Congratulations to Erik Hansen, who represented Canada at the prestigious 49th annual Concours International des Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition in Istanbul, and won first place, bringing home the gold medal. He also received the Wüsthof Kitchen Quality Award for the highest score in foundational kitchen skills! Hanson won the Canadian heats as entremétier at Alloy Dining in Calgary, and is currently garde-manger at Modern Steak.
And congratulations to Modern Steak, whose Modern Benchmark Showcase Platter has been awarded Best Beef Dish in Alberta by Canada Beef, in a contest judged by a panel of chefs for flavour, creativity, and quality. The dish is a celebration of Modern Steak’s partnership with Benchmark Angus, and features their ribeye, New York strip, filet mignon, and flat iron steaks.
Canada’s 100 Best have revealed their 2026 Restaurants and Bars lists! Best Restaurants include Änkôr in Canmore at #25, and Eight (#9), DOPO (#28), River Café (#42), Bar Gigi (#65), Gatsby’s (#74) and Nupo (#75) in Calgary. The Best Bars list includes Missy’s This That (#9), Shelter Cocktail Bar (#20), Business & Pleasure (#21), Proof (#29), Paper Lantern (#33) and Rain Dog Bar (#36) in Calgary, and Next of Kin (#46) in Edmonton. Calgary’s Penny Crown and Francine’s, and Canmore’s Sauvage were recognized as Canada’s Best Recommends, a new unranked list that highlights casual dining spots, and Edmonton’s Baijiu and Little Hong Kong took the Best Patio Awards. Congrats to all! See canadas100best.com for full results.
A shout out to Calgary family business, Jerome’s Appliance Gallery on their 20th anniversary! Ask about their living kitchen and bistro with daily lunches by in-house Chef Erika Araujo, and hands-on product demos. jeromesappliancegalleryinc.ca
Calgary has a new hidden gem - Naan Tale! Chef Jaspreet Singh Pannu learned from India’s top chefs, and with wife Nav, had been searching for a space with an open kitchen, and they’ve found it at 1048 8 Street SE, in Ramsay. They’re wowing Indian food lovers like us with their honest, flavourful, and rich dishes cooked with love, and adding their own fun spin on their really well executed menu items. There’s a variety of signature stuffed naans, Sinful Starters (don’t miss the Cauli Wingzzz), chicken and paneer curries (three Butter Chicken sauces - it’s hard to choose a favourite!) and some of the best Daal-e-Khaas, simmered for hours - there's no short cuts here. Sweet Memories include Saffron Tres Tukda - their own fusion of tres leches and shahi tukda! It’s all very affordable, and with only 16 seats inside and 12 on the patio, you may be glad of takeout and delivery! Seven days from noon. naantale.ca
First Street Market has partnered with Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids (BB4CK) for the month of June, with a $2 donation from each vendor’s special menu item. The Market is matching each donation, so every feature dish purchased provides one lunch to a local child in need. From 7/8 am-late at 1327 1 Street SW, fsmyyc.com, bb4ck.org
Sherwood Park, we know you’ve been craving dirty sodas! And now you’re in luck – Sip Soda Co is serving up so many different flavours of this newest craze, like The Sneezer: Dr. Pepper with a splash of cream soda, flavoured with vanilla and cream, or Clockwork Orange: Mountain Dew with a splash of 7UP and orange juice, flavoured with vanilla and cream. Choose your favourite soda as a base and have your sweet treat prepared from the pre-made menu, or build your own dirty soda with add-ins like whipped cream, mango purée, fresh lemon, chocolate sauce, and more! Seven days 9 am-9 pm, sipsoda.ca
Edmonton egg lovers, rejoice! The popular Toronto chain has touched down at 10115 100A Street NW. Egg Club has egg-centric sandwiches, wraps, and bowls, and is best known for its pillowy-soft Japanese milk bread. You can choose from many sandwich options like Ham and Cheese, BLT, Classic, or even the Chipotle Lobster, and load up your meal with savoury hollandaise sauce or their sweet club sauce. Seven days 8-4 pm, eggclub.ca
Chevapi King, Edmonton’s newest Balkan food restaurant, has just opened at 10425 51 Avenue NW, and we can’t wait to try their indulgent menu! Ćevapi is a traditional Southeastern European dish of grilled minced meat (with halal beef) and diced onions, served on fluffy Balkan flatbread (lepinja bread) enhanced in flavour by being soaked in broth. Dip it in their signature sauces: savoury roasted red pepper or creamy dairy sauce. Seven days 11-8 pm, chevapiking.com
Noodlebox is celebrating 25 years with a new look and a new location at Calgary’s Deerfoot Meadows. From a food cart in Victoria, BC, they’ve spread their "Real Food, Made Fresh, With Fire", highly customizable offerings across the country. Easily modified for all dietary needs including gluten-free and vegan, just pick one of 14 dishes, add one of six proteins, and choose your heat level - maybe even sub your noodles for rice, zucchini, or another type of noodle. Seven days from 11 am, noodlebox.ca
Shake Shack is now open in Calgary's Chinook Centre! This long-awaited Western Canada expansion is serving up their signature range of burgers, shakes, desserts, and much more, with everything made to order. We can confidently share that their shakes are some of the best we've tried, and the decadent desserts are stunning. We love that some items from local producers Pie Junkie, Prairie Berry, and Burwood Distillery, are exclusive to Alberta's first location too. Seven days from 10:30 am, shakeshack.ca
The old Central Social Hall in downtown Edmonton has been transformed into The Public Exchange, an elevated gastropub and nightlife lounge with craft cocktails, local brews, and a chef-inspired menu. By day, they’re serving elevated classics like Braised Beef Poutine, Sweet Chili Chicken, smashed burgers, and much more, and by night, the space transforms into crazy nightlife, bottle service, and cocktails. Check out thepublicexchange.ca for daily events and specials like Date Night Thursdays, Mixer Mondays, and Salsa Sundays. Seven days, 11 am-late. ​
Hidden away inside Edmonton's Candid Coffee Highlands is JOLA, Chef Filliep Lament’s newest venture named for his mother. JOLA describes itself as a “contemporary interpretation of the traditional Polish ‘milk bar’ (bar mleczny), offering nostalgic, yet refined, Eastern European cuisine in a modern, welcoming environment,” and plans to continue operating from inside the coffee shop until they can find a more permanent location. The menu is filled with traditional Polish dishes like Dill Pickle Soup (zupa ogórkowa) and Potato and Cottage Cheese Pierogies. No reservations. Wed-Sat 5-10 pm, @eatjolas
Hello Nori has opened their first Alberta location and it’s beautiful, with a wood ceiling canopy and branches converging at the back bar, designed by Calgary local, Jacqueline Koong Design. Head Chef Jay Pugong worked in Japan and visits annually. His 16 premium hand rolls and three sets, made while you watch, (as well as sashimi and oshi pressed sushi), are meant to be eaten in 15 seconds so the nori stays crispy, and the rice stays warm – they’re very good! Rice is flown in from Japan and cooked in reverse osmosis filtered water, and your sake will overflow the glass into a box for abundance. Bar seating for 24 people, and no resos. Seven days 11-close, at 837 1 Avenue NE, hellonori.com