German-Canadian Cultural Association Restaurant

German Canadian Cultural Association Restaurant

8310 Roper Road

Edmonton, AB T6E 6E3

(780) 466-4000

While Googling to to find a different German restaurant I'd been recommended (I couldn't remember the name Bauernschmaus), I stumbled on to the website of the German Canadian Cultural Association (GCCA), and discovered it had an associated restaurant. They're open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday , as well as lunch on Saturday. In additional to their traditional German menu, on Friday and Saturday evenings they put on a buffet. I thought this sounded like a place to check out, and set up a Meetup with the Edmonton Foodies to visit. When I arrived, I was directed to the restaurant, which is located just through the lobby of the of the GCCA. The space was bright but fairly nondescript in decor, and reasonably busy. The buffet was the most popular choice with other parties, so after ordering some Erdingers, we headed over to help ourselves.

Salad bar

Though I was tempted to start with desserts (see below!), I visited the soup and salad bar first. The soups change every week, and appear to be homemade. The salads are a weekly staple, and there was plenty of options to choose from, including beet, pasta, greek, fresh veggie sticks and smoked fish. The potato salad, mayonnaise-based but shining with a twist of dill pickle, was my personal favorite.  

Plate from the main buffet

The main buffet options change week to week, and can be found in advance on the GCCA website. I'd run out of room for the salmon with lemon butter, but was able to fit most of everything else on my plate (as well as a second helping of potato salad). The mashed potatoes and roast chicken were generic, but acceptable. Though I'm generally a big fan of braised red cabbage, theirs was a bit dry and disappointing. I don't see rouladen (a mix of onion, pickle and bacon rolled up in a steak) on menus very often, and really enjoyed this one.

Desserts

I was pretty stuffed, but of course found room for dessert. Between the strudel, pies, cakes and fruit it was a tough decision, but narrowed it down (slightly). While I was not blown away by the strudel, the German chocolate cake was deliciously and gooey with a sweet filling between the layers of moist chocolate cake.

Chicken schnitzel with spaetzle

Since neither schnitzel nor spaetzle were on the buffet that night, I decided to take some home with me to have for lunch the next day. The chicken schnitzel was lackluster; I much prefer Continental Treat's. The spaetzle, however, were dusted with herbs and were cooked in butter just enough to have a few crunchy bits. They might be the best I've had outside of Germany.

The general response from my group was extremely positive. The food was fresh, which is a challenge for a buffet. There was plenty of variety, and the options were all reasonably good, and, at $18.50 per adult, the consensus was that the value was excellent. While you might not find an out-of-the-park homerun (unless spaetzle is on the buffet that week), if you're looking for a good option for a group or a  fresher buffet with comfort food and a good variety, you might find what you're looking for at the GCCA.

A few more photos from our visit can be found here.

Restaurant website

The Cheese Factory

The Cheese Factory

8943 82 Avenue NW

Edmonton, AB T6C 0Z2

(780) 450-2143

It took me a couple of tries to make it to the Cheese Factory restaurant when it was actually open. On more than one occasion, I've cursed the world as I futiley pull at their locked door, desperate for poutine. Check the hours before you go; they're only open for dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings. The Friday evening I made it in, I walked through their cheese store to find a busy restaurant with chatter in French buzzing from all directions. A good sign for their poutine, but it was interesting to find that, rather than being French, the owners are actually from the former-Yugoslavia, and the menu offers an ecclectic mix of Quebecois and Balkan favorites.

Fried cheese

Unlike the pan-fried, flambeed, ouzo-drenched Saganaki I've had in the past, this fried cheese was coated with a crispy breading and deep-fried. The cheese inside was clearly extremely hot, gooey, and clearly fresh, I preferred them without the accompanying lemon dip.

Poutine

Discussions of the best poutines often lead to heated debates, and that night was no exception. While all of us at my table agreed the cheese curds were terrific, some preferred the fries with more potato skin, and others preferred a darker gravy. All of us did feel the gravy could stand to be a touch warmer in temperature. Best cheese curds in the city? Probably. Best poutine? Depends how much weight you give the other ingredients.

Cevapcici

I recently spent some time in Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro where cevapcici is a popular fast food. Ground meat is formed into sausage-sized portions and grilled. The cevapcici at The Cheese Factory was served on a soft bun with smooth & creamy kajmak, and each bite unleashed a pop of juicy flavour. I ordered a side of ajvar (a tradition red pepper relish) to complete the experience, but, for the hefty price of $2.50 for a small portion, I'd pass at future visits.

Burek

Burek was almost a dietary staple on my trip, where they're found with many different fillings. The spinach and cheese, however, was always my favorite, and was one of three options available at The Cheese Factory (along with cheese-only, and ground beef). It's freshly baked, so it took a few extra minutes to emerge from the kitchen, but this salty cheese and spinach blend, enveloped by rings of flaky phyllo, was worth the wait.

Tufahija

Tufahija is a Balkan dessert of an apple poached in sugar and stuffed with walnuts. It's another dish I first tried in Bosnia, and has been etched in my memory ever since. It came out looking magnificent, but I was so stuffed that I had to push some of the whipped cream aside to get the apple itself. It was marvellous  and did not fall short of my high expectations.

Though my party wasn't able to unanimously award the poutine as the best in the city, we agreed that the fresh, squeaky cheese curds left it at least among the top contenders. It's definitely worth a visit to see if it's to your liking, but don't ignore the rest of the menu when you're there! The Balkan menu items are a hearty, authentic and truly delicious experience.

Restaurant website

Bistro Praha

Bistro Praha

10117 101 Street

Edmonton, AB T5J 0T4

What better way to start a new blog about restaurants in Edmonton than by visiting an Edmonton staple? Bistro Praha first opened its doors in 1977, and, even enduring a terrible fire and relocation in 2010, remains a fixture today. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and I got the impression the restaurant has many regulars that the staff has come to know well. 

Prague Cabbage Soup (1/2 order)

 Bistro Praha has plenty of hearty options to offer, but I made the mistake of coming on a less-than-empty stomach. While I've heard rave reviews of the fried cheese, I had a feeling I would need to be peeled up off the floor by the end of the meal if I went there. The Prague cabbage soup I opted for was a marvelous blend creamy, sweet, and a touch of sour all at once in a mild tomato base. I really appreciated when our server offered half order -- an option available on most dishes -- since I knew I had to pace myself.

Rye Bread

Dinners are served with a basket of rye bread. It's dense, chewy, fresh, and delicious slathered in butter and dipped in soup. My soup-less dinner company, however, found it a bit dry on its own.

Green Salad

 Dinners are served with a choice of tomato onion salad or a green salad. I decided to go green. The cheese was fresh and sharp, the lettuce fresh, and the vinaigrette simple but too scant. 

Rainbow Trout Jizerka

Steak tartar is the dish Bistro Praha is famous for, but neither myself nor my company was feeling so adventurous. The rainbow trout Jizerka is seasoned and sauteed in butter and served with buttery mushrooms. The report was that it was perfectly cooked and totally delicious. 

Classic Wiener Schnitzel (half order)

 When asking my foodie group for dish recommendations, the classic wiener schnitzel was the next "must eat" after the steak tartar, and it didn't let me down. The pork was tender with a crispy breaded coating, and, with the juice of a lemon wedge squeezed over top, pleasantly flavorful. I swapped the potato salad for roasted potatoes which, like the schnitzel, were delicious in their crispy simplicity.

Peach Crepe

The buttery flavor of the pan-fried peaches in the fresh crepe was very nice, but more peaches would have been even nicer. 

Apple Strudel

 I decided to bring my meal to a close with a piece of apple strudel. Served covered in icing sugar beside a mountain of whipped cream, as my fork crunched through the flaky pastry a trap door opened in my stomach and I was hungry all over again. It was a touch on the dry side, and, like the peach crepe, I would have preferred more filling in the strudel, but I still had no trouble clearing my plate. 

The explanation for Bistro Praha's continued success in the competitive downtown Edmonton restaurant scene was clear to me with this visit. Big portions of comforting food made from scratch, and the friendly atmosphere and service give patrons plenty of reasons to come back again and again. I know I'll see them again.

Maybe I'll even find the nerve to try steak tartar. 

Restaurant website