The Lingnan

In Edmonton, my family got together with my brother's in-laws at The Lingnan. Retro Chinese food is an understatement. It was great.

Avoiding the fact that this restaurant has its own reality TV show, the Lingnan is a great place on its own:

• the interior is classic; the staff are all in uniform
  
• the tablewear must have been bought on eBay, or they still have stock from 1971
• the placemats are the ones with the cocktail selection that hasn't changed since the '80s
  
• the food is good old-school Canadian chinese food: no Thai/Japanese fusion here
• they contracted a microbrewry to brew their own excellent beer (iinfused with ginseng)

I haven't been to a restaurant like that since my family frequented Lucky Star (Victoria Park and Steeles) in the 1980s, and the Lingnan is far better.

Excellent Samosas: Surati Sweet Mart

Nathan brought some excellent samosas as an appetizer tonight. They were big, light, not oily at all and were spiced really well. Kinda like the perfect matzo ball:

Surati Sweet Mart, 26 Carnforth Road, Toronto

Pimenton

Last Saturday, Meredith and I were walking down Mt. Pleasant and I noticed a new storefront, Pimenton: Spanish and Mediterranean Fine Foods. When we walked in, we found Chef Lola Csullog-Fernández behind the counter and Chef Laura Gildemeester walking out of the kitchen. Chef Lola taught both the Mediterranean and Spanish Regional Cuisine courses I attended at George Brown College.

At Pimenton, Meredith and I sampled some flatbreads and a feta and walnut dip. After picking a dip for the road an a ball of fried bulger wheat with bleu cheese, Lola handed us some traditional spanish cookies wrapped in paper -- exactly how my grandmother used to make them.

Pimenton opened its doors in January and is now serving take-away meals, and offering catering and classes.