• 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

I hope you’re ready for the deep freeze – stay warm, everyone! On to this week’s food notes:

• New bakery alert: La Boule Bakery opens on December 6, 2017 at 8020 101 street.
• Congratulations to Confetti Sweets who has just opened its third storefront, at 6861 170 Street.
• Dirtbag Cafe is now open inside the Rock Jungle Boulders Climbing Gym at 10505 107 Street.
• It’s great to see another food truck moving into a brick and mortar shop – look for Little Village at 14846 Stony Plain Road in the new year.
• Chic-Hog-O’s Social House, which was forced to close in March 2015 due to a landlord dispute, will be re-opening in the former Rosebowl Pizza location (10111 117 Street).
• Monica spotted Pitaghetti, coming soon to Jasper Ave & 112 Street.
• Liane previews Baijiu, opening soon at the Mercer Warehouse. It is helmed by Chef Alexei Boldireff, most recently of S’wich Food Truck fame.
• The Globe identified their top 5 new restaurants that opened in Edmonton and Calgary this year. Coincidentally, the #1 restaurants on both lists are technically outside of the city.
• Atlas Steak and Fish (located inside the Grand Villa Casino) received overall positive reviews from Twyla and Graham. Although I recognize some of the “labelling challenges” surrounding Alberta Beef, it’s interesting that neither called out the restaurant for using USDA beef versus Alberta beef.
• More love for Bar Clementine, this time from Vue Weekly and The Wanderer.
• Chateau Louis’s brunch was reviewed this week by the Journal.
• It was great to read the story behind the new Asian fusion Grain of Rice, where son Tony Phung helped his parents rebuild a restaurant.
• Enter to win an Effing Seafoods oyster party on Cindy’s blog!
• Speaking of contests, Diane is giving away a $25 gift card to promote Edo’s campaign to raise funds for food banks in Canada – for every spring roll purchased until January 1, 2017, Edo will donate $0.25.
• Delux also has a way for you to support a seasonal charity – $1 from each ‘Santa’s Stacker’ burger sold will go to Santa’s Anonymous.
• If you’re interested in purchasing a tourtiere for the holidays, Phil conducted a taste test of three options available in the Edmonton area.
• Ever wonder how a home cook places second in an international culinary competition? Linda spoke with Russell Bird, who brought home silver in the 2016 World Food Championships in the bacon category.
• The latest Community Table Project recipes feature Canada Cornstarch shortbread cookies and Teresa Spinelli’s Italian-style Cajun shrimp.
• Spotted a forthcoming cafe at Gateway Boulevard and 81 Avenue called London Tea Bar. A sign claims it will be open in December 2016.

London Tea Bar

• We tried our hand at butter chicken risotto, one of Phil’s Community Table Project recipes. It was a neat mashup of two of our favourite dishes, and had the flavour that we were craving!

Butter chicken risotto

• We kicked off the weekend with a stop at Route 99. There’s just something about greasy spoon poutine…

Mack at Route 99

• We also checked out the Miracle Market at Abbey Glen Park over the weekend. It was our chance to finally sample some of Prairie Pigeon’s éclairs, which I’ve heard so much about. They were almost too pretty to eat, but of course, I dove in – the éclairs were soft and decadent, but not too sweet. The flavours of each éclair were also very distinct; my favourite of the three was the salted caramel. Follow Prairie Pigeon on Twitter to find out where she’ll be next!

Prairie Pigeon trio

Mack finally relented to decking the halls this weekend, so it finally feels like Christmas at our house. Hard to believe Christmas is less than a month away! On to this week’s food notes:

• 104 Street’s annual Customer Appreciation Day is taking place on December 1, 2016, with most businesses participating with deals or in-store treats.
• Canova (rebranded from DeFazio Gourmet), is celebrating its fourth anniversary from December 1-4, 2016, with 15% off their panettone, biscotti and pastries. Do yourself a favour and pick up some vanilla cornettis!
• I’m all for pop-up markets – Prairie Pigeon’s éclairs will be available at a pop-up market in Abbey Glen Park (Jasper Avenue & 102 Street) on December 3, from 11am-3pm.
• I remember when Downtown couldn’t seem to sustain one bubble tea cafe, and this year, we have 3 within a 5-block radius: Gong Cha’s location in the Ultima Tower (10236 103 Street) is now open.
• Grain of Rice, a new Asian restaurant located at 1312 Webber Greens Drive, just opened up on the weekend.
• Some locations just seem to be a revolving door of businesses, and it’s hard to say what will make it stick: Alibi Pub has opened up shop at 17328 Stony Plain Road.
• Northern Chicken garnered two reviews on both ends of the spectrum from Cindy and Jonny.
• Linda tried the food at Alberta’s first Popeye’s.
• CTV joined in on the fried chicken fray with a quick sampling of Northern Chicken, Popeye’s, and Seoul Fried Chicken.
• Jonny checked out Calle Mexico’s expanded storefront location.
• Vue Weekly reviewed Latino’s Restaurant, recently installed in McCauley at 10708 98 Street.
• Chris and Linda shared their experience at Halo Bar and Bistro, located at the Renaissance Hotel at the Edmonton International Airport.
• Twyla has compiled a list of 5 restaurants you should try right now.
• Chef Lindsay Porter will be moving to Woodwork in early December.
• This year’s recipients of Edmonton’s Best Bar None awards were recognized last week. Congrats to the winners and the newly-accredited bars!
• Food for thought: until Iconoclast’s series on packaging in the coffee business, I never really considered the type of material that goes into packaging good quality coffee beans.
• Mack and I shop at the Italian Centre on a weekly basis, so it’s great to hear they’ve partnered with grocery delivery company SPUD so their products can reach even more people.
• Great to hear about Calgary-based Uncommon Cider, “Alberta’s first quality driven, small batch urban cidery”.
• I can never have enough soup, so while in the area on Sunday, we stopped by Ninja Club to warm up.

Tonkotsu ramen at Ninja Club

Winter is here to stay, and I am not adjusting well. I’m bundling up more than these temperatures warrant. On the bright side, there’s less than a month until Christmas! On to this week’s food notes:

• Food for Thoughts, a group spearheaded by Chef Cory Rakowski, aims to “to bring together hospitality professionals and create a space to discuss mental health.” Their launch event takes place on November 22, 2016 at 7pm. Tickets are $35 with proceeds going towards Momentum Counselling.
• Karlynn has organized a “Bloggers, Books, and Baking” evening at Audreys on November 23, 2016 to celebrate her new cookbook…with cookies!
• Cookies by George is again hosting a cookie exchange/tweet-up, with the full $10.50 ticket price to be donated to the Christmas Bureau. The event is taking place on November 26, 2016 from 6-8pm.
• Slow Food Edmonton is having a wild game dinner at Three Boars on December 11, 2016, featuring the talents of Three Boars’ Brayden Kozak, Bar Clementine’s Roger Letourneau, and Baijiu’s Alexei Boldireff, among others. Tickets are $75, and you can expect black bear and Canada goose on the menu.
• A perennial holiday standby for many, the Hotel Macdonald is once again hosting festive brunches, lunch buffets, and the festive Nutcracker Tea and Tour (which I enjoyed last year) in November and December. Check out their holiday guide.
• It was a sad week with the announcement of Gail Hall’s passing from cancer last week. You can relive some of her cooking segments on Global, or listen to attributes provided by some of her peers in the city.
• Amore Pasta, the new restaurant in southwest Edmonton by the folks behind Cafe Amore and Black Pearl, is now open at 14016 23 Avenue.
• Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen opened its first Alberta location today at 3733 17 Street.
• Norwood will be getting a new neighbourhood restaurant called Otto (11405 95 Street), opened by the former co-owner of Culina Mill Creek.
• The Journal reviews Edmonton’s latest combination Korean and Japanese restaurant, Seorak Teppan and Bar.
• Twyla sampled the brunch at the expanded District Cafe.
• Vue Weekly profiles Nudoru’s ramen philosophy.
• I liked this article in The Tomato, featuring several restaurants that are operating with second generation restauranteurs, including The Lingnan, Upper Crust, and Tony Pizza’s Palace.
• Congratulations to all of the Canadian competitors in last week’s World Food Championships. Among our best results, Sherwood Park resident Russell Bird placed second in the bacon final!
• Hopefully Planet Organic can quickly repay their outstanding dues to local bakeries Breadland and Prairie Mill.
• Ever wanted to try rodent on a menu? You can now do so in Moscow, where nutrias, a large orange-toothed rodent is being served as burgers, hot dogs, and dumplings.
• If you’re looking about for Christmas gifts for that foodie on your list, have you heard about Little Day Miniatures? I stumbled upon her work at Tix on the Square on the weekend, and the detail she’s included on her earrings and cufflinks have to be seen to be believed.

Little Day Miniatures

• One of the best lunch deals available in the city is undoubtedly Cafe Amore’s daily pasta – just $10 for a full serving. Even after adding chicken (an additional $7), it’s still an amazing value, and large enough for two meals.

Pesto alfredo from Cafe Amore

• It was definitely a Love Pizza kind of day on Friday, when Mack and I couldn’t muster up the energy to cook after work. It’s great having so many tasty options within walking distance!

Captain Cook and Meatatarian from Love Pizza

We’ve been spoiled with two vacations in as many months, but after spending time in Chicago during the election and the immediate aftermath, I am happy (and grateful) to be back in Canada. On to this week’s food notes:

• The next Swine & Dine dinner is taking place on November 23, 2016 at the Red Ox Inn. Tickets for the 4-course meal cost $65.
• Satisfy your sweet tooth for a good cause: the Ronald McDonald House is hosting a chocolate tasting with Jacek on November 30, 2016. Tickets are $40.
• Northern Chicken is now open at 10704 124 Street!
• More bubble tea for everyone: two Chatime locations are now open in Edmonton: Downtown at 10405 Jasper Avenue and in Old Strathcona at 10538 82 Avenue.
• Lux has rebranded their lounge into Bar 94, honouring Ryan Smyth, one of the original partners behind the restaurant.
• Casa Doce is the next food truck transitioning to a brick and mortar shop – congratulations!
• Vue Weekly checks out Dorinku, the newest izakaya in the city.
• Chef Serge Belair has been named Executive Chef of the Shaw Conference Centre after Chef Simon Smotkowicz announced he will be leaving the Shaw after 28 years.
• The latest Community Table Project from Phil features Dutch tacos.
• Chef Cory Rakowski has started an organization called Food for Thoughts, to help create awareness about the mental health challenges faced by those in the hospitality industry.
• Two food-related folks made it onto Avenue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 list this year: cocoanista Jacqueline Jacek and Localize’s Meghan Dear.
• Congratulations to Jennifer Cockrall-King on being included in Best Food Writing 2016, alongside names such as Pete Wells and Francis Lam.
• Out just in time for the holidays, Earls has released a cookbook featuring restaurant favourites from the 1980s until present.
• It’s disappointing to see absolutely no Prairie content on Enroute’s best new restaurants list for 2016, let alone any Alberta representation.
• Back in town, our first stop was the Italian Centre. We killed two birds with one stone: great thin-crust pizza for lunch and picked up groceries for the week.

Massimo pizza from the Italian Centre west

• I met up with Annie for brunch at Workshop Eatery yesterday. The pastrami hash was great – I loved the crispy potatoes and perfectly soft poached eggs. I’m also happy to report that they also now serve brewed coffee (as opposed to espresso-based drinks).

Pastrami hash from Workshop Eatery

Happy Halloween! We always feel a little far removed from the festivities being downtown, but it seemed warmer than average for trick or treating tonight. A note that there will be no Food Notes next week; Mack and I are heading to Chicago for a short vacation.

• The annual Chili Cook-Off takes place November 4, 2016 in Churchill Square. Sample bowls are just $1, with regular bowls priced at $2.
• Bo and Marrow, who you may be familiar with from their farmers’ market appearances this summer, are popping up at Prairie Noodle on November 6, 2016 with noodles and their broth. The meal will be $18 per person.
• The sixth COMAL Mexican Table Dinner is taking place November 29-30, 2016. Tickets are $85 each.
• Save the date: Northern Lands will be taking place May 2-6, 2017, and it will be bigger and better.
• Su notes that there’s a franchise location of Hong Kong’s Dazzling Cafe to open soon at 10538 82 Avenue, rabbit-eared chairs and all.
• The buzz continues to grow for the brew pub to open in the Richie Market – they just announced Chef Christine Sandford will lead the kitchen.
• The latest local business to launch a crowdfunding initiative is Caramia Caramels, who hope to use Kickstarter to help them purchase commercial equipment to enhance their production.
• Speaking of crowdfunding, big congratulations to Sugared and Spiced, who blew their original $20,000 goal out of the water, raising close to $57,000.
• While the Edmonton and area has its share of meal prep services, The Backyard Basket might be our first Blue Apron-style ready to cook meal service (where pre-portioned ingredients are delivered for time-strapped home cooks). It’s not something that would appeal to me, but it would be more ideal if they supported local producers in the process.
• Prairie Noodle is an example of a business succeeding in overcoming poor quality control in its initial stages.
• Did you attend What the Truck?! this year? Consider filling out this survey to help the organizing committee make decisions for 2017!
• Karlynn is doing a cookbook giveaway on her blog, but you can also pick one up from her in person on November 5, 2016 at Chapters in West Edmonton Mall.
• Phil’s latest Community Table Project features butter chicken risotto.
• The Wood Buffalo Brewing Company is creating a special whisky called the Beast, using some peated malt that remained behind and absorbed some of the smoke from the fire.
• I was sad to see Calgary’s Farm restaurant shut down, but I never expected the subsequent scandal surrounding Janice Beaton to spring up, with past Farm employees accusing Beaton of unpaid wages. She responded to the allegations in a Facebook video.
• November 1, 2016 is the deadline to apply to join Eat Alberta, a committee working on organizing another hands-on food conference next year, in addition to multimedia content promoting local food.
• Signage is already up on two of the Ultima’s retail bays: XO Bistro & Bar and Gong Cha, a small chain of bubble tea cafes based in Toronto.

XO Bistro & Bar and Gong Cha

• Grand Villa Casino’s quick-serve options are now open – joining the Starbucks are Vera’s Burger Shack, Pinkberry, and Sbarro. It was a bit unusual that no seating was available, but I assume patrons are expected to return to the casino to consume their food, or head to the adjacent community rink.

Pinkberry and Starbucks in the Grand Villa Casino

• I also had lunch at Match Eatery and Public House inside the casino on Friday. The food was fine, but the service produced enough minor mistakes to point to a very inexperienced staff (tried to deliver our food to another table, mix-up with a sidedish, topped up a half-full soda glass with water). Hopefully things will improve with time.

Dip your beef sandwich

• I met up with a friend for dinner at Uccellino last week. Most of the week’s ills melted away with a bite of their cacio e pepe and meatballs. If only I could eat like that all the time.

Cacio e pepe

Polpette

• Edmonton City Centre’s new food court, Elevate Food Fare, located on the top level of the mall, opens to the public on November 1, 2016. It will consolidate many of the existing retailers in addition to offering a few new choices, including Burrito Libre and Paramount Fine Foods. The food court will provide another dining choice for those in the area, and will likely be one of the more inexpensive options available within walking distance of Rogers Place. It will be interesting to see if the food court hours are extended to align better with arena events in the coming months. Mack and I received gift certificates in appreciation for mentioning the Food Fare, but want to pass them onto two lucky readers. For your chance to win one of two $50 gift certificates to Edmonton City Centre, leave a comment with a valid e-mail address that answers the following question: which restaurant offers the best value Downtown and why? The contest closes on November 10, 2016 at midnight. Winners will be contacted by e-mail on November 12, 2016.

Elevate Food Fare at Edmonton City Centre Mall