No more Alberta Beef at Earl's

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by polak

lol if the steak tastes better than it did when it was Alberta Beef, I'll probably go more often.

Exactly. I'm more concerned about whether it's grass fed or corn fed. I really don't care where it comes from, or how it was killed. Just has to be tasty. And in my experience I've preferred US steak

Originally Posted by blueski

Yeah and I was totally serious.

I do care enough to just not go there anymore. The Keg, Moxies, Cactus club, and so on instead of Earls. These places are mostly the same and I'll just pick the one that doesn't go out of its way to not support our province.

Cactus Club is considering doing the same thing as earls.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

That's a sane idea..

Beef is beef, I've had steaks all over Europe, The USA and Canada and find there is no difference at all in flavor or texture. Supporting local is always good though but Alberta beef is no better than any other.

Yeah...see...thats a thing thats just not true. Just because you apparently have no taste.

I can say the same thing and there absolutely, most definitely is a difference.

[Ironhorse]

This is an interesting take on what is "humane" by an Alberta Rancher, and takes straight aim at the Earl's debacle:

https://viewfromtheranchporch.wordpr...beef-campaign/

Interesting view on Creekstone Farms.

Creekstone Farms, while has some feel – good marketing surrounding it, is actually owned by Sun Capital Partners. From their twitter profile: Sun Capital Partners is a leading private investment firm focused on leveraged buyouts, private equity, debt and other investments in market-leading companies.

Could be some sour grapes mixed in. But really, just good marketing by big business.

[codfather]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Few things.

I didn't bold it, the original site did.

Good to know.

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Temple Grandin and Certified Humane both think that halal is humane.

You have absolutely no evidence that Earls is using halal meat.

Certified Humane is a PR garbage. I'm supposed to trust their seal over strict government standards? It's a marketing ploy meant to play on people's guilt. Are you saying Temple Grandin claims that under the conditions bolded, that halal is more or equally humane than a pneumatic pistal? I honestly am not terribly concerned about halal slaughter, my beef (ha!) with this is simply due to Earls asserstion that their change in beef sourcing was done for humane reasons.

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Earls is based in Vancouver.

It was started in Alberta. From the earls website: "In 1982 Bus and his eldest son Stanley opened the first Earls restaurant on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, AB."

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

You have no evidence this is just a PR move, and calling it stinking hypocrisy and a smack in the face is quite dramatic.

You're right, I don't. As I said before, there are numerous sites that discuss Creekstone Farms halal certification, many stating that their beef is 100% halal. Maybe they slaughter some cows in the halal method and other cows with a pneumatic pistol, I don't know, though I have my doubts that they use two different methods.

Also, "stinks of hypocrisy" is not the same thing as "stinking hypocrisy", and you can call it dramatic all you want. It's how many people are taking it. Like I said, Albertan's have always been very protective of the cattle industry.

[Ironhorse]

Very similar thing happening with Sobey's right now. Maybe it is just savvy marketing, and playing the consumer's guilty conscience card.
https://www.realagriculture.com/2014...e-really-mean/

It’s why I think Sobeys was very smart in getting a spokesperson like celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to improve their brand as a retailer of very high-quality, fresh product. However, I’m not only surprised, but also confused about their new support of a third-party label from the United States known as Certified Humane for beef, chicken and pork.
The idea was Oliver’s, according to him in a promotional video — he wanted to see Sobeys raise their product standards. It’s a noble crusade, but one that I cannot support, given the nature of a term like Certified Humane. It uses a consumer’s guilty conscience, as well as confusing and misleading information, to pit farmer against farmer and one production practice against another.

It begs a critical question about raising animals. When an animal is sick, should it be given an antibiotic? My unwavering opinion is yes, as I see it to be cruel to let an animal suffer. So, how can a program called “Certified Humane”, not allow a sick animal to be healed by the science of antibiotics as Sobeys and Oliver suggest? The truth is they do!

Beef in Canada can be produced with growth promotants that have been proven safe and effective at improving the animals’ ability to turn the feed they eat into meat on their bones. Sobeys says that is better for the planet, but research says it means 10 percent more greenhouse gases. “Better for the planet,” is a catchy line when you don’t have all the facts.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Certified Humane
Organic
Free Range
Ocean Wise
etc

At this point, to me, it's all blah, blah, blah and marketing. I've decided to just trust our federal regulations and the market itself and will make my buying decisions based on price and cravings.

Soon enough, if not already, most of the standard practices will likely be aligned with those giving these "special" classifications. Hormone free chicken for example. Well, all chicken in Canada is hormone free (as in no growth hormone), so yeah.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

That's a sane idea..

Beef is beef, I've had steaks all over Europe, The USA and Canada and find there is no difference at all in flavor or texture. Supporting local is always good though but Alberta beef is no better than any other.

The fact that some European beef contains horsemeat DNA is all you need to know about how good their beef is. While you may be able to get a good steak in the UK or Italy for example, a lot of their beef is crap.

[btimbit]

Best steak I ever had was from Australia

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The fact that some European beef contains horsemeat DNA is all you need to know about how good their beef is. While you may be able to get a good steak in the UK or Italy for example, a lot of their beef is crap.

But their Horse Meat is exceptional.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah...see...thats a thing thats just not true. Just because you apparently have no taste.

I can say the same thing and there absolutely, most definitely is a difference.

Obviously, it depends on how it's prepared.. Dry aged or not, the cut itself. But where the Cow itself originates from means jack.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by peter12

Why would I pay $38 for a single serving of lamb when I can make an absolutely perfect leg of lamb for around $70 that will serve 10 people twice?

No dishes.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Best steak I ever had was from Australia

Florence Italy for me, man.. what a steak.

Oh wait, it was the same as Alberta or Mexico.

BEEF IS BEEF™ What makes it good is it's preparation and if it is cooked to your taste.

[Southside]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

Few things.

I didn't bold it, the original site did.

Temple Grandin and Certified Humane both think that halal is humane.

You have absolutely no evidence that Earls is using halal meat.

Earls is based in Vancouver.

You have no evidence this is just a PR move, and calling it stinking hypocrisy and a smack in the face is quite dramatic.

Originally Posted by btimbit

Best steak I ever had was from Australia

Bonanza?

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Also, should anyone interested in reducing GHG emissions boycott Earl's? Importing a product to a region which has ample supply of said product isn't exactly "green".......

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Florence Italy for me, man.. what a steak.

Oh wait, it was the same as Alberta or Mexico.

BEEF IS BEEF™ What makes it good is it's preparation and if it is cooked to your taste.

I get what you're saying, but what makes the origin important is different trends in raising the cattle. I prefer USDA Prime steak over pretty much any other type not because it's from the US but because it's corn fed and has higher standards for marbling than any Alberta label.

[peter12]

In a blind taste, no one would be able to identify which region a cow was raised in based on the taste. It is simply an anchor effect based on a one time experience that expanded into a preference.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by blueski

Yeah and I was totally serious.

I do care enough to just not go there anymore. The Keg, Moxies, Cactus club, and so on instead of Earls. These places are mostly the same and I'll just pick the one that doesn't go out of its way to not support our province.

I don't really understand why people have the desire to frequent a place like Earls or Moxies when there are so many great non-chain restaurants in town to pick from now. This isn't the 80/90s anymore where a night out means choosing to either go to the Keg or Smugglers Inn. I'd get it if the prices were cheaper...but you're usually just getting pre-made food at premium prices, usually served by people who just don't give a crap.

Calgary has a fantastic food scene these days, and you dont have to be some hipster foodie to see the advantage. Go to one of the many great non-chain restaurants, and more often than not you're supporting a local owner, who often use locally-sourced farmers, made fresh and usually of a much higher quality, and a comparable price (still expensive, but hey thats Calgary). And you might even get some decent service instead of the vapid idiots who work at Earls.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I don't really understand why people have the desire to frequent a place like Earls or Moxies when there are so many great non-chain restaurants in town to pick from now. This isn't the 80/90s anymore where a night out means choosing to either go to the Keg or Smugglers Inn. I'd get it if the prices were cheaper...but you're usually just getting pre-made food at premium prices, usually served by people who just don't give a crap.

Calgary has a fantastic food scene these days, and you dont have to be some hipster foodie to see the advantage. Go to one of the many great non-chain restaurants, and more often than not you're supporting a local owner, who often use locally-sourced farmers, made fresh and usually of a much higher quality, and a comparable price (still expensive, but hey thats Calgary). And you might even get some decent service instead of the vapid idiots who work at Earls.

I have yet to find a place in that $15-$25 entree range that distinguishes itself above all the chain places here. I mean they're not bad, but I've lived here for 23 years and I've yet to find a place that makes me want to keep going back over picking whatever is close and fits the craving.

Any examples? Genuinely interested in suggestions.

Don't get me wrong, I like the atmosphere at places like Anejo, Wurst, Julios...etc. but the food? It's good but so is a lot of the stuff at the chain restaurants.

That said I'll go to Julios or Wurst on a Friday night waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before Earls or something.

[wontondestruction]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

That's a sane idea..

Beef is beef, I've had steaks all over Europe, The USA and Canada and find there is no difference at all in flavor or texture. Supporting local is always good though but Alberta beef is no better than any other.

Expensive beef in Japan is nothing like anything we have here. The fat content must be at least 50%. It's not to everybody's liking, but it contradicts your idea that all beef is the same.

Also, who goes to Earl's for a quality meal?! Every guy on here goes for the quality of the waitresses.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by polak

Don't get me wrong, I like the atmosphere at places like Anejo, Wurst, Julios...etc. but the food? It's good but so is a lot of the stuff at the chain restaurants. That said I'll go to Julios or Wurst on a Friday night waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay before Earls or something.

Julios might be okay for drinks, but the food is gross - made in Edmonton, frozen, and shipped to the Calgary location.