Scary Sherry organized a surprise birthday party in Canmore for Veronica’s 50th birthday party. There was a total of seven in our group. L was worried for me as the team consists of all-star alphas. I told him I would be fine. I grew up in a household of strong-willed women. For this post, let’s listen to “You Don’t Own Me“ by Lesley Gore.
Scary rented a three-bedroom penthouse suite at Solara Spa and Resort. She ordered two charcuterie boards from Table Food + Drink. We all brought bottles of champagne. Scary also spoiled us with grab bags filled with toiletries, fancy treats, after party supplements, birthday paraphernalia and a $10 gift certificate to McDonald’s.
The plan was when Veronica came inside the room, I was to pop open a bottle of champagne. However, for some freak reason, the wiring on the cork got stuck. I frantically twisted and turned the wiring as Veronica open the door and walked inside. Just when I saw her shocked face, I managed to pry open the cork.
For dinner, we picked Trough Dining Co. The restaurant itself is small and quaint. We started off with a round of cocktails. I found my Kir Royale ($12) a little flat and didn’t finish it. Everyone else raved about their drink. Shiv mentioned her Bloody Caesar ($12) was awesome.
I was designated to pick the wine. I asked for something full-bodied and selected a cabernet sauvignon ($109, Knights Valley, Beringer, 2015). I’d order this wine again. It was soft and jammy with a hint of dryness. Everyone enjoyed my selection and asked me which winery it was from. BR corrected my pronunciation as I used a hard g instead of Beh-rin-djer. Veronica didn’t like that and told BR not to make fun of me. I didn’t think BR was making fun of me, but I stayed quiet because I didn’t want to provoke anyone.
Veronica and Scary ordered the Wild Mushroom Truffle Soup ($10). I don’t normally go crazy for a soup, but this one was phenomenal. Flavourful and earthy, you could tell the soup was prepared with local ingredients.
Mandy ordered the Frisee Salad ($14) and Mussels with Frites ($15). I tried a mussel – the shellfish was small, covered in a roasted fennel tomato broth that reminded me of tomato bruschetta.
Veronica thought the salad was unexpectedly fresh and crisp, with bursts of flavour from the sharp, silky pieces of blue cheese.
I took a bite out of Swedish’s entrée of Flank Steak and Herb Gnocchi ($36). I found the steak quite lean. Veronica said her taste of the beef was heavenly – literally like butter. I enjoyed the soft pillow-like gnocchi.
I ordered the Wild Snapper ($32) with Potato Gratin. I think all the charcuterie and champagne I ate and drank beforehand dulled my taste buds. I thought my fish looked lovely but I couldn’t really taste much other than the tomato relish. Besides all the charcuterie, I had also eaten salt and vinegar chips.
Dessert stood out for everyone, both in presentation and taste. We shared the Sticky Toffee Pudding ($10) and Cheesecake ($10). The pudding was warm and not overly sweet, despite the salted caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream.
The cheesecake was my favourite dish of the night. The smoothness of the cream cheese reminded me of cold goat cheese. The white and dark chocolate was rich and decadent. The blueberry compote and dark chocolate wafer cookie added to the richness of the cake. Next time, I’m ordering my own slice because it was that good.
Happy birthday Veronica! Thanks Scary for all the treats and organizing the Canmore retreat. It was a pleasure and privilege to celebrate Veronica’s birthday with the all-star alphas.
Hitting the Sauce 