Filistix the First to Undergo “Permanent Pivot”

There have been many stories about how local restaurants have adapted to the COVID reality out of necessity, offering take-out and delivery, meal kits, and opening up their pantries. And though some food businesses have decided to re-open their dining rooms again, one local restaurant has decided their new model will be here to stay.

Filistix, who was due to celebrate the one year anniversary of their Downtown storefront on May 26, 2020, has chosen to permanently pivot away from full service dining. After two months of positive response to their in-house delivery service, and in light of their need to plan for the future of the restaurant, they will be focusing on delivery, take-out and fast casual dining.

Ariel del Rosario, co-owner of Filistix, wrote,

Are we set up for success? Are we going to come out of this unscathed? Only time will tell.  But I am confident that we are putting ourselves in a good position to weather the storm.  It was already an immensely tough challenge to break an unfamiliar, unpopular cuisine to the Edmonton masses.  We don’t serve pizza, or burgers, or sushi.  We serve Filipino food and the curve is steep to bring it to the level of acceptance as our Asian counterparts.  One thing we learned from our food cart days is that to survive, we had to adapt and evolve.  How we come out of this, we look at it as another chapter in our story, another adventure on our journey.

Find Filistix here.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• Many restaurants continue to join the list of establishments offering dine-in at 50% capacity. These include: Violino, Ono Poke, Tiffin Fresh Indian Kitchen, Upper Crust, Rosso, Bianco, Hap’s Hungry House, and the newly-opened Fox Burger rooftop patio. The Journal covered Earls’ re-opening of their dining rooms last week. Others will be coming online later this week or in early June: Woodwork and Black Pearl. Avenue is also trying to maintain a list.
• Some restaurants have re-opened for take-out only, such as June’s Delicatessen, or next week, Pho Hoan Pasteur.
• Take-home offerings continue to evolve with the season, now incorporating the desire for some to grill. Three Vikings is selling chicken souvlaki bbq kits, XO Bistro has marinated skewers, and RGE RD has been offering dry-aged Nonay beef through The Butchery.
• Need bread? Consider Get Bread, which offers delivery of breads and pastries from Popular Bakery.
• Local food/entertainment venues The Spotlight Cabaret and The Comic Strip were forced to close, but may be permitted to open only as food establishments.
• Restaurants continue to try to help diners recreate the dining out ambiance at home, as was the case with The Next Act, Meat, and Pip partnering with local DJ Thomas Culture to create three unique playlists to pair with the “gastronomic experience.”

Openings

• A new food cart is now open in Edmonton, called Street Tacos.

Upcoming Events

• The next Food Truck Drive Thru will be in the parking lot of the Leduc Recreation Centre on May 30, from 12-7pm.
• Homestead’s Positivity and Innovation for Edmonton’s Reopening (PIER) Speaker Series will be featuring Filistix’s Ariel del Rosario on May 28, 2020.

Local News

• More small, delivery-based food businesses continue to crop up during this pandemic, including Benny’s Bread, offering cinnamon buns and artisanal bread.
• The Globe Diary lists the best coffee shops in Edmonton.
• Why are cans all the rage for beer these days? Jason Foster shares his knowledge about the current trend.
• This Vice writer contributes an ode to Padmanadi.
• This take on the Italian Centre’s premade sandwiches seemed to garner a lot of traction online.
• The Alberta Hospitality Association wants a fee cap placed on third-party delivery services.

Beyond Edmonton

• A Kansas-based pizzeria owner gamed Door Dash and made $75 by ordering his own pizzas.
• Is physical distancing enough to prevent another outbreak? The Atlantic tackles how COVID-proofing restaurants may look like.
• From Restaurant Business: is the buffet dead?

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Open Farm Days continues their partnership with The Organic Box in featuring Alberta products in exclusive boxes.
• With gardening all the rage this year, some Edmontonians have applied permaculture to their front yards.

What I Ate

• Chilly weather last week had me craving bun bo Hue, so take-out from King Noodle House was in order!

Our usual from King Noodle House

Hospitality Businesses Welcome Dine-In Customers

The Government of Alberta lifted restrictions for restaurants, cafes, pubs, and bars on May 14, 2020 to resume dine-in services.

While capacity of these businesses was limited to 50% (among other guidelines), many restaurants in the Edmonton area chose to re-open their dining areas to patrons. Some, including Canadian Brewhouse, Joey’s, and Hudson’s, aren’t surprising, given the space they have in their establishments to spread out.

But many smaller, independent businesses have also resumed eat-in service, such as Pampa, Hart’s Table, Ramen Misoya, Kelly’s Pub, Rocky Mountain Ice House, The Underground, Hanjan, dessert bar Snowy Village, and neighbourhood gem Old Beverly Cafe.

However, other businesses have stated that they aren’t yet ready to open their dining rooms, and will continue offering take-out and delivery for the time being.

Prairie Dog Brewing, a Calgary-based brewpub, posted a thorough account detailing all of the considerations behind a decision to re-open – it is worth a read, and seems to articulates many of the factors stacked against small restaurants at this time.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• Some businesses have re-opened for take-out only, including Coffee Bureau and District.
• The City of Edmonton is relaxing rules that will allow restaurants and bars to set up patios without a development permit or additional costs this summer.
• The regulation that permits restaurants and bars to sell alcohol through take-out or delivery channels has been amended permanently, and will remain even after the pandemic.
• High Dough Pizza and Bagel Bar have been among the businesses to have skyrocketing demand during the pandemic.
• On the flip side, many businesses in Chinatown continue to struggle with the decline in foot traffic.
• Co-owner of Meat, The Next Act, and Pip, Saylish Haas, was interviewed for inResponse, which explores how people are handling the COVID-19 crisis.
• Panini’s Italian Cucina are among five restaurants in Canada that have received the most tips through Skip the Dishes orders.
• Jacek is involved in a partnership called Retail4Good, which is selling gift boxes for frontline workers at a discount.
• Ocean Odyssey has adapted to the current conditions to keep customers safe when shopping in their store.
• Gordon Food Service is now offering grocery delivery and pick-up for household consumers.

Openings

• The location of The Greenhouse based at Victoria Golf Course is now open. It comes from the folks behind Workshop Eatery and Woodshed Burgers.
• While the dining room at Boxer – Alberta Kitchen & Bar (the former Holy Roller space) is not open yet, they have been offering curbside take-out. Find them at 10315 83 Avenue.
• The Colombian now has a coffee truck! Follow The Coffee Mule to find out where they’ll be next.

Closures

• The Funky Buddha in Old Strathcona has closed after 15 years in business.
• Nando’s has closed some of its corporate-owned locations. In the Edmonton area, this appears to impact the Clareview and Sherwood Park branches, while the Oliver Square and Gateway Boulevard shops will remain open.

Upcoming Events

• In support of Canadian potato farmers, Sabor is offering 2 pieces of Piri-Piri chicken with fries and aioli for $14 on May 19, 2020. Pre-ordering is required.
• The Chefs from Milk Crate and Why Not are going head-to-head in a Burger Battle for a second time on May 20, 2020. Diners try two take-out burgers and vote for their favourite. Pre-orders are due at 4pm on May 19; burgers are to be picked up at Milk Crate in the Epcor Tower.
• The Common’s popular Hip Hop Brunch is going virtual on May 24, 2020. Those interested should pre-order; included along with the food are colouring sheets, crayons, and a link to the live brunch stream.

Local News

• Chef Doreen Prei is the next Edmontonian to appear on Food Network Canada’s Firemasters program. Watch for her appearance on May 21, 2020.
• Sharon wrote about some small food-based businesses that have started up during the pandemic, including Malay Bakery, Nai Nai Mie, and The French Creperie. QuaranTeas & Sweets is in the same vein, offerings sweets and drinks through delivery. It’ll be interesting to see if these businesses are able to sustain themselves when and if diners return to eating in restaurants again.
• Sea Change Brewing followed through on their offer to deliver a pallet of beer using a forklift. After Highlands Liquor placed a large order, they made the 10km trip on a small, pink forklift, documented the journey, and have pledged a portion of the beer sales for Edmonton’s Food Bank.
• Local startup Commerce Owl has submitted their recipe app for a Shopify competition in the hopes of snagging a prize.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• While farmers’ markets have been classified as “essential services” and have remained open during the pandemic, their transition to outdoor spaces has come with some restrictions.
• Riverbend Gardens shared that for the first time since 2004, they will not be among the summer vendors at the Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market. They indicated that “the market made the decision that no vendors with products similar to permanent indoor vendors would be allowed in the outdoor portion of the market.” This is incredibly disappointing, short-sighted, and unfortunate given the market had the wonderful opportunity to fully showcase the possibilities of having both indoor and outdoor components this summer. I look forward to supporting Riverbend Gardens through their other market locations.
• Alberta Open Farm Days has updated their list of farms who offer farmgate sales or delivery options.
• The City of Edmonton is hoping to increase the number of community gardens by creating 350 gardening plots in 30 temporary garden sites. The deadline to submit applications is May 18, 2020.

What I Ate

• We still haven’t exhausted our take-out options within walking distance of our home! Friday’s craving for Thai meant kicking off the weekend with food from Viphalay. The pad Thai and green curry are staples for us, but we tried the drunken noodles for the first time too – I was unprepared for how spicy they were!

Our spread from Viphalay

Some Restaurants Gearing Up to Reopen

The Government of Alberta’s relaunch strategy is set to shift to stage one on May 14, 2020, which will allow some businesses, including restaurants, cafes, pubs, and bars, to resume dine-in services.

Guidance on risk mitigation was released today. The document details include: seating capacity must be limited to 50% (including outdoor patios); 2-meter distances must be maintained between tables; group sizes are capped at 6 patrons; and all dining must be table service only.

So far, only a few restaurants have publicly posted that they will be accommodating eat-in customers as of May 14, such as Pampa’s west end location, and Woodshed Burgers on 124 Street.

Others, like Blue Plate Diner and The Next Act/MEAT/Pip, have shared that they will remain open only for take-out and delivery for the time being, in order to maintain the safety of their staff and guests.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• Many restaurants have reopened for take-out and delivery, including Restaurant Yarrow, which is offering 5-course set meals; Tang Bistro; Baijiu; and River City Revival at the Starlite.
• Let Eat Snow re-opened on May 8, 2020, and in addition to their signature desserts, will also be offering fresh sandwiches under a sub-brand called Sandwich Box. They are also serving up Dalgona Coffee, which is having its moment on social media.
• Liane has started a series featuring restaurants who have pivoted quickly in the face of the pandemic, and are reimagining their food businesses to survive. First up: Rob Filipchuck of Glass Monkey.
• Starting May 11, 2020, T & T will require shoppers to wear masks in the store.
• Here is a list of Asian restaurants in Edmonton offering take-out and delivery.
• The Butternut Tree sold 300 boxes of high tea treats over the weekend; with many restaurants having adapted their high tea wares for take-out purposes, perhaps some may carry over past the pandemic period?
• A recent Restaurants Canada survey noted that 7 out of 10 respondents in Alberta do not have enough funds to pay expenses over the next three months.

Openings

• The Edmonton location of Peter’s Drive-In is now open at 5151 Calgary Trail, though for the time being, only for drive-thru services. Cars have been lining up and blocking traffic on Gateway Boulevard ever since.
• Cup Bap on Rice Howard Way is now open at 101, 10115 100A Street, serving up Korean rice bowls and fried chicken.

Closures

• Both Doan’s locations (in Old Strathcona and Downtown) are permanently closed.
• Il Forno also announced its permanent closure, after 14 years in business.

Local News

• Tiramisu Bistro on 124 Street is open again after some renovations.
• The Local Good continued their week of focusing on local food and hospitality businesses and initiatives, with features on cafes, breweries, and food security resources.
• For a fun distraction, try completing this Donair Championship bracket, put together by Oilers Nation.
• Congratulations to the Grocery Run & Leftovers/Fresh Routes Community Partnership for receiving the 2020 U Alberta Advocate Award.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The 124 Grand Market is set to debut this summer on May 14, 2020, with some precautions, including limiting the number of patrons at any time to 50, no dogs, and encouraging the wearing of masks.
• The Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market is reopening their outdoor portion (adjacent to the building on 103 Avenue) on May 16, 2020.
• The St. Albert Farmers’ Market will reopen on June 6, 2020 in a new location to allow for greater spacing between vendors. They will be located in the parking lot of Servus Credit Union Place at 400 Campbell Road.
• Community gardens are set to re-open this year, with some requirements to facilitate social distancing and sanitation requirements.
• Sturgeon County-based farm 2BK Vegetables will be offering online ordering and curb-side pick-up this summer.
• Angela Santiago, CEO of Edmonton-based The Little Potato Company, shared how her company has stepped up to meet the demand for their product.

What I Ate

• Before the pandemic, we made weekly trips to the Italian Centre as a part of our grocery run. Now, we’ve been using their delivery service (free for orders over $75) over the past month. It’s not only convenient, but amazingly efficient – both times, our orders were processed and delivered the next day. Their ordering system isn’t set up like the big grocers, but if you’re not that picky (or are a frequent shopper like us and know what you want), it’s a great way to shop local.

Our recent Italian Centre grocery order (and Emily’s feet!)

• Our Friday night take-out was courtesy of Rosewood Foods – an amazing chicken katsu sandwich with crispy potatoes, and maple cinnamon crullers. I can’t wait for their restaurant to fully open on Rice Howard Way – it’s a great little spot we can walk to! Currently, they’re open for pick-up orders from Wednesday to Saturday.

Chicken katsu sandwich from Rosewood Foods

• For Mother’s Day, we delivered an order of brisket and pulled pork from MEAT to my Mom (she’d been craving southern barbecue!). For ourselves, we ordered The Next Act’s take on donairs, made using the brisket from MEAT – they were delicious!

MEAT brisket donair from The Next Act

Food Establishments May Re-open Next Week

The Government of Alberta released its Relaunch Strategy last week, and indicated that some restrictions on cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars may be lifted as soon as May 14, 2020.

Dependent on the approval of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, stage one would allow food establishments to re-open for public seating at 50% capacity.

Patrick Saurette of The Marc responded to this possibility in an interview with City TV, and indicated that although it may be permitted, his restaurant may decide not to open because staff and diners may not feel safe.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• Cartago has started selling cocktail kits.
• Vaticano Cucina will be opening for curbside pick-up and delivery starting May 7, 2020.
• Global published a story about Rosewood Foods and Wing Snob, new businesses that have had to pivot from in-person dining because of the pandemic. CBC has a similar story on the same businesses.
• The Tomato wrote about several local businesses that have adjusted their services for curbside pick-up and delivery, including Cibo Bistro, Filistix, Corso 32, and Glass Monkey.
• CBC featured The Grizzlar, Sea Change Brewing, and Kind Ice Cream on how they’ve changed to remain open.
• Food trucks will be permitted to operate this summer, as long as they adhere to certain guidelines to maintain public health.
• Duchess has been able to donate $1000 to the Bissell Centre last week; their drivers are taking donations in lieu of tips for the charity.
• DaVinci Gelato (which started making its own alcohol last year to make alcohol-infused gelato), switched production gears to start producing hand sanitizer last month.
• Pierogerie, a vendor at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, is offering pierogi making kits for home use.
• Press’d has also gone the route of opening up their pantry and is offering flour and yeast for sale at their shops.
• There is another grocery delivery service available in the Edmonton area called Fresh Forward.
• More than half a dozen businesses, including Crave, have banded together to create the YEG Community Box, which offers a collection of “tiny treats, relaxing items, or small activities.”
• Edmonton’s Food Bank continues to adapt to high demand, especially in light of the cancellation of the Heritage Festival, one of its biggest food drives of the year.

Openings

• Sister cafe to Sugarbowl Eleanor & Laurent is now open next door (10926 88 Avenue), and offers French pastry and fresh breads.
• Century Hospitality has expanded their ghost kitchens to include concepts Nooch, offering protein bowls, and Chuck, offering burgers and milkshakes.
• Brew and Bloom is a forthcoming cafe opening this summer. In the meantime, they are offering 25% off their food items for delivery.
• A new food business called Malay Bakery is offering Malaysian curry puffs and rolled pandan for delivery.
• Nico’s Cookie Co., run by a 10 year old boy, is also a relatively new business that offers porch pick-up in Parkland County.

Closures

• Jacek has announced that they’ve closed their 104 Street shop (but will be maintaining their location in Sherwood Park).
• The Table Top Cafe has closed their 124 Street location.

Upcoming Events

• The next #EatWithMeYEG takes place on May 6, 2020 and will feature The Local Good’s current #LocalGoodnessYEG project which highlights small businesses.
• The Food Truck Drive Thru returns with its second edition and six trucks on May 9, 2020 in the parking lot of Southgate Centre.

Local News

• Chef Alexei Boldireff has left Baijiu.
• For those looking to spoil their mamas with a special home-cooked brunch or dinner, there are many restaurants to choose from who have put together meal kits, including RGE RD, Jack’s Burger Shack, Central Social Hall, and Century Hospitality.
• For others seeking something more ready-made, Filistix has Mother’s Day feasts, The Butternut Tree, Reinette Cafe, and Knosh are selling high tea orders, Brio and Sugared and Spiced have Mother’s Day gift boxes, and The Marc has put together picnic baskets.
• Several local businesses have also collaborated for food and flower gift packs, including: Splash Poke, Caramunchies, and Lovella and The Art of Cake and FaBLOOMosity. Get Cooking and Prairie Gardens are offering virtual cooking classes, with an accompanying basket of greens and vegetables (and the potential to add on flowers).
• The Local Good is featuring ways to support small businesses this month. The first week is all about food and drink, including local bakeries and farmers’ markets.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Northlands, through its Alberta Flavour initiative, is conducting a survey to determine how the current disruptions in the food system can be managed.
• Liane wrote about a number of local community supported agriculture projects that have escalated in popularity in recent weeks, including Sparrow’s Nest, Prairie Gardens, and Riverbend Gardens.
• Local farmers, including Rock Ridge Dairy and potato growers, are feeling the effects of the pandemic on their bottom line.
• “Meat is the new toilet paper” – or so say some Alberta meat producers who have seen their demand increase as meat packing plants have been forced to close, impacting supplies at grocery stores.

What I Ate

• We love having so many restaurants within a five minute walk of our place – many that we’re finally getting to for the first time! Friday night take-out was from Bao Bao – we especially enjoyed the traditional pan-fried bao (with pork bone soup inside) and the sweet and sour pork rib dry noodle. They also accept phone orders to bypass third-party apps for pick-up!

Our order from Bao Bao

• On Saturday, after meeting a friend’s baby for the first time (through a window!), we swung by Jack’s Burger Shack on the way home. It wasn’t planned, but we decided to eat our meal while it was still hot at a nearby park. The hangover burger really hit the spot, and Emily loved the fries!

A quick picnic with Jack’s