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The room is over 28,000 square feet and features a two-storey granite fireplace in between the dressing and training facilities.
 
Vivo Ristorante attracted to new energy from Rogers Place

LIANE FAULDER
Published on: September 12, 2016

Now, the locally owned eatery is expanding, big time. Managing partner Gregg Kenney says the new location, due to launch in late fall, is located close to the new, downtown entertainment area.

At two floors and over 15,000 square feet, Vivo downtown will offer three venues for lunch and supper. There is a pizzeria (with pizziolos coming directly from Italy), plus a taverna with a menu similar to the pizza spot (which also features pasta and paninis). The main restaurant on the second floor will have about 100 seats to start, and over time, another group of private meeting rooms will be added to hold another 75 guests. The taverna and pizza place will have between 70 and 80 seats combined.

“Downtown Vivo will be a touch more upscale (than the west-end location),” says Kenney. “We’ll have some really cool art upstairs.”

Local metal artist Slavo Cech is doing three pieces for Vivo, and the owners of the restaurant are also commissioning work by Reece Schulte.

The new digs have been a long time in the works, with the lease signed over two years ago. But the space, in an old building at 10505 106 St., needed a lot of upgrades.

Kenney says his team is excited about Rogers Place and the “downtown revitalization that comes with that.” He expects more people to be living in and visiting downtown, which will increase business dramatically in the years to come.


The upstairs menu is the same as Vivo west end, and served family style for sharing. Watch for the signature Grilled Caesar Salad, the Caprese salad and the house-made pastas. Kenney says there will be lots of in-house baking as well, including focaccia and bread for paninis. The new pizzeria features a gas and wood-burning oven.

“I can’t wait,” he says.
http://edmontonjournal.com/life/food/vivo-ristorante-attracted-to-new-energy-from-rogers-place
 
Interesting....

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie
Expect announcement soon that Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tourney (U-18 in CZE in Aug) will move to CAN, specifically EDM, in alternate years.


Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie
Obviously won't be called Hlinka in CAN. Likely to be named after a prominent CDN hockey hero with strong ties to EDM. You get 99 guesses.
https://twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenzie
 
Chopped Canada winner, Shelley Robinson, lands as chef at new casino near Rogers Place

LIANE FAULDER

Chef Shelley Robinson works hard, and plays hard. Ergo, the newest addition to the roster of chefs in Edmonton is a perfect fit for the city’s burgeoning food scene.

The winner of the first season of Chopped Canada, who also made the top six of the final season of Top Chef Canada, Robinson has just landed the executive chef’s position at the new Grand Villa Casino, which opened earlier this month next door to Rogers Place.

At 53, she’s a career chef intimate with all sides of the business, having owned a couple of restaurants (and a cheese shop) in Calgary and Banff. The co-author of four cookbooks, Robinson’s most recent gig was as regional executive chef for Coast Hotels in Vancouver, where she was born, raised and trained in culinary arts.

An avid skier and kayaker, Robinson craves adventure; a particularly satisfying gig was in Kamloops, as a chef for a heli-skiing outfit. There, she enjoyed the thrill of perfect powder and unlimited vertical when she wasn’t creating no-holds-barred menus for wealthy clients.

I talked to Robinson at Atlas Steak and Fish, modelled after company’s original restaurant of the same name in a Kamloops casino. Located on the second floor of the Grand Villa, Atlas pulses with lights, mirrors and music, but has the feel of a traditional steakhouse, featuring linen tablecloths and curved, padded banquettes.

Q: Why this move to Edmonton at this time?

A: I didn’t feel anything exploding in Vancouver. And I like to keep moving and, interestingly, that’s what drew me here. I’m inspired to join Gateway Casinos (which owns Grand Villa), it’s a progressive company, and growing. I’m the only female on the executive team and I think that’s important for other women to see. It’s another great career move. And it’s fair enough to say they wanted me. Money aside, it’s also about being appreciated for what you bring to the table.

Also, Vancouver is a really rough city to live in. I was in a 750-square-foot condo worth $725,000. Everything is more expensive. There is a lot more economic viability in Edmonton. Of course, I know there is the winter. But I have a Canada Goose coat.

Q: You’re in charge of two big restaurants at Grand Villa — the upscale, 150-seat Atlas Steak and Fish, and Match, a more casual resto-pub. What’s it like to work in a big casino, in charge of 100 cooks, sous chefs and dishwashers, when much of your experience has been with smaller, chef/owner eateries?

A: I’ve been to Vegas and I love it, but it’s a whole different thing. You can hear the activity below, people winning on the floor of the casino and there is constant music. Atlas is in an upscale niche, and the steak and fish program are unique to the Edmonton market. The Josper oven (a closed barbecue that combines roasting and grilling) is our signature, and it uses hardwood, mesquite charcoal. It’s a challenging way to cook 350 steaks a night.
http://edmontonjournal.com/life/food/chopped-canada-winner-lands-at-new-edmonton-casino
 
Still a little sad I missed the grand opening after following and documenting this development for so many years.

Not sad why, of course, I had such a fantastic vacation. :D

Once I get settled back into daily life, I'll probably see about taking my father-in-law to an Oil Kings game or something to check it all out.
 
Does anyone know if the casino is going to get any extra signage to look more like the renders? It's a nice building but a bit bland right now

IceDistrictRogersPlaceRenderings1200-14.jpg
 
The electrical connections are all still visible there @jeffm so I imagine they are still on the way. The video screen is a substantial piece of work. On the other hand, the existing Gateway Casino signage is a departure from the renderings. The Oilers sign is not up either.
 

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