bigtimesushifan's Profile
Gratitude Cafe - Calgary (Kensington)
SUPER LAME! I am glad somebody pointed this out. They should be afraid of some American lawsuit... of which they would be deserving. However I get the feeling they won't be around long enough...
The only dish I would order here would be:
I am NOT impressed! plagiarism ruins my appetite served with a side of brown rice
Cafe Koi becoming Convergence Cafe
I am sad to see Koi go... I liked it. Makes me wonder who is behind the re-branding as I thought Koi had some decent things, and a cool logo, going for it...( but it always seemed to be copying Coup... among others)
Checked out the website http://www.convergencecafe.com I agree, the logo and name leaves alot to be desired... I guess we will see. Doesn't it seem to resemble a bad version of the Communitea Cafe in Canmore's logo though? http://www.thecommunitea.com I guess the in the concept too... of live music and art.
However this does not seem as bad as the new Gratitude Cafe in Kensington... but after reading that thread http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/624909 it is BRUTAL that they totally ripped off another restaurant in SanFran. I have no desire to support this place.
Whatever happened to original ideas?!? C'mon, I think these places can do better!
I am looking forward to the new Deville though and the prospect of parking and being able to go... ArtCentral is way too hard to access. Those guys design some seriously slick spaces & I love the coffee too.
I look forward to hearing more feedback from the ever changing Calgary food scene.
Zona's in Canmore closed?
A big reno happening. They closed in September and hope to be back up and running in April... which should mean May.
Does Starbucks make any good food?
Why are people talking about food at Starbucks? They should work on their coffee and stick to that!
I have never had anything that tasted "real" at a Starbucks. I had a scone once that was like eating cardboard! Everything looks rather contrived and dry. They don't have any food handling area... so by nature nothing is made on site. To me that is sketchy and I am surprised people on a foodie website would even bring it up.
I used to like Starbucks back before I knew what really great coffee tasted like, now I just cringe at the amount of paper cups they put out into our environment each day... between them and Tim Hortons our landfills are growing. End this thread and find a good local cafe to support.... or please if you are a Starbucker, please get a reusable mug.. that is one thing they make VERY WELL; to go mugs of all designs. Kudos for that, shame on them for encouraging a disposable society.
Canmore weekend experience
Zona's is closed for a much needed renovation. But good news for you, there are job ads posted and they plan to reopen in April/ May.
I walked by the other day and the building looks much, much better and bigger. I hope they can come back better than when they closed, it was getting a bit run down and inconsistent compared to all the new places that have opened in town over the past few years.
I'll try to keep you posted on a re-opening.
As for the Gourmet Croissant... SO AMAZING!!! He is a real french baker from Paris and it shows. The Pain au Chocolate or Blueberry danish are addictions that I have to confess to having! I get my pastrys at Communitea Cafe though (they bake for them) because I like to drink really great coffee with them for the full French experience. They cost more there, so go to GC if you want to take them home. A little inside info for you...Sundays you can only get them at Communitea since GC is closed.
Need rec for Calgary dinner
For owner operated restaurants I can comment on Canmore, since I live here.
Chef Studio Japan can have some really excellent and creative sushi in Canmore, but steer clear when it is busy, it can take forever. I am not sure it is at the top of my recommendation list for Canmore though. Instead I would go with:
The Trough
which is a really unique spot with two very hands on owners that do a great job of taking care and creating a unique and memorable dining experience. The room is cozy and warm, although small so you need reservations. The food is very good prepared by chef/ owner Rosie Gair who will be sure to drop by your table during your evening. The service is professional and attentive but not pretentious... which leads me to mention the next restaurant:
Crazyweed
I am rather tossed these days if I should recommend Crazyweed or not to people. The service can be brutal. This is a small town and it is no secret how poorly the staff are treated, so no doubt your server probably won't be the same that we had. It is sad for a place that has such amazing food, that I no longer feel comfortable supporting. However, it deserves a mention because the chef/ owner Jan is a wonderful talent and it is a great experience for an outside foodie. John Gilchrist gave them a 10 out of 10 in his review in the Calgary Herald/ CBC radio. Not sure I agree, it is good, but not perfect. The latest addition to the stark white room is a weird glow from bluish tinged (I kid you not!...) grow lights underneath the large plants. Weird?!
Treo
A restaurant out of the way in Canmore, it is a destination in itself, but the few times I have been, it was a really nice experience. A thoughtful menu and fairly good value gourmet fare. I believe the chef is the owner as well. The room felt a little cold though.
Quarry Bistro
I keep wanting to like their dinner menu, but am often disappointed. The food rarely lives up to my expectation. They do a nice brunch on the weekends though.. and the pomme frites are spectacular. I really like the location on Main Street and the room is one of my favorite in Canmore. Good wine selection so I would go here for a drink anytime. The chef is the owner as well.
Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.
A great place for a family. Fantastic thin crust wood oven fired pizza with mostly organic ingredients. Pretty casual and decent value (not too many cheap options in Canmore though!)
Communitea Cafe
If you are going out for lunch, go here! The brie & portabella mushroom panini sandwich is the best sandwich I have ever had in my life. This place is a great value when you consider the quality and often organic ingredients. They also happen to have the biggest salad I have ever seen called the Fresh Bowl. For sure the only place to get a good coffee in Canmore (great latte with art on top), and they have a huge wall of loose leaf tea to choose from. It is more cafe style than restaurant, where you order first and a server will bring your order... which brings back good memories of Dean & Deluca in New York. It has a modern, fresh room with lots of windows, tables and even bean bag chairs! I like to support such a business because it is affordable, unique, creative, healthy and they are environmentally friendly too.
In Calgary I have been liking Piq Niq, which is downtown by the Palliser and they a really great live jazz club downstairs to check out a show after dinner. Capo is too hard to get into these days. River Cafe is a nice Calgary experience that has an island park location that can't be beat. Haven't been in a while though, so I can't comment on food.
Enjoy your trip!
