What’s new and notable
wine tastings, happenings and events
Italian Centre Shop’s Southside store (5028 104A Street) is 10 years old and they are having a party, Saturday, September 10, 11am. Food sampling and demos, bocce, soccer, music, dancing, and yes, there will be cake.
Tastings at Hicks Fine Wines (109-150 Bellerose Drive, St. Albert, 780-569-5000, hicksfinewines.com) begin Friday, September 16, with Touring the Okanagan, BC VQA Tasting, 7pm, $50; Thursday, October 6, Taylor Fladgate Port Tasting, 7pm, $40 and Thursday October 20, Penfolds Tasting, 7pm, $30. Enjoy the bar pour Fridays from 3pm-6pm and Saturdays from 2pm-5pm starting September 9.
Experience Five Burgundian-inspired courses with wines to suit at the Joseph Drouhin Winemakers Dinner, Wednesday, October 26 at the Mayfair Golf & Country Club. Special guest is the affable and witty Laurent Drouhin. Tickets, $60+gst, call 780-391-8414.
Love port? Want to know more? Experience the Taylor Properties Port Tasting with brand ambassador Cindy Opsal at Crestwood Fine Wines (9658 142 Street, 780-488-7800, crestwoodfinewines.com) Wednesday, October 5, 7pm, $40. Call to book.
Fall tastings at Aligra (Entrance 58, WEM, 780-483- 1083, aligrawineandspirits.com): Tuesday, September 13, Winopedia, Fundamentals of Wine, 7pm, $40; Tuesday, October 18, Viva Italia, from Prosecco to Cannonau, 7pm, $35. Tix: aligrawineandspirits.com.
Enjoy a fabulous dinner as Jason Oliver (Farm to Fork Eatery) and Kevin Gall (Joey Sherwood) go head-to-head in a black box challenge for charity at the Mayor’s Battle of Strathcona Chefs 2016, Festival Place, 100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park, Wednesday, October 19. Appetizers and wine, 6pm, dinner, 7pm. Proceeds to culinary arts scholarships and the Strathcona Food Bank. Tickets, $125, Festival Place box office, 780-449-3378.
Come early for dinner or stay later for a drink and watch the city roll by at the SmashArt Painting Events at La Ronde (Chateau Lacombe Hotel, 10111 Bellamy Hill, 780-428-6611, chateaulacombe.com) on September 19, October 17 and November 21. Tickets, smashart.com.
Get up to some Monkey Business at the Glass Monkey (5842 111 Street, 780-760-2228, theglassmonkey.ca) on September 22 and October 27 and enjoy five courses paired with wine, $89. Call Rob or Janine at 780-760-2228 to book. The Glass Monkey is also taking bookings for holiday parties.
Two chances to experience a lively night of great wine and storytelling with Yalumba’s Jane Ferrari, on September 21 at The Continental Treat (10560 82 Avenue, 780-433-7432, ctfinebistro.com), $100. On September 22 at The Harvest Room at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, (10065 100 Street, 780-429-6424, fairmont.com) $95+gg.
Enjoy four courses with wine to suit at the Maison Paul Jaboulet Aîné Wine Dinner at The Alberta Hotel Bar and Kitchen (9802 Jasper Avenue, 780-760-0062, albertahotelbarkitchen.com) Monday, October 3 with guest speaker Arnauld Trouve. Tickets, $50, 780-760-0062.
Get on your bike and take a Foodie Bike Tour September 10. Stops include Highlands Golf Course and Nourish. Tickets: $99, foodbiketour.com.
Don’t miss Lit Fest, October 13-23. Highlights include the Top 10 Soirée at Latitude 53 and For Love of Money: Ten Years of Food Writing in YEG. All the details at litfestalberta.org.
Love bubbles? Don’t miss the Taittinger Champagne Dinner with special guest Mikael Falkman at Ernest’s Restaurant (NAIT) October 20, 780-471-8676, $95.
Edmonton Oktoberfest features local craft and authentic Bavarian brews, delicious beer-friendly food, festive Oktoberfest music from the German Knights Band, dancers and games, September 30 and October 1. Tickets: albertabeerfestivals.com.
Cheer on your favourite team of first responders and raise money for the Kid’s with Cancer Society at the Pan Tree’s Chili Cook Off, September 17. Tickets, The Pan Tree (220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631, thepantree.ca).
#BaconDay2016 is Saturday, September 10 at The Workshop Eatery (2003 91 Street SW, 780-705-2205, theworkshopeatery.com). Tickets $90, with 100 per cent of ticket sales going to YESS (Youth Emergency Shelter Society). The goal? $25K. Tickets: eventbrite.ca.
It’s not to soon to be thinking holiday parties. Kitchen by Brad (10130 105 Street, 780-757-7704 kitchenbybrad.ca) offers intimate bespoke dining—a minimum of 12 people during the week, up to a maximum of 20 people for a sit-down dinner, or up to 28 people for substantial grazing. Three-course lunches from $50pp. Call 780-757-7704 to book.
If you are new to a gluten-free diet, Kinnikinnick Fresh (10940-120 Street, 780-424-2900, kinnikinnick.com) is the place for you for information and education. Chef Lori Grein will be offering a selection of comfort food and harvest-time favourites to try and recipe cards to take home on September 22, 23, 29, 30 from 10am -1pm.
product news
Tastes of the season at Cobs: Try the pumpkin scone with pumpkin puree, a cream cheese icing and caramel drizzle; or the pumpkin tart, like your very own individual pumpkin pie. Scones are available at all Cobs locations September 1, tarts by September 22, both until November 9 only.
The big new Duchess Provisions (10934 119 Street, 780-705-3344, duchessprovisions.com) offers treasures for the gastronomically obsessed, esoteric things like candied rose petals and more everyday items cooks need, such as two sizes of offset spatulas. All in all, Provisions is an incredible resource for people who love food. The Holland Plaza development is shaping up to be a lively gastronomic destination, with the Local Omnivore, the Wine Gallery and Cafe Linnea as well as the Kinnickinnick store across the street.
Cibo Bistro (11244 104 Avenue, 780-757-2426, cibobistro.com) Check out the new menu inspired by the owner’s summer trip to Italy. Dishes like fedelini—tiger prawns with fresh lemon, sundried tomato pangrattato and bottarga offer a sublime taste of the ocean.
The Newget Kompany will be at the City Market Downtown on 104 Street on September 10, 17, 24 and October 1, 8. We are looking forward to the return of our favourite seasonal Newget, the Perfect Pear, such a delicious combination of dried pear, pistachios, rosemary, roasted almonds and creamy white chocolate.
Find the delicious tarts and other baked goods by Dauphine Bakery at both the City Market and the 124 Street Grand Market until October 8, but the main location on 104 Street is closed. It’s a darn shame. We hope to see them reopen downtown and wish Linda Kearney, Paul Bumanis and their staff encouragement through the transition.
Check out the spacious new look at Bonjour Bakery (8608 99 Street, 780-433-5924), all the better for a more comfortable Saturday lineup.
Check out the online Cavern Gift Catalogue and give the gift of eating well. Or visit the shop at 10169 104 Street, 780-455-1336, thecavern.ca.
cooking classes and tours
The Pan Tree (#550, 220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631, thepantree.ca) has an amazing demonstration kitchen that will be put to good use this fall. Highlights: September 13, Pasta with chef Cherwoniak; September 14, Riverbend Gardens CSA with chef Toll; September 28; Adobos and Moles with chef Alvarez; October 11, Sausage with chef Toll; October 18, It’s Pizza Time with chef Cherwoniak.
Tight on time? Take an Express Cooking Classes at Seasoned Solutions: October 5, Sides for Thanksgiving; November 23, Holiday Entertaining. Classes are two hours long starting at 6:30pm, $49.94+gst, seasonedsolutions.ca.
Take an Edmonton Food Tour with Liane Faulder and Cindy Lazarenko every Saturday from September 3 until October 8. The 104th Street Feast kicks off at 10am with a bountiful Ukrainian breakfast at Kitchen by Brad, followed by an exploration of the City Market’s food stands and a peek at other food stops nearby, $115. It’s bound to be lively and fun and chock-full of good food. Visit edmontonfoodtours.com to book.
The Cavern Cheese School will be back in session beginning late September. Class themes include: Wine and Cheese Pairing Fundamentals for all levels, Regional Pairings, Wine and Cheese Pairings for Entertaining and, back by popular demand, Cavern Champagne Cheese School. At the Cavern, 10169 104 Street, 780-455-1336, thecavern.ca.
restaurant buzz
Uccellino is in the running for Enroute’s Best New Restaurant. Chef Chris Hyde’s interpretation of classic Roman flavours using seasonal Alberta ingredients is a winner by all standards. Fans were asked to vote for their favourite over the summer; no word yet if Uccellino made the cut. Fingers crossed.
Love breakfast and brunch? Get yourself down to the new Cafe Linnea (10932 119 Street, 780-758-1160) The cured arctic char and blini are sublime and high tea is offered on Sundays. The 60-seat café is part of the bigger Duchess footprint (a teaching kitchen, proper office space and an expanded Provisions) in Holland Plaza, home to the Local Omnivore and the Wine Gallery.
Bar Clementine (11957 Jasper Avenue, barclementine.ca) is open! Andrew Borley, Jordan Clemens, and Evan Watson (the Volstead Act) have created an intimate, Paris bistro-style hang out, and chef Roger Letourneau’s Gallic-inspired menu is just the thing heading into crisp days of fall. With the opening of Clementine, West Jasper is becoming a gastronomic destination with a trio of fun spots to duck into, including Ikki Izakaya and Japonais Bistro.
Chef Nathin Bye has sold his shares in Ampersand 27 and is on hiatus pondering his next move. Whatever it is, it’ll taste good—he’s a talented chef.
Bistro Praha (10117 101 Street, 780-424-4218) invites you to join them for a Tartare Experience—their classic let mignon steak tartare with avocado tartare and tuna tartare—every Friday night in September and October. The full menu is also available along with their specialized list of imported beer and wine. Open late, seven days a week, right downtown, just north of Jasper Avenue. Call for reservations.
Coming soon
At least one of Ben Staley’s storefront restaurants on Jasper Avenue; Baiju, Kevin Cam’s new bar/speakeasy/supper club in the Mercer; a charcuterie shop called Meuwly’s; a fried chicken joint called Northern Chicken and Malt and Mortar on Whyte Avenue and 104 Street.