My visit to RGE RD (pronounced Range Road) restaurant was somewhat of an afterthought. Although reservations had already been made for Biera and Bündok (two Edmonton properties appearing on Canada’s Top 100 list) during my stay, RGE RD never came up on my radar. It was only after a last minute search for other top restaurants in the city that I found it – and boy am I glad I did!
Davina Moraiko, the Chef de Cuisine is working pure magic here. Her take on nose-to-tail “untamed cuisine” was incredibly refreshing. Little did I know that she took top spot in the regional round of Canada’s Great Canadian Kitchen Party, and took part in 2019 Canadian Culinary Championships – the same event that Chef Roger Ma of Boulevard restaurant in Vancouver won this year.
This place has a wonderfully unique atmosphere and comes off as relaxed, yet sophisticated. I loved the somewhat eclectic decorating theme (e.g. sheepskin chair backs) and retro music selections. I actually heard Eminem, 70s disco classics, and Christmas music all in the same sitting – which only enhanced the overall cool factor and dining experience.
RGE RD sources ingredients from farms and small-scale producers across Western Canada and the result is delicious. To maximize our tasting opportunities my table mates and I decided to share a number of appetizers. First up was the Grizzly Gouda potato perogies with bacon, white onion cream, and warm cabbage slaw. The dish was outstanding and left the table saying “who thinks of these things?”. Given the theme of the restaurant we moved on to the “Questionable Bits” – which on this night turned out to be an amazing bison blood pudding.
These share plates were followed by the BC Albacore tuna with kelp crust, crispy brussel sprout leaves, and black garlic and carrot emulsion, and the Pork belly and applewood smoked mussels with compressed parsnips, apple compote, and maple beurre blanc. Again, OMG! What incredibly unique and flavourful combinations.
And the foodgasm didn’t stop there. For a main course I selected the Pilatus Farms Bison with fingerling potatoes, grainy mustard, charred carrots and black currents. As I’ve said in previous posts, bison is quite possibly my favourite red meat, and this dish elevated it to perfection. To cap things off, I just had to try the Earl Grey creme brulée with shortbread and bee pollen, and wow – another masterpiece!
But wait, things didn’t stop there! After inquiring about the possibility of trying something “off-menu”, to our utter delight the waiter and chef happily obliged and delivered an outstanding bison and sausage pâté. What a way to end a meal! Mic drop…
I have to say that I absolutely loved this restaurant. I simply can’t say enough about it. The service, the menu creativity, the ambience, and even the wine list were spot on. It was a total visual and olfactory experience that easily compares to some of the higher rated establishments that I’ve had a chance to visit, and was one of the highlights of my Western Canada road trip. Now if I could only bottle some of this stuff up and bring it back home with me…
