by Caroline Barlott
The far south side of Edmonton is built mostly for driving, with plenty of big box shopping and chain restaurants. But the area is also home to many interesting, independent shops, and restaurants that you won’t find in any other area of the city. Both Ellerslie and Summerside are neighbourhoods worth taking the time to explore while you eat, shop, play and relax in these unique places. [Photo credit: photosbygurvs]
When you walk into Zaika Bistro, the focal point is the circular buffet, and for good reason. The Indian restaurant serves an impressive array of bistro mains including beef vindaloo, palak paneer, and lamb korma. The restaurant has an elegant bar on one end, and a romantic dining room on the other, created by the soft lighting of chandeliers.
Cured Wine Bar is the perfect place to have a glass of wine and enjoy a charcuterie platter, before heading next door to Zaika for a full meal – you could really make a whole night of the outing. Or, you could stay at Cured, considering they offer full meals including chicken and waffles and rack of lamb. You could even make a meal out of the Pig Out option, which includes all the meats they offer on one board.
Located in Summerside, Workshop Eatery says right on their website that their “menu is small and [the] food takes time.” This restaurant is basically the antithesis to the many chains in the area. Not only are the offerings the opposite of fast food, they’re also full of local ingredients mixed in unique ways to create dishes including the liver parfait, the goat cheese perogies, and the cornmeal-crusted pickerel.
Ellerslie Gift & Garden is a family-owned business that prides itself on not being a big box store. The shop has a wide range of goods from décor to fashion. But their main draw is the extensive plant collection, housed in many greenhouses and in the outdoors during the summer. They carry everything you need to start the growing season and enjoy it throughout the year.
Wee Love Baby Boutique is owned by a husband and wife team with four young children, who understand the importance of providing quality goods and service to busy families. The shop carries everything from children’s clothing to products for pregnant women and new parents.
Cerise Floral Studio showcases some of the arrangements they create for special occasions or important events on their website. The colours are bold and bright and the flowers are often unique and always fresh. Customers can shop online or they can custom order amazing arrangements.
Real Deal Meats is like a throw-back to the butchers of old. While many grocery stores now offer similar services, they often do not offer the same quality or variety of cuts as traditional butchers. At Real Deal Meats, the butchers are dedicated to creating cuts that are specific to the needs of the customer. The shop carries a variety of interesting meat not often found elsewhere including wild boar, elk, yak, goat, and elk.
Lake Summerside offers a beautiful view for the residents who live just off of it. But even for those who don’t live right next to the lake, there are opportunities to enjoy its beauty. During the spring and summer months, Waterman 5 offers stand up paddle boarding lessons, and yoga paddle boarding. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while keeping active in a fun way.
My Gym Children’s Fitness Centre is the ideal place for families looking for some serious play time. It’s an international brand that offers unique classes for kids from ages six months to 10 years. Children can gain strength, flexibility, balance and coordination while having fun learning from trained staff. Active birthday parties are also offered with various games, puppets and songs on the agenda.
Next Level Martial Arts offers classes to both adults and kids in a variety of discipline and skill levels. There are beginning kickboxing classes, boxing classes, Brazilian jiu jitsu courses, sparring opportunities, and mixed martial arts for children.
Floatique Rest Centre is a great place to come when you want to rejuvenate your mind and body after a long work week. The centre offers the chance to float in salt water filled floatation tanks. It’s the perfect antidote to a busy and hectic schedule.
Pure Wellness Studio has both a massage therapy location and a fitness space in Ellerslie. For those looking for relaxation after a long day or week filled with both work and play, the massage therapy offered by Pure Wellness is ideal. They offer many types of therapeutic massage including cranial sacral therapy, prenatal massage, geriatric massage, trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage.
There you have it! A sampling of some of the very best that Ellerslie and Summerside have to offer. So, next time your driving through the deep south (of Edmonton) keep in mind there are some great shop, restaurants and more for you to discover.
