Returning chefs launch Vagabond pop-up
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Chefs Christine Sandford and Roger Letourneau have returned to Edmonton from Europe to share a taste of their travels through their pop-up venture, Vagabond.
Vagabond will take over Take Care Café at 9621 82 Avenue NW in Ritchie from Fridays to Sundays, starting July 21 and running until the end of September. It will offer 40 indoor and outdoor seats. "It is a pretty small space, like a backyard barbecue," Sandford said. "That's our vibe."
Sandford and Letourneau, who are also life partners, initially met in Edmonton 13 years ago through a chef-driven pop-up called Staff Meal. Vagabond is a way for them to continue to collaborate while gaining the skills necessary for their next endeavour.
"Our big plan is to open something together, more of a tourism-driven food experience rather than a restaurant, probably in the Okanagan," Sandford said. "I love hospitality, but I don't want to open a restaurant. For example, we've stayed in cool places where the food is important, like a winery, and when you wake up, a beautiful basket of food comes to your door."
Vagabond is "taking a step that is manageable, learning more business stuff and exploring those collaborations. It's a stepping stool," Letourneau added.
Ritchie is familiar ground for both. Sandford helped open Biera inside Ritchie Market in 2017 and led the kitchen to much acclaim for seven years before leaving in 2023. Letourneau, who worked at Bar Clementine and Woodwork in the past, previously rented space at Biera for his condiment company, Lessig Ferments.
"We're excited to be neighbours (with Biera), as well as with Darling (opened by another former Biera employee, Justin Jones)," Sandford said. "Way back when, Whyte Avenue was a hub, and I feel like it's going back to that. I want to be part of it again."
Vagabond will offer a happy hour with snacks from 3pm to 6pm, and a full menu with larger plates from 6pm to 11pm. Vagabond will have an outdoor charcoal grill and a wood-burning oven, in order to prepare hot items alongside smaller nibbles. Drinks will include curated wines, cocktails, and local beers. "We want people to come and try some dishes, and enjoy the summer while we have it," Sandford said.
