| What was the best thing you ate or drank in 2105? Get your nominations in for the TomatoTop100, all things good to eat and drink in #yeg. Remember it’s not just restaurant dishes — think of your favourite grower, farmer’s market purveyor, butcher, baker, candy maker. Enter on the Tomato’s facebook page, tweet with the hashtag #TomatoTop100 or visit https://thetomato.ca/tomatoquarantwo/tomato-top-100-nomination-form. Nominations accepted until January 29.
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| Upcoming events at Aligra Wines & Spirits (Entrance 58 WEM 8882 170 Street, 780-483-1083, aligrawineandspirits.com): January 20, Robbie Burns Scotch Tasting with sommelier Ken Bracke, $65/pp; February 10, Love wines with passion? Bordeaux Without Borders, discover a world of wines made in the Bordeaux style, $40/pp; February 23, Cheap & Cheerful, great wines under $20, $20/pp. Register for all aligrawineandspirits.com/events |
| The Marc (9940 106 Street, 780-429-2828, themarc.ca) hosts a winemakers dinner with former geologist Sean Boyd of the small, focused Rotie Cellars of Walla Walla, Washington, Sunday January 31. If you love graceful Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre or Marsanne, Rousanne and Grenache Blanc, this is a don’t miss event, a real treat. Dinner is $140/pp, call to book or email Patrick@themarc. This dinner will kick off The Marc’s Rhone week in February. |
| The Official Winter Signature Drink Competition launches January 11 and runs until January 31. This is the third year for the good-natured competition, all part of the city’s plan to help us get outside and enjoy winter. Yes, a cocktail helps. There is both a boozy and a non-alcoholic category and the contest is open to both professional bartenders and amateur mixologists. Think original, wintry, tasty! Enter at Facebook.com/WinterCityEdmonton. Contestants are encouraged to make and share videos telling the story of their recipe. |
| Want to tell your chenins from your chards? Or learn why some wines taste like vanilla and others like butter? Learn to taste like a pro in a Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) program, taught in 58 countries. A special one-day Level One Foundation class is offered on Saturday, April 9. To book: Call Angela Landon 604-988-8009, 1-888-988-8009 or email alandon@aii.edu. Classes are held on the second floor of Fine Wines by Liquor Select, 8924 149 Street. |
| Check out the new Local Omnivore. Bacon aficionados Ryan Brodziak and Mark Bellows have sold the truck and built a bricks and mortar location at 10933 120 Street. The revamped warehouse space (it was the home of Marc Holland Industries for decades) has a wonderful industrial vibe and lots of parking. It will also house the new Duchess Provisions come spring. Local Omnivore’s bacon-heavy menu (a good thing, as their toothsome cold-smoked bacon is a thing of beauty) is ideal for brunch. |
 Chef Geoffrey Caswell-Murphy is the new face behind the stoves at The Westin (10135 100th Street, 780-426-3636, http://www.thewestinedmonton.com/edmonton-restaurant). Chef Caswell-Murphy has cooked in Halifax and Ottawa; most recently Regina where he was a bronze medallist at the 2014 Gold Medal Plates competition there. The Westin’s former exec, 2015 Canadian Culinary Champion Ryan O’Flynn, decamped to Toronto to work with the multi-concept restaurant group Oliver and Bonacini last November, but he’ll be back in the west to open The Guild in Calgary for O&B. Oliver and Bonacini made the news recently when it was announced that they have signed on to create restaurants in the arena district. |
| Wanna go to Rio? di Janeiro? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=592MkMV-Uog Enter the draw for a week in Rio at Pampa (99929 109 Street, 780-756-7030, http://www.pampasteakhouse.com), bydining there between now and February 29. It’s all part of Pampa’s fifth birthday celebrations — they are doing lots of fun stuff, giveaways, discounts, and such — a trio to Rio would be the ultimate, even without Peter Allen. |
| February cooking classes at Kitchen by Brad (10130 105 Street, 780-757-7704 www.kitchenbybrad.ca) One Pot Meals; Tuesday, February 16,; Saturday, February 20; Tuesday, February 23 and Saturday, February 27. Just in time for Valentine’s Day— Cooking for Two Class, Tuesday, February 9, Saturday, February 13. Classes are $135/person, plus GST. Don’t be disappointed. Reserve your spot today: info@kitchenbybrad.ca or call 780-757-7704. |
| Blue Chair (9624 76 Avenue, 780-989-2861, bluechair.ca) is having a Robbie Burns Night, with help from their friends at Unwined Fine Wines Spirits and Ales, Friday, January 22. Enjoy a five-course meal of traditional Scottish delights—haggis, cockaleekie soup, neeps and tatties, roast beef—with paired whiskies. There will be Robbie Burns poetry read by Andrew Campbell Walls and general merriment, all for $99/pp +GST. There is a wine flight for those who prefer that to whisky, $89/pp+ GST. Call to book. |
| Unwined Fine Wine, Spirits and Ales (#203 Edmonton City Centre, 780-421-0015; #2 512 St. Albert Trail, St. Albert, 780-458-4777, unwined.biz) presents Dinner Pour Deux, wines to pair with that special Valentine dinner, Tuesday, February 9, at the St. Albert store, $35/pp, call to book. |
| Something new from The Volstead Act (Andrew Borley, Jordan Clemens, Evan Watson), a cocktail bar/bistro called Clementine in the Pearl Tower (11949 Jasper Avenue) opening late winter. Heading up the kitchen is chef Roger Letourneau (Three Boars, Staff Meal) so we know the food will be as high-quality and terrific as the drinks. |
| The 2016 Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna start Friday, February 5 with the Mystery Wine Pairing at the Delta Grand and continue Saturday morning with the Black Box Competition at Okanagan College. Then it’s back to the Delta Grande for the Grand Finale. It’s a spectacular weekend filled with drama, stellar entertainment and great food and drink. Jan Trittenbach of Solstice Seasonal Cuisine is the Edmonton champ gunning to win the national title. With the focus on food it’s easy to forget that Gold Medal Plates has garnered close to 11 million dollars for the Canadian Olympic Foundation in support of Canadian Olympic athletes. Don’t miss it! Purchase tickets at goldmedalplates.com. |
| Kevin Cam of North 53 plans to open a cocktail bar next to Rostizado in the Mercer Warehouse. No word yet on the look or concept. “I just got the keys, it’ll take a few months to figure out what we want to do in there,” says Kevin. Expect a summer opening. |
