Start your night off with Melrose Café and Bar’s sweet tropical “Fishbowl”—a blend of three kinds of rum, Crème de Banane, Grand Marnier and Peach Schnapps, for a whopping total of six ounces of alcohol. Poured into an oversized fishbowl-shaped glass, there’s also fruit juice, cranberries and a cherry garnish. Warning—this drink must be ordered by two or more people, so be prepared to share.—Allison Onyett
Fishbowl drink at Melrose Café and Bar
by John Gilchrist
My Top 5 Places for Alberta Beef
1. LeVilla: Steak
No one cooks a steak better than Rick Chuk, the chef/owner of LeVilla, where the best of beef meets the best of culinary technique.
2. Rocky’s Burgers: Hamburgers
Follow the line of fans to the big red bus parked in a gravel lot in the southeast, Rocky’s Burgers. Grab a burger and fries and pull up a picnic table. Enjoy the big flavour of Alberta beef, Rocky’s way.
3. Smuggler’s Inn: Prime Rib
Order your prime rib any way you want in a multitude of sizes at Smuggler’s Inn, a Calgary institution for decades. Go big at dinner with a 57-ounce slab of prime rib or small (as in 10 ounces) with a prime rib lunch.
4. Cowtown Beef Shack: Beef Dip Sandwich
This little drive-through shack on Macleod Trail, Cowtown Beef Shack does the beef dip sandwich right—cooked slow, sliced thin and served with a rich jus.
5. Open Range: Tenderloin
Beef tenderloin on a pearl onion, chanterelle mushroom-ragu with a black truffle gravy. That’s the sumptuous contemporary-prairie style of Open Range.
A purveyor of some of the creamiest Gouda and tangiest Roquefort this side of the Champs-Élysées, Janice Beaton Fine Cheese recently opened its “Grilled Cheese Bar.” Its menu is straightforward, with two anchor items and one rotating daily—there’s the Ham and Cheese Please, with maple pepper ham, Gruyère, and sun-dried tomato tapenade or the sublime Farm, filled with warm nutty Oka cheese, a sharp three-year-old cheddar, and sweet tomato chilli jam. Each sandwich is served on a crisp ciabatta, and comes with a side of coleslaw. 1017 – 16 Ave SW, 403-299-0990. —Dan Leahul
Known for their melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes, Crave’s newest sweet treats are Whoopie Pies. This means you now to get have their signature buttercream icing sandwiched between two layers of chocolate, vanilla or red velvet cake. Try the raspberry chocolate—rich, raspberry buttercream stuffed inside delicate chocolate cake. - Dan Leahul
Open the red door off 9th Avenue and ascend the stairs to a loud, lively room packed with pizza aficianados. There’ll be Spaghetti Westerns playing on the walls, a bustle of pizzas being pressed and fired, and a casual, stuff-your-face attitude. This is Without Papers, the cheeky pizzeria brought to you by the boys of Sugo, the Italian restaurant on the ground floor. 1216 – 9 Ave SE (upstairs), 403-457-1154. -John Gilchrist
Without Papers
The Brasserie’s Grilled Oysters Rockefeller, made with Royal Miyagi oysters imported from Cortes Island off the coast of Vancouver, these delights of the sea get steamed on the grill and topped with fresh arugula, Grana Pandano Parmesan cheese and extra virgin Turkish olive oil (1131 Kensington Rd NW). —Allison Onyett
Kiss Kiss Dragon rolls at Kinjo Sushi
Peter Kinjo, the knife-wielding, song-singing, Pocky-giving chef has done so well at his Macleod Trail sushi bar that he’s opened a second one on Crowchild Trail in Dalhousie. There, Kinjo serves up Kiss Kiss Dragon rolls and Volcano rolls along with a sea full of sushi and Kinjo’s own brand of entertainment. 415, 5005 Dalhousie Dr NW, 403-452-8389. - John Gilchrist
by John Gilchrist
Top 5 Pizza Joints
Yukon Gold Potato and Truffled Honey Pizza at Una
by John Gilchrist
Hot Dish
In a world of heavy pastas and over-sauced meats, the veal scallopine with champagne-mustard sauce at Il Gallo Nero is a revelation. The champagne mingles with the mustard to tingle the tongue while the tender veal dissolves in your mouth. This is Italian food that lifts the spirit. 211 – 17 Ave SE, 403-237-9077.
Veal scallopine with champagne-mustard sauce at Il Gallo Nero
Editor’s Pick: Exotic Eats
Nepalese cuisine returns to 17th Avenue with momos, choilas, tarkaris, and dal bhat at The Himalayan. The food shows influences from India and China with spices unique to Nepal. Some favourites are the butter shrimp, a twist on butter chicken, and the sweet naan filled with coconut. Best bet is to try the Tuesday to Sunday lunch buffet. 3218 – 17 Ave SW, 403-984-3384.
Get Social
Witold Twardowski has found a new old space to renovate into the latest hot spot—the basement of the Lougheed Building downtown. Originally opened as Kronn’s Rathskeller a century ago, Sociale Bar & Grille is now a lively bar with exceptional food from chef Kenny Kaechele. The cioppino jumps with flavour and the barbecued pork flatbread with cambozola cheese is a gooey-messy delight. 606 – 1 St SW, 403-262-2279.
Sociale Bar & Grille
Burger Barons
Named by U.S. President Barack Obama as his favourite burger chain, Five Guys Burgers & Fries hardly needed the endorsement—the family-run restaurant has been consistently named as one of the best burgers in America for over 25 years. With its first Alberta location open in Deerfoot Meadows, expect to leave utterly stuffed. The burgers are served with two all-beef patties, and an unlimited number of toppings, including green pepper, jalapeño, and grilled mushrooms. Be warned: if you opt for an “all the way,” (with everything) make sure you’re packing extra napkins.—Dan Leahul
The mountainous burger at Five Guys
Vietnamese Crepes
Try a twist on traditional crepes at Kol3. Specializing in savoury crepes from central Vietnam (“bánh xèo”), made from rice flour, turmeric, coconut milk, and water, and stuffed with shrimp, sprouts, mung beans, onions, mushrooms and your choice of meat or tofu. Putting an even more unique spin on this traditional food, Kol3 also offers a bacon cheeseburger version, and the “Athena” filled with chicken, feta and spinach.—Diane Klaver
Vietnamese Crepes at Kol3
Classroom Dining
Run by students in professional cooking, hotel management and bar-mixology studies, The Highwood is a fine dining restaurant on SAIT’s main campus. The restaurant gives students first-hand experience of operating a restaurant, all under the careful supervision of their instructors. Diners reap the benefits not only in delicious cuisine, but affordability—for $44 guests get a five-course dinner Mondays to Thursdays. Menu items vary, but can include dishes like rack of lamb, salmon, or free-range chicken. 1301 – 16 Ave, visit www.sait.ca/highwood for reservations.—Diane Klaver
Fine dining at SAIT's on-campus restaurant
by John Gilchrist
Dairy Lane, opened in 1950, has been re-born with local, sustainable ingredients and simple, made-to-order presentation. And they still make a fine plate of eggs.
It’s retro and cutting-edge at the same time and there will be lineups on the weekend. Folks love the ‘50s atmosphere at Diner Deluxe and the hearty menu of Johnnycakes, grilled grapefruit, and eggs Benedict done four ways.
The breakfast burrito of scrambled eggs, cheese, mushrooms, onions, peppers, bacon, and sausage rules at Galaxie Diner, a tiny and perpetually busy joint in The Beltline.
It seems like everything comes with eggs at Over Easy Breakfast, which is not a bad thing. From omelettes and Benedicts to crepes and, of course, simple over-easy platters, the food is hot, fresh, and served with panache.
The buttermilk buckwheat pancakes are a hit at Red’s Diner, located in what once was a fur shop. Red’s is one of the few places where you can get a fine diner breakfast and a good cup of espresso at the same time.
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Stay, Dine, Do
