Canteen

Canteen

10522 124 Street NW

Edmonton AB T5N 1R9

(780) 485-6125

Canteen opened its doors on 124th Street in mid-December. It is the free-spirited sister restaurant to the prim Red Ox Inn in terms of both menu and atmosphere with an emphasis on shared plates and a modern decor. Since early January, Canteen has also been serving brunch on weekends. I went with the Edmonton Foodie Meetup on a Saturday morning to try it out.

There were plenty of empty tables on the morning of our visit, which was in distinct contrast to a previous dinnertime visit I'd made. This gave me the chance to better appreciate the modern decor, particularly the lovely bar.

Saskatoon pop tart 

I chose the pop tart from the Small Stuff portion of the menu. The flaky pastry was filled, but not overflowing, with Saskatoon berry preserves, and was accompanied by a tart lemon cream sauce. I enjoyed it, but, had it come out warm, I would have liked it even more.

Short rib (left); Poached eggs (top right); Truffed grilled cheese (bottom left)

There were many tempting options in the Mains section of the menu. The tender short rib came with potatoes, eggs, cheddar and was lightened up with peppery arugula. The eggs in the poached egg dish were perfectly done on top of fresh biscuits. Though I didn't sample them for myself, I heard a few  complaints about the strong seasoning of the accompanying sausages. 

Apple Marscapone French toast

The French toast was the hit of the morning. It was stuffed with a mixture of sweet apples and rich Marscapone cheese before being dipped in egg and grilled to a perfect golden brown. The sugar bacon was the perfect pairing. 

The excellent food I sampled at my visit to Canteen was complimented by great service. Any concerns raised were taken seriously and dealt with quickly. There is no need for sibling rivalry here. Though Canteen takes a different approach than its sister restaurant, its similar emphasis on delicious food and great service are obvious and well executed. 

Restaurant website