Food Notes for August 26, 2019

The Edmonton Journal Downgrades Food Coverage

Liane Faulder, who has been reporting on the food beat for The Edmonton Journal since 2008, shared that she will no longer be writing about the food scene. While she will remain with the paper (contributing a weekly city column, theatre reports, and news features), the Journal’s food coverage has been diminished to a food notes column by freelancer Tom Murray to be published every two weeks, and occasional reviews.

Some may recall that back in January 2016, Liane was originally among the staff laid off by Postmedia. This was short-lived, as she was re-hired less than two weeks later, and remained on the food beat.

Openings

• Blue Plate Diner is now open in their new location at 12323 Stony Plain Road. In addition to the restaurant (they’re currently only serving breakfast and lunch until they get their liquor license), they’ve added a cafe section to their space.
• Lyon Restaurant has opened in the former Packrat Louie space in Old Strathcona (10335 83 Avenue), helmed by former Packrat alumni Chef Jan Trittenbach and manager Jodh Singh. And yes, the lemon pizza is back on the menu.
• Richmond-based Chef Tony has opened a restaurant in Edmonton, located at 14821 Stony Plain Road. Thanks to Stephen for the heads up!
• The former Sobeys building continues to pick up new food establishments – the latest is El Beso, a Mexican style restaurant at 10432 Jasper Avenue slated to open in September.

Closures

• The landlords have terminated the lease held by the folks behind Holy Roller, due to outstanding rent.
• Kallin Restaurant at 10534 109 Street has closed.
• It looks like the Red Robin location on 104 Avenue is now closed.

Upcoming Events

• Edmonton VegFest takes place on September 14, 2019 at ReMax Field. Admission is free and features vegan food, beverages, and vendors.
• The Prairie Grid Dinner Series returns to Edmonton on September 21, 2019. The evening features a meal prepared by chefs representing restaurants from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg. Tickets are $145.
• Tickets for Canada’s Great Kitchen Party (formerly known as Gold Medal Plates) to be held at the Edmonton Convention Centre on October 10, 2019 are now available. Individual tickets are $350.
• Formosa Bistro is hosting an event on October 20, 2019 which will provide an overview of Taiwan’s history. The $10 ticket will go towards covering a meal at the restaurant.

Reviews

• Crystal enjoyed her experience at Izakaya O-Tori, which replaced Jang. It turns out the restaurant had been rebranded by the same owners.
• Mel reviewed several food trucks who served at the Fringe, including Nooch, one of the three ghost kitchens in the works by Century Hospitality Group. She was less than impressed with the quality of their bowls.
• Graham unpacks the Jollibee phenomenon with a visit to the restaurant, and Leduc, Lydia, and Stephanie also shared the thoughts of their initial visits.

Local News

• The Downtown Business Association released the winners of their Downtown Patio Contest, and among the winners was the Hotel Macdonald for “best overall patio”.
• Just in time for their 60th anniversary, Adrienne Pan of CBC interviewed Italian Centre President Teresa Spinelli and former employee Daniel Costa about the business.
• The latest webisode of Fast Food features Biera’s Chef Christine Sandford’s recipe for spicy Korean-style cold noodles.
• Sharman recapped the recent long table dinner held at the Hotel Macdonald.
• Restaurant and bar sales in Alberta were up by 2.8% in June, compared to a year earlier.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• CBC paid a visit to Camola’s cricket farm, located about an hour and a half outside of Edmonton.
• Northlands Urban Farm continues to host free agricultural learning sessions on Wednesday evenings into October.

What I Ate

• After a foray at the Fringe, Mack, Emily and I finally made it to Made by Marcus. I love that the shop is accessed through an alley, with lots of outdoor seating. I really enjoyed my double cookies and cream, while Mack sampled the sea salt & goat milk caramel. Emily loved the waffle cone!

Ice creams from Made by Marcus