Edmontonians Among Western Living’s Foodies of the Year

Western Living released their 14th annual Foodies of the Year list, and though it is heavily represented by candidates from BC, several Edmontonians were recognized for their contributions to the local food scene.

Journalist Liane Faulder, who covered the food beat for more than a decade at the Edmonton Journal, is among the honorees. Although she continues to cover the arts scene for the publication, I miss reading her food-related stories; Liane’s passion for the people behind the food was always evident.

Also on the list are the trio behind Meuwly’s, Peter Keith, Will Kotowicz, and Glendon Tan. They just celebrated the fourth birthday of their Secret Meat Club venture, which eventually led to opening their 124 Street storefront.

Brian Welch of Farrow was also recognized for the expansion of Farrow (including a fourth location early this year) and the Three Boars pandemic pivot of High Dough.

Rounding out the list is Greg Zeschuk of Ritchie Market, credited for making this southside neighbourhood a food destination. The Market also attracted other like-minded businesses to the area, including Farrow, Kind Ice Cream, and Doughnut Party.

The top ten Foodies of the Year will be released on March 10, 2021.

COVID-19-related News

• Shojo Izakaya has chosen to remain closed to in-person dining. River City Revival House re-opened for take-out and delivery only on February 17, 2021.
• Dagu Rice Noodle had been closed to in-person dining since late October. They are re-opening on February 22, 2021. Ernest’s Dining Room at NAIT is also re-opening on February 24, 2021.
• Chicken for Lunch in Scotia Place re-opened last week.
• The Rocky Mountain Icehouse patio gondola is now open, and includes a heater and Bluetooth speakers.
• Data released by Open Table shows that even after restaurants re-opened to in-person dining, the number of seated diners is still significantly less than one year previous.

Upcoming Events

• Eats on 118 is returning March 1-31, 2021. The event features $15-25 dine-in and take-out specials, and new this year, a Tour & Taste Box featuring products from several vendors, delivered to your home for $65. Menus will be posted soon.
• Above Average Drinks is hosting a virtual cocktail experience on March 5, 2021 with bartender James Grant (of Little HK and Pablo). Kits containing three single serve cocktails are available through Color de Vino for $65 and must be pre-ordered by March 1, 2021.

Local News

• There’s a new bread pop-up in town called Breadmonton.
• It’s also great to see specialized home-based businesses, such as Scandinavian bakery Söta Saker, start up during the pandemic.
• Chee’s Sandwich + Soup is a ghost kitchen operates out of the Midway kitchen.
• YEGdate now offers a YEGdate Box, which features four dates, either in the box, or certificates that can be redeemed, two mini dates, and two perks.
• The latest Best Dishes column on CBC Radioactive highlights Rosewood Foods.
• On the heels of Chartier’s appearance on Food Network’s Big Food Bucket List, Zwick’s Pretzels also made an appearance on the show over the weekend. Congrats!
• Businesses in the 124 Street area are offering an incentive to visit their neighbours, with a discount at a second business when you patronize another. Check out the participating businesses here.
• Mercer Tavern debuted a new menu created by their new chef Kunal Sawhney. It features items like Korean fried cauliflower, grilled romaine salad, and a house cured corn beef sandwich.
• Tamara Vineberg posted about Olympus Donair in Riverbend that looked like it was in trouble and could use some community support.
• Oodle Noodle continues their aggressive expansion, with plans to open at least five locations in Edmonton this year, including its first food court branch. They will also be expanding into Calgary and southern Alberta.
• Home-based pasta business bell’uovo, started by theatre performer Gianna Vacirca, was featured in the Journal and CBC Radioactive.
• The Journal featured noodle kit company Nai Nai Mie who has grown their business significantly over the last year.
• Local chefs Allan Suddaby and Chael MacDonald have launched their own podcast called Food Court.
• FC Edmonton debuted a YouTube series called Eat Like an Eddie, featuring recipes prepared by a Registered Dietician alongside one of the players.
• Also on YouTube, the Dickinsfield Amity House started the Collective Kitchens YouTube channel highlighting simple recipes for home cooks.
• It’s great to see local arts organizations partner with restaurants, such as the Citadel Theatre and RGE RD for Valentine’s Day. The Catalyst Theatre is partnering with Dalla Tavola Zenari so those looking for something to enjoy can do so while streaming UnCovered on March 8, 2021.
• Edmonton-based food processor Canyon Creek is investing $1.7 million to increase their production capacity.
• A group of volunteers in southeast Edmonton continue to give back to the community through prepared meals for those in need.

Beyond Edmonton

• An online store called Loop has partnered with Loblaws in Ontario to offer some grocery items in refillable packaging. Burger King and Tim Horton’s will be expected to join later in the year.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Eight producers are a part of The Gathering Place Co-op, a platform for east-central farmers to market and sell their products through a centralized delivery system.

What I Ate

• We were really looking forward to trying DOSC’s weekend ghost kitchen, Burger Brawl. The fun concept of “burger contenders” named after video game characters is immensely marketable, but we were more excited about having another great option on our street. Mack’s Donkey Kong burger fared better, but I was disappointed with my order. The bun on my Bowser burger were so charred I couldn’t taste much else – a pity, as the patty was cooked to a beautiful medium rare. We hope it was a one-off and would consider trying it again – it does seem to be very popular as they consistently sell out.

Our Burger Brawl order

• I signed up to support a couple of businesses on Linda’s #yegdt Adopt A Shop, running until the end of the month. We started with LovePizza – it was a great excuse to finally try Drift’s feature pizza. I loved the sweet hoisin glaze, and of course the pork belly! There’s less than a week to sample The Drifty, if you’re so inclined.

We LovePizza (and Drift)!

New Initiatives Highlight Downtown and Old Strathcona Businesses

A couple of new initiatives launched recently to encourage diners to support local businesses in the Downtown and Old Strathcona areas.

Explore Edmonton has created the Downtown Dining Pass, a free mobile passport that currently provides discounts at 11 participating businesses. The pass launched on February 8, 2021, the same day in-person dining restrictions were relaxed, but both dine-in and take-out deals are available. The pass currently doesn’t have an expiry date, but because of its digital nature, deals can be updated by the restaurant at any time. Additional businesses may also be added.

Explore Edmonton Media Relations Manager Nancy Gordy shared that they wanted to curate a pass that wouldn’t overwhelm the consumer, hence the focus on Downtown businesses only at this time. “Many downtown restaurants have been hit hard by the pandemic, so we want to do all we can to help,” said Gordy. “We have been chatting about creating passes for other areas, businesses, and neighbourhoods as well.”

The Old Strathcona Business Association (OSBA) has spearheaded the Sweet Treats & Latte Festival in an effort to increase foot traffic into the neighbourhood. 13 businesses are offering either a treat or a hot drink from February 13 – March 14, 2021 for prices around $5.

The event was also created in light of the pandemic, says Jeff Samsonow, Marketing & Communications Coordinator with the OSBA. “This is a perfect grab-and-go [event], allowing folks to try new restaurants or support their favourites, while talking a walk on Whyte Avenue,” said Samsonow. “We’ve still got our winter lights up in McIntyre Park and Ice on Whyte begins this weekend too, so there’s lots to see while staying COVID-safe.”

The OSBA is also encouraging those sampling goods to submit their votes for the best treats and hot drinks for a chance to win gift cards.

COVID-19-related News

• Many restaurants have confirmed that they are also not re-opening to in-person service, including Langano Skies, Otto, and The Local Omnivore. NongBu has also remained closed to dine-in since early November.
• An Edmonton aerosol specialist is concerned about increased virus transmission related to the return of indoor dining.
• Northern Chicken will not be opening for dine-in services in order to keep their staff safe.
• A video of a large group gathering at an Earls last week went viral, while some Oilers fans welcomed the opportunity to watch sports in a pub.
• Kaze Finest, serving up African cuisine, opened up on Alberta Avenue during the pandemic, and may have to permanently close due to the challenges of the last year.

Openings

• Brew + Bloom Cafe delayed their opening last year but have announced a grand opening to take place on February 26, 2020. They are located at 10550 115 Street.
• Pine & Dine is now open in the former RoseBowl Pizza space at 10111 117 Street. EDify has an early review.
• The Mill Craft Beer + Kitchen is now open in Fort Saskatchewan.

Closures

• The Downtown location of Swiss Chalet in Canterra Centre is now closed.

Local News

• Congratulation to the winners of Th3rd Wave’s annual awards recognizing cafes and coffee roasters, including The Colombian as coffee shop of the year and Take Care Cafe as the best new coffee shop of the year.
• Food trends seem to come and go at a more frenetic pace in the pandemic – the latest seem to be croffles (croissant waffles). Sharon has a guide of where to try them in Edmonton.
• I Heart Edmonton ranks Edmonton’s 15 best donair shops.
• Linda is back with her third iteration of #AdoptAShop, this time focusing on Downtown. Nominations for businesses to be included in the initiative will be accepted until February 16, 2021, and sign-ups for those interested in “adopting” businesses will be live February 18, 2021.
• YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast) has created a burger now available in Edmonton through ghost kitchens.
• Uproot Food Collective continues to expand the brands and products they carry.
• The fourth season of The Great Canadian Baking Show kicked off on Sunday, featuring Edmontonian Larry Harris. He spoke to Edmonton AM about his experience on the show. He was also profiled by the University of Alberta School of Business.
• Local startup CommerceOwl, just launched RecipeStack for those interested in sharing their recipes to build an audience – their tagline is #RecipesNotYourLifeStory.
• Fresh Routes, who hosts many mobile grocery stores across the city in food deserts and communities with vulnerable residents, is looking to crowdsource $20,000 to repair one of their trucks.
• A&W is now a Mealshare partner – the restaurant will donate a meal with every Mealshare item purchased.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Eat North shares the origin story behind Lakeside Farmstead’s cheeses.
• The Southwest Edmonton Farmers’ Market is recruiting a market manager.

What I Ate

• It was a strange Lunar New Year – our first without extended family. As a result, we decided to outsource the cooking, opting to order a special multi-course meal from Rosewood Foods. The five-spice chicken legs were outstanding (they know their chicken!), and I also really enjoyed the sticky rice with lapcheong and shiitake. Emily, as expected, couldn’t take her eyes off the citron-honey crullers.

Lunar New Year dinner from Rosewood

• Mack and I have never been big on Valentine’s Day, so the closest we got to celebrating was using it as an excuse to try a couple of single-serve cocktails from Tumbler & Rocks, picked up during our Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market run over the weekend.

Cheers from Tumbler & Rocks

In-Person Dining Resumes in Alberta

Hospitalizations have remained below 600, so today, the province proceeded with the first stage of easing restrictions, which includes the resumption of in-person dining.

The guidelines limit 6 individuals to a table from the same household or two close contacts for those living alone. Liquor service will end at 10pm, in-person dining will close by 11pm and the establishment must collect contact information from one person in the dining party.

On February 5, 2021, the Edmonton Independent Hospitality Community wrote an open letter to government leaders asking for a COVID-zero plan and further financial provisions to assist the hospitality industry: “Many of us are left with no other option than to re-open for dine in and put ourselves and our staff at increased risk of contracting Covid and spreading it to our loved ones and the community because the alternative of not opening is just as grave a predicament.”

Since last week, a slough of restaurants announced re-opening plans. Many, such as Blue Plate Diner, Delux, Central Social Hall, Fife and Dekel, Tiffin, XIX Nineteen, resumed in-person service on February 8, 2021. Remedy locations and Sugar Bowl were busy on the first day welcoming back in-person customers.

Other restaurants have delayed their opening until later this week in anticipation of Valentine’s Day, including The Butternut Tree, DOSC, Guru, and Pampa. A couple are limiting in-person services even further – Filistix is only offering dine-in on Fridays and Saturdays, while Lux is re-opening for the weekend only.

The resumption of in-person dining also means outdoor patios can return. The winter igloos at Riverside Bistro have since re-opened, while Tiramisu Bistro’s new igloos can now be reserved. The courtyard at Little Brick is also open to patrons.

Similar to the case in November, when many restaurants voluntarily closed to in-person dining, some businesses have decided to remain on take-out and delivery models only. This includes Northern Chicken, Cartago and Fleisch, Jack’s Burger Shack, The Next Act/Meat/Pip, and The Nook.

New York City resumes indoor dining this weekend, and this writer for The New Yorker captured my thoughts perfectly:

“But today, on the cusp of a second, nearly identical experiment with indoor dining, the moral weight of our individual decisions has increased. We know what happened last time; we know the limits of what this move can fix, and the extent of whom it can harm. There is a flip side to the fallacy of individual responsibility during the pandemic: just because we’ve been given permission to do something doesn’t mean that it’s the right thing to do.”

COVID-19-related News

• Co-owner of Sabor and Bodega restaurants Christian Mena shared his personal experience with COVID-19, and preparing to re-open on February 8.
• The owner of That Bar-B-Q in Sherwood Park doesn’t believe stage one of re-opening will be beneficial to his business, which relies on diners wanting to socialize with people from other households.
• The NDP are calling on the province to follow Ontario and BC and cap the fees that can be charged by third-party delivery apps during the pandemic. Some believe that capping fees is only scraping the surface of what the hospitality industry needs to survive.

Closures

• The owners behind Cibo Bistro have decided to close the business permanently. Lisa and Rosario Caputo shared: “This past year has made it almost impossible to move forward with the constant changes to our industry and the inconsistent rules and regulations due to Covid-19.”

Upcoming Events

• The second annual Taste of Africa is taking place virtually on February 27, 2021 , with a contactless food pick-up component.

Local News

• Acclaimed local chef Larry Stewart (formerly of Hardware Grill) will be heading up the kitchen at Cattail Crossing Golf and Winter Club in Sturgeon County.
• The Journal shares the stories behind HanJan’s new concept HoneyJam and Old Strathcona restaurant Palette Cafe.
• Phil’s latest Best Dishes column highlights the sandwiches at Zwick’s Pretzels.
• Twyla shared her sneak peek of Chef Jiju Paul’s new menu at Hotel Macdonald.
• CTV featured the couple behind Benny’s Bread and Butter.
• Still making Valentine’s Day plans? Mary Bailey of The Tomato shared some in-person and curbside pick-up options on Global.
• CoffePass announced that they are extending their expiry date until April 30, 2021.
• I love that Linda is sponsoring her own giveaway supporting BIPOC businesses in honour of Black History Month.
• Also from Linda – a wonderful story about how farmers’ markets brought the two people behind Mini Kitchen and El Gringo together in love and eventually, marriage.
• Alberta Food Tours is offering another curated local box; this one features sweet treats from 11 Albertan chocolatiers and confectioners. The box is priced at $99.
• The next season of The Great Canadian Baking Show (which includes Edmonton’s own Larry Harris of Bonne Vie Bakery) shared their favourite local bakeries across the country.
• EDify profiled one of the Edmonton area’s newest distilleries, White Lightning Distillery. It is located in Barrhead County.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Alberta on the Plate is partnering with local commodity groups to celebrate Canada’s Agriculture Day on February 23, 2021 with #ForksUpForABAg.

What I Ate

• Even the cold couldn’t stop me from satisfying my vermicelli bowl craving. It was also a happy coincidence that all pick-up orders from T and D Noodle House are 15% off until February 14, 2021 to commemorate their 7th birthday!

My go-to vermicelli bowl from T and D Noodle House

• Emily’s current favourite book is the adorable “My Day With Gong Gong” by Sennah Yee, and after seeing the dim sum restaurant scene over and over again, Mack and I were craving dim sum something fierce. All day dim sum from Dynasty Century Palace to the rescue!

Dim sum and noodles from Dynasty Century Palace

• I likely never would have attempted one from scratch, so Dalla’s Timpano kit was a great excuse to assemble this famous Italian dish at home. Emily had a great time helping us layer the ingredients, and we think it turned out great!

Timpano

In-Person Dining Permitted to Resume

Last week, the Alberta Government announced that due to declining hospitalizations, certain restrictions would be lifted. This includes permitting in-person dining as of February 8, 2021, as long as hospitalizations remain below 600.

The guidelines in place are similar to those introduced back in November, and limit 6 individuals to a table from the same household or two close contacts for those living alone. Liquor service must also end at 10pm and in-person dining by 11pm. A new requirement is the need for the establishment to collect contact information from one person in the dining party.

Some restaurants have already announced that they will be opening on February 8, 2021, including Braven and Dalla. Others, such as Pho Tau Bay, are gearing up to open in March.

Many restaurants have announced that they will remain closed to in-person dining in spite of the change in restrictions. These businesses include Northern Chicken, Cartago, and Jack’s Burger Shack, who shared:

“On Feb 8th we will not be opening our dining room. The reality is our restaurant is just too small to serve everyone safely. At the end of the day, the safety of our staff and guests is paramount. We are suffering along with all other restaurants; we went from a bustling room to only being able to take 40 orders a night before we are sold out of pick times, to avoid overcrowding. Regardless of the impact, we will continue to only provide take out at this time.”

COVID-19-related News

• Guru’s Ice District location has re-opened for pick-up and delivery.
• Several restaurants in rural Alberta chose to defy public health orders and opened for in-person dining last week.
• Fox Burger talked about the ups and downs of running a restaurant during COVID-19 with ATB Financial.

Openings

• New vegetarian restaurant Palette Cafe is now open in Old Strathcona at 10047 80 Avenue.
• Hey Croffle is open in the Premium Outlet Collection by the Edmonton International Airport, serving up croissant waffles. Sharon enjoyed her croffles.
• Freson Brothers is opening a store in Edmonton proper on March 5, 2021 at 5139 Mullen Road.
• Jess noticed Phoenix Diner coming soon to 10803 Jasper Avenue.
• Ghost kitchen Flying Burrito is now open.

Closures

• Careit’s Downtown location in the Fox Tower is closing on February 5, 2021.

Upcoming Events

• The Edmonton Intercultural Centre is hosting a series of free virtual cooking classes from February 4 – May 6, 2021, with cuisines ranging from Bengali, Sudanese, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
• The next Edmonton Eats event on February 12-14, 2021 celebrates honey in all its forms, and features recipes for honey marinade, honey vinegar dressing, and honey cake. Tickets are $75 per household.
• Milk Crate is hosting two virtual cooking classes on February 13, 2021, one for women seeking men/men seeking women, and a second for LGBTQ2 community members. Tickets are $30.
• Deep Freeze is taking place this year, but with many modifications due to the pandemic. One such change is their annual tourtiere contest, which will be a recipe draw instead of a tasting competition. Share your recipes with the festival by e-mail and be entered to win a prize. The submission deadline is February 14 2021.

Local News

• Have you ever dreamed of trying that famous dish from iconic movie Big Night (aka Timpano)? Dalla is making it easy to assemble it at home with a kit – pre-order for pick-ups on February 5.
• It’s always great to see collaboration between local businesses, and this looks like a delicious one: LovePizza’s feature pizza for February was created by none other than the folks behind Drift Food Truck!
• Sharon has a round-up of some new home-based bakeries she’s tried.
• CBC featured the family behind west end’s home-based business Bicycle Bakery.
• Twyla recaps the list of Valentine’s Day treats she provided on Edmonton AM.
• Banquet halls will be among the last to re-open due to public health restrictions, but many are trying to stay afloat by offering take-home meals. The Santa Maria Gorreti Centre is among them, and offers multi-course meals and an extravagant Valentine’s Day meu.
• The Burger Brawl ghost kitchen (operating out of DOSC) has been very well-received, reports CTV Edmonton.
• Nisku restaurant Saskitoba Diner put out a desperate plea on social media to help them make it through the month and were floored by the public support.
• Global was the latest to cover ch. cafeteria, a cafe and chocolate shop that opened last year.
• Did you know that Joey’s Fish and Chips rebranded to Joey’s Fish Shack?
• Daily Hive has a listicle of 7 independent spots for take-out.
• Edmontonian Mai Nguyen is one of three Albertans vying for redemption on MasterChef.
• Sea Change Brewery raised over $13,000 for Edmonton’s Food Bank after running a $1 growler-fill promotion.

Beyond Edmonton

• Would you try candy-flavoured Kraft Dinner?

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The Craft Beef Company is offering a new approach to direct-to-consumer meat, allowing customers to choose beef, pork, poultry, and bison based on what the animal was fed.

What I Ate

• Last week, we were fortunate to receive a gifted Meuwly’s Secret Meat Club package to help celebrate their fourth birthday. The bag includes charcuterie, sausage, condiments, and their house-made Fleur Jaune cheese. We tried the Cassonade sausage over the weekend, and it is some of the best sausage we’ve had in some time. First time subscribers can get 30% off their first month’s subscription by using the promo code SMCTURNS4, valid until February 15.

Secret Meat Club package from Meuwly’s

• We got our annual fill of Love Pizza’s mac and cheeza on Friday – it’s one of the rare things to look forward to in January!

Mac and cheeza from Love Pizza

• We were so spoiled by a gifted curbside brunch from the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald this weekend. It was a sneak peek of their new menu created by new Executive Chef Jiju Paul. The crispy chicken (buttermilk marinated crispy chicken, smoked bacon, mushrooms, hash brown potatoes, and fried eggs) was our favourite, so flavourful and crunchy even after the ride home. The menu launches to the public on February 6.

Crispy chicken from the Hotel Mac

• One of the best things about living in #yegdt is the diversity of small businesses within walking distance. For Emily’s birthday, we ordered cupcakes from My Cupcake Mama, housed in the Don Wheaton YMCA (and the COVID-19 pivot of Maka Eatery). They were fantastic to work with, and the cupcakes were delicious and not too sweet (their Swiss meringue buttercream is a nice alternative to super sweet icing). I’d definitely recommend them, as would Emily!

Cupcakes from My Cupcake Mama