It's pretty rare for me to have time to go out for lunch on weekdays with my crazy class schedule and all, but when the chance comes up, I look for good food and a great deal. I had always heard good things about Cibo Bistro, and having only visited for dinner in the past, I stopped by in the summertime to see what lunch was all about.

Cibo Bistro - 11244 104 Avenue - Edmonton AB

At Cibo, lunch is available from Tuesday to Friday from 11:30-2:00PM. Without a reservation, I stopped with a friend by around noon to find that the restaurant was pretty busy, but luckily there were still two open tables available. After being seated our waiter brought over a handwritten menu on a chalkboard with all the options for lunch and the special for the day. It was a little awkward with our waiter standing right at the tableside as we read and decided what we wanted to eat, but since there's only one chalkboard for the whole restaurant, it was understandable that other tables needed to be served as well.

We started off the meal with Arancini ($7): lemon marscapone, sweet pea, mint & fontina cheese. I will tell you that my favourite arancini belong to Corso 32 here in Edmonton, but the arancini at Cibo are a close second. A thin, crisp exterior houses a gooey mixture of cheeses, rice, and other ingredients. And since this one has lemon in it, it's slightly tangy and brings another flavour element to the dish. Just be careful and contain your excitement when they come to the table - I would hate for you to burn the inside of your mouth so you can't taste the remainder of your meal!

My friend ordered the Tortiglioni ($10), which was tossed up with a slow simmered bolognese sauce. The tomato sauce wasn't overly acidic, with a perfect blend of herbs and savoury notes. The pasta was cooked al dente, and portion wise, the size was perfect for lunch.

For myself, I just had to get the Sandwich Feature ($10) for the day cause it sounded delicious: roasted asparagus, prosciutto, red pepper aoili, and a side of the arugula salad. This sandwich here definitely ranks as one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. There was a substantial amount of prosciutto which wasn't too salty, the asparagus was tender, and the shaved parmesan really brought the flavours together. The bread had a nice crunch to it, but the interior was soft and easy to chew. The side asparagus salad was refreshing with a tangy vinaigrette, and the shaved cheese on top was a nice touch. If I could have this sandwich again right now, I would!

The lunch menu itself doesn't have a dessert, so to finish the meal we opted to go with their seasonal Panna Cotta ($10): vanilla custard, blood orange syrup and candied meyer lemon. Panna cotta ranks as one of my favourite desserts, as it's not too sweet and it's creamy without being heavy. The panna cotta at had a light sweetness, creamy texture, and definitely jiggled on the plate. I loved the citrus flavours combined with the vanilla, so this dessert was a clear winner for me.

It's been a while since I've been to Cibo Bistro for lunch, so I'm definitely due for another visit. The menu is simple, but the dishes pack flavour, and the service is quick and friendly. I've heard that their prices have increased from $10 up to $12, but honestly, it's still a great price and a good deal for lunch! So stop by soon and try them out - you won't regret it.

The holiday season is near and Edo Japan, Canada’s leading Teppan-style fast-casual restaurant, is making Edmontonians’ holiday season simply better. As part of Edo Japan’s Simply Better campaign, several Edo Elves will be hard at work spreading holiday cheer with good deeds from Nov. 28 to Dec. 21. The Edo Elves will be seen sporadically throughout the city performing good deeds to make the holiday season easier and a little less stressful. The Elves can be spotted surprising Edmontonians by helping them with everything from carrying their heavy bags, scraping off icy cars and doing almost anything to make someone’s day a little brighter. In hopes of spreading the spirit of the season the Elves will be encouraging others to surprise someone they love. Edo Japan is also helping the Edmonton Food Bank to provide food and resources to those in need. Together, both organizations are working to reduce hunger in communities in which they serve and make the holiday season simply better. For every $25 gift card sold, Edo Japan will donate $5 to a local food bank, in hopes of raising more than $15,000.

Doesn't reading that just make your heart happy? When I was contacted and heard about this campaign, I thought, what better way to spread holiday cheer and pay it forward? It's those little things we do to help one another that truly make us happy! Just watch this quick little video put together by the Edo Elves:


“Edo Japan cares about the community and would like to make our customers and others lives Simply Better during the Holiday Season,” said President and CEO, Tom Donaldson. “Hunger affects people from all walks of life and Edo Japan has been supporting the food bank for a number of years now. This holiday season, we wanted to give back not only to the food bank, but to our customers and our different communities as well. We hope our Edo Elves will spread some joy and encourage others to make this a simply better holiday season.”

As part of the campaign, Edo Japan has given me a $25 gift card to give away to a reader. Think of it as a little holiday cheer to you from me & Edo Japan! You have one week to enter, and the winner will be drawn by random and contacted via email. Good luck! Follow the instructions in the widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To find out where the Elves will be and who they will be surprising follow them on Twitter at @edo_japan and #EdoElf and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/edojapan. For more information on the campaign, visit the website here!

Dynamite Blazer (similar) | Club Monaco Tee (old) | Old Navy Rockstar Jeans | Forever 21 Scarf
Zara Heels | Coach Clutch (old), Watch, Sunglasses | Bfrend bracelet
I feel like the colour red is underappreciated. Clothing wise, anyways, 'cause us ladies love our pinks and reds in lip products. Red is such a great statement colour and makes you stand out in the crowd when you're wearing it - which is maybe why people don't wear it too often in fear of drawing too much attention to themselves. But the best way to wear it is to let it stand out on its own - coordinate neutral tones in the rest of your outfit to make sure the outfit isn't too busy and you're good to go. Red, white & blue is a fail-proof combination, or wearing it with leopard like I did above makes for a classy outfit.

With Christmas right around the corner, make sure to pull out those festive, holiday reds from your closet and spread the cheer! :)