Openings
- Jacek’s second shop in the Edmonton area is now open in Crestwood at 9674 142 Street (Jacek closed its long-standing store on 104 Street back in 2020).
- Stephanie posted about a new US donut chain called Duck Donuts that has expanded to Edmonton. It is the second branch in Canada and is located at 16749 127 Street.
- Crumbl Cookies continues its aggressive expansion in the Edmonton area with its third location opening on November 24. Find the newest Crumbl in St. Albert at #228, 2 Herbert Road.
- Frank’s Community Pub is coming to Mill Creek in spring 2024, at 8815 99 Street.
Closures
- One of my favourites on Alberta Avenue, Mama Asha Cafe, announced their closure. Their last day of operations will be November 29. Mokha Cafe will be opening its its place (named after the Yemeni city of Mokha), and the new owner is “committed to serving Mama Asha’s classics and introducing exciting new menu items.”
- Downtown lost its last McDonald’s after the franchise in City Centre Mall closed last week.
Upcoming Events
- Van Loc’s William Chen is hosting a Vietnamese Coffee making workshop on November 25. Tickets are $11.98.
- Downtown’s newest event venue, called Last Modern Event Venue, is hosting holiday high teas in December in partnership with Hirondelle Bakery. Tickets are $65 plus tax for adults, and available dates include December 2, 3, 16 and 17.
- Save the date for the second annual Feed the Soul event, which will run February 2-11, 2024.
Local News
- Owners of restaurants including The Next Act and El Jardin, said it is difficult to manage increased customer expectations amidst inflation.
- The Jonas brothers stopped by Pip for brunch while in Edmonton last week.
- Edify checked out Mai Vietnamese Fusion at West Edmonton Mall.
- A local Facebook page called Edmonton, YOU’VE GOT TO EAT HERE!! has increased traffic at some featured businesses.
- Paul Shufelt vented his frustration at the demands on his small business to comp items for groups.
- Just in time for the holidays, another edition of the CoffeePass is back! The $45 passport entitles the holder to a free drink at 36 café partners in the Edmonton region. Mack and I have been supporters of the CoffeePass since the beginning; it has introduced us to so many independent gems that we probably wouldn’t have visited otherwise.
- Also on the gift front, Alberta Food Tours has put together another Alberta Chocolate Artisans Care Package. The $99 box contains ten of Alberta’s best chocolatiers and confectioners, and a portion of sales is directed to Food Water Wellness, an Alberta organization promoting regenerative agriculture.
What I Ate
- I tried a couple of new cafes this week, and the beautiful weather made it a good excuse to get a walk in at the same time. While the transit oriented development is still terrible at Century Park, it is great to see more independent retail at the end of the line, including Be Coffee.
Coffee from Be Coffee
- It has literally been years since Mack and I have dined in Route 99 Diner – they were our mainstay pre-pandemic and before we had kids, and then the pandemic happened and we tended to eat closer to home. We returned there for a date on the weekend, and in spite of the time that has passed, we found solace in the fact that not much has changed. And our go-to dishes of poutine and pizza were just as satisfying as we remembered.
Poutine and pizza from Route 99 Diner
Only Here for the Food 