New restaurants, wine dinners, happenings and events, new products for fall, cooking classes — find it all in the September edition of the Kitchen Sink.
restaurant ramblings
Congratulations Alder Room, Bar Clementine, Café Linnea and Chartier! These restaurants made the long list of Enroute’s Canada’s Best New Restaurants. Canada’s Best New Restaurants spotlights the top restaurants that have launched across the country over the last 12 months that deliver memorable experiences. The short list, the annual Top 10 ranking, will be announced October 19, canadasbestnewrestaurants.com
South siders are now much closer to their fill of Brazilian barbecue with the opening of Pampa’s Ellerslie (9626 Ellerslie Road, 780-249-2000, pampasteakhouse.com). Open for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Oscar Lopez and Joao Dachery have introduced thousands of happy diners to churrasco (grilling Brazilian-style), the savoury wonders of the juicy rump cut and to the caipirinha, Brazil’s national drink.
Charles Rothman and Rahim Jaffer are opening Rooster Café & Kitchen at 10732 82 Avenue, the former home of the Artisan Resto-Café. Their vision is a community-focused cafe and breakfast joint serving local farm ingredients and locally prepared goods, open seven days a week. “We want to show that supporting local producers and farmers is highly applicable to the breakfast market,” says Charles. Opening this fall. Yaay! The Ave needs a good modern breakfast spot.
The eagerly awaited Biera (Ritchie Market, 9570 76 Avenue, 587-525-8589, biera.ca) opened this summer. Check it out for a whole lot of deliciousness, starting with the exceptional bread with three toppings — olive oil, whipped lardo and a house-made kefir butter. The snack hour from 4pm-6pm is ideal for a Blind Enthusiasm beer and some snacks like lobster mushrooms with summer savoury on toast. The exec chef is Christine Sandford.
Jordan Watson’s Cartago (8204 106 Avenue, 780-394-4242, cartagoyeg.com) opened mid-August bringing some much needed energy to Forest Heights. It’s a beer lover’s nirvana with a decent curry wurst. Love the well-curated beer list (both tap and bottle), the German-style, easy to share menu, the exposed concrete and the art.
Wishbone (10542 Jasper Avenue, 780-757-6758, eatwishbone.ca) is now open for lunch Monday to Friday. The menu has two excellent daily soups, a couple of hearty autumn salads and a really great burger. Wishbone is also a terrific after work spot — $2 oysters and $8 bubbles and tonics from 4-6pm Monday to Saturday. Check it out!
The Local Omnivore, 10933 120 Street, 780-660-1051, thelocalomnivore.com) is offering unique and tasty versions of diner classics on their new menu coming later this fall: country-fried steak and eggs with a jalapeno corn and bacon gravy; a bone-in pork chop on rice with pan gravy and the Cobb salad comes with their inimitable bacon.
The new Farrow (9855 76 Avenue) opened mid-August in Ritchie. Find all your fave sandwiches there, and, bonus, the new location is bigger, is open every day and has pastry! Open 7am-3pm.
Juniper Bistro (9514 87 Street, 780-490-6799 juniperbistro.com) has a slew of heartier vegetable dishes planned for the fall menu, including a toothsome mushroom bread pudding. Makes you almost wish for colder, crisper days.
Thinking Christmas parties. No, it’s not too early to book the date and get that out of the way. XIX Nineteen (5940 Mullen Way, 780-395-1119;#104, 150 Bellerose Drive, St Albert, 780-569-1819, dinenineteen.com) is ready to help you do just that. Check out the new fall menus for dinner and brunch. (XIX St. Albert is on Open Table’s 50 Best Brunches List.)
Justin Benson ups the hot dog game with the eagerly awaited Mayday Dogs (10363 104 Street, Mercer Warehouse) opening this month. Mayday’s story starts with a steamed gluten- and nitrate-free hot dog from Bear and the Flower, fresh Vienna Bakery buns, milkshakes made with Pinocchio ice cream, tater tots, tall cans of beer, wine and cider, and a chef’s special once a month, the first from Daniel Costa. And, expect to eat your dog sitting on the stoop. Closed Sunday and Monday. Coming soon from Justin is the Brewery District’s Frontier Handheld sandwich joint later this year.
More restaurant action in south Edmonton; chef Lindsay Porter and Evonne Li are opening London Local in the Cured space at 2307 Ellwood Drive SW. Expect a 60 seat gastro-pub in late October. Chef Porter will also be appearing on an upcoming Guy’s Grocery Games.
Boulangerie Bonjour (8608 99 Street, 780-433-5924, yvanchartrand.com) has new hours. They will be open 8am-4pm Wednesday through Friday and from 7am-4pm Saturdays.
cooking classes
Check out the full lineup of fall cooking classes at The PanTree (220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631, thepantree.ca). In the meantime these caught our eye: Mexican Tacos and Salsa with chef Israel Alvarez, Tuesday, September 5, 6pm, $95; Delicious Breakfasts with Amanda Cook, Wednesday, September 6, 6pm, $85.
New at the Ruby Apron Cooking School (780-906-0509); Thursday, September 7, learn to cook some delicious Indian food with Michelle Peters Jones of The Tiffin Box, 6pm, $110. On Sunday, October 15, learn to make French macaron with Ashley Gevenich of DandyLion Confections, 1pm, $105. As well, the Ruby Apron has a series of sourdough classes on offer. Find the complete fall schedule, therubyapron.ca.
wine tastings, happenings and events
Enjoy the tastes of the sunny south of France at the Gerard Bertrand Wine and Tapas Tasting at Privada Wine Bar (21 Perron Street, St Albert, 780-569-5479, privadawinebar.com) with brand ambassador Nicolas Galy, Tuesday, September 5, 6pm, $55. Tix, email info@privadawinebar.com.
Fans of premier Argentina producer Luigi Bosca will not want to miss the Luigi Bosca Wine Dinner at The Edmonton Country Club (6201 Country Club Road, 780-487-1150) Friday, September 8, 6:30pm, $90 plus tax and gratuity. Tix, email alex.milic@edmontoncountryclub.com.
Sherbrooke Liquor (11819 St Albert Trail, 780-455-4556, http://sherbrookeliquor.com) features a Miguel Torres Wine Tasting in their new event space, September 12, 6pm, $25.
Meet Jorge Ramos, export director of the Taylor Fladgate Partnership at a Croft, Taylor Fladgate and Fonseca Port Tasting at Wine & Beyond Windermere (6276 Currents Drive, wineandbeyond.ca), Wednesday, September 13, 7pm, $35.
Discover how well port can work with a variety of foods at the Taylor Fladgate Fine Ports Dinner at Ernest’s at NAIT (11762 106 Street, 780-471-8676), with special guest Jorge Ramos, Thursday, September 14, 6pm, $95. Tix, email twright@nait.com.
Taste what’s new at the Hicks Fine Wines First Annual Fall Open House (150 Bellerose Dr., 780-569-5000, hicksfinewines.com) Saturday, September 16, 2pm-4pm. On Thursday, September 28, 7pm, enjoy An Evening of South African Wines, $30. Tix, call 780-569-5000.
Get your Chianti on at the Ricasoli Wine Dinner at Vaticano Cucina (10310 45 Avenue, 780-250-1110, vaticanoyeg.com) Wednesday, September 20, 6pm, $95. Tix, call 780-250-1110.
Or the Ricasoli Winemaker Dinner at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald (10065 100 Street, 780-424-5181, fairmont.com), Thursday, September 21, 6pm, $99.
Lots of terrific events during Sorrentino’s Mushroom Festival: Sunday, September 10 and Sunday, September 17, Mushroom Walk, Cook and Eat, with a local expert from the Mycological Society at Sorrentino’s West, $90 plus tax and gratuity; Thursday, September 14, wine dinner with BC’s Savard Vines and chef Alberto Alboreggia at Sorrentino’s Stony Plain, $95 plus tax and gratuity; Guisti Wine Dinner with special guest David Walker, technical director, Giusti Wine and chef Sunny Sung, at Sorrentino’s St Albert, Sunday, September 24, $95 plus tax and gratuity; Tuesday, October 3, wine dinner with Serge Leveque from Sartori Winery, Verona, Italy at Sorrentino’s West, $95 plus tax and gratuity. See the full schedule including mushroom cooking classes and make reservations at https://www.sorrentinos.com.
The Edmonton Epicurean Society holds the first dinner of their season at Café Linnea (10932 119 Street, Holland Plaza, 780-758-1160, cafelinnea.ca) Tuesday, September 26, 6:30pm, $100/pp non-members. The menu and wines look amazing. To book dinner or for more info, email membership@EdmontonEpicurean.com.
Upcoming events at Aligra Wine & Spirits (1423, 8882 170 Street, Entrance 58, 780-483-1083, aligra.com) Wine 101, Wednesday, September 27, $45 and Bourbon & Biscuits on Wednesday, October 11, $40.
Love Sherry? Meet Maria Alvear from Bodegas Alvear at Hicks Fine Wines (150 Bellerose Dr., 780-569-5000, hicksfinewines.com), Friday, October 20, 6:30pm, $30. Tix, 780-569-5000.
The Joseph Drouhin Royal Wine Dinner with Laurent Drouhin is at Ernest’s at NAIT (11762 106 Street, 780-471-8676), on Wednesday, October 25, 6pm. Enjoy five wines with four courses and meet Laurent Drouhin, $95. Email twright@nait.com to book.
product news
La Boule (8020 101 Street, 780-760-2253, laboulebakery.ca) now has bread — a country loaf made with their starter named Hank, and a baguette (a double pre-ferment, using both a poolish and Hank). Both breads have a lovely open crumb. Available after 10:30am, Tuesday-Sunday, $5 each.
The tiny and charming FanFan Pâtisserie (10330 80 Avenue, 587-524-9899, fanfanpatisserie.com) opened mid-July. There are daily croissant and pâin au chocolate, adorable bite-sized tarts, individually-sized cakes in several flavours, as well as ice cream and gelato. It’s a pastry lover’s dream, good coffee too. Open Tuesday-Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday, 8am-4pm and Sunday, 9am-2pm. Closed Mondays.
Check out the Heart of the Home (12539 102 Avenue, 780-705-4928, heartofthehomeyeg.ca) for back to school items such as attractive lunch bags and efficient bottles. The ZOKU 16 oz. double-wall suspended glass core bottle with a locking cap and glass thread-free mouthpiece works with both hot and cold — a truly superior bottle, $50.
Support The Pan Tree’s (#550, 220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631) fifth Annual Chili Cook Off: Strathcona County’s RCMP vs Firefighters, September 16, 12pm-3pm. Tickets $8 in advance, $10 at the door, or $30 per family. Expect some friendly trash-talking as the RCMP try to win their title back. Tickets on Eventbrite. Don’t forget to bring some cash for the silent auction. Proceeds to Kids with Cancer Society.
It’s wine season! The Little Italy Italian Centre Shop (10878-95 Street,
780-424-4869, the italiancentre.ca) is now taking orders for fresh California wine grapes — Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Valdepina and three white grapes. There is also 100 percent not from concentrate California wine juice available. Call 780-424-4869 to order. Free delivery within city limits, some restrictions apply.