Salutes and Shout Outs

from Culinaire #11.3 (July-August 2022)

The Search for Calgary’s Best Quiche

Michelle and Tim Brouwer’s vision for Felice Café and Market, in Edmonton’s Stadium Yards, embodies everything we love about Alberta: empowering their community by supporting local artisans, roasters, bakers, chefs, and musicians in the café as well as supporting small businesses with vendor booths in the market. At night, Felice Noir highlights local music, art, and fashion, with open mics, slam poetry, fashion pop-ups, and curated dinner dates. 10930 84 Street NW, Edmonton. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days.

The Pho Chu The family are busy - Chin and Kathy opened the Macleod Trail location 12 years ago, with son Dylan, and uncle involved too, as they’ve opened a second location in Calgary’s Mahogany, at 80 Mahogany Road SE, Suite 1830. The menu is the same in both locations, so now you can get your fix of authentic Vietnamese pho with eight-hour beef broth, rice and pork chop, rice noodle soup with satay and beef, salad rolls, and so much more from this extensive menu. Tip: buy a jar of satay sauce to take home too! Lunch and dinner, closed Wednesdays.

When friends, Bijou, George, Roy, and Joseph realised Calgary’s deep southwest was missing authentic Indian food, they enlisted the help of Fairmont Chef, Subin Mathew and opened Savory Bitez, a from-scratch, take-out only spot where you can buy the marinated meats to cook at home or dishes ready to eat. We’re very impressed with the flavour and quality of the curries here; the Dum Biryani (order 24 hours in advance) is made with shaheen – premium, Afghani long grain rice aged for two years, and it’s outstanding. Notable smoothies here too! 180 Legacy Main Street SE, lunch and dinner, closed Mondays. Student prices 11-2 pm. Can’t decide whether you’re out for butter chicken or pizza? Authentic Nepalese or poutine? Wraps or rice? You can please the whole family at Y-Not Indian Bar & Bistro’s third Edmonton location, as well as Mistatim Way NW and 82nd Avenue NW, you’ll find them at 3311 34th Street, lunch to late, seven days. Deftly dodging that divide between good comfort food and elevated dining, Edmonton’s new Flame & Barrel is an exciting new restaurant whether you’re celebrating or just plain hungry, with daily happy hour from 2-6 pm and nightly dinner features. Open lunch and dinner seven days, 1237 Windermere Way SW.

Quick, good, and simple handmade burgers are always in demand, and Edmonton’s Burger Daddy not only fits the bill but adds specialty sandwiches and sides to the mix! 4351 167 Avenue, lunch and dinner, seven days.

Hillhurst has a lively new breakfast/ brunch/lunch hotspot! BrouHaHa owner and chef, Hong is serving up generous portions of creative dishes to very appreciative customers. Popular must-tries include the filled soft omelettes Omurice and Kimchi Omurice, fried crab meat scramble on croissant (oh yum!), and an all-in Brunch Tray to share, plus all the other sweet and savoury brunch dishes to satisfy your pangs. Seven days, early-3 pm, 609 14 Street NW.

There’s more to Edmonton’s Bravo Pizza & Kitchen than pizza! As well as a huge choice of red and white sauce pizzas, both classic and original, there are platters, pasta, burgers and fries, sandwiches and desserts. 13240 118 Avenue. Lunch and dinner seven days.

Oh to be a student again! Calgary’s University District is moving apace, now with the addition of The Banquet, an upscale, trendy spot with not only something for everyone – but lots for everyone! A gourmet premium dive bar with so many good choices for a snack, lunch, or dinner on the very affordable menu from Chef Justin Laboissier. 30 beers on tap, cocktails and mimosa tower for weekend brunch. Weekend ticketed events, dueling pianos, DJs and dance floor, and games! Bowling, a full-size "Price is Right" wheel, shuffleboard, and beanbag toss and Giant Jenga on the dog friendly patio. 3953 University Avenue, 11-2 am, seven days. Edmonton, your new location is next! Linvers Atelier Tea and Coffee only opens a few hours a day, so book yourself a private one-on-one tasting with tea sommelier Josh Linvers, who’s raising the bar in Calgary’s tea world. Sample before you buy - it’s perfectly brewed, and savour the notion of terroir, like fine wine. Linvers only works with pure teas, from China, Japan, India, and Taiwan, to fit a range of budgets, and roasts your coffee beans to order in 15 minutes so they’re always fresh. Treat yourself to a foie gras Chagashi (tea snack) by Hara Man, and beautiful ceramics and tea paraphernalia all with stories for when and why you’d use them. 2915 19 Street NE, Bay 6.

Open to the public as well as restaurants and caterers, long-time Edmonton family-run business, Westgate Halal Meat and Deli, has opened a second location at 12512 137 Avenue. 10-8 pm, 7 pm weekends.

Mike and Lee Stanfield’s passion project-turned business, Starr Distilling, has now moved in with Calgary’s Burwood Distilling, who are in the process of moving to a brand new distillery. Stop by for a bite and drink while your kid does karate next door, or for date night, or a celebration, and

enjoy one of Holly Burdess’s cocktails with Chef Kyrin Sharratt’s delicious, summer share plates of arancini, salmon tacos, artichoke dip, cedar plank salmon, and wagyu burgers. Wednesday-Saturday, 12-9 pm. Watch for the patio coming soon at 4127 6 Street NE!

There’s a lovely, soothing quality to new Calgary brunch café, Centre Café, and a superb menu. With 30 years’ experience, 10 in 5H hotels in Korea, chef knows the Asian dishes popular in the west, and western dishes popular in Asia, and has combined both expertly, offering shrimp and basil cream, and smoked duck Bennies, a wonderful seafood gratin, lamb bowl, noodles, udon, and rice dishes, all washed down with elegant fruit and milk teas and Fratello coffees. 9-3 pm. At 5 pm, the menu changes to Sichuan and popular Chinese dishes. 1715 Centre Street NW, closed Monday.

East African food is becoming increasingly popular and we know why – we love it! Now the new Serengeti BBQ has opened in Edmonton to spice up the scene. Our faves mishkaki and mogo are here so order a platter and try all the specialties to find your fave! seven days, 8815 118th Avenue NW, noon-2 am.

Calgary’s 17 Avenue SW has a new place to chill. College friends, Hooman Hodaie and Braden Nobis’ Element Café is open early-10 pm every day, and is so relaxing, with head bobbing music and terrific hot and cold snacks from the family’s Eclipse Bakery, and vegan savouries from Canela. We love the hot spinach and feta, and ham and cheese in beautiful baked rolls, the extra thick, huge cookies, and we couldn’t get enough of their lime and saffron or pepper roast almonds, cashews, and pistachios! 331 17 Avenue SW.

Bountiful Farmers’ Market may have lost a vendor, but mochi fans in Edmonton (and we know there are a lot of you) have gained access to these terrific chewy and flavourful donuts six days a week! Hello Mochi is open at 6191 Currents Drive NW, 10 am-sold out, closed Mondays.