Calgary Reviews

After watching a lot of Eat Street on Food Network Canada and the food truck battles I was hoping and aching for some sweet food truck action here in Calgary. When I found out that Connie DeSousa of Top Chef Canada fame and the Charcut crew was doing a food truck from their infamous Alley Burger idea I knew I had to go and try one. Twitter is probably the best way to track down their current status. The opening day was going to be by the 2011 Prairie Regional Barista Competition

I arrived about noon and the Alley Burger Food Truck was just pulling into the parking lot to get setup. The line up was getting long quick, tons of fan support for the Alley Burger Food Truck, probably at least 100 people lined up by 1PM. Connie DeSousa could be selling raw burger buns deconstructed served two ways (top and bottom) and there’d still be a parking lot full of people lining up to get it! The guys from Fiasco Gelato helped the wait by serving up some much needed sweet desserts. I literally didn’t get my order in until 3PM, but whatever it was a nice Saturday afternoon, don’t have to work, certainly not in a hurry and enjoying a gelato.

Connie DeSousa came out of the truck just a few people in front of me and I thought uh oh… yup, all the Alley Burgers have been SOLD OUT! But at least the “Whole Truck” Burgers were still available. We ended up with a small (1 patty) and a regular (2 patties) Whole Truck Burgers and a side of fries fried in duck fat. The patties were perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned and pretty hefty, I’d peg it at 1/3 lb. It’s certainly no looker, it’s seriously a burger from a truck in a brown paper bag in a parking lot and exactly what I was hoping for. No frilly side stuff to dress up and confuse things, just great manly street food. Pricing is reasonable at $8.99 for the regular Whole Truck Burger and $6.49 for the small (still ~1/3lb). I’d expect to pay $15 easily for that level of burger at any sit down place. Love what they’re bringing to the streets of Calgary. Probably seek them out again in the future to give that poutine and original Alley Burger a try.

I’m not the only one who enjoyed the Alley Burger and Fiasco Gelato, check out what YYCsBestEats had to say about them.

Alley Burger Food Truck Address Location

Um… there is no permanent address, either go ask the folks over at Charcut or follow them on Twitter

Alley Burger Food Truck Hours of Operation

Whenever they feel like it really, but I’d expect them to open for lunch

Alley Burger Food Truck Official Website

http://www.facebook.com/AlleyBurger

Located right behind Mckenzie Towne High Street, Haru Sushi and Grill ( formerly known as Blue Phin Sushi ) finally opened after much anticipation. I’ve been walking by there almost on a daily basis once I saw signs that said Blue Phin Sushi was coming soon to watch their progress. I guess in the end they decided to go with the Haru Sushi and Grill name. Doesn’t matter, as long as I get good sushi. Even though they’ve just opened, it was basically full when I went, I guess I wasn’t the only one waiting for it to open.

I was so hopeful for a nice close neighborhood sushi place, and Haru Sushi was everything that I hoped for. Nice and modern, open for lunch, offers takeout, and is within walking distance right by High Street. I liked how the owner and staff are authentic Japanese and not Chinese people pretending to be Japanese. I can tell, I’m Chinese myself Not that there’s anything wrong with that, that’s just not my thing is all.

The food was great, the portions were humongous. We ordered the Haru Platter, Spicy Prawn Roll, and gyoza dumplings. The platter itself had giant pieces of fish that we peeled off and rolled some more. Very nice change from the decreasing portion sizes I see elsewhere. The fish was nice and fresh, good texture, not fishy at all, same with the shrimp. The tempura was quite light and fluffy, very clean oil and the white ginger seemed different from the regular pink/red ginger found elsewhere. It was sweeter and had more heat, but less gingery taste. The gyozas had a good thin skin and wasn’t burnt to a crisp and oily like most other places.

My favorite was the spicy prawn roll, the crunch was great given by the numerous little noodle like things wrapped in the roll. All their deep fried items were expertly done. Very good.

Haru has quite a nice neighborhood feeling to it, plenty of young families around with kids. Haru offers a kids menu along with non raw fish items like udon noodles.

I don’t eat too often at places I’ve been to these days anymore to try and experience other different restaurants in Calgary, but I think I’ll be back at least to try some of the non-fish items and maybe the Springborough location as well. I’m glad that they’re finally open after too many months and wish that they’ll be around for many years to come.

Haru Sushi and Grill Address Location

#150 35 Mckenzie Towne Ave S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2Z 0S8
Phone : 403-457-5880

Haru Sushi and Grill Hours of Operation

Monday – closed
Tuesday – Friday : 11:30 – 2:00 and 5:00 – 9:30
Saturday – Sunday : Noon – 2:00 and 5:00 – 9:30

Haru Sushi and Grill Official Website

www.myharu.ca

Another Calgary Stampede is back in town, and another great year. This year I decided to go see both the rodeo, grandstand show and even purchased reserved parking ahead of time, all ready for a great time. The entire experience did not disappoint, we look forward to it every year. I am definitely glad that all the tickets were booked before hand from ticketmaster, months prior to this magical time of year a good lot of the choice seats were already booked and about 2 weeks prior the lower portion of the grandstand show only had single seats left.

We started the day at the annual Chinook Centre Stampede breakfast and came down nice and early to scope out the latest foods. Our favorites this year are the donut burger, and kubie corn balls. They were both pretty hard to find as they are not stands of their own, but just menu items added to existing stands. The donut burger is located almost across the grandstand and the kubie korn balls are along there as well closer to the rotary dream home.

The donut burger sounds absolutely disgusting, but is actually quite nice in person. It’s a patty of at least 1/3 lb with bacon put inbetween a maple glazed donut that’s cut in half. When you bite into it, it’s not unlike the taste of maple bacon / ham, very nice. You get a nifty sticker saying you survived the donut burger as well, I wore it with pride the rest of the day. The price was a bit steep at $10 a pop, but well worth it to just experience at least once.

The kubie korn ball has bits of jalapeno and kubasa throughout, and it’s much like a corn fritter, although they’re quick to correct you on that There’s a good amount of heat in the deep fried balls and serving size was generous.

We tried a few other goodies new this year, but those two were hands down our favorites. Would’ve been nice to try the cricket and croc pizza, but apparently it’s only available at 7pm on a limited basis and we were at the grandstand show by then already.

The rodeo was great this year as always, got seats this time on the 5th level under cover from the sun right behind the ledge so that there’s no one in front of me. We chose the north end this time as last year on the south end the giant camera boom was quite in the way.

It was our first time seeing the grandstand show, and had been talking about seeing it for years now. We were able to get 1st level, somewhat center without cover. Very entertaining and the fireworks were the definite highlight of the evening. Didn’t expect so much and so nice of fireworks on a nightly basis!

A great free event that started last year at the calgary stampede is the Enmax Ice Show. No Tessa Virtue or Scott Moir this year, but they had Jamie Sale and David Pelletier. Great show to take in. There’s hardly a way to take everything in on one visit, probably need a good 2~3 days to do everything there is to do.

We’ll be sure to be back next year, if not maybe again this weekend… Next time, I’ll probably split up the rodeo and grandstand show on two different days to take advantage of the included stampede park admission

Check out the pics below and on flickr.

Charcut Roast House is co-owned by Connie DeSousa as seen on Top Chef Canada. After seeing how well she was doing on Food Network and how awesome her creations looked, we just had to seek out Charcut and give it a try, and Charcut certainly doesn’t disappoint.

We started with the Spragg Farm’s Kielbasa with a nice mustard in a neat little skillet, portions were nice and lots of flavour in the kielbasa. Next, we had the spring creek butcher steak and the Spragg Farm’s roasted pork belly. The skirt steak was nicely done and had a great sauce for dipping and the matchstick potatoes were good and crispy. The roasted pork belly came with a fantastic piece of pork skin and the flavours in the polenta were nice too. The pork belly was like a free standing piece of shredded pork in texture, very tender.

So far so good, definitely worth sticking around the dessert course. VERY excellent desserts, probably the highlight of our meal. We had the Preserved Pink Lady in a Jar and a Chocolate and Peanut Trifle. Both came in a jar and both were equally AMAZING! It was like putting a spoon into a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but better, smoother and creamier.

Prices were quite reasonable at Charcut and by the looks of it, the menu changes on a regular basis. Our menu had the current date printed on it. I think I’ll have to go back and try some new stuff! Great food and great service at very reasonable prices for what you get.

Charcut Roast House Address Location

101 899 Centre St SW
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2G 1B8
Phone : 403 984 2180
Fax : 403 984 2181
Email : info@charcut.com

Charcut Roast House Hours of Operation

Monday – Tuesday : 11:00AM – 11:00PM
Wednesday – Friday : 11:00AM – 1:00AM
Saturday : 5:00PM – 1:00AM
Sunday : 5:00PM – 10:00PM

Charcut Roast House Official Website

http://www.charcut.com/

Kinjo is a long running sushi favorite of Calgarians for years. Located on Macleod Trail near Chinook Centre, and is one of the few choices available in the Calgary South area. Kinjo is always packed every night and everyone there will probably tell you that it’s worth the wait. Sushi comes on a nifty boat and you can watch the sushi chefs hard at work pumping out sushi to keep up with demand. At the end of the night, your lady friend may be pleasantly surprised by a chocolate pocky treat. Although no particular piece of sushi is especially spectacular, the entire menu is fairly standard and quite passable for Calgary Alberta.

Kinjo Sushi and Grill Address Location

7101 Macleod Trail South
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2H 0L8
Phone: 403-255-8998

Kinjo Sushi and Grill Hours of Operation

Sunday – Monday : 11:30AM – 10:00PM

Kinjo Sushi and Grill Official Website

www.kinjosushiandgrill.com

Chai Lattes are not all created equal in Calgary. The Second Cup in Mckenzie Towne I’ve found to be more spicy and just is more flavourful overall. Most places just pales in comparision and seems more like hot dirty water than a good and proper chai tea latte. The coffee offerings are fine too. What really makes the Mckenzie Towne location stand out is the location. There’s ample parking and lots of other places to walk around before and after your refreshments. During the summer, the outdoor patio is nice and even in the winter, the stools facing outside provides inspiration while I write such reviews as this in the fall and winter. I’m pretty it’s one of the few coffee shops in the area that is open late until 10PM daily.

Second Cup Cafe Address Location

30 High Street SE
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2Z 3T8
Phone : 403-257-2809

Second Cup Hours of Operation

Monday – Friday : 6:00AM – 10:00PM
Saturday : 7:00AM – 10:00PM
Sunday : 8:00AM – 10:00PM

Second Cup Cafe Official Website

www.secondcup.com

Breakfast in Calgary brings up two names in most people’s minds, Cora’s and Nellies. The best Nellies location is probably the west location on 17th Avenue. You really can’t go wrong with these two specialty breakfast places. Nellies has a really nice corned beef hash and buttery perogies with gobs of sour cream. The decor at Nellies is ecclatic and not like any other, it has a very old style hole-in-the-wall cozy feeling to it. The food is great and you won’t be disappointed.

Nellies Cosmic Cafe Address Location

1001 17 Ave SW
Calgary, Alberta
Canada

Nellies Cosmic Cafe Hours of Operation

N/A

Nellies Cosmic Cafe Official Website

N/A

Mucho Burrito on 130th Avenue in Calgary South East is a big step up from the large fast food mexican restaurants. The tortillas are bigger and softer and the guacamole is creamier and greener. The mucho burrito size that’s offered is quite substantial and very hearty. When you order your burrito, your journey of customization begins and it’s a pretty fun process picking and choosing exactly what you what at the various stations. The outcome is rather nice and you get exactly what you want. My favorites are the grilled chicken and chorizo meats, those are just so tasty and awesome. If you’re wanting a break from the chain mexican fast foods like Taco Bell and Taco Time, go give Mucho Burrito on 130th Avenue a try.

Mucho Burrito Address Location

4307 – 130th Ave SE, Unit 215
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2Z 3V8

Mucho Burrito Hours of Operation

Monday – Saturday: 11:00AM – 9:00PM
Sunday: 11:00AM – 8:00PM

Mucho Burrito Official Website

www.muchoburrito.com

The smell of deep fried fish fills the air near the Goodlife Fitness center parking lot in Mckenzie Towne in the deep South East of Calgary. After encountering this wonderful aroma on numerous occasions, I just had to go and seek out the source of this smell. Sea Fish and Chips is located right on the Main Street of Mckenzie Towne and is very well kept and neatly decorated. There are several types of fish to choose from and offers great sides like calamari and sweet potato fries. I like the classic halibut and it’s very clear by the yellowness of the fried piece of fish that they keep their oil rather clean. If it’s dirty oil, you’d see a fairly brown colour and it’d taste of various other things that were fried before. One of the few places in Calgary specializing in fish n chips, go to Mckenzie Towne and give Sea Fish and Chips a try.

Sea Fish and Chips Address Location

45 High Street SE
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
Phone: 403-452-3474

Sea Fish and Chips Hours of Operation

Monday – Saturday: 11:30AM – 9:00PM
Sunday: Closed

Sea Fish and Chips Official Website

www.seadotfishnchips.com

The Triple King burgers are a delicious culinary challenge offered by Fat Burger in Deerfoot Heritage Meadows. This 24oz triple patty monster of a burger is only for the heartiest of eaters and manliests of men. It’s a feast suitable for King Leonidas and his 300 men to dine on. On top of this juicy oozy goodness, you can still add on fresh toppings like bacon, cheese, mushrooms, etc. I myself really enjoy the mushroom swiss triple king burger, my personal best record from first to last bite is 10:58 as in ten minutes and fifty eight seconds. Even when eating this monster burger, you can still tell that it’s made with a tasty patty and is very enjoyable to eat even when you’re trying to race. The milk shakes are made with real ice cream and are a wonderful compliment to the burgers.

Fat Burger Address Location

#1000-33 Heritage Meadows Way SE
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2H 3B8
Phone: 403-255-1144

Fat Burger Hours of Operation

Monday – Sunday : 10:30AM – 8:00PM

Fat Burger Official Website

www.fatburger.com