Food Roundup
March 17, 2026

Councillors seek more data before changing bag bylaw

Edmonton's single-use item reduction bylaw has significantly reduced the use of plastic bags and straws, according to data presented to city council's utility committee. Retail bag use plummeted by 80%, while straw and utensil consumption decreased by 26%. However, takeout container usage increased by more than 75% and cup use by 5%, which was attributed to a lack of regulation of those items and a 12% population increase.

Council's utility committee decided on March 9 to await the results of a waste characterization study before making any changes to the bylaw. Coun. Mike Elliott had proposed asking administration to prepare amendments to remove the requirement for minimum fees for bags at drive-thrus, but his fellow committee members decided on further study instead. "I'm not sure I have enough good data (on fast food bags) to inform whether that should stay around, and with the frustration it causes people, I do worry about that broader impact to our overall waste diversion goals," Mayor Andrew Knack said. "There is an argument — potentially, depending on the data — that this actually might cost Edmontonians less overall, through our waste management system, through our landfills, than the bag charge." (Hear more about the debate on Episode 347 of Speaking Municipally.)

Mandatory bag fees have been unpopular with some citizens since they came into force in July 2023. Coun. Keren Tang said she heard more about the single-use items bylaw than infill in the lead-up to the 2025 municipal election. Calgary repealed its bylaw on single-use items in 2024, a little more than one year after it was enacted. Premier Danielle Smith has long opposed such regulations and suggested in May 2024 that she'd like to see other municipalities follow Calgary's suit.

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Openings

Tiramisu Bistro has been selected as the food and beverage operator for the newly reopened Hawrelak Park, with a new venue called Lift Me Up on the Lake set to open later this spring. It will offer freshly roasted coffee, brunch, lunch, tapas, dinner, and drinks by the lake. "Tiramisu roughly translates to 'lift me up,' and that idea has always inspired what we've been doing at Tiramisu Bistro for the past 15 years," owner Seble Isaac said in a news release. Picnic bookings and events return to the park as of June 1.
Yosi's Café is a new restaurant on Alberta Avenue, opened by Eritrean chef Yoseph Haile. The owners of Corpuz Bakeshop helped Haile open the business, and he wants to pass on that welcoming spirit to customers, he told Rat Creek Press. "It's been my dream to open a space where everyone can feel welcome," Haile said, "and Edmonton has been friendlier than I thought any big city could be."
Canada's first Hell's Kitchen, the Gordon Ramsay concept slated to open at River Cree Resort and Casino, has pushed its opening from early 2026 to summer.
Analog Brewing held a grand re-opening of its tasting room at 8620 53 Avenue NW on March 12 after renovations to add a second level.
Yelo'd has opened a new location at 2327 Rabbit Hill Road NW.
A new Filipino café called Gathr Cafe has opened at 8132 102 Street NW.
Farmer's Cafe is now open at 1648 24 Street NW.
Kickstand Drinks, serving dirty soda and Toronto-based Craig's Cookies, is now open at 11158 Ellerslie Road SW.
Sip N' Play is coming to Spruce Grove. The café features a play area, with admission of $10 per child, and an Asian-inspired menu including wonton soup, banh mi, and Korean rice bowls.
Central Social Hall at 10909 Jasper Avenue NW, which was recently sold, will transition into The Public Exchange.

Closings

The recent closure of L'OCA Quality Market has led local suppliers to reassess, though vendors such as Strathcona Microgreens say their diversified client bases will help absorb the loss. Strathcona Microgreens owner Riccardo Baldini told CTV News that vendors such as Community Natural Foods and the Italian Centre Shop help offset the lost revenue from L'OCA's closure.

Headlines

Photographer and foodie Kory deGroot has compiled a spreadsheet with all the deals at Downtown Dining Week, with notes indicating which restaurants are new to the event this year. Dorinku Osaka, Sorrentino's, and Bar Bricco are among his top picks, he told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active. He also keeps a running list of his Edmonton restaurant recommendations.
Farrow's donair-style sandwich served on green onion cakes has been so popular that the restaurant ran out of supplies and temporarily replaced the green onion cakes with a Belgian waffle. Starting on March 17, it will stock enough green onion cakes to sell 100 sandwiches per day at its Jasper Avenue location through the rest of Downtown Dining Week, which ends on March 22. The sandwich made Daily Hive's picks for the best deals at Downtown Dining Week.
Braven chef Jason Greene discussed his approach to locally sourced Canadian ingredients on an episode of The Off Air Talks podcast. Greene also previewed the restaurant's Downtown Dining Week menu offerings, which include a two-course lunch for $25 and a two-course dinner for $65, each with a variety of options.
The owners of DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen told Global News their business is suffering because downtown Edmonton is "a ghost town" on weekends. The news follows a post made by co-owner Janice Krissa that said the Jasper Avenue location earned only $71 on a recent Saturday. She called on the city to improve parking options and safety. Coun. Anne Stevenson, whose Ward O-day'min includes downtown, told Global she is pushing for a dedicated web page about downtown parking and construction to ease frustrations.
Mayor Andrew Knack shouted out Yardie Sweet Spot and Pastry for Feed the Soul YEG's Instagram series on Black-owned food businesses. Yardie Sweet Spot is one of the businesses in Feed the Soul's Black Futures Dining Guide.
The Next Act is celebrating Azimuth Theatre's Expanse Festival with a St. Patrick's Day-themed burger with two patties, Dubliner cheese, corned beef, and more. The festival runs from March 20 to 29.
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is running ESO Pairings, a concert series pairing short symphonic performances with food or a beverage item. The next instalment, Beethoven & Beer, takes place on March 20.
Edify has tasting notes for beers from five breweries: Ale Architect, Odd Company, Bent Stick Brewing, SYC Brewing and Irrational Brewing.
Anohka Distillery, The Butternut Tree, and Chocorrant Patisserie and Café are among the businesses participating in Edify's Best Restaurants event on March 23 at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
Edify paid a visit to Korean Fusion Deli, a restaurant in the McNamara Industrial area that blends Korean flavours with Western comfort foods. Its offerings include bulgogi subs, kimchi fries, ramen, and Korean doughnuts.
Allan Suddaby and Mike McCready of NAIT explored whether AI-generated recipes are reliable. "Bad recipes weren't invented by AI," Suddaby told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active. "They've been on the internet since the invention of the internet."
The 19th annual High School Culinary Challenge saw 54 Edmonton-area students compete to prepare a four-course gourmet meal over three hours on March 7. Among them were three Paul Kane High School students, who had to adapt quickly when one of them broke a finger the day before the event. "It definitely put our teamwork to the test," Trinity McDaniel told the St. Albert Gazette. The winners will be announced on March 23.
Nutrition researcher Carla Prado of the University of Alberta has received a $160,000 Dorothy Killam Fellowship to investigate the specific protein requirements needed to help prevent muscle loss in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. "A lot of patients experience profound losses of muscle mass during chemotherapy, and when they lose muscle if affects their recovery, their independence, and their overall health," Prado told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active.
Zwick's Pretzels is looking for a tenant at its retail space and commercial kitchen at 12415 107 Avenue NW as it builds out a new manufacturing facility.
Earth's Refillery Coop hosted its first Upcycled Market, featuring vendors selling re-worked clothing, jewellery, and other items to promote reuse and reduce landfill waste.

Groceries and food security

Edmonton city council will consider a motion this week to evaluate restrictive covenants and exclusivity controls that can prevent competing grocery stores from opening near existing or former locations. Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz said the restrictions, sometimes used by companies such as Sobeys and Safeway, limit competition and reduce grocery access in neighbourhoods. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said the province is watching the effects of Manitoba's decision to ban restrictive covenants for grocery stores last year.
RUNWITHIT Synthetics co-founder and CEO Myrna Bittner said her platform shows how Edmonton's grocery deserts are perpetuated by restrictive covenants that prevent small food businesses from serving neighbourhoods.
A former Safeway store on Wye Road in Sherwood Park is undergoing a $6.7-million retail makeover that will subdivide the building into two tenant spaces.
With oil prices surging amid the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran, Edmonton-area farmers and food analysts are warning of higher grocery prices, with food inflation expected to reach 6% or 7% over the next three months if oil prices remain elevated. CBC examined how the conflict is affecting global supply chains.
Rat Creek Press shared a tabbouleh recipe and tips for sourcing ingredients on a budget, including recommendations for affordable grocery options such as Elsafadi Brothers Mediterranean Supermarket, which has two locations in Edmonton.
Edmonton's Food Bank is partnering with Capital Power and the Edmonton Oilers for a Stuff-A-Bus food drive at ICE District Plaza on March 28, collecting non-perishable items to support the 43,000+ people it serves monthly.
Rat Creek Press profiled Delton Grocery, a corner store on 88 Street and 122 Avenue NW that has served the neighbourhood since 1914 and was designated a Municipal Historic Resource in 2019. Dustin Covey wrote that it's an early example of essential retail integrated into a residential area, a practice the City of Edmonton hopes to grow through its renewed zoning bylaw.

Happenings

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

March 18: Little DON'YA Grand Re-Opening Celebration starting at 12pm at DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen (Jasper Avenue)
March 20: A Southern Vietnamese Three-course Experience starting at 6pm at Lucky Supermarket (South)
March 20: Cocktail Class - Audrey Saunders Cocktails starting at 7pm at Cocktail Culture
March 21: Butter Chicken from Scratch starting at 11am at JW Marriott (Edmonton ICE District)
March 23: Edify's Best Restaurants starting at 5:45pm at Edmonton Convention Centre