Edmonton has transitioned into fall with the brisk mornings and orange leaves scattered about. When the cool weather comes I crave foods that warm me up. Soups, stews, and anything that falls under the comfort food category works for me!

Good Earth Coffeehouse - 8623 112 Street - Edmonton AB

Good Earth Coffeehouse is a Calgary-based coffeehouse franchise with 40+ locations across Canada. Back in my university days, Good Earth was a spot I visited from time to time to catch up with friends over coffee and pastries. There's a comfortable, casual vibe and it's a great spot on campus to sit down and get some work done. During my undergrad, I never quite ventured into their savoury dishes, but I recently heard about their fall menu and stopped by with my boyfriend to check it out. With soups and stews to warm up, I couldn't say no. After all, it's what I've been craving lately!

As described by Good Earth, the fall menu features dishes with classic flavours and some uncommon touches. New on the fall menu this year is a Chicken Pot Pie ($4.75 sm/$6.75 lg), served deconstructed with two pieces of herbed pastry on top. Chicken pot pie is a comfort food classic and Good Earth's version hit the spot. A generous portion of chicken and vegetables sat in a well-seasoned gravy sauce. Combined with the flaky pastry, this was hearty dish to warm up with.

Next we tried the two flatbreads available on the menu. The Kale Pesto Flatbread ($5.25) is topped with a kale and basil pesto, roasted asparagus, heirloom tomatoes and feta. The Sicilian Flatbread ($5.25) features three types of Italian salami, roasted red peppers and olives. While the Sicilian Flatbread had great flavour reminiscent of those in a pizza, I was partial to the kale pesto version given the contrasting textures and vibrancy of colour and flavour.

The flatbreads were paired with a Pumpkin Spice Latte ($4.75 med), which had just a hint of pumpkin spice. The spices were not overwhelming and the latte not too sweet, which is what this fall-themed drink should be!

To finish off the visit we enjoyed a Pumpkin Spice Muffin ($2.25) paired with a Vanilla Rooibos Latte ($4.10 med). The pumpkin spice muffin at Good Earth is vegan-friendly and the most popular muffin at the cafe year after year. I can see why - the muffin is incredibly moist, not too sweet, and chock full of dried fruit and seeds. The muffin is filling and pairs well with the fragrant vanilla scented tea latte.

Sitting down at Good Earth for a quick lunch brought a bit of nostalgia, but I'm in no rush to resume any post-secondary education any time soon! Regardless, it was great to take in the surroundings and enjoy some of the new items on the Fall Menu. I love that Good Earth is affordable and a great option around the city for coffee and a quick, hearty meal. Stop by to grab a muffin and a latte, or sit and have a bite to eat. The Fall Menu is available for a limited time, and as we all know, pumpkin spice will be gone in a flash!


*Disclosure: I was invited to try the Fall Menu at Good Earth Coffeehouse. 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.

Growing up in Alberta, Earls restaurants have been around for practically my entire life. I've often associated the restaurant group with burgers and beer, because that's usually what everyone orders whenever I've dined there. Two weeks ago I had the chance to stop by the flagship Earls Tin Palace here in the city to get a peek at the new fall menu.

Earls Tin Palace - 11830 Jasper Avenue - Edmonton AB

L-R: Chef Dawn Doucette, Sous Chef Andrew Hounslow, Chef Tina Fineza, Chef Jeffrey McInnis, Chef Hamid Salimian, Chef David Wong
This past summer Earls Kitchen + Bar opened a brand new test kitchen in the 2nd floor space above the Hornby Street location in downtown Vancouver. The test kitchen is not only open to the public for viewing, but the chefs working in the kitchen seek feedback as they test new dishes day in and day out. With the talented chefs working together under the roof of the test kitchen, they've become known as the “Chef Collective.” Together they have been working hard on the fall menu and it is finally here.


North Pacific Sablefish - with unagi glaze over soba noodles
Sitting down at the dinner table I was surprised by the assortment of dishes on the menu. Given that I've always been to Earls for burgers and drinks, I was surprised to find that a lot of dishes were trendy and quite sophisticated. There is a clear Asian influence for many of the items on the fall menu, but I'm not complaining! Throughout the evening we were able to sample numerous dishes on the menu, but for me a few were more noteworthy than the others.

The first dish that surprised me was the BBQ Pork Buns ($11) served up in a bamboo steamer as a set of three. Tender BBQ pork is served with hoisin hot sauce, cilantro and roasted peanuts all nestled within a soft "bao," an Asian-style steamed bun. I never would have expected to see this Momofuku inspired dish, and Earls executed this dish wonderfully. The bun is soft and light and the mix of sweet and spicy flavours in this dish work really well together. An optional addition of a fresh squeeze of lime brings out the flavours even further. This dish is great shared with others as a starter and I would highly recommend you try it out!

The next dish that I really enjoyed was the Crispy Thai Prawns ($13). This dish features crispy deep fried prawns in a sweet and sour glaze on top of a bed of napa cabbage, Thai basil, jalapenos, cilantro paint, and roasted peanuts. One bite of this Asian-style salad and I was hooked. It was a personal shocker for me as I hate all things cilantro, but the flavours in this dish are fantastic. You have savoury umami and tangy notes from a fish sauce and lime juice based dressing, great crunch from the cabbage, slight heat from the jalapenos, and fragrant notes from the herbs. The prawns are golden and I think this dish would be amazing served with some rice.

The last savoury dish of the evening that I really enjoyed was the Thai Vegetable Bowl ($15) which actually happens to be vegan friendly. The bowl consists of quinoa, crispy onions, peanuts, edamame, seasonal vegetables, and coconut in a delicious lemongrass broth. It is tangy, spicy, and creamy, and you also have the option of adding tofu, chicken, or prawns for protein.

To round off the meal we got the try the new Chocolate Hazelnut Bar ($8) and it currently ranks pretty high on my list of all-time favourite desserts. This isn't a solid bar of chocolate, but rather a smooth, dark chocolate shaped into a bar with a crispy feuilletine base. The chocolate is rich without being overly sweet, and having a wafer-like crunch from the feuilletine bits in each bite makes this dessert stand out for me. Served with blackberries, a smear of salted caramel and a scoop of vanilla bean gelato - you've got a perfect dessert right here!

I've never paid much attention to the seasonal menu changes at Earls, but if this preview dinner taught me anything it's that I should be keeping Earls on my radar. The Chef Collective has brought forth some pretty solid dishes and I feel like there will be lots more to look forward to with future menu changes. Go out, try the dishes, and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: as this was a media event, views expressed in this post are solely mine. I was not expected to feature this restaurant on my blog, nor obligated to do so. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.

Never in my life did I ever think I would like animal prints. When I was younger (maybe 10?), seeing older women dress in leopard, cheetah, or zebra prints seemed so tacky and wild to me. Fast forward ten years? Things aren't so much the same anymore...

Blazer: Talula | Scarf: F21 | Tights: F21 | Boots: Asia | Rings: F21, Coach, Ebay







... I have become obsessed with animal print. I must have more, more, and more.