Class Clown: Avenue’s Best Restaurants 2026

November 26, 2023April 30, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

On Sunday, I texted Divine Offering and asked if she wanted to go somewhere for dinner. We went back and forth and decided on Class Clown, a new burger joint that opened up in Mission. I heard the burgers were delicious; and they served natural wines from Juice Imports. For this post, let’s listen to It’s Tricky Run DMC.

While I walked over, I signed up for the online waitlist about twenty minutes before I scored a seat at the bar. The heady smell of the beef hit me when I was still a block away. I like the vibe of the place. The space is very 70s, with curtains fringed around the bar’s ceiling and amber lights set against the walls. Rap music, on the other hand, was right from the early 90s, played loud and proud. I spotted a small private room that looked cozy and secluded. I wonder how you score that table.

Divine Offering and I shared a bottle of Orenji Dormilona ($55). We would get a glass, but our bartender persuaded us it was a better deal to get the bottle. I found the wine juicy, fresh, and easy to drink. Divine Offering mentioned she had never tried orange wine before and would order this again.

I was craving a burger. I ordered the California Classic ($12.75) and paired it with the Super-Duper Fries ($8.50). I informed Divine Offering that Miss Foodie highly recommended the Szechuwannabe Hot Chicken ($12.5), which she picked.

I loved my burger. The beef was lacey and crisp, and the two patties were proportional to the generous amount of lettuce shards, tomatoes, and squishy bun. I liked the stickiness of the cheese and how flavourful every ingredient tasted. Each bite was airy, crunchy and overwhelmingly delicious. It was so good that we stopped talking and just enjoyed every bite.

The bowl of fries arrived utterly covered in melted cheese, house sauce, and Coney sauce, garnished with a sprinkle of Cheetos. The best component of the fries is the coney sauce, which is sweet, meaty and tangy. I liked the fries, but I would have preferred splitting another burger with Divine Offering, because the burger was that good.

Divine Offering said her chicken sandwich was one of her favourites in the city, and it was a tie between this one and the Nashville hot chicken sandwich from Hi-5 Burger at First Street Market. She mentioned the batter was crispy, and the chicken was juicy. She didn’t find it too spicy or heavy, even though it was dripping with sauce and oil.

When I came home, I told L he missed out. Class Clown makes one of the best burgers in the city, and we have to go back to try some of the other offerings. Hitting the Sauce gives Class Clown two phat thumbs up.

Want more like this? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.

Restaurants · Seafood

Pigeonhole: Eclectic modern eats on 17th Ave

November 7, 2023April 27, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

For this month’s girls’ night, we decided on Pigeonhole. Now that Betty is pregnant, I always check to see if the restaurant has food that she’ll like so she doesn’t end up hangry. We met at Quebecois’ house for a glass of wine before heading to the restaurant. For this post, let’s listen to “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple.

Pigeonhole was hopping on a Friday night. At 7:00 p.m., most of the tables were full or in the process of being turned over for a new party. When asked if we wanted still or sparkling, we opted for the latter. Quebecois thought the restaurant served in-house sparkling water, which is only a couple of bucks a person, but we learned too late that they have only small bottles of sparkling water ($6). The sparkling water tasted fresher than most bubbles, but when it comes to water, I prefer it el cheapo, straight from the tap.

Quebecois looked at the wines on the menu and mentioned to our server that many were “young”. She and her husband are really into aged wines. The server said the restaurant likes its wines young and fresh. We ordered a bottle of Hiedler “lӧss” ’20 ($65). Quebecois commented the wine had low acidity and no strong taste, which she preferred. I enjoyed how cold the wine was and thought it tasted better than when it warmed up in my glass.

The wagyu beef tartare ($21) was even better than the last time I tried it. The beef was chilled, creamy and salty from the cheddar and horseradish. Betty enjoyed the kick of flavour in it, which I thought tasted like pickles. I would get this again.

Quebecois wanted the scallop crudo ($17). Kournikova enjoyed the chili-citrus vinaigrette, which she thought was almost as good as my homemade chili oil. I found the scallop a tad fishy, but I loved the pop of basil and the crunch from the Marcona almonds.

I wanted to try the mushroom croquettes ($9). Small but mighty, hot and crunchy, this was a one bite wonder. I would order this again.

The group’s favourite dish was the charred cabbage ($17). This dish is pure decadence. Imagine the flavour from the crispiest skin on a porchetta or torched salmon belly with kewpie mayo, but it’s cabbage. Covered in cheese and most likely a lot of butter and mayonnaise, everyone ate with their eyes closed and a smile on their lips. Kournikova mentioned she liked the little jalapeno spice that hit her throat at the very end.

I took all the photos this time and I’m pleased with the one of the roasted mini peppers ($9). The peppers were blistering hot, with a delicious char on them. Simple, but perfectly cooked. I was glad Kournikova wanted this dish, as I wanted something more wholesome after the cabbage.

Kournikova picked the Berkshire pork chop ($48). Maybe I’m not used to fancy pork, but I found the texture tough. The baked split peas reminded me a little of baked beans, and the roasted onions were silky smooth and delicious.

Betty always likes to order a pasta dish, so this one was for her. The ricotta cavatelli ($30) came with lobster mushroom, bacon, rosemary, and poached egg. The noodles were firm. I know the term “lobster mushroom” describes a specific type of mushroom with a unique appearance. However, I wish it was called something else because once I see the word lobster, I can’t stop expecting to taste lobster.

Our next outing will be at Kama, a restaurant I was reluctant to book before because they require a credit card when reserving via Opentable. However, my friends don’t flake, so I am willing to break my number one restaurant rule of never reserving a table at a new restaurant using my card. Thanks for the company, ladies, I’m already looking forward to the next dinner!

Want more like this? Check out my running list of Calgary’s best restaurants, date nights, and cheap eats.

Restaurants · Special Occasion · Steakhouse

Opal Restaurant – Azuridge Estate Hotel

November 5, 2023April 29, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

It was my mother-in-law’s birthday, so her husband, Bobbino, took us out to Opal Restaurant at Azuridge Estate Hotel. It’s a beautiful spot located in the foothills. We sat next to the crackling fireplace and enjoyed watching the sunset through the floor-to-ceiling windows. For this post, let’s listen to “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” by Stevie Wonder.

Bobbino told me to pick out the wine. I wanted to avoid racketing up a hefty bill, as he was treating us to dinner, so I selected Pardon & Fils Beaujolais-Villages Gamay ($56), a fresh and fruity Beaujolais. Bobbino enjoyed this wine so much that he ordered a second bottle.

Our server Carly opened the bottle, poured me a little to taste, and handed me the cork. No one has even given me the cork after opening a bottle of wine, so when I went home, I looked it up found out it’s an old tradition. I thought it would be funny when the next time Lululemon comes over, I repeat the ritual, so she knows I’m not serving some faux wine.

Carly came around with an amuse bouche, a hot, crunchy arancini. The shell’s inside was creamy and cheesy, which popped nicely against the bright tomato sauce.

We shared the charcuterie plate ($42), and our eyes popped out when it was delivered to our table. The platter was piled high with cured meats, cheeses, pepper jam, dried fruits and nuts.

Before our mains, Carly brought a palate cleanser and a scoop of passionfruit sorbet, served on a plaque of ice. L admired the clarity of the ice, noting there were no bubbles. G’Mah’s ice platter was more elaborate than ours, as it was imprinted with a happy birthday message. G’Mah mentioned it was worth photographing, but L didn’t take the hint and never took a picture.

Everyone but L ordered the lamb duo ($55), even though Carly recommended it over the ribeye ($55). L’s steak was huge, so big I ate almost half of it. Though his steak was tasty, our rack of lamb was phenomenal.

I loved how tender it was, and Bobbino noted there was no gamey flavour. The lamb tasted clean and almost sweet. G’Mah raved about the garden’s fresh carrots and asparagus, while I was impressed with the crispy potatoes and the ultra-fluffy stuffing. The curry hummus was a great addition to the lamb and potatoes. G-Mah reminded Bobbino of the time when he was given some mint jelly with lamb and how he hated it. He winced and said he didn’t want to talk about it. I also do not like to relive bad food memories.

I understand why people bother driving out of the city to experience such a peaceful experience. We spent almost three hours leisurely sipping and dining while gazing at the picturesque view. Thanks, Bobbino, for a wonderful meal, and happy birthday to G-Mah!

If you’re planning a night out, I keep a running list of the best restaurants in Calgary.

Bakery

Sidewalk Citizen – Bread Class

October 28, 2023April 29, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

For years, I’ve wanted to take a bread class at Sidewalk Citizen, in Calgary’s East Village. The opportunity finally came up when my friend Divine Offering mentioned she wanted to start taking some cooking classes. She was game for a bread session ($150), so we booked it. For this post, let’s listen to “If I Had a Million Dollars” by Barenaked Ladies.

Divine Offering and I are chronically early for everything, which is one of many reasons we get along so well. We were both half an hour early, so we sipped on a cold pint at Charbar. After, we moseyed over to Sidewalk’s section and sat with seven other guests at the bar.

We helped ourselves to pastries and sat at our seats. The head baker, Chloe Lomas, introduced herself, and we started the interactive two-hour class. We used a recipe from Jeffrey Hamelman’s “Bread” to make a basic sourdough. Due to the quality of their products, I wasn’t surprised to learn we could only buy the red fife flour and heritage grains at Community Foods and two places I’ve never heard of, Heritage Harvest and Scottish Mills.

For a scale, Chloe recommended buying an inexpensive model from Superstore. For a Dutch oven, she endorsed checking second-hand stores and the breadbasket, either at the dollar store or improvising with a colander at home. I respected her recommending affordable options, especially since we were all beginners.

Chloe talked about starters and the work that goes into feeding one daily. She encouraged us to name it and warned us that we would likely have to toss and create a one. For example, if your starter turns orange, pink or red, it is a sign there are harmful bacteria in it, and you need to chuck it.

We weighed the ingredients and learned how to knead and shape the sourdough. I was too rough with the dough and overworked it, while Divine Offering had right touch and molded her dough into a smooth ball. We both appreciated Chloe’s laidback teaching style and encouraging support during the class.

We made crackers from the excess initial mix and seasoned them with salts and spices from the Silk Road Spice Merchant. Divine Offering reflected it was the perfect way to use the discard, and she could easily change the spices every time. The spices reminded her of Cheez-Its. Once baked, we ate the still-warm crackers with red wine.

My favourite part of the class was making our pizza. When we stretched the dough, I resisted the urge to throw it up in the air like I saw the owner at Azzurri Pizzeria. I loaded up my pizza with tomato sauce, bacon, mushrooms, bocconcini and roasted red peppers. I named it the 300-pound pizza. My creation was delicious, the key notable feature being the crispy, fresh crust. Divine Offering mentioned that this was the best part of the class for her too, as there were so many great toppings, and the crust was so light.

It was fun to hang out in the kitchen of one of the best bakeries in Calgary. I told Chloe it’s one of my fantasies to work at a bakery (my other is making cheese platters for Peasant Cheese). She confirmed being a baker is hard on the body, and you have to get up early. The following day, when I saw my baked loaf, I thought I’d better stick to my day job. I didn’t follow the instructions, and with baking, you really ought to.

In the following days, Divine Offering and I exchanged tips and pictures and asked each other questions. You would think that something as simple as bread would be easy. I experienced that an exceptional loaf of bread requires skill, technique, time, quality ingredients and more patience than I have. Let’s just say Sidewalk will not lose me as a customer, and unfortunately, L won’t wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread in the mornings.

I recommend taking this class if you are serious about making the best bread possible or want a great night out. This was the most fun and informative cooking class I’ve taken. Divine Offering thought the format was ideal for beginners, and she got her money’s worth. We took home three balls of dough and our leftover pizza and crackers. She also liked how it was a hands-on format so we could practice the techniques before attempting it at home. Hitting the Sauce gives Chloe and Sidewalk Citizen two phat thumbs up.

Looking for date night ideas? I keep a running list of the best restaurants in Calgary.

Banh Mi · Cheap Eats · Vietnamese

Banh Mi Date #14 – Van Express

October 21, 2023June 15, 2026 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

Update: Van Express is now located at 500 4 Ave SW, Suite 200.

Office Guardian walked over to Dimples and asked her where she wanted to go for lunch. Dimples pointed to Office Guardian’s belly and suggested wherever the baby wanted. They turned to me and asked for a recommendation. Let’s listen to “Possession” by Sarah McLachlan for this post.

I suggested they head to Van Express for the pho or various soups as it was raining, and they wouldn’t have to walk outside. Office Guardian ran to get M to join and asked if I wanted to come along. I told them I would go for a walk, as it is tricky to navigate in the +15, but I would drop them off and continue on to Wise & Wright. Please note that all the pictures below were taken by Dimples.

When we arrived, the food smelled so good and the company so fun I decided to forgo my walk and join them. Eating here would also mean getting closer to my goal of 19 banh mi dates, even though it wasn’t L taking me.

Office Guardian ordered Tom Yum ($11.90), Dimples ordered wonton noodle soup with vegetables and noodles ($11.50), and M and I both ordered a beef sate sub ($8.81). I was impressed that Tom Yum was packed with seafood, such as shrimp, fish balls, imitation crab, and fresh basil leaves. Office Guardian said the soup was nice and flavourful and not overly spicy.

Dimples wonton soup looked good, too. The pork wontons were big and round, packed with meat. I told Dimples it was a pet peeve of mine when the wonton is more noodles than filling. The egg noodles looked properly cooked, thin and al dente. I could smell the cilantro in both their soups. She could only eat half, as she found the portion so filling.

Our banh mi was the size of a foot-long sub. M mentioned that the bread, melted white cheese and meat tasted similar to Thi Thi. The carrots were cold and pickled, just the way I like them. The addition of onions and jalapeno gave it a nice bite. Price-wise, this is one of the cheapest and largest in the downtown core, aside from Thi Thien, who still only charges $4.99 for an assorted banh mi. I like this beef sate sub more than To Me, Secret Vietnamese Cafe and Thi Thien, but less than Pho 99, Pho Soc Trang or Banh Mi Nu Y. Compared to other spots in the city, this lands somewhere in the middle, still worth knowing if you’re working through the banh mi in Calgary options.

Banh mi date 14 out of 19. Only five more to go to accomplish my goal of going out on 19 banh mi dates. It’s important to have serious life goals.

Best bánh mì in Calgary → full list here: Best Banh Mi in Calgary.