Food Notes for October 2, 2023

I will be returning to my day job later this week, after a little over a year on maternity leave. While it will be my intention to keep up with the original reporting that you read here (and republished on Taproot Edmonton), it may take me some time to determine how I can meet all of my responsibilities and stay sane in the process! As always, thanks for reading and supporting local.

Openings

• Daniel Costa’s latest venture sees him partnering with the Henry Singer Fashion Group to open Bar Henry inside their new flagship store in Ice District, to open later this year. The location will serve coffee by day, and wine and cocktails alongside snacks in the evening.
• Little Wolf opened in the former Three Boars space at 8424 109 Street two weeks ago. The restaurant is the brainchild of Shaun Hicks, whose resume includes Woodwork, Three Boars, and La Petite Iza.
• Congratulations to Italian Bakery for re-opening their Chinatown location on October 2! I interviewed owner Rosaly DeVenz about their return to that neighbourhood last month.
• La French Taste has opened in Norwood next to Otto at 11401 95 Street (formerly occupied by La Favourite). La French Taste has been vending at farmers’ markets most recently.
• Crumbl Cookies’ second storefront in the Edmonton area will open in Sherwood Park on October 6 at 390 Baseline Road, #228.
• A new Indian restaurant called Mezbaan Indian Bistro has opened at 431 36 Street SW.
• KB & Company is slated to open their 8th location this winter at new development the Mercury Block (123 Street and 102 Avenue).

Closures

• Shojo announced that they are closing permanently: “We’re not willing to compromise on our values and cut certain corners to be more profitable. A major part of why we are successful is our people. We truly believe we have some of the best guests and staff around.” Their last day of service is October 7.
• After ten years, Kaeng Thai Bistro in Old Strathcona announced their permanent closure. Their final day of service was September 28.
• While not a full closure, Zwick’s announced that due to demand on the wholesale side of their business, they have decided to close their retail storefront, effective September 24. They are still accepting pre-orders though, for those with a hankering for their soft pretzels!

Local News

• It’s always great to see local restaurants like Rosewood Foods putting their money where their mouth is and donating proceeds to a local Indigenous organization on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
• After teasing the possibility of being saved by an angel investor, Chartier confirmed last week that their lease on life has been extended: “An investor – a community member right here in Beaumont who wishes to remain anonymous – stepped forward and invested enough into Chartier to allow us to keep moving forward and keep feeding Albertan families.” They will reopen after October 22 to rest and reset.
• Amidst these announcements, Filistix poignantly shared the message: “don’t wait until your favorite restaurant posts that they are closing…support them NOW when they really need it”.
• Nudoru Ramen in Old Strathcona closed back in August 2022, but will return as a pop-up in October at Yutaka.
• Edify checked out D’Amore’s Deli, Avila Arepa, Café Celeste in Sherwood Park, and chain Les Moulins La Fayette.
• Linda shared a sponsored guide for things to do and food to eat in St. Albert, which includes her recommendations on local restaurants to try.
• CityNews interviewed Ashford Pub and Transit Smokehouse and BBQ about how challenging it has been to stay afloat as customer numbers stagnate.
• The Journal covered how the local coffee roasting scene has grown over the decades.
• Edmonton chef Fred Isla will be competing again in Food Network’s new season of Halloween Wars.
• Leduc resident Kathy Neiman will be competing in the current season of The Great Canadian Baking Show.
• Congratulations to Omar Mouallem for winning the 2023 Alberta Film & Television (Rosie) Award for his production The Lebanese Burger Mafia.
• Atco’s Blue Flame Kitchen has introduced a line of ready-to-eat meals called BFK Express that are now available at Circle K, Blush Lane, and spud.ca, among other locations.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• It may be a bit too late for this year, but combating climate change can start with harvesting fruit on public lands, says this St. Albert Gazette piece.

What I Ate

• I had a couple of great meals at Rosewood over the last few weeks. This included an excuse to have the always delicious patty melt.

Patty melt from Rosewood Foods

• After writing a story about Happy and Olive a couple of weeks ago, I knew I wanted to go back and sample the fare. The latke and burger were both delicious, but that fried angel food cake was a surprising stunner.

Lunch at Happy and Olive

• It’s interesting to note how wine bars serving up simple fare have been popping up all over Edmonton (with Bibo in the Strathcona Hotel to rejoin the fray soon). Mack and I checked out the newest – Nowhere Wine Bar – over the weekend. We appreciated the people-watching perch.

Onion dip and wine at Nowhere Wine Bar

• We also celebrated our wedding anniversary at RGE RD, and finally decided to indulge in the Road Trip (the blind multi-course tasting menu). We did not regret that decision.

Mack at RGE RD