Showing posts with label local. Show all posts

...Q Haute Cuisine (Calgary)

June 28, 2015 Beef, Cheese, dessert, local, Pasta, Review Calgary, Seafood, soup, wine No comments

Overall - 9.5/10
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Food - 9.5/10
Service - 9.5/10
Ambiance - 9/10

Nowadays our ability to undertake 2-3 hour dining experiences is severely hindered by our baby. However this past Friday we threw caution to the wind and booked a table at Q Haute Cuisine for their Chef's tasting menu. For those who have never been to Q Haute, the evening dinner service does not have any a la carte options but only a set tasting menu dictated by the seasons and Chef Michele Aurigemma. The meal we received that summer evening ranks among the best meals we have had to date in terms of sheer deliciousness and creativity.

The additional wine pairing by Q Haute's knowledgable and approachable sommelier Josh was out of this world. The selections were quite unique, ranging from wines of the Jura region of France to a delicious digestif made right in Turner Valley, Alberta. Josh's pairings opened our eyes to how much the choice of wine can actually serve to enhance flavours of each dish.

Our trio of amuse bouche's included an olive oil ice cream with black volcanic salt and pistachio crumble, a green egg yolk and pancetta sphere over brioche and a cured trout with hibiscus jelly. The pairing was a refreshing cocktail of Lillet (A French liqueur) infused with melon.

Started dinner with ice cream!

A play on green eggs and ham

The next course was a soup of mushroom and potato served with a chicken stock espuma, made to mimic a cappuccino. The rich and earthy soup paired perfectly with a warm Japanese Bancha tea.

Following the soup, foie gras was encapsulated in a sphere and served with a whole assortment of condiments including olive oil bread, balsamic maple jam and a dark chocolate powder. The foie gras was deliciously subtle but perhaps overwhelmed by the number of different elements on the plate. In particular, the pepper jelly, juniper and peppermint 'glass' seemed not to have much flavour or add to the dish in any way. However, the presentation was very eye catching and creative. The wine pairing was an off-dry Riesling from Germany's Mosul region that helped cut through the richness of the foie gras and highlighted the sweet balsamic maple jam at the same time.

The following dish of lightly poached cray fish had even more subtle accompaniments including a citrus barley, cauliflower puree and sea beans which allowed the delicate cray fish to shine. An equally delicate dry chardonnay from France's Jura region accompanied.

The fish course consisted of a sous vide arctic char which was crusted with olives and served over lentil ragout and wild berries. The savoury rosé wine from Spain's Navarra region was an excellent pairing, highlighting the briny olive flavour and tying the dish together.

The next dish was a potato filled ravioli served over a bed of crunchy faro salad and sauced with an intensely flavoured, eye-catching pink tomato foam sprinkled with chive flowers. Taken together the dish reminded us of an elevated gnocchi with marinara. Our second wine from the Jura region that night was called Arbois and had flavours of apple and aroma cheese rinds.

To transition our palates to the main course we were served a carrot sorbet with brunoise cucumber and a green apple espuma (foam). The Spring Equinox, a unique distilled spirit made from prickly pear cactus in Turner Valley, was served over ice and equally refreshing and palate cleansing.

Our main course was perhaps the most classic dish of the entire menu. It was simply two generous portions of 72-hour braised beef short rib with seasonal vegetables, sweet potato puree and a rich Medeira wine sauce. We thought it was a brilliant idea to keep the main course simple and satisfying. The Crozes Hermitage Sirah from France had aromas of wood and pine and matched well with the earthiness of the beef.

At this point, we were brought on a mini tour of the building, and shown into the kitchen where we were given two blueberry popsicles made on the anti-griddle and dipped in dark chocolate and coated in pistachio. This reminded me of the Purdy's chocolate dipped ice cream bars which I am particularly fond of, so this one was a winner (how can it not). In our excitement we unfortunately did not get photographic evidence.

The final three courses were on the sweet end of the spectrum and started with a Tonka Bean cheesecake served with a blueberry sphere, lemon tuille and an orange-star anise sauce. The Tonka bean imparted a strong vanilla flavour to the cheesecake and was quite delicious. Interestingly in the United States, Tonka Beans are considered illegal by the FDA so we were lucky to have sampled them on this evening. The aromas of vanilla from the Tonka beans paired very well with the fruitiness of the Kiuchi Umeshi dessert wine which is made from distilled white ale and infused with sour plum.

Our dessert was a play on smores and consisted of a rich chocolate cake (stuffed with preserved cherry), topped with a maple marshmallow. As with the main course, we felt it was a great idea to end the meal with familiar and satisfying flavours. The dessert was served with a 15 year old Domaine Pouderoux Maury dessert wine which to us seemed like a smoother version of port.

As if the smore was not enough, we were presented with a trio of petit fours including a pickled grape truffle of mascarpone cheese, a passionfruit sphere with gin-pomegranate caviar and a frozen blood orange bonbon. An espresso cup filled with whisky and espresso vodka capped off the evening perfectly.

As a whole the tasting menu was well worth the three hour time commitment. The Chef clearly has a good grasp of modern cooking techniques in molecular gastronomy, but didn't go overboard and managed to balance contemporary with familiar themes to produce creatively satisfying food. We left thoroughly impressed by the amazing service and meticulously crafted food.

...Calgary Food Bloggers 4th Annual Bake Sale

November 20, 2014 dessert, events, local No comments

The Annual Calgary Food Bloggers Bake Sale is returning for its 4th year. This year it will be held on Saturday, November 29 from 10 am - 4 pm at the Calgary Farmer's Market. All proceeds will go towards supporting Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids (BB4CK). If you live in the Calgary area, please come out and support a good cause and enjoy the delicious baked goodies made by Calgary Food Bloggers, including yours truly. Here is a little description about Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids:

"Since 1990 BB4CK have been making sure Calgary kids have lunches. Through the work of community groups and volunteers, they provide about 2,000 lunches each day to kids in school. Lunches are prepared in their main kitchen, and in various other locations by community groups including retirees, parent groups and local businesses. BB4CK works with school staff members to identify needs and to plan how best to make sure hungry students get the nutrition required to think clearly and learn. Each lunch costs about $1 to make. Their goal is to make sure no child goes hungry."

...Café Blanca (Calgary)

October 28, 2014 Breakfast, coffee, events, local, Review Calgary No comments

Last week, we were invited to the grand opening of Café Blanca, a beautifully designed space in the heart of downtown Calgary. After speaking with the owners that evening, we were told the idea behind this hip independent coffee house is not only to serve delicious, high quality and fair trade coffee but to provide a creative space for a variety of events.

One of the unique features of this coffee house is their use of a siphon. We were told this technique was first used in Berlin and then refined in Japan. Being a couple of science buffs, the glass vessels and heating elements reminded us off being in the chemistry lab again but this time instead of noxious chemicals, the final product was some of the smoothest, full bodied coffee we've ever tasted. The use of the siphon definitely removes some of the mouth puckering acidity that you can sometimes get with normal drip coffee. The special blend of Ethiopian, Sumatran and Colombian beans also has a lot to do with the smooth and rich character of the final product. Perhaps the best part of siphon coffee though, is the experience of watching your drink being skillfully prepared by the well trained baristas who literally have the art down to a science.

Siphon demonstration

Not only do they serve coffee and teas, but they also feature food on their menu. On this night, they served up a tasting of chef Michael Christen's creations: bocconcini salad, chicken BLT, house smoked salmon and tiramisu.

Bocconcini salad taster

Chicken BLT

Smoked salmon

We found the food to be very tasty and went deliciously with the siphon coffee and hibiscus tea served that evening. Café Blanca's uniquely designed space also lends itself to performers with its stage, with the owners planning jazz and comedy nights just to name a few. If you have the chance to stop by Café Blanca, we recommend that you take your time to enjoy the space, friendly staff and of course, quality food and drinks.

...Top 5 French Bistros in Calgary

September 18, 2014 French, Japanese, local, organic, Review Calgary No comments

Recently we were invited to write a guest blogger article on Calgary's "Top 5 "for Taste Trekkers. Our love for French food inspired us to write "The Top 5 French Bistros in Calgary", highlighting our favourite bistros to date. What is your favourite French restaurant? Do you have a Top 5 list of food experiences for Calgary or your city?

(The fresh produce of sun dappled Aix-en-Provence)

...Organic Beef (Ribeye Steak)

August 30, 2014 Beef, local, organic, Review Calgary No comments

What is so special about organic beef you ask? In our opinion the flavour is more intense, the texture is usually more tender and in general it just feels like you're eating beef as opposed to the shrink-wrapped, watery meat that you get at a lower price. I don't want to come off sounding like a beef snob, but when it comes to special occasions where steak is on the menu, you just feel more satisfied going with the higher quality organic beef even if the price is higher.

There are two organic beef purveyors that we frequent. The first is located in the old Kingsland Farmers Market (now renamed Market of Macleod), called Hoven Farms. They offer a number of different meats, including organic chicken and lamb in addition to their fine beef. We bought a rib eye steak and a New York strip steak to compare. The strip steak was more flavourful but the rib eye took the prize in the tenderness department. A mushroom cream sauce was the perfect accompaniment to both steaks.

Silver Sage Beef, located in the Calgary Farmer's Market, specializes only in beef. At their stall you can get pretty much any cut of beef you're looking for. Amongst our favourites are their ground chuck (great for hamburgers and meatballs) and thick cut short ribs. For comparison sake we went with a rib eye to see how it stacked up to the one we had the week before at Hoven Farms. Interestingly, we found the rib eye here was slightly more tender and just as flavourful. We prepared it simply with salt and pepper.

In the end it doesn't matter where you decide to get your organic beef, just go ahead and take the plunge. Your tastebuds will be satisfied with the wonderful flavours and the knowledge that your beef is free from hormones, antibiotics and is ethically raised.

...LeVilla Restaurant & SkiptheDishes (Calgary)

May 28, 2014 appetizer, Beef, Canadian, local, Review Calgary, Seafood No comments

We were contacted recently by SkiptheDishes to try their service. SkiptheDishes is a food delivery network, offering online ordering for delivery/pickup from a variety of restaurants. We were curious as to how delivery from a higher end restaurant that you wouldn't necessarily associate with take-out, would compare to the sit-down experience. So after exploring our options on the website, we decided on LeVilla Restaurant...

SkiptheDishes' website took us a minute to figure out. We realized that depending on which area of the city you live in, the day and time of day determines the restaurants you can get delivery from. We're assuming that if you chose the pickup option, you would get more restaurant options. One of the things we liked about using the website was how you could easily view the menu, place your order exactly how you want, and pay- all up to a day in advance. Also, you can choose to tip the driver on the website and not worry about having to pay the person when they show up at your door. SkiptheDishes sends you emails to confirm your order and update the expected delivery time. We received a phone call letting us know that the food courier had picked up our order at the restaurant and was on their way. Our food arrived in good time and still warm, delivered by a friendly SkiptheDishes food courier.

We ordered the crab cakes, bison short ribs and cajun ribeye from LeVilla Restaurant (Sirocco Dr. location in the SW). The crab cakes came with a jicama slaw and chipotle aioli. The crab cakes tasted fresh and went well with the slaw that had a light texture. They probably would have been more crispy if we had them at the restaurant but since they were contained in a take away box they weren't as crisp. The aioli was a great accompaniment and the generous amount in the container was good for dipping the bread rolls that came with our order.

Our bison short ribs and ribeye came with the gravy separate in their boxes.

Obviously it wasn't completely a 'skip the dishes' experience but we didn't mind. The cajun ribeye was medium rare just as we requested on the website. It was very tender and flavourful but charred a bit more than we would have liked, making the spice rub slightly bitter in flavour. Otherwise, the rich marsala wild mushroom sauce, creamy mashed potatoes and vegetables were a great accompaniment to the ribeye.

The braised bison short ribs were slightly on the dry side, somewhat made better by the gravy. The advertised horseradish that was supposed to be in the mashed potatoes was not apparent and no asparagus was included, as per the menu.

Overall, we feel the food was comparable to the food they serve at the restaurant. We can see how delivery from a higher end restaurant has its convenience, but we probably wouldn't do it again in the near future. We often like to ask the server for their recommendations and enjoy the experience of the service at a nice restaurant. However, we can see ourselves using SkiptheDishes for more casual restaurants. We hope SkiptheDishes will expand their network in the future and offer more mid-priced restaurants. It was an interesting experience and we're glad we were introduced to SkiptheDishes.

...Clive Burger (Calgary)

May 03, 2014 Beef, beer, deep fried, local, Review Calgary No comments

Overall - 8/10
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Food - 9/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10

I love a good hamburger and the ones they do at Clive Burger are amongst the best I've had. They may not be pretty (in the conventional sense) or have avant-garde toppings but the beef is great quality, the fixings fresh and the bun perfectly proportioned and tender. So roll up your sleeves, remove your rings, wrist watch and prepare yourself for a messy, but satisfying experience.

Chrissy had the single burger with cheddar cheese topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles and relish for $7. The beef is sourced from Spring Creek farms which proudly raises their beef ethically without hormones or antibiotics and you can definitely taste the quality. My recommendation is not to overload the burger with too many toppings, otherwise the flavour of the beef might get hidden. For most, this size would be more then enough.

I went all out with the double burger with swiss cheese, topped with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, ketchup and clive sauce (spicy mayo) all for $10. Two delicious patties is more then enough to satisfy even the largest appetites. The sticker on the tomato was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect burger.

The fries here again are some of the best. Their flavour seems to suggest they were fried in peanut oil which results in a super crispy exterior. Go for the Clive sauce for dipping to get the full Clive burger experience. A large for $4 is enough for 4 regular diners or two very hungry ones.

If you want something different from the classic burger and fries, they also serve hot dogs and poutine. For refreshment you can choose from their homemade shakes, local soda or locally brewed beer from Village Brewery. In my opinion, the Village Blonde on tap is the way to go.

…Kingsland Chopped Salad

March 17, 2014 Beef, local, organic, Salad No comments

In our books, Kingsland Farmer's Market is still the best in the city. It might not be as trendy or pretty as some others, but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in quality vendors, a welcoming atmosphere and what we think are some of the best food stalls in town. Here is a recipe for an easy to make and delicious chopped salad that makes the most of the fresh ingredients we found this weekend.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 1 organic rib eye steak (Hoven Farms)
- 6 small cucumbers (The Cucumber Man)
- 5 carrots
- 6 small bell peppers (Cucumber Man)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (Cucumber Man)
- 4 slices of rye bread diced and toasted (Kruze Bakery)
- Citrus dressing: