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