Flavourful Saskatoon, February 18, 2013

Café Noir Espresso Bar 


I’m happy to see a new independent coffee shop on 2nd Avenue. Café Noir Espresso Bar is located in the King George building (former location of Saskatoon Sous Chef). The big windows provide lots of light which complements the modern décor. In addition to coffee and other hot drinks, they have baked goods – from ginger cookies to cheesecake brownies and strawberry tarts. They serve coffee from 15 Kilo Coffee Roasters in Calgary.

Floating Gardens
Floating Gardens has started harvesting their floating beds for the first time. They had two kinds of lettuce, two kinds of kale, spinach, herbs, cucumbers and more at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market on Saturday.

City Perks, Feb. 19
City Perks reopens tomorrow - Tuesday, February 19, at 7 am - with a whole new look and layout. I'm excited to see it in person - the photographs they've been posting on Facebook look amazing. And they plan to add to their menu. 

Museo 
I had a very tasty bowl of cauliflower curry soup at Museo last week, followed by one of their rich, gooey brownies. It’s a great place to sit and watch the river or to dream about spring in the Conservatory.


Eat, Listen, Relax, Feb. 22
Souleio’s monthly wine tasting on February 22 from 6-9 pm offers a variety of wine and small plate combinations. Call 979-8102 to make a reservation.

Seedy Saturday, March 9
Don’t miss CHEP’s 15th annual seed exchange and eco fair on Saturday, March 9 from 11 am to 4 pm at E.D. Feehan Collegiate. There will be over 40 exhibitors as well as speakers on edible weedy plants, seed saving, urban farming in Saskatoon, and xeriscaping on the Prairies. Slow Food Saskatoon will be there with samples of Red Fife bread (thanks, Bryn!).


Community Greenhouse
Community gardens are increasingly popular, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if Saskatoon had a community greenhouse? John Robb says a greenhouse would be a community gathering place, particularly in the winter months when we can’t garden outdoors and would foster the development of local micro farmers and food producers.

Top 10 Most Innovative Food Companies 
Fast Company has compiled a list of the top 10 most innovative food companies globally. They include SodaStream, for “making DIY carbonation sexy;” Stonyfield Farm, for “making its supply chain more sustainable;” and _Kind snacks, for “showing that “performance foods” don’t have to be processed and weird,” plus launching several charitable campaigns.

Rebuilding the Foodshed
Rebuilding the Foodshed: How to Create Local, Sustainable, and Secure Food Systems by Philip Ackerman-Leist looks like it would be worth reading: “Showcasing some of the most promising, replicable models for growing, processing, and distributing sustainably grown food, this book points the reader toward the next stages of the food revolution. It also covers the full landscape of the burgeoning local-food movement, from rural to suburban to urban, and from backyard gardens to large-scale food enterprises.”

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products.

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