• La Mision, the pop-up from the folks behind Tres Carnales and Rostizado, is back from July 16-20, 2018 for lunch at Rostizado.
• K-Days will soon be upon us, running from July 20-29, 2018. As is custom, fairgoers can anticipate a number of new dishes on the midway. This year’s menu includes black charcoal ice cream, cricket grilled cheese, and cheesy chicken hearts.
• Wildheart’s annual Grand Taste Tour is back this year on July 28, 2018, and includes a visit to Stonepost Farm and a meal from Chef Eric Hanson of Prairie Noodle Shop. Tickets are $132. I was fortunate enough to attend in previous years, and had a blast every time!
• Chartier has organized some outdoor events for the summer, including partnering with a naturopathic doctor and certified herbalist to create a tasting menu on July 30, 2018 at the Old Red Barn in Leduc.
• A reminder that advance tickets for the Heritage Festival, running August 4-6, 2018, are now available at a 5% discount (20 tickets for $19).
• The Lions Club is hosting a wine and cheese tasting on September 29, 2018 to raise funds for diabetes research. Tickets are $75.
• Pampa has announced that they will be opening up a third location in Edmonton in the city’s west end.
• West Edmonton Mall is now home to locations of Match Pub and Sweet Jesus.
• Hot on the heels of Cineplex joining the food delivery fray, Tim Horton’s is now available via Skip the Dishes in Edmonton.
• Congrats to Honest Dumplings, who raised over $10,000 in their crowdfunding campaign.
• Liane covers the vegan trend in Edmonton’s food scene.
• Looking for a way to beat the heat? Andrea has a list of five local spots to try for ice cream.
• The Journal published a positive review for Kanto.
• Crystal had good things to say about the food at Let’s Grill Sushi and Izakaya.
• Graham enjoyed the hands on dining at Captain’s Boil.
• Liane had a pleasant experience at Crum Coffee Bar.
• Jonny visited Castle Bake 2, a north side gem.
• Lillian rounds up the latest entries to her macaron mashup project.
• Congratulations to Food4Good which has purchased a building in central west Edmonton. They are working towards building a community food centre, a first for the city.
• Northlands is offering free tours of their urban farm. Upcoming dates include August 5 and September 9, 2018.

• Kevin Kossowan is leading a “forage to table” evening that will end in a dinner at RGE RD on August 7, 2018. He is giving away 4 spaces for the event online.
• deVine’s and Ono Poke is partnering for a pig roast and wine tasting called Wein, Schwein & Dine on August 26, 2018. Tickets are $30 and is a fundraiser for the Edmonton Food Bank.
• The third annual Culinaire Treasure Hunt is scheduled for September 8, 2018. Teams of two can register for $75.
• Great to see that the company behind Elm Cafe, District, and Little Brick is expanding into Highlands!
• The Oliver Exchange building at 12019A 102 Avenue will soon be home to Brio Bakery, Iconoclast Coffee, and Culina To-Go.
• Vancouver-based 720 Sweets & Etc., offering soft-serve and bubble teas, is now open in West Edmonton Mall’s T & T. Sharon has a photolog of what you can expect from their menu.
• On the first Thursday of the month, The Vintage Fork at the Rutherford House hosts a jazz night featuring canapes and champagne. Admission is $45 per person. Leduc shares his experience from last month.
• I was surprised to hear that Filistix’s contracts at the University of Alberta were terminated. An online petition has been started with the hopes that Aramark will consider reversing the decision.
• Meuwly’s should be open this week, after a delay in receiving their permits, but check their Twitter to be sure. Phil has an overview of the products you can expect.
• Also from Phil (who co-hosts Eat North’s More Than Maple Syrup podcast) he interviews Gavin from Love Pizza about their decision to move away from Skip the Dishes and start their own online delivery service.
• CBC profiled the family behind Barr Estate Winery.
• Lydia paid an early visit to Wilfred’s.
• Linda was really impressed with the food (and the vision) of The Hallway Cafe.
• Vue Weekly published a review of Passport Restobar.
• Twyla recommends avoiding anything deep fried at Barney’s Pub in Leduc.
• An Chay continues to accumulate positive reviews, this time from Jonny.
• Crystal was hoping for better service to match the food at Buco.
• The Edmonton Horticltural Society’s annual Garden Tour takes place on August 14-15, 2018. This self-guided tour will permit visitors to check out 10 local gardens. Tickets are $25.
• Interested in keeping some urban chickens? River City Chickens is hosting a workshop (approved by the City of Edmonton standards required for training) on August 15, 2018. TIckets are $40.
• I stopped by King Noodle House after co-leading a walking tour in Chinatown. Their bun bo Hue always hits the spot!

My usual at King Noodle

• Get ready for the second What the Truck?! of the year this Friday, July 6, 2018, from 5-10pm at the Valley Zoo (a first for the event!). Consult the menus to plan your attack.
• Linda is hosting an Instagrammable Walls of Edmonton fundraiser and brunch on July 8, 2018 in Old Strathcona. Tickets are $40 and include brunch at Holy Roller.
• The 4th annual Feast on the Field at Commonwealth Stadium, a fundraiser for Capital Care, will take place on August 22, 2018. Tickets are $195.
• This year’s BaconFest is scheduled for September 2, 2018 at St. Basil’s Cultural Centre. Advance admission tickets are $15, with food tickets available at the event.
• The Telus World of Science is hosting LUMEN, their annual fundraising event billed as “where science meets cocktails” on September 27, 2018. The evening will feature bar stations, cocktail science activities, hands-on demos, and hors d’oeuvres. Early bird tickets are $99.
• It’s great to see another social enterprise (such as The Hallway Cafe) in the city – Boyle Street Eats is a food truck now in operation that hires from “within our community of people experiencing homelessness and/or poverty.” Staff are provided with training and experience on the truck.
• Chef Shane Chartrand’s rebranded restaurant at the River Cree Casino named SC, is open for business.
• Splash Poke’s third location in the city is now open at West Edmonton Mall.
• Also at WEM, Bubba Gump Shrimp is now open.
• Liane has more about what you can expect from Meuwly’s, opening up later this week on July 5, 2018.
• Learn more about the couple behind Yelo’d, Edmonton’s newest ice cream shop, in this piece from Vue.
• Avenue Edmonton’s July issue features 25 notable Edmontonians identifying their favourite dish to eat in the city.
• Patio seekers can look forward to a few new or reclaimed patios at Cafe Linnea, Rebel Food and Drink, and Bodega 124 Street.
• Ms. Hangry Foodie offers an early review of Wildfred’s.
• Leduc is one of the first to review Fumaca Brazilian Steakhouse.
• Graham praises the food but not the atmosphere of Silk Bar and Kitchen.
• Andrea has eaten her way through the menu at Kanto.
• Sharon tried out the “longest fries in North America” from local food truck Golden Bunch.
• Edmonton AM has been running a series of segments called “Snackchecker”, rating different locally-sourced snacks. This week, they share the current ranking (held by Sugared and Spiced’s brownie), and try savoury bites from Honest Dumplings.
• If you had a hankering for movie theatre popcorn at home, you’re now in luck – Cineplex has partnered with Uber Eats to deliver some of their concession snacks.
• Seconds, Please! is a film from local filmmaker Shawn Tse about second generation immigrants connecting with their heritage through their traditional food.
• Mack and I couldn’t resist a trip to Love Pizza this weekend for our annual poutizza indulgence. Hope everyone had a great Canada Day!

Poutizza for two

• Get Cooking will be hosting a farm to table dinner at Prairie Adventure Gardens on June 30, 2018. Tickets are $125.
• Forthcoming restaurant The Cave Paleo Beastro will be having a 5-course pop-up dinner at Northern Chicken on July 3, 2018. Tickets are $80.
• The next What the Truck?! will be taking place on July 6, 2018, from 5-10pm at the Valley Zoo. Check out the trucks you can expect.
• Mark your calendar for this year’s Savour Strathcona County, back again on July 8, 2018.
• Little Brick’s backyard barbecues are back! Check them out on Thursday nights starting July 5, 2018.
• You can start planning now: the menus for this year’s Heritage Festival are now out. The festival runs August 4-6, 2018.
• Congratulations to Sherwood Park’s Beccy Stables, who became the youngest ever winner of MasterChef Canada last week.
• Great to see Kevin Kossowan on this year’s list of Western Living’s Foodies of the Year.
• Wildfred’s, a “contemporary neighbourhood cafe and diner” in the Brewery District opened last week.
• Did you know the Mercer Building is home to High Fidelity Chocolates, a bean-to-bar chocolate shop?
• Meuwly’s, offering house-made charcuterie, preserves, and other local products, is opening on July 5, 2018.
• Sharon tried some of the sweet and savoury dishes at Cacao 70.
• Another positive review for Kanto, this time from Twyla.
• Cindy has recommendations on what to order at Chix Shack.
• Jonny checked out Golomein Noodle House on the south side.
• Valerie delights in the pristine patio at the Jagare Ride Clubhouse.
• Crystal has seen improvement at Rebel Food and Drink.
• Vue Weekly offers a review of ‘Ono Poke Co.
• Graham revisits Ampersand 27.
• From Vue Weekly – they take a look at three of the recent bakery additions to the Old Strathcona neighbourhood – Fan Fan, Sugared and Spiced, and La Boule.
• Also from Vue, there’s another brewery opening up in Edmonton soon – look out for Sea Change Brewery Co. in the spring.
• I had missed linking to this article about the changes Town Square Brewing have made since opening up, in response to less-than-positive feedback when they opened.
• Food Artisans of Alberta, a travel companion all about local producers in our province, is now available! For your chance to win a copy, tag photos of your favourite #FoodArtisansofAlberta until July 3, 2018.
• It will be interesting to see if this concept succeeds – a pay-what-you-can grocery store is opening up in Toronto.
• Are you curious about what it takes to raise urban chickens? Northlands Urban Farm is hosting a free “chicken chat” with a poultry scientist on July 5, 2018
• I had a great birthday meal at Otto on Friday – I had been craving their Otto dog for some time, and am happy to report that it didn’t disappoint!

Sausages, fries, and mac ‘n’ cheese at Otto

• The next Prairie on the Plate events are to take place at the Highlands and 124 Street locations of Bodega. They’ll be offering 3-course brunch for $25 on June 23 and 24, 2018.
• Ernest’s at NAIT is hosting a dinner on July 7, 2018 featuring the “it” pork of the moment, mangalista. Tickets are $99.
• The Alberta Mycological Society is hosting a Wild Mushroom Exposition on August 19, 2018 in Spruce Grove, to help attendees “identify, learn, forage, taste and enjoy wild mushrooms.”
• Yelo’d Ice Cream, offering Asian-inspired soft serve, is in their soft opening phase. Find them at 10150A 82 Avenue.
• 124 Street continues to stockpile culinary assets – this time in the form of Meuwly’s, offering charcuterie, sausage, and preserves. It will open next week at 10706 124 Street.
• I’m looking forward to the opening of Wilfred’s, described as a “contemporary cafe and diner” in the Brewery District later this month.
• Downtown Edmonton’s newest coffee shop, Sober Cat in the Morning, is set to open July 7, 2018.
• Vue has more on what you can expect from the forthcoming Korean casual eatery Buok.
• It’s always great to see new local food initiatives, such as the food business development platform and retail space that Honest Dumplings is spearheading. Check out the ATB Boostr campaign where they seek to raise $10,000 towards the facility.
• Original Redhead Condiments also has a current ATB Boostr campaign running to help expand their business. Vue Weekly has more how the idea for fermented hot sauces developed.
• Congratulations to Chef Lindsay Porter on her win on the television program Guy’s Grocery Games.
• Kanto’s interpretation of Filipino cuisine leaves Graham impressed.
• A pair of polar opposite reviews to consider about The Captain’s Boil, from Linda and the Journal.
• Jonny enjoyed the ramen at Let’s Grill Sushi & Izakaya downtown, but was left wanting more from Wendy’s Gourmet Perogies.
• Crystal had a positive experience at London Local.
• Vue applauds the quality Narayanni’s has maintained over the years.
• Mack and I hit up Kazoku for my first post-baby ramen last week. It’s just not the same without that soft boiled egg!

Shoyu and tonkotsu ramen from Kazoku

• Thanks to Sharman for the heads up about Get Cooking’s new Burger Club Wednesday. Three burgers will be on the menu from 4:45-9pm, in addition to starters, desserts, and drinks. Advanced tickets are available, and walk-ins are accepted on a first come, first served basis.
• You can now check out the new retail space that will house Honest Dumplings and South Island Pie Co.! They’re offering sneak peeks Thursdays and Fridays from noon-6pm at 10552 114 Street. Also of note, Honest Dumplings is kicking off their crowdfunding campaign to support their new home with a party on June 14, 2018.
• Just a Little Night Market is back on June 15 & 16, 2018 at the Aviation Museum. Advanced admission is $3.
• The 5th annual Porkapalooza runs June 16-17, 2018 at the Northlands Park Racetrack. Admission is free.
• Filistix and Kanto are teaming up to host a taste of the Philippines on June 27, 2018. Tickets are $100 for a party of 4.
• The next Dining with Friends, organized by the Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum Society, is scheduled for June 27, 2018 at Dorinku. Tickets are $52.
• Chef Brad Smoliak’s annual long-table dinner is scheduled for July 7, 2018 in the Old Red Barn in Leduc County. Tickets are $145.
• Montreal-based dessert (and brunch) spot Cacao 70 is now open at Unit 118, 10111 104 Avenue (the south side of the Edmonton Tower). Ms. Hangry Foodie has an early review.
• Edmonton area’s newest brewery is now open in St. Albert – check out Endeavour Brewing Company at 215 Carnegie Drive. Their grand opening celebrations take place June 16, 2018.
• The buzz around Kanu, the forthcoming plant-based restaurant from Chef Matthew Kenney, continues.
• Liane also has a round-up of some of the new spots where you can grab some gelato, including La Carraia Downtown and DaVinci Gelato in St. Albert.
• It looks like Edmonton’s getting another restaurant offering flavours from the East Coast – Blowers & Grafton will be opening up on Whyte.
• Liane has more information about Silk, the newest restaurant to open Downtown.
• I was sorry to hear about a fire that has destroyed Anatolia Food Market and Moon Palace Restaurant.
• The families behind Avila Arepa and Doan’s were profiled in Avenue.
• Linda has a ranking of Edmonton’s best bingsu, with Hanjan taking the top spot.
• Sharon is a fan of the sweet and savoury offerings at Love Waffle YEG.
• Vue Weekly was pleasantly surprised by the Italian fare at Favoloso in Westmount.
• Twyla wasn’t impressed with Revel.
• YEG Cravings was hoping for more from Bottega 104.
• Jonny has a pair of reviews for Walia Ethiopian Restaurant and Clementine.
• Cindy has a photolog up of a recent meal at District Cafe.
• Sharman recapped the last Swine and Dine hosted at The Common.
• An article in TechLife asks – has Edmonton’s food truck scene peaked?
• Liane has the details of a new meal service in Edmonton called Gourmet Prep, which delivers fully cooked meals to customers.
• It’s been great to see more and more restaurants stepping up to ban single-use plastic straws.
• So great to hear that K-Days will be serving up only locally-sourced craft beer and spirits at the festival this year.
• As I am currently on maternity leave, I’m no longer in close proximity to El Fogon. So I appreciate even more any excuse to get out and enjoy their beef arepa.

Beef and gouda arepa from El Fogon

• Markets continue to spring up around the city, including the Berlin Square Public Market on Sundays from 11am-3pm at the German Canadian Cultural Club and the 97th Street Public Market on Sundays from 11am-3pm at 9615 153 Avenue.
• Looking for Father’s Day plans? Parkallen Restaurant is hosting another pizza buffet on June 17, 2018. Tickets for adults are $20, and children aged 4-10 are $10.
• Advanced tickets for a Taste of Edmonton are now available until July 17.
• The Mayfair just keeps on adding food purveyors – next up is Curry Vibes.
• DECL shared a rumour that a location of Cora’s is slated for the Days Inn on 106 Street.
• It’s great to see when market vendors make the leap to brick and mortar locations – this is the case for Milk and Cookies Bakeshop, which just opened at 5532 Calgary Trail.
• Another new bakery alert: Jovic Bakery is now open at 870 Webber Greens Drive.
• I’ve never been to the East Coast, so I didn’t know they served donairs differently – King of Donair is the first Edmonton location of a franchise from the East that boasts an “authentic” donair.
• Silk Bar & Kitchen is now open at 10344 105 Street.
• Drift is now serving at the concession in ReMax Field!
• Love Waffle YEG is now open on weekends at the South Common location of Chatime (1915 98 Street), serving up Taiwanese and Hong Kong-style egg waffles.
• Alley Kat is now serving up pints in their newly-licensed lounge at the brewery.
• Gig City has a run down of the menu at the recently renovated River City Revival House (formerly Brixx).
• Vue has a feature on the food truck, KaBao.
• Villa Bistro was reviewed in the Journal last week.
• Jonny has a pair of reviews up for La Carraia and Cinnaholic.
• Crystal had a mixed experience at Cafe Linnea.
• Graham finds comfort in the “Old World” charm at Manor Cafe.
• Avenue Magazine has a round up of the best doughnuts in the city.
• Liane has the details about the new and different tours available through Edmonton Food Tours this summer.
• Sharman has 30 reasons why you should consider attending the 30th anniversary of Christmas in November later this year.
• Cultivate McCauley is offering free tours of area gardens every second Tuesday of the month from June to September: “At each stop, a gardener will present an overview of their space, insights into their gardening philosophies, and offer practical techniques, tips, and tricks that you can use in your garden spaces.”
• It’s disappointing the barriers involved in the vacant lot gardening pilot has prevented more uptake.
• The Government of Alberta passed Bill 7, which will regulate the organic products grown and sold in the province.
• Mack and I finally went to try Cinnaholic (10075 109 Street) today. Cinnzeo has always been my guilty pleasure, so I was curious to see how this vegan version would stand up. We went with a plain frosted bun and a coffee frosted bun, so they weren’t as sweet as the deluxe versions, but I just couldn’t see how it is worth $5.50. We also had intentions of eating it later, but staff had no suggestions on how one might heat up the bun at home – we probably would have been better off picking up a day-old, unfrosted bun for $1. Time will tell if they’ll garner the repeat business they’ll need to stay open.

Buns from Cinnaholic

• Al-Rashid Mosque is hosting A Taste of Ramadan on June 2, 2018 at the Boyle Street Plaza (9538 103A Ave) from 5-9pm. There will be free food and entertainment.
• The Duchess Bake Shop team was the only North American group to compete in the French version of the Great British Bake Off show. They will be hosting a viewing party on June 11, 2018.
• The Shaw Conference Centre is celebrating their 35th anniversary this year! Their annual summer patio party is scheduled for June 22, 2018. Admission is free, but food and drinks can be purchased.
• Urban Pedal Tours has launched a new “Edmonton Early Riser” tour in Old Strathcona featuring coffee, donuts, and beer. Tickets are $38.
• Linda spotted a sushi/barbecue place on 101 Avenue and 109 Street that is coming soon.
• There are now two additional dog-friendly patios in the city at Have Mercy and El Cortez.
• Vue interviewed Los Angeles-based chef Matthew Kenney on how his forthcoming plant-based venture in Edmonton, Kanu, came to be.
• Liane published a piece all about Ohana Donuterie.
• The Local Good interviewed Chef Brad Smoliak about his food philosophy and his business, Kitchen by Brad.
• Lillian highlights a hidden gem that opened back in January called Artisan Flatbread that specializes in Iranian lavash (a type of flatbread).
• Jonny is the latest to try Tsujiri.
• YEG Cravings was disappointed with the food at Nongbu.
• Vue Weekly reviews the barbecue at Meat.
• Sharman recapped the Prairie on a Plate dinner at Buco.
• I love that Uber Eats released a list of the most ordered foods in certain neighbourhoods. Most popular downtown? Pho and spring rolls.
• Get Cooking will be hosting a variety of culinary bootcamps this summer, geared towards adults, kids, and teens.
• NAIT is hosting a three-day conference this week to promote plant-based cuisine. One of the days is open for the public to attend, but is sadly sold out.
• I was so happy to hear that the bridge that had been planned for the area around Riverbend Gardens has been cancelled.
• The weather was fantastic for the first What the Truck?! of the season on Saturday. If you missed it, don’t worry – the next event takes place on July 6, 2018 at the Valley Zoo!

What the Truck?! at Capital Boulevard

• It’s been a while since our last visit to Grandin Fish and Chips, but they didn’t disappoint!

Haddock and chips from Grandin

I took a break from posting last week because we were away for a few days in Jasper. It’s been years since I’ve been in the mountains in the spring, but it was great to hike without a ton of layers, and of course, it was a pretty comfortable temperature for Emily! On to this week’s food notes:

• Waste Free Edmonton and Boomerang Bags YEG is hosting a free screening of Bag It, a film about the plastic pollution problem, on May 23, 2018. The groups want to encourage the reduction of plastics, including bags and straws.
• Get ready for the first What the Truck?! of the season this weekend on May 26, 2018 from 3-8pm on Capital Boulevard. The menus are up to help you plan your meals.
• Parkallen is hosting a pop-up brunch on May 27, 2018. Tickets are $23 per person for adults and $10 for children aged 2-10.
• I’m so happy Edgar Farms is bringing back the Asparagus Festival this year, with dates on May 27, June 3, and June 10, 2018. We attended several years ago – here’s what you can expect.
• The next Swine & Dine is being hosted at The Common on May 31, 2018. Tickets are $40 for the four-course meal.
• RGE RD is hosting Okanagan-based chef Aman Dosanj on June 5, 2018 for a pop-up dinner. Tickets are $89.
• Tsujiri, a cafe offering all things matcha, is now open at 10173 109 Street.
• Ontario-based The Captain’s Boil, a seafood restaurant that combines Cajun seafood boils with Asian spices, is now open in Edmonton at South Common (2051 98 Street). YEG Cravings has an early review.
• It looks like the vegan trend is still going strong in Edmonton – Kanu, from American Chef Matthew Kenney, is opening up his first Canadian venture in July in the space currently occupied by Monument Cafe.
• Vue Weekly has a preview of what to expect from Fumaca, the city’s next Brazilian steakhouse to open at 10143 Saskatchewan Drive.
• Great to hear that the family behind Cafe Amore is opening up another restaurant in the core, a quick-serve Pasta Amore across from Joey’s Bell Tower (the piece also notes that the Crudo family is no longer involved with Bottega 104).
• Sorry to see that Wild Earth Cafe has closed their 99 Street location.
• Vue profiles Ohana Donuterie.
• Leduc has one of the first reviews of Kanto, the new Filipino restaurant in Chinatown run by Chef Edgar Gutierrez of Tres Carnales and Rostizado fame.
• Leduc and Sharon shared their experiences at Cinnaholic, the newly-opened vegan cinnamon bun shop.
• The Journal had a positive experience at Why Not, but YEG Cravings was disappointed with their take-out lunch offerings.
• Twyla recommends The Dirtbag Cafe, in spite of herself.
• Crystal is the latest to review Bottega 104.
• Graham continues to be impressed by Corso 32, and enjoyed his meals at Bodega’s new 124 Street location.
• Vue paid a visit to Korean restaurant Pocha Seoul.
• As always, it’s great to see local representatives on the Western Living Foodies of the Year list of finalists – including Chef Steven Brochu and Darren and Sylvie Cheverie of Chartier, From the Wild’s Kevin Kossowan, Chef Christine Sandford of Biera, John and Cindy Schneider of Gold Forest Grains and Chef Ben Staley of Alder Room.
• Liane features a few of the new vendors you can find at local farmers’ markets this summer.
• Original Redhead Condiments is hoping to crowdsource funding to expand their operations.
• If you’ve got a pooch, this brilliant weather means it’s a good time to revisit Linda’s post about dog-friendly patios and markets.
• Planet Organic will be opening up two new locations in the area – one in Ellerslie at the end of June and another in Sherwood Park in September.
• Local nutritionist Loretta Friedrich just published a book containing over 100 national food stories and recipes, called Your Canadian Food Story.
• Eat Alberta is recruiting new board members. The deadline to apply is May 23, 2018.
• We didn’t eat out much in Jasper, but on the way home, stopped by Folding Mountain Brewery. Located just off the main highway, it’s a beautiful spot, with a ton of natural light and a crowd-pleasing menu. It was a great place to stretch our legs before the long drive home.

Folding Mountain Brewery

• With May comes market season! One of my favourites, the 124 Grand Market, kicks off their season this Thursday, May 10, 2018 from 4-8pm.
• The next Italian Centre Chef Showcase Dinner will be prepared by Chef Shane Chartrand on May 16, 2018. Tickets are $80.
• Food4Good will be selling affordable produce on May 17 and June 5, 2018. Those dates will also feature composting demos and countertop gardening workshops, respectively.
• Parkallen is testing the brunch waters with a special event on May 27, 2018. Tickets are $23/person.
• ZooFest, a fundraiser organized by the Valley Zoo Development Society, is taking place on June 16, 2018, and features multiple food and drink samples. Tickets for adults are priced at $85.
• Food Bike Tours have released their schedule for the summer, and begin next month. They’ve also added Thursday evening dates in addition to their Saturday options. You can read about my experience here.
• It was great to learn about Old Beverly Cafe In & Out, a family-run business at 3908 118 Avenue. The decor is inspired by the mining history of the community.
• Did you know the Grindstone Theatre offers a fun and comforting food menu?
• Sharon is a fan of Golomein’s noodles.
• Twyla was disappointed in the poorly-executed food at Holy Roller.
• Vue Weekly was suitably impressed with the ramen at Noodle Bar by Nomiya.
• The Journal reviewed the vegan brunch at Padmanadi.
• Graham was left wanting more from the offerings at Koutouki.
• If you’re out seeking a patio to enjoy, Phil has some suggestions for you.
• The Globe covers the optimism Kevin Kossowan’s James Beard’s nomination has for other Canadians in the future.
• It looks like Bottega 104 is expanding to the south side, in Packrat Louie’s former spot on Whyte Avenue.

Packrat Louie no more

• Mack and I had a dinner date out at Baijiu last week that coincided with the introduction of their new menu! We really enjoyed the the banana leaf-wrapped sole. The flavours were bright and the fish was perfectly steamed. We’ll be back at some point to try out some of their other new dishes, too.

Banana leaf-wrapped sole at Baijiu

• It’s always nice to get out to Meat for their family-style platters, which we did to celebrate Thom’s birthday over the weekend. I’d forgotten just how good their mac and cheese is.

Our spread at Meat

• I picked up some take-out from the newly-opened Kanto over the weekend. The food was priced on the higher side, but of what I tried, their fried chicken Bao Bae ($15.50) was my favourite. The batter was crispy and well seasoned.

Bao Bae from Kanto