new breads and sandwiches at bon ton bakery
Graham Versailles (Bon Ton Bakery)
Graham Versailles is now in charge of the savoury program at the Bon Ton Bakery. It started with an exploration of focaccia. “I set out to make a Persian-style flatbread called Barbari and you can see how this bread moved around the Mediterranean. In Italy, they added more oil, more water and it became the focaccia we know today, which is airier. Most focaccia are made in sheets, we make a different shape to have more crunchy edges.
“We have really dialled up the sandwich program. We do everything from scratch—roast the chicken bones, slow roast the porchetta after an overnight marinade. We make all the dips in-house now too, along with compound butters, soups, pot pies, quiche, hand-held pies and sausage rolls.” We know Graham as a wine guy, but he worked at the Hardware Grill for several years, making all the desserts, breads and pyrohy. “I sort of had a knack for it and we figured out that I had made 85,000 pyrohy by hand.
“Larry Stewart taught me a lot. I was missing creating food, so when Gerry (Semler, co-owner Bon Ton) gave me the opportunity, I jumped for it. It was just me, but now we have three people making savoury things.”
The focaccia sandwiches are available Wednesday-Friday along with the focaccia loaves and savoury dishes.
8720 149 Street, bonton.ca.
be a queen bee at the mac
Tea cakes at The Mac
Did you know that the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald has bee hives tucked away in the garden, on the east side of the terrace? And did you know there is a darling gazebo there too? Experience both during the Royal Queen Bee Afternoon Tea, select Sundays from July 12 to September 27. Enjoy a guided intro to the hives and a lovely tea featuring the hotel’s own honey.
Tix: $99/p, fairmont.com.
don’ya for the win
The DON’YA team from left: kitchen manager, Natalja Vynohradova, co-founder and CEO, Janice Krissa, Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack, Jorgia Lindquist, and DON’YA front of house Supervisor, Nataliya Didenko
< DON’YA’s Jorgia Lindquist is racking up the awards. She is Canada’s first ever winner of the JCI Creative Young Entrepreneur Award, given by the Junior Chamber International, a global non-profit leadership and development organization for young professionals aged 18 to 40. On June 16, she presented How My Taste of Place Business Took Flight at Air Canada’s Youth Taste of Place Entrepreneur Showcase at the Taste of Place Summit in Edmonton. This homegrown business is making all the right moves. Congratulations Jorgia! 12153 Fort Road, 10405 Jasper Avenue, donyaukraine.ca.
next food expo is this fall
Tracy Little (Sauvage, Canmore) at Next 2025
Attention chefs and restaurateurs! Mark your calendars for the Next Food Expo, happening at the BMO Centre in Calgary, September 13 and 14. Join industry leaders and changemakers for ideas, education, entertainment, tips and tricks to expand your mind and your business. Enjoy immersive experiences on the culinary stage, the innovation lab and on the bar stage, as well as panels and fireside chats. Spend some time in the marketing studio to up your social media game. Enjoy special hotel rates for both exhibitors and attendees too. Book your booth or your spot at nextfoodexpo.com.
open farm days
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 to Christy Creek Honey near Lac La Biche or Bridgeland Distilleries in Calgary. Find all the adventures and make your plan at albertaopenfarmdays.ca
green onion cakes rule
Siu To, the green onion cake man, was happy to pick up an award from the Alberta Made organization this spring: Top Prepared Food in 2026 for his versatile and delicious green onion cakes. Some people say this is Edmonton’s iconic dish. I wouldn’t disagree. The tasty pastry goes from freezer to the toaster or the pan in a jiffy. Siu To has had a long history in food, from the university-area Happy Garden Restaurant to his current spot on 118 Avenue, where he serves a variety of dishes. The hot and sour soup is my go-to. Congrats Siu To, you deserve it. Long live the green onion cake! 9132 118 Avenue, greenonioncakeman.com
