Hardware Grill
9698 Jasper Ave., 780-423-0969
Chefs Larry and Melinda Stewart were visionaries when, in 1996, they leased an old hardware store in a depressed part of downtown and turned it into one of the first independent restaurants to offer seasonally inspired Prairie cuisine. "This restaurant is Edmonton-born and bred," reflects Larry. "From the structure to the artwork, chandeliers and menu ingredients, it's created with local effort."
The restaurant's formula of quality ingredients with quality preparation has led to longer hours of operation. Most recently, the Hardware Grill reopened for lunch, where "you'll recognize lots of classic dishes on this renaissance menu," says Larry.
The afternoon menu is classic, for sure.
Beneath a thick crust of melted cheese, the French onion soup ($8) is thick with caramelized onions that sweeten the broth. Quasi-traditional, the B.L.T. wedge salad ($6 for small, $11 for large) combines Little Gem lettuce, grape tomatoes and in-house candied bacon, all dressed in
a delicate avocado dressing.
A need for a heartier lunch warrants the chicken confit carbonara pasta ($16). It's a creamy pasta dish with a poached egg perched on top - a nice alternative to the raw egg used traditionally in carbonara sauce. Or try the beef bourguignon ($20), which comes as two chunks of chuck ribs from Spring Creek Ranch, slow roasted with wine, bacon and vegetables.
Don't go back to work without trying the butterscotch pudding made with 12-year-old Glenlivet ($4.50) or another of the delicious mini-desserts. They're worth asking your boss for an extended lunch.
Skinny Legs and Cowgirls
12202 Jasper Ave., 780-423-4107
Enjoying its new location, still on Jasper Avenue, this family business is known for its large portions and platters that can easily be shared by a small clan. Skinny Legs pays special attention to organic vegetables and, whenever possible, regional produce. That's noticeable in the many veggie dishes on the menu, especially the
platter of at least 17 grilled vegetables ($25). (The variety can swell to as many as 40 items
in the summer!)
The polenta ($18) and spaghetti squash ($14) could also make any omnivore a vegetarian. Who knew a buttery mixture of squash, lemon, cashews and nutmeg could be so good?
Skinny Legs also takes its meat seriously. "Our meat is hormone- and antibiotic-free and grass-fed from local farmers," says chef Jacob Amico, proudly. If you're looking for a pinch of protein, try the grilled Caesar salad for two ($25). It has an addictive smoky flavour, lots of garlicky croutons, deep-fried capers, a creamy dressing and bacon from Irvings Farm Fresh in Vimy, Alta. For something meatier, try the Franco Pollo ($25), a sautéed free-range chicken finished in a thick tomato cream reduction sauce and flavoured with coriander and cayenne. Pair it and share it with Papa's con Leche ($20), a dish of creamy potatoes with feta, peanuts, onions and chilies. Or you can splurge on the signature mixed grill ($90), a mammoth plate of grilled bison rib-eye, rack of lamb, beef tenderloin filet mignon, Berkshire pork ribs and potato gratin layered with blue cheese.
There's dessert, of course, but don't feel bad if you don't have room.
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