The second half of 2011 has seen a rash of vegetarian restaurants open in Edmonton (The Clever Rabbit on 124 Street is forthcoming, while another vegetarian restaurant, Veggie Garden Restaurant, opened in November). Noorish, subtitled a “conscious eatery & superfood elixir bar”, kicked off this trend in October, but seemed to go beyond just food [...]

The topic of Chinatown revitalization has been bandied about a lot in the past year, especially with flashy projects like the Yorkton Development residential towers and the Wild Rose Circle Development. But in the short term, existing businesses that bring people into the area will have a greater impact – no area can rely on [...]

Every pho enthusiast has their favourite. Mine happens to be Pho Tau Bay for many reasons, but at the top: they are efficient and consistent. It definitely helps that it is the only dish they serve, so due attention can be paid to the soup base. That said, I’m always open to trying new places, [...]

It’s been a few years since I last attended the Festival of Trees, but when May offered me an extra ticket she had been given by her office, it seemed like a good chance to get reacquainted with one of Edmonton’s Christmas traditions. It would be difficult for most people not to be swayed by [...]

It was another unseasonably warm winter day on Friday, perfect to explore the freshly decorated Legislature grounds. It’s one of the most magical places in Edmonton in the holiday season, and taking a stroll through the tree-lined paths have become an annual tradition for us. We first stopped at Second Cup for some hot drinks [...]

Although the official City-proclaimed “Shop Local Month” ended yesterday, I think today marks the unofficial kick off to the real holiday scramble – all leading up to, of course, December 23, the busiest shopping day of the year. So as I have for the previous two years, I thought I would ask some local personalities [...]

Last Friday, Mercury Opera brought opera to the people – is there any place more democratic than a public transportation platform? Although the show itself was free (transit operators weren’t checking for fare payments), a $25 ticket gave opera revellers access to some pre-show food and drink at four street-level businesses. I really loved the [...]

I’d heard tell that churches across town regularly served up perogies to the carb-starved masses, but I’d never attended one of these pyrohy suppers myself. Until tonight. After work, a few of my coworkers headed to St. John’s Cultural Centre, within walking distance of the office, to stuff ourselves silly. St. John’s, like many others [...]

We’re nearly a month away from Christmas, and with American Thanksgiving now out of the way, I think it’s now appropriate to pull out the decorations to start making merry at home. It was also perfect timing for a Christmas fête at the Queen of Tarts. Sparking wine and sparkling lights There’s a lot to [...]

Over dinner at the Harvest Room in October, Mack and I had the opportunity to get to know Mandy and her boyfriend Ajit a little more – turns out, they love food as much as we do! We already knew Mandy’s brother Miles from working with him on What the Truck?! over the summer (they [...]