Alberta Bound: Edmonton Addition

Winter is coming has a whole new meaning when you spend any time in Edmonton during the actual winter. My husband is from Edmonton – so, I inherited family and friends that live there. Every year we go for a week around Christmas and New Years, to spend time with family and friends, and it is always VERY cold. For those of you who have never heard of Edmonton, it is in Alberta, Canada. I happen to love it and have found some tried and true favorite spots around the city. If you are ever in Edmonton for a weekend hopefully the below will help you enjoy your time in the ‘City of Champions’.

Where to stay?

If you are looking at staying in downtown Edmonton, the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is THE hotel you should stay at. This hotel is over 100 years old and is situated overlooking the North Saskatchewan River Valley. In addition to the historic charm, when you arrive at the hotel you are (typically) greeted by Smudge, their canine ambassador, who absolutely adorable. The hotel contains two restaurants. My favorite is the Confederation Lounge, featuring the most amazing fireplace at 18- foot wide and standing at 9 feet tall. This room is wonderful to sit back, relax and sip some delicious cocktails. In additional to great places to dine, you can also venture out from the hotel in the complimentary downtown luxury BMW hotel car service. To check out the hotel and book your room today click here.

Where to eat?

As most of you know, eating is what Mike and I do best. While we haven’t tried every restaurant in Edmonton, below are some of the places we eat every time we are in town:

Sugar Bowl– This is one of my favorite breakfast spots. Located near the University of Alberta this unique spot has been open since 1943. In addition to amazing cinnamon buns, they offer delicious breakfast food as well as craft beers. Check it out here.

Corso 32- Hands down one of my favorite Italian restaurants, not only in Edmonton but that I have been to. First piece of advice, you MUST MAKE A RESERVATION, there are only 34 seats in this restaurant. Located on Jasper Ave, Corso features local and seasonal ingredients and they give a new spin on traditional Italian dishes. The menu has had a few different items every time we have gone, however the fried short rib with pear and arugula salad has been a constant and it is amazing. Click here to check out the menu and make reservations.

XIX- There motto is “simply great food” and honestly we have been twice and it has been great every time. Nineteen has two locations, one in St. Albert and one in Edmonton (Terwillegar). I don’t know how to describe the “genre” of food but I would say there is a lot of amazing seafood with Asian influence? Obviously I am not a professional food critique so I don’t know the terms. Click here to view the menu.

Rotizado- Being from Texas I find it hard to enjoy Mexican food outside of my home state. However, even in the great white north they have some pretty decent Mexican food. Located across the street from Rogers place (home of the Edmonton Oilers), the is the perfect stop on the way to a hockey game. The drinks were amazing and the food was tasty. Click here to check it out.

Places I want to try but haven’t been able to yet:

Central Social Hall- Central is your Saturday night and your Sunday brunch. They have a scratch-made menu is a modern take on pub food and our craft cocktail list, 24 beers + 12 wines on tap, will keep your glasses full. Some of the menu items I can’t wait to try are: The Ronald – a take on the classic Big Mac. This is what a scratch made, premium ingredient Big Mac tastes like! A little slice of heaven. Their Brunch – the weekend brunch has signature items like CURE (a poutine benedict with bacon and avocado), scratch made Belgian Waffles, and our signature roasted poblano pepper white cheddar sauce (that they use in place of hollandaise). Click here to visit their website.

RGE RD- I have heard nothing but amazing things about this restaurant, that features flavors that ‘explore the taste of Western Canada’. Their menu is seasonal and they use EVERY PART of each ingredient. Click here to check out their menu.

Woodwork- This is a ‘mans mans’ (if that is the phrase) spot. For a fancier than usual guys night at Woodwork you can enjoy wood-fired food and barrel- aged spirits. Mike wants to try this place the next time we are in Edmonton. Click here to see their website.

Enough about food, what should we do?

Edmonton Ice Castles- The ice castles are truly amazing. Mike and I made the mistake of going though on one of the coldest days, and it was freezing. Good news: they had fire barrels and coffee. They are only open certain months of winter so make sure to check out the website ahead of time. Here is the link for their website.

Legislature Lights- The legislature is absolutely beautiful, no matter the time of year. However, the lights during the holidays are magical.

Edmonton Oilers Game- ROGERS PLACE is an awesome new arena in downtown Edmonton and if you are a hockey fan a great place to watch a game. Click here to head to the Oiler’s website.

Telus World of Science- If you have kids, Telus world of Science is a great place to take them to run around and get some energy out. We took Blake and our niece (both 2 year olds), and there are various rooms with hands on activities for the kids to play and learn. Click here to head to the website.

Candy Cane Lane- Another great one for your kids (and adults). For almost 50 years in the Crestwood community is a neighborhood that take Christmas decorations very seriously. This was one of the first places Mike took me on my first trip to Edmonton, and it was amazing!! Link to their website here.

Even though winter is actually winter in Edmonton, the cold doesn’t stop us from eating and finding fun things to do! Hopefully this will give you some places to try if you are ever in YEG.

Happy Traveling,

*Professional Photos at the Hotel Macdonald taken by local photographer Kristal Wolbeck*