Recs near Union Bank Inn (Edmonton)

[cellophane_star]

Hi!

I'm driving from Calgary to attend a wedding later this month. The wedding is mid-afternoon and the reception is at 7:00. Only apps are being served, not a meal, so I'm looking for dining recommendations around the Union Bank Inn.

Big fan of healthy fare, local ingredients, good quality meat & veg, creative but not fussy cuisine. Sort of like District in Calgary.

Bonus points for dining near Rexall Place as well (I know it's not year Union Bank Inn).

Thanks!

[cellophane_star]

Thanks again for all the suggestions! I just made some maps to my reference but haven't made a decision as to which restaurants to visit yet. Breakfast is included in our hotel fees so we'll definitely hit Madison's Grill for breakfast. Luckily, I'll be there on Saturday so I plan to hit the market since the wedding isn't until 2:30. I actually forgot I had been there a few years ago!

[golfer1]

Corso 32 is now closed till the 27th or so, they have gone to Italy for a couple of weeks. We were looking to go there this Thursday.

[anonymoose]

For lunch on Sat, if you don't mind wandering around, I would go to the City Market (downtown farmer's market) on 104 st. There is Queen of Tarts bakery, Creedo coffee, Transcend coffee and the Blue Plate Restaurant all within a block or so of each other there as well, if you want some place to sit down.

Dinner - I agree with chefathome's recs. If they didn't book out the whole restaurant for the wedding you could also try Madison's Grill at the Union Bank Inn.

[chefathome]

I second Madison's Grill. Fabulous service and excellent, creative food.

[cleopatra999]

would Culina Highlands be too far away from the Rexall, if not they would fit the bill. Also Tony's pizza has some of the best pizza in Edmonton (not thick crust). They take reservations and are open early

[CulinaryRD]

Culina Highlands is no longer...they are now Highlands Kitchen. Same chef but new menu and no longer part of the Culina family.

[cleopatra999]

Ah! I did not know, thanks!

[daily_jo]

I agree with anonymoose - 104 St is a great place for any food lover. I recommend the Blue Plate Diner (the best homemade veggie burger you'll ever experience).

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Blue Plate Diner
10145 - 104 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 0Z9, CA

[chefathome]

Our last visit to the Blue Plate Diner was a disaster! But it is because I have celiac and they had false advertising on their menu. They said their sweet potato fries were gluten free but thankfully I questioned it and found out that they really were not. Our waitress was excessively rude (rolling her eyes at my questions that I was very nice about) and even said at the end (after a tasteless meal), "I suppose I'm not going to get a tip out of this, am I?" Ummmm...not so much.

However, other visits have been fine. I have read many great reviews on the place, too. It's just our last visit that was not so great. Advertising something GF can make someone incredibly ill if you cannot have gluten. Seriously ill.

[anonymoose]

Personally, and I know I am a minority here, I find Blue Plate overrated. But it does have a good location and a lot of fans.

[chefathome]

If you are still looking for a spot near the Union Bank Inn I highly recommend Corso32. Innovative menu - sort of funky and fun. There are some communal tables but the food is local and the menu changes frequently. The Marc is also within walking distance and has great food. One of my favourites is Wildflower Grill. The service is impeccable and the food lovely.

[cellophane_star]

I'll check out their menus online. Thanks!

[nsstampqueen]

There is a really old restaurant near Rexall called Coliseum Steak and Pizza - bonus if you eat there you can park for free (it's just above the underpass by the arena). It has decent food - I remember the first time I went - they still have entrees that come with soup or salad as a first course (not many of that era left). Service can be a bit of a headache when it gets crazy - but I'm guessing that not a lot of Pearl Jam fans will be crowding the place for dinner so you might be ok. They make decent steaks and ribs, their Italian is pretty standard stuff I think. The tossed salad was a little lame just head lettuce and tomato I think. It is a perfect spot for eating, parking and making it to the concert and back out again easily.

[anonymoose]

Is this on a Saturday, and are you preferring to walk or drive? Did you want to eat before the reception or afterwards?

Near Rexall, Highlands Kitchen is probably your best bet. Downtown isn't that far from Rexall though, so there are more choices there.

[cellophane_star]

Yes, it's a Saturday. I'd like to eat before the reception (so around 5:30 pm) but I would also be interested in a place to eat lunch too before the ceremony.

I will look into the Highlands Kitchen recommendation :) The night before the wedding, we're going to see Pearl Jam so we'll either eat dinner near the hotel or near Rexall (to be decided).