Our Story
Building a restaurant that honours place, people, and the seasons
What We Believe
Canadian cuisine isn't something we need to invent—it's already here, written in the seasons, the soil, and the stories of people who've worked this land for generations. Our job isn't to impose an identity but to listen carefully and translate what we hear onto the plate.
We believe in ingredients that come with context. Every carrot has a farmer behind it; every mushroom tells you about last week's rain. When we choose suppliers, we're choosing relationships, not transactions. This commitment shapes not just our menu but our entire approach to hospitality.
Cooking is a conversation—between tradition and innovation, between the familiar and the surprising, between the kitchen and the guest. We aim for dishes that feel simultaneously comforting and curious, that honour where they come from while being open to where they might go.
Above all, we believe in showing up with intention. That means sourcing thoughtfully, cooking carefully, welcoming warmly, and continually asking ourselves: Are we doing justice to the ingredients, the producers, and the people who trust us with their evening?
Elena Kovich
Elena grew up in Edmonton, but her culinary education took her far from home—from Parisian bistros to Copenhagen's new Nordic movement, then to the Pacific Northwest where she fell in love with ingredient-driven cooking. After a decade away, she returned with a question: what would Canadian cuisine look like if we approached it with the same care and curiosity she'd seen abroad?
Tenzaro is her answer. Not a definitive one, but an evolving exploration. Elena's cooking style blends classical technique with an almost improvisational responsiveness to what's available. She's as comfortable breaking down whole animals as she is coaxing unexpected depths from humble root vegetables.
"I want people to taste Alberta," she says, "not as a concept, but as a place—the actual dirt, the specific weather, the hard work of the people who grow our food. Everything else is just amplification."
Recognition
- Canada's Top 50 Restaurants, 2024
- Avenue Magazine: Edmonton's Best New Restaurant, 2022
- Western Living: Chef to Watch, 2023
The Tenzaro Team
The people who make it happen every night
Sophie Martineau
Sous Chef
Sophie trained in Montreal before moving west for ski seasons and never left. Her pasta-making skills are quietly legendary, and she runs the line with calm precision even on the busiest Saturday nights.
Marcus Chen
Pastry Chef
Marcus approaches dessert with the same savoury sensibilities as the rest of our menu. Expect unexpected herbs, subtle salinity, and desserts that actually balance a meal rather than overwhelm it.
Amara Johnson
General Manager
Amara ensures that the front-of-house experience matches the care we put into cooking. Her hospitality philosophy is simple: treat guests like you'd want to be treated, anticipate needs without hovering.
Sourcing & Sustainability
Building a responsible restaurant, one decision at a time
Radical Localism
Within 250 kilometres—that's our sourcing radius whenever possible. This isn't dogma; it's practicality. Local means fresher, more flavourful ingredients and relationships we can nurture. We know our farmers by name, understand their challenges, and plan menus around their seasons, not our whims.
Whole Animal Utilization
When we buy a pig from Prairie Sky Farm, we use everything. Chops become entrees, belly transforms into charcuterie, bones make stock, fat renders for cooking. It's both ethical and delicious—forcing creativity while honouring the animal's life.
Water & Waste
We compost everything compostable, sending over 80% of kitchen waste back to the farms that supply us. Low-flow equipment, conscious water usage, and partnerships with organizations that redistribute surplus food to those who need it.
Community Commitment
Beyond serving dinner, we believe restaurants have a responsibility to strengthen their communities. Tenzaro partners with the Edmonton Food Bank, hosts quarterly fundraising dinners for local non-profits, and provides mentorship opportunities for culinary students. We also offer reduced-rate catering for community organizations and donate surplus prepared food weekly.
Our success is meaningless if it's not shared. We're committed to being good neighbours, ethical employers, and active participants in making Edmonton a better place to live, work, and eat.
Experience Tenzaro
We'd love to welcome you to our table