DUCHESS PROVISIONS BAKING STORE ON MOVE TO OLD LOCAL
Open less than a year, the expanded Duchess Provisions will be moving out of its fancy digs at the end of May and back into its old location on 124 Street.
Co-owner Giselle Courteau says that the high-style kitchenware and baking ingredients store, located in Holland Plaza at 10934 119 St., is losing too much money to be sustainable. She says shoppers are “window shopping at our store and then going home to order online.”
After a renovation in June, Provisions will be back beside Duchess Bake Shop at 10718 124 St. Provisions will resume its original mandate to provide highquality, often hard-to-find baking ingredients for the home cook.
A new tenant is to take over the beautiful restaurant space at the Alberta Hotel in downtown Edmonton at 9802 Jasper Ave.
Kaylen Como, who owns Privada Wine and Tapas in St. Albert (21 Perron St.), is expanding his reach with the acquisition of the lease at the historic space, home to two restaurants in the last few years.
Privada executive chef and part-owner Tony Krause says the 98-seat Alberta Hotel eatery will offer a different concept than Privada, which focuses on charcuterie and shared plates. He hopes to open in a couple of months. The restaurant will have a new name, as yet to be announced.
Edmonton Food Tours returns to the City Market on Saturday, May 27, after enjoying the winter season at the Old Strathcona Farmers Market.
The $115 tours run between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and start with a full-on Ukrainian brunch with chef Brad Smoliak at Kitchen by Brad. Happily sated, the group heads out with our top-notch guides (yes, I am one of them) to 104 Street to enjoy an outdoor market experience, visiting some of Edmonton’s best market vendors to hear their stories and sample their wares.
Guests come away with gifts, insights and the satisfaction of being a food adventurer in their own city. Visit edmontonfoodtours.com for more information.
Tickets are on sale for one of the city’s best gatherings of restaurants, plus local food and drink — the 17th annual Indulgence event.
The fundraiser for the Junior League and NAIT’s culinary arts program pairs a restaurant with a local farmer or rancher to create a signature dish. A Canadian wine, local craft beer or distiller is matched to the food.
Indulgence is on June 12 at the Delta Edmonton South Hotel starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $80 through the Junior League of Edmonton website, jledmonton.com.
Packrat Louie, closed for more than a month, is due to reopen in the first week in June with a new look and taste.
An extensive interior renovation, a second patio and a new dining concept will greet diners when the refreshed space opens again. Chef Levi Biddlecombe (formerly of Attila the HUNgry food truck) and his sous chef, Tyson Wright, have thrown out almost all of the old menu (save the lemon pizza and caesar salad). The new menu focuses on more than a dozen shared plates (some of which can be upsized to an entree), and a creative dessert trio for afters.
Last year, local entrepreneur Vanessa Ojeda ran three mealson-wheels events for local lovers of food and cycling.
This year, she’s planned nine events, starting June 1, that pair dining at local restaurants with riding a bike. Food Bike Tour sees groups of cyclists (last year, between 20 and 40 participants attended each of the events) gather at Constable Ezio Faraone Park near 110 Street and 97 Avenue before heading off on a daylong adventure. Participants, who bring their own bikes or are able to rent one for $40, travel to between four and six restaurants, enjoying nibbles, chef demonstrations and stories about the food scene in Edmonton.
Restaurants on board include Sabor, the Blue Willow Restaurant and the Courtyard Marriott. Earl’s Tin Palace on Jasper Avenue will be offering a brunch dish, and Alley Kat Brewing Company will be doing a beer tasting as part of the fun. Tickets are $99. Visit foodbiketour.com or call 780-920-3655.
The outdoor, long-table supper season has begun, and Beaumont’s Chartier has announced it’s taking part in the trend.
On two nights, Wednesday, June 14, and Thursday, June 15, at 6 p.m., Chartier proprietors Darren and Sylvia Cheverie will put together a three-course meal, including cocktail pairings, for $150 per person (including tip but excluding tax).
The meal will be held at the Great West Farms homestead and feature the culinary stylings of Chartier chefs Steve Brochu and Calvin Teufeld. There are 50 tickets available on Eventbrite for each night of the event.