I was told in October that they would be closed for renovations. I tried calling a couple weeks ago and was told they were still under renovation and to expect them back around Christmas.

They were my main source of Chinese/Thai takeout so I do hope they are back.

One thing that impresses me is the places where once in a while a manager will query the guests on their experience. I find it a great way to voice the lesser complains that I just would never bother with, or if service is particularly good, to comment at that point on the good service and/or food. As a lesser version of that, I'll occasionally fill out a comment card - IF there is a pen to fill the darn thing out with.

Here's a little service story for you:

Complaining to the manager has backfired on me once before. One time, I was out on a Friday night at the Brewster's on 52nd St SE. This being an industrial location, it was pretty dead during our early evening dinner. The server was providing adequate service, but was spending her time at another table where she obviously knew a bunch of the people. When it comes time to pay the bill, we provide some $20's, expecting change back. The server, taking a bit too long as she took our cash and dropped by her favorite table on the way to the till, comes back to us and says we shorted her for the bill. We were pretty sure we had put plenty in, pretty easy when you're each putting in 2 paper bills. Soooo, we ask to see the manager - which it turns out to be our server! Wasn't really ready for that one - so we argued our point that we were pretty sure that the billfold had contained $20 more than what she thought. After a bit of back and forth, we decided to say 'fuck it' and just pay the balance. We sit and chat for a few minutes, mostly along the lines of confirming that we were both sure of what we'd contributed to the bill.

Just as we are leaving the building, the server/manager comes running back to us saying she wants to give us our $20 back, because she doesn't want us to feel like we'd been ripped off. She actually seemed upset about the whole thing and was INSISTENT we take the money back. We didn't know what to think at this point. Our best guess is that one of her supposed "friends" at the other table she hit on the way back slipped a $20 out her bill fold or it just fell out. It was a weird night - we'd never had any problems before or since at that Brewster's location.

I disagree. It's not the customer's to duty to straighten out bad service and make sure the right person gets their share of the tip etc.. If you want to do that fine, it's your life. I've worked at restaurants, and bad service can be attributed to many factors. I worked at a place where issues were often the attributed to the cooking staff, and I got bad tips as a result. I went somewhere else.

Which is precisely what you do by making the extreme and almost never justified decision to leave zero tip.

I'm 45 and have eaten out hundreds, thousands, of times. I have never once in my life left zero tip and if you have, you're a selfish asshole and a princess who has a very elevated view of herself.

I have NEVER stiffed. NEVER. And I am sure I've had more opportunities than the rest of you.

Coffeehouse duo open new digs in Marda Loop


By John Gilchrist, Calgary HeraldDecember 13, 2009 8:11 AMComments (5)

Over the past couple of years, Phil Robertson and Sebastian Sztabzyb have made a name for themselves at the Calgary Farmers' Market -- that name would be Phil & Sebastian Coffee Co. -- for serving excellent coffee. They use the most high-tech equipment available, the best beans money can buy, and a cadre of monastically dedicated baristas to create customers' coffee dreams.

And every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the faithful arrive, some with a cup clasped feverishly in their hands, others with a glazed look in their eyes and anticipatory spittle forming at the corners of their mouths. They wait in line to order and then gather restlessly to wait for their personal cup of joe. For many, it's as near to a religious experience as they'll have on a weekend. But this time of year, the P&S crowd starts to get a little shaky. They know there's a market hiatus coming up after Christmas. A short one, but it still means they'll be without their P&S fix for two whole weekends.

Phil and Sebastian are sensitive to the needs of their flock. So they've worked tirelessly to ensure their followers will feel no withdrawal pains this year. To that end, they have opened the first Phil & Sebastian shop outside the market. It's in The Shops at Marda Loop, at 2043 33rd Ave. S.W. (403-686-1221), just a quick jump across Crowchild from the market.

Not only will this P&S be open throughout the holidays, it's open daily. Now the truly committed can have a cup of P&S any day they want. And at practically any time. P&S is open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays and from 7:30 a.m. on weekends.

At this store, the caffeinated duo has raised the stakes. Their espresso brewer of choice is the new Synesso Hydra, a machine that is tuned to replicate the quality of an expertly hand-pulled espresso. You'll recognize it by its bright lemon-lime trim, the result of some custom painting at Lou's Auto Body. P&S has a Clover for the brewed cuppa folks and a range of direct-trade, single estate beans from which to choose.

All those beans have been roasted in-house, or at least at the also-new P&S roasting facility. They grind through more than 113 kilograms (250 pounds) of coffee each week. Now they can control the selection of beans, the roasts and the overall quality of the coffee experience. And by next Christmas there will be yet another P&S outlet, this one in the ever-expanding Chinook Centre.

Soon there will be food, too. Chef Darren Debergh has come over from Rush to develop a menu with consulting chef Eric Giesbrecht. The plan is to roll out a fairly simple but high-quality collection of "rustic comfort" foods in the next few days. That should make the P&S fans even happier.

Across the street from P&S, at 2018 33rd Ave. S.W., there have been big changes at O Restaurant. Consulting chef Michael Noble has developed a new menu that brings more freshness and less deep frying to the table and now chef Adam O'Brien has taken over the kitchen. O'Brien, who had been the head chef at Farm since it opened last year, says that he will soon add his own tone to the menu. That means a strong reliance on local producers and seasonal ingredients and a style that draws from rustic Italian and Canadian traditions. His mandate is to create a menu that is in keeping with a fine neighbourhood restaurant.

O'Brien says the deep fryer will only be used for french fries, sweet potato fries, and O rings-- buttermilk marinated onion rings.

Meanwhile, new sommelier Yvan Toulouse has given O's wine list a complete makeover, creating a comprehensive but succinct list of global favourites. Also joining the O team is general manager Heidi Leaman, who brings years of experience with the Vintage Group, the Murrieta's Group, and most recently Halo. She's working with the service team to improve the customers' dining experience.

John Gilchrist's latest restaurant guide, My Favourite Restaurants in Calgary, Banff , and Beyond -7th Edition, is now available. He can be reached at escurial@telus.netor 403-235-7532

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Co...847/story.html

P&S is really an amazing accomplishment- there are not enough words to laud them enough.

The O news is amazing too. After getting slam after slam from consumer reviews, the could have just rested on their access to a captive audience (as really the only upscale casual in Marda Loop) and done nothing, but it sounds like they've reinvented the place completely along the lines of what Blink did (with great success). I will look forward to trying it, finally.

I'm looking forward to some onion rings.

The beer selection is O.K. they have a fews standard domestics. But they do have Unibroue products from quebec. large bottles of 9% beer for 15 bucks! MMM MMm good!

http://www.unibroue.com/

Well then I must be a selfish asshole and a princess with an elevated view of myself. Way to make a judgment call asshole.

I said "if." Now you're specifically making an ad hominem statement directed to me, which is against board guidelines.

It's one thing to say "I think people who do this are assholes" and another thing entirely to say "you're an asshole."

And I repeat: In decades of dining I have never once had an experience so bad that I'd refuse to tip. Not once. And I've had lots of bad experiences.

Edited to add- if you've had such bad experiences at Calgary restos that you've stiffed, then please share them with us. This meta-discussion about tipping is pointless.

It doesn't really matter that you used the word "if". Regardless, you've still called anyone who didn't leave a tip at some point in their lives, a A few people here have already mentioned that they left without a tip because of bad service.

I'll agree to bury the hatchet and listen to your point of view, but remember this is a forum where everyone has different opinions. Just because someone has a different opinion on what the tip is for, doesn't mean they need to be called names.

agreed. sorry.

^Fair enough Rusty! Please accept my apology also.

I have cut back on my dining out primarily because there are few restaurants that really impress me with their service and food. If it doesn't deserve a tip, no point in eating there.

Calgary has improved quite a bit in the last number of years in terms of high quality restaurants, but, unfortunately every pub now thinks it can charge $13 for an entree just because they have a fancy plate and some yam fries. Soggy, limp yam fies.

Headed to Calgary for Christmas tomorrow and staying for the next two weeks. Not very familiar with what's going on in the city food-wise and I'm looking for some good coffee places to check out. I'll be located in the NW adjacent to Dalhousie station but location isn't too much of a factor (will certainly be looking for excuses to get out of the house after a few days). Suggestions?

Also, I'd like to drink (and possibly bring back) some decent microbrews that wouldn't be available in Ontario. Which basically means anything from Alberta, BC or the US. Any suggestions for good liquor stores where one might be able to purchase such a thing? Or reasonably priced bars to grab a pint?

One more thing - what's the place that has lobster poutine? I remember reading about it on the forum and figure if I splurge on anything it should be that.

I believe it is Brava Bistro on 17th across the street from Melrose.

Most COOP liquor stores have a good selection of micro brews. I would suggest Alley Kat from Edmonton. They have some nice choices.

Alley Kat and Wildrose Brewery probably have something you'd like between the two of them.

Hi Niwell- you might want to check out the "coffee" listings under my "places I like" at my blog, which is linked below in my sig. Unfortunately there are no real standouts in the NW, although if you're near a Good Earth there it would be worthwhile to check it out- while the changes there haven't been as dramatic as those at (some?) Bridgeheads in Ottawa, for a chain, what they're doing there is pretty damn sweet. They now (finally) roast date all bags, have some decent offerings on press, and their espresso-based drinks are really a cut, two cuts, above most chains.

All that said- Downtown, there are great options. We have two Caffe Artigiano locations now, two (soon three) DeVille Luxury Coffee (Synesso and Black Cat), a new Caffe Rosso downtown in the convention centre space that was once the last Grabbajabba to open in Canada (Rosso has a Synesso too and sources coffees from George Sanders/Terroir in Boston, one of very few Canadians to get them), a superb newer coffeehouse in the Burns Bldg called Insomnia (Fratello "competition blend" on a LM GB5- don't scoff at Fratello; they have really upped their game since barista trainer Joel May came in third at nationals last year, and sixth this year). So just in the core we have two Synessos, two FB80s (Artigiano) and a GB5. Further south in Beltline is the new DeVille on 1st SW, Kawa Espresso Bar on 8th SW across from Best Western (Synessos at each), Bumpy's, which still makes superb coffees with JJ Bean beans albeit on a less interesting Elektra Kappa, and Caffe Beano, which still uses their house burnt-black blend but now makes it on the country's first Slayer machines (yes plural, they have two two-groups). I do like Beano sometimes; dark is nice, once in a while.

And of course you have to check out the new Phil and Sebastian in Marda Loop- take the 20 bus south from Brentwood. They're in the new 6-storey condo on 33rd, you can't miss them.

I would suggest picking up a six pack of Big Rock's seasonal brew "Winter Spice" - nice winter brew, best lightly chilled. Best thing Big Rock has come out with in a while.

A jaunt to Brewsters (11th Ave, 8thst SW) might be in order. A decent meal can be had and the micro-brews are interesting. Try "Blue Monk Barley Wine" if want something a lot different, "Bow Valley Brown" if you want something safe in a New Castle Style Brown beer.
Here's a Brewsters Beer list.

I'm going to be a huge dick and tell you to ignore the other beer suggesions. Since you're at dalhousie station you're sooooo close to one of the 3 best beer stores in Calgary, the co-op liquor on Dalhousie Dr. and Shagannapi trail (map, enter off Dalhousie Dr, not Shagannapi as the address suggests, it's also an easy walk from Dalhousie Station.) I'd recommend any Rogue or Lagunitas, Smaltz, Hebrew, Anchor, Pike, beers from the states, neither of which is really ever

As for Coffee, lots of options right in the core, including Vancouver's amazing Artigiano and my favourite, DeVille. Phil and Sebastian's at the Farmers Market is my actual real favourite but I don't get there enough.

PM me if you have any other questions.