Edmonton Holiday Gift Book Brings Together Local Businesses
Over the course of the pandemic, many local businesses have come together to collaborate and cross-promote products. The Edmonton Holiday Gift Book is another such example, just in time for the holidays.
“The Edmonton Holiday Gift Book is an opportunity to support local on a broad scale. Bringing together ten Edmonton small businesses in one place, this book is for those who love local and want to expand their reach to support a handful of businesses at once.”
The book includes ten $20 gift cards from a variety of businesses, including retail shops, skincare brand, and an independent bookstore. The book also features four hospitality establishments: Fleisch, Kind Ice Cream, Sugared and Spiced, and Take Care Cafe.
The gift book is priced at $200 and will be available for pick-up beginning December 15, 2021 at Glass Bookshop (10243 106 Street).
COVID-19-related News
- Bridges Catering is offering people the opportunity to purchase $15 meals for ICU Workers until November 30, 2021.
- Hospitality businesses across the province, including A Cappella Catering, are seeing cancellations and a lower number of holiday party bookings.
Openings
- Moonga Sashimi is now open at #109B 10903 23 Avenue.
- Hibachi, also a sushi restaurant, is also open at 10430 61 Avenue.
- Monsoon Bistro & Bar is a new Indian restaurant that opened in September at 4485 Gateway Boulevard.
- Co Do Hue continues their expansion, having just opened their fourth location this month. It is located at 6960 76 Avenue.
- Just Juicy Burgers is a new ghost kitchen in Edmonton.
- Unite is now open at Kingsway Mall, a market space that also features vendors from Uproot Food Collective.
- So many home-based businesses have opened up during the pandemic, it’s hard to keep track! Kasey Ramen, who produces ramen kits, is another such business.
- Chain Auntie Anne’s Pretzels is now open at the Premium Outlets (#618, 1 Outlet Collection Way, Leduc).
- International chain Dickey’s Barbecue will be opening a location in southwest Edmonton.
Upcoming Events
- The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is hosting Sample the City, featuring over three dozen participating restaurants, from November 12-26, 2021. Diners who partake in one of the featured items can enter to win prizes. Taproot has more details about the initiative.
- Brick & Mortar Festival, organized by Vignettes, will be bringing some restaurant pop-up concepts downtown. This includes Buongiorno, a breakfast cafe concept by Black Peal, Pasta Amore, and Da Capo, and in the evening, RGE RD Larder, a wine bar. The pop-ups will run from November 23-December 11, 2021.
- On December 12, 2021, Chef Table Living is hosting a Christmas Brunch Cocktail Tasting Party (their Wine & Tapas event is already sold out). Tickets are $79 for this in-person event.
Local News
- The Local Omnivore has rebranded as Gravy Burgers and Fries.
- District has re-opened, Thursday to Sundays from 8am-3pm.
- The Nook is one of the newest vendors at the Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market.
- Brew and Bloom now offers dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Phil’s Best Dish highlighted the fries at Links Woodfire Sausages in St. Albert.
- Edmontonians seem to be going crazy for advent calendars, with the Jacek and Italian Centre calendars selling out immediately. Linda has put together a list of other Edmonton made food-related calendars still available, including craft beer, tea, chocolate, and spice advents.
- Sawmill is celebrating 45 years in business this year.
- Edify highlights Carlo Raillo, the nationally-renowned pizza maker behind Italia Mia.
- Congratulations to the Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2021, which includes Future Fields’ Jalene Anderson-Baron, Mealshare Co-founder Jeremy Bryant, #yegfood supporter Linda Hoang, Sea Change Brewing’s Ian McIntosh, and The Nook owner Lynsae Moon.
- Yellowknife-based East African restaurant Savannah’s Family Restaurant will be relocating to Edmonton.
- Rogue Wave Coffee’s Ply Pasarj drank a lot of coffee in preparation for the World Brewers Cup. He ultimately placed fifth.
- Edmonton restaurant software start-up Truffle has grown over the last year.
- Jason Foster shares how some Alberta breweries are working towards greener operations.
What I Ate
- It was our third time in Sooke, BC but only the first time we found ourselves at Stoked Wood Fired Pizzeria. It’s a stone’s throw from French Beach, and their covered patio was a great way to enjoy the piping hot pie out of the rain. Emily was a fan, too!
Italian sausage pizza from Stoked
- It was also great to return to some of our favourite restaurants in the Sooke area (especially given they had to survive the pandemic). Chief among them is Shirley Delicious, the most charming and comforting breakfast nook we’ve had the pleasure to visit (many times!).
Breakfast burrito from Shirley Delicious
- And Wild Mountain, whose commitment to local is known far and wide – Mack’s seafood pizza was a great example of this.
Wild Mountain spread
- Back in Edmonton, we picked up take-out from Maria Restaurant and did not regret our decision! We tried the beef barbacoa tacos, chicken asada burrito, and flautas from the kids menu. Everything held up amazingly well, and the tacos were so filling I actually had enough for lunch and dinner! Service was super-friendly, and Emily also appreciated the colouring sheet and crayons provided by the staff. The menu is so large it will take us time to work through it, but we have no hesitations about doing so.
Take-out from Maria Restaurant
Only Here for the Food 