Thinking about comfort food or a boozy summer treat?
Calgary offers both: laughs and ready-made meals from ex-comedian Jebb Fink at Crossroads Market, and boozy ice cream flavours for adults at Tipzy Cow in Fresh & Local Market + Kitchens.
Photo Credit (Hero image): Jebb’s Joint
JEBB’S JOINT
For Jebb Fink, a passion for cooking started at an early age. “I told my mom I didn’t like some of the things she was making; she told me I’d better learn to cook.”
If this foodie-origin story makes you giggle, it’s for good reason; not only is Fink a purveyor of delicious foods, he is also a successful comedian. He won a Gemini award as co-creator of the CBC comedy An American in Canada, and Calgarians will remember him from his time as a host and weatherman for A-Channel’s The Big Breakfast. For Fink, running Jebb’s Joint at the Crossroads Market is a “retirement job” – a way to keep busy and have fun.
Fink’s food philosophy is all about comfort food (“I hate kale,” as he puts it). At Jebb’s Joint, you’ll find a rotating menu of ready-to-go favourites, from spicy pasta sauces and marinaras to lasagna and cannelloni to his extremely popular shepherd’s pies. Fink also serves a hot lunch using whatever seasonal ingredients inspire him. Past offerings have included shrimp étouffée (a classic New Orleans stew) and chicken and dumplings.
Fink sources his ingredients from other vendors at the Crossroads Market, using cheese from Say Cheese, pork from Regina’s Fine Meats and cherry tomatoes from Broxburn Vegetables. For the summer, expect a return of seasonal favourites like a “killer” potato salad, perfect for summer picnics. Fink also plans to bring back fresh pasta with a smaller machine, allowing him to make pasta on-site so his customers can watch.
For Fink, farmers’ markets are all about neighbours supporting neighbours. He prides himself on the relationships he builds with his customers and will even take special requests. “I had a customer bring me their mother’s recipe for lasagna, and I made it for them!”
Jebb’s Joint | Crossroads Market | 1235 26th Ave. S.E. | 403.542.7937 | @JebbFink
TIPZY COW CREAMERY
Sometimes it can feel like kids have all the summer fun. But if Katie Vogt has anything to say about it, the grownups will also savour summer this year with her new shop at Fresh & Local Market + Kitchens. The baker-turned-ice-cream-maker recently opened the Tipzy Cow and offers ice cream, shakes, floats and other creamy, cold concoctions all with a dreamy, boozy zing.
The inspiration came from an ice-cream-making course Vogt and her mom, Cathy Wade (who now herds goats near Raymond, Alta.) took in Florida a number of years ago. After the 2013 flood wiped out her bakery (The Cakery) in High River, and Covid interrupted her home-based business, Vogt decided it was time to pull the trigger on her dream of an ice creamery for adults.
While the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission (AGLC) presented numerous hoops to jump through by way of licensing for this unique product within a market setting, seven months elapsed before Tipzy Cow was given the green light. But we can confidently say it’s been worth the wait.
We tried a flight of four flavours; Baja Strawberry (with Baja Rosa tequila), Salted Caramel (with bourbon and butterscotch schnapps, a dairy free Pina Colada with Malibu rum and chewy chunks of real coconut and Vogt’s favourite, 50 Shades, which has a little something of everything with Irish cream, butterscotch schnapps and double chocolate vodka. We loved them all, with a special preference for the salted caramel. If you’re worried about your alcohol consumption, fear not. “The cow is tipsy, you won’t be,” says Vogt. She says the alcohol content is three to four per cent depending on the flavour.
We’re looking forward to new flavours this summer including a Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk with tequila and a Smoky Old Fashioned with bourbon, hints of bitters, orange, cherry and an orange ribbon.
Tipzy Cow Creamery | Fresh & Local Market + Kitchens | 12445 Lake Fraser Dr. S.E. | IG: @tpizycow
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