What’s up on Edmonton’s food scene, right now
restaurant buzz
Dine at The Butternut Tree (9707 110 Street, 780-760-2271) before the holidays to enjoy the festive views of the Leg at Christmas. Or, on NYE, with two seatings—early (5pm, 5:30pm, 6pm) and late (8:30pm, 9pm, 9:30pm) to ring in the New Year with a feature tasting menu and views of the fireworks. Regular hours until Saturday, December 22, closed December 23-27, then open December 28, 29, 31. Closed January 1-10. Call to reserve or book on Open Table.
The Hardware Grill (9698 Jasper Avenue, 780-423-0969) will be open until 11pm every night during Grey Cup Week, November 21-24. During that week, Jasper Avenue is a street party (zipline anyone?) and will be closed to traffic from 96 Street to 99 Street and 97 Street to 101A Avenue. Dinner guests are advised to book ahead and encouraged to leave the car at home. Hardware Grill holiday hours are: closed December 23–27, open December 28–31 and closed January 1–3.
The Cavern (10169 104 Street, 780-455-1336) offers two seatings for NYE, 5pm to 8pm and from 9pm to Happy New Year! The four-course menu is $95/p, or $170/p with wine pairings. Bubbles will definitely be involved. Call Cavern to book.
Culina to Go (12019A 102 Avenue) in the new Oliver Exchange Building is happening! They expect to be open in December, for tasty to-go options like their famous TV dinners, catering pick-ups, and, they have an event space. Can’t wait.
OEB (10174 100A Street, 587-520-0936) lands sunny side up on Rice Howard Way. The Calgary breakfast phenom opens in early November in the redeveloped Kelley Ramsay building. Think potatoes in duck fat, blue plate specials, breakfast poutines and really great sandwiches. Dig in!
Tuesday nights are Schnitzel Nights at The Manor Bistro (10109 125 Street, 780-482-7577) with special prices. Enjoy the schnitzel dinner for $12 or a schnitzel sandwich, $8, along with a glass of featured wine, $9 or beer, $5-$7.
Cibo Bistro (11244 104 Avenue, 780-757-2426) has a new fall menu featuring classic dishes such as tagliatelle Bolognese and a version of the Roman dish rigatoni pajata made with 24-hour braised tripe mixed with house-made pork and fennel sausage and herbed ricotta in tomato sauce. Cibo Bistro will be closed December 25-January 7, regular hours resume Tuesday, January 8.
product news
Fan Fan Pâtisserie (10330 80 Avenue, 587-524-9899) will offer traditional tourtière starting December 1. They use Acme Meats for their version of this delicious Quebecois holiday dish, $29 for 9-inch pie. Call or drop in to the shop (and pick up a pain au chocolate while you are at it) to order.
Nancy Facchin-Belle of Delight Catering has developed a line of gluten-free and diabetic-friendly condiments, hot sauces, barbecue sauces, jams and jellies, such as the delicious Saskatoon Berry Barbecue Sauce. The hot sauces come in mild, medium and hot. Prices range from $7.50-$10.50, call Nancy to order 780-446-0934. Delight also offers in-home cooking classes all delivered with Nancy’s friendly and easy approach.
Meuwly’s (10706 124 Street, 587-786-3560) comes to the rescue during the hols with smoked, boneless honey ham in two sizes and a really delish smoked ½-turkey. Check out their gift baskets chock full of their house-made goodies, from $20-$120. For the meat lovers on your list, consider a subscription to Meulwly’s Secret Meat Club. Or, be a rock star and order one of their charcuterie platters (salami, deli and cured meats, pâté) for gatherings. Closed December 24-26, with extended hours on December 23 for pickups and last-minute gifts.
Trying to use less plastic? Find environmentally friendly items such as the Chico reusable mesh produce bags, set/three, $20; Greenpaxx silicone straws, set/four, $17; Ziptuck reusable silicone food bags, set/two, $13 and Danica reusable water bottles, $32, at the Pantree (#550, 220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-464-4631).
We found the most delicious almonds. Alemany Carmelized Almonds are Marcona almonds caramelized with honey, from Catalonia, Spain, $13. Available at all three Italian Centre shops, the BonTon Bakery, Careit Urban Deli, Heart of the Home and Maven & Grace. The Alemany Dark Chocolate version is also $13, stocked at Italian Centre South and North, Heart of the Home and Paddy’s Cheese. Yum.
Walking into Zocalo (10826 95 Street, 780-428-0754) is always a delight for the design obsessed. We loved the 100 per cent linen tea towels with charming prints from Canadian textile company, Rain Goose, $18 each; contemporary copper and gold tea spoons, designed in Scotland by The Slate Company, $39/four. Beeswax has antibacterial and antifungal properties that make it a great alternative to plastic wrap—the Sweet Green Studio handmade reusable beeswax food wraps come in a pack of three $32, single $12.
Knifewear’s (10820 Whyte Avenue, 587-521-2034) Fall Garage Sale is happening November 5-11. Check it out for some great deals—rare knives, one-of-a-kind prototypes, budget knives and other unique knives handmade in Japan.
Heart of the Home (12539 102 Avenue, 780-705-4928) has their annual Days of Christmas Sale from December 10-21. As well, check out the Gourmet Guide on their website for deals and specials on all Zwilling J.A. Henckels products. Holiday hours from December 6-24: Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays, 10am-5:30pm (December 24 and 31, close at 3pm); Thursday, Friday, 10am-8pm, Sundays, 12-4pm. Closed December 26 and 27.
Bella Casa (9646 142 Street, 780-437-4190) stocks beautiful edibles for the holidays—special chocolates, fruitcake, shortbreads and the outstanding Scottish condiments from Mrs. Bridges: Christmas Chutney, Peach and Prosecco Preserve, a Christmas Marmalade made with cranberries and ginger and Cranberry Sauce. Excellent little gifts, ideal things for your own gift baskets.
The Cavern’s (10169 104 Street, 780-455-1336, VIP Christmas Shopping is back on Sunday, December 16. Bookings are available from 10am-6pm for a personalized VIP Experience to create cheese courses and charcuterie boards with serious wow factor. Enjoy nibbles and bubbles too. Call or email info@thecavern.ca to book.
Representatives from Italian cheese producer Fior di Maso in Thiene, north of Vicenza, will be visiting the Italian Centre Shops November 9-11. The company makes cheeses of the region, such as Asiago and Montasio. They will offer samples of new cheeses such as the San Pio X, Bastardo del Grappa. As well, don’t miss Emily Richards, author of the Per La Famiglia cookbook, at the Italian Centre South on November 15.
Start a new tradition this Christmas—lamb. Trevor Riehl and Ryan Carroll took over Trevor’s grandparents farm near Leduc a few years ago and named it Haywire Farm. Both in health care, they realized they had an opportunity to help create the food system they desired—local, organic, holistic—on the family farm. Check out their website and blog and order some delicious local lamb, haywirefarms.ca.
Kitchen by Brad’s, (10130 105 Street, 780-757-7704) Annual Christmas Sale is Friday, December 21, from 9am-5pm. Visit kitchenbybrad.ca for more info.
wine tastings happenings and events
Cibo Bistro (11244 104 Avenue, 780-757-2426) celebrates their seventh anniversary with a specially priced five-course tasting menu from November 6-10, $70/p. Add wine pairings for $30/p. That’s a great deal!
The Taste of the Languedoc Gerard Bertrand Wine Dinner with Nicolas Galy, Wednesday, November 7, 6pm, at the Wildflower Grill (10009 107 Street, 780-990-1938). Enjoy four wines with four courses. Tix: $95++/p, on Eventbrite or call Wildflower.
The Port Wars Wine Dinner with special guest Cynthia Opsal is at The Workshop Eatery (2003 91 Street SW, 780-705-2205) 6pm, Tuesday, November 13. Taylor Fladgate and Fonseca Guimaraens do battle to determine the Ports that reign supreme. Enjoy a Port cocktail to start, followed by four different styles of Port, paired with four courses by chef Paul Shufelt. Tix: $95++/p, on Eventbrite or call Workshop.
All is Bright, the annual 124 Street Area light-up with music and general revelry, is on Saturday, November 10, from 4-8pm. Enjoy product demos and food and drink samples at Heart of the Home (12539 102 Street, 780-705-4928) until 6pm.
Join Bill Medak of Color de Vino (9606 82 Avenue, 780-439-9069) on November 20, 7pm for a tasting of France’s most prestigious appellation and an introduction to the AMA Waterways Bordeaux River Cruise in May, to be hosted by Bill. Tix: $30/p call or email colordevino@gmail.com
Love Australian and New Zealand wines? Taste with Elisabeth Muir of Negociants, at Everything Wine (25-100 Broadview Drive, Sherwood Park, 780-417-3356) Thursday, November 22. Tix, 25+/p, available at Everything Wine.
‘Tis the season of the wine shop Open House: Color de Vino’s (9606 82 Avenue, 780-439-9069) is on Saturday, December 1, from 2-5pm. Liquor Select’s (8924 149 Street, 780-481-6868) is Wednesday, December 5, from 6:30-9:30pm. The Hicks Fine Wine (109-150 Bellerose Drive, 780-569-5000) Open House is on Thursday, December 6, from 5-8pm with donations accepted at the door for the Sturgeon Community Hospital and Aligra Wine & Spirits (8882 170 Street #1423, 780-483-1083) has theirs on December 6, from 4:30-8:30pm. RSVP at aligrawineandspirits.com. Aligra will also have pop-up tastings throughout the month of November. Check their Facebook page for what’s up every week.
Bubbles Galore!! Festive Sparkling Wine tasting at Color de Vino (9606 82 Avenue, 780-439-9069) Wednesday, December 12, from 7-10pm, Tix: $25+/p or email colordevino@gmail.com.
Find new favourites at Big Bottle Thursdays in December at Cibo Bistro (11244 104 Avenue, 780-757-2426). Each week Cibo will feature a different big bottle, a Brunello Riserva, Barolo, or perhaps a juicy Amarone, available by the glass.
at the cooking schools
The Christmas New Traditions cooking class at Kitchen by Brad (10130 105 Street, 780-757-7704) is about smaller families and getting out of the kitchen a bit earlier. Learn to make an amazing holiday meal, including nalysnyky, wild mushroom sauce, Port and Stilton soup, a roasted vegetable salad and warm gingerbread. Wednesdays November 7, 14 and December 5 and on Saturdays November 10, and December 8, 15. They can also do private classes. Baba’s Cooking Classes return in January.
The Ruby Apron (780-906-0509, therubyapron.ca) classes with Kaelin Whittaker are an excellent gift (even for yourself). Choose from Christmas-themed classes (bread, small bites, brunch or dinner) sourdough, or get a head start on booking 2019 classes (there is another Alberta Table Dinner coming up February 8). Discover the schedule and book online at therubyapron.ca.