When I was growing up my parents would always talk about Sunday brunch, the breakfast and lunch hybrid reserved for Sundays. Once I hit my 20's, brunch with friends would be scheduled for Saturdays too, so for as long as I can remember brunch has always been a weekend affair. But what if you're craving brunch on a Wednesday?

Pip - 10403 83 Avenue - Edmonton AB

Whether I'm cutting into perfectly poached eggs with a loved one or toasting mimosas with friends over good conversation, there's just something special about brunch that makes it high priority on my weekend to-do list. But given the nature of my profession brunch only happens on alternate weekends, so it definitely feels like I'm missing out on the weekends that I'm scheduled to work. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way, but luckily there's a new option for those of us that work weekends; say hello to weekday brunch at Pip!

Down the street from MEAT and next door to the Next Act Pub, Pip is the little sister to these two well-loved restaurants of Old Strathcona. Pip's 28-seat space is much smaller than the space occupied by its big sisters and differs with it's minimalist decor and a hip, sophisticated vibe. The space is cute and cozy with soothing shades of slate, mint, and birch.

Pip serves brunch daily until 3 pm, which is perfect whether you're an early riser or you like to start your day a little later. The brunch menu is short and sweet with 8 dishes, some optional sides, and a handful of fresh cocktails to enjoy.

I've been to Pip on two occasions now and enjoyed the Traditional Eggs Benedict ($17) both times. Two perfectly soft poached eggs sit on thinly shaved ham and are generously covered in a rich, buttery dill hollandaise sauce. I could argue that the hollandaise is one of the best in the city - I almost licked my plate clean! The accompanying pan-fried house hash was flavourful, although the potatoes could be a little more crispy for me.

The menu offers a Quinoa Breakfast Bowl ($14) for those looking for lighter fare, served with arugula, avocado, basil pesto, toasted hemp seeds and a hard boiled egg. With all the components mixed together and a generous squeeze of lemon juice the bowl is a fresh start to your day.

Perfect for a cold winter morning, the Eggs & Bocconcini ($15) baked in a tomato basil sauce and served with toast is a soul-warming dish. The rich egg yolks are well balanced by the tangy tomato sauce. Spoon it onto a crispy slice of toast and you have a hearty breakfast!

Pip also offers a rotating breakfast sandwich special paired with house hash, and on our particular visit the sandwich featured a Meuwly's Italian sausage patty with artichoke mayo, tomato, arugula, melted cheddar and a runny fried egg on a sourdough bun. The sausage was well seasoned with a little kick and the sandwich was delicious with all the components combined. Who doesn't love a breakfast sandwich with an oozy egg?

If the line-ups out the door are any indication, Edmonton's brunch game is picking up and I'm glad to have a weekday option available in the city. Unfortunately there are no reservations for brunch, so line up early or be prepared for a wait. Given the small space, tables for two have the quickest turn over, so bring a loved one or a close friend for brunch any day of the week.

One of my greatest weaknesses is beautiful pastry and dessert, so when I heard a new bakery had opened up in Old Strathcona, coffee and a sweet treat was my top priority this past Sunday morning.

La Boule Patisserie + Bakery - 8020 101 Street - Edmonton AB

La Boule Patisserie + Bakery opened it's doors last Tuesday in a quiet area of Old Strathcona among other local independent shops and businesses. Jennifer Strang, former pastry chef at the Shaw Conference Centre, is owner and pastry chef of this new addition to the neighborhood. This information had me especially excited because the Shaw Conference Centre is home to some pretty incredible desserts.

The space is open with a minimalist feel, but is warm and inviting with enough seating for 12-15 customers. The bakery was surprisingly busy for early on a Sunday morning, but I'm sure the residents in the area are happy to finally have a patisserie shop to call their own. -


Petit Pain au Chocolat
Walking up to the counter revealed three different pastry cases - one for eclairs, one for cakes and tarts, and a third smaller one for cookies, croissants, galettes, and scones. All of the options sounded delicious and it took all my self-restraint not to order one of everything. But that just gives me an excuse to return, right?


Pastry Case
On this visit we picked out four different treats to try: the petit pain au chocolat ($1.25), a spiced apple eclair ($4), a white chocolate raspberry tart ($4.75), and a vanilla bean cherry cheesecake ($6). The mini chocolate croissant was the perfect three-bite pastry to have with coffee. Layers of crispy, flaky, buttery dough paired perfectly with the semi-sweet chocolate, making me almost regret not ordering the larger size.

I'm not much of a white chocolate fan as I find it can be too sweet, but it was just right in the raspberry tart. The tart crust held together and was baked perfectly to not crumble apart. Each bite was creamy with just a hint of raspberry, so I found myself wanting more of the fruit flavour to come through.

La Boule plans to eventually feature 9 different flavours of eclair, but during our visit spiced apple was the only one available. The pate a choux pastry had a nice rise, giving lots of space for the pastry cream to sit in. The spices were subtle and the eclair had great texture with the bits of apple in each bite. I can't wait to try out some of their other flavours, but for now, classic, black forest, and tiramisu are the other three available.

The vanilla bean cherry cheesecake (left) was beautiful with a garnishing of dark chocolate and a leaf of edible gold. Breaking into the cake revealed a layer of cherry compote and a thin graham cracker crust. This cheesecake was nice and light, which was a nice change from the usual dense, rich cheesecake that we come to expect.


Chocolate Caramel Tart - $4.75
La Boule serves coffee and espresso using Cafe Monte, a Calgary-based coffee roaster, and their tea blends come from UK-based Tea Pigs. Depending on your drink and choice of pastry, a visit will cost you roughly $5-$10, which is very reasonable given the quality of the cakes and pastries you're paying for.

With just over a week since opening, I've seen nothing but high praise for La Boule on social media. It's definitely well deserved and it's about time the south side of Edmonton got a pastry shop to call their own! Loaves and baguettes will be available in January as the team continues to test their ovens, but the future holds lots in store for La Boule. Stop by if you're in the area for some fantastic pastry!

When it comes to Indian food I'll admit that I'm definitely not an expert, but I love the layering of flavours and combination of spices used in Indian cooking. I typically associate Indian food with heavy cream-based sauces and rich flavour, so when I heard that there was an Indian restaurant offering vegan dishes in their buffet I was curious to check it out.

Narayanni's - 10131 81 Avenue - Edmonton AB

Tucked away behind the busy Whyte Avenue hustle and bustle, Narayanni's offers a bountiful buffet of South African Indian dishes. This family-run restaurant has quite the unique exterior, given that the building was a machine shop in the mid 1900's. After three years of renovations the Naidoo family opened Narayanni's in 2010 with the beautiful, warm interior present today.


Hummus
Selva and Daya Naidoo emigrated to Canada from South Africa in the early 1980s and opened up Block 1912 as one of their ventures together. After selling the business and enjoying a few years of retirement, Narayanni's (named after their granddaughter and the Hindu goddess of abundance) came to be. Now on any given day Chef Selva can be found preparing food in the kitchen, while Daya works on desserts or mans the front of house alongside his daughter Youmashni.


Grilled Masala Chicken
Specializing in South African Indian cuisine, Narayanni's offers a buffet with dishes that are lighter than the traditional Indian buffet. Without the use of dairy the flavours and textures of dishes are more prominent, and the buffet is a great option for those with vegan or dairy-free diets. The restaurant is proud to use free-range chicken and local produce whenever possible, and Chef Selva steers clear of artificial colouring, preservatives, and MSG.


Braised Cauliflower & Peas
Narayanni's has always offered a dinner buffet, which changes nightly. Tuesdays feature a $15 cash only vegan buffet, Wednesdays are $15, Thursdays are $20, and Fridays/Saturdays are $25 (Saturday features a lamb!). The restaurant recently introduced a cash only lunch buffet from Tuesday through Friday from 1130 AM - 100 PM. At $12 per person you have access to soup, salad, rice, 3 vegetarian dishes, 1 meat dish, and dessert. It's incredible value - just make sure to visit the ATM before you visit!


Bhajia
My mom and I stopped by for dinner on a Friday night and we were pleasantly surprised by how busy it was. Despite being located behind a busy street, Narayanni's unique cuisine clearly brings in old and new customers. The circular buffet station featuring a variety of dishes sat in the center of the room, with Youshmani in the centre making drinks for guests.

On this particular Friday night, the menu included:

• Appetizers: Papadum, Bhajia (onion & spinach fritters), hummus, mint chutney, sweet mango chutney, lemon pickle dip
• Salads: Mixed green salad, traditional wedding salad, greek salad
• Soup: Curry vegetable soup
• Vegetable dishes: butternut squash, chana dahl & eggplant, braised kale & cabbage, braised cauliflower & peas, paneer
• Meat dishes: Grilled masala chicken, chicken curry, masala fried sole

There were many dishes to choose from and we happily sampled our way through the buffet. To accompany our meal we were offered warm roti to soak up all the sauce on our plates. Unlike the traditional roti at Indian buffets, this one reminded me of a green onion cake - densely layered and super flaky. Of all the dishes that evening my favourites were the braised kale & cabbage and the braised cauliflower & peas. It was a surprise for me as these dishes, which were boring in appearance, turned out to be the the most complex in flavour and texture. Papadums are also a favourite of mine wherever I go, but the hummus and chutneys accompanying these lentil crisps brought them to the next level.

We rounded off our meal with a regular chai and a pistachio chai, both of which were excellent. The regular chai was just slightly sweetened, milky, and fragrant. The pistachio chai, on the other hand, was a little more decadent with notes of almond and topped with whipped cream and crushed pistachios.

At the end of the meal I was satisfied without feeling as weighed down as I would from traditional creamy, buttery-based sauces found in most Indian buffets. And most importantly, the lighter fare didn't sacrifice flavour. The lunch and dinner buffet Tuesday through Friday is affordable, and $25/person for a weekend dinner buffet is decent value, but I would have liked to see an additional protein option at that price point. Narayanni's is fittingly named and representative of the abundance of good food served by Chef Selva. If you haven't been, you'll just have to see (and taste!) for yourself.


*Disclosure: I was invited to try the buffet at Narayanni's Restaurant. 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.

Edmonton's brunch culture outside of buffet-style service was never hugely popular until last year. I've been noticing more restaurants jump on the brunch train, the latest being a popular Mexican spot right in the heart of Old Strathcona.

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - 8230 Gateway Boulevard

As a place I frequent for tasty tacos and guacamole on the patio in the summer time, I was excited to see El Cortez offer brunch starting the weekend of March 19 & 20. Every weekend from 11AM - 2PM the restaurant offers five brunch dishes at a great price of $14.

I dropped by with my sister for brunch on opening weekend at 11AM and the restaurant was bright and inviting. We were shocked to find how quickly the restaurant filled up, as every seat was occupied by 11:30. Edmontonians love their brunch!

Chef Lindsay Porter designed this menu to reflect traditional Mexican elements, while staying true to the LA inspiration that the dinner menu draws upon. While all the options sounded fantastic I couldn't pass up the Chilaquiles, which featured peppers, onions, verde cream, queso, chorizo, and two eggs with sauteed corn tortilla chips. Arriving piping hot (and on a beautiful plate to boot!), the chilaquiles had a punch of flavour and a kick of heat with every bite. The oozy egg yolk really brought all the ingredients together in this filling dish.

My sister went for the Huevos Rancheros with rojo sauce, 2 eggs, queso, pulled pork, pico de gallo, and crema on housemade tortillas. The fresh pico de gallo went well with the smoky pulled pork and rich rojo sauce. It's another filling brunch dish, but who can say no to tacos early in the day?

To accompany brunch plates, El Cortez offers a variety of sides ($4) to mix things up. While thick cut bacon, cornbread, and fresh fruit are great options, I had my eye on the Fried Patatas. I just can't say no to crispy potatoes seasoned with smoked paprika and drizzled with tangy aioli!

El Cortez is a strong contender in the Edmonton brunch scene. Although the menu is small there is something for everyone at a very affordable price. Service is great, food is tasty, and the lively environment is perfect for fun, casual brunch. If you don't feel strongly about any dishes in particular the regular menu is available too, so swing by on the weekend and let me know what you think!

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.

The cooler weather these past few days has basically been mother nature's way of saying fall is right around the corner. But before the brisk fall weather is here to stay, I've been spending more time on patios before it's too late!

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar - 8230 Gateway Boulevard - Edmonton AB

Ever since Chef Lindsay Porter took over the kitchen at El Cortez a few months ago, I've been meaning to stop by for eats on the patio. With the restaurant's proximity to Whyte Avenue, and the fact that it was a venue for Fringe shows, there was no better time than during the festival to have some pre-show dinner and drinks. Given the amount of shows I was taking in this year I actually made not one, but two stops at El Cortez.

There's always been a lot of buzz about the unique design and decor at El Cortez. Chandeliers, neon signs, and graffiti-inspired murals adorn the walls, and once you're inside you forget that you're in the heart of Old Strathcona. On my first visit, my boyfriend and I arrived at about 4PM to a fairly empty restaurant, but given that the restaurant doubles as a bar I would assume business picks up as the evening goes on.

El Cortez has a fairly extensive menu, but there's a big focus on tacos and street-inspired eats. We happened to be there during happy hour (3-6PM daily) and ordered off the menu which features chips and dips, and a variety of small plates for $7.50 each. We started off with the 2 Feature Tacos ($7.50/2 - flavour changes weekly) off the happy hour menu, the tacos for the week were mahi mahi with a pineapple salsa. The fish was moist, well seasoned, and all the flavours in this taco worked well together. But what I really enjoyed was the house-made tortillas. These tortillas are thicker than most, but they have a nice crisp and slight chew, making them a solid base for all the tacos on the menu.

Next up was the Swordfish Ceviche ($13) with tomatoes, peppers, avocado, chile and pico de gallo served with a side of spiced tortilla chips. The dish was full of fresh ingredients and had the right amount of acidity to bring out all the flavours. The dish could have been a tad more seasoned for my liking but otherwise was quite refreshing, and great for a hot summer day with a cold drink in hand.

On the regular menu the Fried Queso Tacos ($14/3 tacos) caught my eye. Who can resist fried cheese? Not me. The taco was quite substantial in size given the amount of ingredients and the excellent house-made tortilla. Chewy cheese, combined with mushrooms, lettuce, onions, beans and guacamole made for a pretty standout taco that I wouldn't hesitate to order again.

I was pleasantly surprised by this first visit to El Cortez. The food was great, service was attentive, and it was a great environment to be in just to relax and enjoy the summer afternoon. A few days later I stopped by again for some sunshine and eats on the patio.

You would never know by standing outside of El Cortez that there's a great patio in the back of the building. A spray painted mural is accompanied by mosaic tiled tables and coloured accents throughout the space. It's an inviting atmosphere where small bites and cold drinks are perfect under the warm sun.

Again our visit was during happy hour, so we ordered the El Cortez Guacamole ($7.50) off the happy hour menu to start. The kitchen's version of guacamole comes as a substantial portion and is pretty close to perfect for me. It's chock full of tomatoes, has great acidity from fresh lime juice, is well seasoned and has a slight kick of heat. The guacamole is quite addicting and I almost couldn't stop eating it.

Next up we ordered the feature Cajun tacos ($7.50/2 tacos) made with sauteed prawns, chorizo, and a corn basil salsa. The prawns were perfectly cooked and there was a great balance between salty, sweet, and spicy. With a quick squeeze of lime juice these flavour-packed tacos became my favourite of the meal.

I had my eye on the Crispy Pescado Tacos ($16/3 tacos) off the regular menu, so they became our last dish that afternoon. A crispy fried piece of fish was served together with shrimp salad, slaw, sweet chili Valentina glaze, crema, avocado, and cilantro. While the ingredients tasted great together, I felt that the tacos were lacking in substance. There wasn't much in terms of ingredients, and the tortilla looked quite bare with the spare number of toppings. A bit more fish and this one would have been great!

With two visits to El Cortez in a week, this is on my list of my go-to spots for quick bites! It's a great option for Mexican food south of the river, and I would definitely recommend stopping in during happy hour for some very affordable eats. Chef Lindsay Porter has done a great job with the menu overhaul and I'm definitely looking forward to trying other dishes on the menu. Unfortunately for me, I only ever have cravings for Mexican food in warm weather, so I'm going to have to get my fix before fall comes. If you're anything like me, head on down to El Cortez for some tacos and cold drinks before saying goodbye to summer until next year!