When you think of Edmonton, what comes to mind?
Cold winters. The
beautiful colours of the River Valley in the fall. A (losing) hockey team. The Fringe. And last but not least, Whyte Avenue.
I love Whyte Ave.
It’s my favorite place in this great city I’ve called home
for the past nine years. I love its
vibrant community of local shops. I love
seeking refuge from the harsh winter inside the warm pubs and cafes and taking
in the sun from the many patios that pop up in the spring and summer. I love that I can easily spend an entire
afternoon wandering up and down 82 Ave, just window shopping and people
watching. I love the sights and smells
of the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market I
love going to live theatre at the Varscona, the Arts Barns and C103. I love
that there’s always live music somewhere and that I’ll usually run into someone
I know.
Dadeo’s is the New Orlean’s style diner located between 105
and 106 St and Whyte. The retro
atmosphere of vinyl booths, mini-juke boxes and funky tunes is always upbeat
and the Cajun-inspired food never disappoints.
The Po’Boy Sandwiches, especially, are to die-for!
We gathered at Dadeo’s a few nights ago, myself and some
friends, tired and excited from our successful dress rehearsal for Orchesis
Modern Dance’s Motif 2014. We’d danced
hard all week and were looking forward to some celebratory drinks and their famous
Sweet Potato Fries from the comforts of the booths in the back.
“I have to apologize
in advance – we are sold out of the Sweet Potato Fries,” announced our
server almost immediately. Collective
gasp among our group. The breaded
yam fries are the clincher to any meal at Dadeo’s and selling out of them is
pure prove of their popularity. Still,
we never thought it could happen to us!
“You’ll just have to
try something new!” she said brightly and left us to our menus. No worries, we soon discovered. The ample side options - the Coleslaw, Potato
Hash and BBQ Beans just to name a few – gave us plenty of alternatives. We ordered drinks: a mixed round of Cherry
Cokes, beer and water to refresh our dancer bodies and settled into the task of
deciding on Po’Boys.
 |
| All Po'Boy's are $9 on Monday and all day Tuesdays! |
I found myself, as always, torn between my two favorites:
Pulled Pork or Bayou Burger. I am still
quite often a creature of habit, but if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right?
“You are not allowed
to have either of those two sandwiches,” declared our server when I confessed
my inability to choose between my two favorite options. She did have a point. By always sticking to my favorites, I was
denying myself the chance to experience more of Dadeo’s amazing sandwiches. It was time to branch out. My friends offered their suggestions (Blackened
Catfish! Philly Cheese Steak!). Finally, I had a new order.
“Andouilli Sausage
then,” I announced. She nodded
approvingly and brought out the requisite appetizer of bite-sized biscuits and
sweet jalapeno jelly. Here goes something delicious!
My new Po’Boy was absolutely worth the risk of trying
something new! The thick slices of Andoulli
Sausage brought the heat and spice of classic Cajun food and were perfectly
balanced out by the tomato sauce and herb mayo. The Po’Boy baguettes are always
soft inside and slightly crispy outside and taste so fresh. As for my side option, I dug into the chunky,
garlicky Potato Hash, a warmed-up version of potato salad, and found it a
worthy alternative to the fries. My one
warning - pop some gum or brush your teeth afterwards since the garlic and spice
flavors may linger…
 |
| Andouilli Sausage Po'Boy. A new favorite! |
As with any good meal, the booths fell silent as we devoured
our food: an Au Felix Salad for the friend to my left, the Fritters for the one
opposite me, and three other kinds of Po’Boys for the rest. The Cherry Cokes kept flowing, as did the
funky tunes that had us grooving in our seats, and the great conversation between
those amazing people; my friends from all different backgrounds, brought
together through a love of dance and that night, of great food.
Thank you, Dadeo’s for being out of the Sweet Potato Fries
and for making me try something new!
That’s something else I love about Whyte Ave – you never know what
exactly you’re going to get!
Special thanks to the Old Strathcona Business Association for retweeting this post and then reposting it on their website! Check it out!
No comments:
Post a Comment