When customers visit Rge Rd, they become part of an ecosystem. By dining within the rustic environs of this food-scene stalwart, they’ve joined a community built on the idea of eating local.
Since Caitlin Fulton and chef Blair Lebsack opened Rge Rd in 2013, they’ve devoted themselves to protein and produce grown in Alberta. In the beginning, it was difficult and expensive to find producers who could consistently meet the demands of fine dining. But over time, Rge Rd cultivated relationships with a growing cadre of producers who keep the larder at Rge Rd stocked. Menu ingredients (outside chocolate and coffee) are almost completely locally sourced.
The farm-to-table movement was widespread in the early aughts. But today, restaurants touting its charms are fewer. Rge Rd continues to commit to the principle, but ingredients are just the beginning. The Rge Rd team turns humble carrots and grass-fed beef into dishes that speak to Prairie principles such as thrift (as the menu’s Questionable Bits attests), ingenuity (vinegars and bread are made from scratch) and down-home flavour and finesse (the tasting menu is a key element of Edmonton’s culinary experience).
And they’re not snooty. Despite winning some of the most sought-after awards in Canadian dining, it’s not about them. Hosts greet customers at the door with warmth and hospitality. Servers know exactly what’s on offer for each meal service. Guests are never rushed. After all, they’re local, too. That matters at Rge Rd. – Liane Faulder
RGE RD
Westmount | 10643 123 St NW, Edmonton | 780.447.4577 | rgerd.ca
In 2011, when Edify recognized Daniel Costa as one of Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40, writer Michael Hingston characterized his dedication to food and craft as “near religious.” Fifteen years on, it’s safe to say that the church of Costa has risen. The chef and restaurateur owns six eateries in Edmonton, all of which share the same quality and flair that helped make Costa a local household name. And though all are worthy of your attention, Olia is the jewel in the crown.
The expansive dining room, draped in warm beige tones, is perennially bustling. Inspired by traditional Italian cuisine, the menu is divided into sections that punctuate a classic Italian meal. The antipasti section is filled with options that are easy to say yes to, including Whipped Goat Ricotta and Beef Tartare Piemontese. And Arancini, a dish of crisp and tender rice balls made with leeks, truffles and a selection of cheeses, is a Costa classic. The primi course is for the pasta lovers. A sucker for simplicity, I usually opt for the Tagliatelle. The house-made noodles are perfectly cooked and bathed in butter, sage and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
And you’ll want to save room for the secondi — the main protein course in a traditional Italian meal. Dishes like the Game Hen Treviso and Bistecca (Olia’s thick-cut T-bone) do not disappoint. As you peruse the menu, you’ll notice other local culinary names, like Irvings Farm Fresh, pork producers near Edmonton, and Delavoye Chocolate Maker, the boutique chocolatier on 124 Street. The latter provides the essential ingredient for Olia’s truly special Chocolate Torta, a delectable way to top off your evening. Or, if you’re like me, you could just order another plate of Arancini. They are a little taste of heaven. – Zachary Ayotte
Olia
Wîhkwêntôwin | 12016 Jasper Ave, Edmonton | olia-ristorante.ca
Picture this: three (nearly) middle-aged moms crowded around a table at Fu’s Repair Shop, slightly tipsy and high on the freedom of a night out. Suddenly, dish after dish begins to appear. Soft, sweet Chan Bao with a shock of salt, Crazy Rich Rice Noodles with perfectly fried tofu, and indulgent Classic Crispy House Dumplings.
The atmosphere is dark, mysterious, alluring. The trio is nearly moved to tears by their meal. When a young waiter arrives with the bill, he casually asks what their plans are for the night. It’s all they can do not to shout: “This! This is it! What more could we want?”
Regardless of age or family status, Fu’s is a complete night out. First, you walk through a doorway that makes you feel like you are gliding into a speakeasy, then you are in the substantial dining room, festooned with flickering candles and red lanterns hanging from the ceiling. You feel plucked from Jasper Avenue and transported to a dimension where high-end dining naturally pairs with obsolete electronics, which are a feature of Fu’s eclectic décor.
It’s no wonder the restaurant has been somewhere on Edify’s Best Restaurant list — from Best New Restaurant to Best Vibes and Best Overall — since opening in 2022. With an ever-evolving menu based on a foundation of dim sum and Chinese-fusion, Fu’s ensures no two visits feel the same.
While you’re making a night of it, don’t forget the inventive cocktail menu, which includes a few twists on classics, like the Black Tea Old Fashioned and Dragonfruit Margarita. – Alyssa Noel
Fu’s Repair Shop
Downtown | 10524 Jasper Ave NW, Edmonton | fusrepairshop.ca
If you live in Norwood, you are lucky to call Otto your neighbourhood joint, which is exactly how it feels. The restaurant is owned by Ed Donszelmann, a former partner in the Culina Restaurant Group. He has filled it with simple wooden tables and chairs and a row of comfortable booths, and the space is — for lack of a better word — chill. Whether you’re a Norwood resident or someone who travels across the city to eat there, it’s the kind of place that feels easy to pop into, night after night.
Otto is known for its house-made sausages. But it has a healthy assortment of other plates too, including Currywurst, Pork Schnitzel and the Pulled Pork Sandwich. You could even make a meal of the side dishes, which, admittedly, I’ve done on more than once. Otto’s Smoked Mac & Cheese is a must, as is its Braised Red Cabbage.
But the thing that makes me want to go back to Otto again and again is the atmosphere. It’s casual and light- hearted, just like Donszelmann himself, who has been known to pull up a chair and chat with a table or two over the course of the night. The restaurant perfectly blends good food and a warm community, and I felt like a regular from my first visit. – Zachary Ayotte
Otto Food & Drink
Alberta Avenue | 11405 95 St. NW, Edmonton | 780.477.6244 | ottofoodanddrink.com
Every time I eat at a restaurant, I ask myself: would I come back again? How restaurant owners are able to create a formula that gets a diner’s attention in the moment and compels a return visit never ceases to impress me.
Which brings me to Bianco. Though the Italian restaurant has been anchoring Rice Howard Way since 2019, it’s always top of mind whenever friends ask, “Where should we eat?” Confident and comfortable, Bianco is an old favourite that offers something new to discover, savour and appreciate, visit after visit.
The size and value of the menu also help make Bianco a steady draw. Most Bianco pastas are under $30 and you can get a Margherita pizza, perfect in its simplicity, for $16. You can visit repeatedly and still find something you haven’t tried, and the restaurant has one of the best and most inventive selection of salads in the city.
But it’s not just about the menu, rooted in rustic, house-made pasta, classic Italian carne preparations and delicately charred red and white pizzas straight from the wood-fired oven. And it’s not just the atmosphere — industrial meets Italian farmhouse topped by a glittering chandelier surprise. Rather, there is something about the combination of food and design that lends a powerful sense of place to the eatery, one of three (including Rosso and Nero) owned by seasoned Edmonton restaurateurs Joe Viana and Dave Manna. In a tough and fickle industry, Bianco’s enduring appeal is proof positive: experience matters. – Liane Faulder
Bianco
Downtown | 10020 101A Ave NW, Edmonton | 780.761.8838 | biancoeats.com
This article appears in the March 2026 issue of Edify
