Openings

• The Druid reopens in the Mercer Warehouse (10363 104 Street NW) on December 18. It joins the Pawn Shop as another former venue re-opening after a decade.
• Hathaway’s Diner opened their third location in the Edmonton area on December 15 at 10141 124 Street NW.
• Pho Hoan Pasteur has opened their sixth location in the Edmonton area in South Park, #950, 3803 Calgary Trail NW.

Local News

• Award-nominated filmmaker Kevin Kossowan has partnered with wine personality Gurvinder Bhatia to produce an online show called I’m Still Hungry. The show celebrates “food, wine, craft beverage, music and arts scene and the significant role they play in the culture, economy and identity of our community.” Episode one is available online, and features Daniel Costa, Little Wolf’s Shaun Hicks, Guru’s Gurjeet Khaira, RGE RD’s Caitlin Fulton, and Cafe Caribbean’s Nadine Lewis and Patricia Ross.
• CTV had a story about the rise of people choosing to gift experiences this holiday season, including cooking classes at Awn Kitchen.
• Deep Freeze returns to 118 Avenue on January 17-18, 2026. The festival is recruiting participants for their perogy and tourtiere challenges. The application deadline is January 10.
• Edify has a round-up of winter patios.
• Alberta Native News profiled chef Shane Chartrand.
• Meuwly’s has launched Scale Kitchens, which offers the rental of commercial kitchen space, as well as The Hub, their pop-up space.
• The latest This is Edmonton podcast focuses on the changes and growth of Edmonton’s Food Bank.
• Chocolatier Colleen Heidecker has written the first of a 5-part book series called The Lagoon Chronicles.

What I Ate

This is likely my last Food Notes for the year, as things wind down for the year. I’ll be posting my yearly wrap-up and reflection in the coming weeks. Thanks for reading, and wishing you a wonderful holiday!

• I had lunch with friends at Zymo last week. I’ve always loved the natural light in that space from its days as Dalla, and Zymo has kept the decor palette neutral to make the most of it. The lunch menu has more Ukrainian options than can be found online, so we were pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the creamy mushroom soup, and appreciated the detail of warmed bread on the side.

Lunch from Zymo

Openings

• Okie Dokie Smokies is now open in the space that formerly housed Modest Meats, 7345 104 Street NW. The restaurant is the brainchild of the folks behind High Dough and Lil’ Wolf.
• Mill Creek/Ritchie continues to attract some gems – the latest is Edmonton’s second Brio location, coming soon.
• Patricia Street Deli, which the owners chose to rebuild in Edmonton after the wildfires destroyed their shop in Jasper, opened on December 1 at 10567 111 Street NW.
• Corpuz Bake Shop has opened their new space in Terrace Heights, 7323 101 Avenue NW.
• Cafe Nostalgic is readying to open at 10011 102 Avenue (most recently Okinawa Onigiri Cafe).
• California Pizza Kitchen’s second location opened at Southgate Centre in the former State and Main space.
• Edmonton will be home to two locations of Egg Club, a Toronto-based breakfast chain.

Local News

• Duchess has purchased the building they occupy on 124 Street to consolidate operations. On a related note, CTV had a piece about the success of bakeries like Duchess and Brio.
• As the weather has definitely taken a turn, heated patios like Baijiu’s Tubbo will be a welcome reprieve.
• Edify has a list of some of the ready-to-eat meals available for the holidays, and Shane Chartrand of Paperbirch is also offering a turkey dinner option.
• The Westin’s Cake for Good campaign is back for a fourth year, with all proceeds to Edmonton’s Food Bank.

What I Ate

• My friend Su and I were looking forward to brunch at Arbour for some time, and I am happy to say it delivered! The space is bright and welcoming, and service was excellent. Portions were generous (the pizza was enough to feed two), and I really enjoyed my beef brisket benedict. We committed to returning for dinner in the future.

Pizza and benedict at Arbour

• Mack and I got away for drinks and a bite at Boxer on the weekend. They had a pretty good happy hour, with several drink specials and 20% off pizzas.

Drinks at Boxer

• We also had dinner at Vagabond’s Alpine Express, a pop-up at Under the High Wheel until January 4. We appreciated the relaxed atmosphere and the intimate setting. The condiment trolley that accompanied our decadent cheese fondue was a highlight (we loved the pickles and sauerkraut)!

Condiments by Lessig Ferments, Vagabond’s sister business

• The kids relished the chance to eat at the “milkshake restaurant”, aka Jack’s, last week. Hangovers FTW!

Family time at Jack’s

Openings

• Another Middle Eastern cafe has opened in the Edmonton area, this time in St. Albert, called Ahlan Coffeehouse at #115, Bellerose Drive.
• Hatch’d, an “egg-centric” restaurant, is now open at 8315 112 Street NW.
• Tee Pee Treats is coming downtown to 10219 106 Street NW (formerly Rolling Tales), in the form of Kakio Studio Cafe.
• Nero Cafe, offering coffee, juice, and sweets, opened in October at 9947 82 Avenue NW.
• Chain Nagaiki Ramen is now open at West Edmonton Mall.
• Chain Poulet Rouge has opened a second Edmonton location in Kingsway Mall.
• Chain restaurant Karahi Boys, serving Pakistani cuisine, is opening a location soon in Edmonton.

Local News

• Chinatown Chow Down is back for a second season, with their culinary passport, food crawls, and group lunches and dinners. I’ve picked up my passport and already have my first sticker!
• Ramneek Singh has completed his butter chicken odyssey, and has ranked the 50 restaurants where he tried their butter chicken. Ranked number one is Kashmiri Delight.
• Similar to CoffeePass, but for food items, Food Bike Tour has launched a Dining Pass. For $89, the pass gives holders six months to enjoy a food item at 20 participating Edmonton restaurants. The pass is only valid for dine-in only.
• Edify checked out Super Smash Burger, which opened in August.
• Congratulations to XIX Nineteen on 13 years at their Edmonton location and a decade at their St. Albert branch.
• Happy first birthday to Frank’s Pub.
• CBC Radioactive interviewed Emad Afkham of Clio’s Chocolates.
• Story Darling Studios featured Jacqueline Jacek and a walk through the Jacek boutique and
  facility.
• Teresa Spinelli has purchased The Piazza property in Little Italy outright from the real estate co-operative she helped create.
• Mitsoh, an Edmonton-based Indigenous-owned food company, announced a multi-million-dollar investment for upscaling their premium meat snacks.

What I Ate

• • I had a work lunch at the always reliable Coliseum Steak and Pizza last week (the kitchen managed to deliver food to two very large parties in half an hour). It was my first time trying their top sirloin, which was prepared very well, but it probably won’t unseat my favourites at the restaurant.

Top sirloin from Coliseum Steak and Pizza

• • It was a privilege to volunteer for Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau’s Where We Came From event. I was able to help out with the food, and enjoyed some great eats myself, including tastes from Mai Mai and Kim Fat Market.

Traditional Vietnamese meal from Mai Mai and Kim Fat

• • I had lunch at Chinatown’s Nam Siam for the first time, and was really impressed with their grilled pork sausage tray for salad rolls we assembled at the table. So fresh and tasty. I will definitely be back.

Nem Nuong tray from Nam Siam