Suzette

Suzette
2210 4 Street SW, Calgary, AB 
(403) 802-0036
www.bistrosuzette.ca  


While perusing some of the stores on 4th Street, my girlfriend and I decided to stop in at Suzette, a little French restaurant started by the founders of Cassis Bistro. They are known for their buckwheat flour pancakes (Galettes), stuffed with local and seasonal ingredients but they also offer any array of other dishes from salads, fish, to pasta along with savoury crepes.  The average price of a meal is in the $16-$18 price range.

When I walked in, we were greeted right away by a friendly Server who said it would be a few minutes for a table.  As for the ambience, I was generally underwhelmed as I looked around.  Though it's a very bright space, with large windows in the front, they've done a minimalist approach when it comes to the color scheme and it lacked overall warmth.  The bar, table and walls are white, accompanied by some dark wood accents and a few eclectic photos and art pieces placed on the two main walls.  Because they occupy such a small space, everything is tightly packed in with the tables very close to each other, which I'm not a big fan of. 

Though underwhelmed by the décor, I was however intrigued and looking forward to being overwhelmed by their well known Galettes and decided to order the Fermière filled with goat cheese, spinach & herbs ($16).  My girlfriend ordered the Paysanne filled with local farm bacon, roasted potatoes & sautéed mushrooms ($15).  All of the Galettes come with a small mixed green salad with no other side options offered.

When the Gazettes arrived, they didn't disappoint, as they were a generous size and were full of flavour and richness. Mine had a nice tomato base, and mixed with the goat cheese, it created a nice creamy sauce that saturated the spinach and herbs inside.  

After finishing our Galettes, our friendly Server insisted we finish off our experience with their delicious Classique Crepe, which we could share if we didn't have a lot of room, made with butter & brown sugar ($8).  She managed to twist our rubber arm and when we had our first bite, our taste buds went into overdrive.  It was simple but delicious, with a melding of butter and brown sugar to create the most delicious sauce that filled the crepe. We had just had the most perfect meal of savoury and sweet.  

Overall, it was a good experience, with amazing food that was far from the blandness of the décor.  The Server we had was very friendly,  good at maneuvering us through the menu and helpful in providing recommendations.  For me, ambience is just as important as the food though, and the marriage of the two will bring me back again and again if done well. In this case,  Suzette lacked the overall ambience I look for in a restaurant with their clinical approach to their décor and tight spaces, so I doubt I would return again regardless of the food.  Not everyone is about décor and ambience though, so if you're looking for a delicious and savoury French dish at a good price, then I would recommend you try Suzette.  You will definitely not be disappointed by the dishes.

Browns Socialhouse

Browns Socialhouse
140, 888 - 16 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB  T2R 1J9
(403) 455-8158
Reservations can be made on OpenTable
www.brownssocialhouse.com

A group of my friends and I decided to meet up at a new restaurant that just opened in Mount Royal Village called Browns Socialhouse.  Browns is a Canadian restaurant chain that can be found in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.  There are two locations here in Calgary, Mount Royal and Britannia, and they market themselves as "Brown is the new Black", with no limits to their design and food styles as they push the envelope.  
 
When you enter Browns it feels like a chain, and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Chains have a way of giving the customer a complete package and a well-rounded experience. They're usually consistent with their atmosphere, food, décor and service, and you know what to expect each time you go there.  I think Joey, Cactus Club and Earls are three chains that do this especially well.

The décor inside Browns is nicely done with a modern industrial twist. There are stone and brick walls, shiny tiles, patent upholstered booths, retro lighting and light wood tables. The servers are polished, attentive and friendly. Over the speakers are fun retro songs playing such as Queen, "We are the Champions".

Our group met up on a Wednesday night and their main drink special was their Social red or white house wine (6 oz.) for $4.  House wines can be a bit hit & miss, especially if it's a blend, but at $4 I didn't think I had much to lose so I ordered their red. I thought it was really nice wine, and so did everyone else who ordered it at our table, with it tasting like a cabernet sauvignon.\

The  menu at Browns is quite large and has a good variety of items that you would find at any other restaurant chain such as salads, burgers, pizza, rice bowls, as well as mains such as fettuccine carbonara and fish & chips. The average price range for a main is $15-$19. What makes Browns stand out from its competition though, is that they take the classics and add their own flair, but not so much that it detracts from the food. This can be especially seen in their dressing and sauces, with a lot of Asian inspired flavours throughout the menu.

I decided to order one of their Healthy Social Bowls, the Potato Crusted Halibut ($18).  The dish comes with tartar sauce, almond rice and a Cowgirl salad, which is made up of walnuts, dates, house greens, black beans, feta, salsa and a apple-miso vinaigrette.  If you want to keep the dish low carb, then you can have braised red cabbage and goat cheese instead of the rice.

When the meal came, it was nicely presented and a good portion. The fish was perfectly done with just the right amount of crispness from the potato batter and not too greasy. I was expecting more to be done with the almond rice, such as it soaked in almond milk or some sort of sauce but instead it was just white rice with flakes of almonds in it.  They did provide a sweet soy sauce however, that you could pour over the rice to give it some additional flavour.  The tartar sauce smeared under the halibut was a nice compliment to the meal and when you took a small piece of fish, tarter and a scoop of rice together on the fork, it was delicious. I don't know about you, but I am often bored with side house salads that usually have the same thing in them; a handful of mixed greens with cranberries and perhaps a little feta.  They're usually bland and flavourless.  I was pleasantly surprised with the Cowgirl salad and how flavourful it was.  All the ingredients together were delicious and the dressing had a nice ginger flavour to it.

Everyone at our table ordered something different; the Chicken Quesadilla, Fettuccine Carbonara, Tahitian Tuna Social Bowl, Ultimate Chicken Club, General's Tao Chicken and the Dynamite Roll. When going down the table to see what everyone thought of their food, there was nothing but positive reviews and comments. Everyone felt satisfied and happy with their experience.

I think Browns Socialhouse will definitely take its place among successful food chains in Calgary, as it’s s place you can go when you're wanting a contemporary setting with a fun, relaxed vibe while enjoying food that's not only comforting but also familiar.

 

Cannibale

Cannibale
813 1 Avenue NE, Calgary, AB  T2E 0C2
(403) 452-4642
www.cannibale.ca


One of my girlfriends lives in Bridgeland and suggested I come down her way so we could go to a little neighbourhood cocktail bar called Cannibale.  I had actually never heard of it before, so I looked it up online and was intrigued to see that it is not only a classic, full-service barber shop but also a stylish gathering place for food and drink, a description from their website.

When I entered Cannibale, I felt like I had just entered a little sultry, dimly lit, hidden lounge out of Mad Men and everyone should be holding a cigarette. This cocktail bar has a real retro vibe, with hues of navy & mustard yellow along with accents of dark wood accompanied by exposed brick.  The physical bar itself is definitely the main feature, beautifully lit and housed with unique liquor bottles that glow against its wood frame. It has a beautiful thick marble countertop in a U-shape with nine bar chairs placed around it. It would be a great spot to just hang out by yourself and have a drink without feeling like you were being honed in on, as the overall feel of the place is very unpretentious. Because Cannibale is so small, the tables are extremely close to one another. If you don't enjoy the feeling of dining with uninvited guests or the possibility of having people eavesdrop on your conversation, this might not be the right place for you. 

The menu itself is based on the concept of small eats, so if you are starving and a big eater, this might not be the right place for you.  If you are moderately hungry and looking for some small nibbles while enjoying some beverages, then you've come to the right place.  The biggest portion of their food menu are appetizers. They offer soup, two salads, bar nuts, olives, a pretzel, beef Carpaccio, beef tartar, a cheese board and a foie gras parfait.  Prices range from $5 to $18.  For something a little more filling, they offer four sandwiches, the Bahn Mi, Duck Rueben, Cubano (pork), and Vegetarian, all served on warm ciabatta with slaw & house pickles. They are all priced at $14.  For something sweet, they offer three desserts, Cannibale Bar, Bourbon Pecan Pie and Pretzel Bread Pudding, all $8.

I have to admit that I was pretty hungry when I arrived, after just finishing my hour long Ashtanga yoga class, so I found it hard to choose something that matched my appetite level.  I finally decided on the warm rustic sourdough pretzel to start, which is served with house mustard and Brillat-Savarin cheese and then I  ordered the Vegetarian sandwich which came with roasted Portobello, onion jam, pesto marinated tofu and feta. When it arrived, it was quite a small sandwich, but the marriage of flavours in this sandwich was amazing. I would have preferred the option of another side other than slaw, like French fries, only because I found quite hungry still  after finishing the sandwich.

I would have to say that rather than the food being the main feature of this establishment, it's definitely their drink menu, with pages of unique cocktail blends, categorized under Pre Prohibition, Post Prohibition & Tiki, Revival and Originals.  If you're not into cocktails, they offer an array of wine, beer (draught & bottled), spirits and liqueurs. I ordered the Jungle Bird, a blend of Cruzan black strap rum, Campari along with pineapple juice and lime juice for $12. The flavours together were absolutely delicious and I would have loved to try more of their cocktails but I was driving.

After experiencing Cannibale I would definitely go back, but it would most likely be for drinks after I had been out for a meal.   After going there, I now understand their concept and it works.  There's no failure on their part, just don't go there starving like I did.  If you're looking for small bar snacks and wonderful drinks then you've come to the right place.
 

 

 

Sassi Kitchen & Bar

Sassi Kitchen & Bar

2004 4 Street SW, Calgary, AB 

(403) 452-4642

www.sassi.ca

Around this time of year, a couple of my close girlfriends and I traditionally go out for a nice dinner and some drinks before the holidays arrive. This year, to mix things up , we decided to go for a nice dinner and then attend a Paint Nite event afterwards.  If you haven't heard about these events, then you can check it out here: Paint Nite Calgary. It's a great way for friends to get out, do some painting, regardless if you are artistic or not, drink some wine and compare masterpieces afterwards.  It's amazing how everyone paints the same picture and ends up with such different interpretations. 

Our choice this year for dinner was Sassi Kitchen & Bar, a new downtown restaurant right on trendy 4th street, categorized as Casual Gourmet World Cuisine. This restaurant is every girl's dream when it comes to décor, with a beautiful black & white color scheme and  absolutely gorgeous chandeliers hanging everywhere.  When we entered, we all said it made us feel like we wanted to put on our party dresses and sip on cocktails for the evening. 

When we looked through the menu, we were impressed with the choices and variety. We decided to order different items so we could each have a taste of each other's meals. I ordered the Caesar Kale Salad with crisp pancetta and croutons ($15) and French Onion Soup ($10).  My one friend ordered the Sophia Pizza with prosciutto, artichoke hearts, gaeta olives & sautéed mushrooms ($19) and my other friend ordered the Americano Mac & Cheese with cream and gruyere, provolone, grana padano & feta cheese ($18). When the pizza was ordered, the server said that the crust is so thin, you can actually cut it with scissors.

When the food arrived, the portions were a good size and nicely presented.  As for my Caesar Kale Salad, I found that the dressing was nice and creamy but it lacked flavour, though I really enjoyed the flavours in the French Onion Soup.  As for the pizza, the combined ingredients worked perfectly and they were right, the crust is thin enough to cut with scissor and they stick to that claim by providing bulky household scissors, rather than a traditional pizza cutter. The use of the scissors wasn't an enjoyable experience for my friend, with it feeling like craft time rather than dinner time and we all had to agree that it detracted from the sophisticated feel of the evening.  As for the Americano Mac & Cheese, it was very delicious with all the different cheeses blended together, in but it was so incredibly rich that it wasn't possible to eat more than a few bites.  Less cream might have done the trick.

As with any new restaurant, tweaks need to continually be made to the menu, as owners determine what is working and not working due to customer feedback.  I feel like Sassi Kitchen & Bar is  definitely on the right track with the menu, with the combination of flavours and fresh ingredients, and I'm sure within a few months they'll have their flavours down pat. As for the service, we found our Server extremely friendly and very attentive to our needs.   

 

 After leaving the restaurant for Paint Night, we all agreed that we would definitely come back again for an evening of cocktails and appetizers, along with our party dresses.

Minas Brazilian Steakhouse

 

Minas Brazilian Steakhouse
136 2 Street SW, Calgary, AB 
(403) 454-2550
Reservations can be made on OpenTable
www.minassteakhouse.com


A date and I decided to try Minas Brazilian Steakhouse one Saturday, not realizing the treat we'd be in for.  I'm not a big meat eater but once and awhile I like to indulge in a good steak.  My date on the other hand is all carnivore so he was especially excited when I told him I had made a reservation to a place with an endless supply of meat.  Though "Steakhouse" is in the name of the restaurant, there are many food options, no matter what your food preferences are. 

If you haven't been to a Brazilian Steakhouse, the concept is this.  You pay one price for all you can eat.  In this case, the price was $42.99 per person.  This includes the gourmet salad bar as well as all the skewered meat.  The gourmet salad bar not only includes various salads but also hot dishes, such as Chicken Stroganoff, rice, fried polenta as well as a Brazilian dish served daily called Feijoada, made with black beans, pork and fresh herbs. In addition, there are also delicious homemade desserts as well as fresh fruit & cheeses to finish off with.  If you just want the gourmet salad bar, the price is $34.99. 

On the table there is a plastic token with green on the one side and red on the other.  Servers come out of the kitchen with skewers of various meat, such as parmesan beef, chicken wings, steak and pork ribs.  If your token is turned over to green, the server will approach your table and ask if you would like try the meat.  They then remove how ever much you would like off the skewer and onto your plate.  They will continue to come around to your table with various skewers of meat, until you turn the plastic token to red.  The servers then know to just let you be. 

I found that as soon as I walked into the restaurant, the atmosphere was very warm & cozy.  There was a piano player towards the back playing various Christmas classics that just added to the warmth. We were placed at a little table for two in front of the salad bar, which wasn't the most ideal spot to sit, due to it being such a high traffic area.  The only bonus was that we were one of the first tables to be offered a skewer of meat as soon as it came out of the kitchen. 

Unfortunately, there was one part of the evening we didn't enjoy very much and that was the two Brazilian Carnival dancers.  The nice peaceful music of the piano would stop, loud upbeat music would come over the speakers and then two dancers would head out and do their performance. Though I normally enjoy live entertainment, it seemed out of place and bordered on cheesy, like watching a poorly done Vegas show.  watching a bad Vegas show.

Overall though, we found all the food to be absolutely delicious. The meat was tender and flavourful on the skewers and  the salad bar was abundant with so many flavours and types of food that it really catered to whatever we were craving. The staff were extremely friendly and accommodating.  I would definitely recommend Minas, as it's great value for your money and has a welcoming environment.