Posted on

The Westin Edmonton Hotel – Edmonton, AB

I really enjoy over night stays during my weekend trips and this time I ended up at The Westin Edmonton which was at an ideal location in downtown. It was within walking distance to everything! The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating and the hotel was nicely renovated where the stay was really nice. We got a Deluxe Room with King Bed and the bed was extraordinary! We’re even considering ordering a bed for our home!

The actual room was huge and just a lot of space, with a mini bar area with a coffee machine, mini fridge and a tea kettle. Of course with complimentary water, coffee and tea. If you’re here for business, the desk is just massive – you could get a lot of work done here if you wanted! There was also a spa, gym and pool on site and underground parking.

The bathroom was a good size bathroom with really nice spa like bath amenities. It smelled good and the soap felt good on the skin, the shampoo/conditioner was really nice in the hair.

The stay was really luxurious and we enjoyed our room thoroughly. We had no complaints and although we wanted to try their on location dining, we didn’t do it – but maybe next time!

Downtown Edmonton Westin Hotel

10135 100th Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 0N7
Phone: (780) 426-3636

Posted on

The Donut Mill – Red Deer, AB

There’s no better little birthday cake than having a donut! We stopped at The Donut Mill on our way to Edmonton for a delicious donut in lieu of a birthday cake so when we walked inside this place that looks like a windmill, we were floored with the selection of delicious looking donuts.

Their display of donuts was quite impressive and there was never a quiet time in line – there’s always someone walking through their doors for either sweets or savoury foods. The selection is huge and they have quite a large dining area as well.

After I ordered my donut, I then saw some eclairs – which was what I really wanted when I was there. They were in a separate display case, but I’m sure that I will be going back to enjoy a giant eclair someday soon!

I ended up picking the Chocolate Venetian which was a donut filled with vanilla pudding topped with chocolate glaze. It was really quite delightful! The donut was really fresh, light, soft and fluffy!

The other donut we enjoyed was their monthly special called Donut of the Month which happens to be a maple donut with whipped cream inside! It was also really nice! The light airiness of the whipped cream inside the donut really was a treat as we’re use to creams, puddings or custards!

Overall, I loved this place and I already know I will be back – to try to eclair and some of their hot and savoury goodies! It’s a great stop whether you’re around this area for a quick bite or an actual meal.

The Donut Mill on Urbanspoon

The Donut Mill

Gasoline Alley Westside – 37420 Hwy 2
Red Deer, AB
(403) 347-8904

Posted on

Starlite Diner Car – Bowden, AB

I love looking for hidden jems in the middle of nowhere, and I can definitely say I found one in Bowden, Alberta. We made this stop just before our stop to Red Deer from Calgary just to try this diner car out. Situated just off the highway is Starlight Diner Car which is a diner car decorated to look like an old school diner – with extra terrestrial and alien decoration inside!

Just going inside puts a smile on anyone’s face and this was no different! It was just a wonderful place to experience and the service here was wonderful!

Once we sat down, we ordered a coffee each as it was early in the morning. I ordered their Starlite Breakfast which was a large breakfast with sausage, toast, eggs and hashbrowns. They had a generous portion size which was perfect for a long day ahead for me! The sausages were split in half, but you don’t normally get 4 sausages! It was delicious!

My husband ordered their Sirloin Steak and Eggs breakfast which was quite a large piece of sirloin steak, well seasoned and cooked to perfection. With the steak and eggs, it came with some toast, which was also a large breakfast

Overall, we really enjoyed this place and has recommended it to a few friends and family members — with strange looks on their faces as we tell them about here! But, it’s just fun and a great way to start off a weekend!

Starlite Diner Car on Urbanspoon

Starlite Diner Car

1-3 Heritage Dr
Bowden, AB
(403) 657-3503

Posted on

Bistro Praha – Edmonton, Alberta

I was recently in Edmonton to celebrate my birthday and we stumbled to Bistro Praha as it was walking distance from our hotel located in downtown Edmonton. I recognized “Praha” from my travels to Czech a few years ago, so I figured it was European food here – which I loved! We went inside and it was quite busy but they had a table for two, just for us!

We wanted to start the dinner off with some appetizers and we picked some out on the menu – until I found in the soup section some Bistro Beef Goulash “Zhorelec” which was basically a beef stew with some Czech bread, which is known as dumplings. This dish offered tender and juicy pieces of beef flank and with their Czech bread to soak up the sauce, it was almost a meal on it’s own!

For dinner, I ordered the Wiener Schnitzel which came with a salad. The salad was really large and I asked for their green garden salad which the dressing was an interesting vinaigrette! It was light and refreshing, and actually quite tasty!

The Wiener Schnitzel was amazing! A tender piece of veal perfectly tender and juicy – pounded thin with a crunchy crust! Although this is a Vienna specialty, they seemed to have mastered it! It did taste as good as the Schnitzels I had in Vienna! This dish I would recommend to anyone as it was just delicious!

The other dinner entree picked by my husband was their Smoked Boned Pork Hock which I should start by saying I absolutely love ham, and smoked ham tops off my list. Here, they serve this generous portion of ham with some Czech bread and mustard and it was divine! The pork was fall of the bone tender and extremely juicy!

With this entree, we got the tomato salad which was much more interesting than it looks! It was both sweet and tangy and very refreshing! A perfect salad to a hot day!

Overall, this was an amazing place to celebrate my birthday dinner and I would recommend it to anyone for any reason! The food was amazing, service was great and the prices were decent – well worth it for a taste of Eastern Europe!

Bistro Praha

10117 101 St NW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 424-4218

Posted on

Bernie & the Boys Bistro – Drumheller, Alberta

We actually didn’t know what to do one weekend and we were in the North end of Calgary when we suddenly remembered John Catucci on You Gotta Eat Here featured a place in Drumheller called Bernie & the Boys Bistro, so we decided to drive out there just for lunch! We got there and it’s on the side of downtown Drumheller where we’ve never ventured off to, so we’re glad this gave us an excuse to go to this side!

Once we got in, I knew immediately I wanted a Strawberry Milkshake, so I ordered one and my husband ordered an Almond Milkshake! Their milkshakes are awesome and made the good old school way! Thick and creamy and loaded with flavour! It brings me back to the past with such milkshakes!

We ordered some wings to share and we decided to try their Smokin’ Wings and it was smokin’ hot! For some reason my husband thought the hot wings are the “screaming or liquid magma or even their blair wing project”. I honestly think it’s hotter than their “hot” wings! It wasn’t just hot tasting either which made these wings awesome. They were spicy and extremely flavourful! They were so good – we ate it all up, even though our mouths couldn’t handle it!

I ordered their Hawaiian Burger which was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had! It was juicy and delightful! Tons of toppings but didn’t take away from the burger taste or experience. It was like a Hawaiian Pizza in a burger, with ham, pineapple and cheese with some pizza sauce! It was a great experience!

My husband ordered the NY Steak Sandwich which was very tender piece of steak, cooked to perfection and seasoned well. There’s nothing we can find to say negatively about this – so it was a great experience!

We love this place and like John Catucci says, “You Gotta Eat Here!”!! Even if you just stop in for a milkshake or just wings or something, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

Bernie & the Boys Bistro

305 4 St W
Drumheller, AB
(403) 823-3318