Photo by Megan Lemoine.
When John Catucci from You Gotta Eat Here comes to town, you know you need to eat wherever he does! Here are the mouth-watering dishes that have been haunting your stomach’s dreams since you saw them in his visits to Edmonton.
At Highlevel Diner (10912-88 Ave.), Catucci witnessed all the special ingredients that go into the diner’s housemade ketchup, and sampled the flaky spinach pie and tenderly sweet bread pudding.
Louisiana Purchase (10320-111 St.) showed off the secrets behind their southern hits, including the Swampstick — a marinated and fried alligator tail kabob — and the Satisfaction Plate of soul-warming jambalaya, which was Mick Jagger and Keith Richard’s favourite dish at the restaurant when they visited in the mid-90s.
Sloppy Hoggs Roed Hus (9563-118 Ave.) impressed Catucci with their ridiculously jam-packed burgers, including the Roed Hus Road Kill with four smoked meats (brisket, chicken, bacon, and pork butt) on a house-baked waffle bun, drenched in two tasty house-made sauces!
Order an Elvis Milkshake — with the unique mix of peanut butter, banana, and bacon — and the Doritos-, jalapeno-, and guacamole-loaded Macho Nacho Burger to get a taste of what Catucci ate at Soda Jerks (17520-100 Ave.).
From fresh salsas to spicy Chorizo Tortas, Tres Carnales (10119-100A St.) displayed the best flavours of Mexico and everything that goes into preparing their made-from-scratch dishes.
At Sofra Turkish Restaurant (10345-106 St.), Catucci was wowed by the Spicy Beef Kabobs — cooked and served on a sword! — and the traditional sweet treat, Baklava: layers of flaky pastry, walnut, pistachio, and honey.
Sugarbowl (10922-88 Ave.) served Catucci its famous and massive cinnamon buns, the juicy Lamb Burger with chèvre and rosemary aioli, and the Chicken & Waffle with a pleasing maple butter.
The Dish Bistro’s (12417 Stony Plain Rd.) fine comfort food offerings made Catucci feel right at home. The Deep Dish Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie dressed with crisp sweet potato chips and the Braised Beef Short Ribs in a sour cherry demi-glace will satisfy you too!
The must-try dishes at Urban Diner (8715-109 St.) include the Dutch Poffertjes (dollar-sized pancakes ideal for sharing and dipping in chocolate and maple syrup) and the hearty Breakfast Burger layered with black forest ham, crispy bacon, meatloaf, and a fried egg.
Worth the drive out of the city, The Downtown Diner (10209-100 Ave., Fort Saskatchewan) offers next-level diner food, including fried chicken breaded with cornflakes, the loaded Shepherd’s Pie Burger (a beef patty and panko-crusted potato pancake smothered in a rich gravy), and Warm — you read that right — Potato Salad.
Watch for it:
Catucci recently visited Mexican hot spot Rostizado (#102, 10359-104 St.), smokehouse MEAT (8216-104 St.) and Italian shop Battista’s Calzone Co. (11745-84 St.), and you can catch their specials and featured food on the Food Network this year!
