Openings
- Taco Shop, a new venture from 1st RND’s Mo Blayways, is now open in West Edmonton Mall.
- We’ve loved Cupcake Mama since they opened up in the YMCA downtown before the pandemic. And though we will miss them in our neighbourhood, it’s great to see they’ve moved into their own separate brick and mortar space in Wolf Willow.
- Odd Burger, a vegan fast food chain, has opened a location in Edmonton at 336A Mayfield Common.
- Eleven Eleven Bar, located in the (much revamped) space formerly occupied by Rigoletto’s at 10305 100 Avenue, is opening soon.
Upcoming Events
- Bartender James Grant, chef Ben Staley, and designer Justin Benson are teaming up for a “hot dog and vermouth fuelled party” called Tinis & Weenies behind Color De Vino on June 1.
Local News
- L’OCA is “a well-backed and opulent gamble”, writes Edify after attending the media preview of the flagship store in Sherwood Park.
- On a related note, it was confirmed that one of their two forthcoming Edmonton locations of L’OCA will be located in Parkview, to replace the Andy’s Valleyview IGA that has been there for decades.
- Oilers-themed treats continue to pop-up, including Bagel Bar’s Oilers chonk (they did an Oilers bagel last year), and the cutest jersey-wearing bears from MilkCrate.
- Edify checked out Okinawa Onigiri.
- Edmonton Global profiled Khadija Jiwani of Chef Bombay.
What I Ate
- My team had an off-site training and I ordered Filistix for lunch. Everyone raved about the food! The ordering and payment process was also super seamless.
Beef tapa and flan from Filistix
- My Mom requested take-out from Padmanadi for Mother’s Day, so Padmanadi was ordered! It was my first time trying the curry mutton, which was delicious. Of course, we had to get ginger beef, too.
Our Padmanadi order
- Good Goods brought in brioche doughnuts from Birdhouse Bakeshop for Mother’s Day, and they were delicious.
Brioche doughnuts from Birdhouse Bakeshop
- I had lunch with Linda at Okinawa Onigiri. The owner wanted to bring these rice “sandwiches” to Edmonton after enjoying them in Japan himself. He also wanted to keep the price reasonable so folks Downtown could have something substantial to eat without breaking the bank. I ordered the double cheese (with spam and egg). It was my first time trying this type of sandwich, and I found it to be quite tasty. It was also a reasonable portion size for under $10. Based on feedback, Okinawa Onigiri will also be revamping their menu later this week, adding seafood options, and opening on weekends.
Double cheese at Okinawa Onigiri
Only Here for the Food 