Food and Cooking in Edmonton, AB

All these things call for a nice, cold drink: hot summer days, sitting round with friends, the end of a long work week, showers. If you know all about shower beers, read on for a generous list of Edmonton’s small batch distillers, brewers and wine-makers – tour the factories and perhaps taste a small sample or bring some home for tonight’s barbecue. [Image credit: iStock.com/Ivan Bajic]

Construction can’t stop these spots – they’re still open for business, despite the work on the 102 Avenue bridge downtown. Unfortunately, some of the other shops in the area have felt the strain that comes with a long past overdue construction project and have either closed or moved. Support these places in High Street to show them you want them to stick around for the long haul.

Although gluten-free products are making their way into mainstream grocery stores more often, there are a few markets in St. Albert that carry their own stock, some of which you can't find in the big box stores. From unique munchies to quality gluten-free meats, these specialty shops have you covered for gluten-free goods. [Image credit: iStock.com/Imagesbybarbara]

Whether you’re planning a simple picnic in the park or a fancy outdoor soiree, the right tools can make or break your picnic party. Not only do you need killer food, you also have to find blankets, games, utensils, and more – plus something to carry it all in. These stores have everything you need to make your next backyard shindig the event of the season.

If Aphrodite made love to a cocoa bean, their lovechild would be chocolate. Chocolate can range from generic to the nectar of the gods. These Edmonton chocolatiers offer up exquisite bites of chocolaty goodness that tend towards the latter end of the scale. [Photo of Sweet Lollapalooza Confections]

Cooking at home is inevitably healthier than eating out at restaurants and fast food places – if you know what’s going in the dish, it’s easier to control. But, there are still ways you can make your meals even healthier without sacrificing taste. These stores carry cooking gadgets that make healthy cooking a breeze.

If you’re an espresso aficionado, then you know it all starts with the right beans. So before hand-grinding a fresh batch of beans, and then brewing the perfect cup of caffeine, pick up a bag of perfectly roasted beans from a roaster right here in Edmonton. These coffee geniuses offer the best espresso beans around.

If you don’t live on a farm, the next best thing is trolling farmers’ markets for fresh produce, organic fruit and killer cinnamon buns. Despite its sometimes too-brief summers, Edmonton has great farmers’ markets, spread throughout the city and the surrounding areas. A visit to any of the spots on this list will never disappoint. [Image credit: iStock.com/upheaval]

Life can get mundane, so spice it up with some fun toys and gadgets that will make your everyday chores more exciting and interesting. Pick up something new at one of these Edmonton gadget stores, which carry everything from kitchen gadgets to electronics.

Ahh, wedding cakes - beautiful works of edible art. The whole wedding cake process is probably the most enjoyable part of planning your wedding. Tasting the varieties, choosing the design, tasting more varieties, all of it is so much fun! So, go ahead: Have your cake and eat it too.

Cheese is basically a godsend. Whether you go for decadent, triple cream brie made from cow’s milk, locally-made organic goat’s milk chevre or a firm, mild pecorino made from sheep’s milk, there is no shortage of cheesy options in Edmonton. These places offer the best cheese selection in the city.

Whether you’re a gourmet chef or can’t boil water but love to indulge in creative meals and fancy foodstuffs, there are plenty of ways to enhance your relationship with food. Outfit your kitchen with superior gadgets and cookware or stock it with gourmet cheeses and meats, artisanal chocolates, and quality oils and vinegars from these specialty shops.