Chef Ben Staley to Launch New Restaurant

Chef Ben Staley has released more details about his forthcoming new restaurant, Restaurant Yarrow.

Described as a “place to interact with regional, seasonal cuisine and those who prepare it”, Yarrow seats 10 and will offer only tasting menus ranging between 18-22 servings. Tickets must be purchased in advance and cost $170 per person. Seatings are available starting January 3, 2020.

Chef Staley first made a name for himself at North 53 in 2014, where he created a menu using exclusively Canadian ingredients. Although he would depart the restaurant less than a year later, his next two ventures operated with similar hyper-local parameters. Alta, which opened in 2017, served small plates at room temperature or cold, but would close within months. Alder Room opened in the same year next door, offering elaborate tasting menus at a 12-seat bar. It garnered national acclaim, landing on enRoute’s Best New Restaurants list in 2017, but unfortunately, closed in 2018.

Openings

• Downtown has a brand new coffee shop: Cafe Rosa is now open just above El Beso (10432 Jasper Avenue). They brew Rogue Wave Coffee, and offer baked goods sourced from Lock Stock.
• Green Onion Cake Man has opened a second location downtown, at the kiosk above the Central LRT Station (10020 Jasper Avenue). It is open 11am-2pm on weekdays.
• Bubble Cream is now open at West Edmonton Mall, serving up Hong Kong-style waffles and ice cream (they did have a kiosk at the Premium Outlet Collection by the airport for a time, but that had since closed).
• Sepps Pizza, from the folks behind Leva Cafe, is the latest ghost kitchen to open in Edmonton. Orders for their “classic New York pie with a northern twist” can be made through their website or Uber Eats.
• Jay Bee’s Diner is opening a second location on 127 Street north of 137 Avenue.

Upcoming Events

• The University of Alberta has published a cookbook featuring 25 recipes and stories from their campus community. The official launch takes place on November 28, 2019 and is free to attend.
• Whole Family Health has partnered with Chef Blair Lebsack of RGE RD to host an event titled Mindful Eating to offer tips about how eating more consciously can help prevent illness. The workshop will be held at RGE RD on December 1, ant proceeds from the $50 tickets will go towards Movember.
• On the heels of their successful Filipino-focused special events, Filistix will be hosting “Jajan: an evening of Indonesian Cuisine” on December 11, 2019. It is an opportunity for two of their chefs of Indonesian heritage to present dishes from their country of origin. Tickets are $60.
• The Marc will be offering a special brunch on December 29, 2019.

Reviews

• Sharon raved about her first experience at Sherwood Park’s Kobachi, perhaps “one of the best Japanese restaurants” she’s tried the Edmonton area.
• The Journal praised the food and value at Lyon in Old Strathcona.
• Twyla enjoyed the fare at June’s Delicatessen, stating June’s “Is all about detail and quality.”
• Graham was hoping for more from Toast Culture.

Local News

• A handful of eateries were featured in enRoute’s Edmonton City Guide, including Baijiu, Biera, Bundok, Cibo Bistro, Partake, Prairie Noodle, and Woodshed.
• Open Table released a list of the top 25 restaurants for solo dining in Canada, and Tzin made the cut.
• Graham interviewed Chef Brad Lazarenko about his current venture, Culina To Go.
• Jason Foster points out the unfortunate results of the annual Edmonton Journal Readers’ Choice Awards for “Best Craft Brewery”.
• The Hotel Macdonald unveiled their 2019 gingerbread house earlier in the month – this year’s creation stands 20 feet tall.
• Also from Graham, he wrote about his experience at the first Culinary Team Luncheon hosted by the NAIT chefs in preparation for the Culinary Olympics in Germany next year. NAIT will host two additional practice sessions on January 18 and February 1, 2020. The events are open to the public; tickets for the lunches are $20.95.
• In commemoration of the Silver Skate Festival’s upcoming 30th anniversary, they’ve put together an ATB BoostR campaign to help manage the increasing costs of the event. A number of rewards offered are food-related, including a private tasting tour of their food event, Spirits on Ice, and a private dinner from the Chef Richard Toll of Under the High Wheel.
• Sharman shared a recap of the recent Swine and Dine dinner hosted by Drift at the Shamrock Curling Club.
• This video from the Alberta Motor Association features Darren and Sylvia Cheverie on the origin story behind their restaurant Chartier.
• Sweet Lollapalooza was recognized with a silver and bronze at the 2019 International Chocolate Awards.
• I learned about another new-to-me small batch coffee roaster based in Edmonton called High Horse Coffee. The product is available through their online shop, as well as at Save-On Foods.
• The 5th annual Cookie YEGTweetup, supported in part by Cookies by George, raised $500 for the Christmas Bureau.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• It looks like the Downtown Edmonton Farmers’ Market is finally able to open on Sundays from 11am-3pm in addition to Saturdays.
• CBC wrote a piece highlighting the indoor farmers’ markets open in Edmonton, including Bountiful.

What I Ate

• Mack, Emily and I were in Chicago last week and so I decided to take a break from the blog. We had a lot of great eats, much of which were Mexican owing to the neighbourhood my sister lives in. These tacos from Rubi’s, a vendor at the Maxwell Street Market, were amazing.

Tacos (with fresh-made tortillas!) from Rubi’s in Chicago

• Upon our return to Edmonton, I tried several new-to-me restaurants. On the more casual side was DeRose Fine Foods, located in a light industrial area off 99 Street. They offer two breakfast dishes, but were no less busy because of it. The breakfast bowl ($12), featuring tater tots, a very tasty house-made brisket, and an over easy egg, was enough to feed two people. They also host Bagel Bar and offer a variety of meat cuts and sausages.

Breakfast bowl from DeRose Fine Foods

• Revel has flown under the radar for me for some time, but I was looking forward to trying it. Of the dishes I shared, the short rib was my favourite.

Short rib from Revel

• Mack, Emily, and I had been to Filistix for dinner, but this weekend was our first sampling of their brunch menu, offered 11am-3pm on weekends. I always welcome the opportunity to have noodles for breakfast, and Filistix offers this and more! I particularly enjoyed the beef broth underlying my brisket noodle soup.

Beef brisket noodle soup from Filistix

• Braven was my first taste of the new O & B run-restaurants at the JW Marriott. Service was excellent, and there’s something to be said about a well-designed room. We enjoyed all of the dishes, including the short rib, but this plate of roasted BC black cod was too pretty not to share.

BC black cod from Braven

Local Amateur Baker Wins National Baking Competition

Edmonton-based Nataliia Shevchenko was crowned the winner of the third season of CBC’s The Great Canadian Baking Show. The show hosts ten amateur bakers from across Canada to compete in themed challenges.

The finale aired on November 6, 2019, although the episode was actually filmed back in June. Although she works as an administrative assistant by day, she learned to love the kitchen by cooking with her mother.

Nataliia plans to launch an online baking channel with Chris Koo, the other Edmonton-based contestant on the show this season.

Openings

• Dorinku Osaka (the sister restaurant to Dorinku in Old Strathcona) is now open at 10328 Jasper Avenue. In addition to the main restaurant, there’s also a ramen bar called Osaka Noodle tucked in the back of the space.
• The first of Century Hospitality Group’s ghost kitchens is now open. Orders for The Flying Dodough (serving pizzas, rotisserie chicken, and salads) are available only through Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats.
• Apparently Tokeo Station, the long-awaited restaurant in the McLeod Building at 10009 101A Avenue, is finally opening on November 12, 2019.
• Pablo (10432 Jasper Avenue), hosted a soft opening last weekend, but hasn’t yet announced  an official opening date.
• Doughnut Party has moved the opening date of their Ritchie storefront back to some time in early 2020.

Upcoming Events

• The Christmas tree in Churchill Square will officially be lit on November 15, 2019, with roasted chestnuts, maple taffy on snow, bannock, hot chocolate, and cookies.
• All is Bright returns to 124 Street on November 16 from 4-8pm; expect s’mores, food trucks, and a beverage garden. Thankfully, the organizers have decided to again close 124 Street for the festivities.

Reviews

• Turqaz Kebab House gets more love from local media, this time from Graham.

Local News

• Edmonton business Caramunchies has launched a different kind of crowdfunding campaign – they’re hoping to raise $5,000 to help them host monthly suppers at a local soup kitchen.
• Sweet Lollapalooza is a 2019 finalist in the International Chocolate Awards in two categories: flavoured dark chocolate and milk chocolate ganaches or truffles.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market reopened the doors of their indoor location on Saturday after finally resolving their permit issues.

What I Ate

• Mack, Emily, and I finally made it to Woodshed Burgers, encountering a packed house on Friday night. While we had to try their now infamous fish sandwich, it was their namesake burger that we most enjoyed  – the tomato jam and the red wine braised onions sealed the deal! Emily, as predicted, preferred the fries.

The Woodshed from Woodshed Burgers

• Although the Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market is open, they still don’t have a coffee purveyor on-site. Thankfully, Peche Cafe is just a half block away. The sister cafe to Die Pie, they also offer an entirely plant-based menus (think soy, almond, and oat milk-based drinks). We tried some oat milk lattes (a first for us!), and a generously-sized dark chocolate scone. With great service and an inviting space, I hope more people discover it!

Dark chocolate scone from Peche Cafe

• Mack, Emily, and I also stopped by Toast Culture on the weekend. The ahi tuna toast was good, but the real surprise was the pizza, featuring Meuwly’s soppressata. I appreciated the crust that was thin but sturdy enough for the toppings. Given pizza makes up approximately half of the evening menu, they could easily be called “Pizza Culture With a Side of Toast”, heh.

Meuwly’s soppressata and pesto pizza from Toast Culture

Kanu Closes to Make Way for Plant-based Pizzeria

Kanu, a partnership between local developer Sherry Schluessel and American chef Matthew Kenney, has transitioned to a new concept after just over a year in operation. Kanu re-opened as Doppio Zero on October 31, 2019, and joins Die Pie as the second plant-based pizzeria in Edmonton.

When Kanu opened back in September 2018, it was heralded as a major step in the city’s embrace of plant-based cuisine, as it was the first higher-end restaurant of its kind. However, as told to the Journal, it appears Kanu struggled because of ingredient costs.

“It was very difficult to manage because of some of the ingredients,” [Sherry Schluessel] says. “Especially the nuts. We don’t, for example, grow macadamia nuts here, and even some of the micro greens were very expensive. Keeping the quality of the dishes intact was just a bit more than we could afford, even if we had a faithful, repeat customer base who loved what we did. It just wasn’t sustainable for Edmonton.”

This is the sixth Doppio Zero location (known as Double Zerio in the US), joining branches in New York, LA, Boston, and Baltimore.

Openings

• Little Duchess (the smaller, sister location of Duchess Bake Shop) is now open in Ritchie Market, located at 9570 76 Avenue.
• The Woodrack Cafe is opening a new location, taking over the Cafe Besos space in Lyon.
• Thamel Bistro, offering Nepalese cuisine, is now open at 12413 118 Avenue.

Closures

• Flamingo Restaurant, which has been operating for more than 40 years in west Edmonton, is closing on November 30 due to expropriation for the Valley Line LRT.

Upcoming Events

• Nowhere Kitchen is a new cooking class/workshop series that will be hosted by chefs of colour focused on their cultural identity and food justice. The first class will take place on November 10, 2019 and feature Chef Addie Raghavan at Get Cooking. Tickets are $30.
• Linda is leading a Food Crawl and Instagrammable Walls walk in Chinatown/McCauley on November 17, 2019. Tickets go on sale November 5.
• STEM Sisters will launch their first event on November 28, 2019 with an interview and tour with Lisa Davis of Yellowhead Brewery, one of the few female brewers in Alberta. Tickets are $10.
• Save the date for the first Edmonton Christmas Market, organized by Wild Heart Collective (the folks behind the 124 Grand Market), on Thursdays to Sundays from November 28-December 21, 2019. It will be located Downtown at ATB Place.

Reviews

• Twyla raved about the food from Filistix.
• The Journal uncovers a hidden gem in the Turquaz Kebab House.

Local News

• Graham shared his favourites from the recent Pizza Pigout fundraiser, which included Sepps (the new ghost kitchen operating out of Leva), Panini’s Italian Kitchen, and Pink Gorilla.
• Good luck to the last Edmonton-based contestant on The Great Canadian Baking Show, Nataliia Shevchenko. The finale airs November 5.
• The Journal has more details behind new restaurant Brasserie Bardot (which moved into the building formerly occupied by Manor Cafe).
• Avenue highlights Say Uncle, Woodshed Burgers, and the new location of Blue Plate Diner.
• Did you know Wishbone started offering brunch back in September from 10am-3pm on Saturday and Sundays? Even better, they allow reservations.
• Red Robin’s announced the closure of their Alberta restaurants by the end of the year; what I didn’t know was how inclusive they are to those who are visually impaired.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• It’s getting more than tiresome to report that the Downtown Farmers’ Market has again run into challenges with their new location – they shared that a permit issue was the reason behind their closure on Saturday.

What I Ate

• I was in Calgary with Mack and Emily last week, and was able try a couple of new-to-us restaurants. We always seem to stay in the East Village, but hadn’t yet sampled the fare at the historic King Eddy. Though we had to duck out before the live music started, they offer a very respectable mac and cheese – creamy, and nicely textured with breadcrumbs, bacon, and mushrooms.

Mac and cheese from King Eddy

• Before we left the city, we had the chance to grab lunch at Chix Egg Shop, the latest addition to the Charcut/Charbar empire. It’s a cute, modern diner located in the Alt Hotel in the East Village, only open for breakfast and lunch. I enjoyed my hot fried chicken sandwich, and Emily loved the  shoestring fries. Calgary continues its brunch domination of Edmonton.

Hot chix sandwich from Chix Egg Shop

• I don’t get to Brio Bakery nearly as often as I would like, but when I do, I load up on bread (their Prairie loaf is my favourite in the city), and add a cruffin for good measure.

Cruffins from Brio Bakery

I was honoured this past week to be recognized as one of this year’s Top 40 Under 40 in Avenue Edmonton, in part because of my contributions to the local food scene. It’s been such a pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful community – thanks to all of you for reading and for supporting the events I’ve participated in.