El Rancho Spanish Restaurant

El Rancho Spanish Restaurant

11810 87 Street NW

Edmonton, AB T5B 0T1

(780) 471-4930

The mother of one of my oldest & dearest friends immigrated from central America, and, growing up, her house was often full of visiting relatives. Her family became like family to me, and I referred to to her grandmother as "Abuelita". Abuelita was not impressed with the food available in our local supermarket, so, when she was visiting, so you could count on finding a kitchen full of homemade food. Abuelita taught me how to make corn tortillas, and got me hooked on empanadas, tamales, coliflor envuelta en huevo, and pupusas. After moving to Edmonton, it took me about 12 hours before I found a restaurant to get my fix.

Full disclosure: I love pupusas. No, really. I love pupusas. My first stop at Edmonton's Heritage Festival is always the pupusa tent, and the last time I visited taste of Edmonton, nothing looked as good as the pupusas, so I just spent all my tickets on them. The Taste of Edmonton pupusas were, in fact, served by El Rancho, and when I visited the restaurant itself, I started with a couple to get my fix. The pupusas were handmade, with a thin layer of filling inside the corn flour tortilla. My favorite is the cheese, bean, and pork blend (the revuelta) but other filling combinations are available. After loading them up with curtido (a cabbage slaw) and a thin & mild tomato salsa, I chowed down and was in heaven.

Our entrees arrived not long after we'd polished off the pupusas. The mole sauce was thick with a deep flavor. While palate-pleasing, I did feel the enchiladas were close to drowning in it. The accompanying El Rancho salad was an unanticipated hit. It was drizzled, sparingly but adequate, in a dressing with a complex nutty flavor reminiscent of the mole.

I rarely find burrito-sized corn flour tortillas locally, so I was really impressed that it was an option for the burrito al carbon. The tortilla itself was delicious, but even better wrapped around the the steak, pepper, bean and guacamole amalgam.

Though I didn't order it at this visit, their tortilla soup is really wonderful pick-me-up on a cold winter day, and the tamales are the best I've found in Edmonton so far. El Rancho was one of the first restaurants I visited when I moved to Edmonton, and, though it's hard to compare anything to Abuelita's cooking, with so many fresh, delectable offerings to discover, its kept me coming back.

Creole Envie

Creole Envie

6509 112 Avenue NW

Edmonton AB T5W 0P1

(780) 477-2422

Creole Envie started as a take-out and catering business, but, last fall, moved into the former location of Highlands Kitchen on 112 Avenue. I joined the Edmonton Foodie Group for some flavours of Louisiana just before Fat Tuesday. We arrived to find our tables overflowing with Mardi Gras beads, masks, and pixie sticks, and knew immediately it would be a special night!

Fried green tomatoes (top); sweet potato fries (lower)

All of us that ordered the fried green tomatoes agreed that they were wonderful! The tomatoes were firm inside a crispy coating that was slightly mealy in texture. The sweet potato fries were similarly delicious. Both the tomatoes and the sweet potato fries were accompanied by an incredible and addictive cajun mayonaise. They should jar and sell that stuff! (they don't; I asked.)

Top to bottom: Alligator & andouille étouffée, catfish with green beans, blackened chicken po'boy

There was lots of variety in the dishes ordered by the group, so I got to taste a number of things. The catfish, perfectly crisp in a delicious batter, was a favorite of the night. The green beans were a touch overcooked, but still enjoyable with the accompanying pecans. The po'boy was massive and hearty, but its bun was so substantial it took away from all the flavour it enclosed. 

Fried chicken with smoky macaroni and cheese

The white meat fried chicken arrived piping hot, with its delectably crispy coating enveloping incredibly juicy meat. Though I was excited to sample the smoky macaroni and cheese, the smoke flavour was overpowering. It was the disappointment of the night, and several in my group, myself included, did not finish it because of the overwhelming flavour. 

The service at Creole Envie to be unwaveringly friendly; even as the kitchen had trouble keeping up with our large order and there were a few mix ups, our waiter and waitress were always smiling and calm. There are a few items on the menu I would not order again; however, most of what I tried was so delicious, that I know it won't be long before my next visit to Creole Envie! 

Restaurant website

Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus

Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus

10406 118 Avenue

Edmonton AB T5G 0P7

(780) 477-2408

Since it opened in the fall of 2012, I've heard plenty about the massive sandwiches and succulent barbecued meats at Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus, the newest restaurant from the folks at Absolutely Edibles. When a Foodie Meetup was organized, I knew I had to tag alone to see whether Sloppy Hoggs was filling the gaping barbecue joint void in Edmonton.

Snake bites (upper L); Hogg slopp (upper R); Slides (lower)

As soon as the appetizers emerged, I knew I was going to need to pace myself to make it out of the restaurant without exploding. The sliders allowed to me to sample the smoked chicken, brisket, and pulled pork, which were all good; however, heating the buns would have made this dish even better. While the sliders fell slightly short, the poutine (aka Give Me The Hogg Slopp) was out of this world. On top of the fries, cheddar cheese, and gravy, was pulled pork, crumbled bacon, and an amazing waffle sauce. It was an incredible experience to taste.

Roed kill sandwich (upper); 1/2 ribs (lower)

The ribs arrived with three choices of BBQ sauce (mustard, berry, and the more traditional Sloppy Hogg) as well as a finger bowl which I made great use of. The ribs were beautifully charred and robustly seasoned. Though I found them somewhat less tender than I'd hoped for, they were still a flavourful, messy, lip-smacking delight to eat.

Chocolate pecan pie (upper); peach pecan pie (lower L); Mud pie (lower R)

As if the meal wasn't decadent enough, I finished with a slice of chocolate pecan pie. Though I believed I was stuffed before dessert, somehow the rich, gooey concoction of pecans and fudge opened up a trap door in my stomach and I finished the whole thing.

The service was near-flawless. Though large parties such as the one I was with can sometimes by overwhelming, the staff made handling us look easy. Everything I tried at Sloppy Hoggs was delicious, and the poutine was positively extraordinary. The massive portions allowed me to enjoy the food for a few days after my visit! If your inner-carnivore is looking for some attention, a visit to Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus should leave it satisfied.

Restaurant website

Pranzo at the Santa Maria Goretti Centre

Santa Maria Goretti Community Centre

9110 110 Avenue NW

Edmonton, AB T5H 1S5

Just West of the stadium is the Italian pocket of Edmonton, and the Santa Maria Goretti Centre is the heart of that community. Every Sunday, between 11am-2pm, pranzo (Italian for lunch) is served in the community centre banquet hall. For $20 per person, guests are treated to seven dishes, served family style. It was a lot of fun to meet up with 8 members of my foodie group to enjoy some Italian cooking and hospitality!

The fixed menu changes every week, but when you arrive you can check out what's waiting for you.

Vitello Tonnato

We started off with antipasti. At first glance, I actually thought the tonnato (tuna) was horseradish and took a piece from the bottom layer to avoid the topping (bad flashbacks to mistaking horseradish for mashed potatoes as a child). Reassured it was safe by my fellow foodies, however, I dug in and enjoyed. The meaty flavor of the thinly shaved vitello (veal) contrasted beautifully with lemony tuna smeared on top and decorated with capers.

Bread & Salad

A garden salad in a simple but tasty vinaigrette was served next along with a basket of fresh bread. And it was good bread: crusty on the outside, the soft inside melted like cake on the tongue. I should have paced myself a bit more, but I enjoyed a far too much of it.

Four Cheese Ravioli al Pomodoro

Next came my favorite course: the pasta! The cheese ravioli were clearly fresh and were perfectly cooked with a marvelous chewy texture. The simple tomato sauce was fresh and bright. Topped off with a little Parmesan cheese, I was in heaven.

Potatoes and Mixed Vegetables

I seem to have missed snapping a photo of the main course: chicken breasts with a mushroom gravy. These were accompanied by roasted potatoes and a winter vegetable blend. Like the rest of the meal, it was simple but excellent. The chicken was seasoned well and very juicy and the savory mushroom sauce was delicious poured over it and the potatoes.

Say Cheesecake!

As our server wheel the cart with the cart of cheesecakes towards us, the group collectively groaned, but, being a group of food lovers, no one was going to turn down dessert. We chose between cranberry, berry-lemon, turtle, and peanut butter varieties, but most of us managed to taste all of them. They're all recommended, but I thought the turtle was the real star. I loved the whipped cream topped, cookie crumb crust, and rich chocolate centre together. A rich end to a rich meal. I didn't need to eat for days.
...or for a few hours, anyway.

Pranzo at the Santa Maria Goretti Centre is a great place to meet and enjoy food with a group or family (be sure to make reservations). The food is relatively simple and it's all stuff you've had before, but fresh ingredients and TLC in the kitchen go a long way to producing consistently tasty dishes and a very pleasant experience.


Website: http://www.santamariagoretticentre.com/sunday-pranzo/