Summer Food Festivals Make the News
It may not feel like summer in Edmonton this year without outdoor food festivals, but the Edmonton Heritage Festival has announced a component that may help with that feeling of withdrawal.
The multicultural performances will take place online, while up to 60 multicultural restaurants will be involved in providing diverse tastes. Heritage Festival Executive Director Jim Gibbon stated:
"We’re bringing in a bunch of local restaurants affiliated with a bunch of local cultural groups and we’re building it into our website that people can go on and for the entire month of August they’ll be able to get food from these local multicultural restaurants that maybe aren’t as well known as some of the bigger restaurants in town."
The festival had originally envisioned a drive-thru for food services but did not receive government approval in time; the Calgary Stampede was permitted to go ahead with their plan for similar services. More detail about their virtual festival will be available in July.
Events Edmonton, the organization behind the Taste of Edmonton festival, on the other hand, is making a public appeal to ensure the event can survive.
The cancellation of this year’s event “has greatly impacted 22 non-profit organizations Taste of Edmonton supports, the community, the festival industry and us at Events Edmonton. We are asking you, our fellow food and festival lovers, to donate and help us save Taste of Edmonton.” The next iteration of the festival has been postponed to July 2021. Each $100 donation will earn 40 Taste tickets for the 2021 festival.
In COVID-19-related News
- The Journal has recommendations on dining-in etiquette, as provided by restaurants themselves.
- The Nook has re-opened, and DOSC has re-opened their dine-in service after a brief self-imposed closure.
- The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald and JW Marriott are re-opening on July 2, 2020.
Openings
- A new coffee shop and roastery is coming to Parkallen, called The Dapper Beaver, located at 6535 111 Street. They hope to be able to open in July.
- Amore Pasta has announced they will be opening an additional location on the north side.
- Doughnut Party relocated their central location to the Brewery District, at 11980 104 Avenue. This location is open for pick-up.
- The team behind Vintage Fork has opened a new delivery venture called Joe West Pizza.
- The fourth location of Gangnam Street Food opens in Kingsway Mall on July 2, 2020.
- Bread Love, a vendor at the Edmonton Downtown and St. Albert Farmers’ Markets is opening up a bakery in St. Albert.
Closures
- Peche Cafe, opened by the folks behind Die Pie, is now closed. The owners chose to relocate Die Pie to this space (10255 97 Street), and are incorporating aspects of Peche Cafe into Die Pie’s menu. As was shared in their post, “This was a difficult choice for us, we were able to grow so quickly with all of the support and love that you have given to us. We chose to save Die Pie, it was our first love and our greatest passion.”
- Smokehouse BBQ will be closing their Mayfield location at 15960 109 Avenue to focus on their food truck and catering.
- The Downtown location of Nello’s (11520 100 Avenue) is now closed.
- Vintage Fork, the restaurant inside Rutherford House, has now closed.
Upcoming Events
- It’s great to see all the innovative activities small businesses have created during the pandemic, including Drift Food Truck’s “dinner and a show” with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra musicians. Their next event takes place June 30 in the Shamrock Curling parking lot.
- The menus for Dine on the Ave, an event where food businesses showcase their specialties, are now updated. The event runs throughout July, and features 15 participating businesses this year.
- Alberta Open Farm Days have been given the green light to go ahead, and will take place August 15-16, 2020.
Local News
- Congratulations to Giselle Courteau, whose second cookbook, Duchess at Home, has been shortlisted for a Taste Canada Award under the “general cookbooks” category.
- Jonathan Avis, half of the duo behind Meat Street Pies, passed away suddenly last week. My thoughts are with Thea and the rest of the family.
- Kari Skelton has some sweet and salty ideas on how to celebrate Canada Day this year, sans fireworks.
- Rogue Wave Coffee has started sharing more of their coffee knowledge through articles and videos on their website – up first, learn about the difference between natural and washed beans.
- Great to see that Paraiso Tropical has rebranded with an eye-catching new logo!
- Stephanie wrote a sponsored post about her recent box of local goods from Uproot Food Collective.
- Alley Kat has continued their Back Alley Brews series of “limited edition one-off beers” with a release of SMaSH Session on June 25, 2020.
- Tech Life has a profile on Arth Soni, one of the entrepreneurs behind EduEats, the food delivery service that served post-secondary campuses in Edmonton.
Urban Agriculture and Farming
- MacEwan’s rooftop hives have bounced back after a rough winter.
What I Ate
- I’m happy Lockstock Coffee is back open to satisfy my breakfast sandwich and kouign amann cravings.
Chorizo and egg sandwich from Lockstock
- I was spoiled with a bevy of treats for my birthday last week! A friend surprised me with a brioche crown, among other things delivered from Duchess.
Brioche crown from Duchess
- My sister Felicia sent a box of Zwick’s Pretzels to our door – cheddar and pepper pretzels for the win!
My favourite pretzel from Zwick’s
Only Here for the Food 