In the coming days, our annual food issue will be available at stands across Edmonton and area. Long-time readers of Edify and our former Avenue Edmonton brand will notice a difference, though — there won’t be any Best Restaurants rankings.
We thought long and hard about what we’d do for our 2021 food issue. We spoke to restaurateurs. We recognized that the story about the local food scene continues to be how we’re banding together to weather the COVID storm. Restaurants have been forced to alter menus. They’ve gone to pick-up and delivery models. The restaurant experience has been forced to change.
We decided that it’s not really appropriate for our magazine to be handing out plaques when those in our city’s restaurant scene are all in survival mode.
The issue will be a celebration of Edmonton’s food scene, and we can’t wait for you to see it.
But, knowing how much readers love best-of lists, we’ve gone back into our archives and surveyed our Best Restaurants issues from the past. We’ve looked at which restaurants have fared well with our judges, and we’ve created this “Hall of Fame” list. It’s made up of the places that made the most appearances on our Best Restaurants lists of the past.
Obviously, the list will be skewed to restaurants that have been in operation the longest, as they would have had more chances to be listed since we started our Best Restaurants program back in 2012. But that’s what a Hall of Fame is about; longevity and excellence.
Enjoy — but we simply ask you to support the local dining scene, whether it’s one of these listed restaurants, your local mom-and-pop spot, or a new spot that’s opened under less than ideal conditions. Eat well, Edmonton — and stay safe!
Currently closed for in-house dining, Chef Daniel Costa’s intimate Italian dining experience has a reputation that’s stretched outside of Edmonton’s borders. The restaurant is currently offering a Corso at Home menu.
Dine-in service has resumed at this casual French spot, famous for its Entrecote Frites, which has consistently ranked as one of the best steak meals in the city. It’s currently open for dinner service Wednesdays-Saturdays, two seating times available. Call ahead.
Proprietors Blair Lebsack and Caitlin Fulton have not only earned steady plaudits in our Best Restaurants issues, they are also both Top 40 Under 40 alumni. Curbside pick-up is available Thursday through Saturday; also, check out The Butchery next door for choice cuts, sausages and some truly unique grocery items.
Daniel Costa makes his second appearance in our “Hall of Fame” with his Italian wine bar, which also features some truly decadent pasta creations. Calling Costa’s menu “bar snacks” would be like calling the Stanley Cup “a trophy.” It’s open Tuesday-Saturday, after 5 p.m.
It’s survived a fire and served Edmontonians for more than 40 years. While the name and decor is an ode to Prague, the menu is pan-European, with schnitzels and goulash that go down so well with beer. Stepping into Bistro Praha is like going into a time machine, a delicious time machine. It’s open again, seven days a week. It should also be noted that the final week of February marks Bistro Praha’s annual celebration of goulash.
When our judges first started raving about Credo, there was one coffee shop on 104th Street, which was pretty well always busy. Now, there are three Credo coffee spots, with treats and some of the best brew in the city.
To claim that Canada’s best French bakery might not be in Montreal… sacrilegious, right? Croissants, bread, pastries, pies… you can order ahead for pick-up and there is delivery available, too.
The west-end restaurant has re-opened, and that’s a good thing, because these Indian banquets are best enjoyed in a small group (cohorts, of course!). Also, make sure to check out what is an underrated selection of cocktails.
Located in a south-side strip mall, we’ve given a lot of love to this Mexican eatery, which dishes out a lot of rustic dishes. We swear by the beef-tongue tacos… but look for other delicacies, like spicy tripe soup.
With decor that celebrates pop culture, and taco fillings made with a mix of love and sorcery, this is a downtown spot that has warmed our hearts and stomachs — and has shown all of Canada that Edmonton can be a hotbed for Mexican cuisine. The carne con chile, beef slow-cooked with chilis, chocolate and beer, is good enough to eat with a fork. And the fish taco is still the best we’ve had outside of Mexico.
Photography by Curtis Comeau, Curtis Trent & Daniel Wood
