By Athena Raypold
Edmonton’s food scene is rapidly achieving critical acclaim. These eight hot spots are considered the best Edmonton has to offer by critics across the country. Not sure where to start? Here’s what each restaurant brings to the table. [Image credit: iStock.com/Marshall Turner]
Founded in 2013 by award winning Chef Blair Lebsack and his managing partner, Caitlin Fulton, RGE RD was established on the premise of connecting with Alberta’s distinct culinary landscape – a true embodiment of the farm to table trend. Since its inception, RGE RD continually snags a spot in Avenue Magazine’s best overall restaurant category and landed at number 48 on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants list for 2015. With a menu that evolves with each season’s culinary offerings, RGE RD perfectly balances a consistent product with creativity and innovation. Speaking of innovation, RGE RD’s popular dish, Questionable Bits, scored the number one spot on The Tomato’s Top 100 Things to Eat in Edmonton for 2016.
Chef Daniel Costa’s wine and spuntini bar on Jasper Avenue is a favourite spot for Edmonton fare, ranking at 51 on Canada’s 100 Best this year, taking third place on Avenue Edmonton’s Best Small Plates 2016 list, in addition to securing a spot on The Globe and Mail’s top new Alberta restaurants of 2015. With a small plates menu intended for group sharing in their cozy, dark room with a backlit bar, Bar Bricco puts out delectable, house-cured meats and toothsome cheese, as well as an extensive wine list made up of both old and new world flavours.
Arguably Edmonton’s most popular restaurant, if you want to secure a table at Corso 32 make your reservation a month in advance. The first of Chef Daniel Costa’s critically acclaimed restaurants, Corso 32 has a modern décor and menu flair, but between its friendly and knowledgeable servers and the familiar Italian flavours, it beautifully melds Italy’s old and new. This year, Corso 32 scored a spot on Canada’s 100 Best list, won second place in Avenue Magazine’s best overall restaurant, and the number one spot for Avenue Magazine’s best Italian category (four years running), in addition to winning the number two spot on The Tomato’s Top 100 Things to Eat in Edmonton for 2016 for Chef Costa’s delectable pumpkin tortelli.
An old world Mexican rotisserie restaurant located in the Mercer warehouse, Rostizado is the sister restaurant to the infamous Tres Carnales, and is possibly even more popular. Since opening, Rostizado’s accolades include Avenue Edmonton’s Best New Restaurant 2015, third place in Avenue’s Best Overall 2016 category, and first place for Best Latin. Only taking reservations for tables larger than eight, the wait at Rostizado can be long, but with the scent of rotisserie meats and Latin spices, patrons will longingly await a table. The Globe and Mail also listed it as one of the top new restaurants and it’s on Canada’s 100 Best restaurants list.
Award winning Chef Andrew Fung’s Asian-European meld of menu items is fine dining fusion at its very best. Between the restaurant’s classy modern decor and their sublime menu, XIX offers an adventurous menu that pairs tangy Asian flavours with traditional Alberta staples: Sake soy glaze baby back ribs, hoisin glazed beef short ribs (topped with onion rings) and lemon tarragon chicken. Their infamous tuna twist appetizer, placed number five on The Tomato’s Annual Top 100 things to eat in Edmonton, and it even pleased the palate of “no fish foodie,” The Salty Almond.
New to the Whyte Avenue restaurant scene, NongBu offers a uniquely modern take on traditional Korean food in a minimalist, chic atmosphere, winning them the Best New Restaurant accolade from Avenue Edmonton. Another of The Globe and Mail’s top new Alberta restaurants 2015, NongBu Korean Eatery serves up hip and gourmet, yet also familiar Korean dishes from kimbap to pa-jeon and street food to barbecue. Fan favourites inclue the ddukbokki (fried cylindrical rice cakes), Gochujang pork ribs, and the bossam pork belly.
Two-time Gold Medal Plates winner Chef Jan Trittenbach is the culinary expert behind 124 Street’s Solstice Seasonal Cuisine. Creating a beautifully concise menu that offers only the best ingredients each season has to offer, Solstice sources local whenever possible, but always seeks the highest quality fare. Its hand-selected and beautifully eclectic cocktail, wine and beer menus beautifully complement Solstice’s fine fare, scoring them a spot on The Globe and Mail’s top Alberta restaurants list.
This spot is notorious for Chef Rosario Caputo’s spectacular arancini (a crunchy exterior with a gooey, cheesy interior), which secured them the number three spot on The Tomato’s Annual Top 100. Cibo Bistro is also praised for their multi-course tasting menu, which includes sommelier Lisa Caputo’s perfect wine pairings. Not only has Cibo Bistro received countless nods for their superior handmade pasta, but their fabulous menu keeps patrons on their toes, as it changes seasonally – regardless, the fantastic food at Cibo Bistro has received acclaim in Avenue Edmonton’s best overall, best Italian, best steak and best lunch categories.
From Italian and Asian to Mexican and straight up, wholesome Albertan cuisine, Edmonton’s most critically acclaimed restaurants offer vast and varied fare to please your palate. Widely considered the best restaurants in Edmonton, these spots won’t disappoint.
