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

Openings

• Congratulations to Brio Bakery who has opened its second location. Find it in the French Quarter, 9614 82 Avenue NW.
• Dirty soda shop Sip Soda Co. opened its second location in the Edmonton region, this time in St. Albert (#110, 840 St. Albert Trail).
• Always Coffee will open its second location in Windermere on May 5, at 6070 Andrews Way SW.
• North American chain Punjabi Chaap Corner has opened a location in Edmonton at 1075 Parsons Road SW. All dishes are made with plant-based protein.
• Indian bakery Shree is opening a second location downtown at Edmonton City Centre Mall (10025 102A Avenue NW).
• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will open its fourth location in the Edmonton area at 5250 Ellerslie Road SW.

Closures

• Transit Smokehouse has been forthcoming about how challenging it has been to stay afloat. They closed that location on May 3, but will be opening at 10732 Whyte Avenue NW soon.
• Canadian chain Basil Box is shutting down all its locations, including its lone Edmonton shop in Edmonton City Centre Mall. Their final day is May 14.

Upcoming Events

• The Old Red Barn’s farm dinners return in June and run to September on select Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
• Save the date for the return of Burger Fest in Downtown Edmonton, running July 2-11.

Local News

• It’s great to see patios open up all over the city, including PlayWright’s (they had to forego patio season last year due to the parkade/street construction)!
• Seasonal restaurants such as smash burger purveyor Shortees at the Rundle Park Golf Course, has also opened for the summer.
• Canada’s 100 Best list was released, and while no Edmonton restaurant made the cut on the restaurant side, Next of Kin landed at #46 on the Best Bars list. Baijiu and Little Hong Kong were recognized with a Best Patio Award, and the Journal interviewed the folks behind that year-round patio.
• On the heels of Woodwork re-opening for lunch earlier this year, The Common has done so too, from Wednesday to Friday. Great to see more lunches coming online downtown!
• The owners of Coast Lunch Box have sold the food truck to focus on Toast Culture and Birch and Bear Pizza.
• Sharon checked out BB2’s all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ.
• Erika checked out CQ Noodle (thanks also for the shout-out of Edmonton Food Faves We Crave!).
• Edify rounds up five sandwiches to try in Edmonton.

What I Ate

• The season of al fresco dining has begun! Mack picked up some Splash Poke for us to enjoy at our local park on Friday. It’s likely there will be many a picnic here with the kids this summer.

Splash Poke in the park

• I met up with a friend at Mr. Bun for lunch on the weekend. It might be a good candidate to satisfy my dumpling and noodle cravings given the unexpected closure of BaoBao (RIP). The xiaolong bao were good, but my favourite of the dishes we tried were the chili oil wontons. I’ll be back.

Chili oil wontons

• Saturday was a spectacular weather day so we took advantage. It felt like half of Edmonton had the same idea to visit the newly re-opened Hawrelak Park that day! After enjoying our Van Loc subs, we walked past Lift Me Up On the Lake to check it out – the line was easily 20 deep for both take-out and separately for indoor seating. It definitely feels like Edmontonians are ready to embrace summer.

Van Loc in the park

• We ended the day with some ice cream from Made by Marcus. That lemon curd blueberry really is something.

Made by Marcus

Openings

• Tiramisu Bistro’s location at Hawrelak Park, called Lift Me Up on the Lake, is now open. It looks like they’ve outfitted more of a formal restaurant, compared with previous tenants.
• Toronto-based Egg Club has opened its first Edmonton location at 10115 100A Street NW.
• Pop-up Big Bear Matcha has moved into a brick-and-mortar storefront at The Hub. It opened on April 26.
• Chenab is a new Pakistani restaurant that opened last week at 3927 106 Street NW.
• Ayco Cafe is opening a second location soon.
• Ardaas Sweets, Taste of Punjab, opens soon at 16777 71 Street NW.
• Another New Frills has opened at 11850 103 Street NW.

Closures

• Italian restaurant Farina in Beaumont will be closing after more two years on May 15.

Upcoming Events

• Alberta Avenue Business Association is hosting a Taco Festival on May 2 for Cinco de Mayo. Judges will be adorning one winner from El Mero Mero, La Patrona, Paraiso Tropical, and La Morenita.
• Food Bike Tours return for another season in Edmonton starting May 2. They offer tours on different dates via bike and on foot, and range from $69-139 per person.
• The Chinatown Transformation Collaborative’s summer Dragon Tours return May 9. Tours and sit-down dinners range from $15-35 per person.
• I love that the FascinAsian Film Festival will have lunch hour screening events that build in a meal option! Check out the three options running May 13-15, with tickets for the lunch-inclusive screenings priced at $25.

Local News

• Sharon posted about Scout’s Coffee and Boba Corner that opened last year at 11650 142 Street NW.
• These chocolates might be short-lived, but Jacek Chocolate Couture is the latest business to offer an Oilers-themed item.
• Edify rounds up 20 meals for under $20, and offers some advice on how to start a cookbook club.
• The Edmonton Riverboat is set to launch for the season on May 7. Chef Shane Loiselle will be revamping the menu: “We’re just trying to up our game every year, using as much local fresh produce and producers as we can, and producing as much stuff on the boat as we can.”
• The finalists for the 2026 Edmonton Tourism Awards have been announced, and include Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market as attraction of the year, and the Dragon Food Tour, Green Onion Cake Man, and the Old Red Barn in the culinary tourism award category. The winners will be announced June 5.

What I Ate

• I finally stopped at Fluffy Bakery while on a walk the other day, and picked up some treats to try. Of the two, Mack’s Oreo cheesecake was the better dessert, and was rich enough for two servings.

Desserts from Fluffy Bakery

• We don’t have reasons to venture north of the Yellowhead very often, so I planned lunch at Turquaz Kebab House when we were in the area. Food and service were fantastic, and our two lunch portions were more than enough for our family of four. The chicken kebab was grilled nicely, but the spices of the kafta kebab made it sing. Our kids especially loved the warm Turkish bread.

Kafta kebab lunch plate from Turquaz

• We had to take advantage of the recent BOGO deal at Dagu, with a couple of bubble tea fiends in our house.

They love bubble tea!

Openings

• Golden Sparrow has partnered with Royal Developments for a new concept called Par & Pour. It will include golf simulators, dining, and an indoor patio. Expect it to open in August.
• Edmonton doesn’t have a great number of restaurants serving Balkan food, so it’s great to see Chevapi King open, at 10425 51 Avenue NW.
• Blue Marlin, a Tunisian seafood restaurant, opened earlier this year at 11909 134 Avenue NW.
• Public Exchange (formerly Central Social Hall’s downtown location) opened last week.
• Orbe Restaurant is opening late spring at 13138 137 Avenue NW, and promises “modern Asian cuisine with global influences.”
• Tupi Acai Bowls has opened their third location in the Edmonton area, adding a shop at 10350 124 Street NW.
• A similar business, Bountiful Farmers’ Market vendor Live Bowl’d (serving up smoothies and smoothie bowls) is expanding with a location on Whyte Avenue.
• The Spot has rebranded back to The Provincial Bar & Lounge and is under new ownership. It is currently undergoing renovations.
• Soban has re-opened in its new location at 8943 82 Avenue NW.
• Quebec-based chain Qing Hua Dumpling opened a location in Edmonton at 708 Tamarack Way NW. They offer many different filling options, including lamb and seafood.
• African grocer Afri Food City will be opening soon at 3333 118 Avenue NW.

Closures

• After ten years, Cookie Crumbs is closing their booth at Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market after April 26. They will remain open at Bountiful Farmers’ Market.
• Phat Boy Cheesesteaks in Sherwood Park closed on April 19.

Upcoming Events

• Best of Brunch YEG runs May 1-31 in support of Meals on Wheels. Participating restaurants will donate $1 from their feature dish to the charity, and diners can vote on their favourite dishes in a number of categories, including best creative brunch and best alternative brunch.

Local News

• It seems over the past two years that there is a movement towards all-you-can-eat models. Baekjeong’s South Edmonton location is the next to adopt this, starting April 15.
• The owners of Rocky Mountain Ice House and Cask & Barrel are continuing their fight against the City’s patio fees. A petition is being circulated to urge Council to pause the fees. So far the petition has nearly 900 signatures. Pub 1905 will keep their patio this year, but may pull the plug in 2027 when fees are expected to increase.
• As you would expect, it is that time of year when Oilers-themed dishes and drinks crop up. Get in the spirit with orange and blue ice cream at Yelo’d and Annie Rue, or similarly-coloured cocktails at Alchemy. Sea Change Brewing has also brought back Joey Moss Man Crush, which raises funds for the Joey Moss Memorial Fund and the Winnifred Stewart Association.
• Edify featured Mojo Jojo Pickles, and checked out Ichiban Japanese Cuisine and Lady Bea’s English Tea House.
• Taproot reported that The Common saw a 20% increase in sales during Downtown Dining Week, and is considering resuming lunch due to the increase in traffic from provincial government workers.
• Bravo to The Colombian, who was #15 on list of The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops.
• Congratulations to Next of Kin for their recognition as one of the Best New International Cocktail Bars in the Spirited Awards.
• Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Culinary Arts Cook-off, which include Babette’s Cookies (a new brand from the folks behind Doughnut Party). The friendly competition raises funds for arts programming at Highlands School.
• Omen Brewing experienced a break-in earlier this month.

What I Ate

• Our family had a brief but rejuvenating staycation in Canmore and Calgary, piggybacking off of a work trip to Calgary. It was great to breathe in the mountain air and explore Canmore for the first time since Emily was a baby. I really enjoyed our visit to Ramen Arashi – great broth and so satisfying.

Ramen Arashi in Canmore

• We had to check out Class Clown Burgers when in Calgary, featured on the last season of Top Chef, and awarded a best new restaurant accolade by Avenue Calgary. They had a great vibe (the 70s-styled rumpus room similar to Shiddy’s in Edmonton), but the flavour of the smashburger just wasn’t as apparent with their loaded-up burgers.

The family at Class Clown Burgers

• By the time I got to Chix Egg Shop (our East Village favourite), I was dying for a salad, something I typically would not order at a diner. But the Olympian cobb exceeded my expectations, with varied textures and  a lemon dressing that sung.

Olympian cobb at Chix Egg Shop

• Dinner with my colleagues took place at Lulu Bar this time, a Hawaiian-inspired restaurant serving Asian fusion cuisine. The udon crisps were addictive, and I appreciated their house-made spam, but it was their fried coconut squid that would bring me back again.

Fried coconut squid at Lulu Bar

• #banhmionthebus accompanied me on my trip home this time, where I was encouraged by this fun CBC video profile to visit Trung Nguyen for the first time. I ordered their most popular satay sub (the beef was delicious), though given the saucy nature of the meat it probably wasn’t the ideal order as it sat unconsumed for longer than it should have.

Combo satay sub from Trung Nguyen

Openings

• Teepee Treats opened last week at their new location, Kakio Studio Cafe, 10219 106 Avenue NW.
• El Cafesito is a new Mexican cafe located at 8111 102 Street NW.
• Always Coffee opened in the former La Prosciutteria space in March at 10906 105 Avenue NW. Always is also planning for a location in Windermere at 6070 Andrews Way SW.
• Pakistani restaurant Khan Kebabs & Karahi relocated to 2619 Ellwood Drive SW, and will re-open on April 7.
• Meat the Bun opened a third location in Edmonton last week at 9919 170 Street NW.
• Soul Fuel Kitchen in Beaumont, serving up fried chicken, pizza, dirty soda, and matcha, is celebrating their grand opening on April 11.
• I’ve had a few people message me about the breakfast sandwiches from Bruin, a weekend pop-up at St. Albert’s Bread Love. It’s been open since December, and has already amassed its share of fans. Looking forward to checking it out!
• A second Edmonton location of BB2 Korean BBQ opens at West Edmonton Mall on April 16.
• Paraiso Tropical had teased a new location earlier this year – they announced last week that their north location will be moving to Manchester Square.
• Dirty soda company Sip Soda Co. announced two additional locations in the Edmonton area (adding to their first in Sherwood Park): Schonsee and Ellerslie.
• A new food truck called Hibachi House Japanese Teppanyaki Grill will be opening on April 17 at The Lodge Inn parking lot, 15540 Stony Plain Road NW.
• The influx of American sandwich chains continue (something I am questioning just with the sheer volume over the past couple of years): this week sees Jimmy John’s enter the Edmonton area market, in Sherwood Park. Find it at 140, 663 Wye Road.
• Dennis Africa and Caribbean Market is now open at 17635 58 Street NW.

Closures

• Blue Chair announced its closure after 22 years in business, and will close permanently April 26.
• Progress means that even old high school haunts have to go – in this case, it means the Boston Pizza on Jasper Avenue and 106 Street, which closed on March 31. Mack and I had many a meal there back in the early ‘aughts.

Upcoming Events

• I love seeing diverse and interesting events, such as this Peruvian Pilipino pop-up at Boa & Hare on May 23-24: “Peru & Philippines share a deep history under the Spanish Empire, and this connection is reflected in both cuisines, which feature similar food concepts and cooking techniques.” Admission tickets are $10 and will be deducted from the diner’s final a la carte bill.

Local News

• Garner Beggs, co-founder of Duchess, announced that he will be stepping away from the bakery for his next chapter. Back in 2022, Beggs’ co-founder Giselle Courteau and her partner Jake Pelletier stepped away from Duchess, and two new partners, Jay Downton and Ewa Jastrzebski (of Little Brick and other businesses) were brought in.
• Japanese restaurant Soban will be relocating away from its Old Strathcona home.
• Edify highlighted some tea blenders and Boa and Hare, known for its matcha.
• Also from Edify, they checked out the KFC at Bonchon and The Coffee Shop in Devon.
• Twice Cream experienced a break-in at their Sherwood Park location over the weekend. Show them some love if you’re able.
• Welcome to no verification reporting: “Edmonton Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market lost half of its customers due to paid parking.”
• Thanks to Culinaire for the shout-out in their April issue, recognizing my twenty years of food reporting.
• It’s so great to see a homegrown brand like Aliya’s Foods Limited, through their Chef Bombay line, continue to grow their success.
• The Italian Centre Shop is readying their second Calgary location at Northland Village Mall.

What I Ate

No Food Notes next week as I will be out of town. But Taproot will have their Food Roundup published as scheduled, so if you need your fix, head over there!

• Mack and I had the time to make a sojourn to the south on the weekend. One stop was cafe Kissa10. I loved the small scale retail spaces around the traffic circle, and the owners have made the most of the pocket space. The Kinako latte was tasty with a subtle sweetness.

Kinako latte from Kissa10

• We also had dinner at JuuKu. We had high expectations given their recent honour, but it is unfortunate that they weren’t met. It wasn’t one particular thing, but many small things added up: the cuts on the ahi tuna were sloppy, the pacing of the dishes was poor, and service varied widely throughout our visit. Of what we tried, the dry aged picanha beef ho fun was our favourite, decadent and tasty. Hopefully it was just an off night.

Beef ho fun from JuuKuu

• We ended our evening at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. It was hopping that night! It was so great seeing a range of ages and groups. They also had good dessert choices (the Biscoff milk cake hit the spot), but I will say their lack of caffeine-free options will limit this as a daytime destination only for me in the future.

Dessert from Qamaria

• It’s been much too long since our last visit to Otto, so it was the perfect location for a family dinner with my sister and Jason. The food is consistently delicious, service helpful, and my kids always feel at ease. It’s such a gem.

  

  Otto platter

Openings

• In addition to the recent announcement that District Café will be opening a location in Rice Howard Place, it turns out Fox Burger will also be opening a new spot in the same building.
• The long-awaited new Korean fried chicken spot Bonchon opened last week at 10418 124 Street NW. It is an independent brand not affiliated with any international chain.
• Ararat Cafe & Bakery, serving up Turkish coffee, tea, and pastries, opened last weekend at 4460 Calgary Trail NW.
• Kahve, another Turkish bakery and cafe, opened two weeks prior at 16652 109 Avenue NW.
• Walker Lake Meat Shop opened up a restaurant last week called Ghazal at 957 Tamarack Way.
• The former MilkCrate space in the Epcor Tower will be filled by another location of Hearth and Hive this summer (they took over the Dining Car Cafe last year in the CN Tower).
• An American-based Filipino chain called Valerio’s is opening a location in Edmonton on April 5 at 17522 100 Avenue NW.
• Calgary-based Deville Coffee will be opening up another Edmonton location at Southgate Centre this fall.

Closures

• El Taco Loco, a Spruce Grove taqueria, had opened an Edmonton location back in November. Unfortunately, they have closed it due to an issue with the building manager.

Upcoming Events

• Prelude’s Speakeasy pop-up continue into April and May at Golden Sparrow on Friday nights, and feature cocktails and food pairings.
• Eight Edmonton restaurants are participating in this year’s Taste for Life on April 15. These restaurants will be donating a portion of their sales to HIV Edmonton.

Local News

• Congratulations to Ply Pasarj of Rogue Wave Coffee for his win at the 2026 Canadian Cup Tasters Championships. He will be representing Canada a the World Cup Tasters Championship in Bangkok in May.
• Edify interviewed Chartier’s new executive chef Crystal Higgins about the new tweaks she will be making to the menu.
• Boyle McCauley News reviewed Boa & Hare.
• The St. Albert Gazette highlighted several Edmonton restaurants that serve high tea, including The Art of Cake, Cafe Bel-Air, and Lady Bea’s English Tea House.
• Woodwork will be open for dinner on Sundays starting April 12.
• DoorDash awarded grants to 30 Black-owned and Black-led restaurants in Canada, including $10,000 to Habesha Cravings in Edmonton.
• Top Chef Canada finalist Alex Kim was in Edmonton last week to mentor culinary students at NAIT, where he trained. He is the 2026 Hokanson Chef in Residence, and chatted with CBC RadioActive about his experience.

What I Ate

• I went for lunch with a friend last week at Don’ya Ukraine’s Kitchen. Given the fanfare for their grand re-opening the week before, I was surprised at how slow it was on a weekday. I did enjoy the sampler plate (the salad was the standout for me), and the service was friendly. It’s really probably not Don’ya’s fault that I’m still dreaming about the perfect perogies from Jola’s.

Sampler plate from Don’ya

• My office had a work event catered by Himalayan Village, a Nepalese restaurant with a couple of locations in Edmonton. I hadn’t tried their food before, but based on the paneer and the momos, I will definitely seek out the restaurant on its own!

Momos galore from Himalayan Village

• My sister is in town, so we’ve had some family meals out and about. We took the opportunity to try Chinese restaurant 7-Kitchens, located in the Quarters. It looks like the City’s efforts to make the street look closed and inaccessible to pedestrians with fencing was working, as the restaurant was empty apart from our party during our visit. The kitchen was efficient, and the variety of dishes we tried were tasty and well-priced. Our favourites was the fried rice (great wok hei), and the very crispy sweet and sour pork. Our only criticism is that the long picnic-style tables are not conducive to large groups sharing multiple dishes. Think about giving them some love!

Fried rice from Seven Kitchens

• My family also met for brunch at Old Yale Brewing. Such a large restaurant (over 375 seats) in Beaumont is such a curiosity, but judging by their steady business that day, many have found them. It is a stunning, purpose-built facility, and the games area on the second floor was fun for our kids. The food was okay (the Slept in Sando was not the item to order; Mack’s early riser poutine with tater tots was better). However, my parents were happy with the very economical $10 classic breakfast.

Slept in Sando from Old Yale Brewing

Openings

• Spring Hotpot Restaurant is the newest all-you-can-eat hot pot spot, at 438 Mistatim Way NW. It opened on March 14.
• Vietnamese restaurant Miss Saigon opened its fourth location in Ellerslie, at 5344 Ellerslie Road SW.
• Bonnyville’s Rari-Tea Cafe opened a location in Edmonton at 10524 110 Street NW.

Upcoming Events

• Sorrentino’s is running its 34th annual Garlic Fest in April, which this year will support Sorrentino’s Compassion house. A special menu will be offered at all Sorrentino’s locations, and other special events will be hosted throughout the month.
• Happy fifth birthday to Hungry Zine! In celebration of that milestone, they are hosting a Seeds and Soil fundraiser at Zocalo on April 22. Tickets are $45 and include a picnic box dinner from Jola’s and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Local News

• Local playwright Colin Doyle approached food blogger Ramneek Singh to create a play about his experience compiling his Butter Chicken Odyssey. This play will debut at Workshop West’s Springboards festival, running March 24-29. The play will also run at this summer’s Edmonton Fringe.
• Last week, City Council voted against a motion to rescind fees for medium and large patios, which will be charged starting this summer.
• CBC wrote a story about the growing demand for halal meat in local restaurants, including Korean restaurant Hanjan and Mexican/Salvadorean restaurant El Puerto de Acajutla.
• I love the idea of Alberta Ale Works’ Pint Pals, like “prepaying for your beer tab in advance”, with some additional perks. The company is working on opening the Koselig Pub in Ritchie.
• Fuge Sausage put together a fun “March madness”-style bracket challenge for its sausage offerings. Registration to participate in the showdown ends March 24.
• Edify’s latest episode of its Unfiltered podcast features an interview with Juju Paul of Golden Sparrow, and Ed Donszelmann of Otto.
• Also from Edify – it rounded up some local cafes offering matcha.
• Some restaurants including Eleven Eleven and District Café say that Downtown Dining Week was a boon for them.
• Ohana-ya Japanese restaurant in St. Albert shared that they had a break in last week. Please support them if you are able.

What I Ate

• We didn’t indulge in as many Downtown Dining Week meals this year, but our family did use it as an opportunity to return to Buok again. Service is always so friendly, and there’s something about banchan. Their japchae is my go-to.

Japchae and bibimbap from Buok

• After a date at the museum, Ellie and I walked over to Rosewood Foods for lunch – it’s been some time since I’ve had their pho burger (their special for Downtown Dining Week this year). It is definitely worth seeking out when its on the menu!

Pho burger from Rosewood (and Ellie!)

Openings

• Yelo’d has opened their second location in Terwillegar at 2327 Rabbit Hill Road NW.
• Tiramisu Bistro will be opening Lift Me Up on the Lake at the newly-refreshed Hawrelak Park. While it’s great that Hawrelak (and a couple of other City-owned attractions) has been home to a number of local businesses, there has been a pretty high turnover rate. Hopefully Tiramisu can make a go of it.
• A new Filipino café called Gathr Cafe has opened at 8132 102 Street NW.
• Yosi’s Cafe has opened in the former Corpuz Bakeshop space on Alberta Avenue, at 11812 86 Street NW. The restaurant offers doughnuts, Ethiopian, and Filipino dishes.
• The dirty soda trend continues with Kickstand Drinks, located at 11158 Ellerslie Road SW. They also serve Toronto-based Craig’s Cookies.
• Farmer’s Cafe is now open at 1648 24 Street NW.
• Downtown’s Central Social Hall, which was recently sold, will transition into The Public Exchange.

Local News

• My friend Linda’s Asian Heritage Month clothing collection has returned, with some fun food designs again (I’m partial to the “Meet Me In Chinatown” fortune cookie).
• Don’ya Ukraine’s Kitchen has been frustrated with the lack of foot traffic on weekends.
• Edify checked out Korean Fusion Deli, and sampled some local beers in honour of St. Patrick’s Day.
• The closure of L’oca has impacted some of its local suppliers.
• This week, City Council will be discussing a motion to remove restrictive covenants for grocery stores.
• A new vegetable and flower farm in Edmonton will open this summer, called Patchwork Market & Garden. They are currently selling shares of their Community Supported Agriculture for the coming summer.

What I Ate

• The Feed the Soul pop-up at Lochi Afro Nija was a good excuse as any to finally sample something from the restaurant. We picked up the newly-released Black Futures Dining Guide, as well as some savoury hand pies to go. The meat pie, with its spiced beef and potato, was our favourite.

Hand pies from Lochi Afro Nija

• Another banh mi on the bus (to Calgary), this time from Van Loc.

My go-to assorted sub from Van Loc

• Dinner with my colleagues in Calgary was at Kama, a Mediterranean tapas restaurant. We were very fortunate to try many little bites over the night, and the initial warm pita and dips were fantastic.

Pita and dips from Kama

• How could one pass up breakfast from a place called Friends with Benedicts (located in First Street Market)? I was amazed the tater tots stayed crispy as I struggled to finish the massive portion. The basil hollandaise was great.

Pillow talk from Friends with Benedicts

• I headed back to First Street Market to pick up dinner for the bus ride home. The humble sandwich from Al Forno, with its house-made seeded baguette, was the standout.

Pear and turkey sandwich from Al Forno

Openings

• After twenty years in operation, northside Vietnamese restaurant Pho Song Huong announced their closure back in December, due to not being able to renew their lease. Last month, they shared that they were able to sign a new lease after all, due to the landlord’s “change of heart.” The restaurant re-opened on March 1.
• White Rabbit Ice Cream is the latest business to join The Hub in Old Strathcona, 10345 Whyte Avenue NW.
• District Café will be opening a location in Rice Howard Place this year.
• Bubble tea chain Machi Machi has opened a second Edmonton location in West Edmonton Mall (Unit M105).

Closures

• L’OCA, the splashy high-end grocer that first opened its flagship location in May 2024, and a subsequent location in Parkview that opened in January 2025, is closing both on March 12. Attending the opening of its first store, I wondered whether consumers would jump on board with their premium prices.
• After 10 years in business, plant-based prepared meal business Good Stock has announced they will be closing at the end of May.

Upcoming Events

• The Telus World of Science is hosting Bannock Fest on March 12. Vote for your favourite bannock and enjoy hands-on Indigenous-themed activities.
• It’s never too early to start planning for your garden – Seedy Sunday returns on March 22 at the Alberta Avenue Hall.

Local News

• After five years operating in Chinatown, Co Chin Saigon will be moving out of that location to a new area.
• Don’ya Ukraine’s Kitchen’s downtown location is re-opening on March 18 with free samples and tastings.
• Barb & Ernie’s commemorated fifty years in business last year – CBC RadioActive checked it out.
• Edify’s new editor Mifi Purvis spoke with Edmonton AM about the current Best Restaurants issue.
• Century Hospitality is serving a feature menu at all of their restaurants inspired by Humbolt Broncos survivor Tyler Smith’s favourite dishes. Smith is a mental health advocate, and $2 from every item sold will be donated to the Mental Health Foundation.
• Sharon recently reviewed Siam Thai Kitchen.
• After the tepid bite of the McDonald’s CEO went viral, many CEOs have been posting their own videos in response. Here is one from Woodshed Burger’s Paul Shufelt.
• Rat Creek Press profiled the 30+ year old WECAN Food Basket, where a $5 annual membership grants members the opportunity to buy a discounted basket of produce or meats for $15 or $20 respectively.

What I Ate

• I attended a luncheon organized by the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative over the weekend at The Lingnan, in honour of International Women’s Day. Among the guest speakers were Amy Quon of The Lingnan and Teresa Spinelli of The Italian Centre Shop.

There’s dry spicy chicken under there, somewhere

• I’d been craving the distinct flavours of CQ Noodle for weeks, so Mack, Ellie and I finally hit it up for dinner. Ellie loved the hand-made dumplings (she easily ate half the plate), while the chef pork noodle soup was just as good as I remembered.

Chef pork noodle soup from CQ Noodle

• Even better, to cool down the palate, we popped into DRTY Ice Cream (inside Foosh) next door for a treat afterwards. The strawberry shortcake was delicious!

The cutest ice cream on the block

Upcoming Events

• Instead of hosting a dining week, Feed the Soul pivoted this year to publishing a Black Futures Dining Guide. They are launching this guide on March 3 with free bites from Cafe Caribbean in O-day’min Park.
• Atrium at Sabor is hosting a culinary showcase of Prince Edward Island on March 28, with chefs from Charlottetown, Calgary, Canmore, and Edmonton. Tickets are $150 each and include access to food stations, 2 drinks and entertainment.
• Hot Chefs Cool bEATS returns on April 23 to the Royal Glenora Club. The event offers food stations and music. Early bird tickets are $95 until March 31, and proceeds support future culinary talents through the High School Culinary Challenge.

Local News

• It’s March, which means it’s time for the “best of” lists again, including Edify’s Best Restaurants. Their picks for best new restaurants are: Next of Kin, Nero, Atrium at Sabor, JuuKu, and Golden Sparrow. Their best overall restaurants include RGE RD, Olia, Fu’s Repair Shop, Otto, and Bianco. It’s great to see Otto, a markedly more casual, neighbourhood spot, recognized in that category. Other categories include best bakeries, burgers, tried and true, and pizza, among others.
• The Tomato’s Top 100 Best Things to Eat or Drink list was also released, and the top five are dishes from Rita Trattoria, Sabor, Kobachi, RGE RD, and Bar Bricco.
• These lists prompt me to resurface the list Linda and I last updated in 2024, Edmonton Food Faves We Crave: “we chose the title of the list as ‘Food Faves’ rather than ‘Best’ because it is completely subjective to our tastes and preferences, not at all exhaustive, and reflects our biases.” Unfortunately, some of the places showcased on the list have since closed – another reminder that we cannot take our favourite restaurants for granted.
• From Edify, they talk to the family behind The Moth about their planned closure later this year, and to the folks behind Cheese Louise YEG, a new grilled cheese spot in Old Strathcona.
• Balay Coffee let go of their operations at The Hub, and will revert back to more of a pop-up model for the time being.
• High Dough had their door smashed last week – support them if you are able.

What I Ate

• We redeemed our voucher for a free pizza from the Italian Centre on the weekend, a gift for participating in the Holiday Hamper program last year. All of us devoured the pizza.

Pepperoni pizza from the Italian Centre

• Mack and I made up for some months without a date night by packing it in over a couple of days (thank you, Mom & Dad!). We checked out one of our new neighbourhood restaurants, Fennec. They’ve done a nice job with the interior, and it feels cozy in spite of the expansive windows. Of the dishes we tried, the tuna tartare was our favourite; I enjoyed the seasoning on the accompanying wonton chips.

Tuna tartare from Fennec

• We also hit up Bar Henry for the first time in a while. We hadn’t yet tried The Millie, and we loved it – the most decadent elevated grilled cheese sandwich, dressed up with savoury and sweet notes of truffle and honey.

The Millie from Bar Henry

• We were also able to check out the Jola’s pop-up at Candid Coffee Roasters in Highlands. Unpretentious and well-prepared comfort food, cooked from the heart – the pierogies are easily the most silky, perfectly seasoned pockets available in the city right now. The pop-up is on for six months. Get there soon.

Potato & cottage cheese pierogies from Jola’s