients, and the donuts are free of preservatives and artificial flavourings. Blackberry yuzu and passionfruit glaze are my two favourites, but the lime mango and Uncommon Cider Co. apple fritter are top contenders too. Flavours change weekly, but the production days are always Friday + Saturday with order pickup at Ritchie Market's Transcend Coffee or The Colombian Coffee & Roastery. These guys donut mess around.

Congratulations to @pika.bao on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 4: Meuwly's & Secret Meat Club

Enter to win a 3 Month Subscription to Secret Meat Club ($120 Value)
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
Meuwly's is an artisan marketplace in the heart of the 124 Street area known for their house-made charcuterie, sausages, pickles and preserves. All their products are made and cured on site, and a wide variety of their offerings can be found on menus of restaurants in and around Edmonton. Prior to opening, owners Will & Peter created Secret Meat Club – the city’s first monthly artisan food box subscription delivering sausages, charcuterie and condiments straight to your door. What started as a project to test products and gather feedback has become one of the best ways to sample local charcuterie in the city!

Congratulations to Kelty Coburn on Facebook!
Local Food Love Day 5: Rostizado

Enter to win a $80 Gift Card to Rostizado
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
Mexican food isn't just tacos and burritos, and Rostizado is a testament to that. Taking inspiration from the rosticerias in Mexico, Rostizado puts a modern twist on dishes made with old-world cooking techniques. Located in the heart of the Ice District, Rostizado is a great spot for lunch downtown, dinner prior to the game, or any sort of celebration. The atmosphere is fun and the food is delicious. The Rosti Burger and Mission-style burritos are my favourites off the lunch menu, but if you're heading there for dinner round out your meal with the charred carrots or roasted cauliflower, which are not to be missed. And don't forget to save room for churros!

Congratulations to @swooned on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 6: Syphay Restaurant

Enter to win a $75 Gift Card to Syphay Restaurant
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
When I have a hankering for Thai food Syphay Restaurant is one of my go-tos. Opened in 2004 by Sye and Phay Sayaphet, this family-owned restaurant truly is a local gem when it comes to Thai and Lao food. The restaurant has since been passed down to the Sayaphet's eldest daughter Katherine, but the dishes have remained as delicious as always at both the south and downtown locations. The dishes are authentic, the flavours are bold, and you can taste the fragrant herbs in every bite. You might be drawn to ordering pad thai, but I highly recommend the Pad Lao! Add a big bowl of Tohm Yum and you’re set.

Congratulations to @hammy.law on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 7: Caramunchies

Enter to win a Caramunchies Gift Pack! ($58 Value)
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
Buttery rich caramels are a decadent treat, but they’re even better when they don’t stick to your teeth! Meet Alysia Lok, the maker behind Edmonton’s tastiest caramel treats at Caramunchies. A blend of crispy cornflakes and salted caramel come together to make a sweet snack that hits all the right notes. They’re salty, sweet, crunchy and chewy! Another delightful treat are her individually wrapped caramels - they are buttery morsels that won’t stick to your teeth. You can pick up your Caramunchies on weekends at City Market Downtown, but if you run out (trust me, they’re addictive!) you can get your fix at Brown Butter Cafe, Golomein, Milk & Cookies Bakeshop, and Williams Sonoma (WEM) throughout the week.

Congratulations to @shevonlam on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 8: Gruger Family Fungi

Enter to win a gift from Gruger! ($58 Value)
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
My Saturday mornings are usually dedicated to visiting my favourite vendors at City Market Downtown, including Gruger Family Fungi! When I learned that a local Edmonton business was growing pink and blue oyster mushrooms I had to see them with my own eyes and let me tell you, these mushrooms are stunning! Sure, they’re beautiful to look at, but one taste and you’ll discover that they also have unique flavour profiles and lots of nutritional benefits as well. This small family farm grows a variety of mushrooms ethically and organically for purchase at farmers markets and you can also find their mushrooms on various menus throughout the city. My favourite variety is the pink oyster mushroom for it’s texture and smoky bacon flavour, but the meaty king oyster mushrooms are a close second!

Congratulations to @jessfc3 on Twitter!
Local Food Love Day 9: Yelo'd

Enter to win a platter of Yelostix! ($45 Value)
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
One of my favourite places for ice cream in Edmonton is Yelo’d for their perfectly swirled soft serve and charcoal waffle cones. The Filipino-inspired ice cream at Yelo'd is unique and taste true to their flavours. Their secret? Using real, fresh ingredients in their soft serve ice cream base - there’s nothing artificial here. The ice cream is incredibly smooth and creamy, just the way it should be. Better yet? They hand-make their waffle cookie cones in house, stuffing marshmallow in the bottom to prevent drips. Genius, if you ask me!

Congratulations to @wwnaut on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 10: Ono Poke Co.

Enter to win two $20 Gift Cards!
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
When I’m craving something healthy, fresh and filling, the poke bowls at Ono Poke Co. always come to mind. Chef Lawrence Hui is behind the menu, pulling inspiration from trips to Ka’anapali, Maui to bring an authentic taste of poke to the prairies. The chef-driven signature bowls are delicious (the Ono is my go-to!), but I also love having the option of building your own bowl. You can even turn your poke bowl into a burrito to eat on the go! The fish is fresh and well seasoned, and flavours are balanced. It’s the closest you’ll get to Hawaii without hopping on a plane, but when the poke is this good you can save yourself the trip.

Congratulations to @teegzmum & @cbuyze on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 11: Revolution Ice Cream

Enter to win three pints of ice cream!
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
Revolution Ice Cream Co. came about when owners Jess & John wanted to bring the ice cream flavours they fell in love with abroad back home to Edmonton. Their ice cream is handmade in small batches with local ingredients, then packed into pints and cups for purchase at various farmers markets around the city (like the City Market Downtown + 124 Street Grand Market) or delivered to your home via SPUD. The ice creams are creamy without being overly rich and some of their flavours also cater to dairy free and vegan diets. My favourite flavours are the Lavender Lemon, Key Lime Pie, and Vanilla + Tonka Bean, but their ice cream sandwiches (featuring Milk And Cookie Bakeshop cookies) are one of my bigger weaknesses.

Congratulations to @vandamadventures on Instagram!
Local Food Love Day 12: Canova Pasticceria

Enter to win a Chocolate Panettone & Caffe Umbria Coffee Beans!
(Facebook/Instagram/Twitter)
For the final day of the 12 Days of Local Food Love I’m sharing with you one of my favourite holiday treats. Panettone (literally translated to 'big bread' in Italian) is a traditional holiday sweet bread made with candied oranges, raisins, and citrus zest, and the one produced by Canova Pasticceria is the best I’ve ever tasted. Owners Carla and Kris produce their panettone using old world methods with a sweet dough starter. This is no easy feat, as the dough requires multiple feedings, additions, and time to rise. It takes 36 hours to produce a batch of Panettone, and the results show that the time commitment is well worth it. My favourite panettone is the chocolate variation, which is also amazing as French toast! Brew up a fresh cup of coffee to pair with it and it’s the perfect holiday treat.

Congratulations to Violet Poon on Facebook!

You may have noticed it's been a little quiet around here for the past few months, but there's good reason for it. I purchased my first home in March and it's been non-stop busy ever since! Between work, furniture shopping, and spending time with family, it feels like I haven't had much time for anything else. It's been a great learning experience and I wouldn't change a thing. My boyfriend and I are happy with where we are, but the one thing I would love to change is the amount of cleaning I do!

Shortly after I moved into my home Mad Maids got in touch with me to schedule a deep cleaning of my house. The timing could not have been more perfect - the house was dusty from renovations and despite all the wiping and cleaning I had already done, I kept finding dirty spots here and there.

Mad Maids is a home cleaning company based out of Calgary, which recently expanded their services to Edmonton. Their company operates by a flat-rate basis which is determined by the number of rooms in your home. Using their system, the number of rooms correlates with the amount of living space in your home which needs to be cleaned.

Three different cleaning services (Routine/Deep Clean/Move in & Move Out) are offered by the teams at Mad Maids, where the deep clean (+$50) and Move In/Move Out (+$60) have an additional cost. If you don't need your whole house cleaned, there is the option for cleaning at an hourly rate of $45.

For each scheduled cleaning a team of two maids comes to your home. I must admit that I was a bit skeptical letting strangers into my home to clean, but Mad Maids employs people who pass a thorough background check, and the company is fully bonded and insured to protect customers in the case of accidental damages or theft. The two people on the team work well together, with the advantage that the job done quickly and efficiently.

I scheduled my cleaning on a Saturday afternoon while I was home as I was curious and wanted to see how my home would be cleaned. The great thing about Mad Maids is that scheduling is done easily online, so their hours can accommodate your schedule. Whether you want cleaning done during the day, evening, or on the weekend, they will find a team that can work for you.


My stove top is SPOTLESS!
I live in a bungalow so there's a ton of living space that needs to be cleaned. For a deep clean of my four bedroom house, it took Mad Maids 3.5 hours, which would technically equate to 7 hours of cleaning for one person! My team didn't take any breaks and worked straight through to clean my house from top to bottom. That's the beauty of the flat rate pricing - you don't pay any additional fees no matter how long the cleaning takes. I was impressed with the cleaning done by Mad Maids. Their extensive cleaning checklist ensured that no spots were left dirty, and no fine details were missed. I was actually surprised about some of the spots they cleaned (the exterior of my front door, the cracks under my sliding windows) and appreciated their attention to detail.

We had a great experience using Mad Maids and my boyfriend and I are considering getting regular cleanings done every few months to supplement what we do on a weekly basis. Mad Maids also offers the option of cleaning when you aren't home, and I think it would be amazing to go to work and come home to a clean house! Does your house need a little bit of help from Mad Maids? Use my code LMA20 for $20 off a house cleaning from Mad Maids, or enter to win a $200 gift card to use towards a cleaning! A second gift card of $50 is also up for grabs. Check out all the details below!

------------------------------------------------

THE GIVEAWAY

$200 Towards a Mad Maids Cleaning
($50 for the runner up)

Mandatory Entry: comment below telling me why you do/don't like to clean.
If you enjoy it, leave me some tips to help make my cleaning easier!
Note: leaving a comment is mandatory to enter this giveaway - additional entries
will improve your chances of winning, but will not count unless you leave a comment

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

• Follow me via Twitter (@littlmissandrea) (+1)
• Follow Mad Maids via Twitter (@MadMaids) (+1)
• Tweet about the giveaway: "Hey @MadMaids, my house needs a good cleaning! Hope I win the $200 GC from @littlmissandrea! #yeg" and link back to this post (+2)
• Follow me via Instagram (@littlmissandrea) (+1)
• Visit the Mad Maids Facebook page (+1)
• Visit my Facebook page, and share the giveaway post (+3)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This giveaway is open to anyone 18+ years of age in Edmonton. You have until July 30th to enter and the winner will be selected by random and be contacted via email. Good luck!
*Disclosure: I was provided with a house cleaning from Mad Maids free of charge. Views expressed in this post are solely mine. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.

Courage. It's the quality that keeps us going on a day to day basis, and what gives patients, young and old, the strength and determination to overcome obstacles in their rehabilitative journey at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. The Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation exists to enhance patient care through funding for research, education, and the attainment of advanced equipment and technology. Through donations and fundraisers the foundation is able to affect the patient's progress and prognosis.

On April 15, 2016, The Glenrose Foundation will be hosting their annual Courage Gala at the Shaw Conference Centre. The theme for this year is "road maps," and part of the evening will feature poetry and journal entries written by patients on their journey through rehabilitation. Whether it is a story of regaining the ability to walk after an injury, recovering speech after a stroke, or healing from addictions, it is sure to be an evening of inspiration and support for patients.

I had the opportunity last week to sit down with some members of the Courage Gala Committee for a sneak peak and tasting of the menu being featured at the gala. The Shaw Conference Centre consistently improves their plated meal service, and this menu is one you don't want to miss.

To start off the gala the tables will be pre-set with charcuterie and snacks served family style. The table will be decorated with grissini, pull-apart basil focaccia, marinated olives, bruschetta, mixed spring salad, and a plate with capicola, genoa salami, and sopressata calabrese. All of the dishes are great starters but surprisingly enough my favourites were the bruschetta and the mixed green salad. The salad featured some perfectly roasted cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms that were full of flavour and balanced the fresh greens very well.

The next course for the evening is one you won't forget: cream of cauliflower soup with lobster bisque ice cream. Yeah, you read that right - savoury ice cream! The cauliflower soup is piping hot and garnished with a bit of mashed potato, cauliflower, and sweet potato. By itself it tastes wonderful, but the contrast with the icy, creamy lobster bisque is something else. You have the option to stir the ice cream into the soup and allow it to melt, but I found a small spoonful combined with the hot soup just a delightful experience. The lobster flavour is quite concentrated, so I probably wouldn't eat the ice cream on its own, but all the components combined really worked well.

Our third course (which may not make it onto the menu for the gala) was a bit of a play on deconstructed fish and chips. A perfectly cooked potato and chive crusted salmon sat in a warm tartar sauce garnished with roasted capers, tomato, egg, and edamame. The salmon was moist and the tartar sauce didn't overwhelm the natural flavour of the fish. It was a solid dish, but it might just have to be nixed for the phenomenal soup to stay on the menu!

The main course at the gala will feature a beautiful seared 9 hour sous vide beef striploin in a wild mushroom sabayon. The main protein will be accompanied by oxtail and short rib ravioli, seasonal vegetables, a king oyster mushroom, and a rich bone marrow beurre blanc. The tender striploin is delicious paired with the rich bone marrow beurre blanc. And the ravioli? It was so tasty that everyone at the table voted for two on the dish.

Saving the best for last, the gala dinner will end with a stunning chocolate mousse on a shortbread cookie with a quenelle of vanilla bean ice cream. The mousse is garnished with fruit, mango puree, raspberry puree, and cookie pieces. Although rich, this decadent dessert is a wonderful finish to the meal.

The 2016 Courage Gala brings a great opportunity for attendees to enjoy a fantastic meal and support a charitable organization that directly impacts patient care. For event and ticket information head on over to the event website and consider joining the Glenrose Hospital Foundation for an evening in celebrating the courage and strength of patients and those who support them in their rehabilitative journey. It's a night you won't want to miss!

*Disclosure: I was invited by the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation to attend their gala menu tasting. Views expressed in this post are solely mine. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.

When a restaurant has a popular menu and dishes that customers rave about, it can be hard to make a change to the menu that people love. But with time comes inevitable change, and seasonality of ingredients often dictates what you can and cannot have on a menu.

Rostizado is one of the popular Mexican restaurants in the downtown core and was recently a contender for enRoute Magazine's Best New Restaurants for 2015. Rarely is there an evening where the seats in the restaurant are empty, and for good reason: Rostizado houses an upbeat environment and the food is tasty. Good Mexican food can be hard to come by in Edmonton, so when Rostizado asked me to taste some of the dishes on their new menu, I was more than willing!

The evening started out with the Scallop Aguachile ($21), where diver scallops were lightly cured and served in a cucumber-lime bath, then topped with a combination of thinly shaved pear, red onions, cucumber, jicama, tomatillo, radish and a light sprinkle of habanero chiles. The fresh scallops had a delicate flavour enhanced by the pear and cucumber, while the other elements offered a crunchy texture. Scooped up onto a tortilla chip, the components work harmoniously to bring a refreshing dish to your palate with a punch of heat. This light dish was my favourite of the evening and I could have eaten just it all night.

The Costillas en Salsa Verde ($19/gluten free) are a nice change from the typical BBQ ribs that you'll find in Alberta. This substantial dish featured Alberta baby back ribs simmered in salsa verde until tender, and were garnished with pico de gallo. Although the meat didn't fall off the bone, it was flavourful and spicy!

Next to the table was the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo ($21), a dish where prawns are sauteed with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and lime juice. The prawns are then topped with slowly caramelized garlic and toasted guajillo chile. A cucumber-based guacamole is served on the side to cut the heat, and thick cut toast is intended to soak up the rich, fragrant oil. The meaty prawns were spicy and garlicky, and I really loved the refreshing guacamole!

The Sope de Rajas ($16/vegetarian) was the most popular dish at the table that evening. A dough of corn and smoked potato is baked into the shape of a tart and filled with a combination of poblano chiles, onions, butter, kale, and white truffle cream. The raised edges keep all the ingredients in, resulting in a sope that is creamy and decadent. The crust is wonderfully crisp and the heat is strong, but makes you want more and more!

It may just be me, but I believe that every dinner at Rostizado should include a platter of their rotisserie. While the chicken and pork are classics, the new menu is introducing slow roasted Sterling Silver AAA New York striploin to their protein lineup. The beef is slow roasted to a beautiful medium rare and is available as an option for all of the platters.

As an accompaniment to your meal, Roasted Fennel ($8 Half/$16 Full) is a great side which almost acts as a palate cleanser between bites. The fennel is grilled on the flat top and served with a honey-serrano glaze, serrano chiles, and olive oil.

Vegan dishes are uncommon in Mexican cuisine, but after many people have asked for a vegan option, the Vegetables Rostizado ($8 Half/$16 Full) are now on the menu. Roasted portabella mushrooms, zucchini, poblano chiles, garbanzo beans, fennel and onions are roasted and served on Sikil Pak, the Mayan answer to hummus. Sikil Pak is a puree of pumpkin and sesame seeds, roasted tomatoes, fresh habanero, and cilantro. It's smooth, nutty, and creamy like hummus would be.

One of the major changes to the Rostizado menu is to the rotisserie platter, which now comes in multiple sizes. The platters can be portioned for groups of 2, 4 or 6, or 1/4 size platters can be ordered for a single person. This is a great change, as I remember the previous platter for 2 being impossible for two people to finish given all the accompanying sides (roasted potatoes, tortillas, pickled veg, salsa). The updated price points for the platters are very reasonable too.

Although the churros at Rostizado are a must-have, the new Pastel de Tres Leches ($10) is a strong contender. Slices of butter sponge cake are soaked in a mix of three milks: evaporated, half and half, and condensed milk. The resulting cake is rich, moist, and not overly sweet. The dessert is made even better by chunks of pineapple soaked in the honey, made specially for their coffee, and dollops of corn ash whipped cream.

Although some old favourites have left the Rostizado menu, the new dishes have proven that they were worth the switch. Rostizado continues to bring modern Mexican dishes to the Edmonton food scene and keeps us excited with new flavour combinations. Stop by the Mercer Warehouse for a taste of the new menu - and say hi when you see me eating plates of the scallop aguachile!


*Disclosure: I was invited to by Rostizado to sample the new menu. Views expressed in this post are solely mine. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.

Although Edmonton is a winter city for most of the year, summer is my favorite season because of all the fun events and festivals that happen through June-August. Edmonton has often been regarded as a "festival city" given all the events that really draw a crowd. This year Edmonton has the pleasure of being the official host city of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, which is just one of the many fantastic events that will be happening this summer.

If watching soccer games doesn't quite capture your interest, there's plenty of other ways to enjoy the World Cup. There's soccer movies being shown at the Edmonton Night Market, and the Kick it Up! event going down in Little Italy, just to name a few. Food never fails to capture my interest, so I was surprised to learn that 13 local hotels/restaurants are featuring soccer inspired dishes on their menus during the World Cup. Whether it be a filling meal or a cocktail, the offerings are pretty fun!

I stopped by two of the participating restaurants last week, The Dish Bistro and the Harvest Room at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald, to see what they were offering. Right along the vibrant 124 Street, The Dish has a Soccer Saskatoon Lamb Burger on their menu for the month of June. A juicy lamb patty is presented on a soft pretzel bun with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, carrots, Saskatoon aioli, and a generous helping of herbed goat cheese. It's the perfect combination of savoury and sweet, and is an outstanding burger you need to eat this summer! Served with your choice of a honey green salad or the soup of the day, enjoy your burger out on The Dish's secret patio (it's a hidden gem!).

Without a doubt, The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald has the most beautiful patio in the city. During the World Cup you can enjoy the spectacular view and the Sinclair 12 cocktail, inspired by none other than Canada's own Christine Sinclair. The combination of Canadian Club, maple syrup and lime juice over ice are reminiscent of the flavours found in a classic Old Fashioned, but this drink has some Canadian flair.

At the Harvest Room Chef Serge Jost has put Midfield Lamb on the menu. Lamb is cooked to your preference and served on a bed of creamy blue cheese polenta. Fava bean succotash, stone fruit and raisin chutney, baby squash, seasonal vegetables and a mint pesto also sit on the plate in perfect harmony with the lamb. I'm honestly not usually a fan of blue cheese or polenta, but that component was my favourite on the dish aside from the lamb itself.

So where else can you find some FIFA inspired eats? Here's a quick guide:

Cocktails

• Hundred Bar & Kitchen is serving the Canadian Cucumber Cooler cocktail made with real Canadian gin distilled in Victoria, BC
• Red Square Vodka House has three signature cocktails - the Canadian Red Header, the Red Corner Kick, and the Heartbreaker
• Nova Hotels has a Smokey Maple Old Fashioned cocktail and Candied Maple Bacon Popcorn
• Chateau Lacombe is serving The Sinclair and The Penalty Kick as cocktails in the Bellamy Lounge where you can view all the games

Food

• Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut is selling large chocolate soccer balls
• Sherlock Holmes on Rice Howard Way and The Rose & Crown Pub are serving The Canadian Burger. The burger is coated with maple BBQ sauce, crispy maple bacon, and cheddar cheese, and served with ketchup chips and pints of red Canadian beer. Maple, ketchup chips, and red beer. A great Canadian combination!
• The Pint (Whyte/Downtown) are offering the Team Canada Poutine Dog. It's an oversized all beef hot dog, topped with Pint fries, cheese curds, beef gravy, maple infused bacon bits and crumbled ketchup chips. You can even have a Team Canada Caesar, loaded with peppered bacon, maple pancakes, and a dash of maple syrup
• Tiramisu Bistro is serving The Golden Goal cocktail and The Dream Pasta Chicken, where baked chicken breast is wrapped in bacon and spicy Havarti, served with spaghetti in rose sauce
• The Ramada Edmonton is serving Canadian Soccer Beef Balls: BBQ glazed meatballs stuffed with Canadian cheddar cheese and a Strawberry Freckled Vodka Lemonade cocktail
• Fat Franks on Whyte Avenue is serving the Mondo Soccer Dog complete with guacamole, chopped tomatoes and grilled onions
• Zocalo in Little Italy is serving up a fresh salad assembled into a Canada flag and topped with a red edible begonia bloom

Disclosure: I was invited by Edmonton Tourism to try out FIFA inspired dishes and share my thoughts through social media. Views expressed in this post are solely mine, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.