In spite of the rain on Vancouver Island, it was nice to be in an area where fall is still very much in full swing. There is a lot to catch up on though – here is a super-sized version of food notes:

• This year’s Chili Cook-Off is shifting to 104 Street on November 3, 2017 from 11:30am-1:30pm.
• Blue Rose Vegan’s latest YEG Snacks is themed around Netflix – pre-order for pick-up on November 3, 2017.
• The Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum Society has organized Ale-Beer-Ta, a session and tasting to explore the beer brewing heritage of Alberta. The event runs November 7, 2017 and tickets are $20.
• Pip, the third establishment from the folks behind The Next Act and Meat, opens on October 31, 2017 at 10403 83 Avenue.
• Food4Good is hosting a Harvest Market on November 14, 2017. Expect a fruit and veggie sale, energy bite workshop, and learn about their vision for Edmonton’s first Community Food Centre. Food4Good is also looking for new committee members.
• Montreal Hotdogs has announced their revised opening date – November 3, 2017.
• London Local, the new English-inspired restaurant co-owned by Chef Lindsay Porter (formerly of El Cortez and Woodwork), is now open in the former Cured space in south Edmonton (2307 Ellwood Drive). Liane and Graham preview of what to expect.
• Revel, which has taken over the Alberta Hotel restaurant space, opened this month. Liane tried a few dishes during the media preview.
• Mayday Dogs in the Mercer Warehouse is finally open! Check out their menu here.
• It’s great to hear that the Rutherford House (11153 Saskatchewan Drive) is home to another restaurant. Vintage Fork opened in October and serves breakfast and lunch.
• There’s a new mobile coffee vendor in town called Lui-Chi’s Espresso and Fine Treats – Cindy has the lo-down.
• Parkallen Restaurant has refreshed their menu.
• Destination Doughnuts is coming soon to 10548 124 Street.
• Forthcoming is Kanto, a Filipino eatery to open in Chinatown.
• Also in Chinatown, Liuyishou Hotpot has replaced Urban Shabu in Pacific Rim Mall.
• Let’s Grill Sushi & Izakaya will open in place of Arabia at 10709 Jasper Avenue.
• Chris Buyze says Korean food store H-Mart will be moving into the shell that was never Whole Foods on Calgary Trail.
• Chef Levi Biddlecombe has left Packrat Louie and in December will be opening ?!Why Not¡¿ Cafe & Bar in the former Boardr space located at 8534 109 Street.
• Seafood chain The Captain’s Boil will open in South Edmonton Common at 2051 98 Street.
• The big news in October was the fact that three Edmonton restaurants made it into the top 10 of Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants list this year – congrats to Clementine, Cafe Linnea, and the Alder Room!
• Also on the list front, Edmonton landed on a Thrillist countdown of “11 underrated world cities you have to visit for the food”, alongside metropolises like Mumbai, Cape Town, and Guadalajara.
• Cindy is among the first to review Kiwado, a welcome ramen addition to central Edmonton.
• Graham immensely enjoyed his meal at The Bedouins, offering North African cuisine.
• Linda has an early review of An Chay, located in the former Pita-ghetti spot on 11203 Jasper Avenue.
• Both the Journal and Twyla reviewed The Butternut Tree (and both had to mention parking – why is the assumption that everyone drives?).
• Jonny is the latest to write about vegetarian Good Stock Restaurant, tried several of the offerings at Let Eat Snow, and also raved about Zwick’s Pretzels.
• Crystal paid a visit to Blaze Pizza.
• Vue Weekly went on a seafood binge, reviewing Takami and Grandin Fish ‘n’ Chips.
• Cathy shares her experience of Sunday brunch at Fort Edmonton Park.
• Sharman recaps the most recent Taste Alberta dinner at Canteen.
• Great story from Edmonton Made about a trio of restaurant groups that are “owning the block”.
• How did Edmonton reach its current culinary stride? Jennifer Cockrall-King seeks to answer that question.
• Another restaurant delivery service has launched in Edmonton – we can now order from Foodora, where 70% of their deliveries are done via bicycle.
• As you would expect, there are pros and cons of running a restaurant near Rogers Place.
• Buco’s Matteo Cesarotto won the Canadian Pizza Show last week, and will compete at the 2018 International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas.
• Rebecca Grant of The Violet Chocolate Company made Avenue Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 2017 list.
• Congratulations to Jennifer Cockrall-King who was recognized with a Taste Canada gold award for her excellent Food Artisans of the Okanagan guide.
• Perfect for the season, YEG Cider has some cider and Halloween candy pairing suggestions.
• Already planning for Christmas? Duchess has issued an updated version of their bestselling cookbook, and will be offering their first-ever holiday cookie box to pre-order.
• To ease back into routine, Mack and I headed to Cafe Amore for their daily pasta special.

Pesto alfredo from Cafe Amore

• It was also necessary for a trip to Pho Tau Bay – no other pho hits the spot for me.

Our usuals at Tau Bay

Just a heads up that there won’t be a Food Notes post next week; Mack and I are heading to Vancouver Island for a short break! On to this week’s notes:

• The Edmonton Fall Home Show runs at the Edmonton Expo Centre October 20-22, 2017. Among the attractions is their Cooking Stage, with a number of local chefs who will be presenting, including Bundok’s Ryan Hotchkiss, Mini Kitchen’s Damini Mohen, and Ikki Izakaya’s Ayumi Yuda.
• Baijiu’s Chef Alexei Boldireff will be collaborating with two visiting chefs, Vancouver’s Chef Dilan Draper (Cafe Ca Va) and Yellowknife’s Chef Robin Wasicuna (Twin Pine Diner), on October 25, 2017 on a 5-course dinner. Tickets are $75.
• During Farmfair International, which runs November 8-12, 2017, Northlands will be hosting a number of hands-on Food Lab sessions, including how to make fresh mozzarella, and steak cooking tips. Workshops are free with paid admission.
• Hardware Grill will be hosting a Farm & Guest Dinner in support of the High School Culinary Challenge on November 14, 2017. Tickets are $100.
• The Holy Roller, sister restaurant to El Cortez and Have Mercy, opens on October 20, 2017. Expect an eclectic menu, “from Detroit-style pizza to pintxos (shareable Basque-inspired snacks) to poke salad bowls to chocolate truffles made from Mexican-sourced cacao.”
• Calgary’s popular OEB Breakfast is coming to #yeg – in the Kelly-Ramsay block (10040 101A Avenue).
• If you need your Drift fix in the food truck off-season, you’re in luck – they’ve set up shop in the Shamrock Curling Club!
• Chili’s announced that 9 restaurants in Alberta (excluding the airport locations) will be closing October 31, 2017.
• Megan shared an early review of An Chay, a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant that replaced the short-lived Pitaghetti at 11203 Jasper Avenue.
• Both Twyla and Vue Weekly had good things to say about vegan pizzeria Die Pie.
• Graham wrote a rave review about Avila Arepa.
• Vue Weekly is the latest to review Tang Bistro.
• Liane tackles the question of what it takes to turn seemingly “cursed” restaurant spaces around.
• Congratulations to the 2017 Gold Medal Plates winners – Chef Shane Chartrand of Sage took home the gold, while Royal Glenora’s Chef Steve Buzak won silver and Chef Ryan Hotchkiss of Bundok was awarded the bronze.
• The AgFood Council’s signature event, Foodovation, will take place at NAIT from November 9-10, 2017. They will be highlighting three areas this year: food safety, innovation and production, and scale-up and international markets.
• The inaugural Festival of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a smashing success this past Friday, even with the chilly temperatures! Mack and I made it down to William McIntyre Park to see some great costumes and lots of enthusiasm for all things Harry Potter. We also tried some delicious butter beer and pumpkin juice crafted by the folks behind Meat Street Pies.

Pumpkin juice and butterbeer!

• Afterwards, we headed to Have Mercy to warm up with some Southern comfort food. Great hospitality, fun atmosphere, and a solid menu!

Mack’s Texas grilled cheese with andouille sausage

• Over the weekend, we took Grandma Male for her first experience of Thai food at Sawaddee in Sherwood Park. I’d definitely go back for the pad thai!

Pad thai from Sawaddee

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you had a restful weekend full of food, friends, and family. On to this week’s food notes:

• MacEwan is hosting a free lecture titled, “First-Gen Farmers: The Faces of Canada’s Agri-Revolution” on October 10, 2017.
• The Hotel Macdonald, in partnership with Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm, will be offering a 5-course farm-to-table dinner on October 13, 2017. Tickets are $100.
• The next installment of Taste Alberta’s Prairie on a Plate is taking place at Canteen on October 25, 2017. Tickets are $55 for the 4-course meal.
• Revel Bistro & Bar is now open in the former Alberta Hotel Bar + Kitchen space (9802 Jasper Avenue).
• Foodora and DoorDash join several other food delivery services now available in Edmonton.
• The city’s first Sugarfina, which wills itself as a “luxury candy boutique” is open at Southgate Centre.
• XO Bistro is offering a pho challenge – earn yourself a free bowl and a spot on their wall of fame by finishing 4 pounds of ingredients and 2.5L of soup in 45 minutes (otherwise, it is $60).
• If you’re looking for a brunch alternative, Fort Edmonton Park’s Johnson’s Cafe (located inside Hotel Selkirk) continues to serve Sunday brunch until the end of the year.
• Jonny was disappointed with his experience at Die Pie.
• The Journal is the latest to review Loft Thai Eatery.
• Ben Freeland is one of the first to review new-ish Vietnamese restaurant PhoEver.
• Crystal found the service lacking at The Stone & Wheel Pizza.
• Also from Crystal – she visited Chartier during one of their weekly Tuesday burger nights.
• Jonny checked out The Art of Cake for the first time.
• Graham lists Edmonton restaurants that have been open for 30+ years, with his opinion on which are still at the top of their game.
• Great feature on Sugared & Spiced in the Journal over the weekend.
• Sharman enjoyed one of the last 104 Street Feast Tours run by Edmonton Food Tours before the end of the outdoor market season.
• Only bars that sell Molson products can openly associate with the Oilers, including mentioning the screening of Oilers games.
• We bid adieu to the 2017 outdoor City Market season on Saturday, but not before having a taste of Bench Creek Brewing – it’s so great to have sanctioned sampling stations as a part of our farmers’ markets now.

Mack enjoying the Naked Woodman Pale Ale

• A forgotten lunch last week wasn’t so bad when it meant I had an excuse to indulge in a New York Mama from Battista’s Calzones.

New York Mama from Battista’s Calzones

• We’re trying to soak up as much of those glorious fall rays as possible before they’re gone – this meant a picnic in the park over the weekend with a spread from Little Village.

Our take out from Little Village

• This is the last call for outdoor farmers’ markets: I’m partial to the 124 Grand Market and the City Market, but head to your favourite this week before they wrap up for the year!
• It’s always great to see local chefs collaborating with one another! The latest: XIX Nineteen’s Chef Andrew Fung will be in the kitchen at Baijiu on October 3, 2017 for their Tuesday Bao Night.
• There’s still time to source out your Thanksgiving supper – Sorrentino’s turkey-to-go starts at $195 without sides (order by October 3, 2017), while the Shaw Conference Centre is offering a turkey feast for 10-12 for $225 (order by October 6, 2017).
• Transcend is hosting this year’s Canadian National Barista Championship on October 14-15, 2017, and they’re looking for judges and volunteers.
• Sazon (from the folks behind Comal Taco Therapy Nights) is offering Nixtamal Taco kits to take home. Reserve your kit for 2 ($40) or 4 ($80) in advance for pick up on October 17, 2017.
• Leftovers YEG is hosting an event to help bring awareness to food waste. They’re partnering with Ernest’s at NAIT on October 21, 2017 to showcase a meal made entirely from excess food. Tickets are $40 and include a tour of the kitchens.
• It was announced this week that Chef Ben Staley’s Alta has closed.
• Unfortunately, Mayday Dogs will not be open this Wednesday, October 4, 2017 due to electrical issues.
• Cafe Vancia is now open on the main floor of the Ledgeview at 9707 110 Street.
• Pizza lovers take note: Royal Pizza is opening up a location in the Hys Centre at 11010 101 Street.
• PhoEver Noodles & Grill opened in Griesbach back in the spring at #102, 9934 137 Avenue.
• Phil has more details about what you can expect from Chef Lindsay Porter’s new restaurant, London Local, opening later this month.
• Also from Phil, a round-up of some of his best kept “foodie secrets”.
• Vue Weekly had an overall great meal at Loft Thai Eatery.
• Cindy recommends the Spanish brunch offered at Bodega Highlands.
• Graham asks “where’s the soul?” of Bottega 104.
• Lydia at YEG Cravings reviewed Miga, one of the several Korean restaurants on 34th Avenue.
• Jonny is the latest to visit Nara Chicken & Tonkatsu.
• Sharman recapped the latest Taste Alberta Prairie on a Plate dinner that took place last week at Northern Chicken.
• Congratulations to Sweet Lollapalooza and The Violet Chocolate Company for their medals gained at the International Chocolate Awards.
• The moral of the CBC Marketplace story exposing some duplicitous vendors at Toronto-area farmers’ markets is to make sure you get to know the vendors, or at least ask some questions.
• It was neat to see photos of a farmers’ market taking place on the Legislature grounds last week, but unfortunate it was only a one-time pop-up.
• I didn’t know pea milk was a thing – it apparently has more calcium than cow’s milk.
• Mack and I finally made it out to Sugared & Spiced’s storefront location at 10334 82 Avenue. It’s a beautiful space, tucked in an alley within view of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. We picked up some treats to accompany dinner, but certainly plan to visit again when we’re in the neighbourhood!

Sugared & Spiced

• We were in the area, so stopped by Kiwado last week for a late lunch. We didn’t realize the restaurant closes between lunch and dinner service, but were grateful they stayed open for us! We enjoyed our usual options (tonkatsu for me, shoyu for Mack), and particularly appreciated that they offer half orders of chicken karaage on their menu!

Tonkotsu ramen from Kiwado

• We also celebrated our anniversary over the weekend at Bundok. We had a lovely meal, but the kohlrabi salad and gnocchi were our favourite dishes of the night.

Bundok’s gnocchi

• Some of our errands took us to Ritchie on Sunday, so it was a great opportunity to finally explore the Ritchie Market, which we had yet to visit. We sampled some of the bar snacks on offer at Biera, along with a flight of Blind Enthusiasm’s beer. We loved the lofty ceilings and windowed room; we’ll be back some time for diner.

Mack with his flight of beer at Biera

• Oktoberfest returns to the Northlands Expo Centre on September 29-30, 2017, with local craft and Bavarian beer on tap.
• Get ready – the City Market moves indoors to City Hall on October 14, 2017. The first 200 customers through the door that day will receive $5 in market bucks to spend.
• The Avenue Burger Challenge has continued and is currently accepting votes to determine the final two competitors. Voting for round five closes October 2, 2017.
• Mayday Dogs has finally confirmed their opening date to be October 4, 2017, just in time for the first regular season Oilers home game.
• Liane shared that the folks behind North 53 and Baijiu are opening not one, but two bars on 104 Street – one just inside Baijiu and another adjacent to Blue Plate Diner.
• Town Square Brewing is holding a soft opening phase to collect early feedback – check them out for lunch.
• It looks like Bean Here, the cafe that replaced Rogue Wave at 10571A 114 Street is now open!
• Kiwado Japanese Cuisine is now open in the space formerly occupied by Sapporo Sushi at 10923 101 Street.
• The Nook Cafe will be hosting a grand opening celebration September 28-30, 2017.
• Earth’s General Store’s downtown location will be open until October 8, 2017.
• Phil reports that Pitaghetti is no more, and will soon be replaced by another restaurant.
• CBC, the Journal and Sharon all positively reviewed Old Strathcona’s Avila Arepa last week, but it’s worth noting there is a second lower-profile Venezuelan restaurant in Edmonton on 118 Avenue called El Fogon.
• Vue Weekly profiles the operators and food at Nonna’s Bistro downtown.
• The Globe & Mail thought Wishbone could have been better.
• Jonny checked out Songkran Thai in St. Albert.
• In anticipation of La Ronde’s 50th birthday this week, Graham sampled their Retro Thursday menu ($66 for three courses).
• Cindy recapped the recent dumpling pop-up hosted by MasterChef Canada competitors Mai Nguyen and Jordan Levin.
• CBC had a taste-off of five locally-sourced cinnamon buns, which crowned Hazeldean Bakery’s bun the winner.
• Seafood lovers rejoice: Effing Seafoods is starting up a Fish Club, offering a monthly subscription to interesting seafood options. Vue Weekly also profiled Effing Seafoods last week.
• Congratulations to the bloggers, including Linda and Phil, who were recognized under Vue Weekly’s Best of Edmonton 2017 Food Blog category!
• While I’ve had my share of soy-based meats, this bleeding plant-based burger is definitely imitation taken to a whole different level.
• Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Love Pizza is getting into the spirit with a special #lovesgivingza, available from September 22 – October 7, 2017. It’s topped with mashed potato spread, pulled turkey, stuffing, cranberry chutney, gravy, and brie cheese drizzle. The chutney was on the sweeter side for me, but I loved the mashed potato and gravy! And bonus – $1 for each pizza sold goes to the charity Stop Abuse in Families.

Our #lovesgivingza and Meatatarian

• Since my office moved away from being walking distance to Chinatown, I haven’t had the chance to frequent Pho Tau Bay as often. I finally returned over the weekend, not realizing just how much I missed my regular order.

My ritual at Pho Tau Bay

• Mark your calendar: this year’s Restaurants for Change is taking place on October 18, 2017. Proceeds from the dinner service will go towards community food programs in 19 cities in Canada. RGE RD is the only local participant.
• Congratulations on Sugared & Spiced on their storefront soft opening this weekend, located at 10334 82 Avenue. They’re closed for the next few days, but follow them on Instagram to see when you can satisfy your sweet tooth!
• Tiffin Fresh Kitchen, a fast casual restaurant offering Indian cuisine, is now open at 5135 Ellerslie Road SW.
• It looks like Iconoclast Coffee will be one of the first tenants into the new Mercantile Hub at 102 Avenue and 121 Street.
• The Tapas Tuesday menu at ZINC is now available on Wednesdays as well – Mack and I checked it out early on in the summer.
• Toronto-based Sweet Jesus will be opening two locations in Edmonton – at WEM and Southgate – get ready for some epic soft serve! Thanks to Amelia for the heads up.
• Wild Earth Foods will be closing at the end of September.
• A new chef has been announced at Wildflower Grill – a SAIT grad J.P. Dublado.
• Both Phil and Crystal attended the recent Salz pop-up, featuring examples of the sausage and beer that will be served at the restaurant when it opens in late October, located at 10556 115 Street.
• Cindy recapped Vignettes Does Dining runs by Tzin and Farrow, and has details about another lunch pop-up next week by Honest Dumplings, Revolution Ice Cream, and South Island Pie on September 26-27, 2017.
• Jonny enjoyed his first experience at Tang Bistro.
• Valerie continued her sourdough education with Kaelin Whittaker of The Ruby Apron.
• Always great to see the community get behind food drives – in this case, through a potato harvest at Lady Flower Gardens.
• I had lunch with Linda last week at El Rancho, and definitely over-ordered when it came to the pupusas.

I love the pupusas at El Rancho

• It’s been a while since we’ve had brunch with my family, so it was nice to meet up at Canteen over the weekend when my sister Felicia was visiting.

Lemon blueberry pancakes at Canteen

I’m not quite ready to bid adieu to summer, even if the days are getting noticeably shorter already. All we can hope for now is a glorious fall! On to this week’s food notes:

• The Vignettes Dining Series continues this week until September 24, 2017 with a Farrow pop-up, and dinners by Three Boars, Wishbone, and, Alder Room, and Alta.
• Do you want to have a say on the national food policy? A community-organized consultation is taking place at the Edmonton Food Bank on September 13,2017 from 6-9pm.
• Honest Dumplings and Prairie Pigeon are back with a pop-up at Culina Cafe at the Muttart on September 14, 2017. Tickets for the 3-course dinner are $45 per person.
• Arts on the Avenue’s annual Kaleido Festival is back September 15-17, 2017 with an Iron Heart mystery box cook-off and 10 food trucks serving up eats alongside the arts and cultural performances.
• The Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts is hosting Route of Our Roots, a Ukrainian food fair, on September 15, 2017 at the Old Timers Cabin. Admission is free, but food tickets are required to taste the samples.
• Sustainable Food Edmonton will be hosting their first ever Fall Fair on September 16, 2017 in conjunction with Riverdale Community League Day. They’ll be accepting entries for bragging rights for the best pie, jam, pickling, and even the ugliest vegetable grown.
• Northlands is offering their final free Urban Farm Tour for the season on September 17, 2017. Just make sure you register online!
• To help celebrate National Chicken Month, consider the next Prairie on the Plate dinner at Northern Chicken on September 26, 2017. The 5-course meal is on for $50.
• Little Brick is hosting a New England-style crab boil on September 30, 2017. Tickets are $40 each.
• Viva Italia is hosting a Harvest Market in Giovanni Caboto Park on September 30, from 12-7pm. Expect grape stomping, among other activities.
• Those who knew Ernesto Rizzi and his Dolce and Banana food truck might be interested in a fundraiser that will help establish a memorial fund in his name. An prime rib dinner and opera/comedic performance from The PreTenors is taking place on October 28, 2017 at Century Casino. Tickets are $55.
• LitFest has released their line-up, and their Food Matters event returns on October 21, 2017 with Toronto restauranteur Jen Agg, science writer Bob Holmes, chef David Wolfman, and Jennifer Cockrall-King. Tickets are $45.
• Those who were looking forward to this year’s Diner en Blanc will be disappointed – the new team of organizers have decided to postpone the event until 2018.
• Liane confirmed the closure of Vivo’s downtown location.
• Remedy opened its sixth location in Southgate Centre back in August.
• Town Square Brewing in south Edmonton is very close to opening.
• It looks like a location of Tsujiri, offering matcha-based desserts and drinks, is opening downtown at 10173 109 Street.
• If you’ve been waiting to try Alta, now might be the perfect opportunity: they’ve introduced a $30 3-course prix fixe lunch from 11am-2pm.
• Sharon didn’t enjoy her first experience at newly-opened Ripe Tomato Pizza.
• Cindy reviews the Taiwanese desserts at ZenQ.
• Jonny sampled several dishes from Biera and had a positive meal overall.
• Bundok’s brunch is endorsed by the Edmonton Journal.
• Crystal is the latest to check out Pho Boy.
• Graham has a rundown on Edmonton’s newest patisseries.
• Vue Weekly reminds us that Sunbake Pita is worth a visit.
• Valerie’s latest Cooking in the Kitchen post is all about making a sourdough starter with instructions from The Ruby Apron’s Kaelin Whittaker.
• It’s about time the Canadian Food Guide is updated – it’s not ready, but some major changes are coming, including recommendations about decreasing intake of red meat, fatty meats, whole-fat dairy, and processed foods.
• My sister Amanda was in town last week, so I had to show her some of the good eats she’s been missing. One of the many stops: Zwick’s Pretzels.

Pretzel trifecta from Zwick’s

• Thanks to the Downtown Edmonton Community League for hosting their annual Corn Fest over the weekend, coinciding with the opening our Downtown’s newest green space, Alex Decouteau Park at 105 Street and 102 Avenue.

It’s corn season

• The final What the Truck?! event of the season took place on Saturday. This poutine burger from Northlands’ 1879 was certainly an eye catcher.

Poutine burger with duck fat fries

I hope the beautiful weather continues, but if not, at least we had the long weekend to drink in a last blast of summer. Hope you made the most of it, too! On to this week’s food notes:

• Sorrentino’s annual Mushroom Harvest takes place the entire month of September, with feature menus, wine dinners, and special cooking classes.
• The Faculty of Agricultural, Life, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta is hosting a free public screening of Food Evolution on September 12, 2017. It is a film about the status of food and the use of GMOs in food production.
• In the Spirit of Festival Place combines a fundraiser with a spirit tasting on September 14, 2017. The $65 tickets include tastes of single malts, ports and madeiras, entertainment and light appetizers.
• Tickets for Vignettes Does Dining’s dinner from the folks behind El Cortez, Have Mercy, and the forthcoming Holy Roller are now available for $90 each. The event takes place September 15, 2017.
• Last year’s Mooncake Masterclass (organized in conjunction with the Chinatown Business Improvement Area’s Moonlight Carnival) was cancelled, so it’s great to see that they’re giving it another shot. It takes place on September 16, 2017 from 1-5pm – learn how to make mooncakes in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Tickets are $18.
• Dig In, St. Albert’s horticulinary festival, runs September 19-23, 2017. The festival includes hands-on workshops and culinary walking and bike tours.
• Early bird tickets for the 20th edition of the Rocky Mountain Food & Wine Festival, taking place November 10-11, 2017 at the Shaw Conference Centre, are now available. The discounted admission is available until September 27.
• Coming soon: a Laotian restaurant called Khao + Naam.
• The new restaurant in the Alberta Hotel has a name: Revel Bistro & Bar. It looks like they’re targeting a September opening.
• Bingsu (Korean shared ice) has come to Edmonton in full force – Snowy Village is now open downtown at 11020 Jasper Avenue, to be followed by Snow Bear on September 9, 2017 just down the block at 10051 109 Street.
• Villa Bistro (which has since replaced Free Press Bistro at 10014 104 Street) is now open.
• Urbano Pizza has closed their Boardwalk location downtown, but on the plus side, Bodega will be expanding.
• Rogue Wave Coffee has closed its location in Queen Mary Park, but has hopes to open up in a larger space in the near future.
• Happy to hear Jacek is expanding their Sherwood Park location in time for the holiday season! Expect the new Experience Boutique to be open in November.
• Cafe Linnea is now offering prix fixe Tuesdays, 3-course meals (plus an amuse bouche) for just $30.
• Liane has a few more details about Farrow’s Ritchie location, namely, that they’re able to offer even more pastries.
• A second cat cafe will open in Edmonton this fall called Paws the Cat Cafe, just north of Downtown on 109 Street.
• Vue Weekly has an early review of Cargato in Forest Heights.
• Twyla didn’t find much to be inspired about at Bottega 104, while Cindy is still hoping for more.
• Jonny paid ACE Coffee Roasters a visit.
• Graham wasn’t impressed with the service at Situation Brewing.
• Cindy recapped the Taste Alberta International Street Food event that took place at Dogwood Cafe a few weeks ago.
• Perhaps bathrooms shouldn’t have a place in these notes, but in case you’re hoping to support our local entry, Dorinku is up for the title of Canada’s Best Restroom. You can vote for them until September 8, 2017.
• You may have heard of produced-based Community Supported Agriculture, but did you know it is possible to buy into a fruit-based one in Edmonton as well? Sprout Farms (an apple orchard) began a fruit share program this summer.
• We had a lovely family dinner at Uccellino last week. Although we enjoyed all of the dishes, the panelle di ceci (fried chickpea polenta fritters) were the surprising favourite, light and airy, and had a texture reminiscent of tofu.

Panelle di ceci

• When I get a hankering for frozen yogurt, I often forget about the Pinkberry tucked away in Rogers Place. Mack and I stopped in one night last week.

Frozen yogurt on steroids

It feels like we’re getting a last blast of summer this week, though I can hardly believe we’re already at the end of August! Hope you’re soaking up every minute of it too. On to this week’s food notes:

• What the Truck?! has released the line-up of vendors to expect at their final event of the season on September 9, 2017, from 12-7pm on Capital Boulevard.
• If you have an excess of apples and want to transform it into cider, consider attending Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton’s cider pressing event on September 9. A quarter of the cider will go to the volunteers, but you’d get to take the rest home!
• Nate Box is expanding his empire to include a sausage and beer hall called Salz. They’re hosting a pop-up bratwurst dinner at District on September 10, 2017 if you’re hoping for an early taste of the menu.
• The Butternut Tree is the latest restaurant to try and fill the space once occupied by The Copper Pot in Grandin at 101, 9707 110 Street. They’ve set their opening date as September 1, 2017.
• Montreal Hotdogs has delayed their opening date to September 18, 2017.
• Ripe Tomato Pizza, a Calgary-based quick-service pizza chain, just opened its first Edmonton location at 5011 Ellerslie Road SW.
• The Rec Room has opened its second Edmonton location at West Edmonton Mall. Unlike the South Edmonton Common flagship, they have just two of the dining options – The Shed and Three10.
• Congratulations to the Commodore Restaurant, an Edmonton institution, which celebrates 75 years in operation this year!
• Metro profiles vegan pizzeria Die Pie.
• Cindy breaks down what makes Menya Yuzen stand out in our increasingly crowded ramen scene.
• Linda is one of the first to review Nara Chicken and Tonkatsu, located at 8712 150 Street.
• Vue Weekly has a positive reception to Venezuelan newcomer Avila Arepa.
• Jonny reviews Thien An, a new Vietnamese restaurant located at 7304 101 Avenue.
• Graham believes Biera has done an excellent job at pairing their dishes with the in-house beer.
• The Journal enjoyed their visit to Tang Bistro.
• Crystal checked out Urbano Pizza.
• The second Culinary Lab Series dinner took place last week. Eat North put together a video capturing what we missed.
• Linda recapped this year’s Sturgeon County Bounty event.
• Alexis Hillyard, the maven behind the popular Stump Kitchen YouTube series, is running a crowdfunding campaign to support the production of the videos.
• The New York Daily News shows some love for Edmonton and Calgary.
• Mack and I checked out the annual Viva Italian Viva Edmonton festival in Giovanni Caboto Park yesterday. The grounds were packed with families enjoying the event, which included food trucks, performances, and even wrestling! There was also a tent that housed food-related events all afternoon – the highlight for us was an olive oil education session led by the Italian Centre’s Teresa Spinelli (they sold over 100,000 litres of olive oil last year!).

#eatlikeanItalian at VIVE

• It’s been too long since our last visit to Route 99, but I’m happy to say the poutine was exactly as I remembered.

Our Route 99 staple

Summer weekends in Edmonton offer so many choices! We spent ours taking advantage of Open Farm Days. It was great to see some of the farms we shop at weekly first hand, and to be introduced to others – I hope to write about these visits soon! On to this week’s food notes:

• Save the date for the last What the Truck?! of the season on September 9, 2017 from 12-7pm on Capital Boulevard.
• Dogwood Cafe is hosting a fun international Taste of Alberta dinner outdoors at the Riverside Gold Course on August 26, 2017. On the menu: Mexican street corn, Brazilian grilled chicken hearts, Thai Larb lettuce wraps, and Salchincha kaftas. Tickets are $29, and include three food vouchers.
• Vignettes Does Dining is back for another year. Tickets for a pop-up at Tzin on September 2, 2017 are now on sale for $150 each.
• Die Pie had to postpone their grand opening date from August 18 to August 25, 2017.
• Mayday Dogs in the Mercer Warehouse is hoping to open the first week of September.
• Great to hear that Drift will be open during the winter at the Shamrock Curling Club.
• Sorry to hear that Cafe Linnea is reverting to a tip-based system as of August 22, 2017, as “the [no tipping]current model has proven to be untenable.”
• Ripe Tomato Pizza, a quick-serve Neopolitan pizza company based out of Calgary, is coming to Edmonton. Find them soon at Harvest Point, 5011 Ellerslie Road SW.
• Cindy is the first to review Chinese Crepe, located in the Mayfair Building at 10815 Jasper Avenue.
• Vue Weekly paid a visit to a newcomer to Edmonton’s pizza scene, Buono Pizzeria and Grill.
• Jonny checked out Banjara, a South Indian restaurant in Duggan.
• Chartier, one of the four local establishments on the shortlist of En Route’s Best New Restaurants, has shared their thoughts on the key ingredient to #yegfood’s success.
• Taste of Edmonton made it official last week by announcing their move to the Alberta Legislature grounds in 2018.
• Valerie’s latest “In the Kitchen” post features an apple beet soup, just in time for the beet harvest.
• I hadn’t heard of Habit before, a food tech startup that posits that everyone could benefit from a personalized nutritional blueprint.
• It was a bit of a coincidence that I ended up at King Noodle House for a second Sunday in a row, but it’s hard to pass up their bun bo Hue on a cool summer afternoon.

Bun Bo Hue at King Noodle House