• Oktoberfest returns to the Northlands Expo Centre on September 29-30, 2017, with local craft and Bavarian beer on tap.
• Get ready – the City Market moves indoors to City Hall on October 14, 2017. The first 200 customers through the door that day will receive $5 in market bucks to spend.
• The Avenue Burger Challenge has continued and is currently accepting votes to determine the final two competitors. Voting for round five closes October 2, 2017.
• Mayday Dogs has finally confirmed their opening date to be October 4, 2017, just in time for the first regular season Oilers home game.
• Liane shared that the folks behind North 53 and Baijiu are opening not one, but two bars on 104 Street – one just inside Baijiu and another adjacent to Blue Plate Diner.
• Town Square Brewing is holding a soft opening phase to collect early feedback – check them out for lunch.
• It looks like Bean Here, the cafe that replaced Rogue Wave at 10571A 114 Street is now open!
• Kiwado Japanese Cuisine is now open in the space formerly occupied by Sapporo Sushi at 10923 101 Street.
• The Nook Cafe will be hosting a grand opening celebration September 28-30, 2017.
• Earth’s General Store’s downtown location will be open until October 8, 2017.
• Phil reports that Pitaghetti is no more, and will soon be replaced by another restaurant.
• CBC, the Journal and Sharon all positively reviewed Old Strathcona’s Avila Arepa last week, but it’s worth noting there is a second lower-profile Venezuelan restaurant in Edmonton on 118 Avenue called El Fogon.
• Vue Weekly profiles the operators and food at Nonna’s Bistro downtown.
• The Globe & Mail thought Wishbone could have been better.
• Jonny checked out Songkran Thai in St. Albert.
• In anticipation of La Ronde’s 50th birthday this week, Graham sampled their Retro Thursday menu ($66 for three courses).
• Cindy recapped the recent dumpling pop-up hosted by MasterChef Canada competitors Mai Nguyen and Jordan Levin.
• CBC had a taste-off of five locally-sourced cinnamon buns, which crowned Hazeldean Bakery’s bun the winner.
• Seafood lovers rejoice: Effing Seafoods is starting up a Fish Club, offering a monthly subscription to interesting seafood options. Vue Weekly also profiled Effing Seafoods last week.
• Congratulations to the bloggers, including Linda and Phil, who were recognized under Vue Weekly’s Best of Edmonton 2017 Food Blog category!
• While I’ve had my share of soy-based meats, this bleeding plant-based burger is definitely imitation taken to a whole different level.
• Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Love Pizza is getting into the spirit with a special #lovesgivingza, available from September 22 – October 7, 2017. It’s topped with mashed potato spread, pulled turkey, stuffing, cranberry chutney, gravy, and brie cheese drizzle. The chutney was on the sweeter side for me, but I loved the mashed potato and gravy! And bonus – $1 for each pizza sold goes to the charity Stop Abuse in Families.

Our #lovesgivingza and Meatatarian

• Since my office moved away from being walking distance to Chinatown, I haven’t had the chance to frequent Pho Tau Bay as often. I finally returned over the weekend, not realizing just how much I missed my regular order.

My ritual at Pho Tau Bay

• Mark your calendar: this year’s Restaurants for Change is taking place on October 18, 2017. Proceeds from the dinner service will go towards community food programs in 19 cities in Canada. RGE RD is the only local participant.
• Congratulations on Sugared & Spiced on their storefront soft opening this weekend, located at 10334 82 Avenue. They’re closed for the next few days, but follow them on Instagram to see when you can satisfy your sweet tooth!
• Tiffin Fresh Kitchen, a fast casual restaurant offering Indian cuisine, is now open at 5135 Ellerslie Road SW.
• It looks like Iconoclast Coffee will be one of the first tenants into the new Mercantile Hub at 102 Avenue and 121 Street.
• The Tapas Tuesday menu at ZINC is now available on Wednesdays as well – Mack and I checked it out early on in the summer.
• Toronto-based Sweet Jesus will be opening two locations in Edmonton – at WEM and Southgate – get ready for some epic soft serve! Thanks to Amelia for the heads up.
• Wild Earth Foods will be closing at the end of September.
• A new chef has been announced at Wildflower Grill – a SAIT grad J.P. Dublado.
• Both Phil and Crystal attended the recent Salz pop-up, featuring examples of the sausage and beer that will be served at the restaurant when it opens in late October, located at 10556 115 Street.
• Cindy recapped Vignettes Does Dining runs by Tzin and Farrow, and has details about another lunch pop-up next week by Honest Dumplings, Revolution Ice Cream, and South Island Pie on September 26-27, 2017.
• Jonny enjoyed his first experience at Tang Bistro.
• Valerie continued her sourdough education with Kaelin Whittaker of The Ruby Apron.
• Always great to see the community get behind food drives – in this case, through a potato harvest at Lady Flower Gardens.
• I had lunch with Linda last week at El Rancho, and definitely over-ordered when it came to the pupusas.

I love the pupusas at El Rancho

• It’s been a while since we’ve had brunch with my family, so it was nice to meet up at Canteen over the weekend when my sister Felicia was visiting.

Lemon blueberry pancakes at Canteen

I’m not quite ready to bid adieu to summer, even if the days are getting noticeably shorter already. All we can hope for now is a glorious fall! On to this week’s food notes:

• The Vignettes Dining Series continues this week until September 24, 2017 with a Farrow pop-up, and dinners by Three Boars, Wishbone, and, Alder Room, and Alta.
• Do you want to have a say on the national food policy? A community-organized consultation is taking place at the Edmonton Food Bank on September 13,2017 from 6-9pm.
• Honest Dumplings and Prairie Pigeon are back with a pop-up at Culina Cafe at the Muttart on September 14, 2017. Tickets for the 3-course dinner are $45 per person.
• Arts on the Avenue’s annual Kaleido Festival is back September 15-17, 2017 with an Iron Heart mystery box cook-off and 10 food trucks serving up eats alongside the arts and cultural performances.
• The Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts is hosting Route of Our Roots, a Ukrainian food fair, on September 15, 2017 at the Old Timers Cabin. Admission is free, but food tickets are required to taste the samples.
• Sustainable Food Edmonton will be hosting their first ever Fall Fair on September 16, 2017 in conjunction with Riverdale Community League Day. They’ll be accepting entries for bragging rights for the best pie, jam, pickling, and even the ugliest vegetable grown.
• Northlands is offering their final free Urban Farm Tour for the season on September 17, 2017. Just make sure you register online!
• To help celebrate National Chicken Month, consider the next Prairie on the Plate dinner at Northern Chicken on September 26, 2017. The 5-course meal is on for $50.
• Little Brick is hosting a New England-style crab boil on September 30, 2017. Tickets are $40 each.
• Viva Italia is hosting a Harvest Market in Giovanni Caboto Park on September 30, from 12-7pm. Expect grape stomping, among other activities.
• Those who knew Ernesto Rizzi and his Dolce and Banana food truck might be interested in a fundraiser that will help establish a memorial fund in his name. An prime rib dinner and opera/comedic performance from The PreTenors is taking place on October 28, 2017 at Century Casino. Tickets are $55.
• LitFest has released their line-up, and their Food Matters event returns on October 21, 2017 with Toronto restauranteur Jen Agg, science writer Bob Holmes, chef David Wolfman, and Jennifer Cockrall-King. Tickets are $45.
• Those who were looking forward to this year’s Diner en Blanc will be disappointed – the new team of organizers have decided to postpone the event until 2018.
• Liane confirmed the closure of Vivo’s downtown location.
• Remedy opened its sixth location in Southgate Centre back in August.
• Town Square Brewing in south Edmonton is very close to opening.
• It looks like a location of Tsujiri, offering matcha-based desserts and drinks, is opening downtown at 10173 109 Street.
• If you’ve been waiting to try Alta, now might be the perfect opportunity: they’ve introduced a $30 3-course prix fixe lunch from 11am-2pm.
• Sharon didn’t enjoy her first experience at newly-opened Ripe Tomato Pizza.
• Cindy reviews the Taiwanese desserts at ZenQ.
• Jonny sampled several dishes from Biera and had a positive meal overall.
• Bundok’s brunch is endorsed by the Edmonton Journal.
• Crystal is the latest to check out Pho Boy.
• Graham has a rundown on Edmonton’s newest patisseries.
• Vue Weekly reminds us that Sunbake Pita is worth a visit.
• Valerie’s latest Cooking in the Kitchen post is all about making a sourdough starter with instructions from The Ruby Apron’s Kaelin Whittaker.
• It’s about time the Canadian Food Guide is updated – it’s not ready, but some major changes are coming, including recommendations about decreasing intake of red meat, fatty meats, whole-fat dairy, and processed foods.
• My sister Amanda was in town last week, so I had to show her some of the good eats she’s been missing. One of the many stops: Zwick’s Pretzels.

Pretzel trifecta from Zwick’s

• Thanks to the Downtown Edmonton Community League for hosting their annual Corn Fest over the weekend, coinciding with the opening our Downtown’s newest green space, Alex Decouteau Park at 105 Street and 102 Avenue.

It’s corn season

• The final What the Truck?! event of the season took place on Saturday. This poutine burger from Northlands’ 1879 was certainly an eye catcher.

Poutine burger with duck fat fries

I hope the beautiful weather continues, but if not, at least we had the long weekend to drink in a last blast of summer. Hope you made the most of it, too! On to this week’s food notes:

• Sorrentino’s annual Mushroom Harvest takes place the entire month of September, with feature menus, wine dinners, and special cooking classes.
• The Faculty of Agricultural, Life, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta is hosting a free public screening of Food Evolution on September 12, 2017. It is a film about the status of food and the use of GMOs in food production.
• In the Spirit of Festival Place combines a fundraiser with a spirit tasting on September 14, 2017. The $65 tickets include tastes of single malts, ports and madeiras, entertainment and light appetizers.
• Tickets for Vignettes Does Dining’s dinner from the folks behind El Cortez, Have Mercy, and the forthcoming Holy Roller are now available for $90 each. The event takes place September 15, 2017.
• Last year’s Mooncake Masterclass (organized in conjunction with the Chinatown Business Improvement Area’s Moonlight Carnival) was cancelled, so it’s great to see that they’re giving it another shot. It takes place on September 16, 2017 from 1-5pm – learn how to make mooncakes in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Tickets are $18.
• Dig In, St. Albert’s horticulinary festival, runs September 19-23, 2017. The festival includes hands-on workshops and culinary walking and bike tours.
• Early bird tickets for the 20th edition of the Rocky Mountain Food & Wine Festival, taking place November 10-11, 2017 at the Shaw Conference Centre, are now available. The discounted admission is available until September 27.
• Coming soon: a Laotian restaurant called Khao + Naam.
• The new restaurant in the Alberta Hotel has a name: Revel Bistro & Bar. It looks like they’re targeting a September opening.
• Bingsu (Korean shared ice) has come to Edmonton in full force – Snowy Village is now open downtown at 11020 Jasper Avenue, to be followed by Snow Bear on September 9, 2017 just down the block at 10051 109 Street.
• Villa Bistro (which has since replaced Free Press Bistro at 10014 104 Street) is now open.
• Urbano Pizza has closed their Boardwalk location downtown, but on the plus side, Bodega will be expanding.
• Rogue Wave Coffee has closed its location in Queen Mary Park, but has hopes to open up in a larger space in the near future.
• Happy to hear Jacek is expanding their Sherwood Park location in time for the holiday season! Expect the new Experience Boutique to be open in November.
• Cafe Linnea is now offering prix fixe Tuesdays, 3-course meals (plus an amuse bouche) for just $30.
• Liane has a few more details about Farrow’s Ritchie location, namely, that they’re able to offer even more pastries.
• A second cat cafe will open in Edmonton this fall called Paws the Cat Cafe, just north of Downtown on 109 Street.
• Vue Weekly has an early review of Cargato in Forest Heights.
• Twyla didn’t find much to be inspired about at Bottega 104, while Cindy is still hoping for more.
• Jonny paid ACE Coffee Roasters a visit.
• Graham wasn’t impressed with the service at Situation Brewing.
• Cindy recapped the Taste Alberta International Street Food event that took place at Dogwood Cafe a few weeks ago.
• Perhaps bathrooms shouldn’t have a place in these notes, but in case you’re hoping to support our local entry, Dorinku is up for the title of Canada’s Best Restroom. You can vote for them until September 8, 2017.
• You may have heard of produced-based Community Supported Agriculture, but did you know it is possible to buy into a fruit-based one in Edmonton as well? Sprout Farms (an apple orchard) began a fruit share program this summer.
• We had a lovely family dinner at Uccellino last week. Although we enjoyed all of the dishes, the panelle di ceci (fried chickpea polenta fritters) were the surprising favourite, light and airy, and had a texture reminiscent of tofu.

Panelle di ceci

• When I get a hankering for frozen yogurt, I often forget about the Pinkberry tucked away in Rogers Place. Mack and I stopped in one night last week.

Frozen yogurt on steroids

It feels like we’re getting a last blast of summer this week, though I can hardly believe we’re already at the end of August! Hope you’re soaking up every minute of it too. On to this week’s food notes:

• What the Truck?! has released the line-up of vendors to expect at their final event of the season on September 9, 2017, from 12-7pm on Capital Boulevard.
• If you have an excess of apples and want to transform it into cider, consider attending Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton’s cider pressing event on September 9. A quarter of the cider will go to the volunteers, but you’d get to take the rest home!
• Nate Box is expanding his empire to include a sausage and beer hall called Salz. They’re hosting a pop-up bratwurst dinner at District on September 10, 2017 if you’re hoping for an early taste of the menu.
• The Butternut Tree is the latest restaurant to try and fill the space once occupied by The Copper Pot in Grandin at 101, 9707 110 Street. They’ve set their opening date as September 1, 2017.
• Montreal Hotdogs has delayed their opening date to September 18, 2017.
• Ripe Tomato Pizza, a Calgary-based quick-service pizza chain, just opened its first Edmonton location at 5011 Ellerslie Road SW.
• The Rec Room has opened its second Edmonton location at West Edmonton Mall. Unlike the South Edmonton Common flagship, they have just two of the dining options – The Shed and Three10.
• Congratulations to the Commodore Restaurant, an Edmonton institution, which celebrates 75 years in operation this year!
• Metro profiles vegan pizzeria Die Pie.
• Cindy breaks down what makes Menya Yuzen stand out in our increasingly crowded ramen scene.
• Linda is one of the first to review Nara Chicken and Tonkatsu, located at 8712 150 Street.
• Vue Weekly has a positive reception to Venezuelan newcomer Avila Arepa.
• Jonny reviews Thien An, a new Vietnamese restaurant located at 7304 101 Avenue.
• Graham believes Biera has done an excellent job at pairing their dishes with the in-house beer.
• The Journal enjoyed their visit to Tang Bistro.
• Crystal checked out Urbano Pizza.
• The second Culinary Lab Series dinner took place last week. Eat North put together a video capturing what we missed.
• Linda recapped this year’s Sturgeon County Bounty event.
• Alexis Hillyard, the maven behind the popular Stump Kitchen YouTube series, is running a crowdfunding campaign to support the production of the videos.
• The New York Daily News shows some love for Edmonton and Calgary.
• Mack and I checked out the annual Viva Italian Viva Edmonton festival in Giovanni Caboto Park yesterday. The grounds were packed with families enjoying the event, which included food trucks, performances, and even wrestling! There was also a tent that housed food-related events all afternoon – the highlight for us was an olive oil education session led by the Italian Centre’s Teresa Spinelli (they sold over 100,000 litres of olive oil last year!).

#eatlikeanItalian at VIVE

• It’s been too long since our last visit to Route 99, but I’m happy to say the poutine was exactly as I remembered.

Our Route 99 staple

Summer weekends in Edmonton offer so many choices! We spent ours taking advantage of Open Farm Days. It was great to see some of the farms we shop at weekly first hand, and to be introduced to others – I hope to write about these visits soon! On to this week’s food notes:

• Save the date for the last What the Truck?! of the season on September 9, 2017 from 12-7pm on Capital Boulevard.
• Dogwood Cafe is hosting a fun international Taste of Alberta dinner outdoors at the Riverside Gold Course on August 26, 2017. On the menu: Mexican street corn, Brazilian grilled chicken hearts, Thai Larb lettuce wraps, and Salchincha kaftas. Tickets are $29, and include three food vouchers.
• Vignettes Does Dining is back for another year. Tickets for a pop-up at Tzin on September 2, 2017 are now on sale for $150 each.
• Die Pie had to postpone their grand opening date from August 18 to August 25, 2017.
• Mayday Dogs in the Mercer Warehouse is hoping to open the first week of September.
• Great to hear that Drift will be open during the winter at the Shamrock Curling Club.
• Sorry to hear that Cafe Linnea is reverting to a tip-based system as of August 22, 2017, as “the [no tipping]current model has proven to be untenable.”
• Ripe Tomato Pizza, a quick-serve Neopolitan pizza company based out of Calgary, is coming to Edmonton. Find them soon at Harvest Point, 5011 Ellerslie Road SW.
• Cindy is the first to review Chinese Crepe, located in the Mayfair Building at 10815 Jasper Avenue.
• Vue Weekly paid a visit to a newcomer to Edmonton’s pizza scene, Buono Pizzeria and Grill.
• Jonny checked out Banjara, a South Indian restaurant in Duggan.
• Chartier, one of the four local establishments on the shortlist of En Route’s Best New Restaurants, has shared their thoughts on the key ingredient to #yegfood’s success.
• Taste of Edmonton made it official last week by announcing their move to the Alberta Legislature grounds in 2018.
• Valerie’s latest “In the Kitchen” post features an apple beet soup, just in time for the beet harvest.
• I hadn’t heard of Habit before, a food tech startup that posits that everyone could benefit from a personalized nutritional blueprint.
• It was a bit of a coincidence that I ended up at King Noodle House for a second Sunday in a row, but it’s hard to pass up their bun bo Hue on a cool summer afternoon.

Bun Bo Hue at King Noodle House

• Festival season in the city continues, with the Fringe this week of course, but also the Edmonton Latin Festival on August 19-20, 2017 at Churchill Square.
• The Edmonton Horticultural Society is hosting a Tomato Extravaganza on August 29, 2017 from 2-8pm at the Enjoy Centre. The event will include a greenhouse tour, cooking demonstrations, tastings, and tomato growing tips and tricks. Adult admission is $5.
• Mark your calendar for the 8th annual Bacon Day, a fundraiser for Youth Empowerment and Support Services. Hosted at Workshop Eatery, guests will be treated to several swine-inspired items, a bacon dessert cook-off, and drinks. Tickets are $90.
• Eat North is hosting its inaugural Prairie Grid Dinner Series, taking place in four cities across three provinces. It hits Edmonton on October 1, 2017. Tickets for the five-course dinner are $140.
• Chef Lindsay Porter is leaving Woodwork to open up her own “English-inspired” restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Cured (2307 Ellwood Drive). She’s aiming to open by October 2017.
• Die Pie, which claims to be Alberta’s first plant-based pizzeria, officially opens on August 18, 2017. They’re located at 11215 Jasper Avenue.
• The Downtown Edmonton Community League is stoking the rumour mill that Japanese BBQ chain Gyu-Kaku will be taking over a portion of the former Sobeys space on Jasper Avenue & 104 Street.
• The Century Hospitality-branded restaurant that will take over the former Piccolino Bistro now has a name: Rebel Food and Drink.
• Farrow, the popular sandwich shop, has opened up a second location in Ritchie at 9855 76 Avenue.
• Cartago, a new bar and cocktail lounge, is now open in Forest Heights at 8204 106 Avenue. It’s really great to see these additions made to Edmonton’s mature neighbourhoods.
• The Nook Cafe (which has since replaced Massawa Cafe at 10153 97 Street) is now open.
• Twyla loved the food at Biera, the new brewpub located in Ritchie Market’s Blind Enthusiasm.
• Jonny is one of the first to review El Fogon Latino on 118 Avenue.
• The Journal had a positive experience at Calle Mexico.
• Crystal enjoyed some aspects of her cook-it-yourself meal at Lava Rock Grille Sushi more than others.
• Graham ponders the eternal debate, surf or turf, as he contrasts Sabor Divino and Pampa.
• Vue Weekly enjoyed Prairie Noodle’s version of ramen.
• St. Viateur fans will be happy to know that Cafe Bicyclette now stocks a few of their bagel varieties. $12.60 a bag.
• Congratulations to the four Edmonton and area restaurants that made it onto EnRoute’s Best New Restaurants shortlist: Alder Room, Bar Clementine, Cafe Linnea and Chartier.
• Calgary-based blogger Julie Van Rosendaal came through Edmonton for a weekend, and has plenty of recommendations from her visit.
• Duchess Atelier just released their Fall class schedule. Classes will go on sale on August 21, 2017.
• Valerie’s latest Cooking With post features a recipe for a Newfoundland specialty – fried cod tongues.
• Liane introduces a new cookbook by a local food writer and NAIT professor Kristine Kowalchuk that provides a glimpse of 17th century recipes and techniques.
• Monument, Block 1912’s sister café north of the river is now open at 10803 Jasper Avenue! It’s always great to have more independent coffee shops around, especially ones that are open later into the evening. It’s great that they serve locally-made products, including Meat Street Pies and Moonshine Donuts. They’ll be hosting their grand opening on August 15, 2017 from 11am-3pm.

Monument

• Mack and I finally made it to Dorinku in Old Strathcona on Friday night. It’s a lively place that reminded me a little of Guu in Toronto. We only sampled a handful of dishes, but our favourite by far was the torokeru chashu, a braised pork cheek that did melt in our mouth, as advertised!

Chashu at Dorinku

• I enjoyed my first Instagrammable Walls of Edmotnon walk with Linda and Brittney on Saturday! One of the best things about the walk was the end destination – King Noodle House.

#33 at King Noodle

I hope you all had a great long weekend! The weather wasn’t entirely co-operative, but the break helped make the most of what’s left of our summer. On to this week’s food notes:

• Sabor’s annual Seafood Festival runs from August 4 – September 3, 2017. Cindy has a preview of the dishes you can expect.
• Cariwest runs next weekend, from August 11-13, 2017.
• There’s still time to plan your Alberta Open Farm Days weekend August 19-20, 2017. I’m looking forward to hosting the Grand Taste Tour alongside Linda on August 19, 2017, with visits to Blindman Brewery, Rock Ridge Dairy, and a tour and dinner at Doef’s Greenhouse. Tickets are $110. It’s sure to be a fun day – check out my recaps of previous Grand Taste Tours in 2016 and 2015.
• Northlands is also hosting different workshops and tours of their Urban Farm on August 20, 2017. I’m looking forward to joining one of their rural farm bus tours – I attended last year and it’s hard to beat a $5 fee for the experience.
• Sunworks is hosting their annual Family Farm Day on September 4, 2017. Tour the farm and enjoy a BBQ lunch. There is no charge to attend, but RSVP by August 31, 2017. I had the chance to see the farm back in June.
• Voting for Avenue’s Burger Challenge continues with round three – vote for your favourites from the “sweet 16” group by August 13.
• Pampa’s second Edmonton location is opening on August 8 in south Edmonton, at 9626 Ellerslie Road SW.
• Rooster Cafe & Kitchen will open in September in the space formerly occupied by Artistan Resto-Cafe (10732 82 Avenue)
• Chinese Crepe and Taiwanese dessert bar ZenQ are now open in The Mayfair (Jasper Ave & 109 Street). It also looks like a gelato shop is also forthcoming to the building later this year, La Carraia.
• Monument (Block 1912’s sister cafe located in The Mayfair) is near completion and will be opening this week.
• Cartago is a forthcoming beer and cocktails spot in Forest Heights, at 8204 106 Avenue.
• Linda noticed a relative newcomer to the food scene, Nara Chicken & Tonkatsu at 8712 150 Street.
• Sharon had a positive experience at Loft Thai Eatery in south Edmonton, located at 5324 75 Street.
• Diane provides a detailed review of her multi-course meal at Alta.
• Crystal stopped by XO Bistro and Bar for lunch.
• Graham compares the spectrum of sushi available at Sumo Sumo’s new Edmonton location and relative newcomer Takami Sushi.
• Cindy recapped the pop-up hosted by Masterchef Canada finalist Mai Nguyen.
• Alberta now has its first self-serve beer wall at Barney’s Pub & Grill in Leduc.
• Congratulations to Ian Treuer of Winding Road Cheese for placing second in the Washed Rind Cheese category at the American Cheese Society Conference! He shared his experience on his blog.
• Effective August 15, 2017, craft beer and spirits can be sold at Alberta approved farmers’ markets. This new provincial law doesn’t apply to public markets.
• A study commissioned by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency found that 1 in 5 sausages tested across Canada contained meat that wasn’t included on the label.
• Mack and I kicked off the long weekend at Otto – I’d been craving another Otto dog since sampling it at the Eats on 118 crawl earlier this summer. It’s a lovely place to relax and unwind – laid back with great service. I’ll be back again soon.

Our platter at Otto

• Congratulations to the Heritage Festival for breaking their attendance record this year! Mack and I had a great time on Sunday, making sure to sample from the two new pavilions this year, Liberia and Syria. I had to end our feast with a tradition – langos from Hungary.

Langos from Hungary

• For all those Harry Potter fans out there: Chartier’s burger night on August 1 is themed after the series.
• A reminder that the Heritage Festival runs this weekend from August 5-7, 2017. If you’re heading down to take it in, don’t forget to bring a donation for the Edmonton Food Bank.
• As a part of Festival Place’s community celebration Chautauqua in August, they’ll be hosting a free Craft Beer School and Tasting on August 12, 2017, from 2-9pm.
• Chix Shack, specializing in Thai chicken, is now open at 10149 109 Street.
• Vegan pizzeria Die Pie has set their grand opening date: August 18, 2017 at 5pm. They are located at 11215 Jasper Avenue.
• More pizza to come: Al Centro is a “Roman pizza bar” to open Downtown in 2018.
• Yuzen in St. Albert will be expanding their operations: Sushi Yuzen in St. Albert and ramen-based Menya Yuzen on Edmonton’s west end. In the meantime, their current St. Albert location has become Menya Yuzen, open from Wednesdays to Sundays.
• Montreal Hotdogs premiered their menu at K-Days. They will be opening three locations in the Edmonton area – Downtown, Beaumont and Cochrane.
• While Vue previews what to expect at RE:GRUB, the new Calgary-based burger bar that just opened in Old Strathcona, Sharon recaps her experience.
• The Journal reviews the Crudo family’s latest restaurant, Bottega 104.
• Crystal pays Sherwood Park’s Via Cibo a visit.
• Jonny reminds us that Swiss 2 Go is worth checking out.
• If now now, when? Check out Linda’s list of 10 cold treats to beat the heat.
• Made with Love, Canada’s largest mixology competition, landed in Edmonton last week. Congratulations to winners Tyler Gushaty from North 53 and Leland Morrison from the Black Pearl – they’ll be competing in the finals in May 2018.
• Congratulations to all of the winners in this year’s Canadian Food Championships!
• The Leftovers Foundation, which rescues food that would otherwise go to waste, was profiled on Global.
• The Free Press Bistro (10014 104 Street) has been sold, with the new tenant having renamed the space Villa Bistro.

Villa Bistro

• On the same street, Munch will fill in a storefront that has been vacant for some time at 10040 104 Street.

Munch

• Mack and I had a great time at our annual visit to K-Days (which ended Sunday). There’s nothing like a stroll through the midway! We tried a few new items, including a solid poutine from Montreal Hotdogs, but had to indulge in a bag of Those Little Donuts, too.

Authentic poutine from Montreal Hotdogs

The real reason we go to K-Days

We’re in the thick of festival season in Edmonton! Hope you’re out making the most of one of the reasons why the city is the place to be in the summer. On to this week’s food notes:

• Lacombe is considered a darling of Alberta’s food scene right now – if you’ve been meaning to visit, their upcoming Locavore Lacombe festival on July 30, 2017 may be a good time as any! Sample food and meet producers in this second annual event.
• Mark your calendars for this year’s Sturgeon County Bounty, taking place on August 11, 2017, from 4-9pm. Expect kids cooking workshops, farmers’ market vendors, and of course, food!
• The folks behind Mayday Dogs are opening up a new space this fall in the Brewery District, called Frontier Handhelds.
• Many are sorry to see Piccolino Bistro go, but at least the space won’t sit vacant – Century Hospitality will be opening a new restaurant in the space this fall.
• Duchess Provisions is back in their original location next to the bake shop at 10718 124 Street.
• If you’re heading to K-Days and want to know what new items are worth sampling, check out Cindy’s post.
• If you’re looking for a special occasion, consider the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald’s new high tea, served in the Queen Elizabeth II suite. Lillian shares what you can expect.
• You may have seen photos of Korean shaved ice on your social media feeds lately – Vue Weekly has more about what makes it special, from Edmonton’s first Bingsu cafe, Snowy Dessert.
• Crystal wasn’t impressed with her most recent visit to The Needle.
• Cindy has some recommendations on what to order at Nudoru.
• Graham had a positive experience with the food but not the service at District.
• Andrea checked out some of the new dishes to be found on the menu at Lux.
• If you’re looking for new brunch ideas in Edmonton look no further than Leigh’s post.
• Liane highlights the collaborative relationship between Chef Ben Staley and Vesta Gardens farmer Deb Krause.
• Ever wonder who are the people behind Prairie Noodle? Twyla breaks down the team and their talents.
• Avenue’s Burger Challenge is currently in its second round – vote for your favourite.
• It’s amazing to learn just how big local gluten-free bakery Kinnikinnick has grown since its inception.
• Congratulations to Food4Good, who won $1700 from the Fresh Meaet event a few weeks ago. Read about some of the other food-related projects that pitched their ideas here.
• Local author Jennifer Cockrall-King’s book Food Artisans of the Okanagan, made the Taste Canada Awards shortlist.
• Did you know that an online map exists that showcases where all of Edmonton’s edible fruit trees are located? Now you do.
• I met up with a friend at Bundok last week and will definitely be back. The highlight of the evening was the citrus posset, a refreshing dessert that tasted like a cross between a panna cotta and a citrus custard.

Citrus posset from Bundok

• Su and I had brunch on the patio at Get Cooking on Saturday. It felt like a well-kept secret since there were so few tables, but Chef Doreen Prei didn’t mind. It was also their last brunch as the studio is closing until mid-August (they just released their fall class schedule). I enjoyed the fried eggs and pisto, and could have eaten many more cheddar chive scones (Doreen’s secret is loads of butter and aged cheddar).

Fried eggs over pisto and cheddar chive scone from Get Cooking

• Mack and I headed to Vaticano Cucina on Saturday to help Linda celebrate her birthday. Reviews from the group were mixed. Mack thought his pasta was nothing special, and though we were told they were the only restaurant in Canada to offer deep-fried pizza (Montanara style), it was only slightly noticeable in the crust. Though I wasn’t impressed enough to immediately return, I’d consider coming back if I was passing through the area.

St. Patrick pizza from Vaticano Cucina

• When we have a pho craving on a Sunday (when Tau Bay is closed), Mack and I always head to Pho Hoan Pasteur.

Our usual at Pasteur