Author Archives: bcorbett907

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About bcorbett907

I'm a Calgary-based writer who enjoys exploring the landscapes, and menus, of western U.S./Canada

Damascus: Calgary’s Unique Shawarma Shop

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Damascus Fine Foods owner Gus Elhowari

It’s rather hidden off the heavily trodden 17th Avenue SW path. But Damascus Fine Foods is a Mediterranean heavyweight, with owner Gus Elhowari employing some 40 people in expanded quarters that include a sit-down dining room.

They serve Damascene cuisine, featuring a balance of salty, tangy and sour flavours. Typical dishes are kebabs, mezza appetizers and grilled kibbeh, a mixture of ground meat and cracked wheat.

The shawarma station swings into action

Damascus’s popular shawarma wraps start with the conventional vertical rotisserie of shaved meats. But things then veer to unusual details like pomegranate molasses, garlic and pickles, relatively few vegetables and a final crisping on the grill.

My superb chicken shami ($15.50 large) is thinner than your typical shawarma, allowing me to focus on the spiced chicken and not be distracted by superfluous toppings. Great stuff.

My shami chicken shawarma is nicely crisped

Heading out the door, I grab a fine eggplant dip and, of course, a complementary piece of honey-drenched baklava.

A lovely eggplant dip to go

Damascus Fine Foods
4, 718 17 Avenue SW, Calgary
Opens 11 am weekdays, noon weekends
403-244-2424

Calgary’s Cheesiest Pizza

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The takeout boxes pile up early at Calgary’s Crispy Crust Pizzeria

Looking for something different than a blistered artisan pizza with scant toppings? Then check out Crispy Crust Pizzeria, in a southwest strip mall, which proudly proclaims the “cheesiest pizza Calgary has ever seen.”

It’s no idle boast, given Crispy’s 17 years in business and the steady stream of late-afternoon takeout traffic at this Woodbine neighbourhood pizzeria.

Inspired by Greek-style pizza, these thick pies feature a crispy top layer, with gooey cheese atop a crispy crust. “In crust we trust” indeed.

A true neighbourhood takeout pizzeria

Ordering by phone for pickup is the way to go, as I have a 25-minute wait for my on-the-spot order during pizza rush hour. But it gives me time to admire an efficient team of upfront servers and relentlessly busy cooks piling up the takeout boxes.

When it does arrive, my 12-inch Greek pizza ($27) weighs in at a hefty three pounds, enough for three moderate appetites. Though I  could grab one of a handful of tables (and an on-tap beer), I join the parade of box-toting customers out the door.

Maybe the heftiest pizza I’ve ever eaten

But I only make it as far as the car, almost scalding my mouth on this volcano of pepperoni, Greek staples and a ton of mozzarella, surrounded by that devastating crust.

It’s not artisan pretty, but boy is it satisfying.

Crispy Crust Pizzeria
B, 464 Woodbine Boulevard SW, Calgary
Opens 4 pm Tuesday to Sunday. Closed Monday
403-251-3329

Burger Heavyweights Go Greens

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McDonald’s enters the veggie burger party

The Globe and Mail ran an interesting article (November 12, subscription required) on the evolution of  Veggie Burgers  at Canadian fast-food outlets. 

Pretty much gone are the faux-beef burgers—think Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods—customers just didn’t like them. In their place are unabashedly veggie burgers, featuring grilled patties of peas, carrots, corn and other standard vegetables.

Industry heavyweights like McDonald’s, A&W and even Burger King are hoping South Asian descendants and local vegetarians will step up to the plate. And the pitches seem to be working, with different iterations of veggie burgers selling out in test markets across Canada.

The Spicy McVeggie Burger

McDonald’s recently unveiled its McVeggie Burger, a crispy, vegetable-dense patty that also comes in a spicy version (preferred). Joining the party is A&W’s longer roster of plant-based burgers, including the Masala Veggie Burger.

A&W’s Masala Veggie Burger

Both burger joints have outlets near me—indeed across the street from each other—making it easy to do a quick taste test. 

My first impression: McDonald’s Spicy McVeggie Burger is bigger, better and cheaper ($6.29), than A&W’s Masala Veggie Burger ($7.29). Neither is going to fill you up, unless you go for the combo meal deal. So no bargains here, other than McDonald’s decent Americano ($2.19). A&W, however, wins the convivial space award, judging by the much larger crowd of mostly seniors.

Verdict: Both burgers are pretty good, but not enough to pull me away from a juicy, real beef burger.

The real deal champion is stilly beefy

Fabulous Local, National Beer

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A very happy hour at National Westhills

For more than a decade, the National Westhills has been my go-to neighbourhood pub—even if it is located in a large southwest Calgary mall. It’s a bright, large but comfortable space for meeting friends and family, with an energetic staff contributing to the good-times vibe.

While lacking the intimacy of a brewpub, this beer “market” allows you to order draft pints from dozens of largely local breweries. It’s where I was introduced to Last Best’s fabulous Tokyo Drift double IPA, one of my favourite beers on tap.

While prices, as everywhere, have gone up, the happy-hour menu for drink and food remains extensive. Even at full price, my crispy chicken sandwich ($21 with fries) is a massive piece of breast meat barely contained by the potato bun.

A fabulous, meaty chicken sandwich

National Westhills
180 Stewart Green SW, Calgary
Opens daily at 11 am, happy hour weekdays 2-5 pm
403-685-6801

Simply Fine Italian Food at Rea’s

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No fancy tablecloths at family-run Rea’s Italian Cucina

Rea’s Italian Cucina advises diners to make reservations, preferably by phone. Considering it’s early lunch mid-week in industrial northeast Calgary, I don’t bother.

Wrong move. By the time I’ve finished spooning up the vestiges of my rose sauce, the darkened interior is nearly full of loyal patrons.

Family owned and operated since 1996, Rea’s is an unpretentious Italian restaurant, far from the starched tablecloths of swanky downtown joints.

Fresh-made tortellini

The focus here is on fresh-made pasta, milk-fed veal dishes and pizzas. My Tortellini Zia Teresa ($24) is a heaping, piping hot bowl of veal-stuffed pasta, mushrooms and capocollo. Served to me by family member Alfredo.

This is my kind of pasta place.

Rea’s Italian Cucina
431 41 Avenue NE, Calgary
Weekdays 11:30 am-2 pm, Saturday 5 pm-9 pm. Closed Sunday
03-230 7754

Free Coffee at Calgary’s Q.lab

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Buy beans, get a free coffee

Here’s a deal that’s better than happy hour. Free.

Every time I pick up fresh-roasted coffee beans at Q.lab,in Calgary’s Beltline, they give me a free coffee—in my case a meticulously crafted, two-cup pour over, normally costing about $6.50.

A. fabulous, free pour over

I usually order two pounds of their Chronicle beans, which at $40 is quite reasonable for this high quality.

So, great beans and best coffee in Calgary, at $6.50 off. What’s not to like?

Calgary’s best coffee?

Q.lab
926 16 Avenue SW, Calgary
Weekdays 8:30 am-5 pm, Saturday 8:30 am-4 pm. Closed Sunday