Restaurant Reviews Archives - Page 15 of 15

August 30, 2012

Ox and Angela

Zucchini, shaved zucchini, mint, manchego, almond, lemon

Clams, crispy chorizo, tomato, white wine, smoked paprika, served with grilled sourdough

Pan Con Tomate, grilled sourdough rubbed with fresh tomato, garlic, extra virgin olive oil

Asparagus, grilled asparagus, soft poached egg, manchego, citrus, truffle

Scallops, seared west coast scallops, fresh peas, mint, cherry tomatoes, crispy serrano ham

Ensalada, baby gem lettuce, apple, shaved manchego, walnut vinaigrette

Went to Ox and Angela for dinner. Beautiful night, sat on the patio and watched the traffic go by on 17th Ave. I really like the idea of tapas. Order a couple of dishes, sip on your drink, chat, eat. Order a second round, do the same. Then a third. We finished our meal with the salads.

The food was really good. Enjoyed the bruschetta and clam dishes. Loved the scallops. Thought the asparagus was tasty, but a bit on the greasy side. Surprised with the salad. The vinaigrette had a touch of sweetness which I appreciated. The zucchini could have had more flavor but I did enjoy all the manchego that came with it. Their food is locally sourced, with organic and naturally raised ingredients. Tomatoes come from Broxburn Farm and the beef is Spring Creek Ranch.

The service was very good. They tried not to be too intrusive, we were really engaged with our conversation. The type of service where they give you fresh dinnerware and cutlery between courses.

I would recommend this place for a date. Well, outside anyway. A casual, kind of a date. Or the place to catch up with friends if you haven’t been in a while.

July 21, 2012

Clive Burger

This is a burger joint I can eat at. Hormone and antibiotic free beef. Looks promising and I wonder if it lives up to the hype? The burger was average, and far better than the dried out Alley Burger that I waited an hour for. (This one came in 15 minutes). The toppings were fresh and free, I added fried onions and mushrooms. Tasty burger, but Dairy Lane’s burgers are juicier. Fries were crisp and thick, only problem was that they were heavy on the salt. I had the vanilla milkshake, that was really good. We only ordered one order of fries; it’s big enough for two. They had extra so they gave us another one for free. Nice gesture, but we saved them for later. Oh, and the artwork is kind of neat. Will come by again if I’m in the area.

July 21, 2012

Fuel For Gold

I’ve tried this place a few times and clearly keep on coming back. They have a hearty bean, lentil and wild rice salad. Their sandwiches and paninis are really good. They use quality local and organic ingredients. Their homemade cookies are big enough to share and delish. They carry Phil and Sebastian’s coffee which would make it the best coffee on campus. Nice healthy and affordable options at the UofC, for a change.

It’s sponsored by the Canadian Sport Centre Calgary, whose dietians and chefs design the menu. Great idea!

July 2, 2012

Gaucho Brazilian BBQ

Went for dinner with a party of 25 on Saturday. Drinks came pretty quickly, but the meat was slow to come around at the start. Having been to their competition, Bolero’s, Gaucho definitely wins in the flavor department. The choices for the salad bar complimented the meal nicely. There was a nice variety of meat, it would be nice if they offered grilled pineapple. They even let use bring in a large cake for our celebration. Will return next time I’m in the mood for a meat fest.

June 25, 2012

Gluten free muffins and ice cream

I made a second attempt at gluten free muffins. Not as successful as the first attempt.Very dense and heavy. Still trying to find the ideal baking time. Baked for 33 minutes but could have probably used more time. Also omitted the xanthan gum as I have a friend who can’t eat it. I’ll add it again next time and see if it affects the texture. Also used quinoa flour which gives it a nutty taste. Will see if I can find a substitute for that too.

I stopped by My Favorite Ice Cream Shoppe yesterday. Been meaning to try this one for a while. I thought that paying $3.25 for a fairly large single scoop was a good deal. The ice cream was pretty good, I think the flavor was mud slide. Tasted like mocha with vanilla. Perfect treat after swimming. They have 72 flavors, I think I will be back for more.