Sugared and Spiced to Re-Evaluate Business Model

Like many food businesses, bakery Sugared and Spiced pivoted early on in the pandemic this summer and began offering some take-and-bake items. This met a need for customers limiting trips outside the home, and was added as an option in addition to their fresh baked goods and cakes. But with the length of the pandemic, they announced a need to shift their business model further.

Co-owners Amy and Jeff Nachtigall shared an update on August 26, 2020:

“So many things have changed in our lives and our business over the last 5 months, and we need to take a moment to examine how we can make our shop viable. Our revenue comes from things like spontaneous activity, well-planned gatherings and events, discretionary spending, and summer festival spillover. All of these are down, and some are non-existent.”

In response, the shop is closed for walk-ins until September 4, 2020 to provide the business time to re-evaluate. This will include some menu changes and finalizing an online ordering system.

So far, Sugared and Spiced has been “inundated with orders” after posting the update, and hope to have their new online system up soon.

COVID-19-related News

• Katy Ingraham of Cartago and Fleish shared an unpleasant experience with a customer who refused to wear a mask.
• Starbucks Canada announced that all customers will be required to wear face coverings in all company-owned cafes starting September 14, 2020.
• A Tim Hortons location in Edmonton at 14204 23 Avenue is temporarily closed due to a positive case of COVID-19.

Openings

• There’s a new brewery called Trial & Ale Brewing in Edmonton specializing in “long-aged mixed fermentations, Brett saisons and fruited sour and wild ferments”. Jason Foster shared their story on CBC Radioactive.
• Vintage Fork, formerly with a restaurant based at Rutherford House, has transitioned into offering online tea sales.
• Joey’s Restaurant has added a location in Ellerslie, at #9238 Ellerslie Road SW.

Upcoming Events

• Le Cheeseburger Week takes place from September 1-7, 2020, with a national search for Canada’s best cheeseburger. The event benefits Centraide and United Way, with proceeds with select burgers donated to food, housing and skills training programs. While most entries are concentrated in Quebec, Edmonton has one entrant: Cafe Rista.
• Canada’s Great Kitchen Party will be hosted virtually in Edmonton on October 23, 2020 with three-course meals delivered to ticket holders. Tickets are $195 per person. The Tomato has a run-down of the six chefs competing.

Reviews

• Lydia shared a sponsored post about Rice Bowl Deluxe.

Local News

• The Edmonton Journal’s Liane Faulder submitted her farewell column – her voice will be missed in the local food scene.
• Chartier out in Beaumont has re-opened after some renovations.
• Ernest’s at NAIT will re-open in September.
• Food truck Smoke & Ash was broken into last week.
• Pink Gorilla Pizzeria continues the trend of heat-and-eat items with their Grab n Go Calzones.
• CBC Radioactive went on a hunt for mini doughnuts, in lieu of cancelled festivals this summer. They found them at Fatburger.
• Long-standing Black Box Hospitality Group Chef Allan Suddaby is departing the company – best wishes Allan!
• CJSR podcast That’s Food launched their second season with a doughnut-focused episode, sampling their way through Bliss Baked Goods, Take 5, Italian Bakery, Ohana, and Safeway.
• Parts 3 and 4 of the Let’s Find Out series focusing on former restaurant Mirama are now available.

Beyond Edmonton

• KFC has suspended their “finger lickin’ good” slogan in light of the pandemic.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Chatsworth Farm, located about two hours east of Edmonton, has started a Chatsworth Farm Through the Season subscription. Participants will be able to visit the farm at five prime times through the year, including harvest, calving season, and lambing season. 15 spots are available and the deadline to sign up is September 21, 2020.

What I Ate

• Art of Charcuterie has teamed up with Meuwly’s to offer handmade boxes that will feature their house-made cured meats alongside other local products. We were fortunate enough to have been gifted a sample over the weekend, and can attest to how stunning they are.

Art of Charcuterie box

• Mack, Emily, and I celebrated the end of summer (since every glorious day at this point may be the last one) with another picnic on Friday. It was time for our annual Burger’s Priest binge on their Vatican City burger (made with two grilled cheese sandwich “buns”).

Vatican City from Burger’s Priest

Restaurant Receives Support for Upholding Mask Bylaw

Last week, Blue Plate Diner tweeted that they refused entry to patrons who chose not to follow the current mask bylaw.

“Soo… there’s still a mask-wearing bylaw in effect right,? Because we just got chewed out by a couple who "weren’t going to do this shit" when we politely asked them to put on their masks so we could take them to their table. Our staff and I will not be bullied.”

On August 1, 2020, the City of Edmonton adopted a bylaw that mandates a mask or face covering in all indoor public places. This includes inside restaurants when diners are not eating or drinking.

Co-owner Rima Devitt shared with CTV News that the patron was a regular customer. The restaurant had also experienced a second incident where a different customer refused to wear a mask.

The response to their tweet was overwhelmingly positive, with most respondents supporting their stance of enforcing the required protocol.

COVID-19-related News

• Uccellino has voluntarily chosen to temporarily close because the spouse of a kitchen staff has tested positive for COVID-19. They will be ensuring all staff have a negative test result before re-opening.
• McDonald’s closed two additional Edmonton locations after staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Openings

• Mood Cafe is opening soon in the space formerly occupied by Gracious Goods in Belgravia (7601 115 Street). They will offer pastry and pizzas.
• A new restaurant called Taste of Lebanon is forthcoming on Whyte Avenue and 101 Street.
• Smokehouse BBQ has relocated their operations to the German Canadian Culture Association (8310 Roper Road). The restaurant will re-open September 10, 2020 and feature a German menu and selected Smokehouse items.

Closures

• Malaysian restaurant Island Cafe & Bistro is now closed.

Upcoming Events

• 2019 Great Kitchen Party and 2020 Fire Masters winner Chef JP Dublado will be holding a take-out pop-up at Filistix Downtown on August 30, 2020. Take a peek at his menu and order online.
• If you’re craving Montreal-style bagels, Tamara Vineberg is co-hosting a bagel fundraiser for the B’nai Brith Youth Organization – $20 per dozen bagels to be received on September 16, 2020. Orders need to be in by September 11.

Local News

• Liane Faulder is retiring from The Edmonton Journal on August 31, 2020 after more than 30 years with the paper. While Liane has not been primarily covering food since August 2019, it is a loss for the local food scene.
• Congratulations to Northern Chicken who raised over $1500 for In the Weeds YEG, a group of hospitality professionals who provide mental health support and advocacy.
• Both Corso 32 and Bar Bricco remain closed due to flood damage.
• Explore Edmonton is offering a free digital brewery pass, which enables pass holder discounts at ten local breweries.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Alberta Farmer has the origin story of Rosy Farms, a haskap farm in Alcomdale. Owner Andrew Rosychuk is investigating on-farm processing of the berries, and the potential to grow the market for haskaps and processed products.

What I Ate

• Filistix easily has the cutest patio Downtown – two tables framed by wood planters and a great set back from the street. We had to try their new sweet spaghetti (with hot dogs, of course). Emily loved it, but Mack and I will likely always prefer the flavour bomb that is the bagoong xo fried rice.

Sweet spaghetti from Filistix

• Running errands was made better after refueling at Farrow. Long live the Grick!

Grick sandwich from Farrow

Uproot Food Collective Highlights Local Producers

Many food and grocery delivery services have sprung up in the wake of the pandemic. While some offer local products, Uproot Food Collective is among the few who feature only Alberta-based companies.

Uproot Food Collective started with three farmers’ market vendors working to grow their businesses together. They created a brick and mortar shop in Edmonton with a delivery option to other communities in the province to make it easier for consumers to find their products. They have since expanded to include 18 companies under the Uproot banner.

From August 17-18, 2020, they are offering a 20% flash sale of certain Uproot Food Collective products to promote the food hub and to make them more accessible to people in Alberta. Included in the sale are items from Honest Dumplings, South Island Pie, Little Bear Gelato, Caramunchies, Drift, and Mojo Jojo Pickles, among others.

COVID-19-related News

• Restaurants continue to re-open, including The Hallway Cafe in City Hall, Ikki Izakaya, Delux in Crestwood, and Battista’s Calzones.
• The folks behind Maka Eatery in the Don Wheaton YMCA are currently focusing on sweets through My Cupcake Mama.
• You may have seen various #HereForGood t-shirts offered by local businesses. Did you know that so far, they’ve raised $34,000 since March, split among all #HereForGood participants?

Openings

• Versailles Cafe is now open on High Street in the former Starbucks location (12507 102 Avenue).
• Two Brown Dogs has replaced Passion de France on Alberta Avenue at 11812 86 Street. They offer dine-in services, coffee, and freezer meals.
• Tiramisu Bistro on 124 Street has opened up Lift Me Up Market next door. They offer bread, pastries and produce.
• Sweethoney Dessert is a new chain spot in Old Strathcona featuring Hong Kong-style sweets. It is located at 10746 82 Avenue.

Closures

• It appears Normand’s Bistro in the Citadel is closing.

Upcoming Events

• Taste Alberta and the Alberta Motor Association is hosting an online Q & A all about pulses on August 20, 2020.

Reviews

• Sharon shared her positive experience at Al Salam Restaurant.
• Stephanie wrote a sponsored post about Ghost Kitchens, located on Whyte Avenue.

Local News

• Kari has news about a new Lebanese catering business called Franco’s Goodies.
• Intent Coffee, a first generation Pilipinx immigrant, queer, youth, and barista owned coffee collective is hoping to crowdfund $6,000 to go towards their cafe space in Southgate Centre. They have raised over 50% of their goal so far.
• Alexis Hillyard (aka Stump Kitchen) will be competing on Food Network’s Wall of Chefs in an episode airing October 13, 2020.
• The Journal published an ode to the Empress.
• Prairie North, a forthcoming cider company, has put their space on hold indefinitely. In the meantime, they have pivoted to work on collecting fruit donations for families in need. Donations will be accepted from September to October.
• Arts on the Ave has organized an initiative called Families Helping Families. It pairs a volunteer family capable of buying and delivering groceries with a family in need.
• Leftovers YEG has continues to divert an increasing amount of food from the landfill to people in need – last month, they collected over 16,000 pounds of food from local grocery stores and farmers’ market vendors.

Beyond Edmonton

• Linda wrote a sponsored travel guide about Leduc, including some food and drink spots to check out.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The Edmonton Heritage Council is collecting stories of the City Market when it was housed on 97 Street and 102 Avenue to contribute towards a Chinatown heritage project. Stop by the market to share a memory on August 23 or 29, 2020 from 11am-2pm.
• Did you ever wonder about the differences between a public and Alberta-approved market? The 124 Street Market shared a post about the regulations and perceptions.
• The Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc received $2.6 million in federal funding to help support companies to develop new plant-based foods and products.

What I Ate

• Celebrating small moments of joy are important these days – such as having my first grilled chicken vermicelli bowl from T and D Noodle House in many, many months.

Grilled chicken vermicelli bowl from T and D

• We met up with Mack’s brother and sister-in-law while they were in town on the DOSC patio – it is amazingly convenient to have several outdoor dining choices right outside our door. The fries were seasoned with a heavy hand, but overall, their oxtail poutine was a comfort, and reasonably priced.

Oxtail poutine from DOSC

• We’re also trying to make the most of these fleeting summer days, and ordered a take-out feast from Bundok to enjoy on our outdoor space. It’s hard not to love their gnocchi, but the fresh shaved fennel and nectarine salad was a close second.

Takeout from Bundok

RGE RD Expands Business with The Butchery

RGE RD’s much-anticipated sister business, The Butchery, is set to open by the end of August. Located next door to RGE RD, owners Blair Lebsack and Caitlin Fulton have created a haven for home cooks looking for tips and locally-sourced, high quality products.

In addition to custom cuts of meat (sourced from the same farmers whose products are served at RGE RD), staff will be available to answer questions about preparation techniques. The space will also eventually host meat-cutting classes.

For those less-inclined to cook, frozen items like their popular house-made empanadas will be available, as well as ready-to-eat comfort foods like soups and sandwiches.

COVID-19-related News

• Credo used the pandemic closure as an opportunity to renovate their 104 Street location.
• Chicken for Lunch in Scotia Place and the Guru location in Ice District have re-opened.
• BÄR at Cartago opens on August 14, 2020, fixed up with clear dividers. Cartago also celebrated their third birthday, and owner Katy Ingraham was interviewed about the difficulty of enforcing the mandatory mask bylaw.

Openings

• Breadlove, which vends at farmers’ markets in Edmonton, has opened a storefront in St. Albert (46C St. Michael Street).
• Al Salam Pita has opened a restaurant next door, called Al Salam Restaurant (10149 34 Avenue).
• Congratulations to Remedy who has opened their ninth location in the Bell Tower (150, 10104 103 Avenue).
• Villa, who closed their location on 104 Street, relocated to the former location of Nello’s at 11520 100 Avenue.
• Oodle Noodle has opened a branch in Hamptons, located at 19912 Lessard Road.
• A new cafe is coming to Old Strathcona called La Bosco Bakery & Cafe, located at 10413 79 Avenue.
• Arcadia Brewing Co. will be setting up shop in the new Manchester Square Development at 12016 107 Avenue.

Upcoming Events

• Analog Brewing collaborated with Yelo’d to produce a Calamansi Wit Beer. They’re celebrating the launch with an event at The Common on August 11, 2020. Tickets are $50 and include a pour, sorbet float, and a burger.
• Fish & Chip Fridays return to Sabor on August 14, 21, 28, 2020, with proceeds in support of various local charities. Meals are $15.
• Get Cooking is hosting another farm dinner at Prairie Gardens as a part of Open Farm Days on August 15, 2020. Tickets are $145 per person.
• The Edmonton Public Library is hosting a free online session about sourdough starters on August 18, 2020.
• The Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta is offering a free online cooking demonstration and Q & A on pulses on August 21, 2020.

Local News

• Corso 32 remains closed due to water damage.
• Mojojojo Pickles has moved their kitchen to Cartago.
• J. Karen Parker put together this handy map of all of the restaurants offering food through the Heritage Festival and the countries/cultures they are representing.
• Filistix developed an online ordering system to stay in business during the pandemic.
• CBC chatted with the owners behind Winston’s Fish and Chips and Sosyal Scoops food trucks.
• CBC also highlighted new Filipino grocery chain Seafood City.
• Speaking of Filipino businesses, the Edmonton City as Museum Project published a post about the history of Filipino businesses in Edmonton.
• Some Edmonton businesses are disappointed that the Oilers’ playoff run was so abruptly cut short.
• The Medicine Hat-based brewery Hell’s Basement is rebranding their Huruhuru beer after learning that “huruhuru” means “pubic hair” in a language spoken by Maori people.

Beyond Edmonton

• A neighbourhood in Calgary will soon be home to a community fridge, freezer, and pantry. The article references a similar fridge in Edmonton, but I am not aware of anything but the Oliver-based food exchange box.
• Plant-based chicken is now available for a limited time at KFC.
• It looks like Conde Nast didn’t actually want to make systemic changes in the wake of the allegations of pay disparity in Bon Appetit’s Test Kitchen. As a result, several stars have left the video series.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Taber corn is in season, and is now available in Edmonton (including at the Downtown Edmonton Farmers’ Market).

What I Ate

• Mack had been craving The Lingnan’s dry spicy chicken, so we put in an order on Friday. And though the weather was blustery and drizzly for most of the day, the sun peeked out in time for us to walk over to pick up our food. We had more than enough for meals over three days, and dry spicy chicken has a new fan in Emily!

Food for days from The Lingnan

NHL Playoffs Bring Additional Patio Space

Back in May, the City of Edmonton announced relaxed guidelines that allowed food establishments to more seamlessly open or expand patios. In the months that followed, it was great to see increased vibrancy on the sidewalks and streets.

The start of the NHL playoffs on August 1, 2020 has added another layer to this, as restaurants and pubs scramble to attract hockey fans seeking socially distant options to watch games. Many establishments that weren’t previously equipped with screens have adopted them for this purpose.

Campio Brewing was already equipped with a sizable patio, but for the playoffs, the brewpub has more than doubled their outdoor space. They’ve turned their adjacent surface parking lot into a so-called “Beer Arena”, with picnic tables and a big screen and speakers.

While it’s unlikely these transformations will be permanent (though in New York, they’re already planning for street closures beginning June 1, 2021), the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic means they may need to be in place beyond this season. And urbanists can dream that more long-term changes are possible.

COVID-19-related News

• Ra Bar, located in the McLeod Building, re-opened on August 1, 2020. They had only opened for two weeks before COVID-19 shut them down; they serve Japanese, Korean, and French fusion.

Openings

• Yelo’d is now slinging Filipino-inspired scooped ice cream in their Sosyal Scoops food truck!
• Winston’s Fish and Chips has added a food truck to their business.

Closures

• Doppio Zero Pizza (the retooled Kanu Cafe) is now closed.
• The Empress Ale House in Old Strathcona has closed.

Upcoming Events

• If you’re missing your Heritage Days fix, the virtual format of their festival this year connects with 35 restaurants representing a variety of countries/cultures/regions. Menus will be available for the month of August.
• The Edmonton Ski Club will be hosting food trucks from August 6-9, 2020, and will feature live music, too.
• 7 Edmonton and area restaurants will be participating in Alberta on the Plate, which features fixed price menus with dishes created using local ingredients. The event runs August 7-16, 2020.
• Participating farms and events are now listed on the Alberta Open Farm Days website, running August 15-16, 2020 this year.
• The annual Capital Care Foundation fundraiser Feast on the Field has transitioned to Feast on YOUR Field on August 19, 2020 this year, offering pick-up or (for larger groups) delivery of a meal to enjoy at home. Tickets start at $95.

Local News

• Bon Ton Bakery has a beautiful new website to allow for curbside pick-up to skip the line. It’s great to see local businesses stepping up their online game.
• The people who hope to rebuild the Transit Hotel have started a crowdfunding campaign to help their efforts. Their renovation plans include a smokehouse restaurant. They reached their $5,000 goal and have increased their next milestone to $7,000.
• Chartier in Beaumont is now closed for a few weeks to undergo renovations.
• Guilt Free Eats is enjoying their hectic time inside Edmonton’s NHL bubble.
• The hockey reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tried the comfort food from The Local Omnivore from the bubble.
• Costco has now rolled out a delivery option at 76 stores across Canada through Instacart, including in Edmonton.
• Where Edmonton’s new Edmonton City Guide is now available (though given the current circumstances checking websites for opening updates would be advised).
• Have you considered eating your weeds? “Wild eating” is a growing trend, says one local.

Beyond Edmonton

• Would you consider subscribing to a restaurant? Panera in the US offered subscriptions for unlimited coffees at a cost of $8.99 per month.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The Alberta Farmers’ Market Association is offering some cash prizes for those sharing on social media what they’ve created using products purchased at local markets. Entries are accepted until August 16, 2020.

What I Ate

• On Fridays we picnic, or at least, that’s what we’ve tried to do this summer. We enjoyed the chicken katsu sandwich and patty melt from our new favourite neighbourhood spot, Rosewood Foods.

Rosewood Foods in Churchill Square

• To help beat the heat, Mack, Emily, and I donned our masks to pick up some gelato from La Carraia this weekend.

La Carraia

• The Edmonton Eats event that was to showcase Somali cuisine was postponed back in March. Organizers re-tooled the event to be delivered virtually, with videos to be watched and food delivered to be enjoyed from the comfort of our own homes. Everything was delicious: the salad, while simple, was so refreshing; and the Somali rice was tasty. I think more explicit instructions or details about the food would be an improvement to consider for future events (it may not be common knowledge, for instance, that the bananas were meant to be eaten alongside the main course), but overall I was really impressed with the transition to a different format.

Our Edmonton Eats spread