Openings

• Epic’s Station Yards food hall opened this past weekend, offering five concepts over two floors, including Italian, French Canadian, Mexican, Asian fusion, and chop house options. It is located at 8115 Gateway Blvd.
• Seoul Fried Chicken’s third Edmonton location is now open in North Town, 9314 137 Avenue.
• The Colombian will soon be opening their fifth location, in the storefront formerly occupied by Fleisch in Forest Heights.
• Edmonton will soon have another gelato spot to visit, called Crafted Gelato. Until the storefront is open, their gelato will be served from their gelato cart.
• Tipsy Moose Pub is now open at 6464 Cartmell Place SW.
• Another restaurant serving Chonqing cuisine opened a couple of months back, called Mahjong Noodle Spot, at 10415 80 Avenue.
• I missed the opening of Le Tramway back in April, in the former Red Ox Inn space at 9420 91 Street. It offers French and Balkan specialities.
• Tesoro, the “newest member of the Italian Bakery and The Canadian Brewhouse family” will be opening in Windermere this fall.

Closures

• Vish on 124 Street announced that due to a “political boycott”, they will be forced to close as of September 30, 2024.
• After opening in May, Diced announced their forthcoming closure in August: “we have found it challenging to generate consistent business at this new location. With other projects on the horizon, we’ve decided to let go of Diced so we can regroup and focus on the amazing ways we can support the amazing boardgame community in our city.” Diced is a project from the folks behind Waffle Bird, which closed their previous location on July 14 as they will be relocating to a sit-down restaurant in Old Stratcona. They also opened Dining Car Cafe earlier this year downtown.
• Mandolin Books and Coffee Company in Highlands has announced their closure, after 21 years. The building was sold and they were served with notice to vacate the building by September 30.

Upcoming Events

• I missed sharing about this year’s YEG Food Fiesta, which highlights restaurants in the North Edge. This year’s event has 8 participating businesses, and runs July 5-31.
• It’s one of my favourite times of year – the return of Sabor/Bodega’s Fish & Chip Fridays, taking place on Fridays at their downtown location in August. Proceeds support Santa’s Anonymous and the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta. Make sure to head down early, as they will sell out!
• The Edmonton Heritage Festival returns to Borden Park/Edmonton Exhibition Lands for a second year, running August 3-5.
• Leduc County has organized Food & Farm Trail tours that showcase 4 area businesses, including Chartier, Righand Distillery, Beau Bella Winery, and Old Station Honey and Mead. Tours will run August 3, 24, and September 7 and 14. Tickets are $79 per person.
• I’m a little surprised it’s returning, but Diner in Blanc will again be hosted in Edmonton on September 7. The picnic events have taken place in cities all over the world; attendees dress in white and are led to a location kept secret until that evening.
• Eats on 118 returns September 19, 26, and October 3. Tickets are $50 and will include bites at 3 neighbourhood restaurants.

Local News

• The images of devastation from the fire in Jasper have been hard to absorb – and I am only an avid visitor and not someone who lives and earns my livelihood in that community. Many Edmonton restaurants, including Meuwly’s, Greta, and Fu’s Repair Shop, are offering free meals for evacuees, with many others offering discounted food. There are also several options to support those displaced, including the Jasper Hospitality Fund, and the Roasti coffee sold for the Jasper Barista Fund.
• KDays experienced an increase in attendance this year compared to last year, while Taste of Edmonton saw a 20% decline from 2023.
• Alberta and BC reached a one-year deal to allow wineries to ship directly to consumers.

What I Ate

• It was great to be back in Toronto after many years! I live for the energy in the city, and love the urbanism and character apparent in individual neighbourhoods and streets. And while we couldn’t hit up as many places with two young kids in tow, we still managed our share of good eats, including at institutions Sugo and OddSeoul. But my favourite bites were closer to our home base, including pie from Pizzeria Badiali, and smash burgers from Burger Drops.

Cacio e pepe pizza from Badiali

The best burger I’ve had in some time from Burger Drops

• Back in Edmonton, I bid adieu to my favourite arepa in the city from Alberta Ave gem El Fogon. The restaurant closed July 28.

One last arepa from El Fogon

Returning chefs launch Vagabond pop-up

Chefs Christine Sandford and Roger Letourneau have returned to Edmonton from Europe to share a taste of their travels through their pop-up venture, Vagabond.

Vagabond will take over Take Care Café at 9621 82 Avenue NW in Ritchie from Fridays to Sundays, starting July 21 and running until the end of September. It will offer 40 indoor and outdoor seats. “It is a pretty small space, like a backyard barbecue,” Sandford said. “That’s our vibe.”

Sandford and Letourneau, who are also life partners, initially met in Edmonton 13 years ago through a chef-driven pop-up called Staff Meal. Vagabond is a way for them to continue to collaborate while gaining the skills necessary for their next endeavour.

“Our big plan is to open something together, more of a tourism-driven food experience rather than a restaurant, probably in the Okanagan,” Sandford said. “I love hospitality, but I don’t want to open a restaurant. For example, we’ve stayed in cool places where the food is important, like a winery, and when you wake up, a beautiful basket of food comes to your door.”

Vagabond is “taking a step that is manageable, learning more business stuff and exploring those collaborations. It’s a stepping stool,” Letourneau added.

Ritchie is familiar ground for both. Sandford helped open Biera inside Ritchie Market in 2017 and led the kitchen to much acclaim for seven years before leaving in 2023. Letourneau, who worked at Bar Clementine and Woodwork in the past, previously rented space at Biera for his condiment company, Lessig Ferments.

“We’re excited to be neighbours (with Biera), as well as with Darling (opened by another former Biera employee, Justin Jones),” Sandford said. “Way back when, Whyte Avenue was a hub, and I feel like it’s going back to that. I want to be part of it again.”

Vagabond will offer a happy hour with snacks from 3pm to 6pm, and a full menu with larger plates from 6pm to 11pm. Vagabond will have an outdoor charcoal grill and a wood-burning oven, in order to prepare hot items alongside smaller nibbles. Drinks will include curated wines, cocktails, and local beers. “We want people to come and try some dishes, and enjoy the summer while we have it,” Sandford said.

Roger Letourneau and Christine Sandford (supplied)

The menu as a whole takes some inspiration from their travels in Europe over the last year. “We lived on the border of France and Spain,” Sandford said. “Gilda, a Catalonian tapa (a snack or appetizer) we loved, typically has anchovy and pickled pepper. But we don’t want to do it with those ingredients. We want to mimic those flavours with ingredients from Alberta.”

The pair said they feel strongly about adapting ideas from abroad to the local context. “I really appreciate when people do a specific cuisine with local ingredients. You take those dishes and really think about it,” Sandford said.

“If you keep importing stuff, Canadian cuisine isn’t moving forward. We are not building our own identity,” Letourneau added.

Sandford teased that some items may remind diners of similar plates she served at Biera. “There are definitely some dishes I worked on that will make their way on the menu,” Sandford said. “Familiar with a new twist.”

The pair said they are excited to work with Alberta farmers, including Reclaim Organics, Prairie Gardens, Fifth Gen Gardens, and Vital Green Farm. The menu will be continuously revised to highlight the changing seasonal bounty, and vegetables will comprise at least half the menu.

“Rather than having an idea of dishes, we go to our local supplier and see what’s available,” Sandford said. “That’s how my brain works. If there’s a specific green tomato, how can I make a dish mostly out of green tomato and maybe two other ingredients? We like to use three to four ingredients.”

Sandford acknowledged that pushing local food can be challenging, especially at a time when food prices have increased significantly. “Sometimes it’s tough to provide a meal using local ingredients,” Sandford said. “You have to be careful as it can come across as pretentious or intimidating. But really, you’re just using carrots that came from the ground. Sometimes the way our society is set up is that it can cost more, where local food is more expensive than imports. It’s backward here. But it is starting to change.”

After the pop-up wraps, the pair said they plan to travel, this time within Canada. Sandford and Letourneau will return to Edmonton eventually, for family, business (Lessig Ferments will continue to be based out of Edmonton), and palpable customer loyalty.

“That is the one part of working in Edmonton that’s drawn us back,” Sandford said. “We have this great community and following here. It feels special to see some people who have come to our original pop-ups and to the restaurants where we’ve been cooking for 16 years. It feels pretty special to have people support you the whole time.”

Openings

• Daniel Costa’s newest concept, Va, is now open in the Citizen on Jasper, 12024 Jasper Avenue. Va serves coffee, focaccia panini, and pizza.
• Argos Bar Bistro is now open in St. Albert at 150 Bellerose Drive. It is the latest restaurant from the Sorrentino’s Group, offering “Northern Mediterranean cuisine”.
• Obj3cts, one of the recipients of the Downtown Retail Attraction Program Grant, opened earlier in July at 10356 Jasper Avenue. The store is the brainchild of the folks behind Wild Rose Cakes. Obj3cts offers coffee, baked goods, and sandwiches.
• JMT’s relocated storefront on Whyte Avenue (they moved from Downtown) opened earlier in July. Find JMT at 10463 82 Avenue.
• Station Park hosted a soft opening during Art Walk this weekend, with their French, Mexican, and pizza concepts available to try (the Asian fusion concept was not yet ready). They will announce more general soft opening details soon.
• Zillionaires Lounge, located at 6256 99 Street will be soft opening on July 18 for industry professionals.

Upcoming Events

• I missed sharing this last week, but Sabor is hosting a Swine & Dine event, celebrating Alberta pork products, on July 16. Tickets are $75 per person and include appetizers and three courses.

Local News

• Red Star’s new underground patio looks beautiful.
• More than two dozen items are competing for the KDays New Foods Competition, including a long john donut grilled cheese, dill pickle cotton candy, and a fried Oreo ice cream sandwich.
• Taproot connected with Kind Ice Cream to discuss their expansion, made possible with the Edmonton Edge Fund.
• Edify checked out Argos and Little Bonbon Ice Cream.
• Edify also provided a preview of what to expect at the 40th anniversary of Taste of Edmonton, which runs July 18-28.
• Langano Skies is celebrating 20 years in business. They are currently operating a ghost kitchen at Barb & Ernie’s, along with monthly dine-in events.
• Happy first birthday to Lloyd’s Patty Distro!
• CBC Radioactive shared the story behind Pink Shack, located on The Lot on 124 Street.
• Honest Dumplings put out a call for support because of supply chain issues and slower sales.

What I Ate

No Food Notes next week as we are on vacation. Enjoy the warm weather!

• Linda and I checked out new Alberta Avenue restaurant La Morenita. They offer all-day brunch, as well as a pastry case, in addition to a regular lunch and dinner menu. Of the items we tried, the chilaquiles were my favourite (I enjoyed both the red and green sauces).

Our spread from La Morenita

• I met up with a friend for lunch on the glorious patio at Pal’s – I love how they’ve incorporated the mature trees and the great vantage for people watching. Their beef dip is my go-to, and the chips are crispy and addictive.

Beef dip from Pal’s

Openings

• La Morenita is now open at 8501 118 Avenue. It’s great to have more independent eateries on Alberta Avenue!
• Papa Giuseppe’s Kitchen, an Italian restaurant specializing in Pinsa Romana, opened last week, at 10583 115 Street.
• The first Edmonton location of Japanese cheesecake chain Uncle Tetsu Canada is now open in West Edmonton Mall, across from the Indigo/Starbucks.
• Montreal-based ice cream chain La Diperie has opened in St. Albert. It is located at 11 Bellerose Drive.

Closures

• I was so sad to learn that El Fogon is closing. It’s my go-to for work lunches, and I will miss their excellent arepas. Their last day of operations is July 28.

Local News

• Last Modern Events’ First Cafe is hosting an open house on July 10.
• Three Edmonton restaurants made OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in Canada: Campio, Darling, and Sorrentino’s West.
• Edify checked out Corpuz Bakeshop and La Morenita on Alberta Avenue.
• Edify also profiled Antoine Lavoie of Delavoye Chocolate Maker.
• Also from Edify, they shared some Fav Eats of local notable personalities, including the tequila lime chicken sandwich from The Next Act, avocado toast from Braven, the You Jerk salad from The Greenhouse, the meetball baguette from Banh Mi Cali, and Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine from Abinet.
• The latest issue of Modern Luxuria highlights The Art of Charcuterie.
• Happy fifth birthday to Woodshed Burgers and The Growlery Beer Co.!
• KDays has partnered with several local businesses, including Delavoye Chocolate Maker, Twice Cream, and Doughnut Party to offer free tickets to KDays with the purchase of an identified product.
• It is great to see that the City of Edmonton loosened its rules around food trucks, which now no longer require an additional permit to vend on public land once they are on the Approved Vendor List.
• The Fort Distillery has launched a $1.5 million fundraising campaign on FrontFundr.

What I Ate

• On the same day I learned about El Fogon’s coming closure, my colleagues and I had already planned a picnic in the park with their arepas. It will also not be my last arepa from El Fogon.

Beef and gouda arepa from El Fogon

• I met up with some friends at Bernadette’s for lunch. I had to order the BBQ brisket sandwich, which I so loved from their former Pei Pei Chei Ow menu, and enjoyed on the Bernadette’s dinner menu on my last visit. The portion was very generous; I enjoyed every last bite.

BBQ brisket sandwich

• I was also able to get to Rosewood Foods before the end of YEG Burger Week to try their pho-inspired burger. I loved the flavours, and you can’t beat their house-made buns.

Pho-inspired burger from Rosewood Foods

Openings

• Little Bon Bon, Chinatown’s first-ever ice cream parlour, is now open! I wrote about the story behind the business in May.
• Spilt Bar, Edmonton’s first zero-proof bar, opened last week.
• Edmonton’s newest café, Common Ground Coffee, is now open at 2727 182 Street SW.
• Congratulations to Coffee Bureau, who opened their second location in the Mercury Block at 12316 102 Avenue.
• Panini’s Italian Cucina opened their third location in Edmonton’s west end last week, at 14981 Stony Plain Road.
• Steve’s Famous Sandwich Co. has replaced Hanan’s Kitchen at #101, 10625 99 Avenue.
• Chain restaurant Barcelos, offering “African ambiance and blending it with Portuguese style cuisine” opened a branch in Edmonton. It is located at 3575 Gateway Blvd.

Local News

• Tapoot wrote a piece about Shiddy’s Rumpus Room, and the story behind Flat Boy Burgers.
• Chefs Christine Sandford and Roger Letourneau have returned to Edmonton and will be hosting a pop-up this summer under Vagabond Pop-ups.
• If you’re interested in feeding a crowd, Big Mama and Papa’s Pizzeria in Windermere is selling a pizza 54” x 54”, with around 200 slices.
• Allan’s latest post at Counter Culture focuses on Kathir Food Experience.
• Edify’s Fav Eats series is back, with rapper same as me sharing her love of Duchess.
• Also from Edify, Peter Keith from Meuwly’s shares his tips for picnics.
• AHS shut down three restaurants in Edmonton for alleged health violations, including Ace Coffee Roasters downtown, Green Onion Cake Man, and Uncle Brian’s Food Company.

Beyond Edmonton

• The next season of Top Chef will be filming in Canada! As much as I love seeing the Canadian version of the show in Top Chef Canada, the flagship series is just many notches above.

What I Ate

• I missed including some bites from the Glass of the Sask media preview I attended last week. Epcor partners with 20 local restaurants to celebrates the high quality tap water we have in Edmonton. Emily and I enjoyed some delicious bites that night, including a light and refreshing salad from Mai Mai Vietnamese Street Kitchen.

Salad from Mai Mai Vietnamese Street Kitchen

• After a fun afternoon at the carnival nearby, we dined at Pho Hoan Pasteur. The service and food were excellent.

Pho from Pho Hoan Pasteur