EDMONTON—People travel to Paris and Lima and Hong Kong for the food; they don’t typically consider Edmonton as a culinary travel destination. But that may be about to change, as Alberta’s capital emerges as a foodie hot spot, where chefs are turning to local ingredients and producers to inspire their creations.
Go local: The restaurant’s name RGE RD, which stands for Range Road, pays homage to Alberta’s rural addresses, and goes one step beyond farm-to-table with an on-site butchery. The farm dictates the menu: Don’t go in expecting to order a rib eye or T-bone; you’re served the butcher’s cut of locally sourced, pasture-raised beef — whatever they happen to have on hand that day. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the Questionable Bits, a daily preparation that uses the whole animal.
Go Italian: In June, chef Daniel Costa opened his eagerly anticipated third restaurant, Uccellino, a modern trattoria that serves ‘simple’ Italian food (with pasta imported from Italy). It’s next door to sister restaurants Corso 32 and Bar Bricco, but has a more casual, laid-back vibe — designed for spur-of-the-moment dining, with half the restaurant open for walk-ins (Corso 32 requires reservations). The space is light and airy, with clean lines and splashes of hot orange; the food will transport you to southern Italy.
All-Canadian cocktails:North53, an urban-chic resto with lots of chrome, concrete and oak-topped tables, only uses Canadian ingredients — no easy feat when it comes to cocktails. As general manager Tyler Gushaty torches a plank of blue spruce for a smoke-infused cocktail, he explains that North53 matches its menu with Edmonton’s “two” seasons: summer and winter. The Smoke & Oak Fashioned, with Oaken Gin from Victoria Distillers, is “the only drink that’s been on the menu since Day One — it’s what we’re known for.”
Bison and beer: There’s no better place in town to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail (or cappuccino) than the Confederation Lounge in the historic Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Executive chef Serge Jost serves up melt-in-your-mouth mini ‘yorkies’ stuffed with pulled bison, paired with the hotel’s own brew: a Hotel Macdonald Pilsner from Wood Buffalo Brewery in Fort McMurray. This estate library lounge also offers an expansive terrace with arguably the city’s best views of the North Saskatchewan River Valley.
A slice of sugary heaven: Biting into a salted caramel macaron, I have to remind myself that I’m not at Gérard Mulot in Paris. I’m in Edmonton, with the owners of the wildly popular Duchess Bake Shop. “Most of our pastries are French-inspired,” says chef and owner Giselle Courteau. “But we also have a lot of items that are familiar to (locals) — butter tarts, sour cream cherry pie.” And they just opened the Scandinavian and French-inspired Café Linnea — the hottest brunch spot in town.
Chocolate couture: Like the world of fashion, the chocolate “collections” created by Jacqueline Jacek, owner of Jacek Chocolate Couture, are offered in limited six-piece collections and launched seasonally. Jacek refers to herself as a “cocoanista,” applying the principles of fashion to artisan chocolate. She doesn’t repeat collections, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. Each high-gloss piece of French chocolate is made by hand and looks like a piece of artwork — so pretty, you almost don’t want to eat it. But you will.
Lunch at Rostizado: The Mexican rosticeria has made its way north, thanks to the Tres Carnales boys. The trio, which first opened a street-food-inspired restaurant called Tres Carnales Taqueria, has a new spot where old-world Mexican cooking meets modern-day dining, with influences from all 32 states in Mexico. At Rostizado, the nuevo-Latino cuisine is served up family-style in traditional Mexican rosticeria fashion. Even cauliflower gets the Rostizado treatment, pan-roasted in pork fat, lime juice and cumin seeds with chile de arbol.
Go on a culinary adventure: Alberta Food Tours launched a new culinary tour in Edmonton this fall after running Calgary culinary tours for several years. “Edmonton still has a bit of a small-town feel to it, so it’s very collaborative and the chefs all know each other,” says Liane Faulder, local food writer and host of Edmonton Food Tours. “So now is a really great time to visit the city.” The group also offers customized tours in rural Alberta along the Cowboy Trail.
Vawn Himmelsbach was hosted by Travel Alberta, which didn’t review or approve this story.
Vawn Himmelsbach was hosted by Travel Alberta, which didn’t review or approve this story.
When you go
Get around: Downtown is easily walkable. To venture farther afield, a rental car is preferable, though public transit and a day pass is an option. If you plan to drink, take a taxi (call ahead; it’s not so easy to hail one from the side of the road).
Stay: I stayed at the Union Bank Inn, a boutique hotel located in the historic Union Bank Inn with only 34 guestrooms and suites (and an ideal location, right downtown). Nice touch: free wine and cheese delivered to your room in the evening.
Do your research:travelalberta.com, exploreedmonton.com
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