Food Notes for March 6, 2017

Don’t let the cold weather get you down! There are plenty of new restaurants to try, and ever festival city, lots of events to get you out of the house! On to this week’s food notes:

• The menus from this year’s Downtown Dining Week, which runs March 10 – 19, 2017, are now up, and features prix fixe lunches for $15 and dinner for $28 and $45. I’m looking forward to trying the two newcomers to the list – Atlas Steak + Fish and Crash Lobby Bar.
• Prairie Pigeon’s next pop-up is at Love Pizza from 11am-2pm. What’s better than pizza and pastries?
• Fort Edmonton Park is playing host to a Maple Sugar Carnaval on March 11, 2017, from 12-4pm. Admission is just $5 that will allow you the opportunity to purchase maple sugar taffy and a French Canadian meal.
• The next Comal pop-up event is all about Taco Therapy! It takes place on March 14 and 15, 2017 at Cafe Linnea. Check out the menu here.
• The Yards Spring Salon on March 23, 2017 is all about urban agriculture: balcony gardening, urban beekeeping, and foraging. Tickets are $10 in advance.
• Little Brick is turning two – help them celebrate on March 23, 2017 with a 4-course birthday meal inspired by the 1900s. Tickets are $80.
• Cafe Bicyclette is hosting a Sugar Shack on March 24, 25, 31 and April 1, 7, and 8. Tickets are $75. Call the restaurant for reservations.
• Save the date: the Edmonton Resilience Festival is scheduled for April 22, 2017.
• Eat Alberta is back! The next hands-on conference is taking place on April 23, 2017 at NAIT. Tickets go on sale at 10am on March 7, 2017.
• Board N Brew Cafe brings the trend of board game coffee shops to Downtown – it’s opening on March 15, 2017 at 9929 103 Street.
• The sister restaurant to Three Boars now has a name! Wishbone (taking over the former Market space at 10542 Jasper Avenue) is set to open this spring.
• The Art of Cake will be relocating to the Brewery District in March, at 11807C 105 Avenue. The new space will seat up to 35.
• Cindy spotted a forthcoming restaurant in the Mayfair that will serve Chinese crepes.
• The Downtown renaissance continues with the opening of Alta, Chef Ben Staley’s new 10328 Jasper Avenue outpost. It’ll be interesting to see how people respond to a small menu with cold and room temperature dishes.
• Avenue Edmonton’s 2017 Best Restaurants list is a good place to start if you’re looking for new and exciting restaurants. Congratulations in particular to Chartier, who was named the best new restaurant, and RGE RD, who was named best overall.
• ‘Tis the season for lists, as The Tomato’s fifth annual Top 100 Best Things to Eat or Drink in Edmonton has also been released.
• Lastly, the national Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants ranking came out last week – RGE Rd, Corso 32, Uccellino, Clementine, Bar Bricco and Rostizado were the local entries.
• Phil shares what you can expect from Ong in St. Albert (#110, 15 Perron Street), which will offer the Capital Region’s first taste of Hanoi-style fried chicken.
• Also from Phil – he offers some background for the Brewery District’s Tokiwa Ramen, coming soon to 11978 104 Avenue. It turns out it’s the newest venture from Tatsuo Asai, the man who started Japanese Village and Banzai.
• Cindy is the first to have a review of Takami Sushi up, a restaurant distinguished by a weekly delivery of fresh seafood from Japan.
• Cindy also checked out the savoury and sweet pretzels from Zwick’s.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie satisfies her sweet tooth at Doughnut Party.
• Twyla raves about her visit to Baijiu.
• Elm Cafe has a fan in Athena, who appreciated the personal touches, and of course, the sandwiches.
• Graham revisits some establishments that could have been frozen in time – Billy Budd’s, Flamingo and Saratoga.
• It looks like Stage 104 is the most recent business to shut down in the same space.
• Olds hosted a dinner that brought a diverse number of people together at the beautiful Willow Lane Barn – Mack recapped his experience.
• Fin’s Select Meats & Seafood, which supplies many local restaurants, hosted an event tonight at The Common. They were showcasing some of the new products they now offer, including seafood from Haida Gwaii, wagyu from Brant Lake, and Paradise Valley free range pork. Our favourite bite of the evening was the simmered beef brisket with fermented pineapple served in a potato sope by Chef Edgar Gutierrez of Tres Carnales and Rostizado. Thanks to Fin’s and The Common for having us!

Braised Beef Sope