Openings

• Rob’s Famous Chicken has announced a second location in Windermere, to open September 1, at 1319 Windermere Way SW.
• Farmers’ market vendor Knead Bakehouse has opened a brick and mortar location at Unit 560, 3850 Sherwood Drive.
• Ardaas Sweets, offering Indian treats, opened on July 26 at 16777 71 Street NW.
• Indian restaurant Leduc Meat & Grill opened on July 26 in Leduc, 4812E 43A Avenue.
• Flame & Barrel restaurant is opening a second location in the Edmonton area, this time in St. Albert (388 St. Albert Trail).
• BackNine Tavern, offering a sport bar and virtual golf, is now open at 215 Mckenney Avenue in St. Albert.
• Another location of Leopold’s Tavern is opening in Fort Saskatchewan, at 114, 9398 Southfort Drive.

Closures

• Wilfred’s is the latest local business to announce their closure. Their final day was July 26. Made by Marcus in the same space is unaffected.

Upcoming Events

• Woodshed Burgers is hosting another gluten-free day on July 29 at all three of their locations.
• Check out Vagabond’s last pop-up before chefs Christine Sandford and Roger Letourneau get married! Bistrot Burger runs July 31-August 2 in the Wilfred’s space.
• So happy to see the return of Sabor’s $15 Fish and Chip Fridays, a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House and Santa’s Anonymous. It runs every Friday in August, starting August 7.
• West Block’s Food Crawls are returning again, with four dates beginning August 12. Each crawl will feature 5 local stops. Tickets are $75 each, plus fees and taxes.
• I’m excited to attend the vendor-led and organized Food Truck Frenzy, at the Expo Centre on August 14. Free admission, with donations for Edmonton’s Food Bank welcomed.
• Last Modern Events is hosting a Matcha Social on August 15-16, with the opportunity to try multiple matcha vendors in one location.

Local News

• In the wake of the multiple Downtown restaurant closure announcements this past month, many local businesses have posted reminders to support those you want to see through these difficult times, including Padmanadi, Patricia Street Deli, and The Butternut Tree.
• In the same vein, River Valley Co. announced that they will be sharing a portion of their sales from Little Brick and Dogpatch with a downtown hospitality business every week, and use their platforms to share their story.
• Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen had an extensive conversation with Kristina Botelho of KB & Co., Nate Box of Fox Burger and District Cafe, and Chris DeCock of Greta and Hudson’s about the spate of closures.
• Taproot Edmonton highlighted HOM Street Food’s current residency at Bibo.
• Congratulations to Coliseum Steak & Pizza for celebrating 50 years in business.
• Lucky 97 commemorated a big milestone too of 45 years.
• The July issue of Modern Luxuria featured Nero.
• The same issue also includes an interview with Dr. Doug Klein. Ten years ago, he partnered with chef Gail Hall to start Change Adventure Camp, a program that taught Edmonton kids how to cook and stay active. Unfortunately, Gail passed away after teaching in the first year of the program. Dr. Klein is hoping to memorialize her legacy in a permanent teaching kitchen called Gail’s Kitchen. Those who remember Gail and would like to learn more can fill in this form.
• Whisked’s matcha truck was brought to life on an Prime Video show called Young Farts Trailer Parts (yes, you read that right), about two brothers running an RV parts business in Vegreville, Alberta.

What I Ate

• I met up with my friend Su to satisfy my incessant craving for CQ Noodles. It was fuel for a fun evening at the first ever Locked Library at Edmonton Public Library, an escape room-type activity to be completed alongside 650 fellow sleuths. Their second event is already planned for October.

My usual chef pork meat soup from CQ Noodles

• Our family went to Taste of Edmonton last week, and were more than a little sad not to see The Lingnan there! It was bad enough losing the Fairmont and their scones several years ago, but no dry spicy chicken?! At any rate, our favourite savoury dish of the evening was Flipside BBQ’s flipdope tots (super tasty, and a reasonable portion size), and the mango bingsoo from Flurries (light and refreshing).

Mango bingsoo from Flurries

• We also took the kids to KDays, and indulged in some midway favourites, including Those Little Donuts.

We might have to upgrade to large next year

Openings

• Afghan and Turkish restaurant Ariana Kitchen opened in early July at 13720 50 Street NW.
• Indian restaurant and bar Sangam Social is now open in Sherwood Park at #42, 975 Broadmoor Blvd.
• Vietnamese fusion bakery and cafe Heo Bake is now open at 9407 98 Avenue NW.
• Sports pub The Gardens opened its second location at 11520 100 Avenue at the end of June.
• Smashburger purveyor Meet the Bun has opened its fourth Edmonton area location in Sherwood Park, 270 Baseline Road #122.
• Jerusalem Shawarma is adding its sixth Edmonton location at 13204 137 Avenue NW.
• Restaurant and brewery Brewco opened in mid-June at West Edmonton Mall.
• Also in West Edmonton Mall, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is now open in the Phase 1 food court. It is the chain’s fourth location in Edmonton.
• Toronto-based Rosie’s Burgers has delayed their opening at the Brewery District until August 1. Find it at 11928 104 Avenue.
• Kanpai, a forthcoming Asian fusion bar to open in the former El Cortez space (8230 Gateway Blvd NW), has been sharing updates about its space since a fire damaged part of the building.
• A food truck serving Egyptian cuisine is opening soon in Edmonton, called Best Moud.
• Turkish restaurant and pastry chain Lokma Dessert Bar & Grill will be opening a location in Edmonton at 3629 Gateway Blvd NW.

Closures

• There were so many closures over the past two weeks (and in the prior month as well). KB and Company has shut down their downtown location after ten years in operation: “The construction, reduced foot traffic, changing work patterns after COVID, safety concerns etc, and every year seemed to bring another obstacle.” It appears on the website that three of the company’s other locations are still open, in Windermere, Sherwood Park, and St. Albert.
• In the same building, Bundok also announced its closure, after nine and a half years in business: “Running a restaurant is tough at the best of times and as things have continued to mount up against us, we’ve decided the best thing to do is move on.”
• Rhubarb Cafe in Manchester Square announced its closure after five years in business – it’s been a tough go for many businesses in that complex.
• After nearly one year, Ukrainian and European restaurant Zymo on Rice Howard Way has closed.
• After ten years, Greta will be closing on July 26, “due to the ongoing challenges of operating in downtown Edmonton”. Greta’s locations in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto remain open. Its owner, Chris DeCock, wrote a long post about what led to its closure.

Upcoming Events

• YEG Burger Battle runs for the month of July, with 24 burgers to choose from at 19 participating restaurants. $1 from each burger sold will be donated to KidSport.

Local News

• Station Park’s Food Hall has ushered in a new set of vendors after an initial slate of Japanese food operators. This time, a variety of cuisines are represented, including Malaysian, Filipino, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and Ukrainian.
• The winners of KDays’ New Foods Competition were announced, and include bao from Flipside BBQ (who also won last year), brownie cake donuts, and a caesar gelato shake.
• Taste of Edmonton is on until July 26; the Journal is currently eating its way through the dishes.
• Zwick’s Pretzels has closed its 124 Street location, but are still offering pick up of their soft and packaged hard pretzels at a new location at 14811 134 Avenue NW.
• Fuge Sausage will be ending their Fuge Friday lunches in order to focus on production.
• The Journal covered Ramneek Singh’s current donair odyssey, on his quest to find the city’s best donair. He has currently reviewed sixteen donairs.
• The Globe and Mail compiled a list of 12 of Canada’s most beloved restaurants (the article is paywalled, unfortunately), and Bistro Praha is Edmonton’s contribution.
• Edify staff did a taste test of five different green onion cakes available in Edmonton.
• Erika reviewed Bar Bricco.
• Meals on Wheels has introduced a Celebrity Chef Series, which features special recipes created by local chefs to be served on their menus. This month, items from Koutouki and Blue Willow will be offered.
• Congratulations to Transcend Coffee on their twentieth birthday, pioneers on ushering in the third wave coffee scene in Edmonton.
• Speaking of coffee, Roasti Coffee Company was voted #1 in Fltr Magazine’s People’s Choice Coffee Awards.
• Always great to see local businesses collaborating, like Fu’s Repair Shop and Sea Change Brewing with the return of its Fu-Tang Tangerine Green Tea Ale.
• CBC RadioActive interviewed the family behind Ying Fat, a tofu factory in Chinatown.
• I really love the idea of mobile grocery stores/markets, especially in food desert areas. ATB Place (while not a food desert) offers a mobile farmers’ market on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Beyond Edmonton

• Italian Centre Shop opened it second Calgary location at Northland Village Mall last week.
• Sea Change Brewing and Flat Boy Burgers have opened Skelly Club in Calgary, at 816 11 Avenue SW.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• It was heartbreaking to learn about Sundog Organic’s devastation to its crops this year, due to the excessive rain. Their operations are not covered by insurance at their scale, so they are currently raising funds through a crowdfunding campaign. We have been long-time customers and it would be such a loss if they aren’t able to continue operating in the future.

What I Ate

• Before our vacation, I had a work trip that brought me to Red Deer. It was my first time dining at Sprouts Vine Bistro, and after our lunch there, I know it won’t be my last. Their bison burger was juicy and so flavourful, and the service was excellent.

Bison burger from Sprouts Vine Bistro

• In honour of a few birthdays, we shared a beautifully decorated cupcake bouquet from B Bakes – it was almost too pretty to eat!

B Bakes cupcakes

• Our annual tradition of spending Canada Day at the Legislature continued, and meant we could indulge in some of our food truck favourites. We love us some Drift.

Fried chicken sandwich from Drift

Our family’s typical vacation destination of choice is Vancouver Island, so for a change of pace, we decided to visit Canada’s “other” island, Prince Edward Island. It was our first experience of the Maritimes, and it exceeded my expectations. The beaches were gorgeous (our family was partial to Thunder Cove and Brackley), the seafood was delicious, and the pace was exactly what we were hoping for.

• We did not know dairy bars were so prevalent everywhere, but the kids certainly got used to having ice cream almost every day! One of my favourites was enjoying Holman’s ice cream in their garden in Summerside.

Sorbet from Holman’s

• I’m always partial to a baked good, and we came across some fantastic bakeries. The freshly fried cinnamon sugar donuts from Olde Village Bakery in North Rustico were memorable, as was the strawberry flakie from Country Taste in Belfast.

Emily and our box of Country Taste treats

• Of course, there was seafood! The best setting for our meal was at Point Prim Chowder House – while it wasn’t the best chowder I’ve had, nothing beats the seaside setting.

Seafood chowder from Point Prim Chowder House

• As is the case when we’re on Vancouver Island, I was on a mission to find some local fishmongers for our dinners at home. It wasn’t hard, and the fish we had, simply fried in butter, were easily the best thing I ate on vacation. It also didn’t hurt that we hit up several farmers’ markets during our stay too, and were there at the right time for new PEI potatoes and fresh local strawberries.

Easy dinners at home

• The kids also tried their first oysters on this trip – the ones at Brackley Bay Oyster Co. are as fresh as they come.

At Brackley Bay Oyster Co.

Openings

• Mochi donut purveyor Mochido relocated from Vancouver to Edmonton and has set up shop in North Town Centre inside T&T Supermarket, 9450 137 Avenue NW, unit 134. It opened over the weekend.
• The Penny is a pop-up on Wednesdays from 3-8pm on the rooftop of the Pendennis Building, 9660 Jasper Avenue NW. They offer drinks and small bites.
• Ayco Cafe’s second Edmonton location is now open at 14213 103 Avenue NW.
• Shooby’s Gelato opened earlier this month, and has been generating quite the excitement. Edmonton definitely loves its cool treats! Find it at 4513 101 Street NW.
• Edmonton has another food truck in the city, called Love Bird Street Food.
• The Provincial Bar and Lounge re-opens on July 2, at 4211 106 Street, Unit 160.
• Dirty soda shop Sip Soda announced they will open their fourth location in the Edmonton area, this time on Whyte Avenue.
• Calgary-based The Bro’Kin Yolk will be opening a second location in the Edmonton region in Sherwood Park, to open this fall.
• Fried chicken chain Ophabie is now open in Edmonton, at 937 Parsons Road SW.
• St. Albert’s Back Nine Tavern is about the third virtual golf/sports bar to open or be announced in the past couple of months – I am curious to see if this is a fleeting trend or one that lasts.

Closures

• On the heels of the Mayfair location closing Odd Burger has also announced the closure of the only other Edmonton location, in Ellerslie.

Upcoming Events

• YEG Burger Fest runs July 2-11, offering $12 Lakeside Farmstead Wagyu burgers at eight participating restaurants downtown.
• Edmonton’s only 100% gluten-free pancake breakfast returns on July 18 to the Jerry Forbes Centre. Early bird tickets are $15 for adults.

Local News

• The owners of Khazana announced their closure of both locations earlier this month, and have since shared that they will file a class action lawsuit “against the City of Edmonton seeking $12 million in damages over the major financial losses our business and others have suffered, both during operations and because of the ongoing, unpredictable construction around our location.”
• The Journal interviewed Steve Brochu about the challenges he faced at PlayWright due to the surrounding construction.
• Edify profiled El Cafesito by MexiCanada, which offers Mexican food and goods in the shop.
• The patio at El Cortez was damaged by a fire last week, and the police have deemed it “suspicious”. El Cortez has been closed since January 2025.
• In celebration of summer, Explore Edmonton, North Central Co-op, and Sea Change Brewing Co. have partnered to create Lime Crush, a limited-edition craft beer. It is available at North Central Co-op Liquor Stores, Sea Change Taprooms, and at KDays.
• Edmonton-based Mr. Halal Burger will be expanding to Southern California this fall.

What I Ate

I will be away on vacation for the next couple of weeks, so there will be no new posts until mid-July. As always, if you’re looking for a fix, check out the Food Roundup over at Taproot Edmonton. Have a great start to the summer!

• It’s been ages since I’ve been to Cafe Bicyclette, but the weather co-operated and allowed Linda and I to enjoy their beautiful patio. Their kitchen was lightning fast that day, and the Montreal smoked meat sandwich was exactly what I hoped for. We also shared the poutine, which is a must.

Our spread at Cafe Bicyclette (with a jazz fest backdrop!)

• Running errands this weekend, we stopped at chain Kinton Ramen for the first time. I appreciate the variety of ramen broths and meat they offer (in addition to pork, they offer chicken, beef, and vegetarian). I tried the chicken which was tasty, but Mack’s pork broth was definitely better.

Original pork and chicken ramen from Kinton Ramen

• To celebrate my birthday over the weekend, Mack and I chose to try something new before going to an old favourite. Bar Trove just celebrated their first anniversary; we haven’t yet been. We tried their high/low dish of caviar chicken nuggets (recently changed to be a smaller, and thus cheaper portion, of 4g of caviar and 4 nuggets for $40). The chicken itself was crispy and well seasoned, and the calabrian chili aioli was great. Our server’s suggestion of eating the caviar separately was a good one, as otherwise, the delicacy was lost amongst the other textures and flavours. Service was great during our visit, so I’d recommend it for those looking for a higher-end experience.

Caviar chicken nuggets at Bar Trove

• We returned to our perennial favourite Tzin for our main meal. Their patio is my favourite in the city, and the food and service ranks near the top for me. We tried the “feed me” menu for the first time, and ended up with some really interesting and delicious dishes, including a dill pickle risotto and chili oil shrimp that Mack really enjoyed. Of course, no visit to Tzin is complete without bacon.

Bacon at Tzin

• And as is my birthday tradition, we hit up Rosewood so I could satisfy my lemon pancake craving. We’re so fortunate to have so many great restaurants in our ‘hood.

Lemon pancakes from Rosewood

Openings

• Spruce Grove taqueria El Taco Loco is returning to central Edmonton with a second location in the Mercer Warehouse, 10359 104 Street NW. They closed their location in Wîhkwêntôwin back in March due to an issue with the building manager.
• Dessert shop Mellowd opened earlier this month at 10027 167 Street NW.
• Another dessert shop called Sweet Stop also opened in early June at 116, 15277 Castle Down Road.
• Smashburger and pizza shop Idle Kitchen opened back in April inside Big Toy Shop, a motorcycle dealership at 8315 Argyll Road.
• The folks behind Sushi Niwa, which closed in 2024, have returned to open Joon’s in the Rice Howard Place food court.
• Ellerslie is now home to the fifth Amore Pasta location in the Edmonton region, located at 1151 103A Street SW.
• Orbe Restaurant, offering modern Asian cuisine, is opening on July 2 at 13138 137 Avenue NW.
• Chain Aseer Time, offering drinks and sweets, is opening its first Alberta location in Edmonton this fall.
• Chain Marugame Japanese Noodles & Tempura is opening up a location in West Edmonton Mall.

Closures

• PlayWright, located in the Citadel Theatre, has closed after nearly two years, citing “incredibly difficult operating conditions”. Ghostlight, their sister cafe inside the Citadel, remains open.
• After two years, Italian Bakery’s Tesoro has closed their Windermere location. Italian Bakery’s Mercato in St. Albert remains open, as is the Italian Bakery’s flagship Beverly location.
• South Island Pie is closing their 124 Street location after not being able to come to terms with their landlord. Their last day will be July 8, and their pies will continue to be available through Uproot Food Store.
• Warp Speed Bagels, a vendor at Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, is closing at the end of June. Their last day at the market will be June 27.
• Vegan chain Odd Burger is closing its Mayfield location. Its last day will be June 28. The Ellerslie location remains open.

Local News

• The folks behind Whoanuts shared that they have been too busy running sister business Waffle Bird, so are looking for someone who might want to take up the brand in exchange for a percentage of business.
• Teepee Treats was remarking at how quiet its been at their downtown location, especially during Indigenous People’s Month.
• Can you measure a neighbourhood in ice cream? BILD Edmonton Metro thinks so, as CEO Kalen Anderson puts it, ““They emerge in places with a strong public realm, enough residential density to support local businesses, and streets that invite people to slow down and spend time together. In many ways, ice cream has become a surprisingly effective measure of neighbourhood vitality — not just because people love ice cream but because successful ice cream shops often reflect the presence of complete communities around them.”
• The co-founder of Don’ya Ukraine’s Kitchen won the 2026 Junior Chamber International Creative Young Entrepreneur award. To celebrate, the company is launching a protein pierogi.
• Fu’s Repair Shop has a line of t-shirts and tote bags in collaboration with Uniqlo, available at the West Edmonton Mall location.
• Edify profiled Okie Dokie Smokies.
• Erika Eats Everything reviewed Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse.
• The Summer Block Party series on Rice Howard Way is hosting a People’s Choice Food & Drink Competition from June 20-August 31 in the categories of fries, steak, or spritz. Diners can cast votes at six participating restaurants and be entered to win gift cards.
• Fuss Cupcakes shared the footage of their northside location being robbed in the hopes that someone can identify the culprit.
• Mitsoh, a company that makes snacks based on Indigenous knowledge, is significantly scaling up with investment, with products including bison and beef-based products.
• 7 Summit Snacks, an Edmonton-based company, is among ten women–owned small businesses to receive $10,000 from the Mastercard Small Business Fund.

What I Ate

• At my parents’ suggestion, our family headed back for dinner together at 7-Kitchens. Ellie now asks for the “red pineapple dish” aka their sweet and sour pork.

Sweet and sour pork from 7-Kitchens

Openings

• South Indian restaurant Dosa Glory is now open at 9316 34 Avenue NW.
• Multicook Edmonton, which makes frozen Ukrainian food, has opened a second location in the Edmonton region. Find it in Sherwood Park, 800 Broadmoor Blvd., Unit 370.
• Toronto-based HolyShakes, offering sweet treats and milkshakes, opened a second location over the weekend at 965 Tamarack Way NW.
• Live Bowl’d will be opening a new location on June 23 at 10336 Whyte Avenue NW.
• Though I was sad to see Battista’s Calzones close, it is great that a Portuguese bakery called Luso’s Bakery and Bistro will be taking its place at 11745 84 Street NW. I’ve missed Handy Bakery greatly after they closed several years back after the fire.
• Another location of Sicilian Pasta Kitchen will be opening in Griesbach, 9810 137 Avenue NW.
• Afghan and Turkish restaurant Ariana Kitchen is opening soon at 13720 50 Street NW.

Closures

• On the heels of Whisked announcing the end of its residency there, Kommune, a Scandanavian-inspired snack bar, announced its closure. Kommune’s last day was June 15.

Local News

• Epcor’s Glass of the Sask campaign is back, celebrating the quality of Edmonton’s tap water. They’ve once again partnered with local restaurants to try special dishes that use tap water as a key ingredient. The first 50 diners at each restaurant will receive their own Glass of the Sask carafe. First up is Okie Dokie Smokies’ River Valley Grand Slam.
• Congratulations to the winners to the Best of Brunch YEG, a fundraiser put on by Meals on Wheels. High Level Diner, Rosewood Foods, Duggan’s Boundary, and Darling were all recognized in different categories. All participating restaurants donated $1 from feature dishes sold to the charity.
• Eat with Sharon reviewed St. Albert’s Barako Bistro, a modern Filipino-inspired bistro.
• Erika Eats Everything reviewed Dorinku Osaka and XO Bistro + Bar.
• Outdoor patio The Backyard has announced that it is moving after six years in its location on 104 Avenue.
• CBC Beer Columnist Jason Foster talked about the new Entertainment District designation for three breweries on 78 Avenue and 99 Street.

What I Ate

• I forgot to share last week that I tried a new Vietnamese coffee and matcha pop-up called Gu at the Van bLoc Party last week. It was my first time trying a Vietnamese salted coffee – the cream wasn’t overly salty, but it thickened the drink to a point where it was difficult to enjoy. It wasn’t my favourite, but I’d be willing to try something else.

Salted coffee from Gu

• I had lunch with some friends at The Atrium at Sabor (I know I’ve been harping about the construction around Seven Kitchens, but the situation around the Revillon Boardwalk is much worse). Perhaps deterred by construction, it was very quiet at the restaurant that day. It was a shame because the food was again outstanding. I ordered the fish skewers served over paella rice. The sablefish and salmon were perfectly grilled, and the rice was delectably crispy. Consider navigating the external maze and you will be rewarded.

Fish and paella rice from The Atrium

• Saigon Taste has been on our radar for many years, and we finally checked it out for the first time last week. I only realized after stepping inside that they had moved into the former Wild Tangerine space, where I have many fond memories. Thankfully Saigon Taste lived up to those memories, through a combination of their cute interior (I loved their artistic depictions of their food on their walls and menu), good service, and solid food. Their banh khot were crispy and delicious – I only wished for more lettuce to accompany the pancakes. My family enjoyed our other dishes, and left with portions packed for lunch. We will definitely be back again!

Banh khot from Saigon Taste

Openings

• Station Park is playing host to another food hall, this time curated by its developers, Beljan. It will coalesce around a limited time theme which will change again in the future. The first theme is Japan, and will involve five local restaurants: Dorinku, Japonais, Menya Mori, Pablo Cheese Tart, and Hello Mochi. It opens on June 11 at 8115 Gateway Blvd NW.
• Middle Child Burger, a pop-up burger shop open until September, is now open at 12618 152 Avenue NW.
• Edmonton has another sushi omakase restaurant, called Sushi Bar Goshen, at 2846 James Mowatt Trail SW.
• EMRLD is a new restaurant and cocktail bar downtown, at 11026 Jasper Avenue NW.
• Off the Record Cafe opened June 1 at 10011 102 Avenue NW. It’s been a challenging location for previous tenants, so hopefully they can make it work.
• Ayco’s second location is nearly open at 14213 103 Avenue.
• House of Fork, a new restaurant in Chapelle, is now open at 6439 Cartmell Place SW.
• The Heart & Plate opened back in March in the Stadium area, at 8157 112 Avenue NW.
• Zaab Thai is now open at 9142 23 Avenue NW (formerly Loma House).
• BC-based chain Yummy Slice will be opening its first Edmonton-area location in Fort Saskatchewan.

Closures

• Long-time Indian restaurant Khazana announced its permanent closure last week, of both its downtown and Windermere locations. The owners say the years-long construction around the downtown location was the ultimate cause of their closure.

Upcoming Events

• Don’ya Ukraine’s Kitchen is honouring the connections between Indigenous and Ukrainian communities with a celebration on June 18 in Beaver Hills House Park.
• Vagabond’s next pop-up will feature sourdough pizza on June 27-28.

Local News

• Congratulations to the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative’s Dragon Tours, which won the culinary tourism award at the 2026 Edmonton Tourism Awards.
• The Alberta Food Processors Association also recognized winners last week at the 2026 Alberta Food & Beverage Awards. Edmonton winners included Green Onion Cake Man, Bae Food Group, Crust Craft, and Uncle Hemmy BBQ.
• Whisked is no longer serving at Kommune, because its founder will be heading to Japan to learn more about matcha. Whisked will partner with local coffee shops for their matcha in the meantime.
• Edify profiled Patricia Street Deli.
• Upper Crust is commemorating 40 years in business!
• Happy 5th birthday to Candid Coffee Roasters (and 1st birthday to its Highlands location).
• Bar Trove is also celebrating its first birthday.
• Flat Boy Burger is expanding to Calgary!
• West Block in Glenora is offering digital offers to redeem during the summer, including at all of their food and drink purveyors.
• Modern Luxuria is currently soliciting nominations for its Awards of Excellence, which include categories of cuisine and drinks.

What I Ate

• It was my final #banhmionthebus last week, as my Calgary travels have now come to an end. It was a good excuse to try a sub from Banh Mi Diddy. The bread was great (they bake it in-house), and I liked the fillings, but the relatively small size compared to its Chinatown compatriots was jarring.

Classic cold cut from Banh Mi Diddy

• I continued my Vietnamese cuisine theme into dinner, where I returned to Lai Rai for some comfort food. The banh kuot were so crispy and delicious, and almost worth a trip to Calgary on their own.

Banh kuot and pho from Lai Rai

• We’ve been so spoiled with our group dinners that it sounds ungrateful to complain about our meal at Centini’s in Calgary. But after so many amazing small plates restaurants, the old school nature of the meal (down to the warm chocolate lava cake for dessert), was a bit disappointing. That said, I am so grateful for a program that allowed me to meet so many smart and passionate leaders (you know who you are!).

Spinach and ricotta ravioli from Centini’s

• My family joined me in Calgary to celebrate – we had to revisit a long-time favourite in Blue Star Diner.

Breakfast burrito from Blue Star Diner

• Mack had tried Connie and John’s Pizza before, but it was a first for me. They make a solid NY-style pie (though I wouldn’t expect anything less from the duo).

Half John’s pepperoni & half formaggio the grate pizza

• And we promised the kids ice cream before we departed the city, and ice cream they got – I think I converted Emily to the salted caramel at Village Ice Cream.

We love ice cream

As founders exit, new owners seek to keep food faves growing

What does it take to keep an Edmonton food institution not only alive but thriving? The owners of Brio Bakery seem to have found the recipe, and the founders of Jack’s Burger Shack hope their successors do, too.

Almost three years after acquiring Brio’s Wîhkwêntôwin location in August of 2023, Milos Cvijanovic and Mateja Jelecevic have opened a second bakery on Whyte Avenue. Expansion wasn’t in their immediate plans, but they got an offer they couldn’t refuse. Longtime fans Paul Blais and Shawna Lindberg from the Blais Realty Group had purchased a building at 9614 82 Avenue NW and wanted Brio to be a part of the space.

The Mill Creek location opened at the end of April, and it has received a positive reception so far. “Lots of regulars are happy they don’t have to cross the river anymore,” Cvijanovic said. “But there are also a lot of new faces. Many people heard about us and now have the chance to come.”

Brio was founded by Todd Barraclough and his wife Sian, who transitioned from being farmers’ market vendors to running a storefront bakery in 2019. Cvijanovic said Todd loved baking bread but did not enjoy running the business itself. “They saw a few people who inquired about the business, and I guess we were a good fit,” Cvijanovic said.

Buying an already operating business appealed to Cvijanovic, who had done the same in 2015 with a catering company called The Second Chef. That business’s vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted him and his wife to diversify, and Brio’s existing fandom was attractive.

“The idea behind owning an existing brand is there is no startup cost of building it from scratch, especially one like Brio with an established clientele,” Cvijanovic said. “You need less capital to start something, but you would need to promote it to bring it to where you want it to be.”

When Brio first changed hands, some regulars were concerned. “Customers were scared of new owners,” Cvijanovic said. “They were worried about nothing being the same. But then they said, ‘You guys are doing the exact same thing.'”

Milos Cvijanovic of Brio Bakery

Tu Le is hoping for a similarly smooth transition with Jack’s Burger Shack. He’s confident in what the restaurant he started with his brother Ninh has to offer, and he still strongly believes in the Edmonton market.

“Someone could take it to the next level,” Le said. “I see what’s happening in the city right now. If it was 10 years ago, if I was 10 years younger, we would have four more Jack’s. I believe that Edmonton could be a food destination. There is untapped potential here.”

In December, the Le brothers listed the Edmonton and St. Albert locations for sale. After 13 years, Tu is ready to move on so he can spend more time with his family.

“Running a restaurant day to day, it takes every ounce of me,” he said. “I’m here first thing in the morning. I leave while my wife and daughter are eating breakfast, and come back to kiss my kid goodnight. I don’t have anything left for my family at the end of the day.”

Although the business is named after Ninh’s eldest son, the brothers did not want to force their children into the restaurant industry. But Tu emphasized that Jack’s is still performing on an upward trajectory, and it is a great opportunity for the right successor.

“We’ve grown year over year for the last 13 years,” Le said. “That’s why we’re asking so much for the restaurant. If you look at the numbers, you could make the money back in three years. We’ve been very successful and have been lucky to be embraced by the community. When I walk downtown (in Edmonton) and in St. Albert, I see lots of restaurants closing. We haven’t been affected by outside factors.”

Le knows that selling Jack’s means ceding full control to a new owner, but “it would be in their best interest to follow our formula,” he said. “It works.”

Le strongly believes one of the reasons behind the ongoing success of Jack’s is its staff, which he hopes a new owner will retain. “It’s not Tu’s Burger Shack,” Le said. “My employees from Day 1 are as much a part of the business as I am. They run this place while I’m on vacation.”

Tu Le of Jack’s Burger Shack

The beef used at Jack’s for the burgers, sourced from Lakeside Farmstead in Sturgeon County, has also set it apart from competitors.

“We’ve been using Jeff Nonay’s beef for as long as I can remember,” Le said of the family-owned farm. “The quality is so good. Selling the new buyer on that is my job. If you started buying Cargill beef, I would have no control over it, but customers would notice. It’s not worth it.”

When Cvijanovic and his wife took over Brio, they had to decide what to keep and what to change. They have mostly maintained Brio’s bread recipes. “There are formulas for bread that you have to follow,” Cvijanovic laughed.

Brio’s pastry menu, however, has changed significantly. In 2025, Cvijanovic and Jelecevic brought in a pastry chef from New York to consult with the team for one week. This led to improvements to their laminated pastries, such as croissants and pain au chocolat.

“The whole business needed a fresh set of eyes,” Cvijanovic said. “We brought freshness and different ideas into the business.”

The couple also introduced new items to the menu, such as opera cake, matcha rolls, and choux pastry. Cvijanovic credits these additions to the staff, most of whom remained after the business changed hands.

“We have staff who have worked in France, Morocco, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Eastern Europe,” he said. “People bring their own little piece, and we incorporate it into production.”

Openings

• The long-awaited brunch and lunch spot Solar, from the folks behind Cask and Barrel and Rocky Mountain Icehouse, is now open. Find it at 10357 Jasper Avenue NW.
• Shree Restaurant has opened its third location in Edmonton. It is located downtown in Edmonton City Centre Mall.
• Chain King Burrito has opened a location in Edmonton City Centre Mall.
• Ramona’s Pizza has two locations in Grande Prairie, and just expanded to St. Albert. Find it at 420, 1115 St. Albert Trail.
• Marshy Mallows, offering gourmet marshmallows and s’mores, is now open at #106, 8115 Gateway Boulevard.
• Mini pancake purveyor Moons will be opening soon in West Edmonton Mall.
• International chain 6ixtywings opened its first location in Alberta in Sherwood Park, 590 Baseline Road, Unit 290. It looks like a second location is coming soon in west Edmonton.
• Chipotle has also opened a location in Sherwood Park, 7000 Emerald Drive, Suite 600.

Closures

• YEG Smoked Meats will be closing on June 27. I will be sad to see them go – their pepperoni and sausage have become family favourites. Wishing them the best in retirement!
• Chai Coffee Day closed on May 30, bested by the surrounding construction.
• The Edmonton location of Little Kitchen Academy closed on May 20.

Upcoming Events

• Heart of the City Festival returns to Giovanni Caboto Park on June 6, and will include free Caribbean cuisine and bannock.

Local News

• Jesus Gonzalez, the founder of Paraiso Tropical Latin Market, has passed away.
• Little BonBon in Chinatown will be re-opening for the summer on June 6.
• Moon Cafe & Pizza (which took over the former space of Swiss2Go), is rebranding to Buon Appetito Pizzeria.
• You know I love a good collaboration: Flirt Cupcakes and Yelo’d worked to create an ube ice cream with birthday cake chunks mixed in.
• Edify highlighted Gathr Cafe & Lounge, and a round-up of the Happy Beer Street breweries.
• Erika Eats Everything reviewed ch.Cafeteria.
• Chicago-based rapper Blvck Svm returned to Edmonton after filming a music video at RGE RD in 2024. He spoke to Edmonton AM about the inspiration.
• The Strathcona County Food Bank is seeking donations for their birthday bags, which include cake mix and icing. The requests for the bags have increased to 8-10 per week.

What I Ate

• • A friend and I had dinner at Mexican restaurant Juana Ines. The meal had great bookends – I enjoyed the margarita and we both would return for the delectable tres leches cake. The mole enchiladas were okay, but the chicken did really need the sauce.

Margherita from Juana Ines

• • I picked up a salad from KB & Co. before a volunteer shift at the Where We Came From Exhibit, by Chung Ta Cung Nhau (there are only a few more dates to check it out). Even a few years ago, it was inconceivable to me that I would ever crave a salad…but here we are.

Sweet citrus greens from KB &Co.

• Emily and I had a blast returning to volunteer for the Edmonton International Cat Fest, and continuing our tradition of enjoying our Butta La Pasta during our shift.

Butta La Pasta from Takam Market

Openings

• RJ Tasty Bites, a Filipino restaurant, continues to grow, with their third location now open at West Edmonton Mall.
• Another Filipino restaurant, La Mesa is now open, at 4620 99 Street NW (formerly Agora Greek Market).
• Poppy’s, offering coffee and pressed juice, will open in the former Filistix space downtown, 10621 100 Avenue NW.
• Big Wing’s is now open at 10721 124 Street NW (formerly Nuovo Bistro).
• Walker Lake Meats & Pizza’s second location is now open at 16769 71 Street NW.
• The Bread Haus has opened in Fort Saskatchewan, 107-41 West Park Boulevard.

Closures

• Tasty Noodle, a long-standing Chinese restaurant in Edmonton, permanently closed earlier this month.
• Sunterra Market will be closing their location in Commerce Place on May 29. The south Edmonton location will remain open.
• After 8 years in business, Pome Bakery will be closing permanently. Its last day is May 30.

Upcoming Events

• Happy to hear Chinatown After Dark is returning this summer, once a month starting June 27. I am a little sad the event is moving away from the alley, though.

Local News

• HOM will be bringing their south east Asian flavours as a pop-up in Bibo in Old Strathcona starting in June.
• Also in Old Strathcona, New Amsterdam Cafe is hoping the province will allow cannabis to be served in cafes or lounges.
• Open Table released their Top 100 Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in Canada, and two Edmonton restaurants made the list – Campio downtown and Happy and Olive.
• Duchess, in collaboration with Anohka Distillery, has created a single malt cream liqueur, available while bottles last.
• Two vendors at last year’s Edmonton International Beer Festival spoke to CTV News about not being paid for food they sold through the event’s ticketing system.
• Happy fifth birthday to Longroof Brewing!
• Calgary-based Dan Clapson filmed a segment about Edmonton that aired on The Good Stuff with Mary Berg, highlighting Rosewood Foods, The Butchery, and The Confederation Lounge at the Hotel Macdonald.
• Edify wrote a piece about Grey Owl Meadery, located in Alder Flats, Alberta.

What I Ate

• We will soon have tried all of the combo deals from Seven Kitchens – this time we shared the dinner for two, which, with the leftovers, is actually a meal for two for days.

Dinner for two from Seven Kitchens

• It isn’t the first time we’ve picked up a Too Good to Go box from Fawkes Cafe (it is a great value at $6.49), but this one was perhaps the best so far (the brownie was amazing)!

Too Good to Go via Fawkes Cafe

• It has been ages since we’ve been to Route 99 (once upon a time a frequent date spot for us). With a hankering for diner food, Mack and I brought the kids for some pizza and poutine.

Our Route 99 spread

• It is super convenient that a location of Made by Marcus is across the street, with a beautifully spacious patio. It was the perfect place to share a flight of ice cream.

Lemon curd is the family favourite

Openings

• Toronto-based Rosie’s Burgers (serving up smashburgers and milkshakes) is opening up a location in Edmonton in the Brewery District, #108, 11928 104 Avenue NW. It will be their second in Alberta, joining a branch already open in Calgary.
• Brewco Craft Kitchen and Brewery is opening soon at West Edmonton Mall. As the name suggests, it will serve in-house brewed beer.
• Firema promises Edmonton’s “first charcoal shawarma experience”, offering Jordanian flavour. The food truck is parked at 13530 Fort Road NW.
• New Freeze Land is a chain founded in India in 1983, serves grilled sandwiches, cold coffee, and shakes. They opened their first Edmonton location last week at 270 91 Street SW.
• Sangam Social is a new Indian restaurant opening soon in Sherwood Park, at 975 Broadmoor Blvd.
• Ontario-based chain Daal Roti is opening up an Edmonton location at 3645 Gateway Blvd NW.
• Walker Lake Meat Shop is opening a second location, this time on the north side.
• The fifth Chick-Fil-A in the Edmonton region is opening soon in St. Albert, 815 St. Albert Trail, Unit #5A.

Closures

• The Den, the Mercer Warehouse location opened by The Growlery, closed on May 16: “The downtown location has become unsustainable, and we need to focus on the brewery as a whole.” The Den was one of three recipients of the Downtown Retail Project grant in 2023. With its closure, along with Good Goods back in September 2024, Obj3cts is now the only business supported by the grant that remains open.

Upcoming Events

• UFest, Western Canada’s largest Ukrainian Festival, runs May 29-30 in Borden Park. Expect food, entertainment, and vendors.
• Edmonton International BeerFest will be taking place in Churchill Square June 4-9.

Local News

• Kind Ice Cream’s sister location Bestie Ice Cream in Crestwood opened for the season on May 13.
• YEG Exotic, the city’s exotic pop shop, moved to 15003 118 Avenue NW.
• Woodshed Burgers is hosting a gluten-free day on May 20, and The Lingnan is offering a gluten-friendly Chinese buffet on May 28. It’s also worth mentioning that Siu Yeh’s fryers are gluten-free.
• Canadian band The Arkells were in town over the weekend, and enjoyed food at Rosewood during their stop. They shared a glowing post about Rosewood’s food and humanity.
• New Asian Village is celebrating 40 years in business, and was one of the first Indian restaurants that opened in Edmonton. The three daughters of founder Harmeet Kapur each own one of the three current locations.
• Erika Eats Everything reviewed The Colombian.
• Edify rounds up where some food trucks are parked early on this season.
• Explore Edmonton’s Eat Play Laugh pass includes 15 Taste of Edmonton tickets, a 10-day pass to K-Days, and one ticket to the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival. The cost is $59.

Beyond Edmonton

• Dunkin’ Donuts is returning to Canada in late 2026 or early 2027. It officially left the Canadian market in 2018.

What I Ate

• Another work trip down to Calgary meant another fantastic dinner with colleagues, this time at Bridgette Bar. The standouts were the beef ribs with whey polenta and the maple BBQ Alberta rainbow trout.

Beef ribs with whey polenta from Bridgette Bar

• Instead of banh mi for the bus ride home, I was craving a poke bowl, so picked one up at Hula Poke. The tuna portion was pretty good, especially compared with the one from Splash Poke I had a few weeks back.

Ponzu from Hula Poke

• I also stopped in Hey Sugar in Bankers Hall, the first business I’ve encountered close to home where in store, you order and pay on a screen instead of interacting with a staff. Their cupcakes were okay.

Cupcakes from Hey Sugar

• The weather cooperated enough on Monday so we could plant our community garden plot! In addition to our stalwart Sundog Organic tomatoes, the kids picked out corn and zucchini to plant, which we’ve not yet tried in our plot. We will see how it goes.

Here’s to another garden season!

Openings

• The folks behind Great North Cookie Co. in Spruce Grove are opening up an English-inspired sandwich shop called The Ploughman’s Table in that same town. It opens on May 13.
• Made in Palestine, a café and culture shop, is now open at 15166 127 Street NW.
• The Gardens is opening a second location, at 11520 100 Avenue NW (most recently a location of El Taco Loco).
• Leduc is getting their own Montreal-inspired restaurant (hello, Chartier), called Saint Laurent. It will open this fall.
• The Ivy, Sherwood Park’s first tea house, is now open at 110, 200 Festival Lane.
• Lotus Lao & Thai Cuisine hosted their grand opening last week at 309 McLeod Avenue in Spruce Grove.
• Abhinandan Restaurant, serving Indian, Chinese, and Italian food, is now open at 3815 34 Street NW. 
• Spade’s Kitchen & Bar has moved into the revolving door space at 10401 82 Avenue NW.
• ID Donair and Fast Food has opened in the space formerly occupied by Carne Asada downtown, at 10508 Jasper Avenue NW.
• Mr. Halal Burger has opened its fourth location in Edmonton, this time in the south, at 6944 Ellerslie Road SW.

Upcoming Events

• The Downtown Farmers’ Market returns (much to Emily’s delight) this weekend, May 16, and runs until October 10. The duration now mirrors the operation of the previous 104 Street Market.
• Food Justice YEG is hosting a full-day summit on June 10 to mark the end of the Food Security and Food Justice Edmonton project. It is free to attend.
• Taste of Edmonton returns July 16-26. The menus are available to peruse now, with 96 new items. Discounted advance tickets are on sale until July 14.

Local News

• Ramneek Singh, who completed his butter chicken odyssey last year, has started a donair odyssey. The first chapter features Mike’s Donair.
• Those missing the apple fritters from Hazeldean Bakery should rejoice – they can still be found at local markets in Terwillegar and Leduc.
• From Edify – a profile about Onoway’s Prairie Bears Cider, a visit to Bread + Butter Bakery, and a round-up of play cafes.
• CBC created a video profile about enduring restaurant Barb & Ernie’s.
• Leduc Produce Market is expanding into two new retail bays, to open July 1.

Beyond Edmonton

• Shake Shack opened its first Alberta location in Calgary on May 11. It has, not surprisingly, drawn huge lines.

What I Ate

• My Mum requested dinner at Seven Kitchens for Mother’s Day. It was remarkably busier compared to the last time we visited back in March, which is good news, given the construction out front might be worse. It’s hard to think of a restaurant with a better deal than their dinner for four: 5 generously sized dishes (plus spring rolls) for $67.95. We still love the special fried rice and sweet and sour pork., but the beef with mixed vegetables was also great.

Portions galore at Seven Kitchens

• After a date at the Royal Alberta Museum, we walked over to King Noodle House to satisfy my Mother’s Day craving for bun bo hue.

My kids love all the noodles