A photo essay by Curtis Comeau
Perseverance. Is there a better word to describe Edmonton’s restaurant leaders? In early March when our government ordered the shutdown of many business it was perceived by many as an immediate death sentence for the restaurant industry. Then, something happened. Unable to serve their customers, creative restaurateurs and chefs pivoted to survive by shifting to takeout.
It was a challenging experience for all chefs. The vision of a beautiful plated dish served to the table customer moments after leaving the kitchen was gone. There were challenges: how to transfer the feeling of dining in a great restaurant to a take-out container? The dish had to taste delicious as much as 30–45 minutes after it was made. When it did arrive, it couldn’t be a mash up of ingredients because it didn’t travel well.
The first step was to figure out which dishes simply couldn’t be served as take out at all and take them off the menu. Next was to find out which items would travel well in appropriate containers. “Presentation is always a big part of the experience when you eat at The Marc, so it’s important that our curbside edition looks good too,” says chef Spencer Thompson.
Corso 32 chose to go in a different direction. They wanted to create the same feeling of superb dining and well-crafted dishes available in their restaurants in the Corso at Home offerings. Their approach was to help the client learn to cook pasta the Corso way and to offer some of their greatest hits, iconic dishes that would travel well. They came up with precise pasta kits with detailed instructions and selected items, such as the house-made goat ricotta with rosemary and olive oil from Corso 32, the marinated Nocellara del Belice olives from Uccellino, and, occasionally, the outrageously delicious focaccia served at Bar Bricco.
As much as Corso at Home is successful, it has not been easy on the staff. “I am happy at how well Corso at Home is doing, but I miss cooking for people. When I cook for someone at one of our restaurants, I get to see the smiles on their faces. That’s what I’m missing right now,” says Bar Bricco’s chef Micah Joffe.
Japonais Bistro’s elegant bento boxes for takeout sushi and sashimi
Chef Scott Downey of The Butternut Tree decided to offer more complex family-style premade meals, things most people don’t have the expertise, time or patience to make, like the classic beef Wellington.
Take out packaging was a major concern. Do you invest in custom packaging or just use generic takeout boxes? Japonais Bistro designed their own custom containers similar to a bento box. “Sushi is a work of art—it is important for us that it looks the same when they get it home as it would in the restaurant,” says co-owner Issac Choi.
Other restaurants are experimenting with what they offer and have added entirely new sections or feature nights for takeout. The Glass Monkey gastro pub offers burger nights, Ukrainian nights and the occasional Chinese menu. “Ginger beef and wonton soup are not typical items you would have found on our menu pre-Covid. Why not try something a little outside the box? Our customers trust what we do, the food tastes great and it travels well,” says owner Rob Filipchuk.
As these innovative chefs and restaurateurs continue to shift, pivot, tweak and experiment to survive in a post-Covid world, it’s important to remember that none of this would be possible if diners did not support the restaurants when they needed it most. They are grateful.
Editor’s note: Like most restaurants, The Butternut Tree, The Glass Monkey, Japonais Bistro, The Marc and Uccellino are all open for limited dine-in service according to health regulations. The patios are open during nice weather and all are encouraging take out. Corso 32 will be open soon, they had to deal with a flood in the basement right before reopening. Bar Bricco remains closed for the time being. Sob.