Mack and I took off to Calgary for the long weekend, and it was just what we needed. I hope you had a similarly relaxing time with family and friends! On to this week’s food notes:

• Spring has come early – food trucks are starting to return from hibernation, with Bully first out for regular operation on March 29, and Attila the Hungry to follow on April 1.
• A pop-up Farewell to Winter Party is taking place on April 2, 2016 from 11am-7pm on Rice Howard Way. There will be food, music and patios.
• Vibe is a new event series at the Art Gallery of Alberta once a month on Friday, which will feature a live music showcase, the opportunity to view gallery exhibitions and a special menu and cocktail bar from Zinc. The first Vibe will take place April 15, 2016.
• It’s great to see another local business grow – in this case, North 53 is opening up a sister bar called Baijiu – a “rustic chic joint serving boozy drinks and Asian-inspired plates in the Mercer Building”. Expect itre to open Fall 2016.
• It just might be the year for bubble tea in Edmonton – Quickly, a bubble tea chain with presence in 19 countries, is opening up in late April at 5818 111 Street. They already have three locations in Calgary.
• Cindy is among the first to write about Wheat Garden Noodle and Dumpling Bazaar on 107 Avenue.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie stopped by Calle Mexico’s storefront location.
• Cindy recapped a great pop-up at Canteen called Closed Mondays, allowing chefs in their kitchen to to showcase their food on a day the restaurant would otherwise be closed. I hope to be able to check it out at some point!
• Cindy also checked out the second #kenyaraefoodproject pop-up at Dovetail, featuring chicken and waffles.
• Linda has tried and fallen in love with Love Pizza.
• If you still haven’t submitted your favourite restaurants for Vue Weekly’s annual Golden Fork Awards, you have until March 31, 2016 to do so.
• Phil had the chance to interview Vikram Vij, one of the most well-known chefs in Canada.
• Vue asks the question – when you see the word “local” on the menu, does it really mean the ingredients have been locally-sourced?
• While in Calgary, we had to check out the branch of the Italian Centre that opened up on the city’s south side. It’s a beautiful store, with an amazing wall of cheese. Curiously, we did notice that some of the same products found in Edmonton are priced higher.

Mack can’t believe all of the cheese

• My Mum really wanted to try Seoul Fried Chicken, so Mack and I ordered up a few of their flavours to share (calling in an order is highly recommended – the line was 10 deep and I was able to bypass it to pick up my order). The SFC BBQ definitely suffered the most in transition, and depending on where you live, may not survive the journey, so I’d stick to the dry fried chicken in the future, unless you’re able to grab one of their limited seats in the storefront. Of the flavours we tried, the Golden Kari that snuck in and amongst our pieces of Original Gangster was the runaway favourite.

Take-out from Seoul Fried Chicken

• It’s been a while since Mack and I have gone for pho, so it seemed like the right way to end our long weekend.

Pho for two from Pho Tau Bay

• Fruits of Sherbrooke will be hosting jam making classes on April 16, 2016.
• It looks like Blitz Conditioning’s idea of a food crawl on bicycles was such an inspiration that it’s already sold out. Hopefully this means many more to come, especially as the weather warms up.
• The second location of Sandwich and Sons had their soft opening this weekend, at 10184 104 Street.
• Liane reports that Sugarbowl owner Abel Shiferaw is planning to open a new café and pop-up space in the three-floor building right beside the Sugarbowl. Plans call for the third floor to be a “continuous pop-up restaurant.”
• Mark your calendar: the tentative opening date of the Downtown location of Careit Urban Deli is April 4, 2016.
• Chefs Andrew Cowan and Matt Phillips demonstrated their chicken prowess at the Home and Garden Show this weekend, in anticipation of their new Northern Chicken project. Looking forward to hearing more!
• I would love to see a Chipotle in Edmonton, but is this rumour true? It seems unconfirmed for now.
• The Journal is the first to review Farm to Fork, the newest restaurant in Sherwood Park.
• Linda has been won over by the changes at Kazoku, and now heartily recommends their ramen.
• The Breakfast Club checked out Juniper Cafe.
• Cindy reviewed Noodle Feast and decided it tugs on all the right strings for her.
• The episode of You Gotta Eat Here, featuring Edmonton’s own Battista’s Calzones, aired over the weekend. You can see it in full on the Food Network website.
• Has the economic downtown affected restaurant business? It doesn’t seem to ring true, at least not for some local mainstays.
• Vesta Gardens is hoping to raise $10,000 through a crowdfunding campaign to purchase a tractor for their farm.
• Alberta Agriculture is looking to study the demand for local food in the province.
• Best of luck to the three University of Alberta students who will be competing in the upcoming food expo in Chicago this July. They’ll be showcasing BiotaGelata, a dairy-free gelato product chock full of fermented beans.
• Izakaya Tomo is celebrating the flavours and music of Okinawa during Okinawa Nights this weekend.
• Until Ketchupgate, I had no idea people would feel the need to express their patriotism through their ketchup.
• Italy is following in France’s footsteps in passing a law to limit food waste. The difference? Their law is incentive-based vs. punitive, by offering grocery chains tax breaks for recovering food.
• I joined Mack and some of his colleagues last week at Parlour. While everyone else ordered off the Downtown Dining Week menu, I couldn’t pass up my usual Gamberi pizza. While there was more shrimp than ever on the pizza, the crust was a little more lacking in structure than I’m used to.

Gamberi Pizza at Parlour

• Congratulations to The Tea Girl on their expanded shop, helped in part by a crowdfunding campaign. Their grand re-opening is slated for March 16.
• The Local Omnivore is hosting a Burger Bar Pop-up on March 18, 2016 from 6-10pm.
• The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is hosting their annual “farewell to winter” patio party on April 2, 2016. This year, it’s themed around fire and ice. Tickets are $46 and includes appetizers.
• Calle Mexico’s storefront location opened up on March 1, 2016 at 11127 107 Avenue.
• Stuffed Gourmet Sausage Company, the sister restaurant of Smokehouse BBQ, opened last week at 10810 124 Street. Dine in or pick up some sausages to go.
• Speaking of Smokehouse, they’ve teamed up with Samuel Adams Beer to create weekly menu pairings. Andrea reports back on what you can expect.
• The third Browns Social House is now open in Tamarack (2511 17 Street).
• Thanks to Cindy for the heads up that KB & Co will be opening up this spring in the Fox Tower. It looks like they’ll be serving up an organic, vegan and soy-free menu.
• Seoul Fried Chicken continues to rack up its fans, this time at Vue Weekly as well as Ms. Hangry Foodie. Both recommend calling ahead.
• Jonny checked out Washoku Bistro.
• Stephanie is the latest to review Ikki Izakaya.
• Beth enjoyed her coffee and tried the whoopie pies at The Woodrack Cafe.
• The Globe reviewed Prairie Noodle Shop last week.
• Phil’s fourth Brunch Odyssey pits The Next Act against its sister restaurant, Meat.
• Eat North spotlights Cory Rakowski, the new chef at North 53.
• A CBC Marketplace investigation has prompted Earls to change its dress code.
• Want to learn more about ramen? Check out this excerpt from a new book called Rice, Noodle, Fish by Matt Goulding.
• Winter patios are rapidly becoming spring patios, which are great to see. Now if only the city committed to cleaning the streets as needed, instead of waiting until May…

Kelly’s Pub on 104 Street

• Speaking of patios, Mack and I walked down to Little Brick on Sunday to bask in the sun. It’s such a great neighbourhood spot.

Little Brick

• Craving pancakes after work on Saturday, Mack and I headed to Hathaway’s Diner to feed our craving. Nothing beats their breakfast classic.

Breakfast classic at Hathaway’s Diner

• SPUD Edmonton is hosting their third Meet Your Farmers event on March 12, from 10:30am-1pm. Learn more about SPUD with tours, samples, and a pop-up market.
• The Wild Heart Brunch Collective is back for its second event this Saturday, March 12 at The Mercury Room from 11am-3pm. The $15 ticket buys you brunch, one drink item, entertainment, and access to market vendors.
• The French Quarter Grand Market kicked off its spring season last weekend. Join them every Sunday from 11am-3pm at La Cite Francophone (8627 Marie-Anne Gaboury Street).
• The Buddha Boys are popping-up at Prairie Noodle House on March 27, 2016, serving up their version of ramen and dessert. Tickets are $33.
• Workshop Eatery has partnered with Taste Alberta for a series of dinners celebrating our local bounty. The first takes place April 5, 2016. Tickets for the four-course meal are $75.
• On April 15, 2016, the Edmonton Valley Zoo is hosting an event focused on sourcing sustainable seafood locally. Tickets are $50 and include wine and appetizers.
• Chartier, the much talked about French Canadian restaurant in Beaumont, has announced a soft opening date of March 29, 2016.
• A new pastry shop called Chocorrant will open a few blocks down from Duchess in the spring at 10330 124 Street.
• Liane has expansion news from the folks behind Sabor Divino, Bodega and Urbano Pizza: they’re not only opening a larger version of Urbano on 124 Street, but will also be opening up a version of Bodega in Highlands at 6509 112 Avenue.
• It’ll be interesting to see how Edmonton’s new Shopping Under the Stars Night Market will fare – no doubt they’re thinking big, hoping for 500+ vendors. The market will run May 20 – September 5, 2016.
• The Tomato released their forth annual Top 100 Best Things to Eat or Drink in Edmonton. Did your favourites make the list?
• It seems the time of year for lists, as Graham Hicks also offered up his own, all about the best fast-food burger in Edmonton.
• There are already two reviews of Coco Fresh Tea & Juice which opened just last week at 10147 109 Street. It claims to be the world’s largest bubble tea chain.
• Cindy shares her love of Noodle Feast with some pictures you should avoid if you’re hungry!
• Avenue Magazine checked out Seoul Fried Chicken, and found out that the secret is to get there early.
• Andrea is the latest to write about her introduction to Nando’s.
• Jonny visited Kerala, a South Indian restaurant located across from Southgate Centre.
• Frosty Fox Ice Cream is the latest food enterprise to start a crowd-funding campaign, with the hopes of purchasing an ice cream bike or truck.
• I missed linking to Liane’s excellent series which began last week, called Nosh North. She spotlights interesting, lesser-known food establishments on Edmonton’s North End. Learn more about Marina’s Cuisine and Tamiri Bites.
• Those familiar with 12 Acres will know the restaurant had partnered with a local farm to source their ingredients as close to home as possible. Unfortunately, it seems like the farm and restaurant have parted ways.
• Hens live to see another day: City Council approved the continuation of the backyard chickens pilot.
• Pulses made the cover story of Vue Weekly – but will they gain more traction in meat-forward Alberta?
• I’m sure some said it couldn’t be done: the March issue of Bon Appetit was shot entirely with iPhones.
• I love Vital Greens cream as much as the next person, but this sign made me laugh: are there folks out there with a cream hoarding problem?

Vital Greens at Blush Lane

• One of the best things about Tao Garden are their customizable, made-to-order soups, but for whatever reason, I always stick to what I know and love. Is that so bad?

My go-to satay broth, tofu puffs, beef balls and wontons at Tao Garden

• After work on Saturday, I grabbed a bite to eat at Pho Hoan Pasteur. I rarely say no to pho, but that day, it felt much too warm for soup.

Chicken and spring roll vermicelli bowl at Pho Hoan Pasteur

• Both Andrea and Cindy are giving away the chance to dine at the upcoming NAIT Chef in Residence Luncheon on March 10, 2016, which will feature the food of Chef Vikram Vij.
• Mark your calendars: Downtown Dining Week runs March 11-20, 2016. Prix fixe meals will be offered at 36 restaurants at $15, $28 and $48 price points. There are some good deals to be had, including a $15 lunch at Pampa with access to their salad bar and three Rodizio meats.
• The next Swine and Dine pop-up event is taking place at the Royal Glenora Club on March 17, 2016. Tickets for the four-course meal are $75.
• The 2016 edition of Seedy Sunday is taking place on March 20, 2016 in a new location, the Central Lions Seniors Centre (11113 113 Street). It’ll be interesting to see if their attendance spikes this year, with all the speculation that increasing produce prices will entice more novice gardeners.
• Smokehouse BBQ is changing the direction of their sister shop on 124 Street – from Pie Eatery to Stuffed Gourmet Sausage.
• Calle Mexico is the latest food truck to open up a brick and mortar restaurant. You will be able to find them at 107 Avenue and 113 Street.
• It looks like a new ramen place is coming to Whyte Avenue, called Nu Do Ru.
• The new Orange Market at 10401 82 Avenue, a 24-7 convenience store, features an Urbano Pizza location inside.
• Avenue Magazine released their list of best restaurants for 2016: RGE RD was named best overall, with NongBu scoring best new restaurant. Avenue has added a weekly Food + Drink newsletter to its roster. If you sign up, it will be e-mailed to you every Tuesday.
• Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list for 2016 has just been released. Edmonton has 3 establishments that made the cut: Bar Bricco, Corso and Rostizado.
• Linda offers us a peek behind the scenes at Cobs Bread during hot cross bun season, and is also providing a chance to win bread for a year and an Easter prize pack.
• The Breakfast Club checks out the Nordic Brunch offered at Victoria Golf Course’s Dogwood Cafe, run by the folks behind Culina.
• Jonny is the first to review Baha Cabana (13716 Castle Downs Road), a Caribbean-Chinese restaurant on the north side.
• Lindsey and Ms. Hangry Foodie are the latest local bloggers to review Love Pizza.
• Phil’s latest Off Menu Podcast features Twyla Campbell and Dan Clapson discussing the food scenes of Edmonton and Calgary.
• Vue Weekly profiles Passion de France, an upstart pastry shop on 118 Avenue.
• Liv had a great piece in the Globe & Mail covering the evolution of Edmonton’s coffee roasting scene.
• Did you know that cereal has been on a downward trend? The big brands are trying to find their way back into consumers hearts.
• We finally checked out Planet Organic’s new location at 12210 Jasper Avenue. No doubt it’s a beautiful store, with an expanded ready-to-eat section (it was great to see Phil & Sebastian coffee available).

Planet Organic

• On Saturday, Mack and I finally had the chance to pop by Blue Hour Tea’s storefront located in Vacancy Hall in basement of the Mercer Warehouse (10359 104 Street). The local company blends their own teas, and at Vacancy Hall’s season opener on March 12, 2016, they’ll be debuting their version of an iced tea. We picked up some of their Sleep blend to try.

Blue Hour Tea

• We couldn’t help but pick up Confetti Sweets cookies over the weekend at the City Market. It was the perfect snack to accompany an evening with an Oscar-nominated flick (Spotlight, a movie we really enjoyed).

Confetti Sweets

• Marry your love of chocolate and charity – the Red Shoe Society is hosting a tasting of Jacek chocolates on March 5, 2016 that will benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Northern Alberta. Tickets are $35.
• I’m disappointed that Chef Ben Staley’s new restaurant, The Alder Room, has shifted from its previously announced location in McCauley, but at least it’s moving forward. They announced last week that they’ve secured space at 10328 Jasper Avenue, and it will be home to not one, but two restaurants – Alta will be a natural wine bar and cold kitchen.
• Congratulations to the winners of the third annual Winter City Edmonton Signature Drink Competition.
• Nando’s of peri-peri chicken fame, is opening up its first Edmonton location on February 26, 2016 at 4210 Gateway Boulevard.
• Jonny is the first to review the Northern Chinese eatery Wheat Garden Noodle & Dumpling Bazaar on 107 Avenue.
• Speaking of 107 Avenue, Wheat Garden took over the former Old Szechuan Restaurant digs, which has since relocated to Old Strathcona. Vue Weekly visited their new location.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie checks out The Local Omnivore.
• Phil’s latest Brunch Odyssey took him to Ampersand 27 and Wildflower Grill.
• The Local Grill shines a spotlight on Spencer Thompson and his restaurant, Alberta Hotel Bar & Kitchen.
• Restaurants have to account for rising food costs too – but instead of passing the buck to diners, some chefs are getting creative to manage menu prices by substituting cheaper ingredients for pricier ones, or reducing serving sizes.
• It was disheartening to hear about the fire that razed the Beverly location of the Italian Bakery that prepared 99% of the businesses’ bread.
• Dynasty Century Palace has been fined $42,000 for public health violations.
• Congratulations to Confetti Sweets, which will again be heading down to spread cookie joy at a pre-Oscar party in Hollywood.
• Mel shares that Dial and Dine has shut down.
• Eat Alberta shared some changes they’ve made in 2016: they’ll be launching a series of smaller events this year, and will be postponing the workshop conference until 2017.
• Worried about the rising cost of produce? Support local and family farms by choosing Community Supported Agriculture. Vesta Gardens is currently selling shares for the 2016 growing season.
• There’s a forthcoming bubble tea cafe coming to Downtown in April, called Bohemian Tea Zone at 10173 109 Street.

Bohemian Tea Zone

It was great to have an extra day off – I hope you were able to enjoy it with your loved ones! On to this week’s food notes:

• Rostizado will be hosting a five-course collaboration dinner with Top Chef Canada winner Rene Rodriguez on February 21, 2016. Tickets are $150 and include wine pairings.
• The Westend Food Hub Alliance, in partnership with The Organic Box and Trinity United Church, are hosting a free screening of Michael Pollan’s documentary “In Defense of Food” on February 26, 2016.
• Prairie Noodle will be hosting a pop-up with Effing Seafoods on February 28, 2016. $50 will get you freshly shucked oysters, a seafood ramen bowl, and drinks.
• Soy and Pepper, billed as a “modern Korean eatery” is now open at 11212 Jasper Avenue.
• The Chvrch of John is also now open with a focus on interesting cocktails.
• Sandwich and Sons is expanding downtown, and will be sharing Sante’s space at 10184 104 Street. They hope to open up by the end of February.
• No Way Jose’s Taqueria opened in Sherwood Park back in early December at #144, 160 Broadway Boulevard.
• Andrea is the latest to visit Love Pizza.
• Twyla was disappointed by her two meals at The Almanac and recommends that patrons stay for drinks and skip the food.
• The newest Off Menu podcast is all about tipping.
• The 2016 Golden Fork Awards ballot is now out – vote for your favourite dishes and restaurants for your chance to win $500 in gift certificates.
• The Journal dives into how grocery stores are trying to vye for your business amidst rising prices.
• Dan shared his scratch ramen noodle recipe on Lillian’s blog – if you’re ever wondered if it’s possible to recreate it at home, Dan has done the legwork for you with his research.
• Grub Street ruminates on the “ridiculous rise of viral food and the great line apocalypse”.
• After too many desk lunches to count, it was nice to get out last week for some warming noodle soup at Tao Garden.

Satay soup with egg noodles, tofu puffs, beef balls and wontons

• Our Chinese New Year celebrations continued over the weekend, including our annual prosperity toss.

Happy Chinese New Year!

• Mack and I also checked out the Lunar New Year festivities in Chinatown – our annual dose of firecrackers and lion dancers. It was a mild one, which I’m sure the performers and audience members were more than happy about!

Dragon dancers from McNally High School

• Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Jacek has joined in on the subscription trend – for your sweetheart with a sweet tooth, Jacek is offering a Valentine’s Chocolate Subscription with a half dozen deliveries over the next 11 months. The cost is $200.
• The next COMAL Mexican Table Dinner is taking place February 24 and 25, 2016, but it looks like tickets are only available for one of the dates. 6 courses for $86.
• The latest Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum dinner celebrates Persian New Year with the Ismaili Council for Edmonton on February 28, 2016. Tickets are $49 and include a feast, music and dance.
• Mark your calendars – the Local Good’s annual Green Drinks centering on local food will be taking place on March 2, 2016 at 7pm.
• NAIT announced today that Vikram Vij is this year’s Chef in Residence. The annual luncheon, prepared by Chef Vij and NAIT Culinary students, is taking place on March 11, 2016. Win one of four pairs of tickets to the luncheon here. Also, this is the eighth year of the Chef in Residence program – relive the past seven years of guest chefs here.
• Most beer and wine tastings rarely focus just on locally-produced labels, so it’s great to see that 7degrees Beer School on March 18, 2016 is choosing to highlight 13 different beers from 13 Alberta breweries.
• I’m so glad to hear that the Edmonton Journal has reversed their decision about Liane Faulder. She’s back in a full time position, but will write about food part-time.
• Cindy has the jump on Seoul Fried Chicken, the newest Korean fried chicken purveyor in Edmonton. It’s located in the former Lee House space in Old Strathcona (7904b 104 Street).
• Thanks to Wendy, I received the news that Bubba’s has since moved from their Osman Auction location to a new temporary shop at 97 Street and 58 Avenue.
• It looks like Coco Deep Fried Chicken has opened a second location on the north side, at 12620E 132 Avenue in Kensington.
• Andrea checked out Washoku Bistro on 124 Street.
• Congratulations to Yvan Chartrand of Bonjour Bakery for winning the Bakers Journal Business Innovation Award. I was also interested to learn that he’ll be launching a line of house-cured charcuterie.
• Rebecca shared the news last week that B’s Diner will be closing down due to the steep rent prices in Old Strathcona. She’s subsequently started a crowdfunding campaign to help owner Brenda Der continue B’s Diner in the form of a food truck.
• Did you know that Press’d, since opening in 2010, has grown to a dozen locations in Alberta through the franchise model? They’re also considering expansion into neighbouring BC.
• The popular Whyte Avenue cafe Block 1912 is closing from February 15 – March 15 for renovations.
• If you’re looking for a local meat supplier, you may want to investigate 12 Acres Farm, which supplies the restaurant of the same name in St. Albert.
• I know I’ll be watching Michael Pollan’s new series, Cooked, when it drops on Netflix February 19, 2016. Check out the trailer here.
• The downtown branch of State & Main located at First & Jasper (10065 Jasper Avenue) will be opening its doors on February 10, 2016.

State & Main

• It was great to see the products of Untamed Feast, an Edmonton-based company, on the shelves of the Italian Centre this weekend! The product line includes an assortment of dried wild mushrooms, as well as risotto and soup mixes.

Untamed Feast

• A few friends and I headed to NongBu for dinner on Friday night. Service was spotty, and though I enjoyed the 3 mushroom japchae, I think I do prefer Lee House’s version.

3 mushroom japchae from NongBu

• We had a weekend of Chinese New Year celebrations, with more to come. Happy Lunar New Year to those celebrating!

Our Chinese New Year Eve dinner

• The YEG Food Crawl is hosting a second crawl in Little Italy on February 18, 2016. Tickets are $40 a person and will be released on February 4, 2016. They sold out in less than a day last time, so be ready if you’re interested in attending!
• MacEwan is hosting a panel on local and sustainable food on February 9, 2016, featuring food writers and an industry professional.
• Little Brick Home School is back in time for Valentine’s Day. Learn to make homemade pasta and taste some champagne with your sweetheart on February 11, 2016. Tickets are $100 each.
• Avenue Edmonton will be celebrating Edmonton’s best restaurants at the launch of their March issue. The event will be held on February 29, 2016 at The Oasis Centre. Tickets are $40 each.
• Love Pizza (10196 109 Street) officially opened its doors on January 29, 2016. It’s already receiving positive reviews, most notably from Cindy. If you’re planning a visit, you might want to join their loyalty program to get $5 off your first pie.
• St. Sophia Parish will be hosting a perogy supper on March 12, 2016 from 4:30-7pm at Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School (4001 Emerald Drive). $15 for adults, and $5 for kids aged 6-12.
• Cindy shares her recent lunch experience at Edmonton’s newest Japanese restaurant Washoku Bistro (10702 124 Street).
• Jonny is the first to file a review on The Almanac, a new gastropub on Whyte Avenue.
• Phil is beginning a new Odyssey this year – a quest to find Edmonton’s best brunch. He starts off with meals at Hart’s Table and Workshop Eatery.
• On the topic of brunch, Cindy checks out Cured’s foray into the brunch scene.
• Cindy also recaps the Anju pop-up at North 53 that took place over the weekend.
• The Journal is the latest to check out Prairie Noodle Shop.
• Jonny puts RGE RD back on the radar with a rave review on their food and service.
• It’s a direction most writers aren’t taking, but Liv will be moving back to print media by contributing to the Globe & Mail, and ceasing her regular blog updates. She published a piece in the Globe last week about the transition from food trucks to brick and mortar shops for some Alberta vendors.
• The Tea Girl has started a crowdfunding campaign to support its expansion into the neighbouring space. They’re hoping to raise $10,000 which will go towards the renovation costs.
• CBC provides a peek into Reclaim Urban Farm’s indoor vertical garden located in the warehouses of Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery Edmonton.
• Edmontonian Rebecca Schellenberg is undertaking a project called Suppers with Strangers, her quest to eat 15 meals with 15 strangers in February and document it all.
• Is it worth it to order a custom burger at McDonalds? Liane dives into the subject on behalf of CBC.
• Applications for the 2016 Canadian Food Championships are now open. The categories include: bacon, burger, dessert, sandwich, seafood and a new category, steak. Winners of the CFC get to represent Canada at the World Food Championships in the US.
• We’ll see how long it takes for the elimination of tipping to trickle to Edmonton, but it’s interesting to see that a public poll in the US shows that a majority of Americans are for tipping.
• I’ve been under the weather lately, so I haven’t had the energy to leave the house, much less venture onto roads less travelled, food wise. And though it may not have been the wisest choice for a recovery meal, we indulged in some Chinese takeout over the weekend. Although Garden Bakery was efficient, the food wasn’t as good as I remembered.

Our Garden Bakery go-to dishes – fried rice, beef chow fun and chow mein

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks at work, so a weekend getaway to Jasper was just what I needed to relax. Though I always look forward to periodic planned vacations, it was a good reminder that even a day or two away can be rejuvenating. On to this week’s food notes:

• The biggest news this week is an unfortunate item – amongst the Postmedia staff laid off on Tuesday was Liane Faulder, the Edmonton Journal’s food writer. To say this is a loss for #yegfood is an understatement, as there are few local writers who profile our food community in the way that Liane has over the last eight years. She will be missed in that role, but I have no doubt she will be on to another exciting chapter.
• North 53 will be opening up a sister restaurant in Mercer Warehouse, and even more exciting, they’ll be trying out a different concept.
• Careit Urban Deli is the first confirmed business for The Fox’s retail level. I’m looking forward to having a deli in the neighbourhood!
• There’s a new tea purveyor in town called Blue Hour Tea, and they’re open in Vacancy Hall (the basement of Mercer Warehouse on 104 Street & 104 Avenue).
• Edmonton will soon be home to another local brewer called Polar Park Brewing! They’ll be opening up in the former Bee Bell Bakery (80 Ave & 104 Street), and though they’ll have a tap room, a full-service restaurant isn’t in the plans.
• There’s also a new distillery based out of Nisku, called Big Rig Craft Distillery.
• Christine shared her Sunday brunch experience at Yellowhead Brewery (where they serve $2 beer mimosas).
• Speaking of brunch buffets, Linda checked out Fort Edmonton Park’s Hotel Selkirk brunch, and is offering the chance to win brunch for two.
• The Journal also featured a brunch review of Café Bicyclette last week.
• I hadn’t heard of Lan Phu Thai until seeing it on Jonny’s blog – it’s about a year old in the former Café du Sol space.
• Also from Jonny – he revisits Mama Lee’s Kitchen and finds some unfortunate changes.
• The Edmonton Food Council is interested in learning about your thoughts and perceptions about the local food system. The survey will be open until February 15, 2016.
• It’s never too early to start thinking about summer: Reclaim Urban Farm just opened up their Community Supported Agriculture shares for 2016.