Residents have stated they want more ethnic shops in St. Albert and a new Italian market is coming to town.
Mercato by Italian Bakery, slated to open in the spring of 2017, will make its home in Shops at Boudreau on 120 Bellerose Dr. where the old Hole’s Greenhouses were situated.
St. Albert resident Adamo Rossi, a grocery connoisseur who spent 24 years learning the trade under Frank Spinelli, founder of at the Italian Centre Shops, is the driving force behind the European style market.
He has partnered with Italian Bakery owners Gilberto and Renato Frattin, and Frank Devenz to develop a 10,000 square foot shop that will have “every component” of a supermarket.
“It’s going to have cafĂ©, a bakery with fresh bread and pastries daily, a deli with salumeria (salami) and imported cheeses, local produce, pasta and some house wares from Italy,” says Rossi.
Rossi believes the Shops at Boudreau location operated by Chrisen Realty Corporation is impeccable.
“I had the inside track with the landlord who wanted to put in a specialty market. But first we had to meet with the Italian Bakery. I told Renato my vision. He was excited and we landed the deal with the landlord.”
Chef Gail Hall is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Seasoned Solutions. In honour of the company’s longevity, she’s planned three fabulous culinary tours for 2017.
The first is a trip to New York City from May 18 to 22. This is the fifth culinary tour to the Big Apple. Hall plans to showcase all the highlights of the previous four tours.
Canmore, with its stunning mountain backdrop, is slated for Aug. 5 to 7. The menu includes a stop at farms and producers, a visit to a brewery or two, eating at fantastic restaurants and a cooking class.
Hall rounds out the year with a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico in Sept. The New Mexico food culture is a fusion of Spanish, Mediterranean, Mexican, Native American and cowboy chuckwagon.
Itineraries for all three tours will be available online in Sept. at seasonedsolutions.ca.
