Canada's insider blog

Driving down the highway from Banff to Edmonton, we realized that we’d missed a chunk of our day that was planned for the city known for its festivals, the West Edmonton Mall and its row of churches.  Oh, and those Ukranian perogies!

Edmonton is about a four-hour drive from Banff, and the road takes you through Calgary and Red Deer.  It feels like you’re in a different province every time you hit a milestone, the landscape signalling the changes, as it turns from the jagged-edged Rockies to the honey-coloured wheat plains and then into those signature screaming yellow canola fields.   The beauty is that you want to stop to take photos, gawk and just enjoy the view.  This is what makes travel what it is: An unpredictable adventure, however fun, it’s not great for keeping time.

It was 6 pm and we barely stumbled into Edmonton when we realized that we were late for our dinner meeting with Kelly B. from Edmonton Tourism and John Chwyl, aka The Fashion Guy, from the West Edmonton Mall. Making our way to the Blue Plate Diner off Jasper Avenue in the Wearhouse District was nerve-racking, but we got there. The downtown core is a mix of modern-and-vintage buildings. (Apparently the brick buildings and loft-style apartments make it a trendy area code to be in.)

The vibrant diner is a room of contradictions: From the art-deco wall-hangings to the slightly odd lamp shades in the shape of mermaids to the exposed brick wall and the tables and chairs circa the 60’s and 80’s, the décor mixes well with the menu.

A culinary smorgasbord focusing on vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes to the good old Mac ‘n Cheese and meatloaf items, the comfort foods were a crowd pleaser.

Stylish retro-looking staffers recommend the specials for the day, which for us was a vegetarian layered dish, however we all opted to go a more carnivorous route. I went the Tandoori Chicken way, which was spicy and fragrant, while John had the meatloaf (he missed his mom).  Carolyne did a Veggie Burger and Kelly opted the Waldorf Salad. The yam fries were communal.

Although we didn’t get to see all of Edmonton’s jewels, the laughter and great company during our Blue Plate Diner was special and made our stay memorable.

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