Openings
- Fu’s Repair Shop is relocating to the former Station on Jasper space (10524 Jasper Avenue) and will re-open on June 10. The move will allow Fu’s to expand their kitchen. They will share a space with Double Dragon, which opens on June 9.
- Dolly’s Cocktail Bar will be taking over the space vacated by Fu’s at 9902 109 Street in July 2023, and will be operated by the folks behind Fu’s and The Common.
- Japonais’ Windermere location opened on the weekend, located at 6138 Currents Drive.
- MilkCrate has expanded with a second location Downtown, re-opening the Ghostlight coffee kiosk located in the Citadel Theatre. Their hours are currently Monday to Friday, 7am-3:30pm.
- Calgary-based Community Natural Foods, a store that offers organic and locally-sourced grocery items along with body and home care products, will open its first Edmonton location on June 9 at 7917 104 Street.
- Microbrewery Manual Labour Beer Co. is now open in Sherwood Park.
- Spruce Grove-based pizza shop Canadian Pies will be opening a location in Edmonton on 104 Street.
- Krispy Kreme will return to Alberta (they had a previous location in Calgary) in 2024 with a location in Edmonton on Gateway Boulevard and Calgary Trail. This announcement prompted some on social media to remind everyone of the locally-owned doughnut shops to support in the city.
Closures
- Seitans will be focusing on their standalone Die Pie location and as a result, will no longer have an outpost at Dine Epic’s 5th Street Food Hall. Their menu items will be offered at Die Pie, however! On a related note, the 5th Street Food Hall is closed from June 5-9 for maintenance and upgrades.
Upcoming Events
- The Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum Society’s next Dining with Authors event highlights Karen Anderson’s new cookbook Eat Alberta First. Tickets are $89.27 and include 3 courses prepared by Culina’s Brad and Cindy Lazarenko using recipes from the book. The event will take place at Culina’s new location in McCauley.
- Campio’s second annual Lagerfest features 19 Alberta breweries and will take place on June 8.
- VegFest returns to Borden Park for its third annual festival on June 24, from 11am-7pm. The event will feature plant-based food, speakers, and a marketplace.
Local News
- Transit Smokehouse & BBQ shared on social media that they need more support: “Transit is in a tough place now financially…A few more bad months this year and we may have to close our doors.”
- Bloom Cookie is relocating to Gold Bar (50 Street and 106 Avenue) because their lease on 124 Street is ending. The new space has ample parking, is accessible, and will allow them to expand their menu to include coffee and snacks. They hope for a mid-July opening date.
- In honour of Pride Month, many local businesses are offering special menu items, with some proceeds going to local LGBTQ2S+ organizations. This includes Kind Ice Cream’s Gay OK ice cream, supporting OUTlaw’s Trans ID Clinic, and District Cafe’s rainbow biscotti and cookie that will support the Edmonton Pride Centre.
- Edmonton grocery delivery startup Atadel helps underserved communities access specialty food items.
- The building that housed the Union Bank Inn has been purchased again, and will be renovated over the next year to accommodate hotel suites and a first floor restaurant.
- A full-service grocery called Tesoro will be opening in southwest Edmonton. To be designed by CKDesign, it will be anchored by the Italian Bakery and include a deli, pasta bar, cafe, and produce.
- The winners of the inaugural Edmonton Tourism Awards included the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market for business of the year and Taste of Edmonton for event of the year.
- Speaking of Taste of Edmonton, advance tickets for the festival are available from now until July 20. The festival runs July 20-30 this summer.
- Congratulations to Brio Bakery staff Judy Lan who won the gold medal in baking at the 2023 Skills Canada National Competition in Winnipeg.
- Farmers really are at the mercy of weather, as can be seen in the case of Reclaim Farm, whose crops were heavily damaged by hail and rain last week.
- The Mustard Seed continues to see an increased demand for their meal programs, as inflation makes it difficult for folks to make ends meet.
What I Ate
- Emily, Elizabeth, and I tagged along with Mack to Calgary for most of last week while he was attending a conference. It was our first time back since the pandemic, so we had lots of ground to cover! We hit up some of our old favourites, including Blue Star Diner and ChixEgg Shop, and discovered a new one in JinBar. Until next time, Calgary!
Emily returns to Blue Star Diner
Breakfast at ChixEgg Shop
Amazing Korean fried chicken at JinBar
- We were back in time to check out the Downtown Spark block party over the weekend, and the highlight for me was being able to again enjoy the Fairmont Macdonald’s famous scone (they were absent from the Taste of Edmonton last year, where they usually serve up this dish). I may have also ordered a second one to go…
Fairmont Mac’s scone at Downtown Spark
Only Here for the Food 