3. WOODWORK
Woodwork certainly lives up to its name. A wooden bar, wooden liquor shelves and wooden tables grace the narrow downtown restaurant, but it’s so much more than that. The name is also a nod to Woodwork’s wood-fire cooking and barrel-aged spirits, of which you’ll find plenty.
Wood fire cooks everything from meatballs to hanger steaks at this new addition to Edmonton’s food scene, but a real standout is the maple-glazed pork shoulder served with split peas and wilted market greens. With pork so tender and juicy your teeth melt through the meat rather than chew it, it’s almost a shame to douse the tastebuds with a smoky Scotch – almost. –C.H.
10132 100 St., 780-757-4100
4. MEAT
Eating at Meat is a social experience. You take your place at one of the long wooden communal tables, where other parties are also eating away. It’s the perfect setting for food that’s meant to be shared. You order the meat by the pound, and the brisket and pulled pork is as close as we’ve come in this city to true American barbecue. The house-made cherry barbecue sauce is tangy and goes so well with the brisket, which is crispy on the outside and warm and moist within. Pick a bourbon from the extensive menu and it’s a truly Deep South experience, only you’re in Old Strathcona.-Steven Sandor
8216 104 St., 587-520-6338
5. DARAVARA
As one of the newest additions to 124th Street’s plethora of eateries, it’s no shock that even the neighbourhood pubs have to step up their game. But Daravara is an overachiever.
Daravara’s elevated pub-style fare is certainly not healthy, but it is addictive. Don’t care for the usual pub food? Try the deep-fried chicken hearts for a surprisingly addictive snack. Hesitant to try a bar’s sausage board? Don’t be. Daravara makes its sausages in-house, and the selection varies weekly. One that has made it into the rotation in the past is an unexpectedly delicious seafood sausage with shrimp and scallops, which shatters your preconceptions of what sausage can be. Add in the pub’s signature smoked olives and you’ll forget you’re dining in a joint with charming Jameson whiskey-bottle light fixtures.