The Moving Post

So this is what’s up: I moved back to Edmonton.

To celebrate this cross country move and to pay homage to the 6 times that I moved within the city of Toronto in the past 2 years, I present to you two things: a) the return of Slice of Life and 2) the moving post.

Pizza and beers is basically the standard price for any move where your movers are your friends. This week, I was a part of two moves out of the same house in Millwoods (Silverberry, in fact). They initially offered to order Chinese food, but they changed their tune once the consensus was reached that that’s not the way moves work.

At first, I agreed to do only one load, but eventually found the whole process to be so invigorating that I stayed to the bitter end. But not riiiiight to the bitter end: I had to leave before the pizza and beers arrived. To make up for it, I picked up a solo pie and a couple of beers on the way home.

Silverberry is great. Lots women in saris taking strolls around man-made lakes, elderly Punjabi gentlemen on mountain bikes looking cooler than I will ever be, and new families out walking, playing and biking. I always had suspicions that areas like Millwoods are less community oriented because of their spread-out cookiecutter houses but I think this trip put me in my place. Maybe Silverberry is the place for me

Given the neighbourhood, it seemed only right that the pizza I ordered be a combination of Millcreek Pizza‘s signatures: half Tandoori, half Paneer.

Neither of Millcreek’s two locations are anywhere near Edmonton’s Millcreek neighbourhood (although, to be fair the Millwoods location is near the Millcreek Ravine), but they make a mean pizza. The Paneer pizza is made with Butter Chicken sauce, which is great, and the Tandoori chicken pizza is also wicked. There are too many filler-veggies for my taste, but it’s not off-putting. One thing that these places doing funky things with butter chicken should consider doing is dousing whatever they’re making with butter chicken sauce after the cooking process has dried it all up. Just a thought.

And finally a tip for customers: when the lovelies at MCP ask if you want ginger and cilantro, say yes. I don’t care if you don’t like cilantro. Grow up.

Salute to my friends with new homes and salute to good pizza!

Stay tuned while we see how long this things lasts….

Pizza Pizza

So this is what’s up: I moved to Toronto.

I am not entirely sure how long I will be staying here, but since I can’t very well be reviewing Edmonton pizza restaurants from Hogtown, I will be putting Slice of Life on hold. Not to mention the fact that Pizza Pizza is a joke and I am hitting the gym. Pizza gets in the way of me getting buff

I may still offer up occasional thoughts on ‘za as it relates to music, but thoughts on Edmonton joints will have to wait. I the meantime, I will be posting over here: http://soundsreasonable.wordpress.com/.

If anyone in the old country wants to pick up the torch and do some pizza posts for me here, that would be great. You can email me at sliceoflifeedmonton@gmail.com.

New patches on old garments

Parkallen Restaurant

7018 109 Street

Parkallen Restaurant has redefined itself. Once home to mediocre pizza and decent to good lebanese cuisine, the restaurant is now the proud owner of a fancy decor and a massive wine list. They had a free food function a couple weeks ago (trying to stay current with these posts) in celebration of their new look and list, and I was shocked to find out that the restaurant’s food, including their less-than-mentionable pizza, has not changed.

Their wine list is impressive though (if you’re impressed by things like wine lists). It is definitely the biggest list in Edmonton and has rare and vintage wines from all over the world. They even have a rare bottle that was rumored to have been given to a cabbie from Rick Mercer that is worth 50,000 dollars.

Yep, a restaurant with a website that looks like this sells a 50,000 dollar bottle of wine.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to dump on the joint’s food too hard, it’s just that something doesn’t seem to fit:

“Well let’s see, I guess I’ll have the burger….it’s still 10 dollars, right? Ok. Give me a side of onion ring also, hmmmm….. and I’ll take this 50,000 dollar bottle of wine . Thanks”

Anyways, here’s where I pull up and say the nice thing at the end: Parkallen Restaurant has the best wine list in the city.

These are my thoughts.

Young Guv’

So, one of the guys from that band Fucked Up has a side-project called Young Governor. Their (his?) Virginia Creeper single from last year (last year?) is dope. Another dope thing that he did was release a 7 inch called “Pizza Face”. The seven inch is a see-through pic of a pizza sandwiched in some plexiglass. Apparently the sound quality is poor, but the idea quality is high. Check it out hur.

Did Jamaica pizza?

Indies Pub and Grill

8 Holburn Road

Kingston

So there is pizza in Jamaica. I know that sounds like an ignorant thing to say but to be honest I didn’t expect there to be very much ‘za in the tropical paradise other than resort town chain restaurants. Dominos is pretty popular here in the capital city and there is Pizza Hut next to Juici Patties on Knutsford blvd in New Kingston.

Also in New Kingston (it figures, really), the Indies Bar and Grill boasts to be the “Home of the Original Jamaican Pizza”. I smell tourist trap.

Indies was the first place (not first bar. First Place) I visited to on my first visit to Ja-ay but I just had a Red Stripe and chicken. The place was alright but the lighting was weird.

One night, across the street, I was sitting on my hotel’s veranda shooting the shit with ex-pat and current-dirtbag Mikey (not his real name), when a confirmed cutie strolled passed us with a box of pizza. I played it cool while Mikey went in for the kill.

“you gonna finish that whole thing?” The pervy grin on his face gave it all away: he had no interest in the pizza.

After some late-night confessions, Mikey disappeared into the night.

Oh how good things come to those who wait. Soon after Mikey left, the pizza-cutie returned with a half eaten pizza and offered the rest to me. We got to talking and she told me that she is from the O.C. (the place, not the show) and she is doing some sort of military thing in a small village in the country. She was in Kingtson to party with a friend.

[these are not her and her friend partying, this is a shot from a party held at the Bar.]

Granted it was the discards from a valley girl (can i say that about Orange County? Is that what O.C. is short for?), but the pizza was pretty gross. Dry crust, thin cheese and too-think, too-spicy pep. The restaurant’s sign might’ve read “Home of the Original Jerk Pizza”….probably should have eaten the Jerk Pizza instead of writing a review based on barely visiting a restaurant and barely eating their pizza. There is always next time.

[Ok, poll time: when I wrote "Oh how good things come to those who wait" above, how many of you thought I was referring to the pizza and how many thought I was referring to the return of the cutie?]

Anyways, Jamaica’s sweet, Kingston is great and my heart go out to everyone that has lost family and friends in the recent violence downtown. I wish everyone safe passage through the city.

Happy birthday to me

SliceoflifeEdmonton turned a year old a few days ago.

It has been pretty slow these last few months, but I think things will pick up soon.

Wacky Wyrd Wednesdays (not actually on a wednesday)

Every Wednesday, Dominos Pizza sells any topping medium pizzas for 5 dollars. The restaurant refers to the day as “Wacky Wednesdays”. Do you know what else will be wacky and start with a dub?

Wyrd Alberta.

Wyrd Alberta is a travelling music festival. A bunch of bands (14) are playing 3 dates in 3 cities. I will be volunteering for the Edmonton date and working the pizza tent. Come see me for free samples*

Slice of Life cannot speak on Women (neither the headlining band or the gender), but he can say the following things: Jazz’s new cassette is sweet, buddy from Brazilian Money loves a pizza, and Fist City is a big tune.

Check this link for more info, or check the poster

*This is not true. There is no Pizza tent, there will be no free samples. I am technically volunteering though, but will most likely just be goofing off and telling jokes. Come see me for some jokes.

Brad Scott and the the B Street Bland

B Street Bar Wood Oven Pizza
11818 111 Avenue

After learning that Edmonton’s The Falklands were once paid in pizza for a gig, I immediately made plans to hit up a joint with their gitman Mark.

I had been to the  B-Street bar (actually on 111 street) for karaoke once and, aside from finally learning how good Wynonna could be, did not have much to say about the place. I expected grimy dive-bar, but found a place that was very clean and modern (read: not what i’m into). I did not know that they were a pizza joint until making plans with Mark, who informed me that they not only serve pizza, they woodfry it in a stone oven. Very exciting.

In fact, the pizza was very dissapointing. The sauce was bland, the pepperoni was  cold-cut style and the dough was dull. I shouldn’t be so hard on it, but for a place that advertises woodfried pizza, I expected a little more. The joint may not look like a grimy dive-bar, but it sure tasted like one.

Anyways, Mark was wonderful company, but the pizza sucked. Check out the Falklands at a pizza joint near you.

The following photos, taken from the bar’s website, leave me with some some thoughts: Does Brad Scott only play 11 cover tunes? That is just not enough to start a cover tune night (ask Mark), and since when does hosting a Cowboy-themed Karaoke night call for a “we shall overcome-everyone on stage” type of celebration?

Another Flamingo’s Review

In their issue before the current one, See Magazine reviewed Flamingo’s Restaurant and Lounge. It is good to see people coming around to good pizza joints. If the quality of restaurant reviews is measured by the amount of Scarface (as in the Geto Boys rapper, hold the Tony Montana) references, then my review of the Meadowlark-based eatery is superior. But they aren’t and it isn’t.

Just a Cheap Pizza

You can’t get pizza for 26 cents anymore.

Photo courtesy of ignoreedmonton.com