Calgary Eats

I wrote this post back in September 2011... So it's old, but it's still pretty relevant I think. New commentary is in fancy pants italics.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So "Where" magazine published their list of "75 Tastes of Calgary", basically dishes that are unique to Calgary, or make Calgary Unique. Here's the list, and I've commented on all the dishes that I've tried.

1. “The Whole Truck” at Alley Burger Food Truck • I've had the Alley Burger (or rather it's Charcut counterpart), but I have yet to make it down to the Alley Burger Food Truck... dieting and my adversity to large lineups are mostly to blame. I've since had the 'Whole Truck Buger' and the fries from the Alley Burger truck... a decent burger, and a good size, but a bit expensive for what you get.
2. Grilled Cheese at Janice Beaton • Yes, I had their Gruyère Sandwich, it was divine
3. The Crave-O-Licious Cupcake at Crave Cookies and Cupcakes • I've had a Crave-o-licious, but I prefer the Peppermint Patty. I was once hired to work at Crave but turned them down... true story!
4. Vegetarian Pad Thai at Delicious Thai •
5. Ricotta Gnocchi at Capo • I can't afford Capo prices...
6. The Masala Mogo at Safari Grill •.
7. Scones by Sidewalk Citizen Bakery • Hell Yes! I prefer the savoury scones, but that's mostly because I'm a cheese whore
8. A Latte at DeVille Luxury Coffee & Pastries • They have a Nutella Latte, so yes, I've tried this
9. Bone Marrow and Foie Gras Spring Roll at Rouge • Nor can I afford Rouge
10. Falafel Pita at Chick Pea • This was good, but not mind blowing, don't know why it's on the list instead of Jimmy's A&A Grocery or Mezza for that matter...
11. The Speck E Ruccula Pizza at Pulcinella • Yup, Pulcinella started the whole Neopolitan pizza thing in Calgary, and they do it well, but I find myself leaning towards 'w/o papers' these days...
12. Duck Confit Poutine at Laurier Lounge • I find it hard to believe I have yet to try this, since it's been on my list forever, but I haven't... I have since tried the duck confit poutine at 'Brasserie', and 'Bistro 2210', both good, but the 'Brasserie' version had more meat. Fave poutine is still the Duck Fat Truffle Poutine from 'Charcut'
13. Pig Head Mortadella and Brassica Mustard at Charcut • This was good, but I'm not a huge fan of mortadella
14. The Veggie Mezza for Two at Aida’s • I've eaten most of the items in the Veggie platter, but not the platter itself... very good Mediterranean place, even if parking on 4th St is a pain
15. Mac ‘n’ Cheese at Taste •
16. Lemon Cream Cake at Brûlée Patisserie •
17. Eggplant Chips at Vin Room •
18. Grilled Pineapple at Bolero •
19. Shroom Pizza at Without Papers •  I really like WP, it still makes me sad that Nectar's is gone, but I can drown my sorrows in the "Julie" (named after Julie Van Rosendaal - Poached Pears, Nutella, Ricotta Dessert Pizza)
20. Oatmeal from Diner Deluxe • I eat at Diner Delux all the time, but I've never ordered the oatmeal. I have a hard time ordering something as simple and basic as 'oatmeal' when eating out...
21. Cheese Fondue at The Living Room •
22. Deconstructed Crème Brûlée at Chef’s Table •
23. Linguine Carbonara at Bonterra •
24. Rack of Lamb at The Belvedere •
25. Milkshake and Burger at Peters’ Drive-In • Who the hell hasn't eaten at Peter's? That being said, Boogie's is better, and just as local
26. Prosciutto Sandwich at Caffe Mauro •
27. Waffles from A Ladybug Bakery and Café • They also do a very good almond croissant and bolus I used to get pastries from here *all* the time when I used to go to the Calgary Farmer's Market. I've since become a regular at 'La Créperie' at the Kingsland Farmer's Market, and their Almond Croissant is bigger and better!
28. Tombo Tuna Salad Niçoise at Notable • I keep meaning to try this place out...
29. Eggs Benedict with Elk Bacon at River Café • Who goes to River Café for breakfast!?
30. Chicken & Pancetta Pizza at Cilantro •
31. Raspberry Yogurt Muffin at Heartland Café •  I live a stone's throw away, so I've eaten many of these... they also do a wicked pumpkin pie
32. Garlic Fries at The Palomino •  I go to show at the Palamino all the time, but I've never actually eaten there... weird
33. Rose Lychee Macaron at Yann Haute Patisserie • The most memorable macaron I've ever eaten was the passionfruit flavour at Ladurée... this one came in a close second
34. The Original Veggie Burger at Dairy Lane • Who the hell orders the Veggie burger at Dairy Lane (other than vegetarians?) Go for the Dairy Lane Burger or the Hillhurst Sandwich
35. Chu Chi Kai Chicken at King &I •
36. Bucket of Bacon at District • Of course I've eaten this, it comes with maple syrup for dipping
37. McNally’s Extra at Big Rock Brewery • Yup
38. The Crab Cakes at Selkirk Grille •
39. Naan at Clay Oven •
40. Spinach and Potato Pizza at Double Zero • Yes, even Boy Matt enjoyed it, and he hates veggies
41.  Kashk-e-Bademjan Dip at Shiraz •
42. Garlic Caesar at Antonio’s Garlic Clove •
43. Maultaschen at Wurst • It's really strange that I have yet to make it to any of the new beer halls that have opened up in YYC
44. Short Ribs at Open Range • I've never tried the 'short ribs' specifically, but the food is very good, the bison stands out in my memory...
45. Maple Bacon Doughnut from Jelly Modern • They are always sold out by the time I get there... I've since tried it, it's good, but not worth the hype, get the carrot cake donut instead
46. Chili Ramen Soup at Shikiji • I don't think I've had this particular dish, but I do like Shikiji a lot. I get the Peanut Pork Ramen all the time The Peanut Rament *is* the Chili Ramen...
47. Soul in a Bowl at OverEasy • Breakfast poutine, all over this shit
48. Wasabi Steak at Blowfish •
49. Saté Vietnamese Subs from Thi Thi •
50. Ginger Beef at Silver Inn • Probably back when I was a kid... but the gingerbeef at Peking Garden is better
51. Beer Float at Craft Beer Market •
52. Crispy Tofu at Anju •
53. Bacon Cheeseburger at Buchanan’s • Buchanan's always makes me think of old men and oil... I've never had the cheese burger, but I've eaten here on company dime... it wasn't very memorable
54. Oven-baked Spring Rolls at Escoba •
55. Seasoned Pork Tacos at Los Chilitos •
56. Popcorn at The Uptown Stage and Screen • I've had this popcorn, I remember it being more buttery than conventional movie popcorn
57. Beef Carpaccio at Vintage Chophouse •
58. Dosas at Southern
59. Prairie Oysters from Buzzards • Yup, this had the same texture as liver, which is a bit unpleasant
60. Chicken Apple Sausage at Spolumbo’s • I don't think I've had this specific sausage, but I get the spicy chorizo and the Italian sausage all the time
61. Beef Brisket Sandwich at Holy Smoke • I tried this for the first time at BBQ on the Bow this year, I liked the pulled pork better, but that's cause I like saucy meaty things, not cause the brisket was bad
62. Ginger Cream Cookie at The Lazy Loaf &Kettle • Yup, but this makes me miss the ginger cream cookie sandwiches they used to have at Higher Ground... so good! The HG Ginger cream is back!!!!
63. Thai Beef Jerky at Thai Sa-On •
64. Traditional Vietnamese Crepes at Kol 3 • Oh what, you can't call it Bàhn Xèo? Yes, I've eaten here, and yes, it's very good, and gluten free! Get the seafood one
65. Toasted Seed Roll from Good Earth • This is junk food masquerading as health food, but it's so damn good. Enough poppy seeds to make you fail a drug test
66. Coconut Curried Calamari at Mango Shiva •
67. Beet Sandwich at Wilder Nest Dream Café (1309 9 Ave SW, 403-265-3663) • I have the eggs benny every time I come here, but a beet sandwich sounds intriguing
68. Atlantica Scallop at Broken Plate •
69. Strawberry Guava Mousse Cake at Yamato Desserts • For family gatherings I sometimes order the green tea cheesecake, or the mango cheesecake, but I've never had this cake... it sounds too sweet
70. Bouillabaisse at Vero •
71. Deep-Fried Dill Pickles at Big T’s BBQ & Smokehouse • I ate at the 'Big T's' stand at the '2011 BBQ on the Bow' and it was awesome! They had the best pulled pork sandwich there, and I want to make love to their chili fries!
72. Garlic Pork at Han’s •
73. Pani Pura at Rasoi Kitchen •
74. Fishbowl at Melrose Café and Bar • I have never-ever gone to Melrose... I don't know if it's cause it's always packed, or if I have a low tolerance for douche, or maybe a bit of both, but they seem to be doing just fine without my patronage.
75. Onion Rings at Tommy Burger •