Openings
- Buongiorno, the breakfast pop-up at Vignettes, officially opened last week, and is open Monday to Friday from 9am-3pm until August 27, 2022. The menu features breakfast pizzas and coffee from the folks behind Cafe Amore, Black Pearl, and Da Capo Caffe.
- Windermere definitely seems to be the neighbourhood with the most openings this year, chains and locals alike. The latest is the city’s second Black Pearl location, opening August 2 at 1285 Windermere Way.
- The ghost kitchen that houses Taco Nova has rebranded as Komune, and now has several additional brands under its umbrella, including Carnivore Subs, serving up sandwiches, Umai Rice, serving up sushi, and Strada, serving up Roman street food.
- American chain Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is opening up a second location in the Edmonton area in St. Albert (935 St. Albert Trail, #425). Their opening date is slated for August 12, 2022.
- Canadian chain Wing’N It Express is now open at 1317 Windermere Way.
Closures
- Taproot had more about Blue Plate Diner’s closure, including how its relocation to 124 Street may have impacted its longevity. Sadly, although the restaurant had hoped to remain open until the end of August, they confirmed that July 31, 2022 was their final day of operation.
Upcoming Events
- JustCook Kitchens is hosting the 5th Street Luau on August 5 and 6, 2022, with a pig roast and Hawaiian-inspired cocktails and mocktails.
- The Public is hosting a cheese tasting with Aditya Raghavan of Fleur Jaune on August 8, 2022 at Fleisch. Tickets are $65.
- The next Prairie on the Plate event will take place at Glass House Kitchen & Bar at The Enjoy Centre. Tickets for the 3-course meal are $65.
- Capital Care Foundation’s Feast on the Field fundraiser returns on August 17, 2022. Tickets for the event are $229.
- Get Cooking is hosting a Whole Hog Pig Pickin’ BBQ Party with Pitt Country BBQ. The class includes a demonstration of how to barbecue a pig, Northern Carolina style, plus the preparation of some sides to eat alongside the meat. Tickets are $138 per person.
Local News
- Boyle McCauley News offers a rave review for Somali-Kenyan restaurant Rayyan.
- Phil’s newest Best Dish column highlights White Rabbit Ice Cream.
- Edify’s latest Best Things To Eat include the prairie loaf from Brio Bakery and the chicken curry soup from Phobulous.
- Linda posted about Kikawinaw, an Indigenous-owned business that combines home-brewed tea with Alberta Righand Distillery gin and bubbles.
- Also from Linda – she partnered with Epcor for her latest Lindork Does Life video which features an Edmonton restaurant crawl where “Glass of the Sask” (aka tap water) can be enjoyed.
- May announced that Bri Campbell is their new chef, replacing Doreen Prei, who has moved onto Glass House in St. Albert.
- Taste of Edmonton reported that their attendance was up 30% from last year, and even higher than the event’s last pre-pandemic festival in 2019. They also announced their award winners, which included Hoang Long’s pulled pork steam buns as the People’s Choice this year.
- The response from the community was swift in response to a transphobic and homophobic e-mail written by the president of Valbella Gourmet Foods in Canmore. In its wake, many businesses, including Fleisch and Acme Meat Market, publicly distanced themselves from Valbella and promised to cease relations with the company.
Urban Agriculture and Farming
- Edmonton Public Library is hosting a free series of workshops called Life Skills: Plant Support with gardener extraordinaire Suzanne Cook. The series runs every other Sunday until the end of September, and monthly thereafter.
- The City of Edmonton released the details of their Residential Boulevard Gardening Program last week. The program allows locals to apply for permits to plant on strips of land between the sidewalk and the road.
What I Ate
- You’d be hard pressed to find a better way to start the morning than with an asiago scallion biscuit from Rosewood Foods.
Biscuit and coffee from Rosewood
- We finally tried the doughnuts from the Fawkes Coffee & Doughnuts pop-up on 104 Street. They’ve been selling out, and it’s not hard to see why – we especially loved the lemon berry crumble and chocolate chocolate chip flavours from this week.
Doughnuts from Fawkes
- Emily hammed up our meal at Otto on Friday night. Their Otto dog has been our go-to from the beginning, and Emily polished off the fries. Service is always great, too.
Emily with our spread at Otto
Only Here for the Food 