Food Notes for January 29, 2024

Openings

• Edmonton’s newest Korean restaurant, chain Makchang Dodook had their soft opening on January 26. Find them at 1007 Parsons Road SW.
• Anejo Restaurant, a chain with locations in Toronto, Calgary, and Banff, has opened in Edmonton at 11954 104 Avenue.
• The Lobster Mobsters, a seafood business with storefronts in Nisku and Brooks, is opening up in Edmonton. They will be located at 17011 100 Avenue, and intend to be open by April 1.

Closures

• The Downtown Edmonton Farmers’ Market is officially closed, and the association has declared bankruptcy and will dissolve. I went to the market on their last day to find that so many vendors had already pulled up their equipment and had left. Apparently the market may return in some form outdoors in the summer, but we’ll see.
• French Toast announced their closure.

Upcoming Events

• Feed the Soul returns February 2-11, with 13 participating Black-owned businesses offering some great specials.
• Save the date for Downtown Dining Week, returning March 20-31.

Local News

• The King of Tarts is temporarily closed due to damage in the other parts of the building.
• Mary Bailey from The Tomato shared her favourite places that opened in 2023, and includes Happy and Olive, Darling, and Little Wolf.
• Edify checked out Die Pie and Caffe Sole.

What I Ate

• Our last Chinatown Dining Week meal was take-out from Spirit Bistro. Those big rice noodles really hit the spot, and make great leftovers. Thanks to everyone who helped us #eatyegchinatown this year!

Big rice noodles with beef from Spirit Bistro

• It’s been a busy month for me work-wise, and this weekend was no different. Our go-to desk lunch has always been El Fogon, and the beef and cheese arepa didn’t disappoint.

Beef and cheese arepa from El Fogon

• I did have the chance to meet up with a friend for brunch at Culina’s pop-up spot in Little Italy (the piazza out front is looking fantastic). There was some great variety of sweet and savoury options (the scallion mashed potatoes were great, and the whipped yogurt was fantastic). Thanks Su for the invitation! Check out Culina’s other pop-up events on EventBrite.

Brunch at Culina (with the most beautiful Corelle plates)