DJ and Producer, Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen
Back in 2008, DJ Johnny Infamous flew in from Vancouver to play a weekend gig at Union Hall, skeptical he’d enjoy any part of it other than the payday. The night he arrived, it was 25-cent highballs and a lineup around the building — on a Thursday in February. “I was like, what’s going on?” he says. “It was a rager at, like, 9:30.” By the end of the weekend, he was sold. He moved to Edmonton a month later and has shaped its club scene ever since.
Things have changed since then. There used to be way more live venues. Basements with bands, clubs that played everything — those are mostly gone now. That’s part of what makes Double Dragon, which opened in 2023, feel special. “You walk in and it feels like going to an EDM show in the year 2000 or a punk rock show in the late ’90s.”
Located in the Alberta Block building, the venue shares a space with Fu’s Repair Shop, where showgoers can enjoy all-night dim sum and craft cocktails.
“You get that high-end production, but it still smells like skate shoes,” he jokes. “It’s punk rock, and it’s elite at the same time.”
Johnny DJs at Double Dragon about once a month, often for themed parties thrown by Mojo Live, a Toronto collective. One of his favourites was last summer’s Brat-themed Charli XCX night, where “the island of misfit toys all came together,” he says, describing an eclectic crowd. On any given night, the lineup might feature EDM, pop, reggae or even happy hardcore, with everything from local hip-hop battles to touring DJs. And though his wife’s not much for late night parties, Mr. and Mrs. Infamous can always agree on chef Winnie Chen’s food. — Omar Mouallem
Double Dragon
Downtown | 10524 Jasper Ave, Edmonton | double-dragon.ca
Immortal Mascot, Edmonton Oilers
Living in a landlocked city, fresh fish is tragically not as plentiful as Edmonton’s No. 1 sports mascot and feline bachelor would like. Sure, Hunter the Lynx enjoys a buffet of walleye and northern pike found swimming in the North Saskatchewan River, but with his busy schedule of charity appearances and rallying the world’s best hockey team to the Stanley Cup finals, he has had to adopt more of a pescatarian lifestyle.
“My idea of hunting these days involves a well-timed pounce at the sushi bar,” says the disturbingly handsome lynx with washboard abs. “While my wild roots are still there, I’ve traded chasing rabbits for chasing tuna rolls.”
Luckily for Hunter, his favourite seafood spot, Atlas Steak and Fish, is just a stone’s throw from his Rogers Place den. His go-to dish? Roasted sea bass, but he always saves room for calamari or crab cakes. And while he has a preference for marine cuisine, Hunter can’t say no to red meat and good drinks — specifically, the tomahawk steak (a decadent, bone-in cut topped with house-made peppercorn sauce prepared tableside) with a bold and warming Puck Drop cocktail featuring Alberta Premium Cask Strength rye, Aperol, Licor 43 and Angostura bitters. He even has preferred seating, a table near the kitchen so he can keenly observe the chefs at work. — Allison Stephen
Atlas Steak + Fish
Downtown | 10204 104 Ave NW, Edmonton
Summerlea | West Edmotnon Mall | 8882 170 St NW Suite 2710, Edmonton
atlassteakandfish.com
Author and Director of the Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership at Norquest College
One day, author and educator Zeina Sleiman was walking along the Mill Creek ravine, looking for edible plants, when she stumbled upon rosehips, the small red fruits that develop after the rose’s petals fall off. “It was this really nice way to find that the earth is always giving us little hints of hope,” says Sleiman.
The daughter of Palestinian refugees, the author explores the hardships of exile in her debut novel Where the Jasmine Blooms, but it also draws on the natural beauty of her homeland. Some of her fondest memories are rooted in her aunt’s garden in Lebanon, where she’d spend her summers surrounded by avocado trees, eggplants and “the best oranges” she’s ever tasted.
While roses weren’t part of that landscape, Sleiman finds a quiet joy in the wild ones that bloom along the ravine — a small but meaningful link to the beauty she grew up with. More than just delighting the eye, rosewater is a key ingredient in Levantine cuisine. While the plant can be used to make jams, syrups and even vinegar, Sleiman prefers rosehip tea. Another delicacy is her homemade kombucha, which she sweetens with maple syrup. Now, whenever she goes for a walk, Sleiman often carries a bag with her for the edible hidden treasures she might find. –Brooklyn Hollinger
This article appears in the July/August 2025 issue of Edify
