Some Restaurants Gearing Up to Reopen

The Government of Alberta’s relaunch strategy is set to shift to stage one on May 14, 2020, which will allow some businesses, including restaurants, cafes, pubs, and bars, to resume dine-in services.

Guidance on risk mitigation was released today. The document details include: seating capacity must be limited to 50% (including outdoor patios); 2-meter distances must be maintained between tables; group sizes are capped at 6 patrons; and all dining must be table service only.

So far, only a few restaurants have publicly posted that they will be accommodating eat-in customers as of May 14, such as Pampa’s west end location, and Woodshed Burgers on 124 Street.

Others, like Blue Plate Diner and The Next Act/MEAT/Pip, have shared that they will remain open only for take-out and delivery for the time being, in order to maintain the safety of their staff and guests.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• Many restaurants have reopened for take-out and delivery, including Restaurant Yarrow, which is offering 5-course set meals; Tang Bistro; Baijiu; and River City Revival at the Starlite.
• Let Eat Snow re-opened on May 8, 2020, and in addition to their signature desserts, will also be offering fresh sandwiches under a sub-brand called Sandwich Box. They are also serving up Dalgona Coffee, which is having its moment on social media.
• Liane has started a series featuring restaurants who have pivoted quickly in the face of the pandemic, and are reimagining their food businesses to survive. First up: Rob Filipchuck of Glass Monkey.
• Starting May 11, 2020, T & T will require shoppers to wear masks in the store.
• Here is a list of Asian restaurants in Edmonton offering take-out and delivery.
• The Butternut Tree sold 300 boxes of high tea treats over the weekend; with many restaurants having adapted their high tea wares for take-out purposes, perhaps some may carry over past the pandemic period?
• A recent Restaurants Canada survey noted that 7 out of 10 respondents in Alberta do not have enough funds to pay expenses over the next three months.

Openings

• The Edmonton location of Peter’s Drive-In is now open at 5151 Calgary Trail, though for the time being, only for drive-thru services. Cars have been lining up and blocking traffic on Gateway Boulevard ever since.
• Cup Bap on Rice Howard Way is now open at 101, 10115 100A Street, serving up Korean rice bowls and fried chicken.

Closures

• Both Doan’s locations (in Old Strathcona and Downtown) are permanently closed.
• Il Forno also announced its permanent closure, after 14 years in business.

Local News

• Tiramisu Bistro on 124 Street is open again after some renovations.
• The Local Good continued their week of focusing on local food and hospitality businesses and initiatives, with features on cafes, breweries, and food security resources.
• For a fun distraction, try completing this Donair Championship bracket, put together by Oilers Nation.
• Congratulations to the Grocery Run & Leftovers/Fresh Routes Community Partnership for receiving the 2020 U Alberta Advocate Award.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The 124 Grand Market is set to debut this summer on May 14, 2020, with some precautions, including limiting the number of patrons at any time to 50, no dogs, and encouraging the wearing of masks.
• The Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market is reopening their outdoor portion (adjacent to the building on 103 Avenue) on May 16, 2020.
• The St. Albert Farmers’ Market will reopen on June 6, 2020 in a new location to allow for greater spacing between vendors. They will be located in the parking lot of Servus Credit Union Place at 400 Campbell Road.
• Community gardens are set to re-open this year, with some requirements to facilitate social distancing and sanitation requirements.
• Sturgeon County-based farm 2BK Vegetables will be offering online ordering and curb-side pick-up this summer.
• Angela Santiago, CEO of Edmonton-based The Little Potato Company, shared how her company has stepped up to meet the demand for their product.

What I Ate

• Before the pandemic, we made weekly trips to the Italian Centre as a part of our grocery run. Now, we’ve been using their delivery service (free for orders over $75) over the past month. It’s not only convenient, but amazingly efficient – both times, our orders were processed and delivered the next day. Their ordering system isn’t set up like the big grocers, but if you’re not that picky (or are a frequent shopper like us and know what you want), it’s a great way to shop local.

Our recent Italian Centre grocery order (and Emily’s feet!)

• Our Friday night take-out was courtesy of Rosewood Foods – an amazing chicken katsu sandwich with crispy potatoes, and maple cinnamon crullers. I can’t wait for their restaurant to fully open on Rice Howard Way – it’s a great little spot we can walk to! Currently, they’re open for pick-up orders from Wednesday to Saturday.

Chicken katsu sandwich from Rosewood Foods

• For Mother’s Day, we delivered an order of brisket and pulled pork from MEAT to my Mom (she’d been craving southern barbecue!). For ourselves, we ordered The Next Act’s take on donairs, made using the brisket from MEAT – they were delicious!

MEAT brisket donair from The Next Act

Food Establishments May Re-open Next Week

The Government of Alberta released its Relaunch Strategy last week, and indicated that some restrictions on cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars may be lifted as soon as May 14, 2020.

Dependent on the approval of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, stage one would allow food establishments to re-open for public seating at 50% capacity.

Patrick Saurette of The Marc responded to this possibility in an interview with City TV, and indicated that although it may be permitted, his restaurant may decide not to open because staff and diners may not feel safe.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• Cartago has started selling cocktail kits.
• Vaticano Cucina will be opening for curbside pick-up and delivery starting May 7, 2020.
• Global published a story about Rosewood Foods and Wing Snob, new businesses that have had to pivot from in-person dining because of the pandemic. CBC has a similar story on the same businesses.
• The Tomato wrote about several local businesses that have adjusted their services for curbside pick-up and delivery, including Cibo Bistro, Filistix, Corso 32, and Glass Monkey.
• CBC featured The Grizzlar, Sea Change Brewing, and Kind Ice Cream on how they’ve changed to remain open.
• Food trucks will be permitted to operate this summer, as long as they adhere to certain guidelines to maintain public health.
• Duchess has been able to donate $1000 to the Bissell Centre last week; their drivers are taking donations in lieu of tips for the charity.
• DaVinci Gelato (which started making its own alcohol last year to make alcohol-infused gelato), switched production gears to start producing hand sanitizer last month.
• Pierogerie, a vendor at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, is offering pierogi making kits for home use.
• Press’d has also gone the route of opening up their pantry and is offering flour and yeast for sale at their shops.
• There is another grocery delivery service available in the Edmonton area called Fresh Forward.
• More than half a dozen businesses, including Crave, have banded together to create the YEG Community Box, which offers a collection of “tiny treats, relaxing items, or small activities.”
• Edmonton’s Food Bank continues to adapt to high demand, especially in light of the cancellation of the Heritage Festival, one of its biggest food drives of the year.

Openings

• Sister cafe to Sugarbowl Eleanor & Laurent is now open next door (10926 88 Avenue), and offers French pastry and fresh breads.
• Century Hospitality has expanded their ghost kitchens to include concepts Nooch, offering protein bowls, and Chuck, offering burgers and milkshakes.
• Brew and Bloom is a forthcoming cafe opening this summer. In the meantime, they are offering 25% off their food items for delivery.
• A new food business called Malay Bakery is offering Malaysian curry puffs and rolled pandan for delivery.
• Nico’s Cookie Co., run by a 10 year old boy, is also a relatively new business that offers porch pick-up in Parkland County.

Closures

• Jacek has announced that they’ve closed their 104 Street shop (but will be maintaining their location in Sherwood Park).
• The Table Top Cafe has closed their 124 Street location.

Upcoming Events

• The next #EatWithMeYEG takes place on May 6, 2020 and will feature The Local Good’s current #LocalGoodnessYEG project which highlights small businesses.
• The Food Truck Drive Thru returns with its second edition and six trucks on May 9, 2020 in the parking lot of Southgate Centre.

Local News

• Chef Alexei Boldireff has left Baijiu.
• For those looking to spoil their mamas with a special home-cooked brunch or dinner, there are many restaurants to choose from who have put together meal kits, including RGE RD, Jack’s Burger Shack, Central Social Hall, and Century Hospitality.
• For others seeking something more ready-made, Filistix has Mother’s Day feasts, The Butternut Tree, Reinette Cafe, and Knosh are selling high tea orders, Brio and Sugared and Spiced have Mother’s Day gift boxes, and The Marc has put together picnic baskets.
• Several local businesses have also collaborated for food and flower gift packs, including: Splash Poke, Caramunchies, and Lovella and The Art of Cake and FaBLOOMosity. Get Cooking and Prairie Gardens are offering virtual cooking classes, with an accompanying basket of greens and vegetables (and the potential to add on flowers).
• The Local Good is featuring ways to support small businesses this month. The first week is all about food and drink, including local bakeries and farmers’ markets.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Northlands, through its Alberta Flavour initiative, is conducting a survey to determine how the current disruptions in the food system can be managed.
• Liane wrote about a number of local community supported agriculture projects that have escalated in popularity in recent weeks, including Sparrow’s Nest, Prairie Gardens, and Riverbend Gardens.
• Local farmers, including Rock Ridge Dairy and potato growers, are feeling the effects of the pandemic on their bottom line.
• “Meat is the new toilet paper” – or so say some Alberta meat producers who have seen their demand increase as meat packing plants have been forced to close, impacting supplies at grocery stores.

What I Ate

• We love having so many restaurants within a five minute walk of our place – many that we’re finally getting to for the first time! Friday night take-out was from Bao Bao – we especially enjoyed the traditional pan-fried bao (with pork bone soup inside) and the sweet and sour pork rib dry noodle. They also accept phone orders to bypass third-party apps for pick-up!

Our order from Bao Bao

• On Saturday, after meeting a friend’s baby for the first time (through a window!), we swung by Jack’s Burger Shack on the way home. It wasn’t planned, but we decided to eat our meal while it was still hot at a nearby park. The hangover burger really hit the spot, and Emily loved the fries!

A quick picnic with Jack’s

Local Restaurants Continue to Innovate During Pandemic

It’s been six weeks since the current social restrictions were put into place, with no end in sight. Restaurants have been forced to get even more creative as the length of the pandemic grows, with no choice but to meet the need for diners to eat at home.

Several food businesses have started creating kits for people to build dishes at home – Nomiya is offering tonkotsu ramen kits, El Beso is selling margarita and taco kits, and Meuwly’s makes it easy to bake your own flatbread (with a side of dessert). New businesses have also sprung up to cater to this demand, including Nai Nai Mie’s Indonesian-style tossed noodles.

Others are combining food with (socially distant) events. Chefs from Milk Crate and Why Not are collaborating on a take-out burger battle on April 29, 2020, while Colleen’s Chocolates is leading a virtual chocolate tasting on May 1, 2020. Even food trucks are getting into the mix, with a food truck “drive through” being organized for May 2, 2020.

In other COVID-19 related-news:

• Several restaurants that have been closed for some weeks are returning for limited take-out, including Bundok, Baijiu, and Campio Brewing.
• Zwick’s has partnered with SYC Brewing for craft beer and pretzel delivery.
• Indian Chef, a restaurant in Chapelle, has been offering free meals to anyone in need since April 1. Dil-E-Punjab, a restaurant in Mill Woods, has been serving 25 to 50 meals per day.
• Blue Plate Diner has started selling their supplier’s eggs for pick-up at the restaurant.
• Liane provides some background on how Steve and Dan’s expanded into the grocery delivery business.
• K-Days, Taste of Edmonton, and Heritage Days announced last week that their 2020 events are cancelled.
• Sysco has joined the household grocery market, with their new Sysco@Home service.

Upcoming Events

• The next #EatWithMeEdmonton will be taking place on April 29, 2020, and focuses on businesses in the 124 Street area.
• The Edmonton Resilience Festival has moved online for this year’s iteration; most workshops commence on May 2, 2020, but more are still being added.
• Knifewear is streaming online classes on their social media channels, which include knife skills and cooking classes.
• NAIT is hosting a webinar on the future of plant-based foods on May 21, 2020.

Reviews

• Linda and her husband Mike celebrated his birthday by eating pizzas for a week! She shared his five favourites, but his top pick was Stony Plain’s Atomic Pizza.
• Sharon reviewed Korean-Chinese restaurant Rae Mi Hyang.

Local News

• The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is offering their afternoon tea to go for pick-up over the Mother’s Day weekend, while Workshop Eatery has put together some timely gift baskets for the occasion.
• A car crashed into Pind Punjab Restaurants and Sweets today; although no one was hurt, the business owner does not know when they might re-open.
• Foodora has announced that they will be closing operations in Canada in May.

Beyond Edmonton

• Restaurants across Canada are uncertain the reliance on third-party delivery apps are tenable to their bottom lines at this time.
• This NYT Magazine feature by Gabrielle Hamilton is a must-read – synthesizing her twenty years in the restaurant business and why her restaurant may not return after the pandemic.
• As some states in the US are permitting restaurants and bars to re-open, the NYT explores how post-pandemic dining might look.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The Organic Box is partnering with participants in Open Farm Days to deliver three locally-sourced boxes for a limited time this week, in support of Alberta producers.
• Given all of the uncertainty in supply chains, it’s great timing that Sundog Organic will be offering farm box subscriptions this year!
• Supplies of meat across the country are being impacted by meat processing plant shut downs, while there is a glut of some agricultural products, such as milk and potatoes.

What I Ate

• Friday night dinner was take-out from Dynasty Century Palace – they’re offering 30% off all pick-up orders. It was a great excuse to visit a #yegchinatown mainstay and get a walk in as well!

Our order from Dynasty Century Palace

Restaurants Shift to Become Alternative Grocery Stores

To offer diners the convenience of take-out meals and groceries in a single pick-up or delivery, several restaurants have shifted to open up their pantries to customers.

Earls pivoted back in March, offering grocery packs and home essentials. Local Public Eatery has also opened up their shelves and liquor cabinets, calling it The Local Corner Store. OEB has done the same, offering breakfast essentials at their locations.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• The trio of restaurants – The Next Act, Meat, and Pip – have now re-opened for limited take-out and in Pip’s case, oven-ready dinners.
• Dorinku Osaka and Dorinku Tokyo are offering frozen ramen for diners to heat and eat at home.
• Many local breweries have started doing home deliveries to keep their businesses going.
• The Downtown Edmonton Farmers’ Market and Reclaim Farm were featured on Serena Mah’s latest podcast on how they’ve pivoted during the pandemic.
• Edmonton’s only Jollibee location has been forced to close due to issues related to social distancing.
• Kitchen staff laid off from local restaurants have bolstered the volunteer ranks at Meals on Wheels.
• The Cargill meat-processing plant south of Calgary has been temporarily closed after a worker dies.
• Pork producers are concerned about the effects of the pandemic on their bottom line.

Openings

• Wishbone is currently the home of Grey Mare, serving up Chef David Leeder’s burgers and sides.

Upcoming Events

• The next #EatWithMeYEG focuses on the North Edge, and will take place April 22, 2020.
• Canada’s Great Kitchen Party is going virtual on April 22 and 29, 2020. They encourage diners to purchase take-out on those days to support restaurants, then tune in to concerts to be livestreamed.

Reviews

• Both Lydia and Sharon showed much love to Sepp’s Pizza.

Local News 

• The Spring 2020 issue of Eat Local is out, and available to read online. It’s the first issue edited by Twyla Campbell. Among the pieces, they feature the family behind Nature’s Green Acres, and profile longstanding restaurant Bistro Praha.
• Speaking of Twyla, she shared an experience tasting various cheeses from Lakeside Farmstead. Cheesemaker Ian Treuer (formerly of Winding Road) has been experimenting with the milk from Jeff and Coralee Nonay’s cows. The cheeses aren’t commercially available yet.
• The Prairie Dinner Series, an annual fall event, released a mini documentary featuring participating chef Lindsay Porter.
• Maps like this one try to help keep consumers up to date with waiting times at grocery stores and pharmacies.
• If you need some inspiration to bake your own bread at home, consider listening to this podcast featuring home baker Emily Hoven.
• Locally-based app ClickDishes, which allows diners to pre-order and pre-pay for food, has expanded to Japan.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Good news has been in short supply, so it was great to hear that community gardens have been permitted to operate this summer.
• The St. Albert Farmers’ Market is among the nominees in this year’s Alberta Business Awards of Distinction under the category of Community Attraction.

What I Ate

• We’ve been doing our best to support small businesses in other ways – this week, we ordered from Good Goods Co., which offers an assortment of locally-made foods and beverages. Our box included bread and sourdough starter from Laneway Bakery, coffee beans from Alternate Route and Roasti Coffee, and oats from Strathcona Stoneground Organics.

Our haul from Good Goods Co.

• I’d been craving ramen for a while, so thought this weekend would be an opportune time to (finally!) try Dorinku Osaka. Everything was well packaged to keep the noodles springy, and our pick-up order was 10% off. The tonkotsu was tasty, and Mack enjoyed the shoyu. We’ll be ordering again!

Ramen and sides from Dorinku Osaka

Government of Alberta Allocates $5 Million to Food Supply Efforts

Recognizing the challenges an increasing number of Albertans have with meeting basic needs, on April 10, 2020 the Government of Alberta announced a provision of $5 million to “support Alberta food bank locations, charities, not-for-profits and civil society organizations with their food supply efforts.”

Many local organizations have also been doing their part to support Edmonton’s Food Bank. #YEGTechCares has pulled together 20 companies so far whose salaried staff have pledged the equivalent of one hour of their monthly salary to donate to the Food Bank over the next three months, and a group of Dynalife employees donated $10,000 from their April pay for the Food Bank.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• Smokey Bear has created a take-out/delivery taqueria called Pedro’s. Their first menu featured a collaboration with Biera’s Christine Sanford.
• I’m late to the party, but it’s great to see HanJan and Izakaya Tomo teaming up to offer “mix and match” items from both menus for pick-up and delivery orders.
• In an effort to recreate some of the ambiance of dining out, some restaurants like Blue Plate Diner and Tzin have offered music alongside their take-out, in the form of streamed concert or a playlist.
• It looks like OEB has gone the route of Earls in setting up a marketplace to those interested in picking up some essentials.

Upcoming Events

• Get Cooking continues to deliver virtual cooking workshops, including several free classes this April, such as how to make Asian-inspired pork stock and Asian-braised pork.
• Local author Jennifer Cockrall-King will be leading two upcoming workshops as a part of the Pandemic University School of Writing; 50% of the proceeds will go towards the Canadian Writers’ Emergency Relief Fund. The first, on April 20, 2020, will cover food writing fundamentals, while Cookbook Confidential on May 11, 2020 is intended for aspiring cookbook writers.

Reviews

• Sharon shared her pre-pandemic experience at Shojo Izakaya.

Local News

• Congratulations to all of the breweries recognized in the 2020 Alberta Beer Awards, including Odd Company Brewing, who won gold in the category of New Brewery of the Year, and Campio Brewing Co. who won silver in the Brewery of the Year category. Jason Foster breaks down the trends based on the winners.
• Many people seem to be clamoring for sourdough starter – through Good Goods Co., Laneway Bakery is selling some of their 13 year-old starter.

Beyond Edmonton

• Top Chef Canada debuts its eighth season on April 13. While there are no Edmonton-based competitors, two chefs from Calgary made the cut.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• With so many people thinking and planning for “victory gardens” this year, some may be interested in this free introductory online webinar about permaculture, scheduled for April 14 at 4pm.

What I Ate

• My Chicago-based sister Felicia sent us an Amore Pasta care package last week, featuring fresh pasta, sauces, and bread (the cream sauce was perfectly indulgent, especially when doctored up with some pesto). The whole box has been enough for several meals!

Amore Pasta care package

• We finally gave into the hype and tried Sepp’s Pizza, offering New York-style pies. I appreciated that the crust was thin but sturdy, and the pepperoni is something special. Emily gave it two thumbs up!

Pepperoni and mushroom pizza from Sepp’s

Local Restaurants Launch “Save Hospitality” Campaign

On the heels of the national Save Hospitality campaign launched back in March, local entrepreneurs Katy Ingraham (of Cartago) and Kris Harvey (of Chvrch of John) have spearheaded Save Edmonton Hospitality, under the banner of the Edmonton Independent Hospitality Community.

There is no question that the hospitality industry has taken a massive hit; a recently released Restaurants Canada report states that 95,000 food service jobs were lost in Alberta. Signatories so far represent nearly 60 businesses in the Edmonton area, and their asks include suspension of payments, rent, and one-time cash payments to provide financial stability.

A few of the same signatories also supported the Restaurant Realities campaign launched by Restaurants Canada in February 2019, which called for, among other things, a rollback of benefits to workers, and a reduction of the minimum wage for youth workers.

In other COVID-19-related news:

• While many restaurants that remain open have pivoted to serve comfort food, others have chosen to continue offering refined dishes. These include The Marc, Nineteen XIX, Sabor, Sofra, Tzin, all offering curb-side pick-up.
• On that note, those restaurants, in addition to many others, have chosen to refrain from listing with third-party delivery apps like Skip the Dishes or Uber Eats. Chef Paul Shufelt of Workshop Eatery and Woodshed Burgers took to social media last week to provide information about the significant cost for restaurants to use the apps.
• Lists continue to circulate to provide diners with accessible information about local restaurants to support, including one featuring establishments in and around Chinatown, another focused on Latino restaurants, a list put together by The Tomato, and a list compiled by Avenue of brewers and distilleries that deliver.
• Unfortunately, Woodwork and Bar Clementine had to cease selling their cocktails via pick-up and delivery. They’re hoping AGLC may reconsider. Perhaps to get around their requirements, DOSC has opted to sell cocktail kits instead for people to create drinks at home.
• Many local restaurants are selling #HereForGood t-shirts that will help them during these hard times, including the High Level Diner and Northern Chicken.
• Steve and Dan’s, a familiar BC fruit vendor at many local markets, has launched a grocery delivery service available in the Edmonton area. In addition to offering their own products, they will also deliver items from Lacombe Fresh Vegetables and Effing Seafoods, among others.
• Shojo Izakaya is the latest to offer a 25% discount to Alberta Health Services workers, while Tiffin’s southside locations are offering free food to long-haul truck drivers until April 15.
• Many more companies have pivoted to provide seniors and immunocompromised individuals with free grocery delivery services during the pandemic, including Men with Kilts and the Wolfe Automotive Group.

Openings

• High Dough, Detroit-style pizza from the kitchen of Three Boars, is now available through pick-up.
• Next week, Chef Daniel Costa will be offering “classic New Jersey/Italian cuisine” through his new initiative Zios on Uber Eats.

Upcoming Events

• Events have started to come back online, so to speak – #EatWithMeYEG is a virtual lunch club that has hosted three online gatherings so far to connect people and support local businesses at the same time. They have focused on Chinatown, Old Strathcona, and Downtown in previous events, while their upcoming event on April 8, 2020 will highlight many different communities.
• Green Drinks will be hosting their Food and Climate Change panel online on April 8, 2020. The event is free.
• Campio will be hosting their beer club virtually on April 9, 2020, leading a tasting of 5 different Alberta beers.

Reviews

• Graham Hicks caused a firestorm online last week with his negative review of Saigon Cuisine, with some feeling that the current struggle of the hospitality industry wasn’t appreciated. The review was subsequently taken down that same day.
• Avenue paid a visit to Dorinku Osaka, pre-pandemic, of course. Though the in-person experience is indefinitely suspended, Dorinku, along with DOSC, Japonais, and Seoul Fried Chicken will be offering curated combinations that can be pre-ordered from all of the restaurants. The menus will be launching on April 9 for delivery starting April 12.

Local News

• People looking for take-out Easter dinners have a lot of choices: Smokehouse BBQ is serving up Easter with a Southern twist, more traditional options from Central Social Hall, High Level Diner, Sandy View Farms, Simply Supper, and Woodwork/Bar Clementine. Pre-orders are necessary.
• A 38 year old woman was charged with arson in relation to a fire that destroyed the Chinatown location of the Italian Bakery. Their other location in Beverly had to rebuilt after a fire in 2016; the owners are not certain they can go through that again.
• There seems to be a bread baking renaissance as people embrace the time they have and observe self-isolation protocols. Sourdough starters definitely help with this, and RGE RD has a limited number of breadmakers’ starter kits for sale this week. Alternatively, the chair of the Baking and Pastry Arts program at NAIT provided information on how to make a sourdough starter from scratch.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• The Chatsworth Farm in Vermillion (two hours east of Edmonton) is offering virtual tours of their farm.

What I Ate

• We’ve been avoiding third-party apps in favour of dealing directly with restaurants, recognizing that as a result, more of the profit goes towards these small business owners to help them during these tough times. It might be a little less seamless for the diner, but I think the outcome and food choices make it worthwhile! One example is our take-out dinner from King Noodle House, one of my favourites in the city for pho. They’re now offering take-out from Wednesday to Sunday. We had to bring out or mixing bowls to accommodate all of the broth for the bun bo Hue we ordered, and Emily devoured the spring rolls!

Our King Noodle House order

• We also ordered from Rosewood Foods over the weekend. I loved their use of spices in their chicken shawarma bowl (it was also big enough for a full lunch portion the next day), and their biscuits are the stuff dreams are made of. Emily couldn’t get enough!

Biscuits from Rosewood Foods with rhubarb jam and honey butter

Food Businesses Continue to Pivot During Pandemic

Food and hospitality establishments have continued to pivot their service models out of necessity. It is an unbelievably stressful and challenging time, and yet, many businesses have made the shift to adapt to changing regulations and preferences (all dine-in services were restricted as of March 27, 2020).

Last week, many restaurants had already implemented a change towards offering heat-and-serve meals. This trend has continued with additional businesses, including caterers like A Capella, and restaurants such as Amore Pasta, Shojo Izakaya, and Why Not. Other food businesses have worked towards undertaking delivery services to help manage social distancing mandates, including bakeries like Duchess and cafes like The Colombian. Even bars have been getting into the spirit – sister restaurants Woodwork and Bar Clementine have retooled their food and cocktail menu for pick-up and delivery.

There seems to be a thirst for lists as many consumers look for ways to support independent businesses: Things That Are Open offers a business directory, while Shop YEG tracks places that offer online sales and delivery, and Councillor Aaron Paquette posted a list of producers offering home delivery. And don’t forget about Vinson Luong’s spreadsheet that has since doubled to over 400 listed food and drink-related businesses listing take-out and delivery options. For fun, also consider Alberta Food Tours’ bingo card in support of local shops.

Recognizing that many people are cooking more in their homes during this period, Get Cooking will be leading virtual classes, beginning this week with a free Knife Skills class on March 31. Cindy Lazarenko has offered her cooking expertise for free to those looking for help cooking from one’s pantry or freezer. Lastly, Chef Steven Brochu (formerly of Chartier, currently of Milk Crate), has introduced “cyber cooking at home” – the chance to cook virtually alongside the chef on a video call, using groceries delivered to your home.

Even in these trying times, so many local businesses have been continued to give back to the community. Just a few more examples from the past week: Oodle Noodle donated 500 meals to clients of The Mustard Seed; Tiffin provided gift certificates to hospital workers; Remedy is offering free drinks to first responders and hospital staff; Analog Brewing is hosting a “nurse a pint” program that allows people to buy a beer for Alberta Health Services (AHS) staff; and Sunterra Market is offering a 25% discount to AHS staff on ready-made products.

Openings

• It’s only a temporary shift, Workshop Eatery announced that they have converted into a second location of Woodshed Burgers to handle food delivery requests south of the river.
• The kitchen of Three Boars will soon be offering Detroit Deep Dish through a venture called High Dough.
• Some will be ecstatic to hear that Jollibee’s drive-thru is now open.

Closures

• Pagolac’s Chinatown location closed on March 21, 2020 after over 30 years in operation.

Reviews

• Graham tried Skip the Dishes for the first time, and ordered Nara Chicken for delivery.

Local News

• Chef Paul Shufelt (of Workshop Eatery and Woodshed Burgers) will be competing on the Food Network’s Firemasters, airing on April 23, 2020.
• RGE RD co-owners Blair Lebsack and Caitlin Fulton discussed the revamp of their business in light of the pandemic with Avenue Magazine.
• Love Pizza experienced a break-in and theft of some of their tablets over the weekend. This as they came off the heels of selling 2,300 “support pizzas” to donate to staff on the frontlines of the pandemic.
• Liane shared more details as to how the Italian Centre was able to shift to offer curbside pick-up and delivery.
• Earls is getting into the grocery game, and are offering pick-up of produce, dairy, and some household items from its restaurants.
• Due to the current risk, food donations are no longer accepted by Alberta health care workers.
• Alley Kat, which was sold to new owners earlier this year, has changed to selling their beer in cans.
• Sharman recapped her third visit to the Devour Food and Film Festival held at the Jasper Park Lodge every year.
• In light of current events, Kevin Kossowan is offering free access to the third season of his James Beard-nominated show, From the Wild. This deal is available until April 3.

Beyond Edmonton

• Some local companies, including A Capella and Blue Plate Diner, have signed onto a national campaign called Save Hospitality, which requests that the government implement some measures to help restaurants in this difficult period.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• While the Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market remains open, they’ve pared down to just food vendors for the time being. The Old Strathcona and Bountiful Farmers’ Markets remain open as well.
• Alberta Agriculture Minister  Devin Dreeshen discouraged people from hoarding food, assuring Albertans that the “supply chain is responding well”. On a similar note, the President of the Canadian National Millers Association indicated that the grain supply chain is fine, and hoarding flour is not necessary.

What I Ate

• While on a walk over the weekend, Mack and I pre-ordered chai from Remedy for pick-up. They’d already been using pre-order and pay app Click Dishes for some time; in many ways, businesses who had been on systems like Click Dishes or Ritual pre-pandemic have been able to adapt quicker to the changes.

Chai from Remedy

• One of the magical things about the world today is that your Toronto-based sister can surprise you with the delivery of a box from Bloom Cookie Co. to get you through this pandemic. Bloom currently offers delivery of their treats twice a week.

Box of Bloom Cookies

Pandemic Spurs Innovation from Local Food and Restaurant Businesses

It’s only been one week since the restaurant and hospitality scene really started to change after social distancing measures were put into effect, but the speed at which some businesses have adapted to embrace this new reality is astonishing.

Last week, many restaurants shuttered their dining rooms to focus only on take-out and delivery. This number has continued to grow (this handy spreadsheet by Vinson Luong is being updated with over 200 local food and drink-related businesses offering pick-up or delivery). It is worth remembering that while many local restaurants are available through apps like Skip the Dishes or Uber Eats, their cut involves a significant portion of the total. When possible, consider ordering and picking up directly from the restaurant, or, choose a restaurant that is offering in-house delivery (we ordered from Filistix on Friday and co-owner Ariel paid us a visit himself!).

This week, many restaurants have adjusted their menus to accommodate the demand from diners for more heat and serve-style dishes, which may work better for those looking to stock up their fridges and freezers. Some examples include Northern Chicken and Love Pizza’s take and bake pizzas, take and bake goods from Sugared and Spiced, Highlands Golf Course and Green Onion Cake Man’s frozen meals, RGE RD, Workshop Eatery, Drift Food Truck, and Get Cooking’s comfort food, and Corso 32’s heat and assemble Italian meals.

People are also seeking out grocery delivery services in light of minimizing contact with others, and several local options are now available. Bountiful Farmers’ Market is now offering delivery, as is the Italian Centre (neither have a comprehensive catalogue to order from, however, so it’d be difficult for non-regular shoppers to navigate). In addition, Meuwly’s has put together grocery boxes featuring their charcuterie, meats, and preserves, Uproot Food Collective offers collections of various local products, including Honest Dumplings, South Island Meat Co., and Boocha, and Good Goods Co. focuses on “hyper local sustainable small businesses” such as Herbologie, Roasti Coffee, Gruger Farms, and Laneway Bakery.

In this stressful and uncertain time, it’s also great to see some good news stories being shared. Many local restaurants and hotels donated excess food to the Edmonton Food Bank, and distillers like Strathcona Spirits and Black Diamond Distillery are making hand sanitizer and distributing them for free to those in need. Love Pizza also started selling $5 support pizzas, which goes towards the cost of making and delivering pizzas for those on the front lines of the pandemic. After just two days, over 1,000 pizzas were purchased, and deliveries have since been made to hospitals, a fire/ambulance station, and the Youth Empowerment and Support Services. Keep it up, Edmonton!

Openings

• The Almanac hopes to upgrade to a bigger location by April in the former Holy Roller space. The renamed restaurant will be called Boxer – Alberta Kitchen and Bar.
• It sounds like a “European cafe and wine bar” is in the works for the vacated Starbucks space at 10504 99 Avenue.

Reviews

• Graham Hicks rates the burgers at Royale (currently temporarily closed) to be among the best in the city.

Local News

• Chef Ben Staley of Restaurant Yarrow has started a crowdfunding campaign to raise $250,000 for restaurant workers laid off because of current conditions.
• Linda has a great post featuring 100 local businesses you can support – and a fun spin the wheel mechanism to play with!
• Confetti Sweets is offering sugar cookies with pandemic-related messages.
• Sharman put together a gluten-free guide for eats on 124 Street.

Beyond Edmonton

• Is it safe to eat take-out in this pandemic? All your food safety questions answered, by Serious Eats.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Salisbury Farmers’ Market in Sherwood Park has closed until further notice.
• The Journal featured a story on Greens Eggs and Ham farm, and their desire to gain ground and build on their operations again.

What I Ate

• As mentioned above, we ordered in from Filistix (they’re offering free deliveries for orders over $50). We especially enjoyed the shrimp fried rice with bagoong and the mee goreng – we even had enough leftovers for lunch the next day!

Our order from Filistix

COVID-19 Precautions Impacting Local Restaurants

The precautions arising from the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Alberta are significantly impacting the food and hospitality industry.

Last week, Alberta Health Services implemented restrictions on mass gatherings, which led to the postponement or cancellation of a number of food-related events, including Avenue Magazine’s annual Best Restaurants evening and remaining 6 days of Downtown Dining Week.

This week, in an effort to support social distancing measures, recreation centres, libraries, and some local attractions closed to the public, with schools and post-secondary institutions following shortly, closing to students. While there isn’t yet an outright ban on restaurants and bars in Alberta, there is data showing that behaviours have changed. OpenTable released information that shows that over the last weekend in Edmonton, the number of seated diners at their restaurants were down more than 40% compared to the same weekend one year ago.

As a result, many businesses have begun shifting their business models to accommodate people choosing to stay home. Some establishments, including Otto, Love Pizza, Prairie Noodle, and Chartier, have closed their dining rooms entirely, opting for take-out or delivery orders only. Other restaurants who traditionally haven’t promoted or offered take-out, have started doing so, such as Nineteen and Corso 32.

Lastly, there are restaurants that have elected to close temporarily, including Royale, Wildfred’s, Huma, and King Noodle House.

For those out there looking for ways to support the industry in these uncertain times, Linda Hoang wrote a great post outlining ways to do so.

Openings

• Tokeo Station (10009 101A Avenue) has been replaced by Ra Bar, which describes itself as a “Japanese inspired lounge and restaurant”.
• The Cabin is now open, in the space formerly occupied by Urban Tavern (11606 Jasper Avenue). Because of COVID-19 precautions they are currently limiting occupancy to 50 patrons.

Closures

• Arcadia has decided to close their current location ahead of its previously announced closure date of March 21, 2020.

Reviews

• Graham was disappointed with his recent visit to Biera.

Local News

• Some upcoming craft markets were cancelled because of the COVID-19 precautions; as a response, Colleen’s Chocolates put together some “survival boxes” containing items from several local vendors for delivery.
• Phil shared his top three favourites after partaking in a hot chocolate crawl: Sweet Lollapalooza, Cococo, and Cafe Sole.

What I Ate

• As mentioned above, Downtown Dining Week has since been cancelled. But last Tuesday (it feels like a different era), Mack, Emily and I attended its kick-off at the Art Gallery of Alberta, and enjoyed, among other dishes, this delicious short rib and polenta from Braven. I’ll have to return some time in the future to order the full plate.

Short rib and polenta from Braven

Planet Organic Closing Down

Two weeks after grocery store Planet Organic abruptly shut down one of its five Calgary-based locations, they announced they will be permanently closing all 11 of its stores.

In a memo to all employees, CEO Alan Thompson wrote, “We have tried to find a solution for the company but now it has come the time to recognize that despite the best efforts to restructure the business we are at an end."

The Edmonton area was home to four Planet Organic stores: in Oliver, Old Strathcona, Ellerslie, and Sherwood Park. Back in January, some vendors voiced their frustrations about the unpaid bills Planet Organic had failed to reconcile.

Openings

• Links Woodfire Sausage Co. opened in early January in St. Albert (275 Carnegie Drive), offering wood-fire grilled sausage creations.
• Wing Snob, an American-based chain, opened its first Canadian location in the Brewery District (11988 104 Avenue).
• South African restaurant The Curry Bowl is now open on the south side, 3311 34 Street.
• Nosh and Quaff, opened by the fine folks behind Mojo JoJo Pickles, kept their doors open at Kingsway Mall beyond the Christmas season. They stock many locally-made brands in addition to their own products. Find them by entrance 3.

Closures

• The End Zone Pub, across the street from Commonwealth Stadium, is now closed.

Upcoming Events

• Filistix is organizing the fourth Bayanihan Dinner Series, their multi-course meals involving a number of local Filipino chefs, on March 18, 2020. Tickets are $103.53 per person.
• The City of Edmonton will be hosting a free workshop about the process and permits relating to opening food-related businesses like a restaurant or a coffee shop on March 31, 2020.
• Hot Chefs Cool Beats, an interactive food and drink event benefiting the High School Culinary Challenge, returns to The Mosaic Centre on April 23, 2020. Tickets are $125 each.
• From May to September, Kevin Kossowan will be leading foraging walks. Learn about edible plants that can be found along the river and in the forest. Tickets are $72 per person.

Reviews

• The Journal was the first to review Links Woodfire Sausage Co. in St. Albert.
• Stephanie provides an early review of Wing Snob.
• Sharon stopped by Calle Mexico’s new location.

Local News

• Linda has a great blog post commemorating International Women’s Day by suggesting some food/business crawl ideas involving women-owned shops.
• The latest episode of Josh Eats Edmonton highlights Beverly stalwart Uncle Ed’s.
• Do you have an opinion about ghost kitchens? A couple of ghost kitchen trailers are operating in high pedestrian areas of Downtown and Old Strathcona, with some wondering if those are appropriate neighbourhoods for such businesses.

Urban Agriculture and Farming

• Riverbend Gardens is taking a break from the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market until May 9 because they sold out of their storage crops.

What I Ate

• Some Chinatown businesses seem to be struggling right now, due to a combination of factors including the economic climate and unfounded coronavirus fears. There’s a social media campaign using the hashtag #IWillEatWithYou as a means of combating these fears. If you are dining out – consider choosing Chinatown! I enjoyed pho with some colleagues over lunch last week at Pho Tau Bay.

My usual at Pho Tau Bay

• Thanks to the High School Culinary Challenge for inviting me for their awards dinner on Monday night! This year, 57 students from 20 schools participated in the competition. Congratulations to the winners from St. Joseph, ME LaZerte and Archbishop Jordan High Schools on capturing gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. The chefs from the Edmonton Convention Centre prepared the 3-course meal, with their own interpretation of the competition parameters. The most interesting was a deconstructed minestrone soup, featuring a berlotti bean puree, satchetti, and a tomato bisque guests poured themselves.

Deconstructed minestrone soup at the High School Culinary Challenge Awards Dinner