Harju's Profile
Olive Chicken - Calgary
We have been here a couple of times and I think it will become our fried chicken place of choice. The chicken has been hot and crunchy and the meat cooked just right (moist and not dried out). We prefer the plain crispy chicken as I am not a big fan of the sweet and spicy sauce (a little too sweet but its nice to half a couple pieces to mix up with the regular). You can get half and half (I think they would also cater to any portion you wanted).
Ruth Chris
I have been a few times over the years and I have only seen the steak come on a hot plate with a little bit of butter that would only be noticeable if you are looking for it.
New places in Cgy
There will be a new Cora's downtown in Bow Valley Square in the place vacated by the Royal Duke a few years ago. No indication of when it will be up and running.
Korean Village Restaurant has moved to new location
As John noted Maru's specialty is soon tofu.
Hunt's Ketchup in YYC?
Ketchup is worthy of its own website
http://www.huntsketchup.com/index.jsp
Has anyone seen Yuzu in Calgary?
My girlfriend has bought the syrup used for making tea at Arirang (the syrup is basically chopped rind and fruit mixed with honey and sugar). I get large dosages of this tea during the winter to ward off sickness, colds, evil spirits etc. She does not recall ever seeing the actual fruit in Canada although she says that's not important because she would only use it for tea and not eat the fruit directly. I imagine the syrup would work good in mojitos.
Where has Gord's Sausage/meats gone??
I do not think he has been on Bowness Road for a long time (at least > 2 years). Last summer he set up camp in front of Banker Halls on Stephen Avenue to cook sausages for the lunch time crowd, plus I saw him with a stand at a street festival.
At that time he said he did not have a store and only did custom work. He only sells on bulk orders (min 20 lbs or something).
I was a regular customer at Eau Claire and Bowness and still think his sausage products are superior to anything else I've had in Calgary or anywhere else for that matter. I had his card at one time but do not know how to get hold of him.
where to find "normal" pepperoni in Calgary?
I had this pepperoni issue last week. The orange spongy stuff makes me wretch to even think of it (much like bologna does). I found some acceptable pepperoni at Co-op Midtown Mkt. It came sliced off the sausage and not prepackaged.
Bologna is an American luncheon meat creation but was "inspired" from mortadella sausage which originated in Bologna. (mortadella makes me wretch too so the inspiration was successful).
"BR and Steak Frites at The Bank," Stephen Ave, Calgary?
We went on Friday night and it was enjoyable. I thought the salad was excellent with the hint of dijon in the dressing. The yorkshire pudding thing is what they serve instead of the usual bread you get at most places. It was a nice change and came up out piping hot. The fries also came out piping hot and salty (how can you go wrong with something straight out of the deep fryer with lots of salt?).
I had the porterhouse and my companion the filet. I think the filet was much better value at $10 cheaper. Although the PH is 16 oz versus 8 oz for the filet, most the difference seemed to be in the bone. We both thought that they were cooked exactly the way we requested (medium and medium-well). Not the best steak I've had but it hit the spot. The sides were good if a little small, but relatively inexpensive.
The room is cavernous and they seem to want to walk the line between casual and fine dining with it split down the centre with the lounge and bank of TV's on one side and more formal settings on the other side. There were about three groups on the formal side and maybe a dozen people on the lounge side, so plenty of seats yet to be filled.
I would go back.
Cgy Chinatown fire
U & Me and Thai Bistro are in the building immediately next door, so they are closed for now. Although, other than the scorched wall, the structure of their building looks unaffected but I think they would have suffered some smoke and water damage.
food options near the holy cross,help
There is a Joyce on 4th pub on around 24th Ave and 4th St.. The Holy Cross has operated as a medical centre (cancer centre, women's health clinic, private health care etc.) after it was closed as a hospital. I had a sandwich at a cafeteria there a few years ago but as John M. says walking to 2 blocks west to 4th St gives you lots of better options.
BBQ on the Bow
Their online promotional pamphlet refers to it as "Calgary's Premier Summer Festival" with a main stage with live music, a children's craft tenant, a "kitchen" where you can learn the secrets of celebrity chef's and watch them "grill up their favorite recipes", a "street zone" with various vendors and displays etc.
I take it that this isn't the case. (I add myself to the list of people who have checked out this festival and come away confused. It seemed like a private gathering rather than a public event)
Nectar Desserts in Calgary
Interesting on the cake. The last time we went we paid far too much for what I thought was a stale piece of passionfruit coconut cake. That was over a year ago.
anju, 507 10 St SW, Calgary
I have no doubt that grade eighters would have a sinister concept of "anju" since it is associated with drinking. This Anju is more upscale with the main restaurant downstairs and a lounge area upstairs. I went there with a couple of Korean friends (adults, long past grade eight). They found nothing unusual or funny about the name; to them it simply means food served with alcohol and had no negative connotations. It's a nice place with good food, that seems reasonably priced (for Calgary). The emphasis seemed more on dining than drinking so I'm not sure it fits "anju" in the traditional sense. It was lunch time and we were the only ones so not the best time to assess the "atmosphere" of the place. Of course the menu is of course Korean flavoured but had a western bent. Contrary to my post above, the owners are not going for the young Korean drinking crowd. I was hoping for something a little more like Don Day, which for me is noisy, crowded, hot, bottles of soju, beer chasers and some food to wash it down (in other words, a great place to go every now and then)
anju, 507 10 St SW, Calgary
This could do okay if the prices are right (depends what the business plan is re being upscale or downscale with the emphasis on drink). There is a big population of young Korean's living in the apartments in that area. From what shoku describes, Don Day at the 8th St CTrain Stn would be an equivalent and it is always seems packed (mainly because it probably only holds less than two dozen people). If it's going after feeding the young Korean drinking crowd, then I think it will be very successful volume wise.
Calgary Farmers' Market - closing at its current location
Just a side note to be anal, Garrison Green is a completed development nestled in the corner at Crowchild and Glenmore. The
Currie Barracks development is know as just that; "Currie Barracks".
Calgary,Palomino Smokehouse and Social Club?
You do not need to worry about the location. That particular side of the street is less than respectable but it is across from an LRT station, a half a block from the Hyatt and a little more from the Stephan Ave. restaurants. It has plenty of normal foot traffic so there is no reason to avoid the place because of the area (but you are right as that side of the street is a bit of a junky thoroughfare)
I've only been once and the emphasis appeared to be more on drinking that food.
