Food Notes for May 11, 2020

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