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La Petite Iza, The Brasserie Garneau's Been Abel Shiferaw built us a French time machine Locked down in Edmonton and longing for Paris? For meandering meals in a toasty fin de siècle dining room? For an enclave of France in our frozen expanse? Well it’s finally arrived - the only telltale difference being the kindly Canadian service. With limited restaurant service set to recommence on February 8th, we’ve scrapped our coverage of La Petite Iza’s outstanding curbside feasts, Valentine’s Day package, and monumental take home burger that’s taken the city by storm. Instead, let’s walk through the full in-house dining experience this gorgeous new brasserie offers. As we climb to the third floor over La Petite Iza’s sister café and patisserie, Eleanor & Laurent, it’s already clear that Sugarbowl’s inveterate restaurateur Abel Shiferaw has spared no expense in remodelling this Garneau building to reflect the Paris he calls home a quarter of every year. When we reach the top and cross the threshold, it’s as if we’ve stepped into the cab in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. Instant transport. Dark wood panelling and decorative tiles exude their continental ambiance. Grandiose belle époque lamps cascade from the bar top like bouquets of lilies in brushed bronze, bowing their heads as evening descends. Two expansive murals adorn the dimmed lights tiling the ceiling, inspired by the art nouveau iconography of Alphonse Mucha and Toulouse-Lautrec. The only thing reminding us we’re still in Edmonton is the handsome patio that the back of the room opens out on. Come summer, we can all crush Muscadet and Duponts with a view of the valley and downtown’s distant towers. ▶ - 40 -
