River City Writer

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.

It was my birthday last Friday, and in addition to visiting Padmanadi (one of my new favourite restaurants), my friends and I went to Halo.

Halo is a nightclub in downtown Edmonton (10538 Jasper Avenue). From what I’ve been told, they play house music 6 nights of the week. I’ve never been on any day other than Friday, so I don’t know for sure.

On Friday nights, however, Halo becomes The Mod Club. This means that the music ranges from 60s soul and R&B to Brit Pop to New Wave to Punk to Mod(ern) Indie Rock. Basically, the DJs play anything that would have been played in a club during the height of the original mod movement, with a modern twist.

For years, Halo was my favourite place to be on a Friday night. The music was great, the people were cool, and the vibe was fun and friendly.

Maybe it’s because I’m a little bit older now, or maybe it’s just because I’m not as interested in that particular scene as I once was, but I didn’t find myself enjoying Halo or the Mod Club as much as I used to.

Don’t get me wrong, I still had a blast, and you’ll still find me kicking it old school on the occasional Friday night, but it’s just not my regular scene anymore.

The music is still great. That much, I will not deny.

The vibe in the club is great, too. The faux wood paneling and the forest wallpaper give the place a 70s rumpus room feel, which totally fits the Mod Club scene.

The people, though, are not quite the same.

The crowd who was at Halo during my days as a regular seems to have mostly moved on. I saw a few familiar faces on Friday, but not many.

At 24, I was probably one of the oldest people in the entire club. The vast majority of the kids on the dance floor were 18 and 19.

It was clear, by the awkwardness that was being expressed in their body language, that most of these kids were experiencing Edmonton’s nightlife for the first time.

I avoided the dance floor.

Halo used to be one of the few places were I’d let lose and actually dance like no one was watching. Now, it felt too awkward.

Even in a bar, where people are expected to get much closer and more intimate with one another than they would in most other settings, there are certain rules about personal space.

Those rules were frequently violated on Friday night.

Admittedly, Halo is a very small club. But, I’ve been there on nights that were much busier—when people have been squeezed together like sardines—and felt less violated than I did on Friday night.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about the way the kids on the dance floor moved was, well, awkward and uncomfortable. If I had to guess, I’d say that most of them were not comfortable in their own bodies, and their movements were incredibly awkward as a result.

Despite the general awkwardness of the patrons, Halo is still one of my favourite clubs in the city. It’s a little bit different than the typical Top 40 club—the music, the people, and the overall vibe are much nicer—and it’s still unknown enough that there’s rarely a long line to get in.

But, it’s definitely become a place for a younger crowd (probably, it always was; I was only 21 during the height of my Halo years, so I might just feel older than I did then). If you’re over 21, you’ll probably feel a bit out of place among the barely legal youths prancing awkwardly around the dance floor.

If you can get over any sense of awkwardness—have a couple of drinks, you’ll feel fine—you’ll be in for a night of great music and one of the coolest atmospheres in Edmonton’s nightclub scene.

For more nightlife reviews and information, check out my Edmonton Nightlife Guide.

Two Rooms Cafe is one of those places that’s easy to walk past and not notice, if you don’t know that it’s there.

Nestled in the old Dominion Hotel building near the corner of Gateway Boulevard and Whyte Avenue, Two Rooms is perhaps the best kept secret on the Avenue.

Serving what is best described as “Canadian Cuisine,” Two Rooms offers a wide selection of entrées: sandwiches, pasta dishes, burgers, and more.

For my money, the best item on the menu is the 100% Sirloin Burger.

For $11, you get the juiciest, tastiest burger you’ll ever bite into, along with a choice of soup or salad. The salad comes with a home-made dressing that is absolutely delicious. I’m not sure what the recipe is, but it has hints of cucumber, vinegar (naturally), and a hint of tanginess that I can’t quite place (lime?).

I’ve tried the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich in the past, and it’s also a good choice. I don’t recall the exact price, but I believe that it’s also $11.

Two Rooms has an extensive wine selection that, I’m told, is quite good. Not being much of a wine connoisseur, and having never ordered a glass of wine at Two Rooms, I can’t verify the accuracy of that statement.

The beer selection is quite good, and there is a full bar, so you should be able to get whatever cocktails you might be in the mood for.

The non-alcoholic drink selection is fairly impressive, too. In addition to the standard pop, coffee, and tea choices, Two Rooms also offers sparkling water, Orangina, and Italian sodas.

In addition to the great food, the Two Rooms Cafe has a nice, cozy atmosphere. The decor is mostly dark wood, which fits well in the old building.

Jazz or electronic music is usually played in the background, providing a nice ambiance, without distracting from the dinner conversation.

There’s also something oddly appealing about having your dinner served to your table by the same guy who cooked it.

I’ve only been to Two Rooms Cafe a few times, but it’s quickly become one of my favourite Edmonton restaurants. The food is great, as is the atmosphere.

The price is good, as well. I went for dinner with an old friend last night, and our bill came to only $40 (including tax and tip) for two Sirloin Burgers, a $7 glass of wine, and an Orangina ($3.25).

For more restaurant reviews and information, check out my Edmonton Restaurant Guide.

Last weekend, I found myself at Padmanadi, an Indonesian vegetarian restaurant in Chinatown. The first thing I noticed is that it’s a very small space. It’s not uncomfortably small, though. It could probably be described as “cozy.”

It was fairly sparsely decorated but, oddly enough, that was part of the charm. The people—both the staff and the customers—were much more interesting than any decor could have been. There was a sort of “bohemian charm” about the place.

More important than the atmosphere was the food itself. We decided to each order a dish, and share them, so that we could sample a variety of the items on the menu.

There were 5 of us there that night, so we managed to order quite a few different items. We had “chicken” curry, kung pow “chicken,” deep-friend “shrimp,” coconut rice, and BBQ tofu. We also ordered an extra side dish of rice. Like a lot of Asian restaurants, complimentary tea is provided with the meal, so I didn’t bother to order anything special to drink.

The first dish that arrived on the table was the curry, which I had ordered. I’ve been a fan of curry for a long time, so I was looking forward to this dish. It was genuinely one of the best curried dishes I’ve ever tasted. While the “chicken” didn’t taste quite like real chicken, it was pretty close. It still had a bit of a unique flavour to it, which actually might have made me enjoy the dish even more.

The kung pow chicken was also excellent, and the imitation chicken tasted a bit more like real chicken that it did in the curry dish. If I had to guess, I’d say that the kung pow spices covered the “non-meat” taste enough that it seemed more like real meat than the curry did.

The BBQ tofu was surprisingly good. I’m not usually a fan of tofu, unless it’s in a stir fry, but this was actually pretty good. It still had the mushy texture that tends to turn me off of tofu, so I don’t think I’d order it again, but for people who enjoy tofu, I’d definitely recommend it.

The coconut rice seemed to just be plain rice. I didn’t really notice any coconut flavour, and at least one other person commented that they couldn’t taste it either. I’m sure there was coconut milk in the rice, but it wasn’t as noticeably sweet as coconut rice usually is. Even though it came with a couple of little bite-sized tofu things, and something that tasted kind of like deep-fried pork, I don’t think I’d pay the price for this dish again, since it essentially tasted just like normal rice.

The last dish that we ordered was the battered shrimp. I have no idea what they used in place of real shrimp, but it did taste pretty close. Like the chicken, it didn’t taste quite right, but considering that it isn’t real shrimp, that’s to be expected.

All of the items we ordered were $9.99 or less, except the shrimp, which was $10.99. There were 5 people at our table, and we ate good for about $60 (including tip). It was definitely a good meal, at a great price. I’ll definitely be going back, probably pretty soon. I’m actually tempted to make a reservation for my birthday this year.

In any case, vegetarian or not, I highly recommend Padmanadi. The price is low, the food is good, and the atmosphere is more interesting than it really should be.

For more restaurant reviews and information, check out my Edmonton Restaurant Guide.

Last night, I had a date, and we went to Doan’s Vietnamese Restaurant (south side location) for dinner. Doan’s has long been one of my favourite restaurants in the city (either location—both are equally good, in my opinion), so I figured that we couldn’t go wrong. It’s also rarely busy—a table is usually guaranteed without a wait, even on the weekend—and the food is inexpensive.

My favourite dish on the menu is the Seafood Sizzling Platter, but I don’t order it often, as it’s one of the most expensive items on the menu (approx. $17). Last night, I opted for the Prawns, Beef & Pork Vermicelli dish. I honestly didn’t even look at the price, but I think it was around $10 or $12. My date ordered one of the Combinations for 1. Specifically, she ordered the chicken combo (Combo A).

Each of the Combo for 1 dishes comes with a small bowl of wonton soup, and a main course of rice, vegetables, and whatever meat is in the combo (beef, pork, prawns, or chicken are the options). Each of these combo plates is about $10. The prawn combo is slightly more expensive at $11.

If you’re not feeling particularly adventurous, the Combo for 1 dishes are a safe bet. They aren’t bland or boring, but they’re not particularly creative or unique, either. They are a safe, inexpensive option for more cautious diners. I’ve been known to order a combo plate myself, from time to time.

While I find that most of the food I order at Doan’s to be quite flavourful, the vermicelli dish wasn’t. I found it very bland, even after adding soy sauce and hot chili sauce to it. The special fish sauce might have given it some zing, but I’m not a huge fan of fish sauce, so I didn’t try it.

I’ve ordered vermicelli dishes at Doan’s before, and had the same problem. I’d much rather order one of the many lemongrass dishes, or the Seafood Sizzling Platter that I’m so fond of. I think I’ll try and remember to stay clear of the bland vermicelli dishes from now on.

I ordered a Tsingtao beer with my meal, which went well. As tends to be the case with beer, if you order a drink from the same region as the food you’re eating, it will likely compliment it well. Tsingtao is a Chinese beer so, while it isn’t Vietnamese, it comes from Asia, and goes well with most Asian food (though, I have a feeling that it wouldn’t work as well with Japanese food). At $4.75 for a bottle, the Tsingtao was a very good price, considering what you typically pay for imported beer in other restaurants.

In terms of service, I have to admit that the south side location is much better than the downtown location. I tend to go downtown more often, just because it’s so close to my apartment, but the service is very slow, and very poor most of the time. It’s rare that I even get my water glass refilled before the end of my meal at the downtown location. The south side location provides much faster, and far more attentive service than the downtown location.

The food is equally good at either location, but the service is better at the south side location. Having said that, the downtown location isn’t so bad that I’d make a point of driving to the south side because of the difference in service.

For more restaurant reviews and information, check out my Edmonton Restaurant Guide.

This weekend, I went to New City. I hadn’t been in quite a few months, so I was really looking forward to it, especially since New City is one of my favourite clubs in the city.

There’s just something about rocking out with punks, goths, raver kids, queers, and pretty much any other “weird” subculture that’s totally awesome. Plus, the music is usually pretty ass-kicking.

Saturday happened to be goth night, which I hadn’t realized ahead of time, but it was still a blast. Dark rave music blasted, and was pretty fun to dance to, even though it’s not really my kind of music. Toward the end of the night, the music changed up a bit, and went more toward the punk and neo-mod side of things, which is more my speed. Dancing to “Anarchy in the UK” is a bit of an odd experience, though.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the New City Compound, it consists of the Likwid Lounge (upstairs) and the Suburbs (downstairs). The Lounge is, as the name indicates, a lounge. There are plush couches, pool tables, and TVs that tend to show cool old school cartoons (Betty Boop, for example).

The Suburbs area is the club. It’s got a huge dance floor, and three separate bars. It’s also got a good-sized stage that’s host to all kinds of punk and rockabilly shows on weekdays. The atmosphere is a cross between the old school rave scene, and the Nightmare Before Christmas.

The music varies depending on the night of the week, and is different depending on whether you’re upstairs or down, but typical sounds include punk, rockabilly, electro, industrial, and anything that still manages into that vague and undefinable area known as “alternative music.”

In addition to being a bad ass night club, New City is also host to a number of concerts, stand-up comedy events, and punk rock bingo.

In many ways, it’s the gathering place for the alternative subcultures in Edmonton. Essentially, everyone is welcome. If you go on any given Saturday night, you’re likely to see drag queens, hardcore punks, goths, weird shirtless dudes in too-tight leather pants, and the occasional “normal” person, as well.

The only thing you won’t see at New City are the self-absorbed bar star types (both male and female) that you tend to see at a lot of “trendy” clubs. Aside from the fact that these people won’t usually go to New City, the dress code of “no athletic wear” allows the staff to use their discretion to keep out anyone who is likely to cause trouble.

Basically, if you like a crazy atmosphere where pretty much anything goes, New City is the place for you. Whether you’re looking for a laid back time in the Likwid Lounge, or a hardcore party downstairs in the Suburbs, you’ll be hard-pressed to have a bad time at New City.

For more nightlife reviews and information, check out my Edmonton Nightlife Guide.

I’ve been thinking that I’d like to do a nightclub, pub, and bar list, similar to the Edmonton Restaurant Guide that I’m working on (there should be some complete reviews posted in the coming days). I’ve already written an article about Union Hall, and I can think of a few other bars that I’d love to write about.

Despite having a few bars that I love, and would enjoy plugging on River City Writer, I’m not a huge bar-goer.

When I do go out, I tend to stick to the watering holes that I know best. I’ll try something new once in a while but, I’m less adventurous with bars than I am with restaurants. A drink is a drink, I guess, so I’ll stick with a crowd that I’m comfortable with, most of the time.

That’s why I need you to help me create the list.

I’ll do what I can to expand my nightlife exploration, but I need help from my readers if this list is going to be the best that it can be. Tell me some of your favourite bars, pubs, and nightclubs in and around Edmonton. If possible, give me a brief write-up about the place (1 paragraph should be sufficient, but feel free to write more), in case I don’t get to visit the place myself.

While we’re on the subject of reader-generated content, I’m still looking for places to add to the restaurant guide. If you’ve got a place that isn’t on the list yet, let me know about it, and I’ll visit it when I have a chance, and write a review.

Last night, I went to Union Hall. I’d never been before because it’s way out on the south side of the city, and because I’m not generally a fan of huge mega-clubs. Really, I’m not a fan of clubs in general.

With rare exception, I’d rather hangout at a pub, and be able to actually hear what my friends are saying when I’m out. Sometimes, though, loud music and dancing are the thing to do, especially when there is an attractive woman involved.

I have to admit, despite my lack of fondness for over-sized dance clubs, Union was pretty awesome. While I did meet a few vapid girls in line while I was waiting to get in, most of the people in the club were cool, laid back, and friendly. There were none of the typical meatheads and bar stars you usually find at clubs in this city (or any city, for that matter).

The music was pretty damn good, too, despite the fact that they played Limp Bizkit—twice. There’s a good reason that no one has listened to Limp Bizkit for over 6 years. But, I guess when everyone is drunk and rowdy, any kind of aggressive music will do.

Aside from the Limp Bizkit faux pas, the music was rockin’. Most of the clubs in this city play really, really shitty music. Union is one of the few exceptions.

There is one thing about Union that I don’t like. They use the infamous BarLink system. I’m pretty strongly opposed to BarLink, and didn’t realize that they used it until I was already handing over my ID to be scanned.

At that point, I was already in the system, and couldn’t really do anything about it, so I figured that I might as well go inside. Besides, I was meeting a woman, and apparently I’m willing to loosen my principles when an attractive woman is involved.

If you’re opposed to the BarLink system, or have privacy concerns about it, avoid Union Hall. But, if you don’t mind having your ID scanned into the system, or you’re already in the system, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Other than the BarLink issue, and the occasional poor song selection, I can’t find much to criticize about Union. It claims to be “Edmonton’s only bar with no expectations,” and that’s essentially true (even if it is just marketing speak).

The club’s tag line, “Show up, don’t show off,” is one that’s followed by almost all of the patrons. No one is looking to show off or cause trouble, they’re just looking to have a good time and a great party.

Last week, I asked for people to select their favourite Edmonton restaurants, and let me know what they were. Only a couple of people have added to the list, but I expect that to change soon. I’m still looking for new recommendations for the list, and I will add all of your choices to this list over time.

I’ll also add short reviews based on my experiences with the restaurants. Some of the restaurants on the list are my own additions (although, for now, I’ve mostly kept the list to places that have been recommended by readers), but it’s been a while since I’ve visited most of them. Because I want my reviews to be as up-to-date as possible, I won’t write reviews of my additions until I’ve given them a more recent visit.

It may take a while, but I will do my best to visit every single restaurant that is recommended, even as the list grows over time. Feel free to add your own reviews in the comments section, if they’re particularly helpful, I may use them as the official review for the list (with credit given to you, and a link to your website, if applicable).

Doan’s Vietnamese Restaurant (10130-107 Street & 7909-104 Street) - Vietnamese. Good food and low prices. Read a full review of Doan’s Vietnamese Restaurant.

Double Greeting Wonton House (10212-96 Street) - Chinese

Dynasty Restaurnant (10316-76 Avenu) - Chinese (with Dim Sum)

Garden Bakery (10019-106 Street) - Chinese Bakery & Restaurant

Golden Bird Restaurant (10544-97 Street) - Vietnamese

Highlevel Diner (10912-88 Avenue) - Home-style diner. Good food, friendly atmosphere, and a reasonably priced menu. Read a full reveiw of the Highlevel Diner.

Hoang Long (10715-98 Street - Restaurant; West Edmonton Mall Chinatown - Noodle House; 10041-170 Street - Family Restaurant) - Vietnamese & Thai

Mirama Dining & Lounge (9431 Jasper Avenue) - Chinese (with Dim Sum)

Padmanadi (10626-97 Street) - Indonesian/Vegetarian. Great vegetarian food, especially for the crypto-carnivores out there (fake meat is a big part of the menu). Read a full review of Padmanadi.

Rasoi India Restaurant (#9, 9261 – 34 Avenue) - Indian. Check the comments for a press release left by the owner.

Spago (12433-97 Street (only accessible from 97 Street northbound) ) - Portuguese/Seafood

Thanh Thanh Oriental Noodle House (10718-101 Street) - Thai

Two Rooms Cafe (101, 10324 82 Avenue) - Canadian. Excellent food, good prices, and a comfortable, cozy atmosphere. Read a full review of Two Rooms Cafe.

Wild Earth Bakery (8902-99 Street) - North American Bakery/Coffeehouse

Today, dear readers, I open the blog to you. I have a simple question to ask of you: what are Edmonton’s best restaurants? Give me as much information as you like. Ideally, it would be good to at least know the name of the restaurant, and the type of food that they serve. Addresses would be great, as well.

I will compile all of your suggestions into a list, with my own additions, that I will post sometime next week.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a good weekend. I’m busy packing for a weekend away, hence the rather short post today. I’ve got some great restaurants to tell you about, but I’ll only share if you tell me about your favourites. Sound like a deal?