This article appeared in our Info Edmonton Magazine—March/April 2022.
FOUR DECADES, THREE GENERATIONS, TWO LOCATIONS:
A 40-year milestone is a big deal even without expanding to another location during a pandemic—and yet, Continental Treat is able to boast about both…
A 40-year milestone is a big deal even without expanding to another location during a pandemic—and yet, Continental Treat is able to boast about both.
The Borowka family emigrated from Poland in the 1970s, starting their journey in the Edmonton culinary scene with the opening of a pizza parlour. They had a passion for food and wanted to share their expertise and love with their new city. In January 1982, the doors first opened for what would become a multi-decade, multi-generational business. Continental Treat Fine Bistro celebrated their 40-year anniversary in January 2022.
Now a staple on Whyte Avenue, Continental Treat started with couple Ryszard and Helena. You may be familiar with their famous dill pickle soup, a specialty of mother Helena. “She was the one originally cooking, with all her recipes from Poland,” shares the Continental Treat marketing director, Christine Champagne. “We have a lot of Polish families that love our flaczki because they make it traditional. So it’s kind of like a taste of Europe, a taste of home.”
While his parents ran the restaurant, young son Sylvester began serving and learning the ropes. He later set out on his own to learn more about the industry through various management roles, including at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, before returning to his current role as part-owner and general manager.
It was Sylvester’s idea about five years ago to transition Continental Treat to its current status as a certified gluten-free establishment. They experimented and adjusted their tried-and-true recipes. “We would make it so nobody could tell the difference anyway. Our gluten-free crowd could eat there and not worry, but other people would come in and they wouldn’t even know the difference,” says Champagne. As more guests and family members presented with gluten intolerances, Sylvester thought it would be an interesting way to set themselves and their Eastern European cuisine apart in the local food scene.
For over a year now, all their products have been created in-house, from the pasta and pierogies to the cakes and breads. During the global pandemic, it was something they could actually control amidst all the inconsistencies with stock, shipping, and operating hours. While the Whyte Avenue location worked well for the short-term, the tiny kitchen and large demand presented new obstacles.
And so they opened their second location. The much-larger downtown space was once home to the iconic Hardware Grill, which closed in autumn 2021. The Continental Treat team wanted to offer patrons of the nearby Arts District another fine dining option to complete their nights out. “When we first came in, it was a bit sad because it seemed like people just up and left. There were still little receipts in the printers,” says Champagne. “But it’s exciting to fill the space, and we’ve kind of made it our own.” Fresh paint, carpets, and personalized touches brought out more of that old European feel that Continental Treat is known for.
It’s all hands on deck for the Borowka family. “It’s been a small business for such a long time that anyone that comes in basically is adopted by the Borowkas, including me,” shares Champagne. Helena was instrumental in ensuring the long-loved consistency, charm, and flavours were carried over to the new location, and working alongside Sylvester now are his son Michael and nephew Matthew.
Three generations are united, growing, and excited for what’s to come—40 years and going strong.
