There has been a sign on the sidewalk near my apartment for at least a couple of months that reads, simply, “Best Pizza 100% Halal.” While it’s true that nearly every business claims it’s the best at what it does, it’s rare that a company actually has the word “best” in the name.
I was intrigued. Did this tiny, hole-in-the-wall pizza and donair joint really make the best pizza? Today, I put them to the test.
While I wouldn’t say that Best Pizza honestly makes Edmonton’s best pizza, they do make a tasty pie.
While Best Pizza offers a dozen different toppings, I was in the mood for something simple, and opted for a 12″ pepperoni and mushroom pizza, which cost $15 plus GST. Because I had simply walked over and ordered, I sat around and waited in the small dine-in part of the restaurant.
Consisting of a pair of tables, and a couple of benches for those eating at the window ledge, the haphazardly constructed sit-down area isn’t exactly what you’d call “fine dining.” But, to be fair, it’s no worse than other dive pizza joints like Chicago Deep Dish, and a decent paint job could probably make it look about the same as the Whyte Avenue Funky Pickle location.
The kitchen is a closed kitchen, so I was unable to see the friendly cook at work, but I could hear him working through the thin walls. I heard a knife chopping something on a cutting block. This turned out to be the mushrooms, which were freshly chopped, not the canned mushroom bits that many corner pizzeria’s use.
While I waited for my pizza, I perused the menu. In addition to pizza, Best Pizza also offers burgers and fries, donairs, chicken shawarma, chicken wings and, oddly, coconut-coated fried shrimp.
Pizza and donairs seem to go together well, as do chicken wings. Burgers at a place that focuses on pizza are probably not going to be the best burgers, but I’ll reserve judgment until I try them. Shawarma is pretty similar to a donair, and this is a Muslim-run establishment, so I’m pretty sure that they know what they’re doing as far as shawarma is concerned.
The coconut shrimp, though, I didn’t notice that menu item until after I’d arrived at home, as it’s inexplicably tucked under the “Burgers” section of the menu. It seems like an odd choice for a pizza and donair shop, but I’m just curious enough to consider ordering some the next time I visit Best Pizza.
At $15 for 25 pieces, it’s not cheap. But, that’s not a bad price for shrimp, and I’m curious enough that I’m willing to pay it.
After about 20 minutes, the pizza was ready. It was brought out with a smile, and the box was almost hot to the touch. This was pizza at it’s freshest.
I made the short walk home, lifted the lid, and smiled when I saw the freshly chopped mushrooms. I poured myself some juice, grabbed a napkin, and tucked in. I knew from the first bite that I’d be back to Best Pizza.
There was plenty of cheese, but not so much that the pepperoni and mushroom flavours were overwhelmed, and the meat and mushrooms were both full of flavour. I suspect that the meat was probably quite fresh too, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it had never been frozen.
While it’s a bit more expensive than established players like Pizza 73, I do recommend Best Pizza, especially if you live in the area (they deliver, for those who aren’t in the area). The food is good, the staff is friendly, and everything is 100% halal, which is beneficial to the large Muslim population in the area surrounding Best Pizza (and Edmonton at large).
While Best Pizza doesn’t quite live up to it’s name, it’s still damn good pizza, and I’ll be back again soon.
Spring is starting to show her beautiful face here in Edmonton, and that means that Edmontonians will soon begin one of the great traditions of Edmonton life—getting the hell out of River City.
Leaving Edmonton is an odd part of Edmonton culture. Often, this involves leaving permanently. For many people, succeeding in business or in art means leaving Edmonton for Vancouver or Toronto.
For others, Edmonton is simply too “boring” to remain past the age of 24 or 25. These people tend to leave as soon as they graduate from university or college.
It’s not these permanent ex-pats that I’m referring to here, though. I’m talking about the great Edmonton tradition of travel. I’ve noticed that Edmontonians love to travel the world. At the very least, we love to take day trips around Alberta.
As the snow begins to melt, and the roads around the province dry-up, Edmontonians will start hitting the road, and visiting other communities within the Wild Rose province.
With that in mind, I’m hoping that between you and I, we can compile a list of good food outside of Edmonton. If you were to take a food pilgrimage around Alberta, where would be make sure that you stopped?
I’ve got a few locations, including:
- Peter’s Drive-In, Calgary (219 16 Avenune NE) - I’ll admit, the food at Peter’s isn’t really anything special, but they have the best milkshakes in North America.
- Tubby Dog, Calgary (1022 17 Avenue SW) - Where else can you get a hot dog that’s bacon-wrapped then deep-fried and topped with ham, homemade chili, cheese, mustard, bacon, hot peppers, onions and a fried egg?
- The Palisades Restaurant, Jasper (401 Patricia Street) - Best bison burgers in the province.
- Miss Italia Ristorante, Jasper (610 Patricia Street, 2nd Floor) - Exquisite Italian cuisine that won’t empty your wallet. I found this place a couple of years ago when I was looking for a different restaurant that used to be nearby. It’s become a “must-have” whenever I visit Jasper.
Those are just a few of the places that came into my head immediately. I’ll add more to the list as I think of them, and I hope that you’ll help increase the size of the list by leaving comments with some of your favourite food places around Alberta.
And, if you have any Edmonton restaurants you’d like to mention, leave a comment on the Edmonton Restaurant Guide.
Is the Suburban Burger at New City Likwid Lounge the best burger in Edmonton? I’ve been thinking about that question since I had one for the first time on Saturday night.
At the time, I was telling my friends that it wasn’t the best burger I’d ever eaten, but it was definitely high up in the list. This remains true. However, I also said that it wasn’t the best in the city. I said that it was one of the best, but not the best. This, as the rather leading headline to this article indicates, is inaccurate.
Having thought about all of the glorious, juicy, flavourful goodness that was packed into the Suburban Burger, I have to say that it is the best burger in Edmonton. Maybe, one day, I’ll eat a burger in this town that’s better, but that day hasn’t come.
The Suburban Burger even beats out the 100% Sirloin Burger at Two Rooms Cafe. It’s a few bucks cheaper, at $9 (compared to $11), and bacon, mushrooms, and cheese can be added for $0.50 each. Even if you load on those extra toppings, the Suburban still comes in $0.50 cheaper.
Of course, price doesn’t determine quality. Ultimately, taste is all that matters, and the Suburban Burger is packed full of flavour. The hand-made patty is incredibly juicy, but it’s not sloppy.
I’ve eaten burgers that were incredibly juicy, but which have fallen apart after the first couple of bites, making them an awkward mess to eat. And, of course, on the other end of the spectrum, there are burgers that are solidly constructed, but which are about as moist as a cardboard box.
The cooks in the Likwid Lounge kitchen have managed to find a near perfect balance between juiciness and solid construction.
Drink this with a pint of Big Rock Traditional Ale ($4.25 a pint every night from 8pm to closing) and you’re set for one of the best burger experiences in River City. I recommend sticking with fries to make the meal complete, but you can change that to a garden salad if you want to pretend you’re eating a healthy meal.
For more information about New City Likwid Lounge, read my review of the New City Compound.
If you’re constantly looking for new places to eat in Edmonton, you might be interested in a Facebook group I came across today, known as “The find a place to eat group.” You’ll need to have a Facebook account to view/join the group.
If you don’t want to join yet another Facebook group, just keep an eye on the Edmonton Restaurant Guide, as I’ll likely be using this group as a way of finding new restaurants to review and add to the guide.
I have a few family issues going on right now, so I haven’t been able to write a post for today. Instead, I’ll just pose a question for all of your: what are your favourite Edmonton restaurants? Any details you want to give—favourite dishes, average prices of a meal, etc.—would be great.
Hopefully, I’ll be back to posting as usual in a day or two.
The Roost Nightclub is no more. This past weekend was the last for the city’s most iconic queer club (it would be easy to argue that Flashback was more iconic, but it closed down years ago, so it doesn’t really count right now).
It’s a sad day for both the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered) community, and for open-minded club kids in general.
I have some pretty good memories of the Roost, myself, and I wish that I would have been able to get into the club on Saturday like I had planned.
Alas, I fell asleep on the couch like an old man, and didn’t wake up until it was too late. But, even if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to get in. The friends I was to go with waited in line for an hour and a half before the security guard told them to go home, because they wouldn’t be getting in before closing (the place was, understandably, filled to capacity).
The Roost wasn’t just a nightclub. It was also a cultural centre. There were a number of theatre productions—some good, some not-so-good—put on at the Roost, often starring members of the staff. There were plays, stand-up comedy nights, and even the occasional concert.
As sad as it is too lose such an important part of Edmonton’s nightlife and cultural scene, it was bound to happen. Being located in the increasingly trendy warehouse district, it was only a matter of time before the Roost’s owners got an offer that was too good to refuse.
Such an offer was accepted, and the Roost will be turned into a law office very soon.
There are indications that the Roost plans to reopen at another location, but as far as I can tell, that’s very up in the air right now. Hopefully, the Roost will reopen in the future, or another bar will open to fill the void that’s been created by it’s closure.
In the meantime…a law office? Seriously? Prime real estate in the warehouse district and, instead of building lofts, they’re opening a law office? That seems like a poor use of the space to me.
To honour the closing of an Edmonton landmark, I suggest that people use the comments section to relate some of their favourite memories about the Roost.
Ah, the Highlevel Diner (10912 88 Avenue). There is a reason it’s one of the most popular restaurants in Garneau, if not the entire city.
The atmosphere is cozy and comfortable. It feels like home, when you’re at the Highlevel Diner. The serving staff are always friendly, and seem to instinctively know when you need a coffee refill, and when you need to be left alone to chat with the people you’re dining with.
The last time I was at the Highlevel Diner, I was on a date and, like always, our server knew exactly when to offer refills on our coffee and tea, and when to stay back and let us get to know one another.
But, enough about the service. As important as it is, if the food is no good, quality of service becomes irrelevant.
I admit that I’ve only eaten at the Highlevel Diner a handful of times. But, I’ve had something different to eat each of those times.
The first thing I ever ate at the Highlevel was the veggie burger. Though I’m not a vegetarian, I enjoy a lot of vegetarian food, and I’ve found that veggie burgers are sometimes tastier than their fleshy equivalents.
Unfortunately, the above statement cannot be made of the veggie burgers at the Highlevel Diner.
The burger was dry, falling apart, and the texture was not even close to the texture of a real meat patty.
The patty is full of oatmeal and alfalfa sprouts. This, in itself is not a bad thing. However, they aren’t ground up and formed into a patty as much as they’re just thrown together losely, without much of a binding agent. This, in my opinion, is not a good burger.
Now, despite the disappointing texture, the Highlevel Diner veggie burger is actually doesn’t taste too bad. However, even when I go for vegetarian food, I’m something of a crypto-carnivore, and I want most of my meat replacements to have the same (or at least similar) taste and texture as the meat that they’re imitating.
Other items that I’ve eaten at the Highlevel Diner include the chili (which, I think, is available as a vegetarian dish), the Mediterranean appetizer plate, and the nachoes. All of these dishes were excellent.
I’ve also eaten a couple of desserts at the Highlevel Diner: brownies and cinnamon buns. Again, these were excellent.
Specific pricing information, unfortunately, has escaped from my brain the time of writing this article, but I can say that the prices at the Highlevel Diner are very reasonable. Most of the items on the menu are $15 or less, which is becoming harder and harder to find in Alberta’s booming economy.
So, if you’re looking for a laidback, home-style diner, check out the Highlevel Diner. It certainly fits the bill.
For more restaurant reviews and information, check out my Edmonton Restaurant Guide.
Update: I have found out where you can buy beer from Amber’s Brewery. I have edited this entry accordingly.
Edmonton is a beer drinking city. For evidence of this, one need look no further than, well, pretty much any restaurant in town.
Nearly every self-respecting restaurateur has a couple of brews on tap. The average bar, of course, has a wide variety on tap or in the cooler.
The range of beer that can be found in Edmonton drinking establishments is quite impressive. As well as the standard domestics—Molson Canadian, Kokanee, and Coors Light—you’ll usually find a number of imported suds. Heineken, Carlsburg, and Guinness are among the most common imports found in River City.
You’ll also find Big Rock beers, brewed in Calgary, in a number of fine establishments. Big Rock makes damn fine beer—I’m quite fond of their new XO Lager—and the fact that it’s brewed in Alberta makes it that much sweeter.
However, it’s not brewed in Edmonton.
Thankfully, Edmonton does have a beer brewing industry. It’s small, and there have been some unfortunate setbacks (the Maverick Brewing Company went under in 2006), but it’s starting to grow.
The main player (and, for a while, the only player) in the Edmonton beer industry is the Alley Kat Brewing Company.
I’m a huge fan of Alley Kat Beer. If you’re a beer drinker, and you haven’t tried any of Alley Kat’s microbrews, you’re missing out.
My personal favourite is Charlie Flint’s Original Lager, named after one of the founder’s of the Alberta brewing industry. It a crisp, refreshing blond lager made from Alberta barley and Czech hops.
The Amber is an excellent, slightly sweet ale, that I’m also quite fond of. It’s a reddish-brown ale with a fairly malty flavour. It’s best enjoyed with rich foods, but I find that it goes down quite well on it’s own, too.
The newest player in the Edmonton brewing industry is Amber’s Brewing Company, which is currently available at Sherbrooke Liquor Store (11819 St. Albert Trail). I haven’t tried their beer yet, but I’ve heard some good things about it. I’ll probably pick up a 6-pack of at least one of the 4 brews they make and try it over the holidays.
The one unfortunate thing about Edmonton’s two breweries is that their beer is not being served in a particularly large number of establishments in the city. In fact, I can think of only one place that serves either brand.
Hulbert’s is the only local eatery I can think of where Alley Kat is available.
In a beer drinking city like Edmonton, why aren’t our locally brewed beers being served everywhere? Excepting those places who have exclusive deals with Molson-Labatt’s, Edmonton-brewed beers should be available in just about every licensed place in River City.
It’s a shame that our local drinking holes don’t support our local beer. There is a way to fix this, though.
The next time you’re in your favourite bar or restaurant, ask the server if they serve Alley Kat or Amber’s. If they don’t, ask them to start. If enough people ask for it, the management will recognize the demand, and start providing the supply.
So, take action, Edmonton! Demand local beer in local establishments today!
I have a question for all of my Edmonton-based readers today: Where are all the pubs with dartboards in Edmonton?
I’m looking for a place that I go with some friends, toss a few darts, and drink a few pints. I have not been able to find such a place.
Fear of injuries and litigation are probably responsible for the demise of the beer parlour dartboard. But, surely, there are still drinking establishments where one can throw sharp objects while intoxicated.
I asked this question on the River City Writers Facebook group, but so far, no one has responded, so I thought I’d ask my blog readers.
So, once again, what are some Edmonton pubs that have dartboards?
Update #1: I put this question out to my contacts on Twitter, and received a couple of answers from Thuraya:
@ink_slinger also there is Avenue Pizza by the U that has 3 or four but the place itself is kinda scuzzy about 1 hour ago from web in reply to ink_slinger 
@ink_slinger there is the Black Dog on Whyte, they have two in the back. the Elephant and Castle in Edmonton Center (by the theater) has 2 about 1 hour ago from web in reply to ink_slinger
Update #2: Another response from someone on Twitter. This time, it comes from bruceclarke:
@ink_slinger At one time I thought the Billiard Club had some but it has been some time since I’ve been there. The place downstairs did too. about 16 hours ago from web in reply to ink_slinger
In an effort to provide more value to the readers of River City Writer, I have decided to create an Edmonton Nightlife Guide, similar to the Edmonton Restaurant Guide.
As with that guide, I am asking for reader submissions. Tell me about your favourite clubs, bars, and pubs. If you’re feeling especially motivated, you could even write a full review (you will, of course, be credited for your work).
Bars/Pubs/Lounges
Black Dog Freehouse (10425 Whyte Avenue) - Canadian-style pub, with an unpretentious atmosphere. Everyone is welcome at the Black Dog. Dartboards in the back.
Sherlock Holmes (Downtown - Rice Howard Way; West Edmonton Mall - Bourbon Street; Capilano Mall - North Entrance) - English-style pub. Capilano Mall location has dartboards.
Elephant & Castle (Downtown - City Centre Mall; Southside - 10314 Whyte Avenue) - English-style pub. Downtown location has dartboards.
Kasbar Lounge (10444 Whyte Avenue, downstairs) - Mediterranean-themed cocktail lounge.
Nightclubs
Halo (10538 Jasper Avenue) - House music dance lounge; Mod Club on Friday nights. Read a full review of Halo.
New City Compound (10081 Jasper Avenue) - Liwkid Lounge upstairs, Suburbs downstairs; punk/goth/alternative lifestyle club. Read a full review of the New City Compound.
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