Our Philosophy
We believe in cooking the kind of food we want to eat and serving the wine we want to drink.
We’ve worked hard to create a special place for you to share that food and wine with your favourite people.
Meet the Team
Michelle and Zach met on their first day of culinary school at NAIT. It didn’t take long for them to realize that they are both incredibly passionate about everything food. It was a culinary match (and friendship) made in heaven! They spent the next two years taking all of their classes together, teaming up for every project and challenging each other to be the best. They often joked about opening a place together one day, not really thinking it would happen.
After graduating, Michelle immersed herself in the world of pastries having secured a job as a pastry chef at Duchess Bakeshop. Zach, on the other hand, stayed in the world of savoury and honed his skills as a bread baker and sous chef at Chartier. Together they are the perfect mix of sweet and savoury!
When the restaurant came up for sale, Michelle was quick to contact Zach to entice him to go along on this crazy adventure. Michelle was adamant that if Zach was out, she was out too. It didn’t take long for him to decide and the dream became a reality. They knew that together they would create something spectacular!
Michelle and Allan McDonald | Owners
We have lived and worked in St. Albert for the majority of our lives. We were raised here and we have raised our four children here. We intend on spending the rest of our lives here. In short, we love St. Albert! We are emotionally invested in this community and have always tried to support local business. When the opportunity arose to open a restaurant in the city we love we knew it was the perfect next step for us!
Zach Eaton | Head Chef
My food journey began as an impressionable teenage dishwasher. What began as a summer job quickly turned to fascination with kitchen culture; the camaraderie, the breakneck pace, all the pieces perfectly falling into place to bring joy to people. My wide-eyed fascination with kitchen culture soon blossomed into a passion for food and feeding people. The food at Tryst is influenced by the people I’ve met and things I’ve eaten over the last 12+ years in the industry. It’s eclectic, maybe a little off-kilter but at the heart of it is a simple mantra: cook what you love!
Hailey Howlett | Sous Chef
My food journey began in China. I was working at a magazine on an internship and was given the task of sampling street foods and restaurants. I couldn't get enough! When I returned home, I watched how food truly is the love language of my family and the way I expressed my love and appreciation for those around me.
