LOOK OUT, BRUNCH
New restaurants are revitalizing breakfast
No sooner has brunch established itself as the go-to meal in Edmonton than its scrappy younger sibling elbows on to the scene in a full-on battle for egg supremacy.
Yes, breakfast has busted into the marketplace with three new establishments that focus on foods eaten early, and often.
Rooster Cafe and Kitchen (10732 82 Ave.) had its soft opening around Christmas, and coowner Charles Rothman has now got his extensive menu down pat. The focus at this Whyte Avenue establishment is local, with a fair sprinkling of authentic Jewish foods, such as fresh bagels from Gryfe’s in Toronto (Rothman’s neighbourhood bagel shop when he was growing up).
“We’re giving our customers some great variety but trying to do breakfast using the best possible local ingredients,” said Rothman, who uses 20 different local suppliers at Rooster.
Watch for jams from Fruits of Sherbrooke, eggs from Four Whistle Farm and sausage from Fuge Fine Meat.
The trendy Doughnut Party is supplying a glazed doughnut as the base for Rothman’s savoury breakfast sandwich.
Cheese curds for the breakfast poutine are from Sylvan Star near Red Deer. Johwanna Alleyne of Mojo Jojo Pickles is helping Rothman develop an in-house sauerkraut.
Rooster attracts attention with dishes like the Alberta Sour Cherry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast. But I think it’s the bagel bar with smoked salmon by local chef Robert Sgambaro, plus clever touches like house-made peanut butter, that will keep customers coming back.
The restaurant, which also serves lunch, opens at 8 a.m. every day but Sunday, when it opens at 9 a.m. (Visit the website for more details at roosterkitchen.ca.)
“It’s a concept and menu with a Jewish feel to it, which I feel is under-represented on Edmonton’s culinary scene,” said Rothman. “It’s very nostalgic for me and the menu is personal, in a way.”
One of the items is named for the beloved Edmonton chef, Gail Hall, a friend of Rothman’s who died of breast cancer in November 2016.
“It’s a kippered salmon club sandwich with arugula, Gull Valley tomatoes and Irving ’s Farm Fresh bacon on challah with a garlic dill sauce,” said Rothman, noting $1 from every sandwich goes to the Edmonton Community Foundation’s ChefGail Fund. “It has Jewish elements and multiple local suppliers, which I feel represents our late friend.”
While it’s not news that Calgary’s famed OEB (which stands for Over Easy Breakfast) has had Edmonton on its radar for some time, readers familiar with the crazy popular Cowtown eatery will be happy to know the restaurant should be open in the Kelly Ramsay building (10040 101A Ave.) by the end of March.
“We are really excited to come to Edmonton, I was always looking to branch out,” said owner and chef Mauro Martina.
The Kelly Ramsay store will be a mirror of OEB’s downtown location in Calgary, found at 225 5 Ave. The Edmonton space is about 2,400 square feet, but only 2,000 of it is usable.
With 65 seats, “it will be tight,” said Martina.
But he likes a place that seems crowded.
“From my experience as a chef and having the opportunity to travel, unless it’s crowded, I don’t want to be in it.
“You feel the energy and buzz in the room, being among other patrons enjoying a cappuccino and having a great meal.”
The space features lots of colour, with plenty of windows and an open kitchen.
Head chef Nate Henry (who once owned 12 Acres restaurant in St. Albert) is running a crew of about 20 staff. The menu is large and inventive, with everything from Belgian waffles to poutine to rabbit mortadella. Hand-pressed burgers. French toast trifle. You get the picture.
So far, there are no reservations for OEB, but they will use the No Wait app so people can get in line from their own homes. Later, Martina plans to take reservations on weekdays, as he does in Calgary, because business people aren’t comfortable with standing in lineups of uncertain length with their clients.
Martina says Edmontonians will love their new OEB, which will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“You’re going to be like, ‘Wow, this reminds me of eating in someone’s home.’ It’s a very open kitchen, you get to see the chefs in action,” he said.
“I think OEB is in its own league and I have to keep it going. I love what I do and I am passionate about it.”
It’s easy to think that all the trendy foods are found in the core of the city.
But a cafe in the Ellerslie area is proving the suburbs have hipster potential, too.
Brown Butter Cafe opened in late 2017 on 91 Street south of Ellerslie Road in a seemingly sterile professional building (1528 91 St.).
But chefs and married couple, Heena Mak and Michael Mak, have brought a carefully crafted experience to daycare workers, dental hygienists and chiropractors that are their neighbours, not to mention young parents now choosing Brown Butter Café as their go-to spot for coffee with the kids.
Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, the bright and airy café has several delicious breakfast options, including house-made cereal (granola with dried fruit, nuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds and topped with berries or bananas and a choice of soy, almond or coconut milk) and a breakfast bowl (made with seasoned potato, kale, tomato, cheddar cheese, cucumber, and a sunny-side-up egg).
But perhaps their most popular seller in the morning is the Good Morning Breakfast Bunwich.
The Bunwich starts with a house-made Asian-style bun that is slightly sweet with a crispy, browned top. Common in Asian cultures, the bun features different sweet and savoury choices for stuffing.
Brown Butter Cafe also serves numerous lunch items, such as rice bowls, and a selection of special coffees with beans roasted by Phil & Sebastian.
Both Heena Mak, 25, and Michael Mak, 40, graduated from the culinary arts program at NAIT in 2014 and have worked at numerous great Edmonton restaurants including Cibo, Nineteen and Rostizado, plus Fairmont Hotel properties in Vancouver.
Both dreamed of owning a restaurant, and chose a cafe in the suburbs because there wasn’t much competition for the combination of great coffee and handcrafted menu items they were keen to create.
It’s also close to the home they share with their new baby, Greyson.
“A lot of people who work in the area don’t have time to eat breakfast at home,” she said.
“They have to show up for work early, and they have kids and their mornings are hectic.
“It’s easy for them to grab food elsewhere, and have something in their stomach before they start their day.”
The couple makes about 300 fresh buns every morning, which are whisked from the café by the end of each day.
“We just like making something we are passionate about and then having people enjoy it,” she said.