Although fall isn’t officially ushered in for a few weeks, with the close of August, autumn feels inevitable. Hope you’re making the most of our last long weekend of the summer! On to this week’s food notes:

• Chef Tony Krause (formerly of The Salt Room, at the now defunct Mother’s Market), is hosting a pop-up dinner at Privada on September 7, 2015. Tickets are $60.
• The Edmonton and Area Land Trust is hosting a five-course dinner at Prairie Gardens & Adventure Farm to be prepared by Chef Blair Lebsack of RGE RD on September 13, 2015. The funds raised go towards securing and stewarding land in the Edmonton region. Tickets are $250 per person (a tax receipt for $120 will be issued).
• The big news this week is that Tavern 1903 will be empty no more: Chef Spencer Thompson of Toast Fine Catering (based at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market) is taking over the space to open in October under a new name.
• Ramen lovers, rejoice: Kazoku (16518 100 Avenue) is coming soon.
• Vue Weekly published a positive review of reLISH Gourmet Burgers, which has joined the growing ranks of 124 Street restaurants.
• Liv is the latest to visit Rogue Wave Coffee, the newest of Edmonton’s third wave coffee shops.
• El Cortez celebrated its first birthday, but feels like it is just coming into its own.
• Where Edmonton has a round-up of 20 local eateries that are over 20 years old. Some surprises for me: Red Ox Inn and Doan’s.
• While I’m skeptical that Rogers Place will have truly “distinctive tastes of Edmonton” or “local food” with Aramark at the helm, there is some room for optimism. While volume will certainly be a concern, perhaps Rogers can go the route of MacEwan, which has incorporated great establishments like S’wich, Lan’s Asian Grill, Get Cooking and Filistix in and amongst its Aramark-run brands.
• This really is the year of #yegfood crowdfunding projects. Prairie Noodle Shop joins the list, requesting funding to help them.
• Fruits of Sherbrooke has their own Kickstarter campaign called Project Fruit Stars. They hope to raise $17,000 to put towards upgrading their operation to produce 50,000 dehydrated apple snacks for the E4C School Nutrition Program this December.
• Cindy’s feature on farmers’ market vendors continues with a profile on Frosty Fox Ice Cream, who sells at the City Market.
• How might you feel after waiting on the super-rich at a high-end restaurant, day in and day out? This might capture it.
• I used to love the novel chip flavours that rotated through every season, but it barely registers with me now. Have you tried the temporary Lays series?
• Mack and I finally stepped into Sante (10184 104 Street) this week, and found out that they sell Phil & Sebastian beans (dangerous for us). While we haven’t tried any of their food yet, here’s their menu.

Sante

• I made a beeline for Pho Tau Bay on Tuesday, their first day open after their usual summer hiatus. I didn’t realize how much I missed their pho until the steaming bowl of noodles was placed in front of me.

My usual at Pho Tau Bay

• I met up with a friend at Dovetail on Thursday night for a light supper before a stroll through the 124 Grand Market. Their corned beef was delicious!

Corned beef sandwich and samosas from Dovetail

• After a day of canoeing down the North Saskatchewan, Mack and I were in no shape to cook on Saturday. Thankfully, Blue Plate Diner is stumbling distance away from our condo, and their shephard’s pie more than hit the spot.

Shephard’s pie and sweet potato fries from Blue Plate Diner

I was flattered when Karen asked me to be a part of a Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast, her series that highlights local online content creators. We had a great conversation about some of the changes in the food blogging scene since I started nine years ago, among other things. Thanks again for having me, Karen! On to this week’s food notes:

• The third SalvagED lunch at Earth’s General Store Downtown will pop-up on August 25, 2015 from 11am-2pm. The meal is put together using ingredients that would have been otherwise discarded.
• Little Brick is planning an end-of-summer shindig on August 28, 2015, from 6-9pm, with food, drinks, games and music.
• The annual Viva Italia Viva Edmonton event is planned for August 30, 2015, from 12-9pm in Giovanni Caboto Park (95 Street & 109 Avenue).
• The next Staff Meal is taking place on the Senger Farm on August 30, 2015, featuring a supper inspired by Latin American fire cooking. Tickets are $95, and include a return bus trip to the farm.
• I’d be remiss if I didn’t also remind you all to save the date for the finale of our 2015 What the Truck?! season, taking place at Churchill Square on September 11, from 4-8pm. Expect 35 trucks.
• The 4th annual Edmonton Beer Geeks Anonymous’ Real Ale Festival runs September 12, 2015. The $30 tickets will sell out fast, but if you want an idea of what to expect, check out Jason’s recap from last year.
• BRU Coffee + Beer House, located at the Pearl (11965 Jasper Avenue) is now open, though for the time being, is only offering espresso-based drinks and pastries.
• Sante, a café that offers healthful salads, sandwiches and drinks, is now open on 104 Street, in the space formerly occupied by Carbon (10184 104 Street).
• The Journal reviewed Tapavino (11011 Jasper Avenue), a wine bar featuring small plates not unlike Niche, the restaurant it replaced.
• Cathy is the latest to check out Huma Mexican Food on the south side.
• Lots of love for Little Brick this week, courtesy of Andrea and Cathy.
• We heard through the grapevine that Mother’s Market (which announced its temporary closure on July 18, 2015), is permanently closed. They’ve deleted their Facebook and Twitter accounts; no word on what is to happen to the space.
• Congrats to Valerie and Cindy, whose blogs made the Williams Food Equipment list of “Top 25 Must Follow Canadian Food Bloggers”!
• I had no idea maple syrup was controlled by a quota system in Quebec, not unlike the dairy quota closer to home. It sounds like there are proponents on both sides.
• Before Dark Matters last week, Mack and I stopped by King Noodle House to quench our bun bo Hue craving. It worked.

Bun bo Hue from King Noodle House

• The What the Truck?! crew met over charcuterie and flatbread at Ampersand 27 tonight. I returned to the Forest Floor, but Mack’s Salty Pig was a really tasty diversion.

Forest Floor flatbread

Our penultimate What the Truck?! event of the 2015 season takes place on Saturday, August 22, 2015 from 4-8pm at Telus Field. Come join us for some eats on the outfield! On to this week’s food notes:

• Alberta Open Farm Days runs this weekend, August 22-23, 2015, and offer people the chance to visit and learn more about some of the wonderful farms and farmers in this province. Of note, Northlands is showcasing their urban agriculture project close to home, for those who don’t want to venture too far out.
• I remember Liane was one of the first to stoke the rumours about a Whole Foods coming to Edmonton (which turned out to be true), but I have to say I’m pretty skeptical about a Shake Shack expanding to Edmonton as its first Canadian location.
• Let’s hope Rostizado is the latest Edmonton restaurant destined for the prestigious enRoute list of Best New Restaurants. But in the meantime, you can do your part by voting for them in the People’s Choice category.
• Linda checked out an underrated restaurant on Edmonton’s southside called LETS Grill, specializing in cuisine found in northeast China.
• Liv enjoyed her experience at Ikki Izakaya, the second izakaya to open in Edmonton.
• It’s the end of an era for Happy Garden, at least in its current location. They’ve been given 3 months notice to vacate their storefront, and relocation isn’t guaranteed, as the family may not want to start from scratch.
• I was saddened to learn that The Bothy’s 124 Street location will be closed for the foreseeable future, due to declining foot traffic because of the 102 Avenue Bridge closure.
• I’m hoping for more pictures about the inaugural Feast on the Field fundraiser at Commonwealth Stadium – it sounds like it was a very unique evening with great food!
• I missed linking to Phil’s list of top 5 fried chicken in Edmonton last week.
• Let’s hope the sunshine isn’t gone for good – and when it comes back, here are some patio options from Avenue Edmonton to help make the most of those last summer rays.
• Sure, this video is portraying stereotypes of Asian restaurants versus mainstream establishments, but it doesn’t mean it didn’t make us laugh in parts.
• Mack and I took our parents to Café Amore last week to catch up over pasta. I think it was a point of pride for the men to clean their plates, while my Mum, Patti and I were content to take home the leftovers.

My favourite truffle pasta

It feels good to have finally finished up a big project at work over the weekend – so I’ll hopefully get to make the most of what’s left of summer! On to this week’s food notes:

• I’m so excited for the tour of El Mercado’s corn tortilla factory on August 15, 2015, from 10:30am-1:30pm. You may be familiar with their product already, as it is used at Tres Carnales and Rostizado, and available for sale at The Italian Centre and Tienda Latina (among other shops). The public is invited to come see how the tortillas are made, and to taste the products freshly made. El Mercado is located at 4723 101 Street.
• The next Edmonton Food Fight pits two vegan chefs against each other on August 17, 2015.
• Sturgeon County Bounty will be hosting Rostizado for a culinary cookout at Cardiff Park for al fresco tacos on August 21, 2015, from 4-8pm. Food tickets for 2-4 people cost $40.
• If you have a hankering for ice cream in the west end, you can now head over to a new 80 Flavours location by Meadowlark Mall on 87 Ave & 159 Street.
• Massawa Café & Bistro (10153 97 Street) looks like it’s ben open for more than a month. It’s located in the old City Market building.
• Twyla reviewed a new restaurant called Sambol Sri Lankan Kitchen (9261 34 Avenue) on the southside, opened by the family behind Razzelberries downtown that was forced to close due to a rent increase.
• The Journal reviewed Cured Wine Bar, the newest charcuterie/wine bar on Edmonton’s southside.
• Stephanie shared what seemed like a fabulous first pop-up for Crossroads, held at The Mercury Room. The dinner was inspired by “The Three Little Pigs” .
• Eat This Poem is featuring a literary city guide of Edmonton, including many great restaurant recommendations.
• Speaking of recommendations, Linda’s put together a list of her top 10 Chinatown spots (but in my opinion, I’d say the omission of Pho Tau Bay is glaring, though I know Linda still hasn’t been yet!).
• Although the study isn’t conclusive, recently released research is suggesting that spicy food may lower your risk of dying prematurely.
• Here’s another innovative way a company is trying to reduce food waste: taking unsold or ugly fruits and preserving them in freeze-dried form.
• Soylent, the food substitute, has just released its second version, a ready-to-drink bottled variety.
• For a late dinner last week, I finally introduced Mack to the brilliance of the build-your-own-soup at Tao Garden (9642 107 Avenue). Even better, their special noodle was ramen!

Ramen in satay soup with beef balls and tofu puffs

• We also finally checked out The Cone, Edmonton’s cutest soft serve ice cream trailer, parked just north of Wild Earth Bakery on 99 Street. I tried the French vanilla while Mack had the banana. Worth heading back for just to try some of the other flavours!

French vanilla from The Cone

• The What the Truck?! crew is getting ready for our next event at Telus Field on August 22, so we met over pizza at Packrat Louie tonight. Did you know the pizzas there are all $10 on Mondays?

Chorizo pizza from Packrat Louie

• Mack and I also had the pleasure of spending most of the weekend with his family, including a leisurely Sunday out at the guest house where his parents are staying near South Cooking Lake. Among its charming features: an honour-system jam, egg and pottery shed (we picked up a jar of Saskatoon jam).

Jam shed!

• And for dessert after our barbecue supper, Mack’s sister made some awesome apple pies.

Apple pie

It’s been a whirlwind of a long weekend, but a good one. Hope you’ve been enjoying the sun, as we go into our last month of summer (too soon, I know!). On to this week’s food notes:

• The 12th Summer Latin Fest takes place on August 9, 2015, from 10am-5pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish (11310 111 Ave), with 10 outdoor pavilions featuring food and entertainment.
• Sabor Divino’s annual Seafood Festival runs from July 31 – August 30, 2015. Lillian highlights some of the dishes you can expect.
• Northlands will be hosting an outdoor dinner at their Northlands Urban Farm in conjunction with Open Farm Days on August 23, 2015. Tickets are $80, excluding fees.
• The Red Shoe Crawl is hosting its next event on 124 Street on September 13, 2015. They haven’t announced the participating businesses yet, but stay tuned!
• Gail Hall has organized another local tour highlighting several Alberta farms, including Beary Berry Honey and Irvings Farm Fresh. The tour runs September 12-13, 2015.
• Good news for coffee lovers Downtown: Da Capo will be opening a second location at 9888 Jasper Avenue, some time in December or January.
• Great to know that there will be a solid pho option on the south side, with Pho Hoan Pasteur opening up another location in Mil Woods.
• Liv is the latest food blogger to review 12 Acres.
• CBC Radio collected some “hidden gems of Edmonton” from some local personalities, including Brittney who shared her favourite hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and Cindy who shared her secret coffee spots.
• Linda recapped her experience at Knifewear’s Cut Like a Chef knife skills class.
• Sugared & Spiced’s Cake Club is now live: limited to 50 members, the cake subscription lets you pick out 3 special dates in advance and will have a cake ready (and delivered to you, within the city) that day. Such a great idea.
• One of the latest local food-related Kickstarter Projects has been launched by Frickin Delight Donuts, who are seeking support to move into a bigger space. They’re hoping for $55,000 that will go towards increasing their production
• Cindy started a new blog series that will feature different vendors at farmers’ markets. First up: Serben’s Organic Farm.
• Vue Weekly updates the progress of the MacKinnon Ravine, the city’s first food forest, as it celebrates its first birthday.
• Why cry over spilt coffee if it can be turned into art like this?
• Mack and I joined his family to take in the Heritage Festival earlier today. It was a bit surprising that the festival didn’t do more to celebrate its 40th anniversary (there were some placards showcasing some of its history and photos from earlier events), but in a way, it is fitting, seeing as it would rather allow the pavilions and cultures speak for themselves. We did our best to try as many of the new pavilions as possible.

Lebanon was a big disappointment – the chicken shawarma was expensive at 8 tickets, but was small and cold.

The samosa from Rwanda (6 tickets) were hot, and filled to the brim with beef, onions and peas.

The mula beled, mulukhia (3 tickets) from South Sudan wasn’t listed on their signage, but was worth asking for from the program, as it was the best deal. The spinach and beef stew served over fufu could have used a bit of salt, but that was our only critique.

Haiti could have better advertised their pork (8 tickets), which was essentially deep-fried pork belly. It was a healthy serving that was meant to be shared among many.

Hope you enjoyed your Heritage Festival visit, too!

• The Mercury Room is hosting the Crossroads Pop-up Restaurant on August 9, 2015, with a farm-to-table event inspired by the story of “The Three Little Pigs”. Tickets are $55 each.
• Chef Christine Sandford (who just won the most recent Edmonton Food Fight) will be kicking off an interactive Dinner Club series at Get Cooking, with a sit-down, multi-course menu. It takes place August 11, 2015, with tickets at $100 each.
• The sixth incarnation of Jennifer Cockrall-King’s Okanagan Food & Wine Writers’ Workshop runs September 11-13, 2015. The early bird registration deadline has been extended to July 31.
• Sometimes you have to plan far ahead – Jacek has added new chocolate and coffee tasting dates for the fall – October 2 and November 18, 2015 at Credo Coffee on 124 Street.
• Jason shared that a new craft brewery and restaurant is in the works for Old Strathcona, called Situation Brewing.
• Andrea checked out Cured Wine Bar, and was impressed with their house-made charcuterie.
• Phil couldn’t get enough of fried chicken so put together another blind taste test of some of the city’s offerings.
• The Journal reviewed Memphis Blues Barbecue, which now has three locations in the Edmonton area.
• John Gilchrist, the restaurant critic from the Calgary Herald, stopped in Edmonton and named four restaurants worth the drive: Share, RGE RD, Glasshouse Bistro and Ampersand 27.
• It’s not great to hear about the potential closing of Burrow located in the Central LRT station due to security issues. I really hope something can be done to keep it open.
• T & T’s newest southside location (3451 Calgary Trail) is now open, and it’s no surprise the parking has been a gong show.
• Diner en Blanc will be back again on September 3, 2015. I’m happy to say I’ve done it once, and won’t need to do it again.
• Mack has me hooked on John Oliver’s long-form video commentaries on Last Week Tonight. Here are two food-related segments worth watching on food waste and chickens.
• Another State & Main is coming to Edmonton, this time at First & Jasper.

State & Main

• Spotted at the City Market: Reclaim Urban Farm is getting into the “ugly vegetables” movement, with some discounted hail-damaged greens on offer.

#uglyistastytoo from Reclaim Urban Farm

• Mack and I stopped by the start of the Burger Finals of the Canadian Food Championships at Centennial Plaza. I’m not sure what we were expecting, but based on the name “kitchen stadium”, we were anticipating a somewhat more raucous crowd. In some ways, it was too bad the competitors weren’t on a raised platform, or at least in a space with tiered seating so the feeling of a battle arena could be staged. It was just the first year, so hopefully the competitions are highlighted even more publically in the future. Congratulations to the winners!

Burger Finals at the Canadian Food Championships

• We also took in K-Days on the weekend, including our share of gluttonous food. I tried the glazed donut grilled cheese from Vancouver’s Melt Town Grilled Cheese, and was left disappointed. There wasn’t enough sweet-salty contrast for my taste.

Glazed donut grilled cheese

• I’m not the biggest football fan, but it’s an experience to attend a live game now and then. It was great to watch the Eskimos win their third in a row, and perhaps even sweeter that we were able to do it in the comfort and shelter of the President’s Suite (thanks, Mack!).

Go Esks Go!

• The second SalvagED pop-up is scheduled for July 24, 2015, from 11am-2pm at Earth’s General Store downtown. Taste how some of Edmonton’s best chefs transform produce that would otherwise be designated for the rubbish bin!
• The annual Pupusa Festival is taking place on July 25, 2015 from 12-8pm at the Alberta Avenue Community League.
• The Italian Centre invites you to join them for a Picnic in the Park on July 26, 2015 at Kinsmen Park from 11am-2pm. There will be activities and games for young and old, and of course, goodies from the Italian Centre for sale.
• Local author Kathryn Merrett has written a new book called Why Grow Here, about Edmonton’s horticultural history. The book launch is scheduled for July 27, 2015 at 7:30pm at the Central Lions Seniors Centre (11113 113 Street), with a talk about gardening in Edmonton and a reception.
• Cured Wine Bar (2307 Ellwood Drive), “specializing in cured meats, cheeses and locally sourced vegetables” is now open.
• Buco (Boudreau Road & Bellerose Drive), a Neopolitan pizza concept from the Sorrentino’s Restaurant Group, opens on July 27, 2015.
• It looks like HUMA Mexican Comfort, from the chef who brought us Taco Day at Expressionz Café, might be another solid addition to the city’s Mexican cuisine roster.
• A wave of Japanese restaurants has opened recently, starting with Sushi Park in St. Albert – Jonny had a very positive experience.
• Cindy checked out Ikki Izakaya, the newest restaurant in Oliver, on their first weekend.
• Phil organized a blind fried chicken tasting to find his favourite – who came out on top? I won’t spoil it for you.
• Mother’s Market has closed from July 18, 2015 until a to be determined date in September: “At this point we at Mother’s Market are striving to gain a good foundation, put our best foot forward to make the changes necessary, and give the market a clean break between what was and what will be.”
• Diane shared a Kickstarter Project she would back – twentyfour coffee, a Canadian craft coffee advent calendar. Neat idea!
• Chris tried Soylent – the meal replacement system that is engineered so you wouldn’t have to eat anything else ever again. Too good to be true?
• This was an eye-opening article about how California’s drought has changed some practices in home and restaurant kitchens. It is a reminder about how much more cognizant we could all be about our water use.
• We stopped by the Shaw Conference Centre on the weekend to check out Curtis Comeau’s exhibit “Off the Menu”. They were great photos, but we wished all of them had been labeled with the name of the restaurant or kitchen they were taken in. The free exhibit is on until August 16, 2015.

Off the Menu

• Relish Gourmet Burgers, a New Brunswick-based chain, opened its first western Canadian location on Saturday (10704 124 Street). While we didn’t have a chance to try the burgers yet, we took a look at the menu. All restaurants have one signature burger, and theirs is named after their dearly departed neighbour, The Roxy, because the theatre staff had been so supportive of the business.
  

  Relish Gourmet Burgers

• Mack and I spent a leisurely Saturday exploring some of Edmonton’s newest coffee shops on foot. First up was Rogue Wave Coffee (10517A 114 Street) in Queen Mary Park, the newest roasting business in the city. Their beans are still fairly exclusive to the café, but we enjoyed the single origin iced coffees that we tried that day. Cindy has a more in-depth write-up on the two Davids behind the business.

Rogue Wave Coffee

• We walked on to Barking Buffalo Café (10842 124 Street), a business that combines a love of fashion and coffee. The space is the retail front for Salgado Fenwick, but is also the only Edmonton café to serve up Pilot Coffee Beans from Toronto. We’ll be back!

Barking Buffalo Cafe

• Mack’s been picking up a lot of the dinner prep lately because of my late nights at work. It’s nice to come home to a home cooked supper after a long day at the office!

Yankee Fish Cakes (made with cod from Ocean Odyssey, over Sundog Organic greens and Gull Valley tomatoes)

• I stopped in at Spring Roll Kitchen (2395 111 Street) for lunch last week. Points for the hustle of their kitchen, as it may have been the quickest vermicelli bowl to appear in front of me! The portion was quite decent as well.

Vermicelli bowl with grilled chicken and spring rolls from Spring Roll Kitchen

• On a rainy day, a few coworkers and I were craving soup. So with Pho Tau Bay closed, we headed to King Noodle House for some Bun Bo Hue. It hit the spot.

Bun Bo Hue from King Noodle House

• We’ve been meaning to go back to Corso 32 for some time (shame on us), so we finally made a reservation (way in advance, of course). We didn’t regret it.

Mack when encountering arancini again

It’s that time of summer where I lament at how fast the season is progressing – it’s already mid-July. Hope you’re out making the most of it! On to this week’s food notes:

• Time’s running out to get your discounted Taste of Edmonton tickets – they’re 10% off until July 15 at 6pm. The festival runs July 17-25, 2015.
• Daore is Edmonton’s newest Korean eatery. Both Cindy and Jonny have already paid it a visit.
• Stephanie checked out a new Filipino restaurant in Riverbend, called The Teaket Eatery.
• Twyla is the latest to review St. Albert’s 12 Acres.
• The Journal reviewed a restaurant off the beaten path – Salvadorean Mamenche’s.
• Karlynn and Phil released their latest episode of Sweet Tooth and Meat Tooth, on the topic of what they think Edmonton needs.
• The Downtown location of Hudson’s is closing this week.
• Congratulations to Michelle for her Taste Canada award nomination for The Tiffin Box!
• Genius – local bakery business Sugared and Spiced is starting a Cake Club: pick three special dates in advance and have a cake delivered to you in the city in time for your celebration. Great for those last minute shoppers who need a reminder! Sign up to be notified of the Club’s launch.
• Smokehouse BBQ’s sister business The Pie Eatery is launching this fall! We haven’t seen their associated food truck out and about yet, but hopefully it will happen soon.

The Pie Eatery

• Also in the neighbourhood is the relocated Acquired Taste Tea Company, just a stone’s throw from their previous location, at 10122 124 Street.

Acquired Taste Tea Company

• I’ve been looking forward to peaches all summer – they’re back at Steve & Dan’s!

Peaches for me!

• Weekend breakfasts for us are usually eggy affairs, but we opted to stop by Coffee Bureau instead on our way back home on Saturday morning. It was a good choice: their Leva-baked fontina and ham croissants are worth getting up for.

Coffees and croissants at Coffee Bureau

• We had a partial family dinner at RGE RD tonight. Tonight’s kitchen board was probably the best we’ve had (elk terrine, bison sliders and fish sticks), and Mack and I both couldn’t pass up the Arctic char special with beurre blanc. Of course, an order of perogies was also warranted for the table. Thanks to Blair, Caitlin and team for a great meal! Looking forward to the meat shop and expanded space next door in the fall.

Arctic char with Great Northern beans and beurre blanc

Perogies for the people!

• Hope to see you at out at the next What the Truck?!, taking place Friday, July 10, from 5-10pm at Northlands Park. The menus are now up, and we’re introducing a new system to help us manage lines better.
• Great to see Chinatown is changing it up somewhat, hosting a different type of festival this year in place of their usual East Meets West. The Summer Market is taking place on July 11, 2015, from noon-8pm. Expect food, a fashion show, live entertainment and vendors.
• The fifth Edmonton Food Fight is moving to an even bigger stage at the Taste of Edmonton, involving 4 chefs on July 19, 2015. Tickets are $63.
• It’s already that time of year – the August 1-3, 2015 Heritage Festival’s menu is now online. If you can believe it, they’re celebrating their 40th anniversary!
• I love al fresco dinners, and Chef Brad Smoliak has a unique location for his upcoming events – Elk Island Park. Tickets for the August 22 and September 12 suppers are $145.
• HUMA Mexican Comfort, a new restaurant brought to you by Mariel Montero-Sena formerly of Expressionz Café and Taco Day fame, is now open (9880 63 Avenue). Learn more about her restaurant here.
• Expect a new coffee and beer lounge to open in August called BRU Coffee + Beer House, located in the Pearl (11965 Jasper Avenue).
• It’s the end of an era: Chef Paul Shufelt is leaving Century Hospitality after a decade to open his own restaurant, The Workshop Eatery. Best of luck, Paul!
• I’ve never heard of Nando’s, but apparently they have quite the following. They’re opening an Edmonton branch in the fall.
• Who knew rolled ice cream was a thing? Scoop n Roll has brought this concept to Edmonton. Rebecca and Stephanie have the details.
• Jonny is the latest to give St. Albert’s newest eatery 12 Acres a try.
• Cindy offers a peek at some of the new menu items offered at The Denizen Hall.
• Diane was invited to a pizza party at Urbano Pizza, and shares her favourite creations.
• Phil had to eat his way through a ton of pizza to find the best – check out his final wrap-up Pizza Odyssey post to see which pies ended up at the top of his list.
• Avenue Edmonton’s annual 25 Best Things to Eat list is now live, featuring dishes chosen by local celebrities.
• Mary Bailey is this month’s Edmonton Woman of Vision.
• Congratulations to Alley Kat on winning Beer of the Year for Scona Gold at the 2015 Canadian Beer Awards. Speaking of beer, Jason Foster is optimistic about the city’s craft beer scene.
• You Gotta Eat Here was busy filming in Edmonton last week, with stops at Battista’s Calzones, MEAT and Rostizado. Great to see more local restaurants featured on a national show.
• It’s interesting that the Youth Council decided to make eliminating meat from their catered meals an issue for City Councillors to consider. The vote is Tuesday.
• Another establishment is moving into 124 Street and 107 Avenue – Selam Café.

Selam Cafe

• It was definitely a food truck kind of day at the Legislature on Canada Day, with nearly 40 vendors set up around the grounds. We indulged in our first mini donuts of the summer at Jackie O’s. They were larger and more substantial than the donuts we’re used to, so much so that we could have used a third person to share with!

Mack loves minis

• We also headed to 124 Street’s Mardi Gras festival on Sunday. It wasn’t as well attended as I would have anticipated, but the swing dancers and big band were mighty entertaining! The chicken shawarma we sampled from Dedo’s Food Truck was the delicious cap to the afternoon.

Mack feels like an Avenger

• I had the most intense craving for Izakaya Tomo on the weekend that couldn’t be ignored.

Bring on the carbonara udon!

• The Green and Gold Garden, which raises funds for charitable projects based in Rwanda, is into its seventh year. Located at the U of A South Campus, it opens to the public on June 30, 2015, and will be open the remainder of the summer on Tuesday evenings and Saturdays.
• Staff Meal is back! Their first event of the summer is a stand-up 4-course tasting on July 6, 2015 at Get Cooking. Tickets are $60.
• Did you want to learn more about Ramadan? Al Rashid Mosque is hosting a family-friendly Taste of Ramadan on July 10, 2015, from 6:30-9:30pm at Centennial Plaza. Yes, there will be food!
• Ikki, Edmonton’s newest izakaya at 11931 Jasper Avenue, opens on July 18, 2015 at 6pm.
• Need a way to keep cool during this heat wave? One of Edmonton’s newest food trucks is Scoop n Roll, which serves up rolled ice cream (yes, you read that correctly). Check their social media for updates on their location.
• New restaurant alert – Workshop Eatery, which will feature rooftop beehives, looks like an exciting concept to keep an eye on!
• Prairie Noodle hosted its final ramen pop-up last week – Diane and Cindy recapped what you missed. But don’t worry – the organizers are working on moving into a permanent storefront on 124 Street.
• Liane covered the SalvagED pop-up lunch at Earth’s General Store last Friday featuring reclaimed ingredients donated from local farms. Their next pop-up is slated for Friday, July 24.
• I had to laugh at Liane’s headline for her story that Col. Mustard’s Canteen on 124 Street won’t be returning: Col. Mustard, killed in the kitchen, with a sewer pipe. The owners will be rebuilding on the land, however, and hope to have a restaurant move in.
• K-Days released their annual list of indulgent food to look forward to. Midway treats will include lobster corndogs, glazed donut grilled cheese (I’d try that, yes), and mini-donut popsicles.
• Congratulations to Teresa and the rest of her team ahead of the grand opening of their first Italian Centre in Calgary on July 2, 2015. The location features Western Canada’s largest deli, offering over 600 items. It is located at 9919 Fairmount Drive SE.
• Speaking of neighbours to the south, Gasoline Alley in Red Deer is also home to a branch of Pete’s Drive-in.
• There’s been a lot of debate about the Canada Food Guide. Two Global reporters followed it for a week and shared the experience and challenges. For something completely different, take a look at Brazil’s “guide”, which is simply a series of ten best practices.
• Given Edmonton will be home to a Whole Foods soon, buyer beware: investigators have found that Whole Foods stores in New York and California have routinely overcharged customers by mislabeling packages.
• Mack and I headed to Tzin this week to celebrate my birthday. As always, we were floored by their hospitality, and the food was wonderful. Thanks to Kelsey and Corey for a great night!

An off-menu seared tuna – looked and tasted like art

Tzin’s bacon – the best two bites in Edmonton