Openings
- So happy to see Menya Mori has finally opened (from the Kasey Ramen folks and their ramen kits that started it all). The restaurant is currently in its soft opening phase; check their account for updates on hours.
- It looks like Ben Staley (previously of Restaurant Yarrow) will be back with a new venture called Kin, a cocktail bar.
- The Colombian has opened up its fifth location at 8204 106 Avenue, the neighbourhood of Forest Heights.
- It’s great to see Siam Thai opened up a third location in Edmonton (with a fourth in Fort McMurray), located in the Edmonton City Centre Mall food court.
- Chef Tony Tipping (most recently of Ora at L’OCA) and his wife Chelsea have opened new restaurant WildRoots Bistro in St. Albert at 150 15 Perron Street.
- Lochi Afro Nija, offering primarily Nigerian cuisine, is now open at 10335 100 Avenue (the space that previously housed JMT Cuisine).
- Great to see local farmers’ market vendor Yo Baba Foods open up another retail location at 13634 149 Street.
- West Edmonton Mall is home to the newest hot pot restaurant in Edmonton, called Shoo Loong Kan (translating to “Little Dragon Ridge”). It is located on Europa Boulevard.
- Fresh Hot & Healthy replaced a Freshii location at 10322 Jasper Avenue, and held a grand opening earlier this month.
Upcoming Events
- Jason Gregor’s annual Pizza Pig Out, in support of KidSport Edmonton, returns on October 24. Tickets are $60 and includes a welcome drink and unlimited pizza.
- Filistix is hosting a burger pop-up on October 25-26. $25 will get you a burger, fries, and a house-made drink (I recommend the pineapple blast, it’s such a treat).
- The Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival returns to the Edmonton Convention Centre on November 8-9, 2024. If you are interested, you can use the code YEO24 for 20% off general admission tickets (disclosure: the festival has provided me with admission tickets and sampling coupons to attend the event).
Local News
- Congratulations to Doreen Prei of Glenora Park, Jason Greene of Braven Restaurant, and Julia Kundera of Out of Bounds Restaurant for their respective gold, silver, and bronze placements at the Edmonton Great Kitchen Party qualifier. Doreen will go on to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa in January 31-February 1, 2025.
- Vish had previously announced that it would be closing September 30. However, in early October, Vish announced that it has been able to remain open due to community support.
- The folks behind Die Pie are developing a café concept at the same location called Dahlia’s.
- Edify checked out Sushi Wave’s new 124 location.
- Also from Edify, a profile of the brothers behind Wow Brownies, and a review of the Oilers burger from Meat the Bun.
- The Wilhauk family have changed their beef jerky business name to The Brickhouse Smokery because of copyright issues.
- Congratulations to the local breweries recognized at the 2024 Alberta Beer Awards, which include Alley Kat Brewing Co., Bent Stick Brewing, The Monolith, and Campio Brewing Co.
- A segment from Dragon’s Den went viral last week, involving guest dragon Simu Liu accusing a Quebec-based bubble tea company of cultural appropriation. My friend Linda was interviewed about the controversy on CBC RadioActive.
What I Ate
- We had a great staycation over Thanksgiving at our favourite cabin retreat, the Prairie Creek Inn near Rocky Mountain House. It’s become our tradition to bring heat-and-eat meals to make the stay more of a vacation. One of our favourites (and a great value!) are frozen Battista’s Calzones, which are still priced at just $10. I typically pre-order in advance so I can have the flavours I prefer.
Calzone from Battista’s
- Because of the holiday, we also brought A Cappella’s take-and-bake Thanksgiving dinner with us, which provided dinner and leftovers for a couple of days for our family. We’ve tried several different heat at home options over the years, and it’s hard to top A Cappella, on quality or price.
Part of the take-and-bake dinner from A Cappella (the salad is missing)
- Prairie Creek itself offers a great breakfast, and we’ve always chosen to indulge. Emily loves it, too.
Breakfast from Prairie Creek
- On the way home, we made the requisite stop at The Donut Mill in Red Deer. The cake doughnuts were our favourites on this trip.
Treats from The Donut Mill
Only Here for the Food 