• Those of you looking for a fully-prepared Thanksgiving meal are in luck: you can purchase a feast from several different vendors in Edmonton, including the Shaw Conference Centre and Sorrentino’s.
• The Downtown Business Association is hosting the first annual Harvest Fest, with 17 restaurants offering menus featuring seasonally inspired ingredients. Harvest Fest runs October 11-14, 2018.
• The next Dinner with Friends meal, hosted by the Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum Society, is taking place on October 25, 2018 at Tiffin Fresh Kitchen.
• Click Dishes, an app that allows customers to pre-order food, has partnered with West Edmonton Mall to offer in-mall delivery services starting in mid-October.
• Crema Espresso Bar will be opening up in Edmonton City Centre Mall.
• New Neapolitan pizza chain Firecrust opened its first Edmonton-area branch in Sherwood Park this week, located at 210, 410 Baseline Road.
• Congratulations to Little HK who made En Route’s list of Canada’s Best New Bars!
• Great to see Chef Jiju Paul back in Edmonton, now leading the kitchens at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
• The Star Edmonton published a feature on Siu To’s new green onion cake shop on 118 Avenue.
• Have you been to Meuwly’s yet? Sharman provides an overview of what to expect.
• Lydia offers a snapshot of new wine bar Partake.
• The Globe posted a positive review of Kanto.
• Crystal shared her experiences with four Edmonton delivery services – Skip the Dishes, Door Dash, Foodora, and Uber Eats.
• Twyla recapped the second annual Prairie Grid dinner held in Edmonton last week.
• Timothy Fu, the youngest contestant on The Great Canadian Baking Show from Edmonton, is still in the running.
• The Bissell Centre is looking for votes to earn an Aviva grant to start a community kitchen.
• I learned more about the vision behind Black Box Hospitality’s ambitious Gibbard Block project in Highlands. The Kickstarter campaign went live 10 days ago and has already reached 30% of its goal, but Nate Box and his team are hoping to raise $100,000 to help with financing costs. The three concepts include:
• June’s Delicatessen, inspired by the Jewish delis encountered in the team’s travels to Toronto, Montreal, and New York. Scratch-made bagels will be on offer (and in fact, are already being served up at District).
• Fox Burger, which will be helmed by Chef Sean O’Connor (formerly of Red Ox Inn). They will aim to be a family-friendly destination for great burgers of all types (vegetarian included!), and overindulgent, greasy spoon brunch on the weekends. The beer program will highlight great local craft breweries. Watch for “secret menu” items that those in the know can request. Chef O’Connor will be testing out the menu for the first time at a pop-up to be held at Salz on October 15, 2018. Follow their Instagram page for updates on how to snag a reservation!
• Highlands Liquor, will be a fun and approachable liquor shop. As it will be the smallest of the three spaces, expect a highly curated selection.

Gibbard Block project by Black Box Hospitality

• Mack, Emily, and I finally made it to the 124 Grand Market on Thursday! The weather was dreary but poutine from Drift helped to lift our spirits. With the imminent end of food truck season, Drift will be serving up their food at the Shamrock Curling Club in the winter.

Poutine from Drift

• Mack and I celebrated our anniversary this weekend with a meal at The Marc. Everything was on point – the food was superb, and the service exceptional.

Mushrooms on toast from The Marc

• VegFest, a celebration of all things vegetarian and vegan, is scheduled for September 30, 2018 at the Ritchie Community Hall. Admission is free.
• In anticipation of Olde Towne Beverly’s first Dining Week, Wild Heart has organized a preview tour on October 3, 2018 to sample some of the dishes that will be offered. Tickets are $40.
• Kanu has delayed their opening to September 25, 2018.
• The Black Box Hospitality Group (the folks behind Elm Cafe, District, and Little Brick), have announced the details of their exciting new project in Highlands. They’re working towards three concepts in the ground floor of the Gibbard Block (the building that house La Boheme) – a burger bar, a deli, and a liquor store. They’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign in the hopes of raising $100,000 to cover financing costs. They were able to raise over $10,000 in their first day – it would be great to see them succeed!
• Partake, the new wine bar from the folks behind Manor Cafe and Urban Diner, is now open at 12431 102 Avenue.
• It’s great to see that the Green Onion Cake Man has opened a storefront at 118 Avenue and 91 Street!
• Liane wrote a great piece on humble mom and pop shops serving meals in some of the city’s industrial areas.
• DOSC received a positive review from the Journal.
• Crystal found the brunch at Brazilian steakhouse newcomer Fumaca to be of good value.
• Twyla was hoping the lunch and dinner menu at Wilfred’s would live up to their breakfasts.
• Linda highlights a gem in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood, Somali restaurant Mama Asha’s (if you go, make sure to try the coconut cake!).
• Graham’s recent experience at Hardware Grill was less than perfect.
• Congrats to Stump Kitchen, Chrissy Meets World, and Linda for being recognized by Vue Weekly’s Best of Edmonton in the food blog category!
• The second annual Devour Canadian Rockies Food Film Festival will return to Jasper Park Lodge February 22-24, 2019. Sharman shares why she had such a great time at the inaugural event.
• Farmers’ markets really are setting up shop in every corner of the city – the newest is the Airport Community Farmers’ Market, located at the Premium Outlets by EIA. They’re popping up on September 25 and October 2, 2018.
• CBC rounded up some initiatives that are trying to tackle food insecurity in Edmonton, including Veg in YEG, a pay-what-you-can garden in Garneau, and Food4Good in Jasper Place.
• Speaking of Food4Good, they will be hosting a bowling tournament in order to raise funds for the community food centre they have planned. Register your team of 4 for the event on October 21, 2018 at Plaza Bowl.
• The cooler weather makes hot pot an ideal meal! It’s been some time since I’ve dined at 97 Hot Pot, so it was great to see that they’ve maintained the quality from previous visits. Lunch is priced at $14.95, which includes the soup base and six items. It was enough to feel full but not stuffed. I’ll definitely be back sooner than later!

Lunch spread at 97 Hot Pot

• The McCauley Fall Fiesta will be taking place on September 22, 2018 in Giovanni Caboto Park, with a fall harvest market and a grape stomping competition, among other highlights.
• The Moonlight Carnival, organized by the Chinatown Business Improvement Area returns on September 22, 2018. Activities include a mooncake making workshop.
• NAIT is hosting the Indigenous Culinary Experience with Chef Shane Chartrand on September 29, 2018. Tickets for the five-course menu are $84 plus fees.
• The first Edmonton Opera brunch of the season takes place at the Royal Glenora Club on September 30, 2018 with the cast of La Traviata. Tickets are $85 for adults.
• Salz will play host to Oktoberfest Swine & Dine on October 2, 2018. Tickets for the three-course meal are $40.
• The Rocky Mountain Wine and Food festival returns to the Shaw Conference Centre October 19-20, 2018.
• Also from NAIT, Ernest’s is serving High Tea on October 27, 2018. Tickets are $43 plus fees.
• Calgary-based Mountain Rhino Donuts, which serves gluten-free and vegan donuts, will pop-up again at Ben’s Meat and Deli on Saturday, September 22, 2018.
• Kanu, the plant-based restaurant poised to make a splash, opens on September 24, 2018.
• Speaking of plant-based, NAIT recently opened an all vegan eatery on campus called Square Root.
• Vivo will be opening a location in Sherwood Park at #340, 550 Baseline Road.
• It seems to be a bit of a trend that food truck operators are connecting with local concession stands for the winter months. Great to see that Preserve Food Truck is the latest to do so, moving into the Jasper Place Curling Club.
• Chain Pretzelmaker is the latest pretzel brand to launch in Edmonton, with a joint Mrs. Fields Bakehouse kiosk at West Edmonton Mall.
• Chutney’s, an Edmonton-based quick-serve Indian food restaurant is opening a location in Vancouver.
• Did you know the story behind Bubble Cream? It was started by a current University of Alberta engineering student and two recent graduates.
• Toronto-based Gryfe’s Bagels, served at the Rooster Cafe, are now also available at Cookie Love.
• Graham praises DOSC’s “craft steakhouse” menu.
• Crystal wrote a pair of reviews of Awake Coffee House and St. Albert’s Riverbank Bistro.
• Vue Weekly posted a glowing review of Uccellino.
• Twyla took a culinary tour through Mill Woods, with stops at Irie Foods, Yummy Chicken, and Prime Time Donair.
• Explore Edmonton lists their picks for the best independent family-friendly eateries in the city.
• Three Edmonton-area bakers will be featured on the second season of the Great Canadian Baking Show.
• Your support of local farms can continue into the winter, as the Old Strathcona and City Market continue indoors, but Riverbend Gardens offers an alternative with their winter community supported agriculture shares.
• Kudos to the hearty volunteers with the Downtown Edmonton Community League that braved the conditions for Corn Fest on Saturday. The weather definitely made the hot corn all that more satisfying.

Enjoying corn at Alex Decoteau Park

It certainly feels like fall outside! And while it is my favourite season, it did seem to come much too soon. On to this week’s food notes:

• The ninth annual Bacon Day Collaboration, hosted at Workshop Eatery, takes place September 15, 2018. 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to Youth Empowerment and Social Services. Tickets are $95, and include bacon-inspired food, two drinks, and a vote in their “tag team steel caged dessert battle royale”.
• The next affordable Fruit & Veggie sale hosted by Food 4 Good will be taking place on September 25, 2018.
• The Harvest Room at the Hotel Macdonald will be hosting a special Honey Harvest Dinner on September 27, 2018, featuring honey collected from their own hives. Tickets start at $55.
• Save the date for Olde Towne Beverly’s first ever Dining Week, planned for October 5-13, 2018. Seven area restaurants are participating.
• The Gold Medal Plates has been rebranded to Canada’s Great Kitchen Party. They will stop in Edmonton on October 17, 2018 at the Shaw Conference Centre. Tickets are $350, and as in the past, go towards supporting Canada’s elite amateur athletes.
• This year’s LitFest Food Matters will be hosted by Liane Faulder and feature the authors behind Food Artisans of Alberta and Women Who Dig. The event will take place October 20, 2018. Tickets are $45, and include food and wine samples.
• Partake, the new wine bar from the folks behind Manor Bistro, is set to open soon at 12431 102 Avenue (formerly La Favourite).
• Al Centro, a Roman-style pizzeria yet to open at 99 Street & Jasper Avenue, is hosting a Da Capo pop-up in the meantime.
• Whistler-based Green Moustache is the latest plant-based restaurant to land in Edmonton. They are now open at 11416 Jasper Avenue.
• There’s a new coffee roaster in town called The Grizzlar Coffee and Records (10557 109 Street).
• Louisiana Purchase has opened a second location on the north side, at 13503 St. Albert Trail.
• Rostizado has introduced a new lunch menu to entice diners, which now includes a Latin-style hamburger.
• Sorrentino’s annual Mushroom Harvest runs the month of September, with mushroom features on the menu at all locations. Graham has a preview of dishes to expect.
• Bloom hopes their storefront bakery will be open by mid-October.
• Tech Life shares the story behind Destination Doughnuts, and what sets their treats apart.
• Crystal checked out Blowers & Grafton.
• The Journal reviewed London Local.
• Linda has become a regular at 124 Street’s Nuovo Bistro.
• Lillian wanted to highlight a neighbourhood gem in Crestwood’s Cafe Blackbird.
• Sharman recapped the recent Taste Alberta Prairie on the Plate dinner at Hotel Macdonald.
• Down south, the Calgary Farmers’ Market announced a second 50,000 square feet location to open in the northwest community of Greenwich in 2020.
• Mack and I took advantage of what seemed like the last patio-appropriate day this weekend and dined at Viphalay. I do enjoy their pad Thai!

Pad Thai from Viphalay

• There’s something about mobile coffee carts that I love, and you won’t come across one cuter than How U Bean. We paid a visit to them this afternoon, while they were parked near the Alberta Legislature. They use beans from local company Roasti, and I appreciated that they offer decaf London fogs. Check them out while the weather is still somewhat cooperative!

How U Bean

• The 4th annual “In the Spirit” of Festival Place takes place September 13, 2018. Expect drinks tastings, appetizers, and entertainment. Tickets are $65.
• The Alberta Food Processors Association is hosting its annual FEASTival of Fine Chefs on September 19, 2018. The event is centered around a black box of ingredients that chefs have 24 hours to transform into a dish. Attendees are treated to a total of 4 of these dishes. Tickets are $150.
• This is such a great story, shared by Julie Rohr – one of the Syrian refugees her church sponsored has opened a shop just a year and a half after arriving in Canada. It’s called Alqitta Nuts at 12130 161 Avenue, and offers freshly-roasted nuts and coffee (done without any oils), just like he had done back home.
• A Scandinavian pub called Three Vikings will be moving into the space recently vacated by Daravara on 124 Street.
• Filistix announced that they are closing their kiosks at MacEwan University.
• Northern Chicken is now serving brunch! The menu looks great.
• Edmonton Made covers the rise of ice cream businesses in the city over the last few years.
• Great to see The Colombian showcased in this month’s issue of Avenue.
• Avenue has the details on a number of new breweries opening soon in Edmonton, including Omen Brewing, Ale Architect, and Polar Park Brewing.
• Graham was impressed by the food at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
• Siu To, the creator of green onion cakes in Edmonton, will be teaching classes of how to make the addictive cakes through Get Cooking. Linda is giving away two tickets to an upcoming class on September 21, 2018.
• Avenue highlights the work of culinary documentarian Kevin Kossowan, and features some chefs that are as comfortable in a garden as they are in the kitchen.
• Have you heard about the #tipthebillchallenge, where diners tip 100% of the bill?
• Should cities put limits on where drive-thru restaurants can be located? New research suggests there could be benefits to doing so.
• The New York Times checks out some innovative grocery stores, including Nada, a Vancouver-based shop that offers packaged-free bulk food.
• I met up with some friends at Bodega Highlands for brunch over the weekend. It was nice to have the full brunch menu to order from (unlike at the 124 Street location). The tortilla espanola was very generously sized, with two pieces of chicken served atop a Spanish potato omelette.

The tortilla espanola from Bodega Highlands

• We ended our visit to the neighbourhood with some end of summer soft serve from Be-a-Bella.

Sprinkle cone from Be-a-Bella

There’s definitely a fall chill in the air this week – I’m glad we were able to make the most of what was left of summer in the mountains last weekend for my sister’s wedding! Back with a catch-up edition of Food Notes:

• Northern Bites has organized an event on September 4, 2018 that combines a visit to an apple orchard and a pie making lesson. Tickets are $20.
• Eat North’s second annual Prairie Grid Dinner Series will take place in Edmonton on September 29, 2018. Tickets for the 5-course dinner start at $140.
• Just a Little Night Market returns for a Dash of Oktoberfest October 5 and 6, 2018 at the Aviation Hangar. Expect a beer garden, food, and other vendors.
• Market stalwart Bloom Cookie Co. has announced that they’re opening a storefront on 124 Street and 103 Avenue. Sign up for their newsletter for updates.
• Japanese restaurant Iruka Grill & Bar is new to Old Strathcona, located at 10354 82 Avenue.
• I just noticed the Koutouki Restaurant on the south side, at #540, 3803 Calgary Trail.
• The Downtown Business Association released the winners of their Downtown patio contest – the Hotel Macdonald was named the best overall patio.
• Keep abreast of the contenders in Snack Checker, Edmonton AM’s quest to find the city’s ultimate snack.
• The Journal reviewed the brunch at Cacao 70.
• Crystal shared reviews of DOSC and Station on Jasper.
• Sharon was disappointed with her meal at Bottega 104’s Whyte Avenue location.
• Graham paid visits to Vintage Fork and Cafe Linnea.
• Vue Weekly raves about Wishbone.
• I’ve never had an apple fritter from Hazeldean Bakery but Lillian has convinced me that I need to try one.
• Sharon was among a group invited to attend a tour of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market.
• CBC had a story about the rise of millennials purchasing local food.
• MacEwan University is offering an urban beekeeping immersive experience on September 5, 2018. The session includes the opportunity to not only learn about beekeeping, but also to extract honey from a hive yourself! Tickets are $50.
• Free tours of the Northlands Urban Farm continue into September – dates include September 9 and 23, 2018.
• Voting for Sustainable Food Edmonton’s first annual Golden Wheelbarrow Awards is now live. Help select the recipients of awards including “favourite ‘locavore’ restaurant”.
• One shot from Felicia and Jeff’s wedding – the menu, created by Chef Nicole Gomes, was as beautiful as the tablescape. I may or may not have eaten half a dozen lemon arancini on my own.

#FelforJeff

• I enjoyed the final What the Truck?! of the season on Sunday, at the family-friendly Edmonton Ballpark venue. Among the dishes I had that day were the sopes from Calle Mexico.

Sopes from Calle Mexico

My sister is getting married this weekend, so a heads up that there won’t be any Food Notes next week. I hope you’re making the most of these last few weeks of summer too! On to this week’s food notes:

• The Fringe starts later this week – if you’re curious about the food available, consider subscribing to Taproot Edmonton’s Fringe roundup. I have it on good authority that edible fare will be mentioned!
• Why Not’s Art & Brunch Club is back with a hip-hop edition on August 26, 2018.
• The final Eats on 118 this year takes place on August 29, 2018, and will tour four female-led businesses in the neighbourhood. Tickets are $47. I attended the first event earlier this summer and had a great time.
• Congratulations to Biera, Bundok, and Kanto who made the long list of En Route’s annual Best New Restaurants list.
• The Sweet Pea Cafe and Playhouse is now open at 14238 85 Avenue.
• Smokehouse BBQ has relocated to 15960 109 Avenue.
• The Alder Room has closed its doors, but chef/owner Ben Staley is hopeful the restaurant will return in the future in a new location.
• Transcend Coffee’s Garneau location has undergone a makeover.
• Graham has nothing but praise for Wildfred’s.
• Crystal checked out the happy hour specials at Silk Bar & Kitchen.
• The Journal reviewed Sherwood Park’s La Patrona.
• Vue Weekly paid a visit to Sweet Mango.
• Sustainable Food Edmonton is organizing a community bike tour of four local gardens on August 25, 2018. The activity is free, but pre-registration is required.
• A report for the Edmonton Regional Metropolitan Board indicates that the agriculture system in the area may be “reaching a tipping point”. The board will be voting on an agricultural vision this fall.
• The perfect opportunity to finally try Cacao 70 came in the mail – a coupon offering a free chocolate-dipped cone! The sweltering conditions also made it a great day for ice cream.

Dark chocolate dipped cone at Cacao 70

• I love the brunch at Meat – my go-to beef brisket benny never disappoints.

Beef brisket benny

• I had lunch at Wishbone for the first time today; their double beef burger is a beauty. The brioche bun and processed cheese made it stand out.

Double beef burger at Wishbone