Better late than never!
My reflection for 2025 comes on the eve of my twentieth blogging anniversary. It is truly hard to fathom how the magnitude of the food reporting landscape has changed since I started writing about food in 2006. At that time, my site was one of many maintained by local folks who shared my passion for documenting eating adventures and promoting independent businesses. In addition, Edmonton’s two legacy newspapers featured food stories regularly, with a full-time food reporter at the Journal, and weekly food reviews in the Sun. As well, there were a couple of alternative weeklies who invested in coverage of food stories (disclaimer: I wrote some of these stories for Vue Weekly back in the day). CBC Radio also had ongoing contributors who would highlight local restaurants.
Early blogging days
Fast forward to today, where the local media landscape has been decimated. The alt weeklies are long gone, and Edmonton has been without a full-time food reporter at the Journal for several years. CBC Radio has dropped regular food contributors outside of recipe sharing. Most of those blogging compatriots have moved on, replaced in number by an army of influencers that tracks with the meteoric rise of social media platforms. It is still unclear what the long-term consequences of this erosion of meaningful articles and searchable archives will be on the local food scene. I know for me, it was those stories about the restaurant operators, chefs, and producers that fostered my curiosity and cemented my own enduring connection to the food community. I worry that those in-depth pieces have been replaced by a mindless stream of algorithm-driven and click-bait content, leaving consumers with fewer opportunities to learn about the people behind the food.
There are some glimmers of hope. Two bi-monthly magazines do persist: The Tomato will celebrate thirty years in 2026, and Edify (albeit with its second new editor at the helm in less than twelve months) continue to prioritize food coverage. The nascent I’m Still Hungry video series has promise with its long-form video storytelling. And (my husband Mack’s) online publishing company Taproot Edmonton is committed to sharing untold stories about local food.
I have a full year before sharing my full reflection on two decades of writing about food. Let’s see if those glimmers can become sparks.
Notable items from 2025:
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Some higher-profile restaurant openings included Daniel Costa’s Rita, Andrew Fung’s JuuKuu, Lauren Kyle-McDavid’s Bar Trove, and the expansion of Christian Mena and Lino Oliveira’s empire, with Atrium and their seventh Bodega location in the Edmonton area.
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The independent coffee scene continued to grow, with the past year seeing the growth of cultural-based cafes, such as the second location of Mokha Coffee House, Kahwa Raw Café, Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., Ahlan Coffeehouse, and Kissa10.
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On a related front, The Colombian continued its aggressive growth plan, opening in Saskatoon.
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In spite of our winter city designation, ice cream operators added storefronts: a second White Rabbit, a third Made by Marcus, seasonal Kind Ice Cream trailer called Bestie, and Filipino sorbetes provider DRTY opened their first brick and mortar location. Baskin Robbin’s also returned to Edmonton, with two kiosks at West Edmonton Mall.
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Ukrainian cuisine had a great year, with Malina’s third shop (and first café/wine bar), Don’ya’s two locations, Ester’s Ukrainian sushi, and the prominence of Zymo.
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Local Vietnamese chains also increased their footprint, with Pho Hoan Pasteur, Co Do Hue, Pho King, and Miss Saigon adding sixth, fifth, fourth, and third locations, respectively, in the Edmonton region.
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Sherlock Holmes celebrated 40 years in business, and Rogue Wave and Little Brick each commemorated 10 years.
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There were also some notable closures, including Carol’s Quality Sweets after 35 years in business, Lock Stock after 10 years in business, and the gut-punch of the Italian Bakery shuttering its newly re-opened Chinatown branch after just over a year.
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The impending sale of Edmonton favourites Remedy and Jack’s Burger Shack by its founders mark an end of their respected chapters.
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The abrupt closure of Continental Treat’s 43-year location in Old Strathcona was followed in December by a very public and unfortunate dispute between the owner and the City about its remaining Downtown location. The restaurant was forced to close that location, and decamped to a new southside space.
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Ramneek Singh concluded his Butter Chicken Odyssey, and shared his final ranking of fifty butter chicken dishes.
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Siwin Foods was a local food manufacturing success story, expanding its factory to meet growing international demands.
Only Here for the Food 