Briggs Kitchen and Bar

My father-in-law was visiting and we wanted to go to a nice restaurant. We rolled the Urbanspoon dice and Briggs Kitchen and Bar came out on top. It’s located in the old Cannery Row space, which has a nice aged, warehouse look complete with exposed brick and wood. I liked the atmosphere. But, how was the food? With chefs like Xavier Lacaze of Top Chef Canada fame, it should be good.

The menu layout, we found a bit confusing, as the appetizers were in the sharing plates section. Some dishes did not come with sides, and the sides were bundled with the sharing plates. No matter, we decided to order the calamari as an appetizer. It was crispy fried served with a side of thousand island like dressing.

Crispy Humbolt Calamari fennel, tomato aioli, lemon
Crispy Humbolt Calamari
fennel, tomato aioli, lemon

Hubby had the roasted chicken. He really enjoyed it. I snuck  in some of his fries and they were crispy and fried to a turn. Father-in-law ordered the 6oz AAA top sirloin and he thought it was quite good. Since he is not from Alberta, he is getting his fill of our fine Alberta beef at every opportunity.

Grilled Half Chicken  house slaw, kennebec fries
Grilled Half Chicken
house slaw, kennebec fries

I was totally famished from my run an hour earlier, so I decided to replenish with carbs. The lobster ravioli was delish. The only complaint was that the sauce was a perhaps a little too heavy on the butter, but on this day I really didn’t mind. I could have eaten two orders of the green beans, they were so good. It helps that I love garlic.

House Filled Lobster Ravioli lemon zest, lobster butter, sweet peas French Green Beans garlic sesame sauce
House Filled Lobster Ravioli
lemon zest, lobster butter, sweet peas
French Green Beans
garlic sesame sauce

We went to town on dessert. We ordered all three of their desserts. The MLF stands for mille feuille. The wafers were a nice crisp contrast to the creamy coffee custard and the crunch of the caramel coffee. This was my favorite so far.

Winter MLF  coffee cream, caramel toffee
Winter MLF
coffee cream, caramel toffee

The chocolate pot had a texture of a lava cake. Crisp on the outside and gooey in the middle. Pure heaven for chocolate lovers.

Chocolate Pot pecan brittle, vanilla ice cream
Chocolate Pot
pecan brittle, vanilla ice cream

Then I tried the lemon pie. I liked this as just as well as the mille feuille. It was a nice finish to the meal, as the clean citrus flavours cleaned up my palate after the attack of the rich chocolate and coffee.

Lemon Pie meringue, lemon ice cream
Lemon Pie
meringue, lemon ice cream

The service was good; the servers didn’t miss a beat and were very friendly. This is a place that I could come back to.

Briggs Kitchen and Bar on Urbanspoon

Escoba Bistro and Wine Bar

The four of us enjoyed a night out at Escoba to sample the Big Taste. We started with an appetizer of apple and fennel salad which was refreshing. My main came out hot, but the jerk chicken was dry. The tastes were good, though.  The place was popular; it was just about full as we were leaving. I would definitely give this place a second chance, hopefully when they are not so busy.

Apple and fennel salad with citrus vinaigrette
Apple and fennel salad with citrus vinaigrette
Jerked Chicken Breast Jamaican rice pilaf, roasted vegetables & pineapple demi-glaze
Jerked Chicken Breast
Jamaican rice pilaf, roasted vegetables & pineapple demi-glaze
Raspberry & lime cheesecake with berry compote Spiced banana & blueberry bread pudding with rum caramel sauce & vanilla ice cream
Raspberry & lime cheesecake with berry compote
Spiced banana & blueberry bread pudding with rum caramel sauce & vanilla ice cream

Escoba Bistro & Wine Bar on Urbanspoon

Maple Bacon Pumpkin Cheesecake

My latest endeavour is to make things that reflect the Gastropost mission of the week. Last week’s was Canadian food, to show our Canadian pride for the Olympics. What is more Canadian then Maple syrup and bacon? I was looking for a creative recipe that would include these two wonderful breakfast ingredients. The pumpkin just came along for the ride, and it masqueraded as dessert. But I’m sure it would taste equally good for a 5am hockey final.

Introducing, the maple bacon and pumpkin cheesecake, courtesy of Mr. Baconpants blog.

Since I was so concerned about the caloric potential of this mind boggling dessert, I declined to make the glaze that went on top. I meekly tried to get away with a dab of plain Greek yogurt and a slice of bacon for decoration. This cheesecake is that good, that it doesn’t need a topping. Prepare to go on a diet after a slice.

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Maple Bacon Pumpkin Cheesecake
Can never have too much bacon
Can never have too much bacon
Topped with bacon and Greek yogurt
Topped with bacon and Greek yogurt

20140223_100958

20140223_100954
Bacon for dessert? Yes, please!

The Bison

If there is one restaurant in Banff that I will come back to, time and time again; it’s The Bison. Well crafted, rustic and hearty food. Suitable for an après-ski dinner.

I was in the mood for some hot soup. The oxtail was fall-off-the-bone and flavorful. The crispy bacon hit the spot. The broth tasted like it was cooking for days.

BRAISED OXTAIL SOUP poached egg, grilled focaccia, root  vegetables, bacon
BRAISED OXTAIL SOUP
poached egg, grilled focaccia, root
vegetables, bacon

The bison ribs also tasted like they were stewed for days with the same fall-off-the-bone tenderness. The dish stayed hot throughout the meal thanks to the cast iron. The portion sizes are definitely on the larger size, considering we were hungry skiers and split dessert. I had enough for lunch the next day.

CARMEN CREEK BISON SHORT RIBS baby potatoes, carrots, turnips, mushrooms, bacon
CARMEN CREEK BISON SHORT RIBS
baby potatoes, carrots, turnips, mushrooms, bacon

The crème brûlée was heavenly. There were chunks of apple underneath the caramelized topping. The gingersnap twirl was a nice touch.

CREME BRULEE apple cinnamon spiced, gingersnap palmiers
CREME BRULEE
apple cinnamon spiced, gingersnap palmiers

Service was good, although slower towards the end of the meal. Reservations highly recommended, especially on a Saturday night.

The Bison on Urbanspoon

Juniper Kitchen and Wine Bar

My in-laws took me out for a little post Christmas dinner. We wanted to go to Supply and Demand, but they were booked for a private party. So we decided to visit Juniper, an old standby. The food was very good and richly satisfying. Even after Christmas dinner. The service was attentive and friendly.

Amuse bouche Date with honey and spices
Amuse bouche
Date with honey and spices
Oysters with Juniper spicy kick, gin ice and citric pomegranate
Oysters with Juniper spicy kick, gin ice and citric pomegranate
STEELHEAD TROUT cured and smoked with carrot cinnamon purée and orange herb salad
STEELHEAD TROUT
cured and smoked with carrot cinnamon purée and orange herb salad
Interesting looking foon.
Interesting looking foon.
Orange Lemon Cardamum Crème Brûlée
Orange Lemon Cardamum Crème Brûlée
Amuse bouche for dessert Chocolate brownie
Amuse bouche for dessert
Chocolate brownie

Juniper Kitchen & Wine Bar on Urbanspoon