I think I have mentioned it many times before, but we actually don't live in Edmonton, we live in St. Albert (just outside Edmonton). The opening of the new Hole's Enjoy Centre has been a much anticipated event around here, and it happened ages ago, but I finally made it out there this week. Like most of our daytime outings, this was half for me to check it out, and half because it is a giant place that my little girl can run around and tire herself out. There is a lot of cool sounding stuff still coming (a natural food store, deli, etc.), but the Bistro is open already, so we stopped in for lunch.
Everything is promoted as being organic and/or local and/or generally good for the community in some way. There was a huge salad bar that had a make your own salad section as well as a wide selection of pre-made salads. You pay by the weight. There were also many pre-made sandwiches, and a couple of homemade soups. Everything looked good, but as is often the case with organic foods, they were a bit pricey.My mom had a pre-made chicken and leek salad sandwich. It was really yummy, but was a bit sparse on the filling. I had a grilled veggie, brie and apple panini, which was excellent. I guess combining some of my favourite things in a warm, melty sandwich is pretty sure-fire to please.
I am very interested to see how everything else builds out. The Centre was really busy when we were there considering it was mid day on a Thursday. I suspect that everything will do well out here given the support of me and all my suburbanite neighbours.
It's an odd place -- the building has no connection to the plants or to the outdoors/earth -- other than the parking lot. It's almost like they're trying, in spirit at least, to get out of the plant business. I can't imagine a space more unlike the old place, and I can't picture Lois Hole enjoying the space. what Hole's was known for -- staff with expertise -- is noticably absent... A lot of folks have quit and I noticed a new staffer responding to a gardener's question by rolling her eyes and reading to him from the label of the plant he was looking at. It's trying to do too many things too quickly and, right now at least, none of them is being done particularly well. It'sincredibly dosorganized, even with construction, and the customer, at least right now, seems to come last.
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