Diversity…

It’s what keeps life interesting as well as inclusive, and it’s always been at the heart of Culinaire - our bedrock. I see an increasing number of seminars on how to be more inclusive in the workplace, as well as in publishing and storytelling, and I’m saddened that we should have to take courses to learn how to do this, that it isn’t instinctive and a natural part of our makeup.

From the day we started, twelve and a half years ago, we’ve talked about and celebrated the hardworking producers, ranchers, growers and farmers, talented chefs, brewers and distillers, and artisans of Alberta without any additional consideration of ethnicity, religion, colour, or leaning – is what they do or produce worth telling you and talking about?

It doesn’t seem that much of the world is thinking along these lines though, and we seem to be seeing an increasing amount of intolerance and hatred. I feel privileged to live in Alberta where it feels like the majority of people I meet are immigrants from other provinces or, like myself, other countries.

And I feel proud of this province that we’re made to feel welcome, that our experiences from our earlier lives add to the culture and don’t dilute it, and that people from outside the province can contribute and enrich society in every sense – and particularly in our world - the culinary world of flavours and taste.

This issue is a celebration of the diversity in our province, in our restaurants and multifarious choices of cuisines right on our doorstep. We’ve focused largely on spices, whether in recipes or books, and the people who make them.

This doesn’t detract from our belief in supporting local, however. Our local is multicultural and diverse, just as the people we feature in Culinaire, and I hope that we can broaden your horizons even a little with the articles in this issue.

Do you like our front cover this issue? It is a bit of a departure from photographs of food or beverages; it’s crystals in wine, and we find the colours and patterns so beautiful and fascinating - it really is an example of wine as art!

Cheers

Linda, Editor-in-Chief

SALUTES & SHOUT OUTS

A salute to one of the best: we are enormously saddened at the passing of Kathy Richardier, co-owner and editor/ publisher of Calgary’s City Palate magazine from 1993 until its close in 2019. She was always there, observing, recording, writing about, and playing a huge part in the city’s transition from a meat and potatoes city to the vastly diverse culinary scene of today – always supporting local, and always with a sense of adventure, joie de vivre, and a hearty laugh that we will miss.

Congrats to 2023 YYC Pizza Fest Winners… Top Rated Pizza: Pazzi Pizzeria, Most Popular Pizza: Actually Pretty Good, Most innovative Pizza: Cravings Market Restaurant and Cravings, Best Crust: The Dandy Brewing Company - and the biggest winner, Calgary Meals on Wheels, with each pizza bought, $4 is donated to this very worthwhile cause.

Irrational Brewing Company has opened Sub Room, an event space in an 85-year-old art deco railway substation that provided the electricity for Edmonton’s streetcar system. Now beautifully restored, the heritage building at 10643 124 Street has been transformed into a unique space for corporate gatherings, wedding, parties and more, irrationalbrewing.ca

Calgary’s expanding University District has a new hotel! In addition to the Le Germain Hotel downtown and Alt Hotel East Village, Germain Hotels have opened a second Alt Hotel in the centre of the University District at 482 McLaurin Street NW. The new 15-storey LEED-certified property has 155 guest rooms, of which 16 are carefully designed accessible rooms, and while there’s no shortage of places to eat and drink in the area, later this autumn we’ll see a restaurant and full-service coffee shop on the main floor.

Chef Shaun Hicks has opened his first restaurant in Edmonton’s former Three Boars space in Garneau. From the Sugarbowl 20 years ago, you’ll have seen Chef Hicks at Woodwork, Wishbone, Three Boars, and La Petite Iza, and now his own 45-seat, full service, Little Wolf cocktail bar restaurant, where he’s creating rotating menus of internationally inspired, very affordable small plates

(Japanese curry poutine, fried focaccia with hummus…). Walk in only at 8424 109 St NW. Thursday-Sunday 5pm-1am.

A revamped membership program and app for Calgary Co-op members. It’s been a long time in the making but Calgary Co-op CEO, Ken Keelor, has finally been able to announce the launch of their refreshed membership program and the new free to download app, which offers rewards and benefits, as well as additional savings, prizes and coupons to members when shopping at the grocery stores, gas stations, and liquor stores. calgarycoop.com/app/

Congratulations to Edmonton’s La French Taste! 12 years after starting at the farmers’ market, Anthony and Julien have opened a bricks and mortar bakery storefront and kitchen. They’re offering their traditional French viennoiseries, tartes, gougères, baguettes, brioches, cakes, and cookies, at their new location in Norwood, at 11401 95 Street, WednesdaySunday 8-6pm, lafrenchtaste.ca

Cluck & Cleaver have opened a new location in the gates of Walden Plaza, in Calgary’s deep south, in the former Starbucks location. If you live in the south, you can now get your fix of always fresh, Canadian humanely farm-raised, crispy fried or rotisserie chicken, with made from scratch salads and sides, and get home while everything is still piping hot! Seven days 11-9pm at 151 Walden Gate, cluckncleaver.com

Edmonton’s Italian Bakery has reopened their Chinatown location. Family-run since 1962, they have survived the major challenges of devasting fires, and now second generation, Rosaly DeVenz, is at the helm and has increased the seating area and added an indoor bocce ball court too. Come for coffee or dine in for their menu of house-made pasta dishes, pizzas, the ever-popular personalized sandwiches, and gelato. Seven days at 10644 97 Street NW, italianbakeryedm.com

Earls has opened in Calgary’s Southcentre Mall just two months after closing in Willow Park, and they’re ‘unchaining the chain’ and tailoring the restaurant to the community. 19 local artists have been engaged in the art program with a theme of “Mountain Meets the Prairies”. As well as Earls’ faves such as Santa Fe Chicken Salad, Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, and the 45-day aged Canadian steaks, you’ll find new menu items exclusive to Southcentre, and we’d recommend trying the Truffled Parmesan Chicken with Mushroom Risotto, as well as a cocktail from the tequila-forward list (Strawberry Smokeshow Margarita!) or one of the Deluxe Highballs. Even with 240 seats this is a busy restaurant, so do make a reservation, particularly for happy hours and at weekends. NOTE: the restaurant is at the Anderson Road entrance of the mall - and only accessible from the outside!

Edmonton, Airdre, Medicine Hat… now Crumbl Cookies have opened a second northern Alberta location in Sherwood Park, at 390 Baseline Road. Founded in 2017 by Canadian Jason McGowan and his cousin, Sawyer Hemsley, Crumbl now has 700+ bakeries worldwide, rotating their menu every week with six gourmet flavours, all in their instantly recognisable, signature pink packaging. From 8am, closed Sundays, crumblcookies.ca

Much-acclaimed Padmanadi Vegan Eatery has branched out after 20 years and two successful Edmonton locations, and owners Maya and Adam have headed south and brought their authentic Indonesian dishes to Calgary. Without using onions or garlic, they play with texture and spices to produce delicious and flavourful, pan-Asian sharing plates, such as Satay with Peanut Sauce, Roti

Canai with curry dipping sauce, Tom Yum Soup, Rendang, and the most outstanding Ginger Beef in a tangy ginger sauce (do try it, you’ll be hard-pressed to know it’s vegan!). Menus differ slightly in each location, but you’ll recognise the food, and while the Edmonton restaurants don’t serve alcohol, in Calgary you can enjoy ready-made cocktails, as well as soft drinks, and tea and coffee. Sharing portions are very generous, but at lunchtimes you can choose individual sizes. 11:30-9pm at 8835 Macleod Trail SW, closed Mondays. padmanadi.com

Often Restaurant is downtown Edmonton’s newest lounge. This cosy restaurant-bar is the new place to meet your friends and coworkers for drinks (try the exclusive Remy Martin cocktails!), for snacks before an Oilers game, or maybe for your next date night. Open from 5pm and for lunch on weekdays and brunch at weekends, at 10009 101A Avenue, closed Mondays.

Delmonico is a new restaurant in Calgary’s Killarney district and they’re open sunrise to sunset - for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Named for the steak (yes, hungry diners can order a 24 oz Delmonico ribeye!), and while there are different cuts of beef on offer (chef previously worked at Hy’s), we’d recommend trying the western fusion, cross cultural dishes, blending international flavours with western ingredients. We really enjoyed our signature starters of melon salad with feta cream, herb crusted chicken with jalapeno ranch, garlic cheese toast, and meatballs with red wine tomato reduction and parmesan crisp, followed by house made prawn cannelloni with lobster tail. 3220 17 Ave SW, seven days 7am-11pm, weekend brunch 10-3pm, and 15 percent discount for seniors lunch and dinner on Fridays. delmonico.ca

In addition to their Oliver location, Edmonton’s Odd Company Brewing has opened its Ritchie taproom at 9959 76 Avenue. The small batch brewery is all about experimentation, so you have lots of reasons to visit as there'll likely be something new every time! Along with a full line-up of Odd Company beers on tap, there’s plenty of beer-friendly menu items, including 16-inch pizzas, wings, deep fried veggies, burgers, and delicious sandwiches such as Umarell Italian Pilsner braised pork belly with fennel aioli and crackling on ciabatta. WednesdaySunday noon-11pm, oddcompany.ca

Cactus Club has opened its seventh Alberta location with a new standalone building at the southwest corner of Calgary’s Crowfoot Village Shopping Centre, at 112 Crowfoot Terrace NW. The largest of Calgary’s four Cactus restaurants with room for more than 300 diners, they’re proud to have created more than 200 full and part-time jobs and raised over $25,000 for the Crowfoot Library during location training. There’s an enclosed all-season patio with electric heaters and automatic blinds; a lounge bar with two slush machines, 12 beers taps, red and white wine on tap, and big TVs; as well as an inviting dining room with tables that allow for large groups; and an exterior takeout window! It’s fully accessible with ramps and automatic openers. Seven days from 11:30am-late, reservations and pickup orders at CactusClubCafe.com