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a taste of the okanagan in yeg
Dine The Ave is on ’til June 23. It’s your chance to discover the delicious food down 118 Avenue. Visit the Enjoy the wines of Naramata’s Joie Farm with special guest BJ Tumanut at the Royal Glenora Club (11160 River Valley Road, 780-482-2371) 6:30pm, tomorrow, Thursday, June 27. Tix: 117++, reservations@royalglenora.com. The family-style dinner by exec chef Steve Buzak will be accompanied by some of Joie’s best-loved wines, including the PTG.
finish off the garden and deck with annuals
The Summer Solstice sale at Zocalo (10826-95 Street, 780-428-0754, https://www.zocalo.ca) is on right now! Scoop up some summer colour; 50 per cent off all annuals and deals on hanging baskets too.
bring your bags to culina to go
Culina to Go (12019 102 Avenue in the Oliver Exchange, 780-250-7044, culinafamily.com) will recycle all your leftover shopping bags for you. Bring whatever you have—paper, cloth, plastic, hemp, whatever and you will be entered in a draw for a $25 GC!
the end of an era
Zenari’s, the idiosyncratic café that has been on the main floor of Manulife since it opened in 1984, is moving. They will reopen as Dalla Taverna Zenari in the Enbridge Centre at the end of the year. “It’s bittersweet,” says Elisa Zenari, daughter of the founder Adriano Zenari. “We celebrated our 35th anniversary last month and one month later we’ll are saying goodbye to Zenari’s forever. “The new location is between Credo and OEB, right on the corner of Rice Howard Way,” she says. “It won’t be Zenari’s, but it will honour the legacy my father Adriano created. We’re super excited to share our new project with our community and are looking forward to the future.” The last day in Manulife is Saturday, June 29. Stop by for a nostalgic meal and a last look at the murals.
illustration by Rasmussen
hot tropic pop up
Chef Eric Hansen and bartender Tyler Gushaty are throwing a Pop-up Bar Night at Prairie Noodle Shop, 10350 124 Street, 780-705-1777) July 5 and 6 featuring cocktails and bar snacks. “We have been dreaming about this since North 53,” says Eric. “I’ve already started making edible garnishes for the drinks.”
the kid does good
Nicolas Smoliak is the new chef de partie at the influential and legendary St John in London. He began with a stage (unpaid kitchen work done to gain experience at restos with famous chefs) then was hired two days later. Nicolas grew up cooking with his family (Leanne and Brad Smoliak, trained pastry chef and chef/owner Kitchen by Brad) since he was a tyke. Without formal training, he has cooked to support himself in his travels by creating dinners in youth hostels; you may know Nicolas from Kitchen by Brad, Juniper and Woodwork. Chef Fergus Henderson and restaurateur Trevor Gulliver’s St John reintroduced nose to tail cooking to modern life, revolutionizing how we cook today.
wine of the week: wines for the holiday weekend and a new gin for summer G&Ts
Scapegrace Gin is a new small batch gin from New Zealand. Great story—two brothers in-law, a whiskey still found abandoned in a shed, Southern Alps water, 13 botanicals. The gin has a lovely juniper nose with a bit of citrus, not too floral, ideal for a Negroni or gin and tonic.
Rioja producer Cune has a deliciously crisp Cava available now. It’s back to their roots in a way. The company first started making cava in the 19th century, when phylloxera was devastating the Champagne region. Cune Cava is made with the classic cava grapes, xarel·lo, parellada and macabeo and tastes a shade off-dry, with subtle green apple and almond notes. Loving the Gauthier Beaujolais Villages Rosé, crisp and refreshing, with flavours of creamy strawberries and tart raspberries. Drink chilled on the deck. For the red? Viberti La Gemella Barbara d’Alba—fresh blueberry notes, vibrant acidity—as drinkable with chicken skewers off the grill as it is with pizza.
