Food Notes for August 7, 2023

Openings

• Taiwan-based bubble tea brand Tiger Sugar will open their first location in Edmonton at 10075 109 Street on August 11.
• Pharaoh’s Restaurant, the first halal Egyptian restaurant in the city will open on August 19 at 5524 Calgary Trail.
• The second location of Calgary-based Jerusalem Shawarma opened in Edmonton on August 3 in Windermere (#1, 1297 Windermere Way SW).

Closures

• It looks like the long-standing Vicki’s Gourmet Bistro in the Citadel Theatre, is now closed.

Upcoming Events

• Alberta on the Plate returns August 11-20, 2023. There are 10 restaurants participating in the Edmonton area who will be highlighting locally-grown ingredients.
• Roasti Coffee is hosting a Flacos Tacos pop-up on August 25. Tickets are $35 and include tacos and a drink.
• In place of the usual festivities at Giovanni Caboto Park, the Piccola Festa, outdoor Italian festival, will be held at the Italian Cultural Centre on August 27, 2022, with food trucks, entertainment, and other activities.

Local News

• Founders of Brio Bakery Todd and Sian have decided to sell the business “to start a new chapter in their lives”. Brio will continue under new owners Milos and Mateja.
• City TV did a story about how “Instagrammable” businesses are on the rise in Edmonton, but made the point that while social media may get customers through the door, its the quality and experience that will bring them back again.
• Congratulations to Dream Tea House on their 20th anniversary. They currently have six locations in Edmonton.
• Edify paid a visit to the newly-relocated Ralph’s Fried Chicken.
• Also from Edify, their latest Fav Eats post highlights the spicy goma from Tokiwa Ramen.
• A sponsored post from Edmonton Made features the story behind Fat Man Little Kitchen, a hot sauce business based in Enoch Cree Nation.
• Congratulations to the winners of the Food Judge Awards at the Edmonton Heritage Festival, which included Nepal’s momos as the best main dish, Romania for best overall menu, and best dessert from Palestine.
• On a related note, as Heritage Days is the primary fundraiser for Edmonton’s Food Bank, the Food Bank shared that they continue to meet the high needs of their clients.

What I Ate

• Mack and I visited the last of Hotel Macdonald’s charity hot dog carts for the summer. While it hit the spot, it made me wonder where all the Fat Franks carts have been, as we haven’t seen one in ages.

Hot Dogs for charity from the Hotel Macdonald

• We finally tried the supreme croissants from Ayco Cafe. Mack didn’t mind the soft texture of the croissant, but I was expecting it to be crispier and more glazed on the outside.

Supreme Croissants from Ayco Cafe

• We grabbed take-out from Hanan’s Kitchen for a picnic on the nearby Legislature Grounds last week. Mack and I enjoyed our respective chicken shawarma and falafel wraps, but notable was how great the service was! The staff offered my kids tasters of their soft ice cream and it helped to make an extra positive impression.

Falafel wrap from Hanan’s Kitchen