Restaurant Review: Jerry’s Food Emporium

A couple of weeks ago I got an email inviting me to check out Jerry Food Emporium’s new Artisan Burger Line.  A free lunch is a free lunch plus the bonus was that I was curious to meet both Jerry and his wife Elyse.  The restaurant is a local institution but has evolved tremendously over the years.  I first discovered it while going to college.  The food was great, the pop was non-stop, and it was a great place to go after a ball game (games we usually lost).  In the early years it lacked atmosphere while later it became famous for being redesigned by Meredith Heron of Restaurant Makeover fame.  While the look has changed and the menu has evolved, the food has remained consistently good.  I wanted to see what made the restaurant tick.

Some of the stuff I discovered may just be common knowledge but here it is anyway.  Jerry got interested in the restaurant business through his dad who ran the first Dairy Queen Brazier in Saskatoon.  Jerry learned early on that opinions are cheap and everyone has a meal or two that they can do well.  What separates you from the rest is good business sense, experience and not to take on more than you can handle.

I asked Jerry and Elyse what some of their challenges have been.  On the technical side it has been creating a product without compromise.  They look to local sources as much as possible for supplies but have to balance that with with a desire to have light but flavorful ingredients.  You see that in their ice cream and gelato where getting the proper foil between flavor and texture is something the have turned into an art form.  I had a great time sampling all the choices they had available. I learnt that if you want a tangy or sharp taste like key lime or pineapple, then gelato works wonderfully.  However, rich and creamy flavors (especially chocolate) work well in ice cream.

We discussed some of the failures that they have had over the years.  One was a Viagra flavor ice cream.  It was bluish green in color and their secret ingredient was Red Bull and lots of blue food coloring.  Also there was a Guinness gelato which was attempted to please a particular audience.  Lesson learned were not all flavors are good flavors and sometimes simple beats exotic hands down.  With that in mind some of their most popular dishes include classic fair like the bacon cheddar burger  and cookie dough and bubblegum ice cream.  They have also found some unique tastes like the Paris burger which contains brie cheese among other things and Sicilian blood orange gelato and Saskatoon raspberry gelato.  A personal favorite was also giandino chocolate ice cream which was absolutely wonderful.

I asked Jerry what advice he would give to budding restaurateurs.  He said that I should call it expensive lessons he has learnt. 

• They had tried doing a second restaurant in Calgary but the distance and the cost made it not feasible because you physically need to be there to see what works and what does not. 
• He said to remember the times when supper hour yielded an empty restaurant, one needs to help keep humble.
• Stick with the stuff you are passionate about and do so unapologetically. 
• Lastly, anyone can compete on price and the race to the bottom has final results.  People will pay for quality but you must temper that with avoiding the arrogance that says you are amazing when you serve Chef Boyardee for your menu.

Now about the food.  The food was excellent.  I had chicken breast on a Ciabatta bun topped with mango salsa and pepper jack cheese with mushroom soup on the side.  Everything was fresh and made on site which added extra wow to the whole presentation. Buns, ice cream, gelato and sorbet are made on site and done fresh each day.

When they opened on February 1, 1997 their focus was on quality and not decor thinking of course people come for good food more than pretty surroundings.  I never asked but I imagine that idea was influenced in part by the Dairy Queen Braziers.  While they got the food right, the decor has since caught up.  For those of you who have never been, the restaurant is very open and since the makeover has an understated elegance that is comfortable and inviting.

One last thing, as a parent i hate it that many restaurants give a different standard for their kids menu while putting a bigger effort into the adult section.  Jerry uses the same ingredients for the kids menu as for the adult.  As a mom and having Mark and Oliver push aside their meals and tried to con Jordon and I into letting them have something off their plate, I appreciate their efforts.  While Mark has been a long time fan, I am looking forward to taking Oliver there to let him experience how much fun a meal at Jerry’s is.

Web: www.jerrys.ca | Menu

Location
1115 Grosvenor Avenue
Saskatoon SK
S7H 4G2 Canada
(306) 373-6555
info@jerrys.ca

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Main Street is being bought up by Wall Street

From Macleans

Not only are investors speculating on land, they believe they can make a profit leasing the acreages to farmers while they wait for the right time to sell. Investors in Saskatchewan are charging rent equal to seven per cent of a property’s worth, said Johnston. That would mean a farmer pays around $70,000 upfront in rent, per year, for an average-sized 2,000-acre farm from Agcapita. The number could climb with farm prices, which are already rising. According to Statistics Canada, the price of Alberta farmland almost doubled between 2000 and 2009. According to Marvin Painter, a business professor at the University of Saskatchewan, the dividend yield from the rent and the predicted capital gain from a future land sale works out to be only slightly below what a blue-chip stock would reap.

“It’s a forever asset that produces income,” said Brad Farquhar, co-founder of Assiniboia Capital Corporation, which controls more than 110,000 acres, worth about $55 million, in Saskatchewan. They began raising money for their venture in 2007, both from big clients and smaller investors—half of their approximately 500 investors put in less than $10,000, he said. To ensure they are buying land that can generate rental income, the company assesses the productivity of a farm, and therefore the worth of the land, by examining soil quality, past yields and rainfall. “The last thing you want to do is buy land where the nutrients have been extracted by the last farmer,” he said. They only rent to farmers who “farm well,” and agrologists go out every year to inspect the land. The company hopes to assemble a large farmland portfolio that might be of interest to big-league investors. “Maybe Canada Pension Plan takes an interest in farming,” he said.

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Leek and Potato Soup Recipe

This recipe is inspired by Randall Friesen’s St. Patrick’s Day post about Leek and Potato soup.  You can see the photos here.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 (white & light green parts only) leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 large potatoes, peeled & chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 thick slices bacon
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; sauté leeks, celery, carrot, salt, thyme and pepper until softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Add potatoes, stock and 3 cups water; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, in skillet, fry bacon until crisp; drain on paper towels then crumble.
4. In batches in blender, puree soup until smooth; strain into clean pot and reheat gently. Sprinkle each serving with bacon, cheese and parsley.

Randall linked to some delicious looking potato scones that his wife Lauralea posted.  Check them out as well.

Update: Jordon wasn’t fond of the parsley.

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Spring Ramen Chicken Soup Recipe

This was a really mediocre recipe as listed.  I’ll post the original recipe and then post an improved version.

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 2 packages of (3 ounces each) chicken flavour or oriental flavour ramen noodle soup mix.
• 6 ounces of snow peas (about 2 cups)
• 2 green onions
• 1 large carrot
• 1 pound skinless, boneless, chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Directions

1. In a 4 quart saucepan, heat water with seasoning packets from ramen soup mix to boiling over high heat.  Meanwhile, remove strings from snow peas and cut each diagonally in half.  Slice green onions and shred carrot.  Cut chicken into 3/4 pieces.  Break ramen noodle block into 2 layers.
2. When water mixture boils, a snow peas, green onions, carrot, chicken an noodles.  Cook 3 to 5 minutes over high heat or until chicken just loses it’s pink color, throughout.  Remove saucepan from heat.  Stir in sesame oil.

Note: We all found the recipe really bland and it’s because it uses 5 cups of water instead of a combination of soup stock and water.  I would suggest going with 2 1/2 cups of beef soup stock and 2 1/2 cups of water.

Sources: Good Housekeeping: Budget Dinners

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Chicken Bolognese Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 ounces linguine or fettuccine
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 medium stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large (10 to 12 ounce) onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed with press
• 1 can (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat milk (1% or 2%)
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Heat large covered saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat.  Add pasta and cook as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch non stick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium 1 minute.   Add ground chicken to skillet; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Cook chicken 8 to 9 minutes, or until it is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.  Transfer chicken along with any juices in skillet to medium bowl.
3. To same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil with carrots, celery, onion, and garlic; cook 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring occasionally.  Stir in tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in cooked chicken and milk, heat through.
4. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water.  Drain pasta and return to saucepot; stir in sauce from skillet, Parmesan, parsley, if using and reserved cooking water.  Toss to coat.

Source: Good Housekeeping: Budget Dinners

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Chicken Curry Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, divided
• 1 teaspoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped apple
• 1/2 cup sliced carrot
• 1/3 sliced celery
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2  cans (about 14 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 4 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
• Plain yogurt

Directions

1. Coat chicken with 3 teaspoons of curry powder.  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add chicken; cook and stir for 3 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove from pan; keep warm.
2. Add apple, carrot, celery, remaining 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and cloves to same saucepan; cook five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add broth and orange juice.  Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low.  Add pasta, cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.  Stir in chicken.  Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt, if desired.

I made this a couple of weeks ago and Jordon and the boys were not that crazy with it.  I think the orange juice made it too sweet and if I make it again, I will go with more broth and no orange juice.

Source: The Soup Bible

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The Secret Menu of In-N-Out Burger

Over at Serious Eats, they ordered and explored the items on the In-N-Out Burger secret menu.  You’ll also want to make sure you check out the slideshow.

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