Left: Abe in his youth; right: today. Looks the same!
restaurant legend abe wells is moving to victoria
Abe has long been a familiar face on the YEG restaurant scene. “I started as a bus boy at the High Level Diner,” says Abe, talking about his long and varied career. “The Sugarbowl, Café le Gare, The Red Ox Inn, some time in New York City too.” In 2000, Abe was with Maxxium Wine Agency, then it was back on the floor at Il Portico, Hardware Grill and RGE RD. For the past several years he has been with the Corso 32 Group where he is a currently a manager at Uccellino. “I grinded it out, five nights a week, for a long time,” he says. Now, Abe and his wife Nicky Glitz-Wells are moving to a condo in downtown Victoria. “The stars aligned, both our sons are going to U Vic. I want to thank all my colleagues and customers. It’s nice to say goodbye when you are alive.” Abe’s last day at Uccellino is June 19.
experience live fire cooking with peter zukiwski
Peter Zukiwski’s Pitt County Barbecue has teamed up with the Old Red Barn to offer Farm to Flame—a series of multi-course dinners cooked over fire, accompanied by how-tos and cocktails. On Thursday nights from June to October, learn to cook delicious local bounty prepared on several different grills popularized by Argentine chef Francis Mallmann. Or, sit back and enjoy the view. The Old Red Barn, on a working dairy farm near Leduc, is a beautiful place to enjoy a summer night accompanied by fire-cooked dishes. Tix: $185+.
vino jelly gourmet wine jellies
“I am a wine lover and I like to cook,” says Victor Pena of Vino Jelly Gourmet (vinojellygourmet.ca) in Fort McMurray. In 2019 the mechanical engineer created a formula for exceptional wine jellies which truly emphasize wine’s flavours. “We use only Canadian wines and the jellies are 100 per cent wine, with no added fruit.” Vino Jelly Gourmet come in Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Rosé. The jellies are versatile—at home on a cheese board for sure, but also in a dressing (especially a dressing made with the Chardonnay jelly for a salad with goat cheese and strawberries). Or use as a glaze for meat—pork, ham, chicken or wild game. “Many of our customers are hunters and they like the nice wine taste for smoking meats,” says Victor. Find Vino Jelly Gourmet at Paddy’s Cheese and the Italian Centre Shops in Edmonton, and in Calgary at Lina’s, Italian Centre Shop, Springbank Cheese, European Market and Sunterra.
tasty & new at 5th street food hall
Chefs Levi Biddlecombe and Robert Wick are bringing more of their delicious, flavour-packed, gloriously over-the-top style of cooking to us lucky diners at the 5th Street Food Hall (10344 105 Street, justcookkitchens.com). Tortilla Samurai is a casual Asian/Mexican joint serving tacos like the Squidward—fried calamari dusted in calamansi powder, with coconut lime caramel sauce, salsa verde aioli and street slaw. No EGGscuses is all about creative breakfast sandwiches open 7am-1pm Mon to Fri and 10am-2pm Sat-Sun with brunch options on the weekend. Try the Miss Chi, with a sunny side egg, house-made American cheese, kimchi slaw, bulgogi pickled onion and orange aioli. Giddy up!
new continental treat downtown
The former Hardware Grill space downtown is now the second location of the Continental Treat (9698 Jasper Avenue, ctfinebistro.com). The entirely gluten-free menu features their toothsome dill pickle soup (a perennial on the Tomato Top100) and classic Hungarian goulash and schnitzel. The extensive beer list includes six different gluten-free beers. Open daily for lunch and dinner. New this spring is the speedy prix fixe, pre-theatre menu available from 4-6:30pm. Expect three courses (soup or salad, main and dessert) to be served within an hour, $40.
aga wajda-plytta is a total mom entrepreneur
Aga Wajda-Plytta, of Edmonton-based Goods Goods Co. (goodgoodsco.ca) is a semi-finalist in Canada’s Total Mom Pitch, a start-up competition and business summit for entrepreneurs who are also moms. The 100 (out of over 700 applicants) semi-finalists participate in a three-week entrepreneurship acceleration program and compete for a top five finish and the $30,000 grand prize. Winners all round. “I applied as a woman in business, in a decision-making role, as I haven’t been exposed to many other women in business,” says Aga. “I look forward to the opportunity to meet and work with other women in the program who are successful in their business.”