Food Roundup
Oct. 27, 2026

Openings

• Hazeldean Bakery at 9627 66 Avenue NW has reopened under new ownership. Luke Wood, who bought the bakery with a partner just before Christmas, gave away about 1,000 items of baked goods on opening day. Longtime owner Lucy Lu has retired but returned to show the new owners the ropes. Min Dhariwal also visited the reopened bakery for CBC Edmonton's Radio Active.
• Luso's Bakery & Bistro opened at 11745 84 Street NW in mid-September, later earning ink from Rat Creek Press. The bakery sells Portuguese breads, pastel de nata custard tarts, bifana pork sandwiches, and imported groceries.
• Tesoro Caffè Bar opened on Oct. 13 at 10550 Jasper Avenue NW, in the former Bar Oro space, 15 years after closing its Wîhkwêntôwin location.
• AJ's Burgers, from the team behind Waffle Bird, has opened at the Jasper Place Curling Club at 16521 107 Avenue NW.
• The cafe inside Atrium at Sabor at 10310 102 Avenue NW is now open Monday to Friday from 8am-4pm. The menu includes coffee, pressed sandwiches, and pastries.
• Ugly Dumplings is now open at Queen Mary's Market at 12011 111 Avenue NW.
• Yemeni cafe Bon Arabica Cafe is now open at #2, 13750 50 Street NW.
• Pact Coffee's second location is now open in the Augustana Tower at 9903 107 Street NW.
• Bus Barn Cafe has replaced Paperbirch at the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market.

Closings

• Twixie's BBQ + Snack and Dessert Shack has closed in Mill Woods Town Centre.

Headlines

• The Edmonton Downtown Business Association profiled seven long-standing downtown businesses for Small Business Week, including Bistro Praha and The Commodore.
• Curiocity rounded up five dining experiences in the Edmonton region that offer more than just food and beverage. The list includes the revolving La Ronde; the 3D-immersive experience at global chains Le Petit Chef and 4 Elements; Michelin-level omakase at MSSM; and a macabre Halloween dinner featuring food inspired by serial killer Ted Bundy's last meal at District 102 on Oct. 31. A similar event inspired by John Wayne Gacy sold out in advance.
• French Quarter dining highlights include Mill Creek Cafe, Café Bicyclette, and Duggan's Boundary Irish Pub, wrote Ben Roth for Edify.
• YouAlberta writer Marlena recommended $2 Tuesday tacos at El Mariachi, along with Three Amigos, Luna Cocina Mexicana, and Julio's Barrio for Mexican food.
• Ben's Meats and Deli is celebrating 73 years in business. The shop also announced the death of former owner Pieter van Leeuwen, the father of its current owner.
• Fairmont Hotel Macdonald chef de cuisine Abigail Lopez discussed her time on Top Chef Canada on CBC's Edmonton AM. The show's 13th season began airing on Oct. 20.
• Daily Hive took a look at the "Honeypeño Ham" special from St. Albert pop-up Bruin Breakfast Club. The sandwich comprised smoked ham, honey jalapeños, buttermilk aioli, and cheesy scrambled eggs on an English muffin. The pop-up hasn't posted its next dates yet, but does so on Instagram.
• Chartier is offering 20% off its tourtière for pre-orders made before Nov. 1, marking the holiday pies down from $45 to $36. Buyers can pick up their tourtière from the start of November through the end of December.
• Luis Cruz of Latin Fruits shared how he started his frozen-fruit-pulp business with Business Link. The Edmonton-based business offers nine varieties and plans to expand to Calgary and other Canadian markets. "I wanted to create something that could represent Colombia and Latin America, while also becoming a Canadian company with a long-term vision," Cruz said.
• Edmonton city council will consider funding a nighttime economy office during November budget deliberations. The proposed office would help late-night businesses navigate safety, transit, venue regulation, and city services.
• Alberta Small Brewers Association executive director Blair Berdusco reported sales growth alongside rising packaging costs for Alberta craft brewers. Berdusco told ATB's Carol Kamel that many breweries absorbed such costs because customers resisted higher prices. Even though most Alberta brewers don't export to the U.S., they rely on a certain kind of aluminum can that can be subject to multiple layers of tariffs because they crisscross the border before ending up at a brewery.
• Edmonton's Food Bank reported providing an average of 43,300 hampers a month as rising living costs strained household food budgets. Food Banks Canada's HungerCount found Alberta food bank use has risen 9.3% year over year and 156.3% since 2019. Among Alberta food bank users, 34% were children, roughly 40% were single people, and 74% were renters, CTV Edmonton reported.
• Longtime Edmonton food writer Twyla Campbell highlighted Edmonton dining spots in an updated weekend guide for Afar. She recommended Duchess Bake Shop and Golden Sparrow for breakfast or brunch; Coterie and La Petite Iza for French wine and food; Fu's Repair Shop for a dim sum and speakeasy experience; Bistro Praha, Woodwork, and Bar Trove for dinner around the Arts District; Next of Kin and Mimi for cocktails; and Yelo'd, Kind Ice Cream, and Made by Marcus for ice cream.
• Food blogger and influencer Linda Hoang shared what it was like to compete on Season 8 of Family Feud Canada. "We met some amazing families and had a lot of fun with host Gerry Dee while filming in downtown Toronto over the summer!" she wrote. Episodes are available on CBC Gem.

Recipes and home cooking

• Italian Centre Shop owner Teresa Spinelli shared advice on buying and using truffles, along with a creamy truffle mushroom pasta recipe. She recommended using fresh truffles within three days of purchase.
• Chef Daniel Costa of Corso 32 Group shared a recipe for paccheri pasta with tinned sardines, olives, and capers in The Tomato.
• Chef Doreen Prei shared recipes for low-effort comfort food, such as a rustic salmon dish with miso, on CBC Edmonton's Radio Active.
• Adam Zawadiuk of Edmonton Meals on Wheels discussed the organization's celebrity chef series to raise awareness of its meal services on Global News Morning Edmonton. The latest celebrity chef is the show's own Erin Chalmers, who shared her recipe for turkey chili.
• Edify shared two Halloween-inspired recipes for chocolate mousse pie with Irish cream and candy-topped white-chocolate popcorn.

Happenings

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

• Oct. 27: Mole Masterclass starting at 6pm at La Morenita Cafe
• Oct. 28: From Rice to Rolls: A Sushi Adventure starting at 6pm at Caffè Sorrentino Head Office
• Oct. 28: Spice Harmony: Indian Vegetarian Flavours & Techniques starting at 6pm at Get Cooking
• Oct. 29: Glenora Scotch Tasting starting at 6:30pm at Square 1 Coffee (Glenora)
• Oct. 29: Healthy Eating Habits for Busy Entrepreneurs starting at 6:30pm at Chartier
• Oct. 30: Alumni Series Paired Dinner with Hans Pinto starting at 6pm at Ernest's Dining Room
• Nov. 3: Sawmill's 50th Anniversary Fundraising Gala starting at 5pm at Sawmill Prime Rib & Steakhouse

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Nov. 18: Hot Chefs Cool bEATS at Royal Glenora Club
• Nov. 18: Indigenous Taste of the Market at Old Strathcona Farmers' Market
• Nov. 21: Edmonton Holiday Bakery Bus Tour at Freson Bros. Fresh Market (Glenora)

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