Calgary Food, coffee, etc.

[Spring2008]

Looks La Vida Loca on 17th and 11th street sw is building a big, raised patio out front, they have lots of room to work with due to the large busing setback - good call. And yes their food is very tasty.

Lots going along the southern side of the strip in less high profile locations. Liking what I see.

[Riise]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

When I lived in Brighton, I'd go to some chippy's. A few of them had things like beef pies, sausage rolls, pigs in a blanket etc for people who didn't want fish. That's what I'd expect at a good chippy, not poached salmon with holandais sauce. One place had this awesome chile(more a sauce than a chili) that you'd get with chips stuffed in a pita, or on a bap(bun). It was the awesomest 3am food you could buy. Yes, better than the 3am donairs.

It's interesting that you say that. When I was in the kitchen last night I was thinking about whether or not I'd serve pies, sausage rolls and sarnies at a chip shop. In the end I decided I probably wouldn't, however, this could be a regional thing. In London, the chippies are usually run by Asian operators who concentrate on the fried stuff while cafés, usually operated by Brits or Europeans, serve full English breakfasts, pies, sausage rolls, sarnies and the like.

A caff (English-style café) might be something that could work in the inner-city and provide an establishment that could serve decent fish and chips. It would still have to keep it rather small and simple though.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Looks La Vida Loca on 17th and 11th street sw is building a big, raised patio out front, they have lots of room to work with due to the large busing setback - good call. And yes their food is very tasty.

Lots going along the southern side of the strip in less high profile locations. Liking what I see.

I've never had their food but kudos to them for trying to out-patio Los Chilitos! Amazing to think that the space that is now a gorgeous patio for 80th and Ivy and now an even better patio for La Vida Loca was once parking.

[Spring2008]

^Also nearby, and not directly food related, though I'm sure it will involve some new restos, but I noticed a new rendering at the site of the former td on 9A street. Expansion on both sides of the existing improvement, and a total renovation in and out of an ugly, outdated building. Looks like they're planing to get going soon. Good stuff.

6th slide:
http://www.mdcproperties.ca/properties/show/38

[Jimby]

Video of Teatro's operations manager dealing with an alleged scammer.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/TeatroRestaurant

#tasheena

[Innersoul1]

Yesterday we were craving Masala Dosa (stuffed Indian crepes), so we thought that we should check out our 'ol reliable spot: Canada Dosa Corner (52nd street and 17th Ave NE). Alas, CDC has closed This is really a shame as the ownership and the Dosa were fantastic.

While driving to CDC I noticed Chennai Spices http://www.chennaispices.ca/ (175 52 Street NE), my recollection as a youth was that this used to be a Indian vegetarian restaurant called Anapurna. Given that Chennai Spices was labelled as a South Indian restaurant I figured that there was a decent chance that they would have Masala Dosa.

Let me preface this review by saying that Chennai Spices has likely used some advanced teleporter machine to transport itself from India to Calgary. I say this because I literally felt like I was back in India as I crossed the threshold. This has less to do with the exotic smells of spices and more to do with the dingy decor, basic table and chair set up, Bollywood on the TV and a very prominent commercial wi-fi transmitter. For many the decor would be an immediate turn off, this strikes you as a place where dining in would come second to take-out. But it's something I have come to expect from some of the tastier joints in town.

We were dining with my 2 and 4 year olds so we were pleased that there was a kids menu. This isn't cheeseburgers or chicken fingers. I am talking cheese naan, cheese dosa, uttappam all in kids sizes. It's a great and accessible introduction to the cuisine. Both of my girls indulged in the cheese dosa. Keep in mind that the sambar that comes with the dosa is not a kids version so it is quite spicy.

The menu at Chennai Spices isnt limited to dosa. It's divided into soup, veg appetizers, non-veg appetizers, veg and non veg dosa, uttapam biriyani, kothu, veg curries, non-veg delight (meat curries ) bread and thali (served on weekends only). It's an impressive menu

The adults started with mango lassi (mango yogurt shakes) and a fantastic order of veg pakora. In my experience pakora tend to be greasy, these were fresh, fried to perfection and honestly some of the best i have eaten.

For dosa we went with the Chennai Spices special dosa and a chicken tikka dosa. For dosa beginners I always suggest to stick with the veg options as the meat versions are essential curry filled dosa. Not a bad thing but you will miss the true essence of the dosa, filling and spices. The tikka dosa was very good, excellent spices and the chicken was perfectly tender. The special dosa was really awesome. It was filled with masala paste, potato mixed vegetable (cabbage, carrots), cheese and crispy lentils. Very different to what I have had before but totally excellent. We finished our meal with pistachio kulfi, it was house made and was honestly outstanding.

The only blemish on our dining experience was the state of the washroom. The toilet was honestly pretty gross. Especially having to take a 4 year old in for a bathroom break.

I strongly recommend Chennai Spices. Bathrooms aside, the food is made with care and the service is generous. The menu is in the process of being updated and the owner recommends checking out the Facebook page. He mentioned hosting a dosa festival next month

[Rusty van Reddick]

Thanks Innersoul! How crowded does it get there? Should one go early or something?

[Jimby]

Happy Calgary Poutine Week to all those celebrating!
(not me, but don't let me spoil the fun)

http://www.calgaryherald.com/swerve/...tml?id=9748660

[ginsberg]

Noticed Shawarma Cairo, at the corner of 14th and 17th SW, is closed. New restaurant opening in it's place called Porto - Grill and Espresso.

Anyone know anything about this one? Rusty?

[Ramsayfarian]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Looks La Vida Loca on 17th and 11th street sw is building a big, raised patio out front, they have lots of room to work with due to the large busing setback - good call. And yes their food is very tasty.

Lots going along the southern side of the strip in less high profile locations. Liking what I see.

Speaking of patios. The National on 10th looks to be putting in a massive roof top patio.

[Innersoul1]

Originally Posted by Rusty van Reddick

Thanks Innersoul! How crowded does it get there? Should one go early or something?

We arrived around 11:45AM and the joint was empty (this was on Good Friday). We were the only ones there until 1:20PM when 4 tables came in pretty much at once. There are only 8 tables so it was bumpin'. The food took a bit of time to come out, but I was very impressed with how fresh everything was.

[MasterG]

What's going in beside Gravity Pope shoes on 17th? between 5th and 4th streets. Sign out front hiring bartenders, kitchen staff etc.

[flamesfan101]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

Speaking of patios. The National on 10th looks to be putting in a massive roof top patio.

The old West third floor and patio is becoming National on 8th. Their three inner city locations have some seriously prime patio space.

[red_179]

Originally Posted by flamesfan101

The old West third floor and patio is becoming National on 8th. Their three inner city locations have some seriously prime patio space.

Really?!? I figured whatever else was going into here would still be a dance club format. Not that I don't like National on 10th, but I'm not a fan of another dance club going by the wayside, especially when National on 10th is just two streets over.

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by flamesfan101

The old West third floor and patio is becoming National on 8th. Their three inner city locations have some seriously prime patio space.

Another one? Not to say that I'm shocked given the same ownership and also not that their location on 10th isn't my favorite pub in the city, but it's a bit redundant. They better get a dance floor going at this location and and the one on tenth this summer.

[Spring2008]

Originally Posted by flamesfan101

The old West third floor and patio is becoming National on 8th. Their three inner city locations have some seriously prime patio space.

If these two rooftop patios are even close to as busy as their sidewalk patio on 17th on a daily basis, these guys shouldn't even bother playing the lotto anymore, chump change.

[*Stardust*]

I like National and all, but come on...at least they could have put in something more original. How many of them do we need?

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by MasterG

What's going in beside Gravity Pope shoes on 17th? between 5th and 4th streets. Sign out front hiring bartenders, kitchen staff etc.

It's called Cleaver. Meat-focussed, looks like. And I'm getting tired of this- pig this, pig that. We need more pure veg places- and I'm not vegetarian, but I just don't get why more entrepreneurs don't see the huge demand there is here, yes here in Calgary, for veg restaurants. Yes, it's not had to order from the veg side of the menu and we have places like Koi that do a decent job of catering to vegetarians but the demand is there- trust me, it's there- and we need more. I'd love to see at least one raw food place-not because I believe the snake oil sold and believed by rawists, pseudoscience bull, but because it's interesting and (going by my experience at Feel Good Guru in Toronto) delicious cuisine that we have virtually zero of here aside from a stand at Crossroads that may or may not be 100% raw, and even there the focus is on sweets.

[RyLucky]

Originally Posted by Rusty van Reddick

It's called Cleaver. Meat-focussed, looks like. And I'm getting tired of this- pig this, pig that. We need more pure veg places- and I'm not vegetarian, but I just don't get why more entrepreneurs don't see the huge demand there is here, yes here in Calgary, for veg restaurants. Yes, it's not had to order from the veg side of the menu and we have places like Koi that do a decent job of catering to vegetarians but the demand is there- trust me, it's there- and we need more. I'd love to see at least one raw food place-not because I believe the snake oil sold and believed by rawists, pseudoscience bull, but because it's interesting and (going by my experience at Feel Good Guru in Toronto) delicious cuisine that we have virtually zero of here aside from a stand at Crossroads that may or may not be 100% raw, and even there the focus is on sweets.

I agree. I'm not veg either, but I love places like coup&meet. It seems like there are always a few people in the group who are vegan or have some dietary restrictions - and I'm sure they would appreciate more options.

[linx]

I had heard that Local (Joey's Owned) had been scouting a 17th ave location sometime last year. Starting to wonder if perhaps the Melrose building could be that location. Could possibly be a Local / Joey's / and even Saltlik combination of some sorts with all that space