Food Notes for February 23, 2026

Openings

Jola’s, offering seasonally-inspired Polish dishes, is now open from Wednesday-Saturday in the evenings at Candid Coffee Roasters in Highlands (6419 112 Avenue NW).
Enigma Bar & Kitchen is now open in Old Strathcona, at 10308 81 Avenue NW.
Bowling alley chain Splitsville is opening its first Edmonton location on February 27 at 13543 St. Albert Trail. It will be joined by a second location in South Edmonton Common later this year.

Closures

Central Social Hall’s downtown location is now closed, and has been acquired by restaurant franchisor Foodtastic. It appears Central Social Hall’s Ellerslie and St. Albert locations are still open.

Upcoming Events

Downtown Dining Week returns March 11-22 with over 65 restaurants, including first time participants Atrium, Zymo, Playwright, and TDS Cafe. Check out the menus here.
Chocofest, “Alberta’s Premier Chocolate Tasting Festival”, will take place April 24-25 at Millennium Place in Sherwood Park. Adult admission starts at $16, which does not include tickets required for samples.

Local News

Happy Beer Street officially received its entertainment district designation last week. Folks will be able to enjoy alcoholic beverages in the area, and the surrounding businesses, including Shiddy’s Distilling and Blind Enthusiasm Brewing Company, will be planning more collective events.
Some have expressed their concerns about the City’s plans to charge fees for medium and large patios on public spaces, including a former Downtown Business Association Executive Director and a previous City Council candidate.
Edify checked out Lalibela African Restaurant, pasta making at L’OCA, and specialty candy available at YEG Exotic.
Sharon shares her five favourite sushi spots in Edmonton.
Happy first birthday to Kin!
The Journal interviewed several local writers about where they put pen to paper. Spots that came up include Next Act, ACE Coffee Roasters, Dream Tea House.
Ramadan started last week,an important month marked by fasting and reflection. Canada’s first mosque, Al Rashid, will host its annual Taste of Ramadan feast in March.
The latest episode of the Edmonton Community Foundation’s Well Endowed podcast is guest hosted by Jessica Truong and Linda Hoang of Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau (“We Are Together”), and features Mai Mai Vietnamese Street Kitchen’s Linh Vu and her refugee journey to Edmonton.
The Little Potato Company is commemorating 30 years in business.

What I Ate

Tiramisu Bistro was absolutely packed on a cold, blustery Tuesday afternoon, so they must be doing something right! It’s been ages since I’ve been to the restaurant, but our team had a good experience. The Italian gourmet burger was very tasty.

Italian gourmet burger from Tiramisu Bistro

I had another work lunch at Thanh Thanh, and really shouldn’t be surprised by the size of their portions by now. But I always am.

Chicken vermicelli bowl from Thanh Thanh

There’s nothing better than ending a long (short) week at Jack’s Burger Shack.

My go-to Hangover

Edmonton Food 2025 Year in Review

Better late than never!

My reflection for 2025 comes on the eve of my twentieth blogging anniversary. It is truly hard to fathom how the magnitude of the food reporting landscape has changed since I started writing about food in 2006. At that time, my site was one of many maintained by local folks who shared my passion for documenting eating adventures and promoting independent businesses. In addition, Edmonton’s two legacy newspapers featured food stories regularly, with a full-time food reporter at the Journal, and weekly food reviews in the Sun. As well, there were a couple of alternative weeklies who invested in coverage of food stories (disclaimer: I wrote some of these stories for Vue Weekly back in the day). CBC Radio also had ongoing contributors who would highlight local restaurants.

Early blogging days

Fast forward to today, where the local media landscape has been decimated. The alt weeklies are long gone, and Edmonton has been without a full-time food reporter at the Journal for several years. CBC Radio has dropped regular food contributors outside of recipe sharing. Most of those blogging compatriots have moved on, replaced in number by an army of influencers that tracks with the meteoric rise of social media platforms. It is still unclear what the long-term consequences of this erosion of meaningful articles and searchable archives will be on the local food scene. I know for me, it was those stories about the restaurant operators, chefs, and producers that fostered my curiosity and cemented my own enduring connection to the food community. I worry that those in-depth pieces have been replaced by a mindless stream of algorithm-driven and click-bait content, leaving consumers with fewer opportunities to learn about the people behind the food.

There are some glimmers of hope. Two bi-monthly magazines do persist: The Tomato will celebrate thirty years in 2026, and Edify (albeit with its second new editor at the helm in less than twelve months) continue to prioritize food coverage. The nascent I’m Still Hungry video series has promise with its long-form video storytelling. And (my husband Mack’s) online publishing company Taproot Edmonton is committed to sharing untold stories about local food.

I have a full year before sharing my full reflection on two decades of writing about food. Let’s see if those glimmers can become sparks.

Notable items from 2025:

Some higher-profile restaurant openings included Daniel Costa’s Rita, Andrew Fung’s JuuKuu, Lauren Kyle-McDavid’s Bar Trove, and the expansion of Christian Mena and Lino Oliveira’s empire, with Atrium and their seventh Bodega location in the Edmonton area.
The independent coffee scene continued to grow, with the past year seeing the growth of cultural-based cafes, such as the second location of Mokha Coffee House, Kahwa Raw Café, Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co., Ahlan Coffeehouse, and Kissa10.
On a related front, The Colombian continued its aggressive growth plan, opening in Saskatoon.
In spite of our winter city designation, ice cream operators added storefronts: a second White Rabbit, a third Made by Marcus, seasonal Kind Ice Cream trailer called Bestie, and Filipino sorbetes provider DRTY opened their first brick and mortar location. Baskin Robbin’s also returned to Edmonton, with two kiosks at West Edmonton Mall.
Ukrainian cuisine had a great year, with Malina’s third shop (and first café/wine bar), Don’ya’s two locations, Ester’s Ukrainian sushi, and the prominence of Zymo.
Local Vietnamese chains also increased their footprint, with Pho Hoan Pasteur, Co Do Hue, Pho King, and Miss Saigon adding sixth, fifth, fourth, and third locations, respectively, in the Edmonton region.
Sherlock Holmes celebrated 40 years in business, and Rogue Wave and Little Brick each commemorated 10 years.
There were also some notable closures, including Carol’s Quality Sweets after 35 years in business, Lock Stock after 10 years in business, and the gut-punch of the Italian Bakery shuttering its newly re-opened Chinatown branch after just over a year.
The impending sale of Edmonton favourites Remedy and Jack’s Burger Shack by its founders mark an end of their respected chapters.
The abrupt closure of Continental Treat’s 43-year location in Old Strathcona was followed in December by a very public and unfortunate dispute between the owner and the City about its remaining Downtown location. The restaurant was forced to close that location, and decamped to a new southside space.
Ramneek Singh concluded his Butter Chicken Odyssey, and shared his final ranking of fifty butter chicken dishes.
Siwin Foods was a local food manufacturing success story, expanding its factory to meet growing international demands.

Food Notes for February 16, 2026

Closures

After 16 years, the Brewsters in Summerside closed its doors on February 9.

Upcoming Events

Brotherhood of Plates aka Craig Martell is hosting an event at Waffle Bird on February 19. He has collaborated with Waffle Bird to create a sandwich, and the Brotherhood of Plates t-shirt will also be sold.
The YEG Pitmasters Dinner on April 18 will feature five teams, and proceeds are going to support the teams as they participate in competition season. Tickets are $113.22 and include a 3-course meal and live entertainment.
Vancouver-based chef Alex Kim, a NAIT grad, will be returning to Edmonton as the 2026 Hokanson Chef in Residence from March 23-27.

Local News

Starting in April, the City of Edmonton is introducing fees to businesses who are operating large year-round patios on public spaces, ranging from $3700 to $6900. Some businesses, including Rocky Mountain Ice House and Sabor are questioning the fees.
Edify highlighted specialty mousse cakes from Tisto Bakery and doughnuts from Bliss Baked Goods.
CBC Radioactive talked to Tu Le about his decision to sell Jack’s Burger Shack.
The Executive Committee has approved Happy Beer Street as the next Entertainment District in Edmonton; the decision moves to Council this week for approval to move forward.
Olds College has suspended its Craft Beverage and Brewery Operations diploma, and announced the forthcoming closure of the Olds College Brewery in June 2026.

What I Ate

I ordered some take-out from Amore Pasta last week to take advantage of their 2-for-1 deal. This post advertising the deal is misleading, as I was told that only the feature pastas are valid for the special. At any rate, my kids enjoyed the truffle alfredo, and I appreciated that the pasta held up well in their take-out containers.

Amore Pasta’s feature pastas

I picked up a couple of sandwiches from Patricia Street Deli to take on a winter picnic at our favourite trail over the weekend. The winner of the two was definitely the bird (their chicken sandwich) – we loved the cranberry mayo and the bread and ingredients all tasted very fresh.

The bird from Patricia Street Deli

Mack and I long ago stopped dining out on Valentine’s Day, but I took my little valentine to Farrow’s for a treat (and a grick middle for me – it’s been too long).

My sweet valentine

Food Notes for February 9, 2026

Openings

Square One Coffee opened its sixth location in the Edmonton area, this time in Mill Woods at 7319 29 Avenue NW (Community Health Centre).
Jola’s Polish Cooking, from chef Filliep Lament (who had most recently been cooking at Nowhere Wine Bar), is opening this week in the evenings at Candid Coffee Highlands.
Mayte is a new Spanish restaurant opening at 12026 107 Avenue NW (formerly Ashford Pub) in Manchester Square. Its grand opening is on February 13.

Closures

Smoke BBQ Bar announced their closure last week, and will be rebranded to The Whiskey Barn, a country bar. It will open on February 13.

Upcoming Events

More than 40 businesses are participating in this year’s Sweet Treats & Latte Festival in Old Strathcona. All participants feature either a special drink or a treat from February 12-22. Edify has a preview of the event.
Cindy Lazarenko is hosting her first cooking workshop, titled How to Host, at Culina Famiglia, on February 14. Tickets are $65 per person.
Hom Street Food’s next pop-up will be at Bibo Wine Bar on February 21. Tickets are $70 per person.
Freson Bros. is hosting The Future of Alberta Food at Ernest’s, made by six teams of culinary students. The event takes place on February 21; tickets are $75.

Local News

Radio Active highlighted Cheese Louise YEG, a new grilled cheese shop in Old Strathcona. The business also has a notable feed-it-forward program.
Zoning changes may be leading to the opening of a new bakery and commercial baking school in a house next to The Colombian in the French Quarter.
The February edition of Modern Luxuria includes stories about Atrium, Honi Honi, and Token Naturals, a cannabis business from Keenan Pascal of Token Bitters.
Coliseum Steak & Pizza celebrates 50 years in business this year.
Congratulations to the Workshop Eatery on their ten year anniversary.
Feed the Soul co-founder Rochelle Ignacio shares some of her favourite Black-owned restaurants as a part of Black Futures Month.
Lauren Kyle-McDavid’s new cookbook, called The Atelier Table, is now available to pre-order for $135. Edify shared her recipes from the cookbook for orange chicken and cashew lettuce wraps and spicy palomas.

What I Ate

I was back in Calgary for work last week. Vietnamese subs have been a part of my travels on the bus as a wonderfully portable lunch.

Combo sub from Nhon Hoa

One of the dinners with colleagues introduced me to Bar Chouette. It was a wonderful experience that will bring me back; the tasting menu was varied and excellent. Favourites: melt-in-your-mouth milk buns, delightfully crispy prawn katsu sandos, and the decadent cheese soufflé.

Cheese soufflé from Bar Chouette

I ordered take-out for my return bus trip to Edmonton from the incredibly photogenic Lai Rai (I love their story of a father and daughter opening the restaurant). I especially enjoyed the beef carpaccio (and it travelled well!).

Lai Rai in Calgary (there’s something about red stools)

I had the pleasure of leading a walking tour in Chinatown as a part of Togather on the weekend. Thankfully, the weather was the polar opposite (haha) of last year’s –30. This year’s tour focused primarily on Chinatown North, and the group sampled treats from several restaurants, including RJ Tasty Bites. Thanks for coming out!

Puto flan from RJ Tasty Bites (and owner Julie!)

After the tour, my family met me for lunch at Xu Hue, for our last Chinatown Dining Week meal. Fans of Xu Hue will be happy to know their fabulous $20 deal (pho + appetizers) will now be featured year-round on their regular menu.

Rare beef salad from Xu Hue

We would have also been remiss if we didn’t grab one last treat from Little Bon Bon, as they are closing again until May.

I always bon bon my ice cream

Food Notes for February 2, 2026

Openings

Happy Lamb Hot Pot serving Mongolian-style hot pot, and is now open at 3838 Gateway Blvd NW. There are 11 other locations in Canada.
Cookie shop COSW has opened up in the former Rock n Roll Ice Cream space at 10109 108 Avenue NW.
Paraiso Tropical will be opening a new location with an “innovative concept” this year.
With the closure of Epic at Station Park, the next iteration of the building will be the Station Park Food Hall, opening spring 2026.
Chain cafe Chai Walla just opened their second location in Edmonton, at 2571 17 Street NW.

Closures

Downtown taqueria Carne Asada is now closed.
Also downtown, it looks like Gyu-Kaku is now closed.
Takopo’s West Edmonton Mall location closed on February 1. The business will continue to operate its food truck.
After ten years in business, Ayesha’s Kitchen and grocery store will be closing its doors.

Upcoming Events

Burger It Forward runs February 1-28, 2026. 10 Edmonton restaurants are participating in this year’s event. Each burger sold will see Canada Beef donate $1 to Edmonton’s Food Bank.
Winefest returns to the Edmonton Convention Centre on February 20-21. All-inclusive admission starts at $115.

Local News

Taproot published a story about the King of Tarts’ new location, which formerly housed Sugared and Spiced.
The Journal reviewed downtown’s newest restaurant, Fennec.
Edify rounds up some north side restaurants where you can enjoy suhoor, the final meal before fasting during Ramadan.
Edify also checks out Catch of the Week.
Forbes covered the unique beers brewed by Blind Enthusiasm.
NorQuest College’s new greenhouse microcredential program has a wait list.

What I Ate

Chinatown Dining Week continues until February 8. Our family enjoyed the fried chicken skins from Kim Fat and the combo deal from Syphay last week.

Chinatown Dining Week deals (the chicken skin had already been picked over by my kids when we took the photo!)

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