A St. Albert couple is using local ingredients and European cuisine to grow a new brunch outlet on Perron Street.
St. Albert residents Chelsea and Tony Tipping opened the Wildroots Bistro restaurant on Perron St. Oct. 9. The breakfast/brunch outlet is a few paces away from Jack’s Burger Shack.
The opening is something of a homecoming for the Tippings, who grew up in St. Albert and Sturgeon County and worked in many area restaurants.
Tony said the two of them first met working in the kitchen of what is now the Riverbank Bistro in St. Albert. After about a month, the two of them had really hit it off.
“I wanted to go work in Europe, so I asked Chelsea if she wanted to come to Europe with me,” Tony said.
Chelsea said the two of them trained in Paris, Brussels, Belgium, and London before coming back to St. Albert to work at the now-closed Privada Wine and Tapas for about six years. After getting married in 2019, they spent about five years managing and cooking in various St. Albert and Edmonton restaurants.
All that changed after a rough day of work last July, Chelsea said. They went for a bike ride to de-stress and spotted the “For Lease” sign on the space formerly occupied by Cerdo Tacos + Tequila (which relocated to St. Albert Trail last June). They loved the location, and decided to open their own restaurant in it.
“This was kind of our five-year wedding anniversary gift to each other,” Chelsea said.
By Aug. 1, the Tippings had the keys in hand and a whirlwind of renovations to complete. Chelsea said they went with the name Wildroots to reflect their love of international cuisine and their roots in St. Albert. Tony built the restaurant’s booths and sign, the latter of which was made from pieces of the arch they used at their wedding. They decorated with green, white, and lots of plants for a down-to-earth feel, and went with an open kitchen so guests could see Tony cook.
“I hate working in dungeons!” Tony said.
Really, really local
Wildroots specializes in European dishes such as apple tarte tatin, gnocchi carbonara with smoked confit duck, and whatever else the two of them come up with, Chelsea said (they plan to switch up the menu when the seasons change).
“We’re kind of like brunch for foodies,” she said.
Tony said he uses ingredients sourced from the St. Albert and Sturgeon County region whenever possible, some of which he and Chelsea forage from the wild. They’ve collected green pine cones for syrup, for example, and wild sea buckthorn berries for hot sauce. He said using local wild ingredients helps reduce food waste and preserves culinary traditions.
Chelsea and Tony said Wildroots has proven popular enough that they’re already looking to hire more staff. While their focus is on brunch, they also plan to host cocktail nights and other special events in the evening. Chelsea hopes the business will eventually earn either a Bib Gourmand or Star award from the Michelin Guide (a famous guide to restaurants).
Wildroots Bistro is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and located at #150–15 Perron St. Visit wildrootsbistro.ca for details.
