Trip Report: Edmonton’s Best Restaurants

One of the bonus perks of my day job is traveling (and therefore eating) my way across Canada. Rather than writing posts for each individual restaurant, I’ve started doing city-focused Trip Reports. I always do food research before I travel (business or pleasure) for both affordable options and one or two destination to-die-for meals.

Each report includes mini write-ups and pictures of the great meals I consumed, plus a bonus list of restaurants I didn’t get to visit but are recommended by other blogs, travel sites or Chowhound. So far I’ve covered Saint John, NB, and San Diego, with Vancouver coming soon. In the meantime, here’s everything from my most memorable meal to a delightful working breakfast in the bone-chilling city of Edmonton, AB.

Culina Mill Creek
9914, 89th Ave NW (near 99 st NW) / 780 437 5588
The consensus from all my research was that Culina Mill Creek is Edmonton’s top restaurant. And while I was only able to make it here for lunch on my second-to-last day, I add my resounding vote to the much-deserved title. After my meal, I was cursing myself for not eating here sooner (leaving time for repeat visits) and wondering if they’d consider opening a location in Toronto. I devoured my perfectly cooked Wild Salmon ($17) with orzo pasta, cucumber tomato salsa and goat cheese-almond sauce, which I requested on the side. My best friend Nicole ordered the unforgettable House Sandwich ($12) crammed with zucchini, spinach, cream cheese, pickled peppers and chickpea mayonnaise. Both dishes were astoundingly good, with fresh ingredients cooked simply and well. With Alberta beef, duck and various hotpots on the menu, if you’re in Edmonton, this is the one restaurant I’d recommend putting on a must-eat list.

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Zenari’s
Manulife Place, 10180 101th Street NW / 780-423-5409
Being in a city for work means you need a range of choices, from long sit-down meals to grab-and-go breakfasts. Enter Zenari’s, a casual downtown spot in Manulife Place that serves up one messy and filling open-faced Breakfast Bagel ($6.50). On one side is a soft-cooked egg topped with provolone, on the other is capicollo (an Italian meat), sliced tomato and well, more cheese, all stuck under a broiler. But it’s all on a whole-wheat bagel so that means it’s totally healthy, right? (Crickets.) Eat each half separately or stack it together for one gooey delicious mash-up. Zenari’s other options including pasta, quiche, muffaleta and sandwiches that look less deadly but equally scrumptious. Shout-out to pepper_mil on Chowhound for the on-point reco.

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Famosa Pizzeria
11750 Jasper Avenue NW / 780 732 0700
Famosa was a crowd-pleaser with my co-workers who were looking for an easy dinner of pizza and beers. While the Neopolitan pizzeria don’t hold a candle to Toronto’s Pizza Libretto or Queen Margherita Pizza, they’re not really concerned with tradition. Instead the restaurant celebrates the inventive, with surprisingly pleasing results. Our favourite was the Cavoletti ($14.50), found under the “New World Pizza” category and topped with fresh mozzarella, pecorino romano, brussells sprouts, prouscuitto chips, gorgonzola, a drizzle of honey plus dates and walnuts. The service style is also unconventional with a strange process of finding a table, going up to the counter to order, then back to your table to wait for drinks and food. Thankfully it’s an inconvenience that’s easy to overlook if you want a casual night out.

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Dadeo
10548a Whyte Avenue / 780 433 0930
I didn’t expect to stumble upon a Cajun and Creole diner in Edmonton, which is exactly why Dadeo was such a treat. From the biscuits with jalapeno jelly (served instead of a bread basket), to the Blackened Catfish Po’Boy Sandwich ($12), every dish we ordered was licked clean. The restaurant benefits from its extremely attentive service, rowdy bar atmosphere and Coleslaw so good I had to order extra on the side ($3). Creole cuisine is a rarity in Canada, so if you’re feenin’ for some Jambalaya, Shrimp Creole or Bayou Gumbo, make a pit stop at Dadeo.

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Edmonton Restaurant List

Red Ox Inn (approx $30 per main)
9420 91 Street / 780 465 5727
Tues-Sun from 5:00pm
http://www.theredoxinn.com

Blue Pear (fine dining)
10643 123 Street Northwest / 780 482 7178
Wed-Sun 5pm-9pm
http://www2.thebluepear.sitebenefits.com/

Hardware Grill
9698 Jasper Avenue Northwest / 780 423 0969
Mon-Thu 5pm-9:30pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm
http://www.hardwaregrill.com/

Blue Plate Diner (casual diner)
10145 104 Street NW / 780 429 0740
http://www.blueplatediner.ca/

Urban Diner
12427 102 Avenue NW / 780 488 7274
Mon-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 9am-3pm
http://www.urbandiner.com/cms/Home/tabid/2288/Default.aspx

Red Star Pub (Italian-inspired, better pub food)
10534 Jasper Ave / 780 428 0825
Tue-Thu 5pm-2am, Fri 4pm-2am, Sat 7pm-2am
http://www.vueweekly.com/dish/story/red_star_pub_much_more_than_pub_grub/

Café De Ville (soups, salads, pizza, pastas)
10137 124 Street NW / 780 488 9188
http://edmonton.cafedeville.com/Menus/CafedeVilleDinner/tabid/9608/Default.aspx

Suede Lounge (Tapas/young crowd)
11806 Jasper Ave. / 780 482 0707
Menu: http://www.suedelounge.ca/suedemenu.html

La Shish Taouk (Lebanese/Shawarma takeout)
10106 118^th St @ Jasper / 780 452 1333

The Marc (French Bistro)
9940-106 Street – 100 Sterling Place  / 780 429 2828
Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-10pm, Sat 5:30-10pm
www.themarc.ca

Rodeo Burger (homestyle burgers across from U of A)
8525 112 St. / 780 435 6733
Blog review: http://eatingisthehardpart.com/2010/05/14/rodeo-burger-edmonton-alberta/

Wildflower Grill (voted best Sunday brunch)
10009-107 St NW (in Matrix Hotel) / 780 990 1938
Mon-Thurs 11am-2pm, 4:30-10pm, Sat 4:30-11pm, Sun 11am-2pm, 4;30pm-10pm
http://www.wildfloweredmonton.com/

Don Antonio’s (Mexican, hole-in-the-wall)
10750 124^th St  / 780 451 8996
Tues-Sat 11:30am-8pm, Sun 2-7:30pm

Moriarty’s (Bistro & Wine Bar)
10154 100 Street Northwest  / 780 757 2005
Menu: http://www.moriartysbistro.com/images/docs/moriartys_menu_may19_2010.pdf

MRKT (Soups & Sandwiches)
10542 Jasper Ave NW  / 780 757 6758
Blog Post: http://foodosophy.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/mrkt-market-restaurant-edmonton-ab/

Padmanadi (Vegetarian – Malaysian, Indonesian)
10740-101 Street  / 780 428 8899
Mon-Sun 11am-2pm, 4-10pm
http://www.padmanadi.com/