...Rodney's Oyster House (Calgary)

Overall - 8/10
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Food - 8.5/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10

We're suckers for a good seafood feast. In years past when a special occasion rolled around we often chose to celebrate at Red Lobster with their 'Ultimate Feast' chock full of lobster, crab, scallops and shrimp all on the same plate. Since then we've had the pleasure of dining at some amazing seafood restaurants (see Ship on the Shore, Edinburgh and Hog Island Oyster Co., San Francisco).  Part of me still craves that buttery plate of seafood, but I think our tastes have matured.  Thankfully Rodney's Oyster House has opened up a new location in Calgary and more upscale seafood eats are now easier to be had than ever before.

We couldn't resist the 'Captain's platter' which included steamed half lobster, crab claws, prawns, oysters and potted mussels. The oysters were extremely fresh and just as good as those we had recently at Hog Island. The crab claws were served with a delicious lemon mayonnaise while the lobstar and prawns were steamed to perfection. The potted mussels were our surprise favourite on the platter, being pickled in a mixture of butter, lemon and dill.

The clam chowder was rich, creamy and bursting with large chunks of clam. It was a great warming dish to follow up the chilled seafood platter and something we are sure to crave when the temperatures dip.

Our next shared dish was the Haida candy which is a sweet cured and smoked salmon served with house pickles. The chunks were on the large side and a bit of a mouthful to chew since the curing and smoking process made for a pretty dense piece of fish.  Despite wishing the pieces were sliced thinner,  the flavour of the smoked fish was delicious.

The main courses are conviently offered in half and full sizes allowing your to try a number of dishes. We chose the seared scallops which were served with simple sauteed spinach, cauliflower, tomatoes and mushrooms. The Fundy scallops were as fresh as can be and their flavours shone through without the need for any sauces or special seasonings.

We really enjoyed our experience at Rodney's and most appreciated the careful and respectful treatment of their wonderfully fresh selection of seafood.

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Top 3 Fall Recipes to Try Today

We may be a little biased but we think we have a good collection of fall recipes here on the blog that we've posted over the last 4 years. In anticipation of the official start of fall, which is this Wednesday, we thought we'd share our top three fall recipe picks:

Butternut Squash, Sage & Cheddar 'Pizza'
What better way to use squash that are in season than in a 'pizza'?  The nutty butternut squash, sharp cheddar cheese and woody sage on a buttery, flakey puff pastry crust are the perfect fall combination.  Check out the recipe here.

Indian Spiced Cream of Carrot Soup
One of our favourite things to harvest from our garden are carrots.  Nothing beats the taste of an ultra sweet home grown, organic carrot.  This recipe takes advantage of the root vegetable harvest by spicing things up with garam masala, coriander, fennel and mustard seed.  Combined with the gentle hum of coconut milk in the background, you've got an extraordinary fall soup.  See the recipe here.

Apple Braised Pork Shoulder
This recipe comes from a time when we used an iPhone 4 to take photos; however it doesn't detract from the fact that this is an amazing dish that utilizes the fall harvest of orchard ripened apples.  The sweet apple paired with the melt in your mouth fennel braised pork is a warming (and winning) combination.  Check out the recipe here.

What is your favourite fall recipe?

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...Q Haute Cuisine (Calgary)

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.

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...Teatro (Calgary)

Overall - 8.5/10
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Food - 8/10
Service - 9/10
Ambiance- 9/10

The Big Taste event was held March 6-15th this year and we were lucky enough to try out a couple of different restaurants over the week. For one week each year, participating restaurants create an affordable prix fixe menu that highlights what they are all about.  We realize this post is after the fact, however, we hope it gives you an idea of the style and flavours presented at Teatro.  The menu at Teatro focuses on traditional Italian flavours using regional ingredients. Dishes like steak tartare, gnocchi and braised pork shoulder were prepared with a high degree of refinement making the meal as a whole both comforting and upscale all at the same time.

Our five course gourmet menu started off with carrot and saffron velutatta with watercress and a house cured bresaola with pickled apple and shaved foie gras. The velutatta was a deliciously rich carrot soup perfumed with the aroma of saffron and our favourite of the two starters. The bresaola was delicate and cut paper thin however we found the shaved foie gras did not add much in the way of flavour.

Blurry due to the 'Hangry' shakes 

The second courses included one of the best beef tartare's we've ever tasted and a comparatively underwhelming marinated eggplant terrine. The tartare was perhaps the star of the night, tasting of fresh beef chopped with just the right amount of texture. The potato and sunchoke crisps nestled amongst the beef added great crunch to the dish.

We could find no fault with the pasta course. The thyme gnocchi were light and airy and matched well with the earthy wild mushroom bolognese. The sweet pea and pancetta risotto was executed perfectly and struck the right balance between buttery risotto rice, rich bacon and fresh sweet peas.

Our mains continued the delicious progression of courses. The Coho salmon was moist and flavourful and served with a tangy preserved lemon emulsion. The butter milk braised pork shoulder was pressed into a terrine shape then fried until crisp on the outside adding a nice textural element to the braised meat.

Dessert options included a deep and rich chocolate hazelnut torta or a bright lemon tart. Both were delicious but the candied hazelnuts on top of the torta completely won us over.

We didn't mention the wine pairing since we couldn't remember half the names but Teatro did a fantastic job pairing the food with the wine.  Overall, an enjoyable experience was had at Teatro.  We felt the Big Taste event allowed us to try many components that are on their regular menu at a great price.

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...Diner Deluxe (Aspen Woods) Calgary

Overall - 7.5/10
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Food - 7/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 7.5/10

I've always thought this, but I figure now I'll put it into writing. Brunch is for suckers. Having had a handful of mediocre brunch experiences and waiting over an hour to sit down at a table for what is essentially breakfast that can be made at home, boggles my mind.  Perhaps I have been spoiled by the instant gratification of hot steaming bowls of pho or Chinese dim sum which offers a wide variety of dishes. Whatever the case may be, I can't bring myself to go for brunch at one of those trendy establishments on Edmonton Trail, specifically Diner Deluxe.  When a branch of Diner Deluxe opened in Aspen we initially weren't too interested but after browsing through their dinner menu we figured we would give it a try. Having dined there on a couple of occasions I have to say dinner is the way to go. Not only is the food satisfying but the service and wait times benefit from not being associated with the ridiculousness that is brunch.

The Chef's Salad seems to embody everything that Diner Deluxe is trying to say with their food; simple flavours, great value and unpretentious presentation. This salad of mixed greens, grilled chicken, avocado, eggs, bacon, and tomatoes all topped with an herb vinaigrette was one of the best salads we've had in a while. The greens were perfectly dressed and the portion was large enough for a meal in itself.

This is what happens when you leave your iPhone camera on chrome setting

The highlight of the fish tacos definitely was the homemade hot sauce which had just the right balance of spicy, sweet and sour. The fish this evening was grilled mahi mahi which we found a tad dry and a slaw that was somewhat under seasoned.

The tomato bisque was bursting with roasted tomato flavour. The garnish of basil oil and grated grans padano cheese added a nice flair to the dish. 

The wild halibut was served with spetzle, and seasonal veggies which this evening included some roasted asparagus and brussel sprouts. The fish was moist and flakey but the dish overall was under seasoned and needed a sprinkling of the proffered table salt. 

A special offering on our first visit was a braised lamb shank served with a mustard sauce. The shank was one of the best pieces of braised meat we have ever encountered dining out. It was tender, moist and permeated with flavour. The tendons and connective tissue (sounds gross but that is what it is) melted in your mouth which is the best indicator that the meat has been braised just long enough.

Fried chicken can be pretty personal. I found the fried chicken in the "picnic plate" here to be quite good. Each piece was crusty and crisp but the coating may be a bit too hard/thick for some. The drizzle of honey was a great finishing touch to the dish.

The burger was good but was overshadowed by the amazing poutine upgrade. Not only were the fries crisp and of the perfect dimensions but the gravy was thick, rich and meaty. 

Granted there are a few misses amongst the hits when it comes to the food, we like the fact that Diner Deluxe is extremely family friendly.  That in itself will bring us back for more in the near future.

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