VEGETARIANS JUST GOT LUCKY

[Guest guest]

Edmonton - Vancouver?ish? DISH VEGETARIANS JUST GOT LUCKY ELLA JAMESON / ella Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a vegetarian. Sure, I went through a phase in college when I didn’t eat meat. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it—I just couldn’t afford it. With my first paycheque after graduation, I bought a big ol’ steak and ate it with a side of pork chops.A couple of my friends are vegetarians, bless them, but they seldom eat out. At a restaurant that caters to omnivores, they can never be certain that the kitchen is keeping their preparation areas separate for vegan dishes.So when one of them pointed out the Lucky Saloon and Eatery, a brand spankin’ new

south side vegetarian restaurant just off 99 Street, it didn’t take much spurring to convince me to check it out with them.That Saturday morning, my veggie-lovin’ friends went for a morning ski, I did some Whyte Avenue window shopping, and four of us met at Lucky just after 1 pm. The tiny restaurant was pretty eccentric-looking from the outside, and doesn’t let you down when you walk through the doors. In a flashback to the ‘50s, six Formica tables surrounded by wooden chairs sat among walls adorned with framed paint-by-number horses and offbeat landscapes.Each table had a vintage sugar bowl and a kitschy set of salt and pepper shakers; ours was a pair of well-worn bluebirds. Gingham curtains were hung in the windows, and country and western music wailed gently from the speakers mounted near the kitchen.Dressed like Alice from Mel’s Diner in her 1960’s style uniform and stockings, Rachelle offered us menus and took my order for a glass of Limonata

($2). A carbonated lemon soda from Italy, Limonata honestly tastes like it was just picked from the tree. The menu had seven choices of entrées for $8.95. One friend ordered the Freddie Fender Bender, a corn tortilla topped with beans, cheese, greens, salsa and sour cream with a side of potatoes. Another went for the TCB (Takin’ Care of Business): layers of tofu, basil and sun dried tomatoes served on a bed of polenta and topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Two of us ordered the Nana’s New Wave, featuring potato and onion perogies topped with onion and garlic, served with vegan sausage. Shortly after we placed our orders, we each received a small melmac bowl of fresh mixed greens topped with a secret house dressing and bright red pomegranate seeds. The dressing was fantastic and the tart pomegranate seeds were a great festive touch. As we finished up our salads, out came similar melmac plates with our entrées. Co-owners Penny Buckner and her

sister Audrey Bray scoured local thrift shops and eBay in search of the near-mint condition serving dishes and plates for the authentic lunch-counter look. Penny calls the style Yukon Diner, and it fits with the building’s design and façade. My perogies were fresh and hot and the vegan sausage prepared in the convection oven was both decidedly tasty and far spicier than I would have expected. Served with green onions, sour cream and faux bacon bits, it was a hearty plate of comfort food that any baba would be proud to serve.One of my vegetarian friends was savouring the polenta, tofu, basil and tomatoes, which led to a discussion of what polenta was, exactly. He originally thought he was eating a somewhat bland pineapple. I set him straight on the cornmeal confection, unable to resist the opportunity to say, “Kiss my grits!”Another friend was savouring the tortilla with beans, greens and salsa. I had a small sample and was suitably impressed with the

fresh herbs that made the dish sing like a Latin Elvis Costello.After finishing our meals, we couldn’t resist the temptation of dessert. We ordered a slice of the chocolate peanut butter swirl cheesecake, fresh from the oven ($5.95), and a banana split made with soy ice cream, topped with raspberries, blackberries and cranberries ($5.95). Both were altruistically passed around the table, everyone oohing and aahing over the cheesecake and marvelling at how much healthier it must be than the non-vegan version.Ten years in the business and ready for a new challenge, Penny and Audrey now split their time between their successful Café Mosaics on Whyte and Lucky on 99th. They spent two months renovating the former Two Hot Peppers and preparing for their opening in early November.They hope to have their liquor license within the next few weeks and plan a patio for the summer months. Currently open six days a week from 10 to 3 pm, they anticipate expanding

their hours as needs demand. With the attention to detail, a love of good cuisine and a dedication to their herbivore clientele, these Lucky ladies have staked a claim on a potential goldmine. V Wed - Mon to 3 pmLucky Saloon and Eatery9855 - 76 Avenue434.7275Peter H

 

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[Guest guest]

Edmonton is in Alberta, one province over.........

peter VV Jan 12, 2007 12:48 PM Re: VEGETARIANS JUST GOT LUCKY

Edmonton - Vancouver?ish?

DISH

VEGETARIANS JUST GOT LUCKY

ELLA JAMESON / ella

 

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a vegetarian. Sure, I went through a phase in college when I didn’t eat meat. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it—I just couldn’t afford it. With my first paycheque after graduation, I bought a big ol’ steak and ate it with a side of pork chops.A couple of my friends are vegetarians, bless them, but they seldom eat out. At a restaurant that caters to omnivores, they can never be certain that the kitchen is keeping their preparation areas separate for vegan dishes.So when one of them pointed out the Lucky Saloon and Eatery, a brand spankin’ new south side vegetarian restaurant just off 99 Street, it didn’t take much spurring to convince me to check it out with them.That Saturday morning, my veggie-lovin’ friends went for a morning ski, I did some Whyte Avenue window shopping, and four of us met at Lucky just after 1 pm. The tiny restaurant was pretty eccentric-looking from the outside, and doesn’t let you down when you walk through the doors. In a flashback to the ‘50s, six Formica tables surrounded by wooden chairs sat among walls adorned with framed paint-by-number horses and offbeat landscapes.Each table had a vintage sugar bowl and a kitschy set of salt and pepper shakers; ours was a pair of well-worn bluebirds. Gingham curtains were hung in the windows, and country and western music wailed gently from the speakers mounted near the kitchen.Dressed like Alice from Mel’s Diner in her 1960’s style uniform and stockings, Rachelle offered us menus and took my order for a glass of Limonata ($2). A carbonated lemon soda from Italy, Limonata honestly tastes like it was just picked from the tree. The menu had seven choices of entrées for $8.95. One friend ordered the Freddie Fender Bender, a corn tortilla topped with beans, cheese, greens, salsa and sour cream with a side of potatoes. Another went for the TCB (Takin’ Care of Business): layers of tofu, basil and sun dried tomatoes served on a bed of polenta and topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Two of us ordered the Nana’s New Wave, featuring potato and onion perogies topped with onion and garlic, served with vegan sausage.

Shortly after we placed our orders, we each received a small melmac bowl of fresh mixed greens topped with a secret house dressing and bright red pomegranate seeds. The dressing was fantastic and the tart pomegranate seeds were a great festive touch. As we finished up our salads, out came similar melmac plates with our entrées. Co-owners Penny Buckner and her sister Audrey Bray scoured local thrift shops and eBay in search of the near-mint condition serving dishes and plates for the authentic lunch-counter look. Penny calls the style Yukon Diner, and it fits with the building’s design and façade. My perogies were fresh and hot and the vegan sausage prepared in the convection oven was both decidedly tasty and far spicier than I would have expected. Served with green onions, sour cream and faux bacon bits, it was a hearty plate of comfort food that any baba would be proud to serve.One of my vegetarian friends was savouring the polenta, tofu, basil and tomatoes, which led to a discussion of what polenta was, exactly. He originally thought he was eating a somewhat bland pineapple. I set him straight on the cornmeal confection, unable to resist the opportunity to say, “Kiss my grits!”Another friend was savouring the tortilla with beans, greens and salsa. I had a small sample and was suitably impressed with the fresh herbs that made the dish sing like a Latin Elvis Costello.After finishing our meals, we couldn’t resist the temptation of dessert. We ordered a slice of the chocolate peanut butter swirl cheesecake, fresh from the oven ($5.95), and a banana split made with soy ice cream, topped with raspberries, blackberries and cranberries ($5.95). Both were altruistically passed around the table, everyone oohing and aahing over the cheesecake and marvelling at how much healthier it must be than the non-vegan version.Ten years in the business and ready for a new challenge, Penny and Audrey now split their time between their successful Café Mosaics on Whyte and Lucky on 99th. They spent two months renovating the former Two Hot Peppers and preparing for their opening in early November.They hope to have their liquor license within the next few weeks and plan a patio for the summer months. Currently open six days a week from 10 to 3 pm, they anticipate expanding their hours as needs demand. With the attention to detail, a love of good cuisine and a dedication to their herbivore clientele, these Lucky ladies have staked a claim on a potential goldmine. V

Wed - Mon to 3 pmLucky Saloon and Eatery9855 - 76 Avenue434.7275

Peter H

 

 

 

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What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know, it's what we know for sure that just ain't so.

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[Guest guest]

Sorry my Canadian friends............. The Valley Vegan............fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: Edmonton is in Alberta, one province over......... peter VV Jan 12, 2007 12:48 PM Re: VEGETARIANS JUST GOT LUCKY Edmonton - Vancouver?ish? DISH VEGETARIANS JUST GOT LUCKY ELLA JAMESON / ella (AT) vueweekly (DOT) com Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a vegetarian. Sure, I went through a phase in college when I didn’t eat meat. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it—I just couldn’t afford it. With my first paycheque after graduation, I bought a big ol’ steak and ate it with a side of pork chops.A couple of my friends are vegetarians, bless them, but they seldom eat out. At a restaurant that caters to omnivores, they can never be certain that the kitchen is keeping their preparation areas separate for vegan dishes.So when one of them pointed out the Lucky Saloon and Eatery, a brand spankin’ new

south side vegetarian restaurant just off 99 Street, it didn’t take much spurring to convince me to check it out with them.That Saturday morning, my veggie-lovin’ friends went for a morning ski, I did some Whyte Avenue window shopping, and four of us met at Lucky just after 1 pm. The tiny restaurant was pretty eccentric-looking from the outside, and doesn’t let you down when you walk through the doors. In a flashback to the ‘50s, six Formica tables surrounded by wooden chairs sat among walls adorned with framed paint-by-number horses and offbeat landscapes.Each table had a vintage sugar bowl and a kitschy set of salt and pepper shakers; ours was a pair of well-worn bluebirds. Gingham curtains were hung in the windows, and country and western music wailed gently from the speakers mounted near the kitchen.Dressed like Alice from Mel’s Diner in her 1960’s style uniform and stockings, Rachelle offered us menus and took my order for a glass of Limonata

($2). A carbonated lemon soda from Italy, Limonata honestly tastes like it was just picked from the tree. The menu had seven choices of entrées for $8.95. One friend ordered the Freddie Fender Bender, a corn tortilla topped with beans, cheese, greens, salsa and sour cream with a side of potatoes. Another went for the TCB (Takin’ Care of Business): layers of tofu, basil and sun dried tomatoes served on a bed of polenta and topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Two of us ordered the Nana’s New Wave, featuring potato and onion perogies topped with onion and garlic, served with vegan sausage. Shortly after we placed our orders, we each received a small melmac bowl of fresh mixed greens topped with a secret house dressing and bright red pomegranate seeds. The dressing was fantastic and the tart pomegranate seeds were a great festive touch. As we finished up our salads, out came similar melmac plates with our entrées. Co-owners Penny Buckner and her

sister Audrey Bray scoured local thrift shops and eBay in search of the near-mint condition serving dishes and plates for the authentic lunch-counter look. Penny calls the style Yukon Diner, and it fits with the building’s design and façade. My perogies were fresh and hot and the vegan sausage prepared in the convection oven was both decidedly tasty and far spicier than I would have expected. Served with green onions, sour cream and faux bacon bits, it was a hearty plate of comfort food that any baba would be proud to serve.One of my vegetarian friends was savouring the polenta, tofu, basil and tomatoes, which led to a discussion of what polenta was, exactly. He originally thought he was eating a somewhat bland pineapple. I set him straight on the cornmeal confection, unable to resist the opportunity to say, “Kiss my grits!”Another friend was savouring the tortilla with beans, greens and salsa. I had a small sample and was suitably impressed with the

fresh herbs that made the dish sing like a Latin Elvis Costello.After finishing our meals, we couldn’t resist the temptation of dessert. We ordered a slice of the chocolate peanut butter swirl cheesecake, fresh from the oven ($5.95), and a banana split made with soy ice cream, topped with raspberries, blackberries and cranberries ($5.95). Both were altruistically passed around the table, everyone oohing and aahing over the cheesecake and marvelling at how much healthier it must be than the non-vegan version.Ten years in the business and ready for a new challenge, Penny and Audrey now split their time between their successful Café Mosaics on Whyte and Lucky on 99th. They spent two months renovating the former Two Hot Peppers and preparing for their opening in early November.They hope to have their liquor license within the next few weeks and plan a patio for the summer months. Currently open six days a week from 10 to 3 pm, they anticipate expanding

their hours as needs demand. With the attention to detail, a love of good cuisine and a dedication to their herbivore clientele, these Lucky ladies have staked a claim on a potential goldmine. V Wed - Mon to 3 pmLucky Saloon and Eatery9855 - 76 Avenue434.7275 Peter H Now you can scan emails quickly with a reading pane. Get the new Mail. What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know, it's what we know for sure that just ain't so. - Mark Twain Peter H

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