La Dolce Alberta

As I hustle into Credo Café I can already hear his booming voice before I spot him, strong, passionate, and most of all inviting.

If you haven’t heard of Edmonton-based chef, Daniel Costa, well I apologize for my bluntness, but you need to get out more.  With previous stints at two notable Edmonton restaurants, Jack’s Grill and Da Capo Café, the 25-year-old chef is making a serious mark on our city’s food scene.

“Anyone should be able to eat good food, it shouldn’t just be the elite, people with money.  That’s the experience that I want to create”. Costa’s mantra bodes well for anyone excited about food, culture, and community. His target audience, a younger crowd, (whilst not excluding an elder one), “ Young people appreciate creativity”, Costa states, “ they like the story behind their food”.

Daniel, being Italian, gears most of his dishes in that direction. “I love how Italians highlight one ingredient in their food, they take one thing, be it tomatoes or artichokes, and that’s the focus for the whole dish”.  Having had the privilege of tasting Daniel’s creations on multiple occasions, I can vouch for his ability to master the simplicity of a single ingredient, while creating dishes that are unique and completely his own.

On top of his uncanny ability to make things simply delicious, his ingredients are always local and fresh. “ Italian food is all about using what is available around you”, Costa insists, “ not to mention it’s better for the economy”. Raised in an environment where Daniel and his Father made their own wine, sausage, and tended to a prosperous vegetable garden, his adherence to a locally produced diet is firmly instilled. “ Supporting local food creates a community and that is what is going to help change the food scene in Edmonton”. 

At a time when the local food movement is gaining momentum worldwide, due largely to environmental, economical, and gastronomical concerns, Daniel’s mind-set is truly an asset to our city.  Because his approach is rooted in a traditional upbringing rather than a flimsy trend, we can rest assured that he will do local the right way.

At the moment Costa is the Chef at Redstar, cooking up goodies in a sort of Gastro Pub Style, absolutely unpretentious and reasonably priced (try the papardelle with tuna and tomatoes, or the chicken and wild mushroom polpette, or get both like I always do..yum!)

And what does the future hold for the young ambitious chef?  Lots, of course.  With his vision for a more communal cultural environment within the city, Costa has big plans.  This fall Daniel is launching a website, danielcosta.ca, showcasing weekly recipes, monthly ingredients, and culinary tips of all sorts. There are also plans for cooking classes given by the chef himself (updates will be on the website), and with high hopes, a new restaurant opening in the next year, “ The food will be comfortable but very innovative”, Daniel remarks with an anticipating grin, “ I want everyone to be able to walk in and have a memorable experience”.

When asked, “ Why stay in Edmonton”, Daniel's response is thoughtful, “I think that because I’ve started a community in Edmonton, I wouldn’t feel right about trying to start something new somewhere else”, he adds, “I want to create a community and food brings people together, it brings people together to talk and to share”.

As I leave my interview with Daniel, I feel excited, refreshed and optimistic about what his vision and drive will bring to Edmonton’s ever-evolving cultural climate.  With passion as his guide, Daniel Costa has the potential of bringing our fair city together in celebration of our own Dolce Vita.