FOOD: Shawarma is superb at Dahlia’s Mediterranean Bistro
Seems like just yesterday that Montreal expat Fadi Smaidi, scion of a Lebanese food dynasty in Canada’s coolest city, opened Dahlia’s Mediterranean Bistro (10235 124 St.), named for his young daughter on Edmonton’s yet-to-be coolest street, 124th. The reasons for Smaidi’s pilgrimage to this particular northern waste are obscure to me but now, three years […]
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Man can live by pho alone – at Thai Binh
“Is that all you eat – Vietnamese food?” This question was put to me by a regular reader who has noticed my affection for the cuisine of that particular Southeast Asian nation – my first review for Gig City being for a vegan Vietnamese joint – and while I don’t actually eat Vietnamese every day, […]
EDMONTON RADIO: Garner Andrews, morning man of mystery
Garner Andrews can’t stand public speaking. He admits he even freaked out a little bit before delivering a toast at his brother’s wedding, and stresses “for months” over the prospect of doing a band introduction on stage – and yet he has no problem talking to 50,000 people on Sonic radio every morning. “That doesn’t […]
Exhibition of prisoners’ art to reveal humanity beyond their crimes
The artists whose work is in a new exhibit at Latitude 53 gallery have a good excuse for missing the Friday opening – they’re all in jail. “Hidden Truths,” which opens April 13 with a reception that’s open to the public (7 to 10 p.m., 10248 106 Street), showcases drawings, sculptures and other mediums created […]
Reading a right at Edmonton Remand Centre
Imagine if you had weeks, or months, or possibly years to go by, sitting in a tiny room with little else to occupy your time except read – but your selection of books was bought for $10 per box on the last day of an Edmonton Public Library book sale. Books for prisoners at the […]
New owner does right by British favourite at Sir Winston’s Fish & Chips
You know who really likes fish and chips? Old people. During my younger, slackier days I spent a few months slinging plates in a cut-rate yet somehow pretentious seafood joint that obliged me to wear a shirt with a dolphin (in a beret and sunglasses no less) embroidered on the breast. While the menu was […]
More than I could possibly ever put up – says Mike the Posterman
Mike Wellensiek – better known as Mike the Posterman – estimates he’s popped off 10 million staples in 25 years of gig postering on the front lines of Edmonton’s entertainment scene. Do the math: At 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 staples per poster … I admit I had trouble counting while watching him work during […]
ARCHITECTURE: Douglas Cardinal vs. the soulless city of glass
Architect Douglas Cardinal has always sought to incorporate both history and natural surroundings into his designs, which range from the Telus World of Science here in Edmonton and the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, to the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. So how will the Calgary-born, award-winning aboriginal designer be received when […]
FOOD: Southeast Asian home cooking in the houses
If you’re a diner-outer who wants to feel like you’re going over to someone’s home for a nice meal – albeit one you have to pay for – there are no shortage of choices in Edmonton. Take, for example, the enclave of fancy manses just off High Street (Manor Café, Violino) or the Ethiopian eateries […]
PAINTING WITH WOOL: St. Albert textile artist has no time to make rug for the Queen
Imagine being textile artist whose rugs are in such great demand that you have to turn down the Queen of England. That was the situation that St. Albert’s Rachelle LeBlanc found herself in just a few weeks ago. A group in England asked for her help making a rug for the Queen’s diamond jubilee. Celebrities, […]
