From The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald Best Nearby American (Restaurants) (10 Overall Closest) Metro: Edmonton, AB Empire Ballroom (Restaurants - American) 10065 100 St NW Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton  AB  T5J 0N6 • 780-424-5181 Distance: ~83 m         Description: The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald's Sunday brunch is quite the ritzy affair. It's then that the Empire Ballroom, formerly the hotel's main dining room, is set for a sumptuous midday buffet. If your notion of brunch is something akin to a jazzed up breakfast, you'll be immediately drawn to the crepe and omelette stations, and tables laden with breads, sweet pastries and fresh fruits. If you prefer a more savory approach, try the stir fry station, or sample the ever-changing array of lunch options such as Cajun rockfish with ratatouille or pasta primavera gratin. Of course, grazing is also an option: try a bit of this and a little of that, but be sure to visit the dessert table at least once. And while you're catching your second wind, take note of the beautifully painted ceiling, 24 feet above. Seatings on the hour; reservations are essential. Pradera Café & Lounge (Restaurants - American) 10135 – 100 St Westin Edmonton, Edmonton  AB  T5J 0N7 • 780-493-8994 Distance: ~112 m         Description: The Westin's restaurant excels at fine New Canadian cuisine, utilizing the freshest regional ingredients and employing a number of international twists. Capitalize on your sense of adventure and try roasted rack of lamb with a chorizo and panko crust, oat-crusted venison loin, or bison tenderloin with caribou sausage. Breakfast and Sunday brunch feature more traditional offerings. The daily breakfast buffet has an egg dish, potatoes, meats and assorted other morning goodies, but you can also order from an interesting a la carte menu that includes Belgian waffles, and rosti with tomato, eggs and Swiss. In addition to buffet tables of breads pastries, juice, coffee and tempting desserts, Sunday brunch guests choose from main dishes like berry compote stuffed raisin brioche French toast. Kids In The Hall Bistro (Restaurants - American) 1 Sir Winston Churchill Sq NW City Hall, Edmonton  AB  T5J 2R7 • 780-413-8060 Distance: ~243 m         Description: Having lunch here is the socially responsible thing to do! A program of the Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation, this fantastic eatery is situated inside City Hall and endows at-risk youths with the skills and confidence necessary to secure permanent employment. It's an innovative scheme which has drawn much praise and boasts an 80% success rate. It may be for a good cause, but in all honesty this place makes fantastic food, from sandwiches and burgers to poached salmon and stuffed pork loin. And not only is the food exceptionally good, it's served in big portions and served with a genuine smile. Constantly humming with activity, the bistro is incredibly popular, so reservations may be in order if you plan to visit during peak mealtime. Sunterra Market (Restaurants - American) 10150 Jasper Ave Commerce Place, 2nd floor, Edmonton  AB  T5J 1W4 • 780-426-3791 Distance: ~304 m User Rating: 7.6 / 10         Description: This market and deli is a little bit of everything to everyone. It sells fresh meats and produce, prepares take-home meals, and provides dining options for to-go or in-house eating. The foods are healthy, creative and quite delicious. Wine and beer are available next door at Sunterra Cellar. The breakfast crowd takes advantage of the baked goods and pastries – pair them with a hot beverage from the coffee bar, and you've got a good start to the day. At lunch, you'll find specialty sandwiches, gourmet pizzas, crisp salads and an array of hot entrees like pork in dijon cream sauce and chicken and sausage jambalaya. Incredibly convenient for downtown professionals. Lux Steakhouse and Bar (Restaurants - American) 10155 102 St NW, Edmonton  AB  T5J • 780-424-0400 Distance: ~382 m         Description: "Where" magazine called Lux "Edmonton's best new restaurant for 2005," but the accolades keep rolling in. The stylish setting evokes a trendy NYC establishment, with a waterfall, dark wood, vaulted ceilings and plush upholstery. The menu is classic steakhouse with enough contemporary twists and unexpected delights to keep things fresh. To start, real men will want to order the Red Bull Shrimp "Shots"; groups would do well to decide on the Undecided Platter, which has smaller portions of four popular apps. For the main event, try a veal t-bone, peppercorn-rubbed ribeye, chorizo-stuffed chicken, or double cut pork chop; fancy a la carte sides include truffled lobster mac and cheese, perfectly steamed asparagus with hollandaise, sun dried tomato-goat cheese risotto, and Stella Artois battered onion rings. As you'd expect, the wine list is excellent and service is friendly but professional. Capitals (Restaurants - American) 10235 101 St NW Sutton Place Hotel, Edmonton  AB  T5J 3E9 • 780-441-3031 Distance: ~470 m         Description: The Sutton Place Hotel's restaurant is a quiet enclave of tasteful décor and attentive service. From its perch on the second floor, you can gaze into the atrium and the bustling activity below, or simply relax over a fine meal. If you're visiting for dinner, you can enjoy a grilled steak, roasted rack of lamb, or grilled Atlantic salmon, each accompanied by a side dish that could stand on its own, such as lemon risotto, asparagus with Pernod butter sauce, or tarragon polenta. Lunch is quite popular with the downtown business crowd, who nosh on creative salads, upscale gourmet sandwiches and warming soups. And Sunday brunch is not to be missed, with a bounty of good things beautifully laid out atop groaning buffet tables. An excellent wine list rounds out the offerings. Blue Plate Diner (Restaurants - American) 10145 104 St NW, Edmonton  AB  T5J 0Z9 • 780-429-0740 Distance: ~0.617 km User Rating: 10 / 10         Description: Blue Plate offers gourmet comfort food in a hip, funky setting with exposed brick walls and colorful local artwork. What to order? Standout brunch choices include Ranch Eggs (poached eggs, potatoes, beans, cheese and rancho sauce on corn tortillas, topped with guacamole and sour cream), the house blend granola, and maple-glazed grilled cornbread. Later in the day, you'll still face a tough decision, but homemade soups are hearty and satisfying, as are familiar favorites like meatloaf, mac-and-cheese, ribs and burritos. Vegetarians will be especially pleased to find numerous meat-free dishes, from an unusually tasty veggie burger to curried chickpeas to a tofu pesto melt. Kids have plenty of appealing options, as well. Free Press Bistro (Restaurants - American) #80, 10014-104 St NW, Edmonton  AB  T5J • 780-497-7784 Distance: ~0.653 km         Description: The Free Press Bistro has cleverly capitalized on a theme. The New York-y atmosphere is brisk and fun, with newspaper paraphernalia everywhere, right down to the front page-style menu. So what's the big news? Pressed sandwiches (heh-heh, get it?), on ciabatta bread with a mélange of cheeses, meats and vegetables – there are about 20 different combinations, so you could conceivably eat a different one every day of the week for about three weeks in a row. But if a sandwich isn't your idea of breaking news, the menu also has a fine selection of Leading Stories (apps), an impressive gardening section (salads), and a number of features (steaks, chicken, pasta). Mirabelle (Restaurants - American) 9929 – 109 St, Edmonton  AB  T5K 1H6 • 780-429-3055 Distance: ~1.243 km         Description: For years, Mirabelle has been considered one of Edmonton's nicer restaurants, but despite the upscale Continental menu and studied service, guests aren't expected to dress to the nines – business casual is the norm. During lunch hours the place buzzes with area professionals and government officials from nearby offices, and the fare is a bit more casual, ranging from sandwiches and salads to light entrees. In the evening, the mood is somewhat more romantic and intimate, with couples and friends taking time to reconnect over a fine meal and a glass of wine. Some of the most popular dinner choices are Beef Wellington and Crepes Mirabelle, thin, delicate little pancakes stuffed with chicken, baby shrimp and mushrooms in a creamy herb sauce. Louisiana Purchase (Restaurants - American) 10320-111 St NW, Edmonton  AB  T5K 1L2 • 780-420-6779 Distance: ~1.540 km User Rating: 5.6 / 10         Description: To the accompaniment of spirited zydeco music, patrons savor the flavorful cuisine of the Deep South at this popular restaurant. Seafood, not surprisingly, is tops on the menu, whether you opt for crab cakes, shrimp Creole, or blackened catfish. Traditional fare like red beans and rice is perfectly seasoned and flavored with smoked sausage. You'll also find beer-battered shrimp, crawfish and a rich jambalaya, which comes in enormous portions. Copyright ©2001 10Best Inc. All rights reserved.