Food Escape to Calgary: Day 2

Of course my favorite type of meal - brunch - had to be eaten in a diner. I settled in the end on Galaxie Diner (1411 11 Street SW), located just outside of the downtown core.

Galaxie Diner exterior

Walking up to the front door, it didn't look good - the line up actually spilled onto the sidewalk. Thankfully, our wait was just under half an hour, and wasn't unpleasant in the warm spring sunshine. We had time to peer in the window of the restaurant next door - Palace of Eats - which turned out to be owned and operated by the purveyors of Galaxie.

The number of seats in Galaxie are few - 6 booths and a handful of seats along the counter, but with fast, efficient, and friendly service, it's no surprise that patrons are willing to wait.

Galaxie interior

Mack enjoying his first coffee of the day

While Diner Deluxe and Avenue Diner can be considered more upscale, Galaxie Diner doesn't pretend to be anything other than a good old neighbourhood greasy spoon. A variety of menu items including omelettes, eggs benedicts, French toast and a parfait meant most tastes would be satisfied. I decided to order the Montreal Smoked Meat Omelette ($11.75), while Mack customized his Omelette of Choice with mushrooms, ham, and cheese ($11.75). Both were served with unlimited hashbrowns and toast.

Our seat at the counter provided the perfect vantage point of the stove and the two cooks behind it. One had perfected cracking an egg with one hand, and both juggled multiple orders on the same griddle with ease.

Hot on the grill

I almost wish I had a scale to weigh my plate before digging in - the serving was absolutely massive. The omelette was the heartiest I've ever had - the Montreal Smoked Meat was more flavourful than ham, but less dense than bacon, and really helped make an otherwise standard breakfast option "pop."

Montreal Smoked Meat Omelette

The goodies inside my omelette

Mack's custom omelette

Inside Mack's omelette

With the bill, we were given two Dubble Bubbles - another reminder of the restaurant's retro feel and fun.

Bubble gum!

My next planned stop was the Calgary Farmer's Market. Though we had the address, we did not have a detailed map that would help lead us there. Luckily, Mack's iPod picked up an unsecured wireless signal, and we were saved.

iPod to the rescue! (No, I am not affiliated with Apple in any way.)

Located in an old airport hangar, I was surprised at the sheer size of the market - it is at least twice the size of Old Strathcona's, if not more.

Market exterior

Market interior

With over eighty merchants selling everything from handmade crafts, flowers, sweets, preserves, seafood, beef, and of course, produce, this market offers most of the essentials sold at a supermarket. What surprised me about the produce was the availability of imported vegetables - tomatoes from Mexico, plantains and garlic from the U.S., fruit from New Zealand. This is in stark contrast to the focus of Edmonton's farmer's markets (and the ideal focus, in my opinion) on locally-grown products. Mack thought this variety could be attributed to the need to cater to the customer - attract them to the market with the atmosphere and unique items, but offer them what they would buy elsewhere.

Produce!

Pet treats

Buttercream Bake Shoppe outpost

Hi Sebastian!

The main reason for our visit was to sample Phil & Sebastian Coffee. Their coffee and their Clover have a cult following in Calgary, and who were we to question the crowd?

Phil & Sebastian Coffee kiosk

The line-up

The Clover

The price for an individually-brewed cup of coffee was not listed on the overhead menu, so we weren't sure what we were getting ourselves into. It turns out, it wasn't so bad - the Ethiopian-sourced cup of coffee was $3.50.

As we waited for our order, we chatted with the barista. He extolled the virtue of single-origin coffee, and we talked a bit about Edmonton's Transcend and Kerstin's Chocolates. More than the coffee itself, the passion exuded by the staff for their products made the trip here worthwhile. He even asked us to sniff the beans - twice - after they were ground by the machine.

Design also seems to be a Phil & Sebastian strength - their sleek cups and simple but memorable logo help foster the ideal that Starbucks began - that a cup of coffee can offer the illusion of a better life. Printed on the sleeves:

"We could write on the side of our cups about how we're nothing like the other guys. We could tell you about the pride we take in every drink we serve. We could write about the contents of this cup being hot, and that you should use caution. We could tell you that Phil's dad can run faster than your dad. We could write about our goal to raise your expectations of coffee. Or maybe, we could write on the side of our cups that you should probably stop reading this because your drink is getting cold. Enjoy."

The barista told us to wait a bit before giving it a try (though it would have been impossible to do so if we wanted to - the coffee was scorching hot). The fruity tones were evident in the coffee's aroma, but wasn't noticeable in the drink itself. Mack noted that it tasted rich but not burnt, but in the end, I'm not sure I could identify a Clover-brewed coffee in a blind taste test. We're hoping to head to Transcend this weekend to see what Edmonton has to offer.

"I have coffee and you don't."

Chinook Centre was our final stop, since Mack was itching to go shopping and spend his wealth of gift cards. The obligatory stop at the nice and roomy RW & Co. yielded no treasures, but Mack did end up picking up something from Old Navy, so the visit wasn't fruitless.

On our way back to Edmonton, we stopped in Red Deer to have dinner with Tom and Bry at Boston Pizza. The waitress was obviously new, or not very good at multitasking, but it gave us time to catch up. Mack and I ordered the poutine, and I hoped that it would be better than the time before, but no, the gravy was just as lukewarm. But food aside, it was a good meal.

From my last few trips down to Calgary, I think I've finally been able to get past the elementary "must hate the city of the Flames" mentality. Not only do they have great restaurants, but the arts scene is more active than I could have ever imagined. Who knew?

The rest of my pictures can be seen on Flickr.

Brunch as it Should Be: Blue Plate Diner

After a walk about the City Market downtown (where I was disappointed that both Inspired Market Gardens and Whimsical Cupcakes were absent this week), I treated my parents and Amanda to brunch at Blue Plate Diner (10145 104 Street).

I've posted before about dinner at Blue Plate, but brunch at the Diner is truly one of my favorite meals at the city. There's just something about the combination of the brick, the buzz in the air and the charm of their retro furniture that I cannot resist.

I ordered the pancake breakfast (2 buttermilk pancakes, eggs, choice of meat side), while my sister opted for the mornin' sandwich (fried egg, cheddar cheese and tomato with herbed mayo on toasted multi-grain and served with potatoes), and my parents selected the big breakfast (2 eggs, potatoes and multi-grain toast and choice of meat side).

The pancakes were great - moist and fluffy, they soaked up the maple syrup nicely, and as always, their potatoes were crispy and delicious. My Mum really liked the bread, which we found our later was brought in from French Meadow, the artisanal bakery a few streets down.

After brunch, we headed to deVine Wines on the corner of Jasper Avenue and 104th Street for a free wine sampling they were hosting that afternoon. Though I didn't buy the red Chilean wine I tried, I did come away with a bottle of German Riesling wine, in the hopes that it would taste similar to one that I sampled in St. Goar this summer.

The City Market is open for its last hurrah this Saturday, and I highly recommend a morning of produce shopping followed by brunch at Blue Plate. You won't regret it!

Pancake breakfast

Mornin' sandwich

Big breakfast

Weekend in Calgary

Bettina and I had talked in the spring about a weekend trip to Calgary, but due to various factors including work and vacation, we weren't able to align our schedules until August.

On Friday afternoon, I hopped on an express Red Arrow coach to meet up with Bettina. I haven't yet had the opportunity to talk about them before, so I will seize this platform now - I would strongly encourage anyone needing transportation south to consider taking the bus. Besides the free snacks and beverages, the coaches are clean, efficient, and often come with unforeseen bonuses (like wireless internet access!). Fares are reasonable ($63.60 one way), and the downtown Calgary drop off point is conveniently just a few blocks away from a C-Train stop.

After arriving, Bettina's Aunt was nice enough to drive us to the hotel so I could drop off my bag. Our accommodation for night one was the Hampton Inn in NW Calgary.

Our room at the Hampton Inn

It doesn't look like much, but I was quite impressed with our suite. Equipped with a fridge and a microwave, as well as a DVD player, the room would have definitely allowed for a comfortable multi-night stay should we have needed it. Moreover, the included continental breakfast the next morning was extremely generous, or what I would call "Contiki-plus": in addition to the requisite cereal, fruit, and coffee, they offered a variety of healthy and sweet carb choices and hot sausage patties (so bad, but so good). I'm not sure why accommodations matter so much to me, particularly when the backbones of my getaways are sightseeing and not sleeping, but I suppose it has to do with being able to live at the border of one's means when away from home.

For dinner, we explored our options on Stephen Avenue. We did pass by Blink Supper Club, but the $30+ entree price scared us away.

Stephen Avenue (and a reflection of the Calgary Tower)

We ended up in the familiar Milestone's (107 8th Avenue SE). Bettina selected her favorite California spring salad (baby greens, mild goat cheese, fresh sliced strawberries, red onion and spicy-glazed pecans) while after some agony, I chose the butternut squash ravioli (Roma tomato sauce, goat cheese, fresh basil, spicy-glazed pecans). The food arrived surprisingly quick. The dressing on Bettina's salad was unfortunately much too strong, and I didn't appreciate the fact that my pasta appeared to be swimming in olive oil. Besides the grease factor, however, I thoroughly enjoyed the ravioli filling - the squash was creamy and complemented well by the tomato sauce. I'm still not a fan of goat cheese, particularly because it unfailingly dries out dishes, but I'm slowly learning not to be deterred by its presence.

Butternut squash ravioli

California spring salad

The next morning after breakfast, we left the Hampton and secured our luggage at our next hotel, as it was too early to check in. We then took the C-Train to the trendy neighbourhood of Kensington, home of decor, gift, and clothing boutiques a la Whyte Avenue, but decidedly more laid back and low-key. My only real point of interest on this sojourn was to visit Crave (1107 Kensington Road NW).

Bettina decides between the lesser of several evils

Having hit Buttercream Bake Shoppe the last time I was in the city, I wanted to cross the other cupcake bakery off of my list. We actually passed right by Crave when we wandered down Kensington Road, as the storefront itself isn't very eye-catching. When we reached the store, it was bustling with customers, seemingly regulars who needed their fix of upscale baked goods. Bettina and I decided to split a half dozen (with each cupcake working out to just under $2.50 each). My picks included The Princess, Crave-O-Licious and Nutty Over Chocolate. I was most curious about the latter, wanting to compare it to Ina Garten's similar recipe. Crave's version of the icing was much sweeter (indicative of more confectioner's sugar added), but the cake itself was rather bland. Bettina mainly couldn't get over the intense amount of butter used for the icing, but I didn't mind; it's not often I indulge in cupcakes!

Our half dozen - almost too pretty to eat!

Getting Nutty Over Chocolate

We did our best to walk off the calories on our way back downtown, in search of #2 on my to-do list: Avenue Diner (105 8th Avenue SW). I was keen to compare it to Diner Deluxe, the absolutely fabulous 50s inspired diner I had brunch at in January, particularly after reading nothing but positive reviews about the restaurant.

As you're probably well-aware, I'm very picky when it comes to my diners, and I will admit to requiring this genre of eatery to conform to my personal vision of what a "diner" should be. Being a (somewhat) reasonable person, I know that such standards are really unfair, but as it is a bias I take with me, I am mentioning it upfront.

Avenue is essentially a modern incarnation of a diner, and I mean this not necessarily in a bad sense. It is clean, well-lit, equipped with a characteristic barstool countertop as well as a sleek banquet at the rear of the restaurant, making the most of a lengthy room. The black and white photographs lining the near-grey walls and molded red stools emulate a sort of upscale chicness devoid of a warmth that I associate with the word "diner". Even the eye-catching portrait of their in-house macaroni and cheese screamed more gallery than Mum's kitchen.

That said, the service was excellent throughout, and the cranberry and lemon slice in each of our water glasses was a whimsical touch. The menu featured the expected variety of omelets, breakfast carbs and sandwiches. I opted for the quiche special, served with Yukon Gold hash browns and fruit salad, while Bettina ordered the spinach salad (with spiced pecans, sun dried cranberries and vanilla-apple dressing).

The quiche itself was a mixed bag - the pesto-marinated portabello mushrooms were absolutely divine, but the "Missing Link" chicken sausage slices were surprisingly, and disappointingly dry. It would be an understatement to say Bettina didn't enjoy her salad, finding the dressing much too bland, and near flavourless. Would I return to Avenue? Perhaps only if the wait for Diner Deluxe was unmanageably long.

Tempting artwork

Restaurant interior

Quiche with Yukon Gold hash browns and fruit salad

Spinach salad

After lunch, we did some shopping in the downtown area to kill some time before being able to check into our hotel. Funny how I used to really enjoy shopping in Calgary, but after being exposed to so many new labels and stores in Europe, even the skylit Eaton Centre wasn't that exciting.

A few odd purchases later, we were ready to check out our accommodation for the night. The Westin Calgary (320 4th Avenue SW) had been renovated recently in June, even installing a Starbucks in the lobby (I seem to be able to magically gravitate towards the coffee giant without even knowing it). While the lobby was still under construction, the rooms themselves still retained the sheen of a facelift (is there a "new room" smell?). It's probably the nicest room I've ever stayed in - besides their signature Heavenly Bed, the room also featured a flat panel television and free in-room Starbucks coffee(!). Moreover, as we were in a business suite, we were allowed unlimited long distance phone calls within North America, as well as a $19 credit for the hotel's restaurant. On a side note, it's interesting how both the Westin and the Hampton Inn now have the option for patrons to create a hotel atmosphere at home by purchasing furnishings and items of comfort online (my favorite is the curved shower rod). I'm sure it's only a matter of time before these sites offer wedding registries so newlyweds can extend that honeymoon feeling all the way back home.

Our suite at the Westin

While it seems like all we did was eat that weekend, food in other cities is always a major attraction for me, so I couldn't pass up a trip to Taste of Calgary, taking place at Eau Claire Market (202, 200 Barclay Parade SW).

The crowds at Taste of Calgary (the Calgary Herald reported attendance of 60,000 to their event compared with Edmonton's supposed 600,000. Really?)

Starbucks van (they were selling samples of Blueberries and Creme Frappuccino and Blueberry White Iced Tea for 1 ticket each)

When I say the event "took place" at Eau Claire, that's a bit deceiving - the booths were actually arranged rather haphazardly in the building's parking lot. Besides making sure not to trip over the concrete blocks on the pavement, the layout of the vendors did not allow for easy browsing of options available. While Churchill Square might be a cramped venue, Eau Claire was actually worse.

The food, however, was worth the visit. My opinion is based partly on the "newness" of the menu to my palate, but I think their choices were not only better than our festival, but cheaper too (tickets were priced at 75 cents to Edmonton's dollar). The portions were larger, and some vendors even put some thought into the presentation of their dishes (paper cone-wrapped crepes for convenient stand-up snacking and mini-Chinese take-out boxes sure beat paper plates). Curiously, drinks took up over a third of the menu, with servings of beer, wine and liqueurs offered for 2 to 3 tickets each.

With my ten tickets, I had to be frugal with my selections, and ended up with a serving of butter chicken from Bombay Palace and a Bow Valley bison burger from Brewsters. Both were excellent. Bettina ended up with a burger as well, but not before she tried a BBQ beef rib from Graze Grill, home of "The Big One": a five pound sirloin steak. For the gastronomically-inclined, finishing the $99 steak within the hour results in a free meal and a place on their wall of fame. Any takers?

Butter chicken

Bow Valley bison burger

BBQ beef rib

We spent the rest of the evening walking the nearby trails.

Urban soccer (it reminded me of a picture I took in Paris)

Bettina plays tourist

Our Sunday morning breakfast at Essence, the Westin's restaurant, wasn't spectacular. And though our credit helped, my $15 omelet put us over our allowance.

We then met up with Bettina's Aunt, who drove us to an off-leash park for a walk with their Bernese Mountain Dog Hemingway and his many (large) furry friends. I've never seen so many massive dogs in one place before.

Hemingway (all 120 pounds of him)

Seriously massive dogs

The scenery of the Elbow River valley below and the skyline of downtown Calgary in the distance was nice to see, especially because it seems I rarely escape the trappings of city living when traveling.

Skyline

Valley

Pathway

Us

Surprise, surprise - we followed up our outdoor excursion with a dim sum lunch at Forbidden City in Pacific Place (220, 999 36 Street NE). I wouldn't normally single out Chinese restaurants, but the portions were abnormally generous here. For example, the plate of rice crepes was double the size what any Edmonton restaurant would serve at a similar price range. Highly recommended.

We C-Trained to Chinook Mall for a quick look around, and then it was back downtown to pick up our bags. This was my first extended brush with the C-Train system, and I must admit that I am pretty impressed with its reach of many parts of the city.

For one last hurrah, we sat down for a quick treat at Fiasco Gelato (807 1 Street SW) - the chocolate hazlenut Tartufo was delicious.

Yum! (the Tartufo was underneath the raspberry sorbetto)

Back to the Red Arrow bus station (after some SE and SW misdirection), and we were home before we knew it. It was a very full weekend.

Calgary Mini-Break: Recap

Dickson and I went to Calgary this weekend to accompany my sister and her boyfriend. They had tickets to Saturday's Oilers/Flames tilt (Edmonton lost 3-1. Boo!).

As Amanda and Henry had already purchased Red Arrow tickets long ago, Dickson and I had some flexibility as to when we had to leave. So naturally, we stopped for breakfast at my neighbourhood McDonalds first (pictured below).

Hashbrowns, Sausage Egg McMuffins and Faux-bucks

Yes, you aren't seeing things - those are actual Starbucks cups (extras gleaned from one of my many previous visits). I'm not normally that cheap, bringing outside drinks into an eating establishment, but in my defense, I had thought we would be eating in the car. Their ease of disposal makes the cups very travel-friendly. Besides, my homemade Folgers produces a much better brew than McDonalds' coffee (the same can be said of Dickson's milk-based hot chocolate).

We left the city just after 10am, and though AMA reports had green lighted Calgary commutes, the continuous flurries and windy conditions begged to differ. We passed by several cars that had been abandoned in the ditch, and a few accidents that were even more recent:

Police on the scene

Cars in the ditch

Dickson subsequently concentrating (or is he?)

We arrived in Calgary after 1pm, and drove into the city in search of my first desired stop. Along the way, Dickson realized he had missed a turn, and in a U-turn attempt, nearly slid into a stop sign while trying to avoid an oblivious woman shoveling snow, indifferent to the fact that her life could have been in danger. We were okay, and the Echo had thankfully missed the pole by a few inches.

Without too much difficulty, we found the Buttercream Bake Shoppe (103, 1019-17 Avenue). I was determined to visit one of the cupcake establishments in Calgary (the other being Kensington's Crave) to compare them with Edmonton's own.

Buttercream Bake Shoppe exterior

Pricing chart

Cupcake case

Chocolate case

Our purchase

I guess they're not that much different. The prices are relative to one another (~$2.50 each), and honestly, on a blind taste test, I would not be able to identify the maker of any individual cake. I think it's more of a novelty thing at this point, for me to visit a bakery if I have the time and means to do so.

After that, we picked up Jen and drove back downtown to check in at our hotel. With the help of the very useful TripAdvisor, I had chosen the Calgary Marriott (110-9 Avenue SE). Located across the street from the Calgary Tower, and within walking distance of urban shopping and a C-Train platform, it was both a convenient and economical option.

Starbucks in the lobby (though I didn't actually take advantage of it)

Beds

Bathroom (with citrus bath products!)

View of the Calgary Tower (from the 18th floor)

Spacious, with a nice bathroom and a decent view, I didn't regret my choice. I also found the staff quite courteous and accommodating to requests.

Once we dropped off our luggage, we picked up Violet and headed to Market Mall (3625 Shaganappi Trail NW). Notable was the stationary and gift shop Paper Root Studios, where I picked up a few things. I usually visit the Eaton Centre location, but I found this store had a better selection, and even carried a few Unemployed Philosopher's Guild items!

Freudian Slippers

Shopped out, the four of us decided on Vietnamese food for dinner. Violet directed us to Pho Kim (1511 Centre B Street NW), a restaurant that has been set up in what appeared to be a converted house. I can't remember exactly what I ordered, but I found the portion small and broth less flavorful than I would have liked. It definitely paled in comparison to Pagolac and Doan's in Edmonton.

Pho Kim

My order

The next morning, Dickson and I visited Diner Deluxe (804 Edmonton Trail NE) for a late breakfast. In my planning, I had consulted the "Best of" list published in FFWD Weekly, Calgary's equivalent to Edmonton's See Magazine. Diner Deluxe was voted one of the two best places for brunch, so seemed like a safe bet (though really, the place is worth visiting from their very cute website alone). It turns out the Diner is one of five Calgary dining establishments operated by an "inventive culinary couple." Their other holdings include a bakery, a seafood restaurant, and a cafe. After our experience, I wouldn't mind heading to Open Range, their steak house, the next time I'm in the city.

Diner Deluxe exterior

Wait sign

Retro TV in the wait area

When we arrived at the restaurant, the place was packed - we were grateful that it was warm out as we waited for the line inside to shift and accommodate us indoors. It seems their brunch is so popular that it warranted the posting of "line etiquette," including details about line jumping and reminders not to dawdle at the table during busy times. The hostess even wore a shirt with the words "LINE TAMER" on the back.

Diner Deluxe interior

After a not-so-painful 45 minutes, we were seated. With furniture that could have stood in a 50s era, yellow walls, and a wonderful skylight, the dining room was warm and inviting. Part of the kitchen also opened up into the dining area, which is always a reassuring sight. I ordered the frittata (with chicken apple sausage, sundried tomato, and smoked mozza), while Dickson opted for the omelette special.

Mini ketchup bottles

Omelette special with toast and hashbrowns (and orange juice in a goblet!)

Frittata with toast and hashbrowns

My, was the food ever worth the wait - almost even better because of the wait. The frittata was above and beyond Urban Diner's version - cheesy, and baked to perfection. Dickson similarly enjoyed his omelette.

Comfortably full, we drove to Chinook Centre (6455 Macleod Trail SW), always worth a visit for their large RW & Co. We also managed to stumble upon the Cup-A-Cake cupcake container in Williams Sonoma (or was it in Pottery Barn?). Funny, after all that shopping, I didn't end up buying anything for myself all weekend.

We left the city just before 6pm, and found the conditions to be markedly better than they had been the day before. Thus, we made good time.

All in all, it was a great break, and a fantastic way to bust up the typical post-holiday blues!