Hicks' Weekly Dish: Million Thai Restaurant - unforgettable stir fry BY GRAHAM HICKS, POSTMEDIA NETWORK FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 02, 2016

Million Thai Restaurant Food: 3.5 of 5 Suns Ambience: 2.5 of 5 Suns Service: 4 of 5 Suns 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays millionthaiedmonton.com Dinner for two excluding drinks and tip: Basic, $25; loaded, $40 I’d love to write that Million Thai Restaurant is one of those hidden gems where great ethnic food is to be had in a dimly-lit diner with deteriorating Halloween-orange Naugahyde back-rests. Alas, in Million Thai’s case, the gem in the rough is only half true. Two of the main dishes were beautiful, fragrant, fresh and delicious. But of other two, one was passable and one not properly prepared. As a hole-in-the-wall prospect, Million Thai was tantalizing. It’s in Beverly at the east end of 118th Avenue, in a mildly dilapidated strip mall (parking out front) with a physiotherapy clinic on one side and a convenience store on the other. In short, the kind of area you expect to find a hidden gem. The kitchen, next to the restaurant, has i ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks Weekly Dish: Alberta Hotel Bar + Grill among the best BY GRAHAM HICKS, POSTMEDIA NETWORK FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016

Alberta Hotel Bar + Grill 9802 Jasper Ave 780-760-0062 albertahotelbarkitchen.com Mon. to Thurs. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 p.m. to midnight Fri. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sat. 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday closed Food: 4 of 5 Suns Ambience: 4 of 5 Suns Service: 4.5 of 5 Suns Dinner for two excluding drinks and tip: Basic, $60; loaded, $80 I was worried, but I ought not to have been. Worried that the Alberta Hotel Bar + Kitchen, burdened with expectation, could not win for want of trying. A few years ago, across Jasper Avenue from the Shaw Conference Centre, architect/developer Gene Dub replicated the once-fine Alberta Hotel, torn down in its declining years to make way for that pink palace known as Canada Place. On the main floor, architect Dub re-created the early 20th century ambiance of the original Alberta Hotel bar and restaurant. The Hardware Grill’s Larry Stewart leased the premise and soon opened Tavern 1903 with magnificent food and ambience. Somet ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks' Weekly Dish: Great value at Buco Pizzeria + Vino BY GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016

Buco Pizzeria + Vino Shops at Boudreau Boudreau Rd. + Bellerose Dr. St. Albert 780-569-2826 bucopizzeria.com 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (later on weekends) Seven days a week Food: 4.5 of 5 Suns Ambience: 4 of 5 Suns Service: 3.5 of 5 Suns Dinner for two excluding drinks and tip: Basic, $25; loaded, $50 It is a joy to experience a top-notch, reasonably priced restaurant – offering champagne quality at beer-tap prices. But of course: Buco Pizzeria + Vino in St. Albert is the latest offering from the Rago family’s Sorrentino Group of restaurants. The family, headed up by Carmelo and Stella Rago, have been opening restaurants in Metropolitan Edmonton some 40 years. Their down home style, upgraded by flair and fashion, has been expressed through the original Sorrento, all the Sorrentino’s Italian restaurants, Caffe Sorrentino, Bistecca, sports bars and the occasional pub. With the Rago’s three sons slowly taking over the show, it’s no surprise a new ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks' Weekly Dish: HUMA Mexican Comfort's food just so-so BY GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2016

HUMA Mexican Comfort 9880 63 Ave. 780-433-9229 humamexicanrestaurant.ca 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. , closed Mondays Food: 3 of 5 Suns Ambience: 3.5 of 5 Suns Service: 3.5 of 5 Suns Dinner for two excluding drinks and tip: Basic, $30; loaded, $50 The atmosphere is authentic, the decorations and the menu truly reflect the down-home Mexican heritage of the mom and pop owners, now 10 years in Edmonton. The servers are charming. Ours was a second-generation Latino-Canadian, who knew the cuisine and was confident in her recommendations. Prices are very good. One person can eat well for $20. It’s just too bad that the food at HUMA Mexican Comfort, overall, is so-so. HUMA shares a commercial strip that bends around the northeast corner of 63rd Avenue and 99th Street. It’s charming, done up in bright Mexican colours, with lots of old-fashioned tables and chairs. On a cold Thursday evening, it was surprisingly busy. The HUMA menu is big, probably too big, with five pages of app ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks`Weekly Dish: Fresh Fit Foods challenge a success BY GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 03, 2015

For three weeks, with Garner Andrews (Sonic FM), J’Lyn Nye (CHED), Gillian Foote (The Bear), Chris Sheetz (CISN), Matt DeBeurs (CISN), Matt Chalut (The Bounce), Liann Cameron (The Bounce), Ashley Sexsmith (Kula Klips), publicist Donna Zazulak, Wendy Mueller, Deb Jakubec (Canadian Diabetes Association) nd Chris Reeve (Edmonton Child Magazine), I have stayed within a carefully designed, 1,800 calories-a-day nutrition program with all the food (three meals and two snacks a day) coming from the Fresh Fit Foods’ kitchen. As part of the Media Challenge, thanks to Fresh Fit’s sister company World Health, we have all had three sessions per week with a personal trainer. I’ve been exercising an hour a day, six days a week, be it in the gym (resistance), running or biking (cardio) or yoga (stretching). It’s safe to say the results and the attitude adjustments have been an eye-opener. Those endless messages about eating a big breakfast, avoiding sugar and deep-fried food, eating lea ... Read the rest of entry »

Graham Hicks jumps into Fresh Fit Foods' 21 Day Challenge BY GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015

To review restaurants on a weekly basis is, yes, a dream assignment. Any whining -having to eat out, tiring of rich foods -would be silly in the extreme. But my weight has sneaking up -from 155 pounds a few years back, to 160, to 165, and, as of Monday, 169 pounds. At 5 foot, 5 inches, I'm porky. My clothes still fit, but the gut is hanging over the belt. So when Fresh Fit Foods invited local media personalities to participate in its 21 Day Challenge, I jumped at the chance. BOLD BUSINESS Fresh Fit Foods is a bold business venture by World Health Club owner David Hardy and partners, a bet that Edmontonians want to be pro-active about their health, that in this deep-fryer world of cream, cheese, fats and sugars here, there and everywhere, we need not look and feel like blimps. From a commercial kitchen beside the Glenora World Health club, Fresh Fit Foods produces individual meals and snacks that can be purchased on-line and picked up at any of the 10 World Health clubs in Metro Edmonton. The ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks' Weekly Dish: Tofu House offers excellent Korean cuisine BY GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015

Tofu House Korean Restaurant 5020-97 St. 780-989-0804 Facebook, no website Seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sunday 11:30 a.m. opening) Food: 4 of 5 Suns Ambience: 2.5 of 5 Suns Service: 3 of 5 Suns Dinner for two excluding drinks and tip: Basic, $25; loaded, $40 I guess they don’t need to advertise, when two-thirds of the large Tofu House was taken up by a funeral party and the balance of the Korean restaurant was respectably full for Saturday lunch. But how sad. This very good, authentic Korean restaurant is unknown outside its Asiatic, mostly Chinese clientele. On the south side, Tofu House is at 51 Avenue and 97 Street in a former Swiss Chalet. The interior isn’t going to win design awards. The Swiss Chalet naugahyde remains unchanged. Nobody pays much attention to customer service. Inadequate English was an issue with several servers. But the Korean food is excellent, the best I’ve had in Edmonton. Don’t be put off by the name. This is n ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks' Weekly Dish: Memphis Blues Barbeque House offers great value BY GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 06, 2015

Memphis Blues Barbeque House 5317 23 Ave. NW 780-428-6328 (also locations in Sherwood Park and Castledowns) Seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Sundays, noon to 9 p.m.) Food: 3.5 of 5 Suns Ambience: 3.5 of 5 Suns Service: 3.5 of 5 Suns Dinner for two excluding drinks and tip: Basic, $25; loaded, $50 The Memphis Blues Barbeque House all-meat platter is a delight for the eyes … and for the wallet. Five hungry adults looked in awe at the Memphis Feast platter as it made its triumphant arrival to our table in the small chain’s Mill Woods outlet. Clock-wise around the platter, all nice ‘n’ hot ‘n’ looking so tasty, were BIG portions of various meats – a fine slab of ribs, beef brisket, smoked sausage, rib ends, pulled pork, BBQ chicken, French fries, three pieces of corn bread and, in the centre in four bowls, BBQ pit beans, coleslaw, potato salad and the in-house BBQ dipping sauce. How much food? We were a party of five hungry adults ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks Weekly Dish: Now THAT'S a hot dog! BY GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2015

The Dog 9567A 118 Ave. 780-424-6823 Tues. to Sun. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Mondays Food: 4 of 5 Suns Ambience: 3 of 5 Suns Service: 3.5 of 5 Suns Dinner for two excluding drinks and tip: Basic, $20; loaded, $35 The lowly hot dog ascends, from a kids’ birthday party staple, to Fat Franks hot dog stands, to the crazy Asian fusion dogs at the It’ Dog. And now the hot dog arrives to its full magnificent glory.  The Dog is a sit-down  hot-dog emporium on 118 Avenue where you can order 23 kinds of hot dogs – at least 14 variations based on excellent locally made beef and beef/pork dogs, then hot dogs built from  kangaroo, elk, wild boar and alligator sausage, and even three vegetarian dogs!  The Dog shares its building and ownership with the best BBQ house in town, Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus, which means it shares the quirky creativeness of over-all owner Bjorn Cochran. Cochran has had a lot of laughs creating The Dog. You’d associate the ... Read the rest of entry »

WEEKLY DISH Edmonton's Cafe Amore - As good as ever! BY GRAHAM HICKS, EDMONTON SUN FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015

Cafe Amore 10807 106 Ave. 780-477-7896 www.cafeamorebistro.com Mon.- Fri: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Friday to 11 p.m.) Sat. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Sundays Food: 4.5 of 5 Suns Ambience: 4 of 5 Suns Service: 4.5 of 5 Suns Dinner for two excluding drinks and tip: Basic, $30; loaded, $60 You’d think it’d be easy to run a good restaurant. Cook good food, have pleasant servers, charge reasonable prices. Surely the world will beat a path to your door. Of course it’s not easy at all. In fact, it’s one of the most difficult businesses imaginable – to have consistently excellent food  and service no matter how busy or how empty the restaurant, no matter if the cook just walked out the door in a hissy fit, no matter if hung-over servers don’t  show up. Café Amore is one of the very few restaurants in this town able to do just that – always have great food, always have pleasant, professional servers, always give excellent value ... Read the rest of entry »