5 Questions about the City Market’s New Downtown Location

When the news broke in March that the City Market would not be returning to its outdoor home on 104 Street this year, reaction was mixed. While some were excited about the idea of a permanent, year-round space, others grieved the loss of something that has become a summer tradition for many.

The City Market was one of the reasons why we decided to move to 104 Street, and I had already been looking forward to showing Emily how our front step transforms every Saturday. There’s no question the setting of 104 Street will be hard to replicate elsewhere; the combination of historic facades, mature trees, independent businesses, and residential concentration all helped create the welcoming and lively atmosphere that attracted visitors from across the city.

With Emily at the last City Market on 104 Street on October 6, 2018

That said, I recognize that the success for outdoor markets is very much weather dependent. Although rain, sleet, and snow has never deterred our family because of our proximity to the market, we acknowledge that many vendors rely extensively on fair weather customers. The last few years have also seen rough inclement conditions, including several windstorms that resulted in early closures as precautionary measures.

So although I’ve slowly come around to being open to the City Market’s new home, I know that many people have some unanswered questions:

1. What will the new City Market look like?

The market announced that its opening weekend in its new location will take place May 18-19, 2019, transitioning from one day per week to twice weekly. The Board worked with the City on securing a lease for the Great West Garment Building (also known as the GWG Building), at 97 Street and 103 Avenue, in addition to the permission to animate some of the nearby streets.

GWG Building

The building has been vacant for more than a decade, having most recently operated as the Red Strap Market that closed in 2007. Built in 1911, some of the original features, including the hardwood floors and pressed ceiling tiles, remain as historical marvels. If the renovations are done right, it could be stunning.

Inside the GWG

However, given the short timeline, we’ve learned that the market will operate outdoors this summer. When we toured the space in mid-March, washrooms were under construction, and they hadn’t moved to creating vendor stalls yet.

Planning for two floors of vendors

When completed, vendors will occupy the first and second floor of the building. The market is currently exploring options to program the third and fourth floors.

2. What can visitors expect from the City Market this summer?

The outdoor City Market will have quite the footprint in the Quarters, taking place not only on 103 Avenue but also spilling onto the Armature on 96 Street.

The Armature

Although a majority of the street may be the same width as its previous home of 104 Street and 102 Avenue, the lack of mature trees and active street-front retail make it feel quite different. In addition, the size of the two adjacent parking lots on 103 Avenue may provide convenience to some shoppers, but ultimately may bring a level of car traffic and noise that can disrupt the ambiance.

103 Avenue, looking west

Dog owners will be happy to hear that the market will permit four legged visitors. Guidelines for etiquette are in place, but otherwise, bring your puppy!

I do think the market’s new location could open up new opportunities for Chinatown South. In touring people through the area over the past two summers, people were interested in learning more about the cultural buildings and services located in the Quarters. Some in the Chinese community have already routinely organized events in Kinistinaw Park on the Armature, so it would be great to see even more engagement from the public because of the market’s presence.

Kinistinaw Park, along the Armature

3. How will the new indoor City Market experience compare to other indoor markets?

Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market has held exclusive court over being Edmonton’s only year-round market. Because of that, some have wondered why they haven’t shifted to a multi-day operation.

A newcomer to the scene has shaken things up, and is perhaps one reason the City Market has already committed to Saturday and Sunday hours. Bountiful Markets, set to open in June in a light industrial area at 3696 97 Street, will be operating three days a week, Friday to Sunday. Some of the same vendors who sell at both OSFM and the City Market will be at Bountiful, including Irvings Farm Fresh, Riverbend Gardens, and Doef’s, but it’s likely a multi-day public market will also attract new vendors who could benefit from the additional hours. Bountiful also promises a food court with multiple options, which may be more appealing to many, in addition to an entertainment stage and a kids play area.

Bountiful Markets may be Edmonton’s answer to the revamped Calgary Farmers’ Market, which moved off Blackfoot Trail in 2014. The renovated flea market has survived its competitors (for a variety of reasons), and is so successful it will be opening a second location in northwest Calgary in 2020.

Calgary Farmers’ Market

The Calgary Farmers’ Market seems designed with the intention of getting customers to linger – through a large food court with ample seating, a kids play area, and special events. I’ve also always found it very easy to navigate the wide aisles – even on our most recent visit in April with a stroller.

Food court at the Calgary Farmers’ Market

Given Bountiful’s opportunity to transform an empty warehouse to spec, it seems the Calgary model (including choosing a location really only accessible by car) is what they may be trying to emulate.

4. Will the new indoor City Market have a food hall?

Food halls are a hot trend in North America, with choices carefully curated and the quality elevated from a typical food court. The City Market has a food fair in its plans, with a dozen vendors proposed.

Mack and I checked out Calgary’s Avenida Food Hall & Fresh Market in April. It opened last fall, and though they have a few fresh food vendors, a majority of the stalls are dedicated to prepared food (interestingly enough, they also had a hybrid vendor – Sunworks Farm had a stall selling their fresh cuts of meat and some other products, but it was also equipped with an oven so they could sell hot rotisserie chickens).

Ample seating in Avenida

My favourite thing about Avenida was the diversity of the food they were offering. In addition to the more conventional Italian and Southern Barbecue stalls, there was impressive representation from other ethnic cuisines, including Mexican, Salvadorian, Ethiopian, Indonesian, Thai, Indian, and Japanese.

Some of the food options in Avenida

There are currently plans for a food hall downtown, located in the revamped YMCA Building at 100 Street and 102A Avenue to be known as Williams Hall. The tentative opening date is fall 2019.

5. Will the new City Market continue to be a summer destination?

Although those aforementioned parking lots may make it easier for some to reach the market in its new location, parking doesn’t create a destination. Only time will tell if the City Market will be able to retain and attract a strong mix of vendors, create an atmosphere that encourages visitors to linger, and hopefully promotes some of the area’s nearby amenities as additional attractions. If not, those seeking better outdoor market experiences may end up heading to competitors like the St. Albert Farmers’ Market or the 124 Street Grand Market.

I’m hopeful that the City Market will make the most of this change, and I am looking forward to the long weekend in May to see what they have in store.

Recap: Canmore Travels

Felicia and Jeff’s wedding in the mountains a couple of weeks ago was the perfect excuse for Mack and I to spend a few additional days in Canmore. While we stopped in the town two years ago en route to Lake Louise, it was winter, so we were keen to explore some of what it had to offer in the peak of summer.

Travelling with a baby can be tricky, but as we’re learning, giving yourself a lot of time, and going with the flow are the lessons we’ve taken to heart so far. It has meant not doing as much as we were used to on vacations past – one or two activities per day are more than enough. So we’ve had to choose even more wisely!

It was still pretty smoky while we were in Canmore, so we limited ourselves to one hike. The Grassi Lakes hike seemed to be one of the more reasonable ones, recognizing that Mack would be carrying a 16 pound weight up the slope. It was a nicely shady path for the most part, which we appreciated for Emily (and for us!).

Hiking with baby

We’ve also found that it’s often more convenient to have meals at home, so we’re definitely eating out a lot less when travelling. However, we did plan to visit the Canmore Mountain Market, which was within walking distance of our AirBnB.

Canmore Mountain Market

While they didn’t have the breadth of vendors I was expecting, I always enjoy browsing the stalls and seeing what local products are on offer. It was also clear there are many regulars who frequent the market, not just tourists like us.

Crepe with curried beef and mustard greens

We bought lunch from a couple of the food trucks, and my savoury crepe with curried beef and mustard greens turned out to be the best thing I had to eat in Canmore. Mack couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample a coffee from The Rocky Bean Co., which brews its coffee in a converted VW van.

The Rocky Bean Co.

We did venture out to Blake for dinner one night (also within walking distance of our flat). Their kitchen was really quick, but overall, we found the portions to be small and quality inconsistent (the fried chicken, for instance, was disappointingly dry). The most interesting dish was their ramen cacio e pepe – the noodles were a touch overdone, but the flavours were there.

Ramen cacio e pepe from Blake

On our way out of town, we had lunch at Rocky Mountain Flatbread. The prices were reasonable at lunch (not something that can be said of all establishments in Canmore), and while we did appreciate that they sourced many of their ingredients locally, the pizzas weren’t particularly memorable.

Pizzas from Rocky Mountain Flatbread

The highlight of our stay surprisingly had nothing to do with food. I’d had my eye on doing a workshop tour at the Rocky Mountain Soap Company factory for some time, but the timing hadn’t worked out prior to this trip. Although the tour tickets are priced at $25, the value is more than covered – $20 is returned in the form of a voucher that can be used at any of their stores, while the product samples we received exceeded the remaining $5 cost.

We learned that edible, cornstarch-based packing peanuts exist

It was a neat experience to tour the factory and see where all of the products are made. Some aspects definitely reminded me of food – the racks of soap bars drying, for instance, recalled the cheese aging rooms I’ve visited in the past.

Soap drying room

I was astonished to see just how much of their products are made and packaged by hand (their bath bombs, for instance, are all individually hand-pressed). It is undoubtedly a part of their brand, but it’s something hard to fathom as most companies are moving towards automation, not away from it.

We also had the opportunity to make our own bath salts, customizing with our choice of essential oil scents and herbal add-ins.

Making lavender and orange-scented bath salts

I’d definitely recommend the tour! As a bonus, a couple of other noteworthy businesses are located in the same vicinity as the factory, so it makes it a worthwhile trek just outside of town. After the tour, we walked over to Valbella (known for their meat products), and Mountain Blends Coffee Roasters to pick up some food souvenirs for home.

It was a quick trip to be sure, but won’t be our last to the mountains with Emily!

104 Street Feast by Edmonton Food Tours

Mack and I were very fortunate to be able to spend Food Day Canada in early August with Karen Anderson. Karen is a culinary ambassador based in Calgary, well-known for her food writing and tours of markets and dining districts in our neighbour to the south. However, in the last year, she expanded her Calgary Food Tours business to encompass Edmonton and Canmore as well, rebranding as Alberta Food Tours.

In Edmonton, they presently offer three types of tours: Strathcona Feast centres on the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market and adjacent area; 104 Street Feast winds its way through the City Market; and the newest Downtown Delights tour exposes diners to old and new gems in the core. Karen engaged several well-known food personalities to lead the local tours, including Edmonton Journal writer Liane Faulder and chef Cindy Lazarenko. But on occasion, Karen leads the groups herself, which is how we came to meet her in August.

Karen had invited us to attend one tour of our choosing; although Mack and I are weekly patrons of the City Market (and residents of 104 Street), we selected the 104 Street Feast option because we wanted to see how Edmonton Food Tours would highlight something so close to home for us (for the record, Get Cooking also offers a City Market tour, followed by a cooking class).

All Edmonton Food Tours are $115 per person, and cover all of the food and drink samples over the course of three hours. We learned later that Karen prides herself on compensating the restaurants and producers she has partnered with. In total, Alberta Food Tours supports over 70 producers in the province.

104 Street Feast begins at Kitchen, Chef Brad Smoliak’s culinary studio. Home to cooking classes and wine dinners, the space is warm and inviting, and Brad made us feel right at home. The small group gathered around the large island for coffee and an introduction of what to expect that morning.

Starting off at Kitchen

We started off with a hearty Ukrainian brunch that we would contribute to. Brad gave us a quick tutorial on how to assemble perogies before setting us loose. He’d prepared a basic dough (a simple and ingenious 2:1 ratio of flour to Dairyland sour cream, mixed together with a dough hook) and a filling of potatoes and Winding Road cheese for us to use. Since his philosophy at the studio is to get people back into the kitchen, Brad recommends having a perogy party to socialize while making up enough batches to go around.

Making perogies!

This was the highlight of the day for me – it was my first time making perogies “from scratch”, and it is something I could definitely see myself doing in the future.

After that, the dishes just kept on coming from the kitchen. Served family-style, this was a unique brunch that I couldn’t imagine being offered anywhere else. Although all of us had big appetites, we barely made a dent in the food.

Brad serves up perogies

The meal highlighted ingredients sourced from the City Market. There was a simple and fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, and radishes dressed with cold pressed canola oil that helped cut through the richness of some of the other dishes (I especially loved the flecks of dill).

Salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes

Meatballs, made with Acme ground beef and Irvings Farm Fresh pork, were simmered in a rich mushroom gravy, while Brad’s house-made kielbasa was accompanied by local Brassica Mustard.

Meatballs with mushroom gravy

House-made kielbasa

The nalsknky were easily my favourite, a house-made buttermilk cheese rolled in a crepe then doused in a mustard cream sauce. The perogies held up well, considering the inexperienced hands that had created them, and were served in Mack’s preferred way – with onions and lots of butter.

Nalsknky

Satisfied and eager to stretch our legs, the group wandered over to the City Market to commence the tour. In all, we would stop at ten different vendors or shops.

With Pat Batten from Ocean Odyssey Inland

At each vendor, Karen would provide some background about the business, then for most, we were offered a taste of a product or a sample to take home.

Sampling steak and cheese pies from Meat Street’s Thea Avis

Given the market was in full swing with other customers to serve, it wasn’t possible for each vendor to tell their own story, but I did appreciate when this was possible. For instance, Alan Cosh, one of the founders of the Fruits of Sherbrooke, shared with us the evolution of the non-profit that began in order to reduce food waste. They began with the production of applesauce, then pies, but finally found their form in jams. Today, they make 45 different varieties (including their bestseller, a chipotle rhubarb ketchup), and having finally broken even two years ago, is now making fruit snacks and applesauce tubes for inner city schools.

Alan Cosh from Fruits of Sherbrooke

We also had the opportunity to chat with Ian Treuer of Winding Road Cheese. Based in Smoky Lake, Winding Road is unique because of their use of a plant-based thistle rennet (as opposed to the more common animal-based rennet). Ian was also fresh from a second place award at the American Cheese Society Conference for his washed rind RDB cheese, which is quite the coup for a cheesemaker who stared as a hobbyist just a few years ago. Winding Road currently offers seven different types of cheese, ranging from the stronger Highland Hall, a soft bloomy rind cheese, to a mild German butter cheese. Mack, upon sampling the award-winning RDB, actually stopped in his tracks to appreciate its flavour.

Ian Treuer from Winding Road Cheese

The entire tour took place at a relaxed pace, and we never felt rushed to move on. The three hour length was reasonable, and would allow guests to continue to browse the market afterwards on their own if they chose to do so. As a whole, the 104 Street Feast is a good resource for locals hoping to learn more about the market, as stories and firsthand connections to producers can be very powerful, but I did think the selection of vendors leaned more towards prepared products. It’s my bias as the City Market provides the foundation of our weekly groceries, so I would have liked to see more farmers included apart from Gull Valley and Reclaim Farm. A meat or egg producer would have rounded things out nicely, and might provide locals with a reason to return to the market on a more frequent basis.

City Market

Still, the fact that not one, but two tours centre around the City Market is encouraging. 104 Street Feast definitely sets itself apart with the decadent Ukrainian brunch, perogy lesson, and the opportunity to hear from producers firsthand. If you’re hoping to learn more about one of Edmonton’s food institutions, I’d encourage you to consider joining this tour.

Edmonton Food Tours’ 104 Street Feast continues weekly every Saturday until October 7, 2017.

City Market 2014

I haven’t been up early for the City Market much this season, but in preparation for a potluck tomorrow, I thought it best to make sure we had our pick of produce. Good thing too, given how busy it was right at the start!

Overhead view

I haven’t written much about the market this year, a deviation from previous summers, and because of this it’s harder to reconcile that we’re nearly halfway through the outdoor market season already! On the bright side, it means we’re that much closer to some of my seasonal favourites, including green beans and field tomatoes. But in the meantime, this week saw the return of carrots, new potatoes and peas.

Kale from Sundog Organic

Rhubarb from Sundog Organic

Carrots from Sundog Organic

Lettuce from Sundog Organic

Peas from Kuhlmann’s

Radishes from Kuhlmann’s

Swiss chard from Kuhlmann’s

Green onions from Kuhlmann’s

Broccoli from Green Valley Farm

Tomatoes from Doef’s

Potatoes from Riverbend Gardens

Carrots from Riverbend Gardens

Beets from Riverbend Gardens

Peaches from Steve & Dan’s

Berries from Steve & Dan’s

Cherries from Steve & Dan’s

One can only hope the gorgeous weekend weather will continue all market season. See you there!

Mother’s Market: Edmonton’s first three day farmers’ market

Although Edmonton has plenty of farmers’ markets (with more seeming to spring up in every pocket of the city), up until now, almost all markets run just once a week. Enter Mother’s Market, Edmonton’s first three day year-round market, which opened on Friday in the building that formerly housed Mother’s Music at 10251 109 Street. It will be open from 10am-7pm on Fridays and from 10am-5pm on the weekends.

Mother’s Market

When it was first announced, some wondered how Mother’s Market could possibly compete with the City Market in the summer, located just a few blocks away on the pedestrian-friendly 104 Street. To be fair, not everyone can make it to the market on Saturdays, so the ability to pick pick up groceries on alternate days is a definite plus. Much of their success, however will depend on the range of products they can offer, in addition, of course, to the shopping experience itself.

Two floors of shopping

Originally slated to open in May, the delay to June 20, 2014 seemed to allow the market to gather more vendors in the interim, including several familiar to City Market shoppers, such as Prairie Mill, Greens, Eggs and Ham, and Irvings Farm Fresh.

Greens, Eggs and Ham (a duplicate of their Symons Valley Ranch booth in Calgary)

It was immediately clear the advantage offered to vendors at an indoor site – no need for a weekly set-up and take-down, easy access to power and water, and no variable weather conditions to worry about. As a result, many of the stalls are more visibly branded, and customers can tell at a glance which products are in stock.

Irvings Farm Fresh

Personally, I was happy to see Sunworks. Though their location across the river at Blush Lane isn’t that far, it’s nice to have walking distance access to a variety of meats and eggs. In addition, they also sell Vital Green milk products (I’ve been missing the ability to pick up local, organic milk close to home since Saxby’s closure impacted Van Os Dairy).

There were still many empty vending spaces, some due to be occupied soon (Innisfail-based Lund’s Organics will enhance the produce offerings, which are still fairly slim, and at present, include imported produce from the US). I’ve always found the biggest weakness of the fall/winter component of the City Market in City Hall is the relative lack of produce, especially when compared with Old Strathcona. This is an area where Mother’s can definitely compete.

Walker Orchards

It was also great to see a number of vendors unique to Mother’s Market. Those who were sad to see Wild Tangerine go will be happy to know they can still pick up prepared curries, spring rolls and soups at this location. As well, Transcend Coffee will not only be serving the caffeine-deprived (drip coffees only, at this point), but also use their stall as a way to introduce customers to alternative home brewing methods (think AeroPress and Chemex).

Transcend Coffee

Locating concessions on the second floor was a great idea to help draw shoppers upstairs, which would otherwise potentially see less foot traffic. Besides a forgettable hot dog vendor, the crepe, Indian and Mexican food stalls were still works in progress. Native Delights, however, was up and running. We still haven’t tried a bannock burger ourselves, but it is heartening to see the business (two food trucks, a concession at Osman Auction, and now, Mother’s Market) expand. More seating options will definitely be needed, particularly if the market would like customers to linger, but that could be on its way.

Native Delights

I have to say some of the vendors seemed out of place to me, but I know people have vastly different definitions of what vendors should comprise a farmers’ market. I could have done without the art and scented wax vendors, for instance, but to each their own.

Second floor vendors

Most of Calgary’s farmers’ markets already operate on the three day per week model, so it will be interesting to see if Mother’s Market will be the first to succeed at doing so in Edmonton. So far, I’d say they’re off to a good start – but only time will tell.

Mother’s Market
10251 109 Street
Fridays 10am-7pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10am-5pm

Rebecca also posted about the market.

City Market Report: Week 20

It was a brisk one at the City Market this morning! I was up early for once to help ring in the market today. Representing the Downtown Edmonton Community League (DECL), I rang the opening bell along with Heather from the City of Edmonton’s Waste Management.

Ringing in the market with Heather

Though the fall chill was definitely in the air, the sunny skies still made it a pleasant day to walk the market aisles.

Early on at the market

It’s also without a doubt one of the best times of year to pick up fresh, locally grown produce!

Pumpkins from Sundog Organic

Beets from Sundog Organic

Leeks from Sundog Organic

Carrots from Sundog Organic

Broccoli from Sundog Organic

Kohlrabi from Sundog Organic

Celery from Sundog Organic

Fennel from Sundog Organic

Tomatoes from Greens, Eggs and Ham

Baby leeks from Greens, Eggs and Ham

Ornamentals from Kuhlmann’s

Brussels sprouts from Kuhlmann’s

Squash from Kuhlmann’s

Kale from Kuhlmann’s

Adorable tabletop pots from Kuhlmann’s

Bell peppers from Doef’s

Eggplant from Doef’s

Asian apple pears from Steve & Dan’s

Apples from Steve & Dan’s

Grapes from Steve & Dan’s

Cabbage from Riverbend Gardens

Potatoes from Riverbend Gardens

Cauliflower from Riverbend Gardens

Squash from Riverbend Gardens

I’ll be back at the market next week selling memberships for DECL – come stop by and say hi! There are only two more chances to enjoy the outdoor market (October 5 & 12) before the City Market moves indoors to City Hall on October 19.

City Market 2013: Week 12

I know a lot of people head out of town over the August long weekend, but I find the weather is usually so gorgeous in Edmonton at that time that it’s far from a chore to stay home. Plus, there’s just so much to do!

This morning, before attending a wedding, I made the rounds at the City Market to pick up our groceries for the week.

Market square

Though field tomatoes and corn are still yet to come, the summer bounty was on full display at the market.

Zucchini from Sundog Organic

Beets from Sundog Organic

Broccoli from Sundog Organic

Turnips from Sundog Organic

Radicchio from Sundog Organic

Carrots from Sundog Organic

Thumbelina carrots from Greens, Eggs and Ham

Carrots from Kuhlmann’s

Beans from Kuhlmann’s

Sugar snap peas from Kuhlmann’s

Peas from Kuhlmann’s

Zucchini from Kuhlmann’s

Cauliflower from Riverbend Gardens

Cabbage from Riverbend Gardens

Kale from Riverbend Gardens

Plums from Steve & Dan’s

Berries from Steve & Dan’s

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

City Market 2013: Week 8

The weather was perfect for City Market visitors on Saturday – warm without being too hot, with blue skies full of sunshine.

City Market square (love the colourful furniture!)

It’s also great to see all of the fresh produce rolling in, week by week. Saturday was no exception, with a greater variety than we’ve seen thus far, including broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, carrots and new potatoes.

Garlic scapes from Sundog Organic

Garlic from Sundog Organic

Kale from Sundog Organic

Broccoli and cauliflower from Erdmann’s

Apricots from Steve & Dan’s

Berries from Steve & Dan’s

Peas from Kuhlmann’s

Radishes from Kuhlmann’s

Beets from Kuhlmann’s

Flowers from Kuhlmann’s

Swiss chard from Kuhlmann’s

Carrots from Riverbend Gardens

Fennel from Riverbend Gardens

Kohlrabi from Riverbend Gardens

New potatoes from Riverbend Gardens

Beets from Riverbend Gardens

I also really enjoyed the beats from Adje Performers’ African drums. They had more than a few people dancing in the square! I hope they’re back at future markets.

Adje Performers

See you next week!

Sundays are for Markets: French Quarter Farmers’ Market

Not all farmers’ markets are created equal. Case in point, the three new markets that have more than doubled the Sunday scene are all quite different. Eden’s Market (which I recognize is still in its early stages), needs to attract more produce and protein vendors to make it a worthwhile grocery stop (instead of just a charming stroll-through). This is what makes the French Quarter Farmers’ Market so impressive by contrast.

French Quarter Farmers’ Market

Mack and I stopped by on Sunday. Situated at La Cité Francophone, the market has taken full advantage of the site. Vendors are located both indoors and outside, with picnic tables scattered in the grass. A busker was performing when we arrived, with a number of people enjoying the music under shaded seats.

Seating

In the short three weeks they’ve been open, they’ve managed to accumulate nearly thirty different vendors. All sell food products, something that sets this market apart from others. Though a select few only vend every second week, those who visit regularly will still have the pick of staple products from Steve & Dan’s, Skyline Greenhouses, Greens, Eggs and Ham and Serben Free Range (I am hoping the website is updated soon with the complete list).

Vendors

We were reminded by market manager Jean-Michel Dentinger that it is a French market after all (we noticed several producers greeted customers in both French and English), so it is no surprise that good cheese (The Cheesiry and Smoky Valley Goat Cheese) and bread (Bonjour Bakery/Treestone) are to be found here.

For those looking for something sweet, Passion Sucre offers baked treats. We were lucky enough to score a care package, featuring not only chocolate croissants, but éclairs and even a #yeg chocolate-dipped strawberry!

Treats from Passion Sucre

Though Eden’s Market definitely takes the food truck cake, the French Quarter Farmers’ Market boasts The Crooked Fork, one of Edmonton’s newest truck. They had run out of their hickory-smoked pulled pork, so we opted for their poutine. It hit the spot!

The Crooked Fork

Poutine

This market also features cooking classes by Chef Elaine Wilson, of Food You Can Cook. Cooking demos are an excellent way to highlight to consumers how they can transform the ingredients they pick up at the market, and are common elsewhere.

We took part in Elaine’s second class (she runs two classes per session, one at 12:30pm and another at 2:30pm). We learned how to make Thai Massaman sauce, a base which she transformed into a delicious beef and potato curry as well as a spicy tamarind soup. Elaine always amazes me with her knowledge, but also her ability to juggle answering questions with the prep tasks at hand!

Elaine is passionate about food!

Elaine normally charges $20 for the class, but for the past two weeks, classes have been by donation, with all proceeds going to Alberta flood relief. Next week, watch Elaine cook up appetizers, a main and dessert for what she terms an “elegant dinner party” – all in forty-five minutes! Sign up in advance on her website, or drop-in if you’re feeling lucky!

Mack enjoys his sample of Massaman curry

In short, the French Quarter market is thoughtful and well-rounded. I’d be interested in seeing how it progresses in identity as a year-round market (especially through the winter, given they are reliant on food producers), but it is a wonderful addition to the city’s market scene.

French Quarter Farmers’ Market
8627 Rue Marie-Anne-Gaboury (91 Street), La Cité Francophone
Every Sunday from 12-5pm