crazy white girl with a kitchen

Because I’m moving to Japan, we thought we’d check out the Kasugai Japanese Gardens in Kelowna. Kelowna’s sister city is Kasugai, and the garden was built to commemorate that. They’re really beautiful and peaceful.

Along with obese koi, there was a cute turtle swimming around!

We stopped at a new retro antique and furniture store, Object Orange. They had some cool stuff in there that I might have bought if I wasn’t trying to downsize my life and belongings.

Ogopogo made an appearance.

I stopped by a local chain of coffeeshops called Bean Scene for a London Fog. There was a musician playing there that I honestly thought was CD at first, he was so on.

I love this sign so much.

Wings, nachos and draft Okanagan Springs 1516 at Tonics Pub.

The nachos were okay. Great cheese coverage on top, but serious lack on the interior, as per usual with ‘chos.

These spicy honey wings were some of the best wings I’ve ever had. Right mix of meaty and cartilaginous with not too much sauce, and super fresh. Plus they gave me about 16 wings for what was supposed to be 12.

We went for ice cream sundaes one night at the Okanagan Fudge and Sundae Company. Two scoops of ice cream, two toppings and a big dollop of whip. I found the whole thing a bit saccharine and could barely finish. Kids would love it. We ate it on the water front.

I hope someone has asked for a fudge and ice cream sundae. Sick, right?

Another sunny day in Kelowna

The flight to and from Kelowna is well worth the $300 for the drive time it saves and the beautiful view of the Rockies.

Sad to say, but the semi truck was not my ride

You know the hotel in “Dirty Dancing?” The old school one that’s crazy busy in the summer with vacationing families, teenagers falling in love, people trying their hands at sailing or kayaking and packed to the gills dining rooms? That’s kind of what the Hotel Eldorado reminds me of.

It’s a really quaint hotel set built in 1926 on a particularly beautiful spot of waterfront property in Kelowna. And that’s saying something because EVERYWHERE is beautiful in Kelowna. It’s hot, it’s sunny, it’s green and there is fruit everywhere.

The hotel itself is like a big waterfront house with wood everywhere, touches of whimsy in the decor and a gorgeous view of the marina from the Lakeside Dining Room, which is where we ate.

Lakeside dining room. Does anyone happen to know if there is a story behind the missing pair of shoes in the boat?

View of the Marina on a rather unsually dreary day in Kelowna

The hotel has got quite a history. After being built in 1926 as a spot for travelers to rest in the interior of B.C., it was saved from demolition in the late 80s by a developer. It then burnt to the ground in an arson, but was reopened just a year later after being completely rebuilt. One of the coolest things remaining from the original building is the awesome retro sign out front.

I arrived in town to visit my brother early Sunday morning; 7 am. I had planned on having brunch at either one of the many wineries in town or buffet at the “El” as it is affectionately known around town. It seemed difficult to get a reservation on OpenTable for Sunday, but I eventually made two bookings. I cancelled at Quail’s Gate to eat the El. We had planned to arrive as the brunch buffet started, but turns out we were too early as the buffet starts at 9 a.m.

Instead of waiting 45 minutes for the seemingly small buffet to get set up and going, we ordered off the menu. They had the traditional offerings; pancakes and benedicts, among other things. The prices were a bit high, but reasonable. (An $8 fruit smoothie? They better bring the entire blender out for that.)

The buffet was a whopping $29.95; even though he wasn’t paying my brother refused to indulge, just on principle based on the excellent spread he’d experienced at the post-wedding brunch buffet at the Wynn in Las Vegas. I have to admit, he had a point. Even compared to the Post Hotel’s buffet, the El’s buffet was a bit lacking.

It wasn’t legal serving time, so we couldn’t get mimosas. (And they call this wine country!) With free flowing $4 Van Houtte drip coffees, we tucked into our food. Originally all three of us planned on getting the same dish but I changed my mind at the last minute and sprung for the Eldorado Benedict, which came with salmon.

Tory and Bruce got the mascarpone lavender blueberry pancakes. My brother complained the final taste was “bitter” but after having a bite I just explained it was the overly floral lavender flavour he was picking up. Lavender is a great taste to include in pancakes; it really lightened them.

The boys polished off their plates, and I think they got the better dish to be honest.

Lavender butter and saskatoon berry compote

Salmon benedict

My benedict (please, do not call them “bennies”) was ripe in flavour; the fish permeated and overpowered every bite. It was almost enough to make me wish I had kept the ham benedict they’d sent out by accident at first. The eggs WERE perfectly poached, however. The hash browns were passable. The fruit was ripe, but not particularly flavourful, which disappointed me. I think I just ordered wrong. I really do think the boys picked the best dish that day.

As we left I peered at the buffet and took some photos, since I canNOT believe there aren’t more Kelowna food bloggers who have written about it. It was quite difficult to find any non advertorial information on any restaurants in the area, actually.

The brunch had live action stations for omelettes and crepes, hot trays, and a lot of seafood such as pre-cracked Alaskan crab, salmon and such. Seemed kind of standard fare to be honest. I’m still not convinced it was worth the $29.99 charge, but it was filling up as we left. I’ve heard it’s one of the most popular brunch destinations in the Okanagan. This is probably due to the atmosphere.

The crab is always the most popular at buffets for some reason. They prepared well at the El for the contingent of crab cravers.

I was impressed with the pastry chef’s work with desserts, however.

I enjoyed our early morning breakfast at the “El”, but mostly due to company and atmosphere. Thanks to colleague and fellow blogger Shaughn Butts for the tip!

—

Lakeside Dining Room at the Eldorado Hotel
500 Cook Road
Kelowna, B.C.
Open daily for breakfast from 7 a.m.
Reservations for the Sunday buffet recommended

One of the most difficult things for me to get over about moving away is that our neighbourhood is full of great food that surrounds us in a one block radius. With 45 seconds of walking I can have anything I want for dinner, ranging from Middle Eastern delights at La Shish, gelato and med bread on the sunny patio at Famoso, wings and beer at On the Rocks and deep dish pizza at Rosebowl.

There’s a new kid on the block though, and they are ready to play. Elm Cafe had a soft open today, offering up coffees, some sandwiches and muffins (breakfast, cold and hot.)

How lucky for me I had to visit the post office today, and “had” to stop in at Elm Cafe on the way back. It’s a place you may not immediately notice on your first drive by unless you live in the neighbourhood and notice things like these, but I predict the clean store front with vinyl decals will become a lunch landmark soon.

It’s a small place, but that shouldn’t put you or anyone off, despite the obvious problem I can see with people eventually lining up out the door and down the street for a fresh healthy sandwich. It’s a well oiled machine, even on their first day of operation at high noon – a giveaway that chef and proprietor Nate Box knows what he’s doing, so you won’t wait long.

Nate pulls an espresso

Nate looked for a space suitable for his endeavour for some time, and decided that the size of the space would not put him off. He’s doing a great thing; adding to the community and making great product out of a tiny spot. I can relate as a five foot tall woman – great things come in small packages!

There are beautiful photos depicting lucha libre (Mexican wrestling) on the walls, and a small bar to drink your coffee at. Things did get a bit hectic with people coming in to share their well wishes and order food, but groups came and went quite quickly. I did spy Giselle Beggs from Duchess Bakeshop and Shelly Solarz of Parlour Magazine checking out the place.

Menu for Elm Cafe, featuring light fare meant to take away.

The space is this: a long serving bar on the west side of the room and …

… a seating bar on the east side of the room. It was pretty busy as you can see.

Elm Cafe’s sandwiches were on a slightly chewy roll, wrapped up in paper for easy transport back to the office, or park or home…wherever you want to eat them.

I got a hot sandwich, the chick pea veggie one with olives, a host of herbs and lots of olive oil. I also got a cold chicken salad with creamy mayo, grapes, crunchy radish and apples nestled up against chunks of tender chicken. The bread was really incredible; I want to know the source!

Mike insisted we split and I’m glad we did because even after eating both, I still can’t decide what my favourite was. You could taste the care in these ‘wiches. They’re called “craft sandwiches” on the website, and the name is suitable.

Mediterranean sandwich

At $8 a pop, the sandwiches are well priced considering the work that goes into them. If you want to spend less, Subway is just around the corner so you’re welcome to go eat some trash for lunch. I’m sticking to Elm Cafe. I can’t wait to try the soups.

Welcome to the neighbourhood, guys!

—

Elm Cafe
#100, 10140 – 117 Street
(kitty corner from Rosebowl, below Stratica Pharmacy)
Edmonton, Alberta
Mon, Tues, Wed 7-5
Thurs, Fri 7-7
Sat 8-4
Sunday closed

I really like where my brother lives in Kelowna. He’s got a great patio and lives within three minutes walk time to downtown Kelowna and among some interesting little shops that are popping up.

Although Kelowna is kind of an odd place with trashy transients clash with the tourists, blue hairs and yoga moms downtown and big box stores and chain restaurants may be more popular than in Edmonton, it’s got an artsy independent vibe you can’t deny, and some excellent ideas and people.

Chai Baba is one of those ideas. I was quick to write it off after my first visit last year. I strolled in when the owners were in, and I’ve never felt so unwelcome in a shop in quite some time. I wasn’t acknowledged, there was all sorts of nasty gossip going on and it was like some sort of chai clique. However, I was pleased to walk by on this last visit and find the shop empty. It was hot and sunny and I had planned on getting an iced drink from Bean Scene, but Chai Baba was four steps closer and I wanted to give it another chance.

The shop is bright and tidy, and features all sorts of loose teas as well as feature drinks. They also feature tea workshops on tea tastings and how to make matcha in a tea ceremony. I enjoyed the matcha I had last time I was in, but wanted something colder this trip.

Free samples of Rooibos Provence and Raspberry tea sat by the door

Drinks are on chalkboards

Cute clerk makes my iced tea

The clerk (tea barista?) told me they make any of their drinks iced, so I got the Yin Yang Ting Tang ($4.50). It was a lemonade based drink and had lavender syrup, ginger tea and raspberry syrup. It was tart and refreshing.

Next time I’m in Kelowna I want to try the Caramel Apple; creme caramel rooibos tea with vanilla and apple juice. Yum!

—

Chai Baba Tea House
1289 Ellis Street
Kelowna, British Columbia

As you can imagine, I’ve been a bit busy. Posts have been sporadic, and I have not had much time to consider blogging as I’ve been busy with other things like Japanese lessons, packing and visiting my brother one last time.

So, I’m going to do things backwards and bypass Vegas posts for now. Last week I visited my brother in Kelowna, and had an awesome time. We hung out, his cats didn’t scare me or make me sneeze (much), we had some wine, I watched “Glee” for the first time and we ate some great food. Because these posts are already queued up and I’m still working on wedding photos, I’ll blast these and some other food related posts out before any wedding/Vegas ones, and hopefully I’ll get them all done before July rolls in.

I’ll start off with the meal I was looking forward to most while I was in Kelowna…dinner at RauDZ.

First things first. It’s pronounced “Rods.” Yes, it’s weird. But it becomes more clear when you find out that it’s a combination of the co-owner’s names: RoD (Butters) and AUdrey (Surraro). He does the food, she does the wine.

RauDZ opened in 2008 in the space occupied by a restaurant called Fresco – also owned by Chef Butters and Surraro. I think they have a good handle on what makes a restaurant successful. The focus at RauDZ is on fresh regional foods, which is perfect for a place like Kelowna because it is located in the epicenter of one of Canada’s best produce regions and is very close to other food producers like ranchers and farmers. They are extremely supportive and proud of locally made items and list their producers in columns on their menu.

Even the dining room features the work of local artisans. Heartland Millworks made the long 21-foot harvest-style table and the substantial pine door. The bar top was made from Vancouver fir. The photographs of local farmers hanging on the walls were taken by Kelowna based photog and film maker David McIlvride. The chefs go picking fresh morels in the nearby forests with each other ahead of dinner service. There’s a lot to love about a restaurant like this.

But how was the food?

Well, we’ll get to that.

We started off with some drinks, first. The “liquid chef” behind the bar prepares fresh fruit purees to use in feature martinis each day, and there is a long list of other cocktails to try. Add to that an extremely extensive Canadian wine list, and the bar is certainly impressive. We tried a series of local beers and various martinis and fresh sangria and enjoyed each one. I highly recommend the gingery “Cold Snap” beverage.

We started with chicken confit poutine and gnocci, fulfilling the starchy component of the meal. The chicken poutine was savoury and cheesy and some of the best I’ve had west of Montreal. The dish it was served in prevented all of the fries from becoming soggy with gravy, but my brother commented that he thought the chicken was a bit slimy. It was, indeed, a bit too tender from confiting, but I enjoyed the savoury poultry depth it provided for the gravy and dish as a whole.

The gnocci were fantastic. My brother and Bruce said that they had seen gnocci in the grocery store but didn’t know what they were. Every culture has a potato dumpling, and gnocci are among the best. These were no exception; boiled and pan fried, salty and crispy and a bit chewy. They came with a zingy rocket salad and curls of parm cheese. Our appetizers made us excited for the mains and they did not disappoint.

Bruce said he was going to be “boring” and get a “plain old burger” but was very impressed with his dish. Seasoned fries lay alongside a ground-to-order stacked burger with fresh pickle relish and slaw. The burger was juicy, but not so out of control that Bruce couldn’t put it down, which is always nice at a classy restaurant.

Tory got the hand made pasta with veal bolognese. Some people fear veal, such as Bruce, and he wouldn’t try it, but I think it did a lot for the bolognese, making it taste a bit earthier and more complex than just plain beef would have been. The sauce was tomato rich and bordering on creamy, even without any added dairy other than cheese. The serving was substantial, but Tory polished it off.

I got the fish special. On a Tuesday! Anthony Bourdain probably woke with a cold sweat from whatever far off country he was traveling in. I couldn’t resist the halibut cheeks, and with halibut a dish on their regular menu, I felt confident I wasn’t getting weekend left overs. I found the vegetables were a bit too finely diced, making for a very mixed up flavour in every bite which may have been the only misstep. However the butter and fingerling potatoes helped balance it out. The fish was tender, not dry and meaty, not flaky. Pretty perfect, if you ask me.

Because I am a glutton, I insisted we get dessert. Although they offer a full sized RauDZ special dessert at $10, the majority of the dessert menu is reserved for sweet martinis, ice wines, special coffees and dessert “tastings” at $4 each. I’m all for this. Sometimes, I just want a bite or two. Instead I pack down an entire dessert after I’m done enjoying it, but want to clear my plate. (see: glutton statement, earlier) We all appreciated the smaller bites, and got a few different ones to share.

The overall winner was probably the espresso vanilla bean creme brulee. The crispy burnt shell top gave way to a creamy coffee-y custard. Next most popular was the Valrhona fudgesicle. My brother asked what Valrhona chocolate was, and I drunkenly replied “chocolate…on ‘roids” He said it was an apt description.

The fudgesicles came coated in small crispy orange flavoured balls. Tory ate those first before going in for the kill on the chocolate, but Bruce ate his all together. I got the apple fritters which were the weakest offering I think. They were filled with Okanagan apples which can never be wrong, but the dough on the fritter was cold and soggy, made even soggier by the addition of a plop of ice cream on top. They weren’t my favourite.

Service was well paced and knowledgeable, despite increasing amounts of diners in the space. I spied both Audrey and Chef Butters in the restaurant, working hard. This restaurant is their baby, and it shows.

After an extremely satisfying meal, we strolled home out of the PACKED restaurant to Bruce and Tory’s downtown condo just minutes away. It could be some time before I’m back in Kelowna again, but I hope not because I’d love to visit RauDZ again.

—

RauDZ Regional Table
1560 Water Street
Kelowna, British Columbia
Only open for dinner, 5 pm on every night
Dinner for three, with two appetizers and five drinks each came to $150

Sometimes I hit the cafeteria at work at around 3pm, just before it closes, to get some hot water for tea. I occasionally peep in the cooler to see what’s up for offering, and almost every time I look, there is a single sad egg salad sandwich double wrapped in plastic film, calling out to someone to buy it. Not unlike a long forgotten dog at the pound.

I think I know how it ended up coming to this, too. People eating overcooked eggs drowning in scads of industrial “mayonnaise” on soggy bread masquerading as egg salad sandwiches. Egg salad can be hard to do, and so it’s often never done right. But here’s the perfect recipe for seven minute egg salad.

Start with four or five eggs. Place them in a pot, just covering them with water. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then cover and immediately remove from heat. Let sit, covered, for seven minutes.

Meanwhile, get a bowl ready with ice water in it. After the seven minutes are up, your eggs will go into it immediately.

After their seven minute hot tub bath and ice water plunge, the eggs should come out ever-so-slightly soft centered, with no grey ring. No grainy yolks in rubbery whites here. Something to keep in mind: very fresh eggs can be hard to peel.

While this was happening, I used more eggs to prepare some fresh mayonnaise. Of course you could doctor a decent store brand if you are short on time, but freshly made is delicious with an unparalleled texture and flavour you customize.

I’ve included Michel Roux’s classic recipe for curried mayo. It doesn’t take too long, but the amount of oil that goes into it could disturb you. Mayonnaise isn’t the most healthy condiment.

Garam Masala Mayonnaise

• 2 egg yolks
• 250ml groundnut oil (I used safflower. Using ALL olive oil will create a very odd taste, and I wouldn’t recommend it)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp fresh garam masala (use more if you are using store bought)
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar or lemon juice

I used my favourite tool, the hand blender and the whisk attachment. Doing this the old fashioned way builds your biceps, to be sure.

In a small dish, dissolve the garam masala in the vinegar or lemon juice.

Mix the mustard with the salt and pepper in another container. Add egg yolks and mix immediately.

Slowly begin adding oil as you whisk, drop by drop, working up to a steady thin stream. You don’t want to add oil too fast or too slow. It’s difficult to gauge, but you get better the more you make.

As I made it in the kitchen, Mike was able to tell I was being overly cautious and going too slowly just by hearing how long I was taking from another room, and suggested I speed up. He’s the mayo master.

Eventually all of the oil will be added. Fold in the spice and vinegar mixture and whip for a further 30 seconds if you want a glossy mayo. Add more seasoning if needed.

This mayo will keep for a few days. Don’t leave it on the counter too long.

—-

Things were going well until my last 30 second whip to make the mayonnaise glossy. Some oil on the side of my container made it difficult to hold and…

Shit. Mayo everywhere.

Prepare your mise en place with what you like best in your egg salad. I went the herby route this time, using finely chopped celery, green onion and chives. Capers, pickles, dill, tarragon, red peppers and tomatoes all make fine additions as well. I added a sprinkle of paprika, salt and pepper.

Garam masala egg salad sandwich

Finally, add sprouts, tomatoes and fresh bread. I’ve written before that egg salad reminds me of my grandmother, and it is true. She used to wrap up egg salad to bring with her on long days spent fishing. They were wrapped in wax paper, and so delicious. I thought of her last night while eating. I think she would have liked that.

Today I used a bit more of the mayo to make tuna salad. Maybe we’ll make smoked chicken salad this week, too. Gotta use up the rest of that mayo!

I’ve been spending a crap load of time trying to find a suitable restaurant in Las Vegas for the wedding rehearsal dinner this week. It’s kind of a nightmare, actually; far more difficult than picking the restaurant we are using for the reception dinner.

Anyhow, in my web wanderings I found this pretty awesome tool that I hope becomes popular. Maybe it IS popular in the States…I don’t know. It’s a system that makes group ordering for lunch or group functions much easier. It’s hard to keep track of money owing, coordinating who got what, etc etc., if you have ever done it. This tool accepts orders sent via an email link to a menu, and also allows for each person to pay for their own meal if need be.

A restaurant called Memphis Championship BBQ in Vegas uses it. Here’s a screen cap of the instructions:

Pretty awesome, right?

Alright. Back to restaurant research.

(It took a while, but this is my last Vegas post from the trip in early March. In another month we’re back there again! Not sure how much food blogging that trip will garner though… -K.Z.)

For a long time, Italian was my favourite cuisine. In recent years, it’s really become Japanese food though. I’m not talking sushi or drive-thru restaurant rice bowls. I mean the good stuff: miniature octopi, pig ear, fish roe, dashi broth, tendon and above all, fresh noodles. It’s impossible to find in Edmonton, so I often save up my cravings for a mammoth meal when we get to Las Vegas. We chose to eat at Raku this past visit.

Raku, like Lotus of Siam, is a notoriously busy restaurant. I don’t know if there are any restaurants more buzzed about online in the Vegas food community than Raku, except perhaps Joel Robuchon’s Mansion. Odd, considering the two are at very opposite ends of the food spectrum. One is on Strip, the other off. One unearthly expensive, the other cheap (well, okay, maybe just affordable.) One French, the other Japanese. But they do share a very common thread: incredible cuisine.

Again, we arrived without a reservation (we’re terrible!) and were told we’d have 30 minutes to eat at the bar. If we were lucky. I was gung ho, but some members of our party were not. I thought we wouldn’t get another chance for some time to eat at Raku again, so we’d scarf and run. Turns out, they did find an actual table for us, and we took our time eating. All that worry for nought.

Aburiya Raku is a robata restaurant…mostly. It’s a dark cozy restaurant that appeals to a wide range of clientele. We saw a couple on a date, sharing a sake flight and Sapporo beers. A family with a child gobbling down chicken thighs on sticks. Businessmen, young, old; all brought here by the food.

Fresh tofu, green onions, dried onion and fresh ginger and dipping sauce

The menu takes some time to work through, and requires an imaginative mind. A plain sounding “tofu” belies what the dish actually is: fresh housemade tofu, creamy and sweet and salty and firm, lick-the-dish good. So, think outside the box and get something that might sound ordinary. Trust me, it will not be.

In addition to the menu the are, of course, nightly specials. These are brought round on a chalkboard. They threw our group into a tizzy and doubled our already substantial food order.

Kobe beef liver

Hell if I can remember. Roe of some kind, with tuna I think

Mackerel. Our server came over and deftly extracted the bones with just a set of chopsticks and a single carefully placed finger.

Pig ear: gelatinous, chewy and salty. The perfect savoury snack.

Baby octopi. I kind of felt guilty eating them, since they always grow up to be so cool and intelligent.

Raku is really fantastic. A wide selection of hot and cold dishes, from small to large, encompassing all palates and wallet sizes.

A sake flight. There are many to choose from, and they all come with detailed descriptions. As with the food specials, there is also a special sake flight selection that changes monthly.

Be warned that Raku only serves wine, beer and sake, not hard liquor like Ichiza just down the street.

Our problem was solved by hopping across Spring Mountain Road and going for dessert, more food and drinks at Ichiza after. I just had to have the honey toast…

Ichiza’s honey toast. On our last visit I saw this as we were leaving and had to pick my jaw up off the floor. It’s like a little bread fort, toasted, filled with ice cream and honey.

..and Evan just had to have the shochu.

Evan, pleased with his “mystery greens” shochu. Still no word on what the mystery green came from.

Both Raku and Ichiza are in the same vein, but with different execution. Ichiza does the lax party atmosphere well, with more pub food on the menu. After all, it IS an izakaya.

Raku is a bit more refined (in ambiance and decor), with simpler, yet tastier, dishes. I would never refuse either, but Raku is my personal favourite after trying both. It is also said to be the favourite of local chefs getting off work late as well.

It’s open until 3am every night but Sunday. Perfect for late night snackers.

–

Aburiya Raku
5030 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, Nevada
Open 6pm to 3am every night, closed Sundays

Ichiza Izakaya
4355 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, Nevada
Open for lunch noon to 2:30pm weekdays
Dinner 5pm to 3am every night

Reservations recommended for both, lest you be prepared to wait or be turned away.

After a long day of skiing, Mike, Connor and I were ravenous. Unable to get an earlier reservation, we had to wait until 8pm to eat at Walliser Stube, the Swiss restaurant in Chateau Lake Louise. By then, I could barely stop myself from gnawing off my own arm.

Ominous looking Chateau Lake Louise

The bar in Walliser Stube

In recent years Lake Louise has become one of my favourite areas to visit in the Rockies, mostly due to the lower concentration of people in the back country and the huge selection of activities one can try. Lake Louise has deep roots in the Canada’s mountaineering community, and is more than just a tourist trap. If you’ve ever walked around Lake Louise, you’ve seen the rock climbers at the back of the lake. This place is legit.

There were many Swiss guides that worked in the area after they were hired by Canadian Pacific (the original owners of the Chateau Lake Louise) to guide people following a mountaineering accident many years ago. Hence, Walliser Stube exists to pay tribute to them and the influence they had on the area.

The menu is in gothic text and it feels a bit cheesy, but the view of Lake Louise from the dining room is unbeatable and the food is outstanding. There were many couples availing themselves of the romantic atmosphere.

Many of the selections are cheese-based (the best kind of restaurant, in my opinion) but there are more traditional European favourites like schnitzel.

We received a basket of breads: pumpernickel, rye, ciabatta and the table favourite: pretzel bread.

I got a Victorian Alpine Glow cocktail. It seemed out of place on the cocktail menu – it was slightly savoury and came with red peppers and chives.

The staff came out as the sun fell out of the sky and set up the equipment we needed for our meal. I ordered a fondue, and the boys got raclette. Raclette (rack-let) is a soft Swiss cheese that is heated, and then you scrape off the melted top onto bread, meat, and vegetables. It’s a bit unwieldy as the machine required a lot of room on the table, but very delicious.

There is an entire page of fondues on the menu. I got the traditional, with Gruyere, Appenzeller and Emmentaler cheeses in a wine wine and kirsch bath. There was an avalanche of pepper on it, and a a burner underneath heats the pot until the cheese bubbles. The anticipation of waiting for the cheese to bubble and the raclette to melt was brutal, but well worth it.

In addition to cubed bread, I also received a plate of vegetables to dip into the cheese. The only thing that completely baffled me was the asparagus. It was super thin and hard to dip in the cheese. I just ate it plain.

The restaurant also offers more substantial fondues with beef, bison or seafood. They come with a tower of dipping sauces.

Raclette scraping. The raclette came with an impressive spread of charcuterie from Valbella as well as vegetables. When the meat ran out, Connor asked for a bit more, and a whole other plate was brought out. The service was consistent and quite good, actually.

Cheese dipping. I had tonnes of left over bread after the cheese was gone. I think my favourite part of the fondue was when the cheese started to get a bit crispy and brown as it thinned out.

The heater was kept under a napkin drape, and it was as bright as the sun when it was lifted, illuminating all the other poor couples trying to be romantic in the dining room.

It was a great time, and a wonderful reward after a day of skiing. I can only say try to save room for dessert. Their menu looks wonderful, and goes beyond chocolate fondue.

Afterwards we walked around the Chateau. It’s a beautiful old school resort hotel.

In one of the display cabinets for a gift shop they had what appeared to be “Canadian food.” The usual suspects were there: maple syrup and maple cream cookies, salmon, various jams and preserves and… wait, what? Bottled water?

Yes, that’s right. Bottled water. It’s Canadian!
–

Walliser Stube
at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Lake Louise, Alberta
Open for dinner nightly, 6pm-9:30pm

Pizza pies and cherry pies, that is.

On our way to Lake Louise, our friends Dave and Jenn were kind enough to host us for a night. They were originally going to join us for the buffet, but couldn’t make it in the end.

We weren’t sure what to eat that night, but felt like pizza. After doing some internet research (which consists of googling “best pizza calgary”, a method that has had great success in most cities), I had decided that Pizza Bob’s was the place to try as it did thin crust pizza and it was close to Kensington, where Dave and Jenn live.

Turns out the sources I used were wrong. Horribly horribly wrong. I will have to ignore recommendations from the forum that suggested this place it was just that poor.

I’m not sure where it went wrong…is there just no good thin crust pizza in Calgary? In Edmonton we have Tony’s and Pizza Boys Ragazzi Bistro (and lesser so, Famoso) to pick from. I thought it would be easy to find a good ‘za in Calgary.  I guess I was wrong. Recommendations are VERY welcome for next time.

Lots of toppings, but dare I say too many? This was the Fire Chicken pizza with pineapple, chicken, and hot sauce. The crust couldn’t sustain the eye popping load of toppings and most ended up at the bottom of the box as soon as you picked up a piece. On our other pizza, a traditional with pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage and veggies, there wasn’t enough sauce. Same problem with tumbling toppings. They’re no good to me on the box.

The major problem was the burnt, overly dry crust with no chew. It reminded us all of a water cracker. Ugh. Atleast we had the buffet the next day to take our  mind off of it.

On the way home to Edmonton, we stopped at Log Barn 1912 for another kind of pie.

Dave and Jenn live mere minutes away from Log Barn 1912. For years it was a travel agency, but then was renovated to become this kitsch factory and drive through pie pick up joint. (yes, you read that correctly.)

Every visit we’ve had to Calgary, we joke and talk about it, but have never visited. We’re also surprised it remains open. For one, it’s kind of awkward to get to (it is only accessible from the westbound lane of 16 Ave NW) and for two, was their pie even any good?

Mike and I finally took the time to find out on our way back home to Edmonton from Lake Louise.

We didn’t use the drive through as I had a feeling this place would be special. Turns out I was right. This place is all over the place.

There is bric-a-brac anywhere your eye rests, which isn’t for long. Quilts, preserves, wooden motorcycles, sausage, sock monkeys, juices… it’s packed to the gills with crap that is not pies.

Jams, jellies, pickles and preserves.

I guess pies alone do not pay the bills, so they have to add as much filler as possible. I was just hoping their pies weren’t all filler.

Alright, this is more my speed. Mennonite sausage and jerky. I tried to look up what makes Mennonite sausage such, but there did not seem to be many recipes. I guess it will remain a Mennonite Mystery. We were given a sample of warm sausage ring and also garlic ring, but I found little about it worth recounting here. Maybe my standards are just too high after Mike started making his own sausage.

Although we had hoped to just get a piece of pie each, two slices cost half as much as a pie. So that is how we ended up eating cherry pie out of the box on the QE2 as we drove back to Edmonton. Should I feel shame?

(note: photo not taken while driving)

My brother – who lives in Kelowna – said there are places like this all over the Okanagan flogging Mennonite sausage, fresh fruit and pies. Log Barn 1912 in particular is an offshoot of a location near Armstrong, B.C., where they peddle more of the same: a bit of the country life, with fresh fruit and over priced tchotchkes.

The pie report: We got a cherry pie, filled with standard from-the-can pie filling (a flavour I enjoy, actually). Perhaps we would have been best to try another variety of fruit like apple to really gauge the pie. The crust was good and did appear to be hand formed. Flakier than most, without a soggy bottom which plagues many pies, but no where near as awesome as the masterpies my mom makes. They claim a special sugar mixture goes on top to help it melt in your mouth, but in my opinion a good pie doesn’t need it. I’m a pie purist, though. I suspect the pies are half baked and frozen and then rebaked fresh that day at the store, as ours was still warm when we got it.

Mostly this place is just hype to try and suck people into buying nostalgia and a “piece of their past” in the form of pie. (The box actually says “Reclaiming our past” I don’t know what that means.) While I think the pie was better than most I’ve had from retail outlets and supermarkets, little about it justified the $15 price tag. But atleast we answered the question of what the Log Barn was all about.

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Pizza Bobs
2610 Kensington Road NW
Calgary, Alberta
403-521-2624

Log Barn 1912
1510 – 16th Avenue NW
Calgary, Alberta
403-457-5229

Friends of ours happen to live in Lake Louise. This idyllic town is about an hour west of Banff, and consists of a large ski resort, a few hotels, two gas stations and a small strip mall and Parks Canada visitors centre. What it lacks in amenities it makes up for in personality and views.

The friends, Connor and Madlen, met while working at the Post Hotel, one of the finest hotels in Alberta. Connor was a chef at the restaurant and Madlen worked at the hotel. A few years later, they’ve ended up back in Lake Louise under similar circumstances, and asked us to come visit for Easter…particularly to take advantage of the incredible holiday buffet the hotel puts on. I am not a buffet person in general, but I was looking forward to this one based on the rave reviews I had received.

Madlen obtained reservations for our group months in advance, and we arrived for the 11:30 seating a bit early. The dining room was just being prepped, so we took some time to admire the holiday decor in the hotel. It’s a Relais & Châteaux property, so it offers amazing service and amenities. The Post has been open since 1942, originally owned by a British man. It was a sort of ski outfitting lodge, but was popular in all seasons. In 1978 the hotel was sold to a pair of Swiss brothers who retain ownership today. They were circulating the dining room when we arrived, and were on very familiar and friendly terms with many of the guests that day, most of which seemed like frequent visitors.

Chocolate and sugar Easter displays. There were little edible treats scattered throughout.

A floral carnation rabbit and egg tree.

The main lobby had a seating area that I think overlooked a skating rink. It was a bit too warm to go skating while we were in Lake Louise, unfortunately.

I found the hotel cozier, more friendly and with better service than the hyped Fairmont hotels that dot the Rockies. The buffet just sealed the deal.There are a few seatings, which ensures fresh items at each one, and maintains an excellent ratio of diners to servers as well as diners to buffet table frontage. It can be hard to jockey for position at most buffets, and you are expected to move along as if in a cattle line.

There were a few main sections to the buffet: seafood, charcuterie, hot items and dessert. That is definitely over simplifying, however, as the proof was in the pudding. And was that pudding well executed and very, very special.

I’ll let my 36 photos tell the story.

Wide range of European breads, breakfast pastries like danishes alongside pretzels and croissants. To the right, a server was on hand to spoon out a rich-smelling cream of mushroom soup.

Roasted vegetables including asparagus, squash, peppers and eggplant. Salads included Caprese, a few kinds of noodle, pasta. Sprinkled throughout were dressings, marinated olives and numerous other condiments I know I missed.

More salad photos as the section moves into the fish and seafood.

The buffet featured a huge selection of well presented seafood. In fact, that, coupled with the cold cuts and meat trays, were what I considered the strengths of this buffet. The crab was all pre-cracked and the meat was easy just to strip out of the legs.

Lobster morsels and claw meat, with jellied crayfish.

Sugar decor mixed with fresh flowers and carved fruits and vegetables as well as an ice sculpture.

Rainbow trout. Many of the displays were pure art. Other fish for the taking included smoked bass (which was one of the highlights of the meal) and salmon. Lots of salmon.

The oysters were incredibly popular. I’m not sure what kind they were, perhaps Kusshi, as they were a bit smaller and had a very crisp taste. They were also cleaned extremely well. Not a speck of sand in any of the several I ate.

In addition to the oysters there were many sauces and condiments to add to them, or the other seafoods nearby. Curry mayonnaise, mignonette, basil vinaigrette and just plain lemons were some of the ones I remember.

While there was a large selection of sushi and sashimi, I did not care for the piece of tuna I tried (I found it a bit tough and dry) so I stayed clear of most of it. It could have been a mistake, but there were so many other amazing things to eat, I did not miss it. As far as I’m concerned the sushi was the only (small) misstep at the meal.

Connor and Mike’s first plates. They had a strategy: to stick to Atkins style eating, avoiding filling starches.

My second plate, with some hot items, and a lot of protein, including a cabbage wrapped pate (far right), and going clockwise: oyster, venison slice, herbed shrimp, lobster meat, a delicious slice of tender beef and potato gratin.

The hot items were very limited: beef tenderloin sliced to order, eggs benedict, rice, steamed vegetables, halibut in cream sauce and potatoes gratin. However the items were all fresh and were not left to remain cooking in the chafing dishes long.

The charcuterie blew me away. I forgot to ask Connor how many days they began prepping all of the meats, but it had to have been busy in the kitchen. Pâté en croute at centre, with cornish game hens, pâtés and venison slices presented all around it. I found the cabbage wrapped pâté a real treat. The cabbage added a crunch, colour and sweetness to the meat, without the added heft of bacon or traditional wrappings.

More meat slices, some jellied, some not. Each with a carrot maple leaf garnish. Again, all around various condiments and dresses, including horseradish whip, cornichons, mustards and so on.

At this point, I don’t even recall what these photos are of. It looks like vegetable terrines up front and pieces of prosciutto with cantaloupe at back.

Baked salmon at rear and one of the many trays of gravlax at front. There was a definite European slant to the meal, which I really enjoyed.

Cheese and dessert section.

The pastry chef came out during the meal to check on his creations and make sure the children (and children at heart) were enjoying them. The choux pastry profiterole swans were amazing in their detail.

Dessert plate number one for me. A custard raspberry tart, cheese, milk chocolate mousse and a Baileys or Kahlua mousse in a shot glass. Not easy to get out of the glass, but easy to get down.

And more dessert: tortes, jelly beans, crème caramel, various mousses, cakes, pies, squares, fruits, cheeses …

Dessert plate number two. More mousses, crème caramel and a chocolate dipped strawberry.

In good spirits at the end of the meal.

Overall, an excellent meal. At $58 it was not cheap, and Lake Louise isn’t as close to Calgary as Banff or Canmore, but the quality and ambiance of the buffet are enough to persuade me to recommend it to anyone in the area.I definitely think it is worth the trip. Doubly so if you are in the area to burn off calories in some outdoor pursuit.

The attention to detail was overwhelming. I appreciated the wide range of sauces and condiments, the crustaceans being prepared for ease of eating, and the items being carefully placed all over a table in a scattered but attentive way. It really sold the items to me. I didn’t INTEND on getting a creme caramel, but seeing them all over the table made me think about them lots, and I eventually caved and had one.

The ingredients were high quality, and some were even local, such as Valbella charcuterie (from Canmore). The produce was excellent, which was especially wonderful given the season and the isolated location of the hotel. Constant staff interaction (we saw many kitchen staff more than once during service) and item turnover kept the plates fresh and full. The idea of eggs benedict served buffet style sounds horribly amateur and a disaster, but the Post pulled it off. People tend to want huge selection and huge portions at a buffet. I think buffets are more spectacular when executed as the Post does: specialized items (ie., not a Japanese, chinese, Thai, Mexican etc etc section), quality and luxury foods mixed with old favourites and everything fresh fresh fresh.

While it may be a while before I can avail myself of the Post Hotel buffet brunch again, it it a memory that will linger a long time until I can return.

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Post Hotel
Lake Louise, Alberta

The hotel also hosts a series of wine makers dinners in addition to the special buffets which are on most major holidays. The next one is Mothers Day.

Sinatra opened with the rest of Encore in December 2008. It is, for all intents and purposes, a themed restaurant, based around: you guessed, Frank Sinatra.

I remember reading about it and Switch (a restaurant that changes decor several times as you eat) and thinking how insane it was that Steve Wynn was building something so tacky and tasteless.

However, after eating there I can only say it’s done in the classiest of ways. Sure, there is a constant hum of Frank Sinatra tunes as you eat (there is a three or four hour loop of his hits playing), and he looms over your table on larger-than-life portraits, peers at you along side Steve Wynn from the menu and is the namesake of a few menu items (for instance the Sinatra Smash cocktail or Osso Bucco “my way”), but these are all small details compared to the delicious Italian classics that come from the kitchen.

The restaurant is an homage to Frank Sinatra, and would go down very well with super fans. I am not a fan. I mean, I know of him, and I can name at least two songs, but I did not want to dine at Sinatra because I love Ol’ Blue Eyes. I went for the Italian, and suspect many of the other diners did as well.

The restaurant was but 50 steps from our hotel room door, and was an extremely busy place. You could barely make out the strains of Frank over the buzz of diners. We had to wait a few moments for a table, and grabbed cocktails in the lounge while we waited. Extremely strong cocktails. I always say this about Vegas drinks, and maybe it’s because I’m a light weight, but maybe it just because they know how to pour a drink there.

Mike’s limoncello-raspberry cocktail and my modern Manhattan.

Packed! With many large parties.

It was still too chilly in February to sit on the patio, but I heard it’s quite lovely.

Lasagne bolognese: Screaming hot layers of pasta with a rich meat sauce and creamy cheese. I kind of felt like it could have used some spice to kick it up a notch, but it made for a very satisfying dinner. It’s also piqued my interest in making lasagne at home sometime soon.

The menu is well cultivated, with a cross section of the most famous Italian dishes, but nothing extraneous. Four kinds of pasta, a smattering of fish and meat dishes, and that’s it. You’d think it would be easier to pick meals, but we still struggled.

Mike got the osso bucco, which was outstanding. The marrow turned into a beefy jelly inside the bone, with the meat staying succulent and tender outside. It came with a refreshing gremolata.

One of our appetizers was crab risotto cakes, on a tomato sauce. Extremely tender seafood set in a crisp risotto case. Just the right size to balance the two, but three on a plate for two people made fighting over the last one necessary.

Pannacotta. I haven’t had truly memorable pannacotta since last year, but these were a reminder of how good it could be. Even the fruit was a reminder of how good fruit could be. (Ugh, is summer here yet?)

Overall, I enjoyed our visit to Sinatra. Considering we were waffling over where to go that evening and eventually just went with the closest restaurant to us we were interested in, our decision turned out to be a good one.

Service was well practiced, and I really enjoyed our server. She was friendly, helpful when we needed her to be and just brash enough to have made Sinatra proud. Although I admitted I was not a Frank fan, she still brought over some books the restaurant keeps on hand for fans. It was kind of cool to see what the Rat Pack used to get up to in Vegas. I think they’d have kept well-worn seats at a place like Sinatra.

Although I’m not sure I would elevate Sinatra to the “must visit again” list on the Vegas restaurant compilation, it was a memorable, romantic meal. I would definitely return to the bar again for a nightcap before stumbling up to the room at Encore.

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Sinatra (at Encore)
Las Vegas, Nevada
open for dinner only, 5-11pm