This article appeared in our Info Edmonton Magazine – March/April 2022.
The Art Gallery of Alberta welcomed the opening of their new neighbouring restaurant, May, in the autumn of 2021, approximately a year after the closure of Zinc. While under new management with Prairie Catering, executive chef Doreen Prei is continuing her tenure in the space and maintaining a locally driven menu. With approximately 80% of each dish being locally sourced, the restaurant is an avid supporter of the Edmonton area’s local farmers, farmers’ markets, and communities…
Q: Where does the name stem from?
A: When you think about our growing season, most farmers are already thinking about how they’re going to seed their land right now, and then in [the month of] May, after the long weekend, it’s when they always say it’s safe to plant. That’s when we basically make our choices of how we’re going to feed our families throughout the year.
Q: How does the restaurant’s connection to the art gallery play in?
A: I studied art history in university before, so I have always had a big draw to art. I try to create a creative space here too, where we brainstorm ideas and think about the exhibits, like what kind of exhibitions are coming and how can we reflect that artist in our menu. For example, there’s an exhibit opening in the middle of February with an artist from Nova Scotia, so we’re doing a very seafood-driven menu… So that’s an education aspect as well. People get a close connection between where they are and what they eat.
Q: Although the menu fluctuates with the seasons, what else can people expect?
A: We have 14 different shareable dishes on the menu because that’s what I want people to feel. When they come here, they’re inviting themselves into our house. They’re here to share and to have fun sharing. They can have fun reconnecting with food… I have a few dishes on the menu that have a nice story of why I put them on. For example, for the mushroom dish—when I was a child, I went with my grandfather to forage mushrooms. When you think about going through the forest, you hear crushing, you see little plants—so that mushroom dish takes you on a little forage hunt.
Reserve, visit, and experience for yourself! Reservations are available online or by phone.
