Brad Smoliak
Brad Smoliak was a miracle man. Born with a congenital heart defect (his heart was, essentially, backwards) Brad had lived a fairly normal life until seven years ago, when his wonky heart reached the end of the line. Enter the VAD (ventricular assist device). The Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute has the largest Canadian VAD program; and it gave Brad several more years. We are eternally grateful for that. All told, Brad spent over 900 days at the Maz. Visiting him there somehow wasn’t like seeing someone in the hospital. Granted—tubes everywhere, that hospital smell, but the people, they were the folks who saw Brad at his worst and man, did they enjoy his company.
Brad’s approach has always been about the people: “The food is there to help the people enjoy themselves. I like to keep it simple,” he said often. Rest easy friend.
wine tastings happenings and events
The Prairie Skies & Perogies Festival is a celebration of family, food, heritage and the prairie spirit that has defined Prairie Gardens for 70 years. Enjoy family-friendly farm activities, garlic heritage experience, and a tasty Ukrainian picnic lunch. You can also book two traditional Ukrainian activities: pyrohy-making class and wheat weaving with Irene Topolnitsky. Celebrate 70 years of Prairie Gardens, September 5-7 from 10am-5pm, prairiegardens.org.
On September 9, enjoy, Torskeklubben Pub Night, an evening of open-faced sandwiches, aquavit and lots of laughs with the Norwegians at Three Vikings. “They love it when people join them for their pub nights,” says owner Stephanie Moore. Tix: torskeklubben.ca. Celebrate Oktoberfest, September 25-27, Viking style with German beers, schnitzel and pretzels on special. Liederhosen optional.
Sign up for the monthly giveaway on your next visit to Bountiful Farmers’ Market. The AsiaFest Dance performances are on September 12 and Art in the Market is October 2-4.
Two special wine dinners at The Marc: Gerard Bertrand Dinner, 6pm Wednesday, September 16. Five wines with five courses, starting with arctic char rillette, with special guest Jen McAlpine. Attention Burgundy lovers: Domaine Devillard Dinner with special guest Arnaud Trouvé. Enjoy wines from Mercury, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges, 6pm, Wednesday, October 1. Tix: themarc.ca
This will be amazing—the Holly Holt long table dinner at Prairie Gardens 3:30 pm, Sunday, September 20. We are long-time fans of chef Holt (NAIT alum, bronze medallist at Kitchen Party, Top Chef Canada Season 12 competitor and Syilx Okanagan chef.) Expect remarkable flavours and stories of the land, prairiegardens.org.
Don’t miss the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market Annual Harvest Festival, September 26 and 27 during market hours. It’s free, family-friendly and has a lot going on—bannock-making workshops with chef Shane Chartrand, live music and a DJ, a vintage car show, petting zoo, photo booth, giveaways,
and adoptable dogs.
Enjoy food and drink specials, live music and great deals on Parallel 49 beer at the Three Vikings 8th Anniversary Party with Parallel 49, October 3. On October 4, there is a book launch with local author Jen Short and on October 18, Trivia night with Ringo Trivia (every third Sunday, $5 to play). Don’t forget that Thanksgiving Dinners are available for pick up (pre-order only) October 10.
Join Martina Girardi of Montalcino’s Tenuta Fanti for dinner at Braven, Wednesday, October 7. Six beautiful courses by exec chef Jason Greene. Tix: bravenrestaurant.com.
The Edmonton Chamber Music Society has a dazzling lineup of distinguished performers in the chamber music world coming to Edmonton. Season subscriptions are on sale now: EdmontonChamberMusic.org.
restaurant buzz
Enjoy Island Cocktail oysters during the Buck & a Bit promo throughout the year at the Black Pearl Seafood Restaurant & Bar, (blackpearlseafood.ca). Oysters at Black Pearl are sourced from Intercity exclusively and they are delicious.
Bar Clementine (barclementine.ca) is turning 10 and they have celebratory plans happening all September. First up is a weekend with Vagabond Pop-ups September 5-7 from 5pm to midnight. It’s a coming home of sorts, co-chef Roger Letourneau was the opening chef at this cool downtown spot.
Chef Andrew Fung’s wonderful Nineteen is opening a third location, called Nineteen Valleyview (9112 142 Street, dinenineteen.com) in early fall.
The Indigenous Taste of the Market dinners with chef Shane Chartrand happen Wednesdays, September 16 and November 12. These intimate dinners in the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market use what’s in season from OSFM vendors. Tix: $120/p+ osfm.simpletix.ca.
Check out the new Brio Bakery (9614 Whyte Avenue, briobakery.com) right next door to Darling. Enjoy great bread, pastry and coffee from Wednesday-Friday 9am- 3pm and on Saturday 10am-4pm.
Out of Bounds (outofboundsrestaurant.ca) is now serving Don’ya Ukraine’s Kitchen cheese pyrohy on the new fall menu by exec chef Julia Kundera.
We like the approach at the new WhtRābīt (14574 116 Avenue, 778-870-8692). Outstanding focaccia and other breads, all naturally leavened, made with organically-grown Canadian grains, sandwiches and some sweets daily and their own roast coffee, from 11am.
Check it out!
product news
Important info for road trips to Calgary: Browns Curiosities & Chocolate Oddities (brownscuriosities.com) will be at the Gasoline Alley Farmers’ Market beginning October 2. Otherwise, find them at Bountiful Farmers’ Market every weekend.
Expect to enjoy the YEG Smoked Meats pepperoni, beef jerky, bacon, and smoked sausages again soon. Owner Lindsay Gorda retired and Fuge Sausagebought the smoker and the recipes. They will be rolling out these smoked items over the next few months, fugesausage.ca.
The JACEK Fall Collection debuts September 11. Get a load of these flavours—Brown Pecan Maple, Brown Sugar Apple and Pumpkin Cheesecake. Just reading the names make you think of cozy sweaters and long walks in the falling leaves. Don’t forget to pre-order their most coveted item, the Advent Calendar. Pre-orders open in mid-October, sign up for the newsletter for your earliest opportunity, jacek.ca.
Did you know that Lakeside Farmstead offers cheese bundles? Email them at sales@lakesidefarmstead.com for easy holiday ordering. Saturday calf visits are over for the season, but there may be some pop-up dates after harvest. Deets on their Facebook or Instagram pages.
Bella Casa Design Centre (bellacasadcl.com) has some cool new things in stock for fall: Zwilling electric wine opener and the salt and pepper grinder; Wüsthof knives in all the colours—coral peach, fresh rosemary, purple yam, wild blueberry—and the classic seven piece Ikon Knife Block is on promo, $1399, the regular price is $2005. Thinking of new drapes? Drapery and upholstery orders receive 20 per cent on the fabric. That’s like a designer’s discount. St. Genève Bedding is 15 per cent off until September 19.
Have you tried products from Rock Ridge Dairy? The Bos family near Camrose produce organic Jersey milk (and cream) as well as goats’ milk and cheese. Find at the Italian Centre Shops, Blush Lane, some Save-Ons and Amaranth in St. Albert.
Le Creuset bakeware is 30 per cent off September 18-20 at Heart of the Home (780-705-4928, heartofthehomeyeg.ca). Don’t miss the Knife Sharpening Clinic, Friday, September 25 from 1pm-5pm. Call to reserve your spot, and get 15 per cent off any new knife purchase during the clinic. Do you love Lakrids, that amazing Danish licorice? Call to reserve your Lakrids Advent Calendar. Customer Appreciation Day is the first Wednesday of every month—receive 20 per cent off your entire purchase (excludes sale items, gift cards and previous purchases) HOTH donates $1 from every sale to Alberta Homeward Hounds Rescue Bureau. You can also bring in new and gently used pet items.
