A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

Story and Photos by Rumble Alberta Influencers Rheannon Green and Tannis Baker, Food Tourism Strategies Inc.

When you look at Northern Alberta, one thing is for sure, it is massive. A far cry from the metropolitan areas surrounding Calgary and Edmonton, where the next town is only a few minutes outside the city limits.

Northern Alberta neighbouring communities can sometimes take upwards of one hour to reach.

As we prepared to head out from Calgary to our starting point in Edson, we knew two things to be true: the days were going to be long, and we had always better have a full tank of gas (just in case).

As we made our way into Edson, it was clear that the town is heavily focused on drive through traffic and overnight visitors.

Like many of Alberta’s small towns along major highways, there seemed to be an abundance of chain restaurants, gas stations, and hotels aimed at getting you on your way again quickly.

After a long day of driving, we headed straight to our first stop, the Lakeview Inn & Suites – Edson Airport West.

We had been driving through the rain most of the day, and there were no signs of it letting up, so hitting the hotel to get cleaned up and get situated was top priority. The hotel is quaint and is clearly a favourite of industrial and oil patch workers, given the lineup of large trucks outside. Inside, the lobby is lovely, and the staff is very friendly and keen to share information about the town.

Lakeview Inns + Suites - Edson Airport 528 63rd Street Edson, AB T7E 1M1 Phone: 780.723.7508 Fax: 780.723.7853 Toll-Free: 877.355.3500

out to find some dinner at a recommended stop unique to Edson, the Lil’ Igloo.

Lil’ Igloo is a tiny drive through restaurant that serves up staples like hearty burgers and poutine, but what they’re really known around town for is their ice cream.

We went with their dipped soft serve and are still dreaming about the toasted coconut and the jolly rancher weeks later.

There is only a tiny patio though, so be prepared to eat your treats in the great outdoors or take them back to your hotel with you as we did.

Lil Igloo 4520 4 Ave, Edson, AB T7E 1B9 Phone: 780.725.0105 The next morning, we prepared to begin exploring more of the route that would have us passing through many of the towns throughout the northwest.

Typically, the hotel provides a continental breakfast, but with covid restrictions in place, they opted to suspend this service, so we grabbed a quick coffee and headed off to our first stop of the day, Rocky Mountain Big Horn Distillery.

Rocky Mountain Big Horn Distillery is a small, family-run craft distillery located about 10 minutes north of Edson in Yellowhead County. The entrance is framed by beautiful, branded gates, so it is impossible to miss the entrance.

The driveway up to the taproom and distillery is mostly dirt, so if it is a rainy day like we had, could be difficult for those riding in on two wheels. Their lineup of spirits and liqueurs use locally sourced ingredients, including grains from a nearby farm and herbs grown right on their own patio.

As new as they are, they have already acquired several awards for their lineup, including Best in Class at the 2020 Alberta Beverage Awards for their Alpine Cream and their Cornshine, and their flagship Big Horn Vodka took ho-

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bronze at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Book ahead for a tour of the distillery, and then kick back in the gorgeous taproom with a cocktail or do a tasting to find your new favourite!

Rocky Mountain Big Horn Distillery 17315 Township Rd 540, Yellowhead County, AB T7E 3J7 Phone: 780.712.3709 The drive to Hinton took just under an hour, and by then, we needed to re-caffeinate. We headed to The Old Grind, a local favourite with not only great coffee (roasted in Jasper by Rocky Mountain Roasters), but an amazing selection of sandwiches, soups, sweets and more. You can tell it is a great spot to eat, as it had a revolving door of customers coming in for almost everything on the menu. The favourite of our visit was a French tortière, which uses owner Carl Widenmaier’s family recipe. A quick browse of the local art selection (including pieces by some of the staff), and we were on our way again. The Old Grind Cafe 175 Pembina Ave Hinton, Alberta Phone: 780.865.1934

Hitting the road on route towards Grande Cache, we saw almost nothing but green, green, green. Almost the entire

drive has you surrounded by deep forests and sprawling hills in every shade of green, from emerald to olive and everything in between.

It was a beautiful drive, until we managed to find snow. That’s right – snow! In June. Our drive into Grande Cache revealed an important note: Mondays are not a great day to try to visit small town spots.

Unlike in cities like Calgary where we are used to everything being open seven days a week, small towns tend to have a lot of restaurants and shops that are closed on Sundays and Mondays. While we were not able to try it ourselves this trip, Yum Yum’s Café is a local ice cream shop that is absolutely worth the mention. (Yes, we confess, we have eaten their ice cream before) After leaving Grande Cache, we headed towards our final destination for the day, Grande Prairie. The two-hour drive was again filled with stunning landscapes full of trees, waterways, and even a small mountain climb. There is not much in the way of cell service or stops, so be sure to have a full tank before you leave. We arrived in Grande Prairie in time to grab some delicious barbecue takeout from Red Rock Urban BBQ before heading over to our hotel, the Sandman Inn + Suites.

The portions were huge, the meat was cooked to perfection, and we could not have asked for a better way to end the day. If you are not sure what to get, go for the “Oink, Cackle & Moo,” it includes their pulled pork, quarter dixie chicken and sliced brisket plus two sides and cornbread. It is definitely enough to feed at least two people, if not more.

Red Rock Urban BBQ 10408 67th Ave #107, Grande Prairie, AB T8W 0K8 Phone: 780.402.7431

Sandman Hotel, Grande Prairie 9805 100 St, T8V 6X3 Phone: 780.513.5555

While in Grande Prairie, we could not pass up visiting Fourteen 14 Food Co., an amazing lunch and brunch spot that serves up simple, fast,

and delicious sandwiches and more. They are huge proponents of local, working with nearby farms and producers whenever possible.

The “Uncle Joey” is one of their most popular sandwiches, which is like a Cubano and made to perfection. Paired with the “Loaded Fries,” it was more

Their ice cream treats are every child’s (or inner child’s) wildest dreams, from ice cream nachos to mini donut milkshakes to ice cream flights. They even have an adorable patio space so you can enjoy some fresh mountain air while you eat.

Yum Yum’s Cafe 1800 Pine Plaza, Grande Cache, AB T0E 0Y0 Phone: 780.827.8086

Wash it down with a Grain Bin craft brew, or a Grizzly Paw soda, or with a coffee from local roasters at Mink Hollow Coffee. This might sound odd, but be sure to check out their washrooms before you leave – they have some amazing artwork all over the walls!

Fourteen 14 Food Company 10120 100 Ave, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0V5 Phone: 780.533.1414

Leaving Grande Prairie, we were once again back to rural Alberta. Small towns, open roads, and lots of farmland. The view shifted from greens to golden yellows as we made our way past farms and fields to arrive in High Prairie.

Just outside of this tiny town is Shady Orchard & Winery, a small family-owned and operated fruit winery.

Their retail store is absolutely beautiful, with vintage décor and a stunning display for their wines that leads into their “Taproom,” a private space that can be booked for tastings and events, complete with a small menu of delicious bites to go alongside their selection of fruit wines.

The wines range from the more common varietals like the Strawberry, Rhubarb and the Cherry, to the more unique like the Chokecherry and the Lemon (which has a touch of pea flower to give it a stunning purple colour).

You won’t want to miss the Pear, which may be one of the best fruit wines we have had to date. William and Kristie are exceptional hosts and will have you feeling right at home (beware of Dobson, however, he tends to get shaky when visitors are near!).

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Only 20 minutes from the east end of Lesser Slave Lake, Shady Orchard & Winery also makes a great rainy day excursion!

Shady Orchard & Winery 16115 Twp Rd 744, AB T0G 1E0 Phone: 780.523.5260 They know almost all their customers by name (and by voice, for those who phone in orders).

The menu is simple with about a dozen numbered items, and everything is cooked fresh to order.

As we neared the town of Slave Lake and the end of the route, there was just one last spot to hit – the Slave Lake Grill (or SL Grill). When locals say they order from there up to five times per week, you know it must be good. It makes the perfect quick lunch or dinner and should be enjoyed by a view of the lake.

SL Grill 601 Main ST NE Slave Lake AB T5G 2A2 Phone: 780.805.8302

Food Tourism Strategies Inc. is a Calgary-based consulting and event company that produces Alberta on the Plate, a platform that highlights and celebrates Alberta food and drink, as well as hosts a province wide dine around festival every August during Alberta Local Food Week. The 2021 Dine Around takes place August 6-15, 2021 and features over 60 restaurants in over 20 cities and towns throughout the province. Learn More: AlbertaOnThePlate.com | FoodTourismStrategies.com Follow on Instagram & Facebook: