Edmonton·Is the Food Worth It?

As a meticulous J-type foodie, I scoured every guide before this trip and picked several highly recommended spots. Interestingly, Edmonton restaurants share this laid-back vibe—with just the right moody lighting. 📢 2/15 Bianco 🇮🇹 🍹 Cherry Whiskey Sour | 4/5 Lighter than your typical whiskey sour—initially underwhelming, but its crispness grew on me alongside the meal. 🐙 Calamari | 4/5 A recurring star on our table. Crunchy, generous portion, though slightly over-breaded. (Or maybe we’re biased? 😂) 🐂 Carpaccio | 5/5 The thinnest beef slices ever—yet tender, rich, and buttery. Paired perfectly with bread. 🍝 Linguine al Nera | 1.5/5 Gluey, drowned in cheese. 🚨 First two bites were okay, then overwhelming. Tiger prawns? Overcooked. Clams? Gritty. 🍕 Pesto Verde | 1/5 Thin, hand-tossed crust with a smoky char—but the pesto lacked flavor, and the chicken was dry. Heartbroken as a pesto lover. 💔 2/16 Braven | Hotel Steakhouse 🦪 PEI Oysters | 3.5/5 Petite but fresh—though lacking that briny punch. 🥩 Porterhouse Steak | 3/5 Skipped appetizers for this… only to get a steak between medium and well-done. The broccolini (✨oily, garlicky✨) outshone the meat. After complaining, the chef audibly lectured the cook. A re-fired steak arrived—still not medium-rare. 🥲 Ate it with "Edmonton chill" attitude. Got 50% off. Pro: The retro red booths are photo-worthy. 2/17 Pip | "Edmonton’s Best Brunch?" Arrived early without reservations. Told to wait 1 hour—left to browse Winners, only to get a "table ready" text as we stepped inside. Classic. 🥞 Beef Short Rib Benedict Short rib slightly dry but sweetly savory. Side salad saved the dish. Best part? Stole my partner’s grilled cheese when they weren’t looking. 😘 🥯 Daily Special (Salmon Bagel) | 👎 Cold, crumbly salmon on a rock-hard everything bagel. Skip. Final Thoughts Bianco: Hit-or-miss—stick to appetizers and carpaccio. Braven: Style over substance. Maybe just drinks? Pip: Overhyped, but the benny has potential. #EdmontonEats #FoodieDiaries #HitOrMiss #BrunchWarriors #ItalianFoodCrimes #SteakhouseShenanigans