eating out

I had been wanting to check out Model Milk for quite some time and a
friends birthday seemed the perfect occasion.  We ventured out in the
snow and found the place on 17th avenue quite easily with the big white cow
head above its doors.  It’s a good thing we made reservations because
the place was packed!

With service being a huge deal for me, I was thrilled with the awesome
service we got from Andrew. He took the time to explain things and make
recommendations.

We started with the cheese and chive fries which were perfect for
munching on while we waited for the main course. The manchego cheese
that topped the crispy fries added just enough saltiness.

For our main course, we had the Maple Hill fried chicken and waffles. We
saw a few tables enjoying it as we walked in and we just had to try it
for ourselves. The large format item for two was perfect for the three of us
to share. With six pieces of chicken, it was easily dividable and was so
filling. The chicken, cooked sous-vide style, was perfect. The outside
was light and crispy, the inside was tender and juicy. The rosemary
waffles paired well with the syrup covered chicken and the large plate of
greens balanced out the meal.

Although we were stuffed, we had to try the dessert.  We ordered the
peanut butter ice cream sandwich. The ice cream was creamy and the
praline topping was the perfect crunch. So good!

All in all, it was a great evening. I look forward to going back!

Since we first tried mucho burrito, we have loved it. Put anything on nachos and q will just eat it up.

Last night, we decided to go in and try their ghost pepper burritos. Being the wimp that I am when it comes to spice, I probably should have skipped it. It’s a good thing I didn’t see this spice diagram before I ordered!

The ghost pepper burritos could be ordered two different ways – Hotter Than Hell and Wimpy. Wimpy didn’t sound so bad so I decided to give it a try. The red tortilla was smothered in a fig marmalade then topped with rice, veggies, salsa, beans and meat.  The Hotter Than Hell had the addition of a splash of pure ghost pepper sauce.  Yikes!  Both versions came with ghost pepper bacon which we didn’t get added on.

After one bite, my mouth was on fire!   It was so good though that I didn’t want to leave it.  The best part was the fig marmalade, and of course that’s where all the heat was coming from. The marmalade was infused with the ghost peppers. With extra sour cream, I was able to finish most of it. I know a few people who can take the heat, like my mom, would really love this.

Anyone who loves some spice should try it out. There’s one week left to give it a try. Ghost pepper burritos are only here until Halloween.

Disclosure – Mucho Burrito’s PR Company sent me a gift card to try out the ghost pepper burritos. Opinions are my own.

When I think back to my trips to Europe, especially France, my most favourite part are the bakeries with their fresh breads and croissants and crepes.  I’m so happy to have discovered a little piece of Europe right here in Calgary at La Boulangerie.  I had passed by a few times but I finally made it there last weekend…and again this weekend.  I think it’s my new favourite place!

Both times that we went to the bakery, it was busy! It didn’t take long though to have our orders and bellies filled.  Our order was being filled and delivered by the owner himself, Navot, who was trained at the Cordon Bleu in France.  La Boulangerie aka La Creperie has another location at the Kingsland Farmer’s Market.

La Boulangerie is a small place and is filled with the most amazing baked goods and crepes.  The smells are amazing!  Last weekend, we tried the smoked salmon crepe which was light and filling.  We also had to have the nutella and banana crepe which can fulfill anyone’s need for chocolate. I’m sure they used half a bottle of nutella in there – yum!  Q had the chocolate croissant which he devoured.

This weekend, we met hubby’s boss and family for breakfast back at the bakery.  We had the smoked salmon crepe again because it was just too delicious not to.  This time, we also tried the brie with roasted peppers which was really amazing too.  The cheese made the crepe really filling and the red peppers added a nice sweetness.

We also tried a couple of croissants between all of us, the almond and the pistachio. I think these may have even been better than the chocolate!  These were very rich but very tasty.

I am looking forward to taking my dad who loves bakeries as much as I do.  Any excuse to go back!

*Collages made with the Diptic app.

 

We had a great evening tonight celebrating a few birthdays at Calypso Taverna.  Our friend had celebrated an anniversary there before and loved it, so we were excited to try something new.

From the outside, the restaurant is nothing special. It’s probably a place that I would not notice and would just drive by.  The inside though is warm and cozy and a great place for a celebration. The place was also packed so we knew it was going to be good.  There was a belly dancer for a short time providing entertainment, especially when she got some of our table dancing with her. 

Our friends had ordered the trio of dips with pita for the table.  The dips included the Tzatziki, Hummus and the Tirokafteri.  I think I loved the third one the best.  It was a mixture of salty feta cheese and hot peppers.  It was great served with the warm pita.

Hubby and I weren’t too hungry so we decided to share an appetizer and an entree.   For the appetizer, we decided on the stuffed calamari. This was a whole calamari stuffed with lean ground chicken and pine nuts.  It was served in a buttery cayenne champage sauce.  Although not the prettiest dish, it was delicious.  The combination of the squid with the seasoned chicken was really tasty.

For our main, we shared the Paidakia – lamb chops!

Our medium grilled lamb was cooked perfectly and the seasoned chops were the perfect greek dish. It didn’t have that strong lamb smell that sometimes turns hubby off, always a good thing. This was served with rice, potatoes and a greek salad.

Everyone’s dishes looked great, from the chicken souvlaki, the moussaka and the special of the day, the halibut.

We all shared 3 different desserts which were all delicious.  The baklava was nutty and sweet, and the bougatsa was great with a warm apple filling inside some phyllo.  My favourite though was a custard with a meringue topping. So good!

You can pay a little bit more and get the full plate throwing experience.  It was so fun (and a great stress reliever) just tossing a plate – OPA! It was a great night and I look forward to going there again.

Back in July, Julie mentioned the amazing salted caramel ice cream she had had at Village Ice Cream.  Located in Victoria Park, Village Ice Cream offers hand-crafted all natural ice cream. Of course we had to go to and check it out for ourselves and she was right.  The salted caramel ice cream was amazing!

This evening, we went back for more, and took our friends!  We enjoyed some ice cream and took over their outside seating area.

I decided to try something different this time, the toasted coconut, and it was amazing.  The shreds of coconut provided a great texture in the creamy ice cream. This time, I made sure to try the homemade waffle cones, which I regretted not trying the first time, and I’m so glad I did!  The cones were crisp and fresh and so delicious!  Hubby tried the cardamom ice cream which he throughly enjoyed, especially since it reminded him of chai.

Q decided to try the Guide’s Mint and he loved it. Of course I had to have a taste. The minty ice cream with chunks of chocolate cookies was amazing, no wonder he loved it. His taste is totally like his mamma’s!

It was a great evening with friends and some yummy ice cream. Looking forward to going back before summer ends.

It’s always bittersweet when friends you love move away.  You’re happy for them for their great opportunity but know it will be sad to not have them around all the time.  We went out for dinner with D, who was moving to The Emerald Isle.  Our outings with D are usually for sushi or thai and this time, it was one of our faves, Thai Boat.

Since Q had skipped his nap, we wanted to keep him happy for the short time before his bedtime.  We ordered his favourites, vegetarian spring rolls and calamari.  The spring rolls were great, full of veggies, and he finished off the plate.

The calamari was not your traditional calamari, but boy was it good!  The squid was coated in a thick batter, almost onion ring-like.  The best part was the sweet and tangy sauce that it was served with.

My favourite dish of the night was the Panang Curry.  We ordered it with chicken and shrimp and it was so tasty!  The curry was fragrant and so satisfying.  I could have eaten this dish by myself.

Our second curry was the Beef in Red Curry. This was a mild curry, so perfect for me, and full of flavour. We have had this dish before with chicken and we all agreed that the red curry tasted better with it rather than the beef.  We ordered coconut rice to absorb the curry which added even more flavour.

We rounded up the meal with our usual, Pad Thai with chicken.  It was a good noodle dish, and would satisfy any craving.  We did have Pad Thai a few days earlier elsewhere though, and unfortunately, it didn’t compare.

It was a good meal with an awesome friend.  Good luck in Ireland D!  You will be missed!

Hubby and I were able to take some time a couple of weekends ago for date night.  We had a voucher for Tango Bistro and, after hearing so much about their “small plates”, was excited to try something new.  Tango Bistro is part of the Smuggler’s group and in the same complex as Smuggler’s Inn, Bolero and Open Sesame. 

We had a super friendly waiter who was happy to make recommendations and help us choose what to eat.  We started out with the Wonton Crusted Prawns.  These were served on top of some Togarashi Mayo and were delicious!

The next item that was brought out was the trio of dips. The dips included an olive tapenade, a sesame lime hummus and a goat cheese with sundried tomatoes in olive oil.  The goat cheese was my favourite!  The dips were served with a nice soft flatbread that was perfect for scooping.

I am so happy that our server recommended the Seared Sea Bass.  This was my favourite meal of the night and was served with a roasted garlic risotto and mushrooms.  The fish was cooked to perfection and the sauce that was on top was light and flavourful.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Our last dish was the Mixed Grill.  This dish contained a few pork items but the restaurant was happy to make some substitutions and accomodate us.  Venison smokies and an Alberta tenderloin served with some potatoes on the side.  Just looking at this dish, you can tell that this was hubby’s favourite.

We were incredibly stuffed from our meal and had no room for dessert.  With all the tasty offerings though, we are sure to be eating there again.

This past Monday, I dragged my mom with me to Banff to try and get in to a taping of Live with Kelly.  We weren’t fortunate enough to get tickets but after hearing that people in the stand by line were getting in the day before, I knew I had to go. 

When we reached the Banff Centre, they just let us right in, no waiting in line!  It was a great show and it was nice to see it live.  Kelly was even more tiny in real life and, with her co-host Peter Facinelli, they made a beautiful hosting team. 

We even got to see the infamous Gelman who spent some time with the audience teaching us all how to clap.  Did you know clapping at double time makes it sound louder?  Guests of the show included Johnny Galecki from the Big Bang Theory and Juno award winning Melanie Fiona.  The episode that was taped on Monday was shown today, April 4th.

After the show, I wanted to take my mom to my favourite place in Banff, Barpa Bill’s Souvlaki.  Hubby and I had discovered it a few years ago and we always make a stop there when in the area.  Located on Bear Street, it’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.  A tiny little place located beside the Home Hardware, this place is always busy.

I ordered my favorite, Lamb Souvlaki.  The lamb was flavourful and moist and stuffed into a pita wrap.  Filled with veggies and a garlicky tzatziki, it was so tasty and filling.  We also ordered a side of fries.  Crispy and seasoned perfectly, they were a great accompaniment to the souvlaki.

Next time you’re in Banff, definitely check out this family-run gem.  Keep in mind that they are cash only.

My cousin had been raving about a sushi place near her house for quite some time. Located in the NW at the Creekside mall, Taiyo Sushi is a favourite place for dinner for her and her family.  

We finally made it over there last month for a quick bite.  We got there at 12:15pm on a Saturday and the place was already full of people having lunch just 15 minutes after opening.  Definitely a good sign.

We started with the ebi gyoza, little dumplings that were filled with shrimp and vegetables.  These were delicious!  Served with soy, this was a great way to begin our meal.

We ordered the Taiyo Combo so that we could sample a few of what the restaurant had to offer.  The platter came with salmon, tuna, prawns sushi as well as some sashimi.  The rolls included california, cucumber as well as their house roll. 

The presentation was great but the taste was even better.  The sushi was fresh and delicious and the salmon and tuna sashimi was melt in your mouth amazing.  I thought for sure there would be leftovers but we managed to polish off all the food!

Overall the service was great and the sushi was high quality.  Will definitely be back!