Woodwork - Solid Contemporary (Edmonton 30 in 30)

Working on this blog for the better part of a year now has afforded me the opportunity to meet others passionate in the food industry. Ranging from incredible chefs, heartfelt owners or eager food bloggers, my list of food(ies) is starting to outstrip my other social circles. You can imagine then my delight when I met a fellow food blogger in Edmonton, from the medical school nonetheless! Meeting up for supper with the owners of ForkIt, we agreed to meet at Woodwork, a new contemporary restaurant in downtown Edmonton.

Woodwork is located in the heart of downtown on 100th street and 101 Avenue. Synonymous with the explosive growth in downtown Edmonton, Woodwork is one of numerous new tenants in the area offering up good eats for would-be diners. The restaurant itself is found in a handsome storied building with tall arches and huge windows. Indeed the magnificence of the restaurant cannot be understated with its massive wall of local and international liquors, plentiful seating and tasteful decor.

The menu is small but has a surprisingly good variety. Woodwork divides their menu into three main categories; bar snacks for those interested in a small bite between drinks, small plates that work as both an appetizer or a smaller main for those less hungry, and larger plates that function as main courses. Their menu emphasizes wood fired cooking and utilization of local regional ingredients. Small but functional, it was a good sign when the two of us had difficulty picking between all the tasty options!

Both of us quite enjoyed the Steak Tartare. Woodwork elevates the ordinary tartare through their use of pickled beets which add a firmer salty bite to the smooth and luxurious beef. The accompanying wafered potatoes give a nice airy light crisp contrast to the dense meat. As expected, the beef was of an excellent grade, extraordinarily fresh and well prepared.

Their smaller plates taking the show, the Wood-fired West Coast Clams was also one our favourites. The star is the meaty clams which were tender, juicy and succulent. The tomato based broth adds a tartness while the addition of bacon wraps the dish in a fatty smokey flavour. Topping it off is a side of sourdough which became our favourite element as it soaked up all the delicious juices from the broth and the clams.

The most ordinary dish of the day the Cornish Hen takes oven roasted hen and pairs it with a barley risotto and finished with a hen reduction. While the hen was nicely prepared and had a subtle sweet aroma to it, there was nothing that elevated or made the meat stand out. Indeed it was the barley risotto that impressed us striking a delicate balance between the inherent chewy and firm with smooth and creamy.

On the other hand, their Woodwork Dill Sausage was quite tasty. Initially concerned of a overwhelming dill flavour, the dish actually had a perfect balance between the strong aroma and flavour of dill with the meaty and fatty meat. Topping each slice of sausage with the accompanied aioli advances the delicate balance of flavours even further.

Woodwork, overall, delivered solid contemporary food that struck a fine balance of flavours and was not afraid to use bold ingredients (successfully) to advance each dish. Although we were more impressed by their smaller plates, Woodwork still offers excellent cuisine at fair prices that should cater to anyone with any taste buds. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

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