The Guild
200 8 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB
(403) 770-2313
Reservations can be made on OpenTable
www.theguildrestaurant.com
It was a co-worker's birthday this week, and I wanted to take him out for a nice lunch to a restaurant that neither of us had been before, a real feat for a passionate foodie. Then I remembered The Guild, a restaurant that opened their doors just over a month ago, located right on Stephen Avenue and built into the main floor of The Bay building.
As per their website, The Guild prides itself on the finest traditions of butchery, cookery and bar-keeping, while using local beef, game and fowl and utilizing traditional cooking techniques over wood and coal. I was intrigued.
Because it was such a nice day, and no severe thunderstorm warning flashing across my phone, a rarity these days, we decided to sit on their large patio that has the capacity to hold up to 200 people, but not before peering in to see the inside the restaurant. I was happy to see that they didn't go with the same old cookie cutter look that new restaurants seem to be going for, which is either a minimalist or industrial approach. Instead, the space borders on a sultry 70's feel, with warm metals throughout, parquet flooring, riveted light wood tables and leather bound chairs & booths in black, grey and olive green. Definitely the focus within the space is the large and unique wrap around bar with the open kitchen situated just behind, a place where any single person or couple could sit comfortably and enjoy one of their many drinks like the Original Canadian Mule made with Crown Royal, ginger beer, maple and lime($10), or a classic cocktail like a Manhattan or Dirty Martini ($13).
Once my co-worker and I were seated on the patio, our friendly server came to our table wearing an old fashioned yet trendy uniform of suspenders, dress shirt and dark jeans which I found to be a nice touch with the restaurant going for the whole guild house theme. I also liked that our server was a good balance between professional and friendly, and was attentive enough throughout our lunch that it wasn't too over the top.
When going through The Guild's menu it's both eclectic and rustic, with their menu broken down into raw, hot, soups, classics, salads, mains and mains to share. As I skimmed through it, I saw options like raw Gin and Tonic Salmon ($17), Blood Pudding ($14), Alberta Greenhouse Gazpacho ($12), Deep Fried Mac and Cheese ($9), Cobb Salad ($18), Chuck Burger ($18), Maple-Glazed Brisket ($29) and Slow-roasted Pig's Head ($39).
We decided to share the Deep Fried Mac & Cheese with truffled ranch dressing to start, and then I ordered the Cobb Salad ($18) for my main dish and my co-worker chose the Chicken Poutine ($19) for his.
We expected the Deep Fried Mac & Cheese to be an appetizer size, but when it arrived there were four extremely large block pieces that could easily have been a main. As we bit into the savoury and comforting twist on a classic, it wasn't greasy at all in spite of it being deep fried, and the macaroni & cheese inside had kept its nice creamy consistency. Though it would have been a bit flavourless on its own, dipped in the truffled ranch dressing turned it into a heavenly creation.
Shortly after we finished our appetizer, the mains arrived. My Cobb Salad was a good size plate of fresh organic greens with large pieces of moist chicken tossed in, along with small pieces of pancetta, blue cheese and pickled celery Though it wasn't stacked full of the classic ingredients or prepared like a classic Cobb Salad, I really enjoyed all the flavours, including their homemade citrus dressing that just lightly coated everything. My co-worker thoroughly enjoyed his poutine as well, that was a combination of cheese curds, homemade chicken gravy, large chicken pieces, cabbage and pancetta. When I had a taste, I had to agree, that it was one of the best poutines we had both had in a long time.
Overall, I would recommend The Guild to anyone craving something different from the norm, as I find their menu, décor, as well as their overall theme to be refreshingly unique. I have no doubt they're on the right track to being a great success!
Reservations can be made on OpenTable
www.theguildrestaurant.com
It was a co-worker's birthday this week, and I wanted to take him out for a nice lunch to a restaurant that neither of us had been before, a real feat for a passionate foodie. Then I remembered The Guild, a restaurant that opened their doors just over a month ago, located right on Stephen Avenue and built into the main floor of The Bay building.
As per their website, The Guild prides itself on the finest traditions of butchery, cookery and bar-keeping, while using local beef, game and fowl and utilizing traditional cooking techniques over wood and coal. I was intrigued.
Because it was such a nice day, and no severe thunderstorm warning flashing across my phone, a rarity these days, we decided to sit on their large patio that has the capacity to hold up to 200 people, but not before peering in to see the inside the restaurant. I was happy to see that they didn't go with the same old cookie cutter look that new restaurants seem to be going for, which is either a minimalist or industrial approach. Instead, the space borders on a sultry 70's feel, with warm metals throughout, parquet flooring, riveted light wood tables and leather bound chairs & booths in black, grey and olive green. Definitely the focus within the space is the large and unique wrap around bar with the open kitchen situated just behind, a place where any single person or couple could sit comfortably and enjoy one of their many drinks like the Original Canadian Mule made with Crown Royal, ginger beer, maple and lime($10), or a classic cocktail like a Manhattan or Dirty Martini ($13).
Once my co-worker and I were seated on the patio, our friendly server came to our table wearing an old fashioned yet trendy uniform of suspenders, dress shirt and dark jeans which I found to be a nice touch with the restaurant going for the whole guild house theme. I also liked that our server was a good balance between professional and friendly, and was attentive enough throughout our lunch that it wasn't too over the top.
When going through The Guild's menu it's both eclectic and rustic, with their menu broken down into raw, hot, soups, classics, salads, mains and mains to share. As I skimmed through it, I saw options like raw Gin and Tonic Salmon ($17), Blood Pudding ($14), Alberta Greenhouse Gazpacho ($12), Deep Fried Mac and Cheese ($9), Cobb Salad ($18), Chuck Burger ($18), Maple-Glazed Brisket ($29) and Slow-roasted Pig's Head ($39).
We decided to share the Deep Fried Mac & Cheese with truffled ranch dressing to start, and then I ordered the Cobb Salad ($18) for my main dish and my co-worker chose the Chicken Poutine ($19) for his.
We expected the Deep Fried Mac & Cheese to be an appetizer size, but when it arrived there were four extremely large block pieces that could easily have been a main. As we bit into the savoury and comforting twist on a classic, it wasn't greasy at all in spite of it being deep fried, and the macaroni & cheese inside had kept its nice creamy consistency. Though it would have been a bit flavourless on its own, dipped in the truffled ranch dressing turned it into a heavenly creation.
Shortly after we finished our appetizer, the mains arrived. My Cobb Salad was a good size plate of fresh organic greens with large pieces of moist chicken tossed in, along with small pieces of pancetta, blue cheese and pickled celery Though it wasn't stacked full of the classic ingredients or prepared like a classic Cobb Salad, I really enjoyed all the flavours, including their homemade citrus dressing that just lightly coated everything. My co-worker thoroughly enjoyed his poutine as well, that was a combination of cheese curds, homemade chicken gravy, large chicken pieces, cabbage and pancetta. When I had a taste, I had to agree, that it was one of the best poutines we had both had in a long time.
Overall, I would recommend The Guild to anyone craving something different from the norm, as I find their menu, décor, as well as their overall theme to be refreshingly unique. I have no doubt they're on the right track to being a great success!
