• Hops & Whisky, a craft beer and whisky tasting, is an event that will be raising funds for The Pride Centre on March 2, 2017. Tickets are $80 and up.
• NAIT is hosting a dinner paired with different Blindman Beers on March 4, 2017. The five course dinner costs for $95 per person.
• Voting for the 2017 Golden Fork Awards is now open! Nominate your favourite eats before March 30, 2017.
• Vivo’s Downtown location, featuring a pizzeria and taverna, is now open at 10505 106 Street!
• Little Village’s storefront location opened last week at 14816 Stony Plain Road. Phil has an overview of what you can expect.
• Alta was delayed a few days, but they will officially open February 28, 2017.
• Sugared & Spiced shared the news of their new location at 10330 Whyte Ave! Expect an opening this spring.
• Phil shares that Chicken on the Way is on its way back to Edmonton, with a franchise to open at 10070 163 Street.
• Grandin Fish & Chips (from the same folks behind The Common) is now open at 9902 109 Street, and Sandy enjoyed their fresh and fried seafood.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie enjoyed the savoury pretzels and pretzel-wiches at Zwick’s Pretzels.
• If you’re looking for a sweet treat, look no further than Doughnut Party – Andrea sampled a half dozen of their flavours.
• The Journal dined out at Saviour, an Ethiopian and Italian restaurant in St. Albert.
• Johnny offers an early review of Pho Boy.
• Linda recommends the food at suburban Grain of Rice.
• Cindy tempts us with photos of the eye-catching dishes at Izakaya Dorinku.
• Have you heard of Seorak Teppan & Bar? Crystal checked it out and had a really great experience.
• Are you looking to start a food truck in Edmonton? Check out Drift’s story for some inspiration.
• This is an interesting thread on bootleg pizza delivery companies operating in Calgary, piggybacking on another local Chicago deep dish business.
• McDonald’s rolled out their all-day breakfast menu in Canada on February 21, 2017.

It sure was nice to have an extra day off from work this weekend – I hope you made the most of it too! On to this week’s food notes:

• FEAST: Recipes & Stories from a Canadian Road Trip is a new book by Lindsay Anderson and Dana Vanveller that spawned from an epic five month journey across the country. The book features over 100 diverse Canadian recipes. The authors are launching their book at Audrey’s on February 27, 2017 from 6-8pm.
• Chef Allan Suddaby (who is the Executive Chef of Elm Catering) will be teaching a series of classes at Metro Continuing Education from March to May 2017 on topics ranging from deep-frying without a deep-fryer, Irish food for St. Patrick’s Day, and the perfect burger. He’s a great instructor, so the sessions are worth considering if you’re wanting to learn a new kitchen skill!
• Chef Travis Petersen (based in Vancouver) is hoping to host a dozen pop-ups across the country. He’ll be making a stop in Edmonton at Northern Chicken on March 8, 2017. Tickets for the local pop-up are $110.
• Barrel Chicken Co. is hosting a pop-up at Solstice Seasonal Cuisine on March 12, 2017. Tickets are $50 for the 5-course meal.
• Alta, one half of Chef Ben Staley’s duo of new restaurants (the other half being The Alder Room) will open on February 24, 2017. Alta is located at 10328 Jasper Avenue.
• A new Thai restaurant, Songkran Thai, is now open in St. Albert at 20 St. Anne Street.
• Takami Sushi opened recently at 10430 61 Avenue.
• Amore Pasta, a pasta bar concept launched by the family behind Cafe Amore and Black Pearl, offers the same quality that we have come to expect at Cafe Amore, writes Jonny.
• Cindy shares her favourite dishes and cocktails off the menu at Baijiu.
• Twyla enjoyed her dinner of comfort food classics at Dogwood Cafe (located at the Victoria Golf Course).
• Rebecca paid a visit to the expanded location of Calle Mexico on 107 Avenue.
• Crystal checked out Old Strathcona’s NongBu.
• Why have so many bakeries opened in Edmonton recently? Vue Weekly looks into the answer.
• It’s always great to hear about the successes that may have started off small, such as Alberta-based food companies that have grown in size in our expanding agri-food industry.
• There seem to be subscription services for all types of food, so I shouldn’t be surprised that a Fudge Club exists with Phil’s Fudge Factory – 3, 6, or 12 month subscriptions are available.
• I was so sorry to read about the burglary that left Sambol Sri Lankan kitchen in shambles – I hope they’re able to re-open soon.
• Wildcard applications for the Canadian Food Championships (held in Edmonton this year July 21-23, 2017) are now open.
• Lillian tried ChocoVine (which blends wine with chocolate) in a recipe for pot de creme. She’s also giving away two bottles to one lucky reader.
• Planet Organic released an ad today apologizing to their customers and promising to do better. It was probably meant to be amusing, but I just found the tone and production values slightly off.
• The Winter Shake-Up Fest coincided with one of the warmest weekends this year, but we still enjoyed ourselves. Stilt-walking is harder than it looks, but it was fun to give it a go – thanks to Lincoln for the photo!

Stilt-walking at the Winter Shake-Up Fest

• Mack and I also wandered over to Hawrelak Park for the Silver Skate Festival. Rain boots were definitely more appropriate than snow boots, but people were making the most of it!

Bannock making at the Silver Skate Festival

• The warm weather means street food may have another prolonged season (as was the case in 2016). It was definitely nice enough for a hot dog from Fat Franks on Saturday in Old Strathcona!

Fat Franks

• When Love Pizza announced their next feature would combine two of our favourite things: pizza and mac and cheese, we knew we had to try it. The mac & cheeza, topped with Irvings Farm Fresh bacon, was everything we hoped it would be.

Mac & cheeza at Love Pizza

• Who doesn’t love a good deal? Look no further than to UberEats, who is offering some great dollar deals from February 13-19, 2017.
• If you’re still looking for a Valentine’s Day reservation – tickets for the Honest Dumplings and Prairie Pigeon pop-up at the Chvrch of John are still available.
• Food4Good is hosting a fruit and veggie sale from 3-8pm February 16, 2017 at the Glenwood Community League.
• Save the date: the 6th annual Culinary Cook-off at Mount Royal School will take place on April 22, 2017.
• Coming soon: Vaticano Cucina, opening at 10310 45 Avenue in March.
• Andrea’s among the first to share her experience at 104 Street addition Bundok.
• Jonny checked out much of the menu at Baijiu.
• One of Old Strathcona’s newest pubs, Malt and Mortar, was reviewed in the Journal over the weekend.
• Graham really enjoyed the sausage and beer at Otto.
• If you haven’t heard of Zwick’s Pretzels, head on over for sweet or savoury pretzels!
• CBC commissioned a “poutine panel” to evaluate the poutine from My Fries and Dixie Lee.
• Highlands Golf Course is getting into the take-out game – they’re offering a take-out option every Friday for orders placed before Thursday at noon.
• Learn the story behind Hansen Distillery, one of Edmonton’s newest distilleries.
• Liane reveals the thought process behind how some restaurants chose their tableware.
• Chef Paul Shufelt is proud of the talented up and coming chefs that call Edmonton/Alberta home!
• Speaking of talented chefs – Chef Eric Hanson shared his bronze medal winning experience at the Gold Medal Plates on Global.
• Vesta Gardens opened up their community supported agriculture for 2017 – the 10-week share is $350.
• Cathy tried her hand at making her mother’s perogies.
• A new study shows that people may perceive healthy foods to be more expensive.
• Merriam-Webster added more than two dozen food-related words to the dictionary this year – check them out (they include EVOO, food truck, and food insecure).
• I had my first experience of Bar Clementine last week. Loved the drinks (the Provence was delicious) and my friend and I enjoyed our share plates.

Bar Clementine

• Custom treats by Donut Pals will be available at Malt and Mortar from 10am-4pm for your sweetheart on February 14, 2017.
• Missed the Honest Dumplings and Prairie Pigeon pop-up at The Chvrch of John last week? Well you’re in luck – the pair are joining forces again for Valentine’s Day! 2 seatings of dumplings and desserts for your valentine on February 14, 2017.
• The next Second Line pop-up is taking place on February 28, 2017 at The Lingnan. Tickets for the seafood boil are $60.
• Congratulations to Darren and Maria of Zwick’s Pretzels, who are finally satisfying the city’s craving for fresh pretzels. They just launched the storefront last week at 12415 107 Avenue.
• Doughnut Party (from the folks behind Moonshine Doughnuts) also had their soft opening last week, and sold out several times over. They’ll be re-opening again on February 9, 2017 at 10938 119 Street.
• I wouldn’t be surprised if the students at the U of A are jealous of their peers at MacEwan – with the addition of Prairie Noodle’s udon-serving Prairie Outpost that opened today, their food options just keep getting better and better.
• Speaking of Prairie Noodle, congratulations to Chef Eric Hanson on capturing bronze in the 2017 Gold Medal Plates competition!
• Baijiu is now open – Twyla previews what you can expect.
• Cindy has one of the first reviews of the restaurant inside the Crash Hotel (formerly the Grand Hotel).
• Jonny visited a new-ish Korean restaurant called Miga on the south side.
• Vue Weekly checked out Wheat Garden Noodle & Dumpling Bazaar.
• Twyla enjoyed her ramen experience at Nudoru.
• Don’t click this if you’re hungry – Cindy presents Cafe Linnea’s new winter menu in pictures.
• It’s so great to hear that the Italian Bakery will not only be fully up and running (after the fire in 2016 that destroyed their bakery), but they’ll still be adding a St. Albert location to their family in July.
• I’m sorry to hear Transcend Coffee wasn’t able to make it work at the Mercer Warehouse – the downtown location will close February 26, 2017.
• The food section in the Edmonton Journal has been whittled down over the past year to a random collection of articles on Wednesdays and small local pieces on Saturdays, so it’s no real surprise that Gastropost is also being eliminated. After 167 missions, this week’s mission will be the last.
• Should you take a chance on higher-end take-out? Avenue explores this question.
• The Toronto Star wrote a nice piece about some of our great local restaurants.
• The latest local business to turn to crowdfunding is Cafe Bel-Air, which is hoping to raise $8,000 towards finishing their popsicle truck in time for summer.
• I missed linking to this last week – congratulations to Fuge Fine Meat, who exceeded their Alberta BoostR campaign goal of $20,000.
• Three Edmontonians are vying to make the Masterchef Canada cut beginning March 2, 2017.
• Will our food one day be prepared by robot chefs?
• I’ve been meaning to visit Macarons and Goodies on my way home, and finally made the time to do so last week. It’s a charming little shop, with a good selection of cakes and pastries, and a very friendly owner.

Macarons and Goodies

• I love seeing local product integrated with other similar products (as opposed to being segregated into a separate “homegrown” section), so it was nice to see a product from Strathcona Spirits Distillery on the shelves (and Eau Claire, too).

At Chateau Louis Liquor Store

• Soup is always my meal of choice, both at home or out and about – so Mack and I stopped at Pho Hoan Pasteur while we were nearby running errands this weekend.

Pho for two

• Food4Good is hosting two events this week: an affordable Fruit & Veggie Market on January 24, 2017 from 11am-4pm (where nothing is priced over $3), and a collective kitchen on January 27, 2017. Both events take place at the Britannia Youngstown Community League.
• Vegan food truck Sailin’ On is popping up at Earth’s General Store downtown for lunch on January 27, 2017 from 11am-2:30pm.
• You can get your Prairie Pigeon fix at downtown’s Evoolution on January 28, 2017 from 11am-2pm and at a pop-up at the Chvrch of John alongside Honest Dumplings on February 2, 2017 at 5pm.
• MacEwan’s Global Awareness Week features a screening of More than Honey, a documentary about bees and beekeepers. The free event takes place on January 30, 2017 from 4-6pm – RSVP here.
• A free event kicks off the Cultivating Connections food conference on February 3, 2017: a moderated panel including Mayors Don Iveson, Lisa Holmes (Morinville) and Tom Flynn (Sturgeon County) will discuss agricultural land preservation, food innovation, and local food production. The reception will feature Alberta ingredients prepared by five local chefs. RSVP here.
• Northern Chicken is partnering with Effing Seafoods on the first Tuesday of every month, starting on February 7pm. On this first occasion you can expect oyster po’ boys and cod and chips.
• The next Swine and Dine dinner takes place at Dogwood Cafe (located at the Victoria Golf Course) on February 8, 2017. The four-course meal is on for $59 per person.
• Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the Wild Heart Brunch Club on February 11, 2017, with sides of burlesque and jazz to accompany a 3-course meal prepared by Sailin’ On. Tickets are $30.
• Learn more about Edmonton’s subscription-based Secret Meat Club from their segment on Global, though it appears all of their subscriptions are currently sold out.
• The South Edmonton Common location of Burger’s Priest opened over the weekend at 2125 98 Street.
• Where Edmonton shared that Oil & Vinegar, located in Commerce Place, is closing at the end of February.
• Cindy is one of the first to review XO Bistro Bar, a modern Vietnamese restaurant located in the Ultima Tower downtown.
• Twyla shared her love for Northern Chicken on CBC last week.
• I wish Cindy luck as she aims to cook her way through Edmonton Cooks!
• If you’re too busy to cook, but want to eat healthy, Careit Urban Deli now offers meal plans that can help you meet those goals.
• Liane sheds some light on the mental health challenges that some in the hospitality industry may face due to working conditions and industry pressures.
• Not your grandmother’s apples: an Okanagan orchard has bred the Arctic apple, a GMO variety that does not brown. While it isn’t yet available in Canada, it will be on store shelves in the US next month.
• I haven’t been to Bonjour Bakery since their renovations last summer – though it’s probably a good thing given I always walk away with too many goodies. The expanded bakery and cheese cases looked great!

Bonjour Bakery

• We checked out the new downtown Local Public Eatery (11228 Jasper Avenue) on Friday, urged on somewhat by a gift card Mack had been provided by the restaurant. With the Oilers game on, the atmosphere was quite lively, but the broadcast volume was on the loud side for us. Food-wise, we most enjoyed the nachos, which, unlike other similar dishes we’ve encountered, seemed to have been layered with care, with the chips actually remaining crispy for the most part.

Nachos from Local Public Eatery

• The Marc hopes to transport you to Alsace with three-course dinners from January 12-21, 2017. The meal costs $49.
• The first Passion for Pork Swine and Dine dinner takes place at The Common on January 17, 2017. The four-course meal is just $30.
• Local Public Eatery’s downtown location opened last week at 11228 Jasper Avenue.
• Burger’s Priest is opening up a second Edmonton location at South Common (2125 98 Street). Thanks to CanelaMaia for the heads up!
• I missed Panini’s Italian, a new-ish restaurant that opened up last year at 8544 Jasper Avenue.
• Lillian confirmed that the Alberta Hotel Bar & Kitchen is now closed.
• Cindy shared a photo log of dishes served at recent popups held by Baijiu, the forthcoming restaurant/bar opening up in the Mercer Warehouse.
• If you’re looking to order from a menu of 67 schnitzels, check out Haus Falkenstein, which reopened a few months ago after a rebuild.
• Andrea, Cindy and the Journal all share early reviews of Otto, the new sausage and beer emporium in Norwood.
• Graham enjoyed his evening at The Almanac on Whyte.
• Vue Weekly joins the chorus of overwhelmingly positive reviews for Northern Chicken.
• Liv at The Globe thinks Bodega is here to stay in Highlands.
• Lacombe’s Blindman Brewing is the latest local business to start a crowdfunding campaign: they’re hoping to raise $20,000 to purchase two giant oak barrels to age beer.
• It’s finally here: Fort Saskatchewan is the location of the first McDonald’s in Alberta offering all-day breakfast.
• Can you believe Deep Freeze celebrated its tenth anniversary this year? Our tradition at Deep Freeze is to share a poutine – and who are we to break with tradition?

Poutine!

• On our walk home from Deep Freeze, we stopped by Hyatt Place. The restaurant/lounge was a lovely open space, but it was unfortunately dead quiet. It was nice to see a couple of local products on the shelves though – Caramia Caramels and Fudgalicious.

Second floor lounge at Hyatt Place

• Mack and I have been meaning to revisit Three Boars for some time – the weather finally cleared up enough so we could walk over to the restaurant this weekend. Mushrooms and toast was as tasty as I remembered, and though I don’t regret the first few bites of dessert, it was definitely meant to be shared by a party larger than two!

Mushrooms and toast

Dark chocolate brownie, fernet ice cream, house-made marshmallow, salted caramel

• Nipsis Cafe, located outside of Edmonton in Maskwacis, hosts a monthly supper club. Their first dinner in 2017 is this Friday, January 13, from 5-9pm. The 3-course meal costs $30.
• The potluck celebration of life for Gail Hall is scheduled for January 14, from 5-9pm; guests should RSVP through Eventbrite. Related, a lovely illustration of Gail graces the January/February issue of The Tomato, and inside, her husband Jon Hall remembers her through the Proust questionnaire.
• The City Market is launching seasonal cooking demos in partnership with Kids in the Hall Bistro. The first event will take place on January 14, 2016 at 12:30pm with Chef Daniel Letourneau. The $30 ticket will include $5 in City Market bucks to spend after the demo.
• The Italian Centre has started the Chef’s Inspiration Dinner Series, a monthly event from February to June 2017 that will showcase local talent and the shop’s ingredients. Tickets for the dinner (including wine pairings) will be $65-75, and sold three weeks before each dinner.
• The Tomato is again compiling their top 100 best things to eat in Edmonton – nominate your favourites until January 27, 2017.
• Where Edmonton named Uccellino Edmonton’s best new restaurant for 2016.
• Three Boars announced they are finally opening up a branch north of the river, taking over the former MRKT space at Jasper Avenue and 105 Street (they faked us out back in 2015).
• It was only a matter of time before the poke trend landed in Edmonton: Splash Poke is set to open at 10079 109 Street some time this spring.
• We’ll also be welcoming another local brewery to town – Town Square Brewing (2919 Ellwood Drive). After all, Alberta’s in the midst of a craft beer boom.
• Casa Doce’s brick and mortar restaurant La Patrona opened on January 4 in Sherwood Park (Unit 8, 2 Athabascan Avenue).
• The Don Wheaton YMCA Downtown (10211 102 Avenue) has a new cafe called Maka Eatery, and Liane enjoyed the food.
• Open less than a month, Otto already has its first review from Twyla.
• Cindy tells you why you should check out the pan-fried dumplings at Golden Dumpling.
• Sharman visited Dogwood Cafe (located inside the Riverside Golf Course) for Sunday brunch.
• The Journal enjoyed their visits to Northern Chicken.
• It’s going to be a great year for bakeries in Edmonton. Liane profiles two of the newest: Old Strathcona’s La Boule and Central McDougall’s Macarons and Goodies.
• I neglected to link to Liane’s great roundup of Edmonton food in 2016.
• Lillian reflected on whether she met her food goals in 2016, and shares what she’s looking forward to in 2017.
• Here’s Julie van Rosendaal’s take on trends in 2017.
• Vue Weekly featured Alexis Hillyard and her great video series Stump Kitchen last week.
• Michael Kalmanovitch, owner of Earth’s General Store, posted an open letter indicating that the Downtown location is on its last legs unless something changes.
• I’m not too heartbroken about Whole Foods not following through with plans to expand to Alberta, but others may be.
• I prefer when grocery stores display local products alongside other similar products (as opposed to being segregated to a “locally sourced” shelf). So it was a nice surprise to see Confetti Sweets cookies available in the bakery at Save-On Foods.

Confetti Sweets

• I rarely forget my lunch, but when I do, it’s handy to have great options just around the corner, like Thanh Thanh Oriental Noodle House.

Special vermicelli bowl from Thanh Thanh

• Though I actually never need an excuse to indulge in soup, the weekend’s cold snap made bun bo hue from King Noodle House even more comforting.

Bun bo hue from King Noodle House

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a restful holiday and a great start to 2017. On to the first food notes for the year:

• This year’s Deep Freeze runs January 14-15, 2017. A new aspect of the festival is a tourtiere baking contest. Entries will be accepted until January 12.
• Ice on Whyte is partnering with the Edmonton Beer Geeks on February 3, 2017 to present the first ever Freeze Your Cask Off event, featuring 10 Alberta craft beers. The festival is also hosting its third annual Stew Off on February 5, 2017, with 5 local restaurants competing for the title of best stew.
• A food system forum is taking place on February 3-5, 2017 called Cultivating Connections 2017. The goal is to “identify tangible opportunities to collaborate and inspire initiatives for vibrant regional food systems with improved access for all.” Registration is now open.
• Carla Alexander has been such a constant part of downtown, from Soul Soup to MRKT, so it’s sad to hear she’s decided to sell MRKT. Best of luck with your future ventures!
• Glow Juicery’s new location at 10216 124 Street is now open!
• Downtown’s Local Public Eatery will be opening later this month at 11228 Jasper Avenue (formerly Joey’s).
• The folks behind The Common will be opening up a new restaurant called Grandin Fish ‘N’ Chips.
• Expect Vivo’s downtown location to open up some time in the next month.
• Congratulations to Knosh Catering who will be moving into new digs at the Crestwood Curling Rink this year.
• Love Pizza’s St. Albert location is coming along nicely!
• Carolyn shared her thoughts about her new neighbourhood bakery, La Boule.
• Jonny has continued his spotlight on small, often-forgotten ethnic gems with a review of South Indian eatery Masalaz.
• Great to hear that Edmonton has not one, but two new distilleries: Strathcona Spirits and Hansen Distillery.
• If you missed someone on your gift list this Christmas, consider a subscription to the Secret Meat Club, which offers monthly deliveries of artisan food products, including house-made charcuterie and condiments.
• ‘Tis the season for lists: check out Twyla’s roundup of notable 2016 Edmonton food happenings on Eat North.
• Speaking of Twyla, she, along with Phil, helped CBC put together a list of Edmonton’s best restaurants for 2016.
• Cindy shared her own list of memorable 2016 eats.
• Graham also pulled together a summary of the 2016 Edmonton food scene, along with his favourite dishes from 2016, and included a tidbit to expect a formal announcement about a Jamie Oliver restaurant in the new Kelly-Ramsey Enbridge Centre tower.
• Vue Weekly reflected on Edmonton’s year in food.
• How does one go about making food trend predictions? The NYT helps answer that question.
• Some of the grievances in Eater New York’s round-up are specific to that city, but others are somewhat appropriate to our context, too.
• The signage for the Crudo family’s 104 Street restaurant expansion, Bottega, is now up!

Bottega

• We had some good eats over the holidays, including brunch at Hap’s to celebrate Mack’s birthday.

Brunch at Hap’s

• Back to work last week, I chose to drown my sorrows in a bowl of pho at Tau Bay.

My usual

• For Christmas, Mack and I were also given a gift card for Blue Plate Diner that we put into use straightaway – it’s always nice when a favourite restaurant is just steps away from home.

Indulging at Blue Plate Diner

This will be my last roundup post for 2016! And as we’re less than a week to Christmas, I would like to wish you a warm and wonderful holiday full of family and good food.

• Food4Good is hosting a Fruit & Veggie Market on December 21, 2016 from 3:30-7:30pm at the Glenwood Community League (16430 97 Avenue). There will be nothing priced over $3.
• If you’re in need of stocking stuffers or hostess gifts, Kitchen by Brad Smoliak is hosting their annual holiday sale on December 23, 2016.
• I’m looking forward to using a pair of screening passes I received for a movie called Theatre of Life, showing at Metro Cinema December 23, 26, 27 and 28, 2016. It’s a film about high end chefs transforming food that would have otherwise gone to waste into meals to nourish the vulnerable in Milan.
• Pho lovers in the south side rejoice – there’s another option in Pho Boy, located at 10037B 82 Avenue.
• There’s a new coffee shop downtown: Cafe Lavi is now open at 9947 104 Street. Thanks to Amelia for the heads up!
• Chic-Hog-O’s Social House, relocated to 10111 117 Street, is now open.
• Urban Tavern (which replaced The Druid) is now open at 11606 Jasper Avenue.
• Those who Love Pizza are in luck – a second location is in the works for St. Albert!
• Andrea is one of the first to review La Boule, Edmonton’s newest patisserie.
• Twyla checked out Grain of Rice, a new family-run Asian restaurant on the west end.
• The Journal reviewed Three10, one of the restaurants located inside The Rec Room in South Edmonton Common.
• Cindy tried the rotating brunch menu at Cafe Linnea a few times to find her favourite dishes.
• Vue Weekly sampled the cuisine at Maye Restaurant (9411 118 Avenue), calling it “the best Somali food [he’s had]” in Edmonton.
• Not sure where to eat over the holidays? Phil and Liv have some recommendations, including where to get your turkey dinner fix.
• Fuge Fine Meats has just launched a crowdfunding campaign to establish a permanent production facility. They hope to raise $20,000 by January 29, 2017.
• Just in time for the holidays, Cindy is giving away a copy of Edmonton Cooks!
• Another cookbook to consider is Meals in the Field, first published in 1928 by the United Farm Women of Alberta. This edition combines classic dishes with more modern takes on family suppers.
• 58% of 1,200 Albertans surveyed indicated that they would support a sugar tax on pop and energy drinks.
• In light of the two no-tipping establishments that are now open in Edmonton, the NYT reflects on a year of “hospitality included” programs in New York.
• I was happy that the stars finally aligned so I could check out a La Mision pop-up last week at the Chvrch of John. Although I enjoyed the chicken burrito, the pork carnitas won my heart in the end.

Chicken and pork burritos from La Mision

• Su and I met up at the newly-opened Otto in Norwood (11405 95 Street) on Friday night. Featuring a simple menu of sausages and sides, it’s a low-key neighbourhood restaurant great for unwinding after a long day. We shared the chorizo and lamb merguez sausages (crafted by Fuge), and enjoyed both varieties. The potato salad needed some work (potatoes were undercooked) and the mac and cheese wasn’t as creamy as I would have liked, but it’s early days yet. I’ll be back!

Our meal at Otto

• Mack and I took Grandma Male to try the high tea at Cafe Linnea. It’s been so popular they are booked until mid-February! We enjoyed the variety of sweet and savoury bites (my favourite was the duck prosciutto), though it’s fair to say the level of service wasn’t comparable to our high tea experience last year at the Hotel Macdonald.



With Grandma Male at Cafe Linnea

• ‘Tis the season for eating – I had a work lunch today at Sorrentino’s in Little Italy. I indulged in the creamy bison cannelloni and didn’t regret my decision. It was notable that though the restaurant was packed, the service remained consistent.

Bison cannelloni

I love this time of year – beautiful lights, festivities with friends and family, and lots of food to go around. Hope you’re making the most of the holiday season, too! On to this week’s food notes:

• La Mision is hosting their fourth burrito pop-up at The Church of John on December 13, 2016 starting at 5pm. See you there!
• Looking for Prairie Pigeon eclairs? Genia will be at Vacancy Hall on December 17, 2016 for the Local Love Pop-up from 10am-3pm.
• Second Line and Northern Chicken are combining forces for a Holiday Perogy Jam on January 18, 2017. Tickets are $55 for 5 courses.
• This past weekend, Dogwood Cafe, run by the folks behind Culina, resumed their Nordic Brunches (and have introduced Nordic Suppers) at Victoria and Riverside Golf Courses.
• New restaurant alert: South Silk Road at 5552 Calgary Trail is currently in their soft opening phase.
• Similarly under the soft opening category, XO Bistro Bar in the Ultima Tower (10236 103 Street) is now open.
• Congrats to the boys behind Filistix on their new venture at MacEwan, called It Takes Two to Taco. It opened up back in November in the Robbins Health Learning Centre. Thanks Linda for the heads up!
• Kings Noodle & Hot Pot is no more, and has been replaced by Golden Dumpling Restaurant (10939 101 Street).
• Amidst all of the restaurant openings, the Dish and the Runaway Spoon announced their closure due to a change in building ownership. They will be opening again for catering owners in the near future.
• Linda is among the first to review Me 2 Japanese Sizzling Restaurant.
• Also from Linda, she enjoyed her recent experiences at The Rec Room.
• Latino’s Restaurant (10708 98 Street) has found another fan in Graham Hicks.
• Jonny found another hidden gem in Island Grill on the west end.
• Great profile on Steve Furgiuele, the man behind Fuge Fine Meat and the products that will soon be served at the new European-inspired restaurant Otto.
• How can you accommodate those with vegan diets during the holiday season? Vue Weekly chatted with some vegan business proprietors to find out.
• The latest Community Table Project features Tamara Vineberg’s latkes. Years ago, I had the chance to cook latkes with Tamara at her house!
• If you want to treat yourself to some local products this season, be sure to enter the giveaway at Earth’s General Store before December 21, 2016.
• Edmonton Food Tours has expanded its repertoire to include a tour of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market and a Downtown food tour. Tours cost $115 per person.
• Another local company also offers food tours at a lower price. Called Epicurean Adventure Tours (EAT), they offer dessert and brunch tours.
• We headed to D’Arcys Meat Market in St. Albert last week for a taste of a newly-available breed of Wagyu-Holstein beef. What we sampled was beautifully marbled and didn’t need much more than a sprinkling of salt to bring out the flavour of the meat. I didn’t know there was such a market for such premium meat ($250+ per kilogram), but if money is no object, it might be something to try.

Chefs Blair Lebsack and Paul Shufelt prepared the beef

• We didn’t want to waste the trip out to St. Albert, so took advantage of the opportunity to stop by Jack’s Burger Shack. I’m a sucker for grilled cheese buns, so an order of the Hangover was a must for me, while Mack chose the Quebecois (with poutine and ranch sauce).

Jack’s Burger Shack