You never forget your first for a reason.
The anticipation, the longing, the excitement for what’s sure to be a sensory overload.

I had my first pupusa six years ago at Acajutla.  It was a moment that changed my carb-loving life forever.

Not much more than a corn dough pocket filled with good stuff like seasoned pork, refried beans, and cheese, the simple pupusa from El Salvador has few culinary rivals in my world.

[Apologies in advance for the many cellphone camera photos.]

Naked Acajutla pupusas

Fully dressed Acajutla pupusas

I was happy enough with my Acajutla relationship until El Rancho came along.
With additional filling offerings such as zucchini and loroco, my fidelity was seriously in question.  After my first taste, my heart now belonged to another.

If you’re from Edmonton, it is likely that someone at some point has asked if you are on Team Acajutla or Team El Rancho.
Me? Team El Rancho.

El Rancho pupusas

But in a town where you’re lucky enough to choose between the two, the difference is really just preference, not because one is substantially better than the other.
I find that El Rancho pupusas tend to be smaller, thicker, and with a crispier exterior.  They are easier to eat with your hands if you like to split them open.  Acajutla pupusas are cheesier and have a larger diameter.  In terms of the pupusa accoutrements, Acajutla makes a better salsa roja (red sauce), El Rancho, a better curtido (cabbage slaw).

El Rancho pupusas split

It’s all apples to apples after that for me.  I like the homemade tortilla of an Acajutla burrito, but I like the El Rancho insides better.  Acajutla gets many points for their avocado sauce, but El Rancho has better desserts… I love their tres leches cake.

Acajutla burrito

And I can’t forget about El Rancho’s salad.  I have no idea what their brown dressing is, but it’s addictive.

El Rancho's house salad

I will greatly miss it.

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This post marks my end in Edmonton and my beginning in Vancouver.

Cream has jumped the Rockies and set herself up on the West Coast.

This weekend, I finished getting everything out of boxes and am starting to feel comfy in my new home.
To celebrate, I went for pupusas.
With one mixed, two bean and cheese, and a side of guacamole as a nod to Acajutla’s green sauce, I have found a little piece of El Salvador to remind me of home.  And right on Commercial Drive.

El Rancho
11810 87 St
Edmonton

Acajutla
11302 107 Ave
Edmonton

Rinconcito Salvadoreno
2062 Commercial Drive
Vancouver

There is something to be said for spending a lot of money on a nice meal out.  There is also something to be said about well-designed portions.

The Hardware Grill is one of Edmonton’s finest fine-dining establishments. But as Ms Sugar and I talked about on our recent visit, their plate sizes are a little on the hefty side.  If I’m going to have a night of luxe dining complemented by smooth wine and even smoother service, I want the experience to last.  Thus, a 3-course night is generally what’s planned for.  Unfortunately, at Hardware Grill 3 courses equals more than just loosening your belt.  The starters are easily the size of mains at other places, which is both a blessing and a curse.  The value is outstanding, but the even larger main that follows tests the size of your stomach.  The solution?  Two appetizers = enough room for dessert.

And that is what this post is really about.  Why choose to talk about dessert over the richness of duck confit or the velvety texture of pea ravioli?
Because the dessert in question was a pumpkin—you had me at pumpkin—tart.

Polenta crust?  Inventive and tasty but it could have been more tender.
Cinnamon ice cream?  Delish, but a tart is not the best for sopping up melted ice cream.  The traditional whipped cream would have been more successful.
Poached raw pear?  Trying to take a lady-like morsel of a raw pear with only a fork is not something I want to try again.
Fruit Saskatoon compote?  I am a big fan of Saskatoon pie.  Part of what makes the pie work is the crust and cream that soften the blow of the berry’s tartness and firm texture.  A mass of this compote just didn’t work with the pumpkin… or the raw pear… or the ice cream.
Pumpkin filling? Perfection.

Verdict:  An awkward mix of flavours and textures.
Worth $11?  Not even close.

Note to pastry chef:  Bake me a larger tart after you’ve perfected the crust and be sure to go heavy on the cream.

“There’s no such thing as too much cream,” says Cream.