congratulations teresa!
taste edmonton at taste of edmonton
The 11-day extravaganza of YEG food is back on Churchill Square, Thursday, July 18 to Sunday, July 28. There are dozens of new new restaurant and food trucks bringing 88 new menu items, as well as all your old favourites. Taste Caribbean foods, poke, sushi, pizza, burgers, smokehouse, Ukrainian food, vegetarian vegan, gluten friendly and dairy free. Also, all-day musical performances, the Market by Wholly Handmade, and, new this year, a couple of spots to book a VIP experience: KLM Sky Lounge (up to 12 people) or the Canadian Brewhouse Lounge for up to 200 people. This marks 40 years of Taste of Edmonton, it’ll be a humdinger. Early bird tix on sale until July 17, tasteofedm.ca.
biera is now open for lunch
The Biera veggie sandwich
Biera (9570 76 Avenue, biera.ca, 587-525-8589) in the Ritchie Market is now open for lunch. Chef Davina Moraiko’s menu is a winner—salads, various handhelds on bagels, milk buns, focaccia and sourdough, and a few delicious mains like the Acme Meats bavette with fried polenta. We can’t wait to check it out, especially on their lovely patio. Lunch served Tuesday–Friday and brunch is Saturday and Sunday, 11am–2pm. Visit the website for the full menu and reservations.
new hang in town: shiddy’s rumpus room
The 70s basement vibe that is Shiddy’s Rec Room.
The look may recall your grandparent’s (or parents, or maybe your own) basement—wood panelling plastered with found art, faux Tiffany lamps and vinyl seating, as well as the 70s bad rock soundtrack. It’s a fun spot to while away a few hours, especially with a Flat Boy smash burger (now headquartered at Shiddy’s) or enjoy the all-day breakfast menu. Behind the bar is the distillery and brew house where Shiddy’s vodka-based canned drinks, (McShiddy, Prairie Fairy, Slam-o-Nade), plus all the Sea Change beers are made along with the new gin, floral and fragrant with aromatics such as Szechuan pepper.
Or, enjoy a slushy cocktail (they have two slushy machines!).
It’s big expansion for Sea Change which has been growing steadily since opening in 2017 with a single craft beer, kickstarting what we now know as Happy Beer Street. This is not a group that takes itself too seriously, but, underneath the frivolity is a respect for craft. That 62nd Avenue brewery is home to all the R&D, where the brewers experiment to come up with new flavours and styles such as the limited-edition tribute to Joey Moss, Man Crush Mandarin Ale. Look for the large orange grain silo. Shiddy’s, 9908 78 Avenue, getshiddy.com.
bernadette’s now open downtown
Chef Scott Iserhoff and his wife Svitlana Kravchuk have just opened Bernadette’s on 104 Street downtown. They had a place next to the WhiskeyJack Art House called Pei Pei Chei Ow which they outgrew—expect some ambitious cooking here. The lunch menu is short and sweet, things like a toothsome beef stew with mile high bannock charred on the grill, which reflect chef’s indigenous background, plus a full lineup of inventive cocktails and good, succinct wine list. It’s a relief to have another great spot open for lunch downtown. Expect many seasonal offerings, last week, there were spot prawns on the menu, because it’s spot prawn season. An intimate space and it looks amazing—lots of colour, a glorious mural fills one wall. Scott Iserhoff is a serious chef with lots to say. Let’s listen. Lunch 11am-3pm, dinner 5pm-close, Tuesday to Saturday. Bernadette’s, 10114 104 Street, 587-879-4317.
congratulations jacqueline!
JA Hall of Fame Impact Award.
Limages Media photo.