DeeDub's Profile
Anyone seen fresh fiddleheads in Calgary?
West Springs Co-op has some as of May 23rd.
Restaurants in NE Calgary
Bumping this thread to give an update on Las Tortillas. I stopped in for my regular taco fix and the owner said they are opening a restaurant on Memorial Drive called Oro Azul (I think). It is across from the Walmart in Marlborough where the old Airline Ticket Centre was. Anyway, he said once the restaurant is open Las Tortillas will stop serving tacos and tamales and focus strictly on the groceries and tortilla production.
Where do you get great eggs in Calgary??
+1 for Burnbrae Farms at Safeway. They are the best I have seen from any of the large grocery chains.
Ginger Beer in Calgary?
Joycee's Caribbean Foods in Bridgeland carries the Grace brand of Ginger beer. I have also seen ginger beer at Co-op in the 'Ethnic" aisle (West Springs).
Best Burger in Calgary?
That is correct. It was explained to me the last time I was at Buchanan's that you can get your burger cooked to order because they grind their beef on site.
Smoked Meat
Palace of Eats changed their name a couple of years ago and is now known as Myhres Deli.
Smoked Meat
I get my smoked meat fix at Kickers (1215 1st Street SW). It stacks up (pun!) against Myhre's for the best in the YYC.
http://kickersdeli.ca/
can I still get chinese food in cartons in Calgary???
Although it certainly has its detractors, if you order take-out from Wok Box it will come in those old school Chinese food cartons (depending on the size you order).
New Mercato in West Calgary (Aspen?)
I was with a group of 8 on Saturday night celebrating a 40th birthday. The staff could not have been more accommodating. We called for a reservation a week before they opened and left our request on a general voicemail box. A couple of days later they called us back and told us they were unsure if they will have all their permits in place to open by Feb 18th. Two days later they called again and told us they were good to go and they were able to take our reservation. Since we were a party of 8 we had to pre-order our food with the menu being family style. They promptly sent me their menu to choose either a two course or three course menu. Once I made the food selections they got back to me right away by providing us a quote per person. When we arrived at the restaurant on Saturday night our experience with the food, service, management was top notch. For a restaurant that has been open for three days I expected some glitches but everything went perfectly. Everyone in our group had a great time, loved the food and walked away feeling like our group was treated a little special. I cannot think of one thing that we would have done differently. Well done!
Onigri in YYC
When I used to live in Vancouver I worked across the street from Fujiya where I would pick up Onigri pretty much on a daily basis. I have not had these sushi-to-go style snacks in a couple of months and I am craving them something firece. After doing a quick Google search I found this local company http://www.theonigiricompany.com/ but it looks like they are currently not set up at a regular spot. Anyone know where I can purchase these? My first guess is T&T but last time I was there I didn't see them. Thanks.
Calgary - Petite: A little too warm, but great food
I took a client to Petite for lunch today and I was blown away by how bad my meal was. I had heard great things about this place back when it was in its original location on 10th Ave. When I arrived the host pretty much let me pick where to sit telling me the main dining area was a little crowded. She steered me into the lounge part of the room where the bar and the open kitchen reside. My first impression was they need a better ventilation system. The odor of food and grease was pretty strong and I knew I would be needing a Febreeze shower when I was done with lunch. Anyways, our server dropped off menus and left without asking us what we liked to drink. I was cool with water but I found it odd they at least didn't bring by a wine menu or anything like that. As for the food I decided to try their burger. It was priced at $16 and was looking forward to it. I always view the sucess of a restaurant is based on how well they cook a burger. Sadly it was one of the worst burgers I have ever had. I was stunned at how bad it was. The beef patty itself fell apart and crumbled all over my plate. The bun was so heavily buttered then grilled on the flattop that it was pretty much inedible. The bacon was undercooked and rubbery. The fries that came as a side were limp and really greasy. Just a really, really underwealming burger, especially at that price. The only bright spot of my meal was the side salad. Mixed greens with green beans. A nice change of pace from the usual bland side salads offered. Our server was nice but I found it odd that we were sitting at a four top and half way through the meal she took away the wine glasses, plates and cutlery of the two spots we were not using. Just found the timing a little weird.
Anyways, I am not one to complain about the service or food while I am there. No need to make my client feel uncomfortable. If I had a real problem with my dinning experience I would have notified a manager or someone but since there is so much competition out there I will choose to try something different as opposed to hoping Petite works out the kinks they are obviously experiencing.
Smashburger Coming to YYC
I was in Minneapolis this summer and went to a Smashburger after hearing some buzz about this chain. I really liked the burger. I thought the flavour of the beef was great and the toppings were a great compilment. The fried egg was cooked perfect with the yolk oozing out as I bit into it. I also added garlic mushrooms and fried pickles. These toppings were not free but a welcome addition and something that makes this chain stand apart from the competition. The burger was a "restuarant-style" burger in a fast food joint if that makes sense...With all of the add-ons my burger came to $10 so it can be a bit pricier than 5 Guys.
The interior was a little sleek and modern and it felt a bit "upscale" which is a good thing in my books. Another thing they do is create a specialized burger for each market they are in. I went a second time and had their Twin Cities burger which I don't think is available in other markets. Oh, they serve Haagen Dazs shakes!
75 Tastes of Calgary: List
Amazing list... some other suggestions...
76. Rocky's Burger Bus - Bacon Cheeseburger
77. UNA - Roasted Sausage and Leek pizza
78. Olive Chicken - Hot and Sweet Fried Chicken
79. Boogie's Burgers - Doug's 'Don't Fear the Reaper" Burger
80. Las Tortillas - Beef Tounge (Lengua) tacos
81. Globefish - Crunch & Munch Roll
82. Brava Bistro - Lobster Poutine
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Brava Bistro
723 17th Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 0B6, CA
Las Tortillas
4100 Marlborough Dr NE #2, Calgary, AB T2A 2Z5, CA
Rocky's Burgers
1120 46 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G2A6, CA
Avacado - YYC - 17th Ave SW
Thankfully the Avocado in Aspen Glen Landing has shut down. Dreadful food. Could not get over the fact they put romaine lettuce in their burritos. An Original Joes is taking its place.
Olive Chicken - Calgary
I set out to give the Alley Burger food truck a go last night but ran smack dab into their massive line-up. I have zero patience on an empty stomach so I cruised up 10th Ave and stumbled into Olive Chicken. I am VERY happy I did. This is some of the best, juiciest fried chicken I have ever had. I ordered the Combo #2 which consisted of two pieces of the plain fried chicken with a side of rice and a salad. It was $6.99.
For their $6.99 combos they only serve their plain fried. Wanting to try their sweet spicy sauce the server game me a side so I can dip. It was a nice gesture as I believe they typically charge $1 for a side of the sweet spicy sauce.
I am a big fan of this place.
Sweetgrass Market (CGY) Saved?
I drove by the old Sweetgrass location this morning and caught the name of the place. The sign says "Culinaria"... or something close to that.
Sweetgrass Market (CGY) Saved?
Since the old Sweetgrass Market is in my 'hood, I was walking the dogs by the old location and noticed there was a new sign in the window. Although I cannot remember what the sign said it had that unmistakable "Mercato" font/design. If the old Sweetgrass Market location has any affiliation with a new Mercato venture I would be absolutely stoked. Certainly a welcome addition to the west side.
Does anyone have any intel on what is happening at this location?
ISO meyer lemons in YYC
I picked up a bag of Meyer Lemons at the West Springs Co-Op last month. They were not sold individually but in a plastic bag with a handle. I think I paid $5.99 and there were about 6 lemons in the bag. I have not seen them sold at this location since.
YYC to Drumheller and Back
We make a point to stop in at Bernie and the Boys for bugers and shakes after a day at Royal Tyrell. Never disappoints. Huge portions.
Single-Serving Plain Yogurt in Calgary?
Co-op sells single serving sizes of Bles-Wold which is produced in Lacombe, AB. Certainly not Greek-style though.
Five Guys Canadian Menu? [moved from Prairie Provinces]
From Five Guys website... http://www.fiveguys.com/menu.aspx
I don't recall the Deerfoot Meadows having dogs but the Kalispel, MT location does.
Jelly Modern Doughnut - you have to try it
I stopped by there yesterday afternoon. Cool looking space. I was overwealmed with the selection. Lots of interesting flavours. My plan was to try a couple of different regular sized doughnuts but because of their large size, I opted to choose from the smaller size of doughnuts. There were only three of the small versions to choose from at the time I was there... maple/bacon, chocolate and peanut butter cup. I did the maple bacon and peanut butter cup. Both were really good. Very, very rich though. Next time I am going for the marshmallow, it looks amazing. So does their "seasonal" which was a raspberry filling (I think). The one thing I didn't see was any sort of "plain" doughnut. The toppings are so rich and over-the-top that I had a hard time figuring out if the actual doughnut was outstanding. Maybe I missed it but I would love it if they carried a simple sugar doughnut or an apple fritter.
YYC Holy Smoke Bbq
I know! I cannot figure it out either. I took a co-worker there last week and she told me she had to wash her hair twice that night to get rid of the smell. It's not going to stop me from going but I could do without the inevitable drycleaning bill that comes with it. ;-)
YYC Holy Smoke Bbq
Thanks to the chowhound board I have made Holy Smoke one of my regular places to visit for lunch. I absolutely love everything about this place.
My one complaint about this place seems rather petty but I do need to bring it up. I smell like a chimny when I get back to the office. I had to buy an industrial sized bottle of Febreze to help mask the applewood smell that clings to my clothes. I know... suck it up dude... and I do. But for those who don't like to smell their meal hours (days!) after you have left the restaurant, I am just giving you a heads up.
ISO the best sandwich in YYC
The one sandwich I cannot get enough of right now is the Beef and Cheddar at Cowtown Beef Shack. I order it with orions and horseradish. For $8, it is packed with awesomeness.
Peanut Butter - Calgary
Although this post is primarily looking for the elusive Peanut Butter & Co. product, I thought I would weigh in on a peanut butter find I came across. I work close to Last Chance a Liquidation World-type store that is on Barlow. Anyways, they always seem to bring in some products that are not carried in Canadian stores. In their grocery section and last week I stumbled across Peter Pan "crunchy" peanut butter. I have only seen this brand in the States so I was happy to come across it. Wow... it is a good peanut butter! At $2.99 a jar, I stocked up. It is loaded with roasted peanuts. According to the latest Cook's Illustrated, they gave Peter Pan a "recommended" in their review of peanut butters on the market.
On a side note... I also came across two Duncan Hines boxed cake mixes that I have never seen on the local grocery shelves... Red Velet and Pinapple Supreme.
Los Tortillas in NE Calgary
I think they have moved beyond offering shrimp only on Saturdays. I have been there 10+ times and have yordered shrimp every time. So good. The challenge I am having is catching them when they are serving their chorizo tacos...
calgary restaurants ?
Walking distance from the Hyatt... Catch, Divino, Trib, Murrieta's, Belvedere, Home Tasting Room, Blink, Charcut... I have had a great meal over the years at all of these places.
FYI... you can walk to Brava but you are looking at about 20 minutes. It is an easy 5 minute cab ride though.
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Home Tasting Room
110 8th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1B3, CA
YYC - Where to find good BBQ ribs?
More love for Holy Smoke... especially their Manwich. But since we are on the topic of ribs... their ribs are a $1 a bone and I love how you can mix and match various sauces. They have this mustard-based South Carolina BBQ sauce that is fantastic. Finish the meal off with their chocolate chip banana bread loafs and all is good in the world.
The Bank
I have become rather fond of the Local Tavern establishments. Local 002, Local 510 and Local 522 owned by the Concorde Group have a cool vibe with upscale pub food. http://www.localtavern.ca/
Although I have never been, I have heard Milk Tiger is a cool lounge. http://www.milktigerlounge.com/
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Local 522
522 6 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 0S1, CA
Local 510
510 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 0A9, CA
