Coffee & Treats in Edmonton

Baked off-site and carted in fresh each morning, the eponymous treats at Big City Cupcakes arrive in miniature and regular sizes sporting caps of buttercream icing or festive shavings of coconut or chocolate. In addition to classic flavours, some of Big City's preservative-free cupcakes come stuffed with chocolate ganache, cheesecake chunks, or lemon fillings that surprise tongues like a sugarcoated jack-in-the-box. The allergen-conscious bakers also craft gluten- and dairy-free treats. In addition to cupcakes, Big City Cupcakes carries 16 hand-mixed ice-cream flavours to be consumed plain, blended in a milkshake, or stacked in scoops that resemble a free-spirited snowman.

At Saccomanno’s Pizza Pasta & Deli, which was named Avenue Edmonton Magazine's runner-up for Best Italian Restaurant, a team of pizza specialists creates the eatery’s signature crust and sauce from scratch, as well as crafting veal cannelloni, chicken parmesan, and diverse menu items. Guests can complement their meal with a frosty brew or fine wine, or end the experience by staring pensively into a cappuccino and trying to plot out the second act of a Godzilla reboot.

What began as a single store with a single recipe in 1983 has since expanded to coat tongues across Canada with its handcrafted, always-fresh repertoire of premium ice cream. The aroma of freshly baked waffle cones roams freely throughout each Marble Slab Creamery location, luring customers counterside to watch staff members blend nuts, fruits, and candies into a variety of ice-cream flavours atop a frozen slab. Ultra-fresh ingredients, including dairy products from local farms, vanilla from Madagascar, and fine European chocolates with up-to-date passports join forces to infuse each bite with an extra punch of sweetness. In addition to standard cones, Marble Slab Creamery's daily-made ice cream can also be savoured in the form of ice-cream cakes, milkshakes, and floats, and low-fat yogurts offer a lighter, equally delicious alternative.

From foodies to celebrities, to trendwatchers and Pinkberry's own fanbase of groupies, the buzz about Pinkberry has been sweeping the world. Excitement was high from the very beginning when in 2005 Pinkberry opened its first store in West Hollywood, CA. The demand for the swirls of yogurt was so high that Pinkberry was dubbed the "taste that launched 1,000 parking tickets" by the Los Angeles Times. Undeterred by parking regulations, people were drawn in by their cravings for the yogurt, the abundance of toppings, the bright and energetic modern store design, and the kind smiles of the staff. With over 220 locations in 18 countries, Pinkberry is now one of the most talked about premium frozen yogurts in the world.

Starting with a base of Canadian non-fat, hormone-free milk and non-fat yogurt, Pinkberry's artisans incorporate live and active cultures into the mixture to create a healthy, refreshing treat. The original yogurt is always available, but staffers also swirl new seasonal flavours throughout the year, such as chocolate hazelnut, pomegranate, and cherry. The selection of fresh fruit rotates with the seasons and is cut daily in each store. Other toppings, such as honey almond granola, dark chocolate crisps, swirl pearls, and Italian caramel, allow customers to create a new and inspired flavour combination every visit.

Transcend Coffee's ambassadors make several international trips each year in their search for green coffee farms. They meet with small-scale, eco-friendly growers to tour their crops and microbrewing mills, focusing on building long-term relationships with those who are passionate about coffee. They then buy directly from the farmers, shipping beans back across oceans to Transcend Coffee's central roastery and three cafés scattered across Edmonton. Here, they roast and brew specialty artisan coffees, educate their visitors on the background of each batch, and illustrate the brewing process through interpretive dance.

Using ever-evolving methods, the brewers adopt a trial-and-error approach to defining each coffee's definitive flavour profile. Two licensed Q coffee graders often smell and taste each batch of coffee, and they sort coffees based on rigid quality standards, looking for underdeveloped roasted beans known as “quakers” or “the stupid lighter ones.”

The cafes boast shelves of roasted coffees such as bwayi from Burundi, michioy from Guatemala, and certified organic beans from Santa Lucia. In the store, staffers also point out the highlights of automatic drip brewers, manual brewers, and bean grinders from manufacturers such as Baratza, Bonavita, and Technivorm.