Category Archives: Alberta restaurants

Calgary’s Deluxe Breakfast Diners

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Diner Deluxe is a funky Calgary breakfast spot in a converted automotive garage

Diner Deluxe is a funky Calgary breakfast spot in a converted automotive garage

If there’s a guaranteed restaurant moneymaker in Calgary, it may well be the breakfast diner. There are at least a dozen of these beasts in the city, many serving basic, bountiful breakfast fare and most attracting lineups, especially on weekends, despite the Calgary price premium. At the top of the class are two chef-driven places, less than a block apart, which are as innovative and excellent as any you’ll find in much bigger cities.

You'll definitely be rubbing shoulders with other diners at Calgary breakfast hotspot OEB

You’ll definitely be rubbing shoulders with other diners at Calgary breakfast hotspot OEB

If weekend brunch lineups are any indicator, OEB Breakfast Co. (“Feed the Need”) is currently the hippest place in Calgary for a morning meal. Before 8 am on a couple of Saturday visits, a queue has already formed outside this compact diner for professionally produced bennies, crepes and Belgium waffles, “scramblettes” and sides of apple-wood smoked bacon and herbed potatoes cooked in organic duck fat.

But it’s chef Mauro Martina’s specials that are the innovative standouts. How about Soul ‘N A Bowl, featuring poached eggs, potatoes (a little too salty), cheese curds, bacon lardons and brown butter hollandaise, all piled into one of those Chinese takeout boxes? Or a smoked black cod and egg scramble or my Munchner meatloaf? Like many dishes here, the ham meatloaf has a lot going on—including sauerkraut, potatoes, bacon lardons, poached eggs and sourdough toast—and yet it all comes together in a smorgasbord of flavours.

For about $12-14, you get an abundance of locally sourced food from a kitchen genius, with usually three other cooks behind the counter. It’s going to take a lot of visits to work my way through this ever-changing menu.

Soul in a Bowl packs a lot of breakfast goodies into a takeout-style box

Soul in a Bowl packs a lot of breakfast goodies into a takeout-style box

OEB Breakfast Co.
824 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary
Daily 7 am-3 pm
OEB Breakfast Co. on Urbanspoon

Diner Deluxe has long been the flagship for funky, original breakfasts in Calgary. Consider its fried oatmeal with lemon curd and vanilla cream or the savoury, stuffed French toast—featuring rosemary apple flax sourdough with Sylvan Star gouda, ham and rosemary syrup. Breakfast dishes such as these and Yukon gold potato pancakes almost overshadow standards like fine eggs benedict, breakfast poutine and, later in the day, burgers, mac and cheese, roasted chops and braised lamb shanks.

Ham and Gouda are squeezed into this rosemary sourdough French toast at Diner Deluxe

Ham and Gouda are squeezed into this rosemary sourdough French toast at Diner Deluxe

My special of prime rib eggs benedict atop Yorkshire pudding certainly meets that criteria, with a sizable mound of home fries and sweet potatoes making an equally creative accompaniment. Topped off with some good Phil and Sebastian’s 15-Kilo organic coffee, it’s a nice way to start the day, if you don’t mind an $18 price tag (including said coffee) and a Saturday line that starts forming around 8:30. What puts it over the top is the funky and comfy retro 50s’ diner look, which is all the more genuine considering it’s a converted garage, albeit a bit chilly in the winter.

Prime rib eggs benedict on Yorkshire pudding, anyone?

Prime rib eggs benedict on Yorkshire pudding, anyone?

Diner Deluxe
804 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary
Weekdays 7:30 am-9:30 pm, Saturday 8 am-3 pm and 5 pm-9:30 pm, Sunday 8 am-3 pm
Diner Deluxe on Urbanspoon

International Cuisine is A-OK in Okotoks, Alberta

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Bistro Provence, with its 1880s' pressed-tin siding, has perhaps the best historic location of any Alberta restaurant

Bistro Provence, with its 1880s’ pressed-tin siding, has perhaps the best historic location of any Alberta restaurant

A short commute south of Calgary, Okotoks has a history stretching back to the last ice age, when the nearby Big Rock, North America’s largest glacial erratic, was deposited. Today, much of that history is overwhelmed by the development of an exploding Calgary bedroom community. Yet it’s possible to find fine eats here, both new and old, representing two international cuisines a continent removed.

I don’t expect to find authentic Mexican food in Okotoks. And yet here in a prototypical strip mall, *Las Maracas is serving up excellent, Mexico City-style fare. What this means, for example, is a number of inexpensive tacos that focus my taste buds squarely on the slow-cooked pork or beef ribs that co-owner Beatriz Ramirez is cooking for me and piling on small tortillas. None of this sliced cabbage topping or other distracting fillers. Just the meats, which I can bolster, if I choose, with spoonfuls of mild or kick-ass, house-made sauces.

My pork and beef-rib tacos at Las Maracas focus squarely on the slow-cooked meats

My pork and beef-rib tacos at Las Maracas focus squarely on the slow-cooked meats

My dining experience is enhanced by a scattering, around the restaurant, of fantastic alebrije, or papier-mâché figurines. That and the server setting down on my table a couple of maracas, or gourd-shaped rattles. “Shake them if you want something, and I will come,” she says. I’d love to shake them for some enchiladas with mole poblano, but it will just have to await another visit.

Fantastic papier-mache figurines lend an authentic Mexican touch to Las Maracas

Fantastic papier-mache figurines lend an authentic Mexican touch to Las Maracas

Las Maracas
153, 71 Riverside Drive, Okotoks
Tuesday-Wednesday 11 am-9 pm, Thursday to Saturday 11 am-11 pm, Sunday 11 am-8 pm
Las Maracas on Urbanspoon

Bistro Provence has arguably the best historic location of any restaurant in Alberta. It’s housed inside a 1880s’ post office building, with pressed-tin siding designed to look like stone. It’s the perfect venue for one of the province’s top traditional French restaurants. Through one name change and three owners, it’s maintained a commitment to old-world excellence in food and service.

Beautifully presented and executed pumpkin soup with local sourdough bread at Bistro Provence

Beautifully presented and executed pumpkin soup with local sourdough bread at Bistro Provence

At lunch, for example, owner Ed Povhe is my waiter, delivering scalding hot pumpkin soup and a nice prosciutto and pesto panini prepared by his wife, Marcella (the executive chef is from France, of course). There are nice local touches such as the pungent goat cheese from Fort Macleod and the dense multigrain sourdough bread. It’s French, so it’s not cheap, but still good value for this level of dining.

A lovely prosciutto and pesto panini at Bistro Provence

A lovely prosciutto and pesto panini at Bistro Provence

Bistro Provence
52 North Railway Street, Okotoks
Tuesday to Saturday lunch 11 am-2 pm, dinner 5:30 pm-closing. Closed Sunday and Monday
Bistro Provence on Urbanspoon

High River Can’t Keep These Restaurants From Rolling On

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Evelyn's Memory Lane packs in the locals to this 1950s'-style diner in High River

Evelyn’s Memory Lane packs in the locals to this 1950s’-style diner in High River

High River has more historic character in its compact, brick-building downtown than most southern Alberta towns. Which only compounds the tragedy of all the residents and business owners who were hammered by the June 2013 floods from the raging Highwood River. Half a year later, several downtown restaurants and coffee houses still hadn’t reopened when I visited.

One place that has is Evelyn’s Memory Lane, a ‘50s-style diner that has long been a gathering lunch spot for locals and day-tripping Calgarians. In keeping with the historic theme, there’s old-fashioned sundaes, thick berry and cream pies and banana splits (when did you last see one of those?). The signature roast chicken sandwich is excellent, full of moist chunks of chicken and cranberry sauce. It’s almost Christmas dinner between two thick slices of house-made multigrain bread. Evelyn’s keeps serving up comfort food when High River really needs it.

Evelyn's classic roast chicken sandwich on house-made multigrain bread

Evelyn’s classic roast chicken sandwich on house-made multigrain bread

Evelyn’s Memory Lane
118 4 Avenue SW, High River, Alberta
Weekdays 9 am-5 pm, Saturday 11 am-5 pm. Closed Sunday
Evelyn's Memory Lane Cafe on Urbanspoon

Walking down the narrow hallway to the Whistle Stop Cafe‘s bathroom, I can’t help but anticipate the swaying of a moving train. That’s because the Whistlestop is in a historic railway dining car in High River. It’s the perfect place to look out the window at the sandstone Museum of the Highwood while enjoying a hearty all-day breakfast, a clubhouse sandwich or a chicken-mango quesadilla, while sipping loose-leaf tea from a French-press pot.

The Whistle Stop Cafe serves breakfast and lunch in this old rail car

The Whistle Stop Cafe serves breakfast and lunch in this old rail car

My daily soup is a flavourful bowl of chicken and black beans, accompanied by a thick slice of Donna’s sourdough multigrain bread. The Whistlestop was closed for three months after High River’s devastating June 2013 flood. But it’s nice to see it rolling once again.

Hearty chicken and black bean soup with sourdough bread

Hearty chicken and black bean soup with sourdough bread

Whistle Stop Cafe
406 1 Street SW, High River
Tuesday to Friday 11 am-4 pm, Saturday 10 am-4 pm Sunday 10 am-3 pm. Closed Monday
Whistlestop Cafe on Urbanspoon

Triple D: Dining, Dinosaurs and Drumheller

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Sublime Food and Wine is in the shadow of this enormous T-rex in downtown Drumheller, Alberta

Sublime Food and Wine is in the shadow of this enormous T-rex in downtown Drumheller, Alberta

Drumheller may be the finest Alberta destination outside the Rocky Mountain parks, best reached by the fine drive along Secondary 840 through Rosebud. There’s spectacular badlands, a rich coal-mining history, swinging bridges and ferry rides, a narrow, winding road to a ghost town and a tiny church built by prison inmates. I haven’t even mentioned the top draw, the Royal Tyrrell Museum, arguably the top dinosaur museum in the world. The dining options for day or overnight road trippers don’t yet match up, but things are definitely improving.

Bernie & the Boys Bistro certainly knows how to make a burger joint fun and funky. Hope you like primary colours, in this case bright yellow walls with red trim and vibrant tables painted by a local artist. The only subdued tones are the black shirt and pants worn by chef Bernie Germain, wife Carol and the rest of the friendly, family-based staff of this Drumheller institution.

You might need sunglasses at Bernie & the Boys Bistro in Drumheller

You might need sunglasses at Bernie & the Boys Bistro in Drumheller

The relaxed atmosphere extends to the menu, where the Blair Wing Project chicken wings are so hot diners “must be at least 18 years old to order and must sign our waiver.” The real action, though, is the roster of a dozen hearty, no-nonsense burgers.

I wisely go with just a single patty ($8.50) of the G’s Special Burger. When you add all the fixings—cheese, mushroom sauce, thick chunks of bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and G’s special sauce—it’s gotta weigh well over a pound. This is one serious burger, sufficiently messy that I abandon my usual hands-on approach for a knife and fork. Thank God, I don’t opt for a double or triple patty or, the masochist’s special, the 24-ounce Mammoth.

... and maybe a well-hinged jaw to bite into this mere single-patty burger

… and maybe a well-hinged jaw to bite into this mere single-patty burger

If you need something to wash all this down with, check out the long, long list of milkshakes, including toasted marshmallow and toffee crunch. If you need something to keep you awake after this caloric overload, head to downtown’s Café Olé (Railway Avenue and Centre Street) for a stiff coffee, using Canmore’s Mountain Blends beans.

Bernie & the Boys Bistro
305 4 Street West, Drumheller
Tuesday to Saturday 11 am-8:30 pm, except till 9 pm Friday. Closed Sunday and Monday
Bernie & the Boys Bistro on Urbanspoon

It’s not often I get to eat in the shadow of a giant Tyrannosaurus rex. I mean giant, as in 26 metres tall. Sure, it’s just an oversized replica. But 70 million years ago, dinosaurs did indeed rule this area, and I would have been a mere sliver of protein in a T-rex’s teeth.

Today at Sublime Food and Wine, I’m a carnivore at the top of the food chain, gnashing my molars on the tender, slow-roasted prime rib melt. It’s a fine sandwich, with thin slices of meat topped with sautéed mushrooms, horseradish mayo, melted gouda and a sprinkling of pea shoots. My $12 melt is accompanied by yet more protein—a hearty turkey soup featuring pearl onions.

A fine prime-rib melt with turkey soup at Sublime Food and Wine

A fine prime-rib melt with turkey soup at Sublime Food and Wine

Sublime is a casual step up in Drumheller’s dining scene. Owned by young local couple Stasha and Dennis Standage (he’s a Red Seal-trained chef), it’s located in a cozy old downtown Drumheller house, right across the street from that dinosaur. You can climb up into the beast’s lofty jaws. But that might be tempting fate.

Sublime Food and Wine
109 Centre Street, Drumheller
Tuesday to Saturday 11 am-2 pm, 5 pm-9 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday
Sublime Food and Wine on Urbanspoon

Korean BBQ in Airdrie, Alberta

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Good luck finishing this "half" order of Korean-styled fried chicken at Yum Yum BBQ in Airdrie, Alberta

Good luck finishing this “half” order of Korean-styled fried chicken at Yum Yum BBQ in Airdrie, Alberta

Twenty years ago, Airdrie was a sleepy community of less than 10,000 souls in the northern shadow of Calgary. But thanks to the big city’s boom and the Highway 2 umbilical cord, Airdrie has exploded to a population of 50,000 (it’s also Canada’s second-highest city, at 1098 metres). Unfortunately, there hasn’t been the same boom in good, independent eateries.

So, it’s nice to see a little place devoted to Korean barbecued chicken, of all things. Specifically, Yum Yum BBQ specializes in crispy, double-battered fried chicken, ranging from spicy to sweet. You can order a burger, but really, what’s the point?

Located in a strip mall, Yum Yum has a slight fast-food look to it, with a corner TV playing a Korean version of American Idol. But when my server says my “half” meal ($10) of hot fried chicken will take 15 minutes, I know they’re cooking to order. It actually arrives in 10 minutes—a massive serving of six assorted pieces.

Under the thick, crispy skin, the chicken is delicious: smouldering hot, moist, sneaky spicy and a wee bit greasy; hey, it’s fried chicken. Of course, the spices are a secret blend, though one of them is ginger. My order comes with a little side dish of pickled daikon radish, providing a cool contrast to all that fried chicken. Actually, I only get halfway through my order and have a meal to take home.

Yum Yum BBQ
104, 3 Stonegate Drive NW, Airdrie, Alberta
Tuesday to Sunday 11:45 am-9:30 pm. Closed Monday
Yum Yum Chicken & BBQ Korean Cuisine on Urbanspoon

To finish an Airdrie visit off with something sweet, head to The Avenue Cakery & Bakeshoppe (6, 620 1 Avenue NW) for cupcakes, cinnamon buns or small but dense pumpkin loaves or Oreo pound cakes. Nearby, Anna’s Café Europa (224 Main Street North) serves light meals and coffee roasted next door by Bruck Roasterie.

How about a massive cinnamon bun at The Avenue Cakery & Bakeshoppe

How about a massive cinnamon bun at The Avenue Cakery & Bakeshoppe?

Ethnic Dining in Cochrane, Alberta

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Cochrane Ranche Provincial Historic Site pays tribute to the area's ranching history

Cochrane Ranche Provincial Historic Site pays tribute to the area’s ranching history

Cochrane has gone from a history of tending cattle to one of raising families in a commuter community on Calgary’s northwest doorstep. It’s still a steak, pizza and fast-food kind of place, but some good ethnic eateries and coffee shops are adding to the increasingly cosmopolitan mix.

On the infrequent road-trip occasions when I dine at an Indian restaurant, I invariably go for a lamb curry or butter chicken. But  Mehtab East Indian Cuisine has such a long, diverse list of vegetarian dishes—okra or roasted eggplant pulp, anyone?—that I quickly shift gears. I mean, how can I resist this description of Daal Makhani: “Black lentils with kidney beans, simmered on a slow fire overnight and tempered with ginger, garlic and tomatoes, seasoned with butter and fresh cream.” All that slow cooking, with Indian spices, brings out the complexities of this first-rate, not-too-rich meal. I also get a requisite order of garlic naan that is light, flavourful and not swimming in butter. The prices are reasonable for Indian fare of this quality—about $12 for the filling, vegetarian meals and a couple of bucks more for those with meat. Of course, you can always sample a wider range of dishes on the ever-changing lunch buffet, for a bargain $12 or so.

A delectable daal dish and garlic naan at Mehtab East Indian Cuisine

A delectable daal dish and garlic naan at Mehtab East Indian Cuisine

Mehtab East Indian Cuisine
120 5 Avenue West, Cochrane
Lunch buffet Sunday to Friday 11:30 am-4 pm, dinner daily 4:30 pm-9 pm
Mehtab East Indian Cuisine on Urbanspoon

“This will warm you up,” my server Tim cheerfully says, on a winter’s day, as he starts assembling my chicken donair at hole-in-the-wall Donair on the Run in downtown Cochrane. It will certainly fill me up, I’m thinking, as I watch the “regular-sized” pita being mounded with slow-roasted, shaved chicken breast and my choice of lettuce, olives, tomatoes, pickles, radishes and parsley. Add some typical Middle Eastern sauces—tahini and tzatziki—along with Mama’s pungent, house-made garlic sauce and, after a minute or two in the panini press, I’ve got a substantial lunch for under $7. What really makes this beauty sing is the final topping: crunchy chunks of pungent, pickled turnip. “Here, have a piece of our baklava,” owner Camille Elain says as I skip out the door, ready to tackle the coming deep freeze.

Owner Camille Elain is making great, filling donairs and falafels at Donair on the Run

Owner Camille Elain is making great, filling donairs and falafels at Donair on the Run

Donair on the Run
407 1 Street West, Cochrane
Monday to Saturday 11 am-8 pm, except till 6 pm on Saturday. Closed Sunday
Donair on the Run on Urbanspoon