Edmonton Downtown Dining Week takes place from March 11 to 20, 2016 at a variety of fantastic restaurants. For 10 days only, sample multi-course meals at some of downtown’s best restaurants for jaw-dropping prices. These are just 10 of the restaurants offering spectacular three-course dinners for the low price of only $28.
A beautiful meal in a beautiful setting: The Alberta Hotel is one of the most elegant refurbished historic buildings in all of Edmonton. For their dinner, they will serve three amazing courses. For an appetizer, choose between a roasted vegetable tart and bone marrow agnolotti with wild mushrooms, parsnip puree, brown butter and Pecorino. For the main event, there’s Alberta lamb ribs or grilled swordfish. Top it all off with a decadent dessert: chocolate fondant with warm caramel, graham cracker streusel and banana ice cream.
During this special event, The Common will offer a lovely three-course dinner. For the starter, choose between mushroom risotto (made with mushrooms sourced from the local food distributor, Mo-Na) and a grilled tomato salad with halloumi, eggplant and arugula, dressed with balsamic and olive oil. For the main event, dig into crusted Quebec veal tenderloin with pommes frites, arugula salad and Béarnaise sauce or sausage ravioli with steamed clams, tomatoes, fennel seed and roasted garlic. For dessert, savour lemon pound cake with poached pear and crème Anglaise.
If you’ve often wondered just how amazing the food is at the Confederation Lounge but haven’t yet sampled their decadent fare, Downtown Dining Week is the ideal chance to try it out without dropping a ton of cash. The Confederation Lounge’s three-course dinner begins with a gluten-free wild mushroom bisque, consisting of a medley of mushrooms and porcini dust. For the entrée, you’ll be treated to a divine coq au vin with mushroom, pancetta and pearl onion ragout, red wine and thyme reduction and roasted potatoes. For dessert, sample an assortment of mini desserts, chosen by the chef.
For the three-course dinner at Lazia, a fusion restaurant located by City Centre Mall, there are several delightful choices. Begin your meal with the wild mushroom soup or the spring salad with ice wine vinaigrette. For the main course, there’s a lovely barbecue beef short rib with Manchego cheese, soft polenta, roasted root veggies, confit tomatoes and a Korean sesame and orange barbecue sauce. For dessert, choose between the dark chocolate raspberry bomb and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.
One of the best French restaurants in the city, The Marc is always a delight to dine at – day or night. For their three-course dinner, guests will first enjoy boulettes de crab – a fried crab, corn and chive dumpling served with Grenobloise sauce (named for the French city of Grenoble). Afterwards, comes Caillettes d’agneau – braised lamb meatballs with roasted Brussels sprouts and pear wedges, fingerling potatoes, carrot veloute and a house-made stout mustard. For dessert, indulge in Crème à l’orange, with orange curd, meringue, Grand Marnier Chantilly cream, fennel pollen, spiced chocolate sauce and cocoa crumbs.
Dinner begins with a choice between classic Caesar salad and Insalata Mista, with mixed greens, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion and balsamic vinaigrette. For the entrée, savour parmigiana, with a choice between veal or chicken. Both are breaded in-house and baked with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, and served with vegetables and penne in a tomato sauce. Dessert is an Italian classic: tiramisu, made in-house.
There are three choices for each course at Central Social Hall. Pick between house-made cheddar and potato perogies with spicy chorizo sausage, spicy maple pecans with salt roasted pumpkin seeds and parmesan popcorn or house-made crispy kettle chips and sour cream and caramelized onion dip. Entrees include buttermilk fried chicken with Belgian waffles, cranberry compote and red wine gravy; seafood linguini, made with shrimp and salmon in a cream sauce; or a barley and quinoa salad with citrus vinaigrette. For dessert, savour either Nutella cheesecake, seasonal fruit crumble or lemon cream pie.
Begin your meal with red pepper bisque, a mixed green salad with garden vegetables, pumpkin and black sesame seeds or Caesar salad with double smoked bacon. For an entrée, you have the tough job of choosing between oven-roasted chicken with basil lemon pan jus, served with wild rice pilaf and veggies; maple bourbon haddock, top sirloin with your choice of wasabi mashed potatoes, wild rice pilaf, Chop fries, baked potato or seasonal vegetables; or roasted mushroom ravioli in a white wine and sage butter sauce. For dessert, there’s tiramisu, warm apple crumble or a mini fallen chocolate soufflé cake.
This Vietnamese restaurant will serve a delicious three-course dinner, starting with a choice of free-range chicken slaw or organic quinoa and mango salad. Both entrées feature decadent Wagyu beef: as the main ingredient in a yummy pho or as steak bites. For dessert, sample vanilla bean gelato with Saigon dark-roasted espresso or a banana steamed rice cake, topped with coconut sauce.
This Italian pizza parlour offers up something a little different than pies for their three-course dinner. Get things started with Italian wedding soup, featuring Italian sausage, spinach, acini de pepe and herb oil. For the main course, enjoy spaghettini and meatballs, with Aspen Ridge Angus beef, crushed tomatoes, cracked pink peppercorn, basil and shaved pecorino cheese. To cap off your delightful meal, indulge in tiramisu, consisting of mascarpone and ladyfingers soaked in espresso.