Street Food in Calgary

Twenty years ago, City Palate magazine began publishing in Calgary. Last night, they celebrated with a really really long dinner party for 240 guests with "street food" prepared by restaurants on the street.

An elegant dinner table (well, 30 tables) down Calgary's Stephen Avenue pedestrian street.

Oysters from Catch & the Oyster Bar. A bit of surf on our turf!

Elk, foie gras and dried cherry wellingtons topped with gorgeous purple beet sprouts from Trib Steakhouse.

 

Veal sweetbreads wrapped in bacon with plenty of wild mushrooms from The Belvedere. 

Mayor Naheed Nenshi takes a moment out of a city council meeting to greet the crowd.

Beautiful seared tuna with grilled polenta from Blink.

Wandering band the Pollyjesters jesting for the camera.

Finally, that famous Alberta beef! Slow roasted beef and roasted veg with the cutest little potato puffs from Divino.

Dessert from Teatro - just the right bite to end a wonderful meal.

 

Thank you to Tourism Calgary for sponsoring my place at the table, to City Palate magazine on its 20th year and to the restaurants who provided the best street food any street could offer! 

River Cafe - Calgary

River Café sits on a pretty island in the Bow River, but during the Calgary flood, it was an island. The water rose almost to the front door. The basement was flooded, destroying all the food in store along with 2,500 bottles of wine. When the waters receded, it was a mess. "The mud, the silt, the dust. It was devastating," says the owner, Sal Howell.

Last night, I dined at River Café with a group of food writers from across Canada. The setting is so lovely, no sign of the floodwaters. But everywhere, signs of our Canadian love for the great outdoors... fly fishing, canoeing, ice skating... with rustic-looking solid log furniture. It was lovely in the warm evening sunshine.


Dinner was prepared by four Alberta chefs who had participated in season three of the TV cook-off Top Chef Canada. So, as you can imagine, each course was a showcase of their passion, creativity and love for local seasonal ingredients. (below: goat's cheese and heirloom tomato tart - chef xavier lacaze)

 

 

My personal favourite was the lamb loin with a delicate hint of mint, a ragout of corn and bacon, pillowy ricotta gnudi, chanterelle mushrooms and the last baby sorrel leaves of the season. (below: chef andrew winfield) 

 

 

This morning, I'm wishing Saskatoon was a little bit closer to Calgary so I could take my husband for dinner on the patio in these last glorious days of a Canadian summer.

Having survived the great Calgary flood of 2013, I'm sure the River Café will be serving impressive meals in this impressive spot for another 22 years, at least...

Restaurant Review - Hose & Hydrant

Deck season is suddenly upon us, so I checked out the new deck atop the historic fire hall at the Hose & Hydrant. Suddenly, it feels like summer! Read my restaurant review of the Hose & Hydrant in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

Crispy zesty wings in the sunshine.

They call this Broadway's Best Burger. I can't vouch for that, not having tried them all, but it was pretty darn good.

The Mediterranean Salad was a meal in itself -- 

crunchy calamari and oodles of olives.

 

Hose & Hydrant Brew Pub occupies an historic fire hall opened in 1912.

612 11th Street East

www.hoseandhydrant.com

 

 

Restaurant Review - Boxcar Cafe

Tired of junk food, fried food and too much food? Lunch at the Boxcar Café is good for you, your wallet and the community. Read my review of the Boxcar Café in the Star Phoenix.

One day's special - colourful couscous salad with grilled chicken.

Black bean and roasted corn salad - exemplifies the low fat, low salt, low sugar ethic at the Boxcar Café.

 

Delicious carrot dill soup and turkey deli sandwich - all soups are made in house.

 

Sunny cafeteria style café next to a railway.

1120 20th Street West

in Station 20 West

Restaurant Review - Somewhere Else

How often over this past long and snowy winter I longed to go somewhere else. Well, last week I did. Read my restaurant review of Somewhere Else Pub and Grill in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

A lovely spring evening, but sadly the deck wasn't open yet.

My husband: "This is the best pub burger I've had in a long time."

The fajita was large enough for sharing.

2605 Broadway Ave. South

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Somewhere-Else-Pub-Grill/222994554385353

 

Restaurant Review - Moka Coffee Bar

Steeped in coffee culture at Moka Coffee Bar. And that's a wrap! Read my restaurant review of Moka in the Star Phoenix.

Choose your wrap and fillings for a delicious combination

Bright in the morning sunshine

Slices of cake so huge I took half of mine home

 

Moka Coffee Bar

411 Herold Court

ttps://www.facebook.com/pages/M%C5%8Dka-Coffee-Bar/179376511087?fref=ts

 

Restaurant Review - Poached

My husband's favourite restaurant meal is breakfast, so for a recent special occasion, I treated him to breakfast at Poached, where white tablecloths and fresh flowers meet the brick and grit of downtown Saskatoon. Read my review of Poached in the Star Phoenix.

Garage doors let in the morning sunshine and open to the sidewalk in warm weather.

John's favourite crab cakes with perfectly poached eggs and red pepper sauce.

Beautifully presented pear and prosciutto crepe.

259 2nd Avenue S.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poached-Breakfast-Bistro/139780702712672

 

Restaurant Review - Jerry's Food Emporium

Jerry's is spreading the love with a second location in Saskatoon. We decided to dine "outside the bun" and order not from the popular burger menu. Read my review of Jerry's in the Star Phoenix.

Napa Valley Chicken Salad - delicious in a tangy orange dressing

Quesadilla with french fries. Jerry uses exclusively kennebec potatoes - says they're crispier - and yummy!

Gelatte is Jerry's invention - espresso coffee with steamed gelato - mine with Swiss chocolate

Jerry's makes all its gelatos and ice creams in house

Jerry's second location 844 51st Street E.

http://www.jerrys.ca/

 

 

Restaurant Review - Two Gun Quiche House

Whoever said "real men don't eat quiche" didn't meet Morris "Two Gun" Cohen, the gangster and adventurer for whom Saskatoon's quiche house is named. If he ate this quiche, I'm sure he would love it! Read my restaurant review of Two Gun Quiche House in the Star Phoenix.

 

The quiche is wonderfully light and flavourful, with a delicious cup of made-from-scratch soup.

 

Porchetta sandwich on ciabatta bread. Chef Bill Matthews smokes his own meats. 

Colourful interior circa the gangster era of 1920.

Two Gun Quiche House

135 20th Street West

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-Gun-Quiche-House/310395049053424?ref=ts&fref=ts

Restaurant Review - Bliss Fine Food

Had a lovely late lunch at Bliss with my foodie friend, CJ Katz, of Regina (author of the prairie cookbook Taste). Read my review of Bliss in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

We started with the soup and salad combo for $10. CJ had carrot soup and a spinach salad with a fabulous saskatoon berry dressing. I went for the amazing potato bacon soup and quinoa tabbouleh.

 When Chef Derek Cotton tried to take the potato soup off the menu, his customers complained!

 

We shared the falafel sandwich. Not quite what I was expecting, having eaten quite a few falafel in its native lands, but a good vegetarian burger option.

 

Inside, Bliss is sunny and stylish.

(Photos by CJ Katz)

 

1002 Broadway Avenue

www.blissfinefood.com

Restaurant Review - O'Shea's Irish Pub

My Grandma O'Hara was so proud of her Irish heritage, her blood ran green for St. Patrick's Day. But the one thing she shuddered to contemplate was green beer. Well, she would have enjoyed O'Shea's Irish Pub any other time of year! Read my review of O'Shea's in the Star Phoenix.

The little leprechaun door.

The Mighty O'Shea burger.

Chicken club wrap... far too healthy.

Give me O'Shea's famous Irish potato nachos!

Rooftop deck overlooking 2nd Avenue in downtown Saskatoon.

222 2nd Avenue S.

www.osheasirishpub.ca