Food Roundup

Openings

• Jola's, a concept inspired by Polish milk bars, is open inside the Candid Coffee Roasters shop at 6419 112 Ave NW. From Thursdays to Sundays, chef-owner Filliep Lament offers hearty Eastern European fare. Lament was the chef at Nowhere Wine Bar for two-and-a-half years before the opening of Jola's.
• Enigma Bar & Kitchen is now open in Old Strathcona, at 10308 81 Avenue NW.

Closings

• Balay Coffee has given up its space at The Hub on Whyte Avenue to focus on pop-ups and a sustainable business model. "It was clear to us that doing everyday operations was not sustainable for us yet," owners wrote in an Instagram post after about six months operating at The Hub alongside Beb's Bagels. While the Balay team plans to only work at markets and pop-ups for now, the owners are thinking about the future. "Our goal is still to have our own space and to roast our own coffee down the line. Each visit to our pop-ups will get us closer in creating equitable, inclusive, and sustainable livelihoods and gathering spaces for our community through food, culture, and hospitality."
• The downtown location of Central Social Hall has closed, though Montreal-based Foodtastic acquired the casual concept for expansion in Alberta and other provinces over the next few years.
• Bistro Praha is temporarily closed as repairs are made to its heating system.

Headlines

• Peter Keith of The Hub on Whyte Avenue said he has cancelled plans for a large summer patio in light of new fees for patios on public land. "While I understand our city's fiscal pressures, small hospitality businesses are NOT a municipal cash cow — try to milk them, and they'll die," he posted. Steven Hammerschmidt, who ran unsuccessfully for council in Ward O-day'min last year, raised concerns in an op-ed for Postmedia, suggesting it would be better for the city to take $100,000 from its downtown vibrancy initiatives and "redirect it toward sustaining the businesses already here." While the Edmonton Downtown Business Association has yet to make any public statements, former executive director Ian O'Donnell wrote that he understands both the city's revenue predicament and the challenges the fees present. "Pennywise and pound foolish? Death by a thousand cuts? However you position it, it's yet another impediment and risk to creating a more attractive and inviting (love) of our city," he wrote.
• The Edmonton Downtown Business Association is offering $100 downtown gift cards for $75 ahead of Edmonton Downtown Dining Week, while supplies last. The dining week returns from March 11 to 22, with dozens of participating restaurants offering promos.
• Happy Beer Street has been officially designated as Edmonton's third entertainment district, allowing people to walk freely with alcoholic beverages during designated events on 78 Avenue between 99 Street and 100 Street. City council approved the bylaw establishing the district, following a recommendation from executive committee earlier this month. Businesses in the area have planned more than a dozen events throughout 2026, with the first market scheduled for May.
• Authors such as Conor Kerr, Nisha Patel, and Premee Mohamed shared where they write in Edmonton with Postmedia, with locations ranging from The Next Act to ACE Coffee Roasters to Carl's Jr. Kerr told Postmedia that he wrote his novella Beaver Hills Forever on a barstool at The Next Act.
• Edify paid a visit to Lalibela African Restaurant at the former home of Langano Skies at 9920 82 Avenue NW. The misir wot, a red lentil curry served with injera, was balanced, spicy, and big enough to share, Caitlin Hart noted.
• Edify shone a spotlight on YEG Exotic at 15027 118 Avenue NW, which imports rare candies and sodas from around the world, from Chinese Fanta Pineapple to Mexican 7-Up to Japanese Popin' Cookin' kits. Owner Jessie Matthews said the store aims to help customers recreate sweet childhood memories. "You can't buy memories, but you can help create them," he said.
• Daniel Costa of Corso 32 Group shared a recipe for peposo, a simple Tuscan beef dish that braises in the oven. The dish originated in wine country and uses a full bottle of Chianti to create deep flavour.
• The Edmonton Community Foundation released a Lunar New Year episode of The Well Endowed Podcast with guest hosts Jessica Truong and Linda Hoang of Chúng Ta Cùng Nhau. The two interviewed Linh Vu, owner of Mai Mai Viet Street Kitchen, and David Nguyen, co-founder of AGNT Technologies. They shared stories of their families' journeys as Vietnamese refugees who rebuilt their lives in Edmonton after the Fall of Saigon.
• Al Rashid Mosque expects up to 5,000 congregants daily during the first days of Ramadan and is hosting its annual A Taste of Ramadan feast in March. A spokesperson for the mosque noted this is the first time in roughly two decades that Ramadan falls entirely during short winter days, meaning fasting will be easier.
• Home economist Jodie Kachkar debunked common food myths on CTV Your Morning Edmonton to help reduce food waste, clarifying that "best before" dates don't mean food must be thrown out and that raw cookie dough is unsafe because of raw flour, not eggs. Canadians throw away 20% to 25% of their household food, she said.
• Urban agriculturist Jacob Ulicku shared winter gardening tips for starting summer gardens early, including how to test old seeds for viability and build an indoor growing setup. Edmonton is a Zone 4 growing region, meaning early preparation is crucial to avoid losing crops by missing planting deadlines in February, he wrote for Rat Creek Press.
• Keenan Pascal, CEO of Token Naturals, Token Bitters, and Hansen Distillery, created the University of Alberta's first award for Black students at the Alberta School of Business. The National Black Coalition of Canada Award for Excellence in Business will recognize undergraduate students based on academic standing and community engagement.
• THRIVE is accepting applications for the THRIVE Studio Sprint III, a six-week virtual program for researchers and early-stage founders exploring agri-food innovation. The program runs from March through April, with applications closing on March 2.
• Ruminant Biotech will receive $2.8 million from Emissions Reduction Alberta's Industrial Transformation Challenge to reduce methane emissions from livestock.
• Parkland County is inviting local farms and food businesses to register as hosts for Alberta Open Farm Days in August.
• The Little Potato Company marked its 30th anniversary by unveiling a new logo, celebrating its growth from a one-acre plot to a 200,000 square-foot facility in Nisku that cost more than $25 million.
• IKEA has reimagined its kitchen showroom at its Edmonton store with 12 new kitchen vignettes inspired by local demographics, including Filipino, Punjabi, Swedish, and Ukrainian designs. The store's interior design team visited Edmonton homes to understand how people use their kitchens and incorporated local touches, such as a Lake Summerside view in the Punjabi kitchen.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:

• Feb. 25: Lunar New Year Wontons starting at 6pm at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Feb. 26: Roll With It! Sushi Basics starting at 6pm at Get Cooking
• Feb. 26: Food as Memory: Honouring Black Roots And Resilience starting at 6pm at Sinkunia Community Development Organization
• Feb. 27: Insecure: A documentary film screening on food security in Edmonton starting at 6:30pm at Earth's Refillery Coop
• Feb. 27: Winter Fruit Tree Pruning Part 1 starting at 7pm online
• Feb. 27: Cocktail Class - Old Fashioned Workshop starting at 7pm at Cocktail Culture
• Feb. 28: Winter Fruit Tree Pruning Part 2 starting at 11am at Sakaw Gardens Hall
• Feb. 28: Brunch For Ben starting at 12pm at Matrix Hotel
• Feb. 28: Seeds of Change Film Festival starting at 1pm at Devon Community Centre
• March 3: Semolina Pasta Masterclass starting at 6pm at Get Cooking

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• March 5: Intentional Discussions with Entrepreneurs from across Alberta Series - Agriculture Technology online
• March 5: Starting Seeds Indoors: Grow Healthy Transplants for Your Edmonton Garden at Queen Alexandra Community Hall
• March 12: More than a Meal: Lessons from "Right to Food" Models at The Rock Soup Greenhouse and Food Bank

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

Beyond Edmonton

• 7-Eleven is bringing a version of its popular Japanese-style egg salad sandwich to its Canadian locations on March 4. It's part of broader plans to function more like a quick-serve restaurant and expand further in Canada.