Food Notes for November 2, 2020

Hospitality Sector Well Represented on Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2020

EDify (formerly Avenue Edmonton) released this year’s Top 40 Under 40 list, and it includes several members of the Edmonton food community.

Braede Harris, co-founder and co-owner of LOVEPIZZA, is being recognized for their charitable initiatives:

“We want to be a business that sets an example of what having a business in Edmonton can look like. We’re proud of the city we live and operate in and giving back to our city has always been a priority.”

Caitlin Fulton, co-owner and Director of Operations at RGE RD, shares the joy of community they have built through the restaurant:

“When I think about the connections I have had with people over the years, that is when I think that our restaurant is really making a difference. I never take for granted that we are part of the milestones in people’s lives.”

Felix Irnich, founder and COO of DaVinci Gelato & T-Rex Distillery, has managed to grow his business even in the pandemic:

“When you pour your heart and soul into something and get such a positive response, it’s an indescribable feeling,”

Joti Dhanju, owner/operator of Tiffin – India’s Fresh Kitchen, aspires to revolutionize the Indian food industry with an eye on sustainability:

“I am lucky to be able to reintroduce Indian food to the masses in a creative way. Tiffin might not look like a family business in a couple years, but I always want it to feel that way.”

COVID-19-related News

• Credo’s 104 Street location is temporarily closed due to potential COVID-19-related contact.
• Alberta Health Services shut down Leduc Coffee Shop for violating several COVID-19 guidelines.
• Remedy’s Jasper Avenue location re-opened last week.

Openings

• The folks behind Northern Chicken will be operated a ghost kitchen called Sunday Subs. The sandwiches will be offered exclusively via delivery through Door Dash on Sundays beginning November 8, 2020.
• The Butchery will open its doors on November 18, 2020, located next door to RGE RD.
• The second D’Arcy’s Meat Market location is now open at 4211 106 Street.
• New restaurant Steacken Grill & Bar is open at 15960 109 Avenue.

Upcoming Events

• This year’s Taste of Home Gala is taking place virtually on November 19, 2020, to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Adult tickets are $100 and include a choice of a meal to enjoy from one of the participating restaurants, plus a $50 tax receipt. Restaurants include Sabor, Sawmill, Rebel, Workshop Eatery, and Share Restaurant at the Westin.
• Chef Steve Buzak of the Royal Glenora Club is hosting a pad Thai virtual cooking class on behalf of the Rotary Club of YEG Passport on November 21, 2020. The event raises funds for a cataract surgery project in Ecuador. Tickets are $25.
• Campio Brewing Co. is hosting Winter Markets on Sundays from November 8 – December 20, 2020. Vendors will be announced on social media, but will include TYP TOP Bakery on November 8.

Local News

• Wild Heart Collective has announced the location of their forthcoming Christmas Market, taking place November 27 – December 20, 2020. They’ll be setting up in the Army & Navy Building in Old Strathcona.
• Chef Addie Raghavan is making cheese out of the kitchen at Meuwly’s under the name Fleur Jaune Cheese.
• Fleisch has a new retail market stocked with “food, cocktails, curated bottles, gifts, and more.”
• Edmonton Eats is launching a Holiday Cultural Box Event on November 16, 2020. This will include recipe kits from Libyan, Bangladeshi, and Syrian cultural hosts, plus cookies baked by first year NAIT Baking and Pastry Arts students.
• Arno’s French Pastry has earned the “Best of France” label. It “promises to recognize and empower the food establishments offering original French recipes using fresh and local ingredients” in Canada, with half of their menu representing authentic French recipes.
• Daily Hive rounds up the best comfort food in Edmonton.
• Edmontonian Amanda Lemay plans to travel around Canada, and eventually the US, to learn from the best bakers in North America.

Beyond Edmonton

• Food Day Canada founder Anita Stewart passed away on October 29, 2020. Although she was based in Ontario, her influence was national. Tributes have poured in, including from Chef Blair Lebsack of RGE RD.

What I Ate

• Though we’re still not comfortable dining in, Downtown Dining Week makes it easy to still enjoy quality meals from the comfort of your home. Many of the 40+ participating restaurants are offering take-out, and at least one is doing delivery! Mack and I made a date night out of it – I ordered from the Confederation Lounge at Hotel Macdonald. I loved the forest mushroom bisque and braised Alberta beer short rib (and had to save dessert for another day as there was too much food). Check out $20 brunch/lunch and $35/$50 dinner menus, on until November 8, 2020. Thanks to the Downtown Business Association for gifting us the meals!

3-course take-out meal from Confederation Lounge