Lululemon and I met up on Saturday for dinner. She said there was one stipulation: I wouldn’t fight her for the bill. I said sure, only if I got the next one. We debated which restaurant to visit and ended up at my recommendation, Ten Foot Henry. I like this spot for the wine list and the vegetarian options for Lululemon. Let’s listen to Mr. Sandman for this post.
I wanted to try the cauliflower gochujang ($23) and the gigli pasta ($25). Lululemon added the charred cabbage ($21) and the tomatoes with feta ($18). I told her this was too much food for the two of us. She ignored me and over-ordered. I informed her that she must have been Asian in her past life. Lululemon mentioned she had a Chinese childhood friend, and she did pick up on some traditions from her.
For drinks, she ordered a flute of Tomato Wheel Lambrusco ($15), and I ordered a glass of Chablis ($17). Lululemon enjoyed her sparkling red, and I told her that all the wine peeps, such as Vine Arts, Business and Pleasure, and Juice Imports, recommended Tomato Wheel. I read that the person behind the label is a Calgarian, and she buys the wine from Italy.
The tomato appetizer came first; this dish is a crowd-pleaser like all previous visits. I could smell the smoky char from the thick slices of warm bread. Blistering hot and sweet tomatoes mixed in with the feta made for total comfort food. All I needed was a small bowl of tomato soup, and I’d be in heaven.
I heard a lot about the gigli kale pesto pistachio pasta. The noodle itself was soft and wet. I liked the pop of flavour from the nuts and what I thought was lemon and cheese. The woman sitting next to me asked if she should order it. I nodded enthusiastically but later questioned my judgment when Lululemon noted that pasta had only one note and needed something sharp, like garlic or onions, to punch it up. After her comment, my bites of the pasta became less enjoyable.
We had another drink. Lululemon picked an orange wine while I tried a sparkling rosé wine from Maloof, a winery Juice Import brings in. This wine was just right; it tasted like strawberries.
The cabbage dish arrived, piled high and lusciously sauced. The leaves were soft and charred, tangy from the walnut vinaigrette and rich from the cheese. Lululemon loved the cabbage and confided it was the Ukrainian in her. I get her—rice is life for me.
We both thought the cauliflower was the best dish of the night. The gochujang sauce was thick and savoury, with a dry heat and notes of ginger and sesame. This dish was so good that I felt it could compete against any Korean restaurant in Calgary. I would order this again.
We weren’t done for the night. After dinner, we moseyed across the street to Shelter. We scored a seat at the bar, and Lululemon and I ordered some stellar cocktails. The bartender slayed, creating cocktails tailored to our whimsical requests. We oohed and awed as he poured a liquid into the glass while igniting it aflame. Thank you, Lululemon, for a fun night.
Hitting the Sauce 