Food Roundup
Sept. 29, 2026
A constantly evolving pop-up will share recently vacated space in the same building as Made by Marcus and Next of Kin starting on Oct. 3. "It's a cute space, and we liked the concept of sharing with the ice cream shop," said Christine Sandford, one of two chefs behind Vagabond. "It's a great spot in the city, really central, and we couldn't see a reason not to do it." She and fellow chef Roger Letourneau will operate at the former home of Wilfred's at 10429 121 Street NW until at least January, she told Taproot.
Vagabond takes its influence from the duo's passion for both travel and local ingredients, having recently run an Alpine-inspired menu with European cheese, bison, and Alberta-farmed pickled goodies from their other business, Lessig Ferments. While they often go with a theme, this will be a looser, brasserie-leaning concept that brings seasonal flavours and some popular dishes they've served before, such as the Arctic char schnitzel. Vagabond will hold a light-bites-and-natural-wine event in collaboration with Garneau Block on Oct. 26, and it is ready for event bookings, including for the holiday season.
Vagabond is a trailblazer in the growing trend of rail-riding hospitality that adapts to a volatile industry and refuses to adhere to the conventional bricks-and-mortar form. For example, Little Wolf helps to support pop-ups on 109 Street, while HOM Street Food has extended its run at Bibo Strathcona. Also in Old Strathcona, The Hub by Scale Kitchens rotates growing food brands in a shared space, with White Rabbit Ice Cream, Big Bear Matcha, and Beb's Bagels currently in residence. You can hear more about food entrepreneurship and sample some of the pitchers' wares at the YEG Food Founders Showcase on Oct. 7, during Edmonton Startup Week.
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Openings
- Ralph's Fried Chicken has opened its new south side location at 9204 23 Avenue NW.
- Yeasty Boys Brewing Co. is a new brewery on Happy Beer Street, at 9951 78 Avenue NW.
- Rival Burgers has opened a storefront in the former Blue Chair Cafe space in Ritchie, at 9624 76 Avenue NW.
- Harubaku Coffee, a wood-fired roastery based in Edson, has opened an Edmonton location on the second floor of the Sandman Hotel at 10235 101 Street NW.
- Vale Italian Gelato & Cafe is now open at 12805 Fort Road NW.
- Mexicorn, until recently a home-based business, has opened a new location at 8407 118 Avenue NW.
- Seafood chain The Captain's Boil has opened its third location in the Edmonton region, at 326, 222 Baseline Road in Sherwood Park.
- Global Ramen has fully opened in south Edmonton, serving Nagoya-style Taiwan mazemen, a soup-less ramen dish, at 3318 Gateway Boulevard NW.
- Calgary-based Bro'kin Yolk is opening its second location in the Edmonton region, at 2020 Sherwood Drive, Unit 12B in Sherwood Park.
- Be-a-Bella's Glenora location will open on Oct. 8 at 10340 134 Street NW, Unit 2.
- Sayem Talukder posted that his Lokma franchise at 3629 Gateway Boulevard NW will hold a grand opening on Oct. 2 if it passes inspection on Sept. 29. Talukder had been vocal on social media, saying a delayed occupancy permit was costing him $2,500 a day. The city said complete documentation had not been submitted. This is the first Western Canadian location of the dessert bar.
- Downtown Indian restaurant The Virsa Mahal is opening a takeout restaurant in Ellerslie called The Tiffin.
- Mr. Halal Burger is preparing to open its fifth location in the Edmonton region, at 220 Lakeland Drive, Unit 240 in Sherwood Park.
Closings
- Pho Song has closed after 21 years. The space will transition to a new business called Pho Queen Royal.
In The Loop: Circular Food Economy
The people building Edmonton's circular food economy rarely end up in the same room. On Oct. 7, they will all be at Brighton Block. Tabling, mic moments, fireside chats, working sessions, activities, and VR demos, and food made by local foodtrepreneurs.
Headlines
- Sea Change Brewing Co. has expanded to Calgary with Skelly Club, a brewery-taproom-restaurant in the former Inner City Brewing Company space. It continues to operate three Edmonton-region locations and co-owns Flat Boy Burgers, which also operates in Calgary. The company's expansion kicked off with collaborations with Calgary-based brewers. "We wanted to integrate ourselves in the brewing community, and also make it very apparent that we're brewing beer in Calgary," co-founder Pete Nguyen told Taproot.
- CBC beer columnist Jason Foster discussed the history of Alberta breweries' forays into politics, prompted by a Forever Canadian pale ale launched by Red Deer's Red Hart Brewing in support of Thomas Lukaszuk's effort to keep Alberta in Canada.
- Juanita Gnanapragasam of Converse and Cook told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active about the evolution of Edmonton's coffee scene, from the days of the Hudson's Bay Company importing beans in the 1800s to third-wave indies and newcomer-founded shops providing global flavours. Mentions include Joe Parrottino's trailblazing work to build appreciation for espresso and current work at ACE Coffee Roasters; Transcend Coffee's leadership in the third-wave scene; and the Yemeni traditions recently imported by Mokha Coffee House.
- Edify's Joyce Yu wrote a guide to hot pot, with tips on how to choose broths, vegetables, meat, noodles, and sauces for the shared meal. Yu's favourite spot is Chinese Hot Pot Buffet.
- Curiocity rounded up six Edmonton ramen spots, including Menya Mori, Tokiwa Ramen, Menjiro Ramen, Midori Ramen, Hu's Noodle Nook, and JINYA Ramen Bar.
- Doreen Prei shared soup-making advice with CBC Edmonton's Radio Active, including tips for sourcing ingredients as farmers' markets wind down.
- Edify publisher Trudy Callaghan described learning to enjoy sauerkraut after trying versions from Thistle Hill Farms in Camrose County. She noted the Downtown Farmers Market, where Thistle Hill vends, wraps up on Oct. 10.
- Sumaiya Matin spoke to CBC Edmonton's Radio Active about her children's book, Parsa's Pithas, which centres on a mother and daughter making a traditional Bengali dessert.
- JP Dublado shared his recipe for deep-fried Brussels sprouts with The Tomato. The simple dish is finished with salt, pepper, and Canadian maple syrup, but could be zhuzhed up with Japanese mayo or grana padano cheese.
- Edmonton private chef Abigail Lopez will compete in Season 13 of Top Chef Canada, which premieres Oct. 20 on Flavour Network and STACKTV.
- Actor John Cena, who was in town recently for the Edmonton Expo, shared his love for two local coffee shops, both on 104 Street downtown: Fawkes and Credo.
- Freson Bros. ranked 95th on Forbes' 2026 Best Employers for Company Culture list and 152nd on its broader Canadian employers ranking.
- Empire Co., which owns Sobeys, has agreed to stop using restrictive covenants that keep competing grocers from opening at or near its former properties. The federal Competition Bureau agreement also limits clauses that prevent landlords from leasing to other grocers. "It's great to see that the law, in this case, has worked," Coun. Michael Janz said. "I hope that 10 years from now we're going to have more grocery stores and more options in more places." Edmonton city council passed a motion from Janz earlier this year asking the province to eliminate such covenants.
- Costco has purchased 20 acres in Stony Plain for a warehouse anchoring a planned power centre. The project is expected to include a gas bar, a separate liquor store, and about 1,000 parking spaces. It is targeted to open in summer 2027.
- Strathcona County has declared a state of agricultural disaster after historic rainfall left 20% to 30% of annual cropland submerged, with wheat and canola losses estimated at tens of millions.
- Kiwi Nurseries in Acheson has cancelled its annual pumpkin festival and upcoming Christmas festival after a failed crop. Heavy rain left the farm with 45 to 55 pumpkins, compared with more than 1,000 typically, and washed out two fields.
- A new Edmonton Meals on Wheels program serves lunch to every student four days a week at St. Teresa of Calcutta Elementary School in the Boyle Street neighbourhood.
- The charitable board game marathon called Gamealot from Sept. 25 to 27 aimed to raise thousands for the Veterans Food Bank Association of Edmonton. "From packed gaming tables and great conversations to new friendships and unforgettable moments, this community continues to amaze us every year," organizers posted.
- A shake created by an Edmonton participant in BGCBigs was selected for a national Wayback Burgers fundraiser on Sept. 24. Wayback Burgers said 10% of in-store sales and $1 from each Berry Bonfire Shake will support Big Brothers Big Sisters, while the Edmonton club will receive a $2,500 prize.
- Min Dhariwal of CBC Edmonton's Radio Active visited AsiaFest at Currents of Windermere, which featured a night market with food, merchants, and live performances from Sept. 25 to 27.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
- Sept. 29: Beverly Towne Farmers' Market starting at 3pm at Riverview Crossing Mall
- Sept. 29: The Public Farmers Market starting at 3:30pm at Ritchie Community Hall
- Sept. 29: Intro to Fresh Pasta starting at 6pm at Get Cooking
- Sept. 30: Dolly's Cocktail Railcar starting at 7:15pm at High Level Bridge Streetcar (Jasper Plaza Terminal)
- Oct. 1: Cask Beer Streetcar starting at 6:30pm at The Common
- Oct. 2: The Green & Gold Pop-Up Market starting at 10am at University of Alberta (University Commons Building)
- Oct. 2: Set the Table: A Token Mocktails Tasting starting at 6pm at One Sip Beverage Labs Studio
- Oct. 3: Downtown Farmers' Market starting at 10am at Downtown Farmers' Market
- Oct. 3: Introduction to Chocolate Tasting starting at 7pm at Delavoye Chocolate Maker
- Oct. 4: Sundays at the 124 Grand Market starting at 11am at 124 Grand Market
- Oct. 4: Autumn Sweets: A Thanksgiving Dessert Class starting at 1pm at Get Cooking
- Oct. 4: Big Beautiful BBQ with paired wines by Gurvinder & Blind Enthusiasm Beers starting at 5:30pm at Little Wolf Restaurant
And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:
- Oct. 15: Sauerkraut Making Workshop – The Magic of Wild Fermentation
- Oct. 17: Picklefest at Fan Park
- Oct. 21: Domaine Devillard Wine Dinner at The Marc
Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.