Sometimes, the adage “location, location, location” doesn’t play as well as we all think it should. You would think “opening a bar across the street from an NHL arena” would be a licence to print money. You put some sports memorabilia up on the wall, bombard your visitors with all the different sports channels on TV, serve beer, nachos and wings. Easy, right?
Well, it hasn’t proved easy at the Mercer. Since the Oilers played their first game at Rogers Place, we saw the Mercer Tavern come and go. Then, Home and Away, a place that had all the requisite sports memorabilia, plus the beer taps, nachos and wings… well, that didn’t work either.
And, even though the Home and Away signs are still up outside, and the logo is still painted on the exterior brick wall, another new spot has opened in its place. And, The Alfred is decidedly not a sports bar. (Maybe that’s the thing, to not do what seems so obvious?). All of the memorabilia is gone. The lights are turned down low. There’s a cocktail menu. And the menu is short and refined. A Truffle Mushroom Pate Grilled Cheese on sourdough is not something you’re going to see at a sports bar. There’s a burger and a chicken sandwich, charcuterie and a whipped ricotta dip.
But I chose to start with the arancini. Three nicely fried balls arrive at the table, the bocconcini cheese and rice work well together, and, for some reason, I pair it with a lime margarita. (I know, that’s weird. I move on to an Old Fashioned later on, so not all is lost.) They’re served with a tomato jam, which makes for a dip that’s sweeter than I was expecting. The $22 Alfred’s Burger is pretty darn good — the smashed patty carries a lot of the charred flavour, and there’s a generous amount of cheese and pickles. The bun is soft, and the fries are better than most. They kinda remind me of the fries that The Next Act used to have way back in the day when The Diner Dog was a thing and my old friend Bill Evans used to get phone calls on the bar’s land line because he was there so often. My pal says the Alfred’s Fried Chicken Sandwich (also $22) is darn good, with a spicy honey-soy glaze and cabbage slaw.
We got there after the sold-out PWHL game at Rogers Place finished; and, The Alfred wasn’t even half full. By 8 p.m. we were told it was time for last call, even though the sign out front said “open till late.” But, judging by the menu and the feel of the place, the hockey crowd is not who The Alfred is targeting, which may finally be the answer on how to successfully run an establishment next to a hockey rink.
The Alfred
Downtown | 10363 104 St NW, Edmonton | thealfredbar.squarespace.com
