wine tastings, happenings and events
Don’t miss this fantastic culinary happening: the Indigenous Taste of the Market dinners with chef Shane Chartrand, Wednesdays, July 15 and August 12. These intimate dinners in the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market use what’s in season from OSFM vendors. Tix: $120/p+.
City Cellars Fine Wine (10505 123 Street, citycellarsedmonton.com) is having a Chardy Party, 3pm-6pm on Saturday, July 18. Explore all facets of Chardonnay to choose your summer faves and take them home with discounts on multiple bottle purchases.
Alberta on the Plate is back, August 7-17 with over a dozen restos participating such as Belgravia Hub, Brew & Bloom, The Butternut Tree, Coterie, The Marc. Find all the menus and the full list of participants at albertaontheplate.com.
Rangelands and Pastoralists is the theme of the 2026 Open Farm Days August 15-16. Visit a farm or winery or distillery nearby—Lamberry Ranch or Barr Estate Winery in Strathcona County, or go further afield, Christy Creek Honey near Lac La Biche or Bridgeland Distilleries in Calgary. Find all the adventures and make your plan at https://albertaopenfarmdays.ca
Feast on the Field is happening at 5:30pm, August 19 at Commonwealth Stadium. Live entertainment, lots of activities on the field and a down-home menu prepared by a cadre of Edmonton’s best chefs. Proceeds to the Capital Care Foundation. It’s a fun event for a great cause. Tix: $215/p or $1600/8.
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party has a different format this year, bringing together winners from previous years for the 20th anniversary of the national event. Chefs Nathin Bye, chef instructor at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School (2008 Gold); Winnie Chen, Fu’s Repair Shop (2023 Silver); Scott Downey, The Butternut Tree (2018 Silver); Jason Greene, Braven (2024, 2025 Silver); Blair Lebsack, RGE RD (Silver, 2014); Doreen Prei, Royal Mayfair Golf Club (2024 Gold, 2019 Bronze 2013 and 2016 Silver); Paul Shufelt, Workshop Eatery (2013 Gold, 2012 Bronze); and Tyson Wright, The Old Red Barn (2025 Gold), will be competing to join the 2015 Canadian Culinary Champion and Edmonton’s Chef of Distinction Ryan O’Flynn in Ottawa at the Canadian Culinary Championships in February. Woo hoo! Here’s to a fantastic competition of champions. Find all the deets at greatkitchenparty.com.
product news
Bestie Ice Cream (bestieicecream.ca) is open for the season at the Crestwood Community Centre (14325 96 Avenue) This charming pop-up brings delicious KIND ice cream to the west end, 11am-9pm daily.
Lots happening this summer at Bella Casa (9646 142 Street, bellacasadcl.com). Find the deals at the Summer Clearance, starting July 13—up to 50 per cent off select kitchen, bedding, bath and home decor items. Take 30 per cent off all in-stock Le Creuset cookwear (while quantities last). Figure out your new drapes in your pyjamas. Bella Casa now offers an online drapery program which combines made-to-order service with the ease of online browsing.
Lots of terrific local vegetables and fruit at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market—Reclaim Organic Farm is in Row 10, joining Maplewood Acres, Peas on Earth, Rainbow Acres, Riverbend Gardens, Rosy Farm Haskaps, Sparrow Regenerative Farm, Sundog Organic Farm, Thistle Hill and Willow Croft Farms. Ride your bike and park it for free at the Bike Valet, then pop into the Side Door for an iced coffee.
Fresh wild halibut starts to arrive the first week of July at Catch of the Week (5036 106 Avenue, catchoftheweekedmonton.com). Looking forward to lobster on Canada Day but don’t want to cook them? Catch of the Week offers a free cooking service for Nova Scotia lobster purchases. And check out the website for weekly specials.
Heart of the Home (12539 102 Avenue) is celebrating a decade of home, food and community on Saturday, July 11 with 10 per cent off storewide, cupcakes and bubbles, swag bags, Confetti Sweets cookies and prize draws for Le Creuset, Wüsthof and Staub, plus 10 Days of Deals, starting July 2. Tons of new products in store too. Check it out!
Mulitcook Ukrainian Handmade Frozen Food (multicookedmonton.ca) has opened a second location; Unit 370, 800 Broadmoor Blvd, Sherwood Park. They offer a delicious assortment (over 120 products) of handmade Ukrainian frozen meals—perogies, cabbage rolls, pelmeni, crepes, soups and other delicacies. Check it out!
Beb’s Bagels has a new feature sandwich, the Mortadella, with a house-made spinach and artichoke cream cheese on a Beb’s bagel. Fresh bagels are also available Wednesday-Saturday. To be sure, pre-order your bagels for pick-up at the location of your choice; Beb’s Bagels in the Hub on Whyte, Candid Coffee Highlands, Meuwly’s and at Relish in the Ritchie Market, bebsbagels.ca.
Lakeside Farmstead (57225 Range Road 242, lakesidefarmstead.com) in the Sturgeon Valley is participating in Open Farm Days again this year. Visit the calves, eat some delicious cheese and pick up some beautiful beef on your way out. They are also at the St. Alberta Farmers’ Market, every Saturday until the end of the season. You can actually visit the calves any day from 10-noon, with staff on site to guide interaction and answer any questions.
Edmonton Meals on Wheels (EMOW) has expanded their frozen meal line with Don’ya hand-made Ukrainian Medley—pork cabbage rolls, cheddar cheese pyrohy and roasted beets. To learn more about this vital organization,
visit emow.ca.
restaurant buzz
Catch World Cup games on the big screen until July 19 (and a chance to win Team Canada jerseys) at Three Vikings (10713 124 Street, threevikings.ca) Order the new smørrebrød—pickled herring with curried egg salad, aged Havarti with grilled apple and roast beef with horseradish whipped cream. Featured for KDays is the Golden Nugget Burger until July 26; spend $20 on food and pick up two free KDays admission tickets. Enjoy the herring smørrebrød, riskrem and bilberry lemonade at the Scandinavian Heritage Society at Heritage Days and there will be a feature for Alberta on the Plate, August 7 to 17.
Don’t miss EPCOR’s Signature Dish Series until August 17 at the Atrium, Fox Burger, Padmanadi and the Patricia Street Deli. The first 50 diners at each location will receive a free Glass of the Sask carafe. Find the menus and schedule along with every other resto and event that serves Glass of the Sask at epcor.com/glassofthesask. More on Glass of the Sask.
Some delicious new dishes on the summer menu at Riverbank Bistro (8 Mission Avenue, St. Albert)—bavette steak frites, the RBB burger is back, and a tangy dill pickle wedge salad. The baked brie for two now features Lakeside Farmstead mini-Brie. Don’t miss the new Friday Social in the lounge, from 4pm; chef’s table d’hôte Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday Brunch is now from 9am-1pm. Look out for the four-course summer wine dinner coming soon.
Get a whole new perspective of the south side from the stunning Boxer Rooftop (10315 83 Avenue). Enjoy margaritas, tacos (and Okie Dokie Smokies Mexi-dogs) and tequila up on the roof, rain or shine due to the cool futuristic modular domes. Open 5-10pm, call 780-760-4567 for resos or take a chance on a walk-in. Or book an event to have it all to yourself, boxeryeg.com.
Enjoy southeast Asian-inspired plates and great cocktails plus a curated selection of sake and wine at the new Bibo (10302 Whyte Avenue), in collaboration with HOM Street Food. Open from 5pm, Wednesday-Saturday. In the Strathcona Hotel, enter off the alley.
Over 25 breweries, including Blind Enthusiasm, Campio, Koselig by Alberta Ale Works and Sea Change, plus food trucks and street performers are on hand at the Edmonton Valley Zoo’s (13315 Buena Vista Road) Zoo Brew, all to benefit Project Carnivora—refurbishing Canadian lynx and snow leopard habitats (under construction). Enjoy Zoo Brew on Saturdays, July 18 and August 21. Tix: $33.50/p, buildingourzoo.com.
