After The Burger's Priest showed up in Edmonton, another Canadian-based burger franchise has made it into our city! Located in the north end of Edmonton in the Oxford area, South Street Burger Co. is here to share their burgers with us beef-loving Albertans.

South Street Burger Co. - 15134 127 Street - Edmonton AB

South Street Burger Co. is owned by the popular french fry chain New York Fries. As fries are the best accompaniment to burgers, it makes sense that the company moved into this direction. All South St. locations are set in a contemporary, New York style loft-like environment, and the Edmonton location seats 45 and has additional seating on the patio in the summer time.

South St. Burger's menu features 4 oz. and 6 oz. patties made from 100% angus beef that is raised without hormones or antibiotics. Aside from beef patties, chicken breasts, veggie patties, and hot dogs are available too. Four signature burgers are available to choose from (see above), or you can even customize a burger the way you like it with gluten free and vegan options available.

To accompany the burgers, all locations feature the same fries you get at any New York Fries location. Milkshakes and ice cream can satiate your sweet tooth, so there's a little something for everyone on the menu. Want to give South St. Burger Co. a try? Check out the details below!

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THE GIVEAWAY

$20 to spend at South St. Burger Co.

Mandatory Entry: To enter, tell me which signature burger you would order at South St. Burger Co. Please make sure you leave a valid email address in the giveaway widget as this is how I will be contacting you.


ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

1. Follow me on Twitter (@littlmissandrea) (+1)
2. Follow South St. Burger co on Twitter @southstburgerco (+1)
3. Tweet about the giveaway: "I want to try the new @southstburgerco! Enter to win a meal from @littlmissandrea #yegfood" and link back to this post (+2)
4. Visit my Facebook page, like and share the giveaway post (+3)
5. Visit and like the South St. Burger Co. Facebook Page (+2)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This giveaway is open to anyone 18+ years of age. You have until October 26 to enter and the winner will be selected by random and be contacted via email. Good luck!
*Images in this post thanks to South St. Burger Co.

What's one of the latest food trends in Edmonton? It's starting to feel like gourmet hot dogs are becoming a new thing. Other major cities like Vancouver and Calgary have their gourmet and Asian-inspired hot dog spots, so it's time that Edmonton jumped on the wagon too. Lucky for us there's a new hot dog restaurant in the north end of the city.

The Dog - 9567 118 Avenue - Edmonton AB

Having just opened up over a week ago, The Dog has taken over the spot previously occupied by Absolutely Edibles. As it turns out, The Dog is actually owned by the same people that owned Absolutely Edibles and Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus just down the street. Sounds like Absolutely Edibles needed a refresh and a new concept to bring in more traffic to the location.

Although I never visited Absolutely Edibles, I'm told that the interior has taken on quite the change. The new space is diner-esque, with metal accents, small tables and seating up at the bar. There's plenty of seating available, but also lots of space where more tables could be placed to accommodate more patrons.

I was lucky to have a day off last week to catch up with Linda, Diane, Cindy, Lesley, and Addie for lunch, which meant we were able to order items to cover a large portion of the menu. The menu here is vast and there is bound to be some combination of toppings on a hot dog to suit your taste. And if it doesn't, you can customize your own hot dog from a large list of toppings and different condiments. All the hot dogs are made by local Real Deal Meats, while the wild game hot dogs are made in house. In addition to the wild hot dogs, the pickles, relishes, and mustards are made in house and the buns are baked fresh in house too. Awesome!

Linda ordered some Chips & Dip ($6) to start, which was housemade potato chips served with dill pickle dip. The thin sliced chips were lightly fried, with some being crisp and others still soft in the middle. I was expecting a thinner cut on the chips so that they would be completely crisp, but I didn't mind the softer texture. They were seasoned well with a bit of a kick and the dill pickle dip was both refreshing and flavourful.

Diane ordered the Banh Mi Hot Dog ($7) which featured a beef and pork dog, head cheese, pate, mayo, cucumber slices, do chua (translated literally as sour things in Vietnamese), jalapenos, and cilantro. This was my original pick since I love a good banh mi, but she made her choice before I did. Although we had high hopes for it, the head cheese was cut quite thickly, and given that the texture was similar to the hot dog it was lost in each bite. There was little to no pate either, and the mayo was quite overpowering in flavour. We had such high hopes for this one!

For myself I ordered the Narita Hot Dog ($7), which was wasabi mayo, kimchi, sesame sauce, do chua, pickled ginger, bonito flakes and ramen noodles on a beef and pork dog. I honestly was so skeptical about ordering it because the combination didn't sound like it would work together. But I was proven wrong and this was the favourite hot dog out of all the ones we ordered. Although the kimchi and bonito flakes were practically non-existent, the sesame sauce, pickled ginger and do chua gave the hot dog a tangy, sweet flavour that balanced out the salty hot dog. The asian flavours worked really well and I enjoyed the crunch from the crushed ramen noodles.


Poblano Poppers ($7) - poblanos stuffed with cream cheese
Lesley tried the Kangaroo Sausage ($12) which is made with a blend of fresh herbs. The hot dog is topped with red pepper, corn relish, and raspberry chipotle mustard. Although the hot dog itself was great, the condiments were very messy and quite tangy, masking the flavour of the kangaroo sausage. It was quite sour and definitely needed something to cut through the acidity.

Linda tried the Coney Island Hot Dog ($8), made with a beef dog, beef chili, cheddar cheese, yellow mustard and diced onion. The combinations weren't too far off from your typical hot dog, so it was quite enjoyable. Look at all that cheese! The Dog definitely doesn't skimp on their toppings.

Addie went for the Kansas City Hot Dog ($7) which featured sauerkraut, cheese, reuben sauce, and caraway seeds on a beef dog. The reuben sauce was oozing out of the hot dog, so you've been warned - don't order this on a first date. The ingredients weren't overly exciting, but the combination worked well together and tasted great.

The last hot dog to the table was Cindy's Hog Dog ($8), a beef and pork hot dog with pit beans, pulled pork, shredded cheese, and waffle sauce. Like the name implies, the waffle sauce has a maple syrup flavour to it, but she was hoping for more of the sweetness to come through. Again the ingredients weren't too exciting, but there was plenty of pulled pork and cheese to make this hot dog quite substantial.

For sit-down lunch, service was quick and the hot dogs were decent. Running at $7-$12 depending on your toppings, The Dog is quite affordable and a nice place to stop for a quick bite to eat if you're in that area of the city. I should also mention that they cater to vegetarian (falafel and tofurkey dogs!) and gluten free diets as well, which is really great to see at a place selling hot dogs. At the back of the restaurant there is a large shelf with a selection of condiments used on the hot dogs. From hot and spicy roasted red pepper mustard to roasted garlic chipotle corn relish, there are so many unique choices you can buy and take home.

So, for gourmet hot dogs in Edmonton where should you go? IT Dog or The Dog? I actually prefer The Dog, because they are more local with their products and I found their hot dogs tasted better. IT Dog has a nice selection of Korean-style hot dogs, but I like that The Dog has hot dogs that pull inspiration from a wider range of cuisines. The price point at The Dog is on par with IT Dog, but to be fair, IT Dog serves all their hot dogs on pretzel buns while The Dog charges an additional $3 for pretzel buns. I also favour The Dog given that there is a greater ability to customize your hot dog to your liking with a wide range of toppings that aren't just Asian-inspired. Overall I had a great experience at The Dog, so wherever you go, let your taste buds guide you!

If you know me, you know that I love noodle soups. There's no denying it. But once in a while I like to change things up, and I can get pretty strong cravings for a good sandwich. A new sandwich shop opened up in Edmonton last week and my taste buds were itching to check it out!

Sandwich & Sons - 13119 156 Street - Edmonton AB

Sandwich & Sons is located just north of the Yellowhead on 156 Street in an industrial part of Edmonton. It's a new deli-style concept opened by Chef Alex Sneazwell (formerly of The Manor, Von's, El Cortez) offering soups and sandwiches during the day from Monday to Friday.

The menu itself is simple and is written in chalk on the wall. Classic sandwich combinations are put together with an emphasis on using local ingredients and housemade fixins. Each sandwich includes a side of housemade chips and a pickle, and the price is inclusive of tax. Daily soup and drinks are available for $3 each, and the housemade mustard and pickles are also available for purchase to take home.

I stopped by for a quick lunch today with my boyfriend, and of all the choices on the menu the top contender for us was the Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich ($12). Shaved brisket, house mustard and sauerkraut are piled high between the two warm slices of rye, there's no shortage of meat here! The brisket comes from local producer Sangudo Meats, and this meat is fantastic. The brisket is sous vide for 24 hours then smoked with pecan wood. The resulting brisket is tender, flavourful, and not overly smoky. Grainy mustard is one of my favourite things in sandwiches, and everything combined with lightly pickled sauerkraut made this sandwich a hit.

Our other top choice was the Spicy Italian sandwich ($10). Hot salami, mortadella, artichoke spread, pickled peppers and havarti are placed inside of a roll and squished inside a panini press. The resulting sandwich is crispy, has a kick of heat and is oozing with melted cheese. The sandwich doesn't have the grandeur of the Smoked Meat, but it's a pretty solid sandwich on its own. I did find it to be a bit greasy, but that's just the nature of the ingredients used. Other than the sandwiches, the chips on the side weren't too greasy and just lightly salted for a bit of flavour. I was a little sad that Sandwich & Sons didn't make dill pickles to accompany their sandwiches, but the tangy pickles still had a bit of bite that I enjoyed.

In conversation with Chef Sneazwell, he mentioned that the smoked brisket, turkey, bologna and bacon are all supplied by Sangudo Meats. It's great to see a small sandwich shop supporting local in the ways that they can! From social media it looks like Foie Friday is going to be a thing, so you foie gras fans should flock there to celebrate the end of this week with a foie gras banh mi. Sandwich & Sons is open Monday-Friday, and catering is available too. Stop by and give them a try if you're in the area - the sandwiches are solid.

Sometimes when I read restaurant names I have to do a double take. That's exactly what happened when I discovered a local restaurant advertising that they serve both pizza and Vietnamese food. Say what?

Pho Huong & Mama Pizza - 10531 107 Avenue - Edmonton AB

I was so curious to see whether this place was any good, and I was actually interested in trying their pho. Now I know what you're thinking - I must be crazy to think this restaurant would serve top notch pho! But hey, someone has to take one for the team, right?

I was able to convince one of my friends to go on this adventure with me so we showed up at the restaurant at about 6PM on a weeknight. Bad news, the place was empty. We were greeted and seated in the corner before our server ran off and hid in the kitchen. The restaurant itself looked small and, like a typical Vietnamese restaurant, had sriracha, hoisin sauce and other condiments available on the table. The menu was mostly devoted to Vietnamese noodles and soups, but a whole page was dedicated to a wide variety of pizzas, salads, burgers and fries. It's the strangest thing, but it apparently works for the loyal patrons of this restaurant!

My friend ordered the Grilled Pork & Spring Roll Vermicelli Bowl (#24, $8.75) and it was a fairly generous serving. The vermicelli noodles were cooked al dente and served overtop of the usual fresh greens like lettuce, cucumber and sprouts. The grilled pork was moist, tender and full of flavour, while the spring rolls were crisp and golden. Things were off to a good start!

Most of the pho offerings on the menu ranged between $7.50-$8.50 depending on the choice of meat and size of the bowl. For myself I was craving pho with beef balls and tripe - a combination that rarely exists on Vietnamese menus. However, the restaurant was more than willing to accommodate my request so I got exactly what I wanted. The bowl of noodle soup really didn't look like much, but the broth was fragrant with a nice depth of flavour and was served steaming. Although I would have liked a bit more tripe in my bowl, this bowl of pho would definitely hit the spot on cold day.

Pho Huong & Mama Pizza is a family-run business and our server (who I believe was the owner) was very friendly and inviting. The restaurant is located in an area of the city that is a little more run-down, but appearances can definitely be deceiving. The interior of the restaurant is updated and well kept, and almost seems to be out of place given it's location. If I were in the area and craving Vietnamese, I wouldn't hesitate to drop by for a quick meal. I'm a little curious about the pizza - who knows, it could be a chance worth taking on my next visit!

If I venture out to the north end of the city for food, it'd better be good. I've visited Lan's Asian Grill in the past, but as it is so far from where I live it's definitely a treat when I can go! Last week was the perfect opportunity to stop by for a quick lunch with a friend before the cheese-making opportunity at NAIT. When we arrived at 11:30 on a Thursday the lunch rush was just starting up and we were glad we didn't arrive any later.

Lan's Asian Grill - 11828 103 Street - Edmonton AB

Located in a strip mall in an older part of the city, Lan's Asian Grill is always welcoming from the moment you step in through the door. Tables and chairs are scattered around the restaurant, while a large service counter at the front draws your eye to the open kitchen. The service style at Lan's is simple and straightforward: find your table and head up to the front counter to make & pay for your order, or vice versa, whatever you prefer.


Iced Vietnamese Coffee ($4)
Having just released their menu on February 6th, I was excited to see what new dishes were available. At Lan's the philosophy is simple: by using only the freshest ingredients and traditional dishes as inspiration, you're bound to make tasty food. The new food menu features appetizers, six different main dishes, and one seasonal dish. At first glance it may seem as if there isn't much variety, but there are options for each dish to create endless possibilities, so something is bound to suit your tastes. Whether you're vegetarian, gluten free, or picky about your food, you are able to customize your dish to your liking.

One of the dishes we ordered was the Thai Basil Stir Fry & Jasmine Rice ($10), the feature of the month. Thai basil, lemongrass, fresh thai chilies and bell peppers are stir fried with ground pork and laid on a bed of rice. A kick of heat from the chilis came through the sweet and savoury flavours while the bell peppers gave a nice crunch to contrast the soft textures of the meat and rice. It's an absolutely fragrant dish and I could sit and eat this forever.

For myself I had to order the Tom Yum Pho ($12) made with beef, prawns, tomatoes, green onions, onions and cilantro. Rice noodles cooked al dente were waiting in the bowl of steaming broth, slowly absorbing the flavours of the fragrant herbs. The prawns were large and meaty, and there were plenty in the bowl to make this a filling meal. Make sure not to leave a drop of the soup behind - but knowing how delicious it is, I don't think you would anyway.

Lan's Asian Grill really is a hidden gem in our city. Not every meal we eat has to be fancy or complex, and this restaurant is able to show that sometimes simple really is best. Don't overlook the restaurant based on the area in which it's located! The food is affordable and you definitely know that you get your money's worth after your first bite.