The bison-focused restaurant RGE RD in Alberta is a model of sustainable, hearty cooking that expresses the terroir of the region.

Top View of RGE-RD Dishes
Thomas J. Story

The area surrounding Edmonton in the province of Alberta is considered to be the agricultural heartland of Canada, and there’s a movement to uplift prairie cuisine taking hold in the city. It’s on full display at RGE RD, named after the range roads that mark the sprawling ranchlands outside the city limits. Here, co-owners chef Blair Lebsack and his wife Caitlin Fulton have evolved their long-table field dinners into a full-service fine dining restaurant, showcasing all that Western Canada has to offer. Their show-stopping nose-to-tail butcher shop located next door to the restaurant offers primal cuts from family-owned regenerative farming operations, as well as sandwiches and grab-and-go items like sausage rolls, charcuterie, sandwiches, and house-made bison jerky.

Caitlin Fulton and RGE RD Chef Blair Lebsack
Caitlin Fulton and chef Blair Lebsack at RGE RD.

Thomas J. Story

A visit to their restaurant reveals soul-warming dishes that are exactly what you’d want to eat mid-winter. Lesback grew up on the land, so championing farmers comes naturally. The first thing you’ll notice on the menu among primal cuts is the focus on bison, a meat that’s having a moment in the wellness community for being a rich protein source with fewer calories and less saturated fat than grass-fed beef. Bison are also viewed as a sustainable source of protein because they roam freely without completely destroying grassland, produce less methane gas, and regenerate the soil as they roam.

RGE RD Interior
The RGE RD interior.

Thomas J. Story

“The settlers came and killed off the buffalo, which was a main source of food for Indigenous people of this land,” says Lebsack. “It’s our homage to our first food.” With bison now sustainably managed, a restaurant like RGE RD can thrive. Taste the regenerative revival in the feast that follows.

RGE RD Interior Bison Detail

Thomas J. Story

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