SMART COOKIES
Edmonton’s sweets scene just keeps getting sweeter
Oh, Edmonton, sweet city of baked goods. Thank you for the new Bloom Cookie Co., yet another addition to our fragrant fresh cookie scene.
If you have spent time at the City Market or St. Albert farmers market, you’ll probably have run into Ashley Benson and her husband, Andrew. For the past six years, Ashley has been creating delicious, dairy and egg-free wares for sale at markets and in a few, select coffee shops and restaurants. Now, Bloom has expanded into an attractive new, space at 10350 124 St.
Designed by Andrew (a branding designer and illustrator), the shop is right next door to Prairie Noodle ramen shop, adding another food option to the already hopping 124 Street area. The Bensons love their new neighbourhood.
“It’s such a good community that’s supportive of small business,” says Andrew.
When Ashley first started her business back in 2012, she thought she would be catering to those who eschew animal products. But at least half of her clients are simply allergic to eggs or dairy. Bloom cookies are also nut-free, and they make a gluten-sensitive cookie (prepared in the same kitchen as the other cookies, but without flour).
The shop always bakes London Fog cookies (made with Earl Grey tea), plus chocolate chip and gingersnap. Other popular bites in rotation are oatmeal stout, Black Forest, cranberry shortbread, and eggnog (without the eggs). There are gift tins for Christmas.
In a phone interview while manning the counter, Andrew called the ambitious expansion “terrifying sometimes.”
“But we have a good supportive team behind us,” he says.
The shop is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can also find their cookies yeararound at Remedy, Da Capo Caffe, Barking Buffalo, Hexagon coffee shop and Barber Ha.
Over at Bon Ton Bakery, store manager Gerry Semler notes that their updated fruit cake, Fruit Cake 2.0, has been well-received. Swapping out fruit glacé for dried fruit that’s been soaked in rum for a couple of weeks, Fruit Cake 2.0 is also nut-free.
“It tastes lighter than our traditional cake, but it has that rum flavour and the millennials are loving it,” says Semler.
Of course, the traditional cake is also on the shelf, plus the bakery ’s delicious panforte, a dense, nutty square that includes tasty bites of figs, honey and cocoa.
Watch also for stollen, that cakelike fruit bread so perfect with coffee during Christmas morning gift-opening.
Bon Ton is situated at 8720 149 St.
The Highlevel Diner (10912 88 Ave.) wants fans of its tourtiere to know that the traditional French Canadian savoury pies are available to eat in the restaurant throughout the season, and also to take home frozen. If you order the tourtiere to eat in the restaurant, $1 from each plate goes to the Christmas Bureau.
Head chef Adam Stoyko describes the tourtiere as a blend of aromatic spices, potato, onion, beef, pork and turkey (the proteins are locally produced, antibiotic and hormone free).
The take-home pie feeds six to eight ($33) and you can also purchase house-made chutneys for an extra $7 to serve with the pie.
Call 780-433-0993 to order.
Cafe owner and coffee aficionado Antonio Bilotta has launched a Kickstarter campaign to “get us across the finish line” at his new, downtown cafe and restaurant, Al Centro.
The concept — three years in the making — is due to launch in January, once the last permits and final touches are complete.
Located at 9888 Jasper Ave., Al Centro is both a cafeteria-style restaurant and a sit-down dining space, depending on the time of day. Featuring two espresso machines for speedy service and five different display cases with a variety of foods, from salads to pastries, Al Centro is inspired by Italy ’s devotion to coffee and food.
The 80-seat restaurant will specialize in Romano-style pizzas, sal- ads, gluten-free and plant-based items, plus gelato. Bilotta emphasizes that fast and healthy is the daytime focus.
But come sundown, it’s aperitif time at Al Centro and things slow down nicely. From 4-7 p.m., customers can order from a selection of wines and Italian cocktails. Italian-style dishes complement the cocktails, and there will be free bites every day during aperitif time.
The Kickstarter campaign aims to raise $100,000 by Dec. 25.
Bilotta, who owns Da Capo Caffe on Whyte Ave., is offering a host of great incentives, from wine-tasting opportunities to pizza parties thrown for your entire office.
CBC Radio’s popular afternoon show food columnist, chef Doreen Prei, has made a career move. Previously executive chef at Get Cooking, Prei has switched into a chef ’s position at Under the High Wheel, the popular Whyte Ave. spot owned for nearly seven years by chef Jennifer Ogle and Ada Kalinowski.
“I’m very impressed with them and what they do,” says Prei, whom readers may know from her regular appearances, Thursdays at 4:40 p.m., on CBC Radio’s Radioactive.
Prei is crafting dishes for breakfast, brunch and lunch (which are served seven days a week), but is also creating a new dinner menu expected to launch in January.
The eatery is situated at 8135 102 St.
Prei also just redesigned the menu at Noorish, moving the restaurant from full vegan fare to a mixture of vegan, vegetarian and raw food items.
But don’t panic, Prei left about 20 per cent of the menu intact, so favourites such as the kale salad are still available.
Noorish is found at 8440 109 St.