dining downtown for all
Don’t miss the chance to dine in some of Edmonton’s most delicious restaurants during Downtown Dining Week, March 13-22. “We want to shine a light on great dining downtown and the many amazing chefs working there during what is usually a slow period,” says Katherine Hoy, Downtown Business Association. “We ask them to do creative two-course lunches and three- course dinners at special prices; a saving of at least 10 per cent over the a la carte menu.” There are usually about 30 restaurants in the program; so far the Blue Plate Diner, Confederation Lounge and the Harvest Room at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Hardware Grill, Hoang Long, L’Azia, the Marc, Normands, Ruth’s Chris, Sabor, Select, Sorrentino’s, Tzin and Zinc have signed up. “It’s a ten day food celebration,” says Katherine. “For example, last year the Harvest Room offered ostrich; we were shocked at the value offered at L’Azia with their steak and lobster dish. So many restaurateurs embrace it and it helps brand downtown as the dining district.” Visit the website for the full list and menus.
Coffee Week
a good cuppa joe
Edmonton’s first Coffee Week, created by Sarah Jackson, runs March 7-15, opening with A Film About Coffee, 3pm, March 7 at the Metro Cinema, followed by a reception at Transcend Garneau. During the week enjoy a coffee roastery tour, latte art seminars, knit night (is there a better place to knit than in a café drinking coffee?) a barista jam and competition demo, coffee tastings, even a coffee inspired dinner. Bravo to Sarah for pulling this together and bringing some attention to our vibrant and growing coffee culture. Block 1912, Café Bicyclette, Café Blackbird, Cavern, Dauphine, Earth’s General Store, Elm Cafe, Farrow, Glasshouse Bistro, Leva, Remedy, Spinelli’s, Zenari’s and Zocalo are some of the coffee merchants and houses participating. Drink up! For the full schedule of events visit: yegcoffee.com
meet NAIT’s Hokansen Chef in Residence Michael Stadtländer NAIT Chef in Residence Michael Stadlände
Every year NAIT brings in a chef of note to work with their students — to tell stories, teach skills, mentor, and most importantly, help young culinarians see a bigger picture, to imagine a big career in food. Notable chefs have included Lynn Crawford, Susur Lee, Chris Cosentino and Rob Feenie. This year’s choice is another brilliant selection. Michael Stadtländer, whom we would call the father of the farm-to-table movement in Canada, has had a profound influence on several generations of restaurants and cooks; starting in 1980 at Scaramouche in Toronto with Jamie Kennedy, followed by Sooke Harbour House, near Victoria, then Stadtländer and Nekahh in Toronto. Chef Stadtländer and his wife Noboyu now cook from Eigensinn Farm and Hasai Restaurant and Bakery, creating dining experiences with what they grow on their farm, and fish from nearby Georgian Bay. There might still be a few tix left for lunch prepared by the students with this important chef, 780-471-8676.
want to shape edmonton’s food future? Edmonton Food Council
The Edmonton Food Council is recruiting new team members, citizens looking to help shape food and agriculture in the city. The two-year-old Food Council advises the City of Edmonton on matters related to the implementation of fresh: Edmonton’s Food and Urban Agriculture Strategy. The council is looking for people with previous board experience and expertise in the following areas — farming, food production; food service or restaurant experience; public health; working with municipal government, private sector, or the business community. Visit edmontonfoodcouncil.org to apply. The deadline is 5 pm, March 16.
bonjour bakery wins big Yvan and Ritsuko Chartrand of Bonjour Bakery
Yvan and Ritsuko Chartrand’s Bonjour Bakery has won the Bakers Journal’s 2014 Business Innovation Award. Bonjour specializes in breads made by the slow rise fermentation process, using grains grown on nearby farms. Bonjour Bakery topped 11 other Canadian bakeries for the Bakers Journal award, which evaluates nominees on several criteria including new products or product line, social media and marketing strategy, specialty products, or use of new technologies or processes. Restaurants buy their rustic loaf and baguettes for crostini and sandwiches; we love the rye for toast and can’t resist the occasional pain au chocolat. Many customers still call the Mill Creek bakery by its original name, Treestone, opened by Nancy Rubiliak who sold to the Chartrands in 2010. Bakers Journal, a trade publication that has written about the Canadian baking industry for 70 years, pegged Calgary’s clever Jelly Modern Donuts as the runner-up. Bonjour Boulangerie, 8612-99 Street, 780-433-5924, yvanchartrand.com
