My daily bread...
Hello Rise Friends,
A short week, a long weekend, and lots of love at RISE as we gear up for Valentine’s Day!🤍
With Valentine’s Day landing on Saturday, we’re leaning into it in the most Rise way we know how: warm, beautiful loaves, red-tinges wherever we can squeeze them in, cozy comfort food, and thoughtful details made to be shared. This week’s menu is all about love - love for good food, love for gathering, and love for taking a moment to slow down and enjoy it.
A very important note as you plan your week: RISE will be closed on Friday(13) and Family Day Monday(16).
We’ll be open and cooking through Thursday, then taking a little pause - and we’ll be back in the kitchen, doors open again, on Tuesday, February 17.
Friday’s closure is for something pretty special. I’ve rented a minivan and I’m loading up the RISE team for a little road trip to Calgary (I fully had visions of something much sexier - maybe a big SUV - but apparently Red Deer had other plans. The minivan won. I’ve personally inspected it, there’s lots of room, and everyone will fit comfortably… plus extra space for cheese and shopping bags.
These are the trips I’ve always taken solo to gather inspiration, source beautiful cheeses you’ve been asking for, check out great bread and coffee spots, and do a little research along the way. This time, I get to share it with The Team for the very first time. We’ll be visiting all my usual spots, checking out a few new ones, eating very well, laughing a lot, and soaking up ideas that will shape what you see on our shelves and menus in the weeks ahead.
And yes, I promise there will be pictures, stories, and a little peek into the adventure to share with you in next weeks newsletter.
So yes, it’s a short week - but it’s a meaningful one. Thanks for taking a moment with us here. There’s a lot of love packed into the days ahead.
“Love is meant to be shared — especially around the table.”
Here’s what we’re cooking up at RISE this week...
Mondays at Rise - always feel like a quiet reset. 💛
After a weekend pause - and Fridays where you lovely humans often clear us out, Monday morning is when the kitchen hums back to life and everything starts fresh again, right from scratch.
Those early hours are a blur of movement: vegetables hitting the cutting boards, ovens warming up, sauces coming together, and trays moving in and out as we build momentum for the week ahead.
The first thing you’ll always find ready in the Grab-n-Go Cooler is our wraps - and this week, we’re making them a little Valentine’s-y. We’re rolling everything up in beautiful sun-dried tomato flour tortillas (yes, they’re as good as they sound), giving them a subtle pop of color for the week of love. Because honestly, even our wraps wanted to dress up and get into the spirit. 💕
You’ll have two options to choose from: our classic Grilled Chicken & Veggie Wrap, and a Roast Ham & Veggie Wrap - both hearty, fresh, and full of bright, crunchy goodness.
Next come the Salad Rolls - vermicelli rice noodles, loads of fresh vegetables, all neatly wrapped (gluten-free, as always) and paired with our house peanut sauce.
And then, once the morning prep is in full swing, we turn our attention to the weekly Salad Bowl. These take a little more time chopping, dressing and building so they usually land in the cooler closer to lunchtime. Trust us when we say they’re worth the wait.
Which brings us to this week’s bowl…
Valentine Quinoa Crunch Bowl - We started with a hearty base of fluffy quinoa and nutty wild rice, then adding in vermicelli noodles for a little something different (we haven’t done noodles in a bowl for a while, and they’re so fun here). From there, it’s all about crunch and balance: a broccoli slaw-style mix with cabbage, broccoli, and celery, finished with dried cherries (because🍒love), pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Everything gets tossed in our Dijon Honey Poppyseed Vinaigrette - bright, slightly sweet, and perfect for pulling all those textures together.
And the best part is that this is a duo bowl!
Alongside the quinoa crunch, you’ll find a generous scoop of our Raw Pickled Beet “Sauerkraut” Slaw - finely shredded beets lightly pickled with red wine vinegar, a splash of olive oil, lemon zest, and fresh dill. It’s vibrant, tangy, and incredibly fresh - the kind of raw, living crunch that makes the whole bowl sing and keeps everything feeling light, balanced, deeply nourishing and a little love in every bite. 💕
As always, feta or fattoush cracker croutons can be added on the side if you’d like.
While all that Monday kitchen magic is unfolding behind the scenes, there’s plenty happening right from the moment we open.
The pastry counter is stocked with fresh bakes, the espresso machine is humming, and there’s always a barista up front ready to make your favorite Birdy Coffee drink - from a bold morning latte to a silky cappuccino… yes, even decaf (we proudly carry it).
Not a coffee person? We’ve got you covered.
Chai, matcha, London fogs, cozy teas, iced drinks - all the warm-and-sippable goodness to ease into your day.
And once the coffee’s pouring, breakfast is ready to roll...
There are plenty of ways to start your morning at RISE. Our much-loved BLT on toasted sourdough focaccia is always on - stacked with bacon, lettuce, tomato, a fried egg, dill havarti and house garlic aioli. If you’re new around here, this one’s a classic for a reason (and yes, it’s available all day).
You’ll also find our Rise & Shine Breakfast Muffin, fresh from the oven - a true breakfast-all-in-one. It’s packed with oats, banana, flax, yogurt, house-candied ginger, walnuts, and dates, making it hearty, nourishing, and just sweet enough. Think cozy morning energy with a little staying power.
And making its debut just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’re serving up Sourdough Toast with house-made Strawberry Jam this week. There’s something about strawberries that just feels right for the week of love - especially when they’re spooned onto warm toast with Rockridge cultured butter and enjoyed slowly with a hot drink in hand.
For something a little lighter, we’ve got yogurt parfaits made with our in-house yogurt (using Rockridge milk), topped with fresh blackberries and served with a side of our Prairie Crunch Granola for sprinkling.
Whether you’re grabbing something quick or settling in for a slow morning, there’s lots to choose from right from the minute the open sign gets turned on at Rise.
Sourdough line-up...
Monday - Red Fife Country Loaves
Tuesday - SuperSeed Multigrain Loaves, Pumpernickel and Everything Spice Sourdough Bagels
A little midweek shift… Wednesday, we’re switching things up just a bit and baking Herbed Sourdough Focaccia, served by the chunk. Golden, fragrant, and perfect for tearing into.
You’ll see why we chose it when you read ahead and see what’s planned for Wednesday’s hot lunch - it’s a pairing that just makes sense.
Thursday - Light Rye on Rye Loaves, Hokkaido Sourdough Milk Buns AND... we’re also doing a little something extra - and it’s been a long time coming.
We’re taking that same light, fluffy milk bun dough and turning it into Cinnamon Buns, because you’ve been asking for them for months… so here we go. Consider this our way of saying we love you. Warm, swirled, and baked until just golden, they’ll be finished with generous dollops of cream cheese icing (because of course).
It’s our way of finishing the week strong before we close on Friday. A cozy, sweet send-off to a short but very full week at RISE.💝
Tuesday is Quesadilla Day: We’re making this short week extra good with Quesadilla Tuesday - because why not start things off strong and give you something hearty and delicious to stock up on for the long weekend ahead.😘
We’ll be serving up three crave-worthy quesadilla options, all built on crisped flour tortillas and packed with big, cozy flavors:
- Salmon, Leek & Lemon with peppers, Asiago, and mozza
- BBQ Pulled Pork with peppers, onion, black beans, smoked cheddar and mozza
- Grilled Chicken with artichoke hearts, peppers, feta and mozza
Each quesadilla comes served with a scoop of our beet slaw, plus sour cream and salsa on the side - the perfect balance of rich, fresh, and tangy.
Mark your calendars: we'll have the first few coming off the grill at 11a.m. and once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Wednesday Hot Lunch: A Little Plot Twist Normally, Wednesday is soup day at RISE...but not this week.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we had a little kitchen chat and all agreed - this week needed seafood. So we’re putting the soup pot on pause and serving up something extra special instead.
How does a Seafood Pasta Lunch sound to you?! - Think tender linguine tossed in a rich, silky Crab Alfredo Sauce, finished with sauteed scallops and prawns. Cozy, indulgent, and very much in the spirit of Valentine’s week.
And now you see why Wednesday’s bread is Sourdough Herbed Focaccia - it’s the perfect companion for soaking up every last bit of that sauce.
If a creamy seafood pasta feels like a bit much for midday, no worries at all. Grab a wrap or a salad for lunch, and take this one home for dinner instead.
Ready to serve up 11a.m.
TGIT Sourdough Pizza Lunch - Marry Me Chicken
It’s not TGIF this week - it’s TGIT because we're doing pizza on Thursday.(Remember we are closed on Friday while the RISE team heads out on a little Calgary adventure.)
A quick did you know?
The whole idea behind Marry Me Chicken is that it’s so good, someone might just propose on the spot. When I went down the rabbit hole researching it, one thing kept coming up again and again: sun-dried tomatoes are non-negotiable. Creamy, savory, rich, with just enough tang - that’s the magic combination that made this dish famous.
So we took that idea and gave it the RISE treatment.
Our "Marry Me" Chicken Sourdough Pizza starts with a creamy garlic base, layered with grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and oregano. It’s finished with mozzarella, provolone, and parm, then baked until bubbling and golden. After it comes out of the oven, we finish it fresh - salad greens, torn basil, cracked black pepper, a drizzle of chili oil, and a final snowfall of parm!💏
And honestly… if there is someone special in your life and you’ve been thinking about popping the question, we’re just saying - RISE has never hosted a proposal before, but this might be the pizza to do it. We’ve got a full kitchen band standing by: pots, pans, wooden spoons - we can absolutely make some noise if needed. 😉
Pizza hits the counter at 11a.m. and it’s our delicious way of wrapping up the week before we close on Friday.
With love from our kitchen - Thanks for spending another week with us at Rise.
As we head into a week shaped by love, family, and time well spent, we just want to say thank you.
Thank you for showing up - week after week - for the food, for the coffee, for the conversations, and for each other. Thank you for filling the bakehouse with warmth, curiosity, laughter, and trust. We truly couldn’t do this without you.
Whether you’re popping in for a quick coffee, lingering over lunch, or stocking up for the long weekend, know how deeply grateful we are for every visit, every kind word, and every familiar face that walks through the door.
From our kitchen to your table - we’re sending a whole lot of love your way.
We hope you have a beautiful Valentine/Family Day weekend, filled with good food and good company.
With gratitude🤍
Have a beautiful week ahead and I will see you back here next Holiday Monday with all the flavors of the upcoming week.💛
“At Rise we believe love is an ingredient.”
