Jollibee Opens in Edmonton to Much Fanfare
The most anticipated restaurant opening of the year finally took place last week. Jollibee, often referred to as the “McDonald’s of the Philippines”, opened its first location west of Winnipeg on Friday. The storefront is located at 3803 Calgary Trail.
A local man helped break a company record after waiting in line for nearly three days for the restaurant to open; Jollibee’s previous record stood at around 20 hours.
Openings
- Country Coco, offering Korean-style BBQ chicken, will open on August 20, 2019 at Unit 2, 9621 34 Avenue (in K-Mall).
- Sian City BBQ Bar is now open on the south side at 5728 104 Street.
- Highlands Liquor, the first of the Gibbard Block’s hospitality businesses, opened on August 17, 2019. It is located at 6427 112 Avenue.
- Sandwich and Sons opened at the Edmonton Valley Zoo (13315 Buena Vista Road) back in June. Their shop is accessible before the paid admission gates at the zoo.
- The Grand Cafe & Bistro is opening soon on the main floor of the building that replaced the former Colonel Mustard’s space at 10802 124 Street.
Closures
- Noorish is closing after 7 years in business. Their last day of service will be August 21.
Upcoming Events
- Zoobrew, a fundraiser for the Edmonton Valley Zoo, takes place on August 23, 2019. Attendees will be able to purchase beer, spirits, and food to enjoy alongside the animals. Admission is for adults only; tickets are $25.
- St. Albert’s food festival Dig In is in its 6th year, and runs from September 12-18, 2019. Tickets are now available.
Reviews
- The Journal was overwhelmingly positive about La Bodeguita de Cuba.
- Graham’s recent experience at Say Uncle was mixed.
- Lydia reviewed Edmonton’s newest ramen restaurant, Ramen Misoya.
- Crystal tried Vivo’s Windermere location, and found the menu to be more casual than its other two locations.
- Leduc shared his review of Zwick’s Pretzels.
Local News
- I love this idea – Sugared and Spiced is hosting an “unsanctioned Fringe production” which sees them set a 10 minute timer starting at 6pm, which they reset if someone buys something. The shop closes when the timer goes off or they sell out.
- It’s great to hear that some Mojo JoJo Pickles products, including pickled asparagus, carrots, and Caesar Mix are now available at Safeway.
- Pre-orders are being accepted for Giselle Courteau’s second cookbook, Duchess at Home. It will be released on October 16, 2019.
- The Downtown Farmers’ Market, Boyle Street Community League, and the Chinese Benevolent Association hosted a long table dinner for 1000 people in the Quarters on Sunday.
What I Ate
- In anticipation of Alberta Open Farm Days (and the new Alberta On the Plate festival), Mack, Emily and I attended a launch event at the 124 Grand Market on Thursday. Among the food we tried were slider versions of The Woodshed’s signature burger, served up by Chef Paul Shufelt.
The Woodshed’s Chef Paul Shufelt
- We also couldn’t leave the market without a taste of Drift’s poutine (Emily loved the fries!).
Poutine from Drift
- I was eagerly anticipating the end of Tau Bay’s summer break, and finally satisfied my pho craving on the weekend!
My usual at Pho Tau Bay
Only Here for the Food 