After our wine tasting at Vine Arts, Lululemon suggested we get something to eat. She recommended V Burger. I was game, since I’m a social vegan, I avoid meat. I’m so glad she recommended this place because I finally found a vegetarian burger I love. Let’s listen to “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye.
At 2:00 p.m., I was surprised to see so many people still eating there. The place appears popular with families and groups. We picked the Big Kahuna Burger ($12) and shared a side of Tater Tots ($5.50). I also ordered burgers and tots for takeaway for her fiance and my husband as we opted to eat inside the store.
Holy veg, the pea protein burger is as good as beef burgers. The hefty patty was meaty and juicy. The only thing missing was that crusty charbroiled exterior, but the texture mimicked beef well.
I liked how the glossy brown brioche bun held up to the wetness of the teriyaki roasted pineapple and juicy tomato. The bac’n tasted similar to bacon, but the texture was more like salami. The green lettuce was wilted, which was a shame because otherwise, this would have been a near-perfect burger. When L ate his burger, he didn’t know it was plant-based until I told him. I bragged to L that eating meat is so yesterday and plant-based food is way more v-edgy.
Don’t pass on the tater tots, which were gloriously hot, crunchy and munchy. Done right, tater tots done well are such a satisfying snack.
My friend Beep Beep is coming to visit me soon. I’m tempted to take her to V Burger because she’ll be impressed with the food and their food philosophy. Hitting the Sauce gives V Burger two phat thumbs up.
I attended Juice Import‘s Keys to the Natural Cellar ($35) event on Sunday at Vine Arts on 17th Ave SW. I was looking forward to this particular event because Erik featured natural wines that showcase an ability to age gracefully, which I need to learn to do. For this post, let’s listen to “Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M.
When we arrived, a staffer gallantly poured us a flute of prosecco to sip as we looked around. The whimsical setup of the shop reminded me of the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter. After a few minutes, we were escorted upstairs to the tasting. Lululemon was pumped to attend as she thinks Erik is one of the fascinating wine gurus in town. She asked him if he would host a wine tasting at her office. We discovered he does; the cost is only the wine purchased for the tasting.
Erik began with a question. Can natural wine age? The first wine we tried was 21 years old, almost as old as me.
The 2002 Tarlant l’Etincelante Champagne Brut Nature from Champagne, France tasted softer and cleaner than its initial prominent scent. He noted that people often drink prosecco regularly and champagne on special occasions, which makes it even more pronounced how different they are from each other. One is young and fruity, while the other has yeasty characteristics and not as bubbly. Erik found the champagne satisfying, full of umami. At around $275, it was a treat for everyone at the table to try a champagne from a winery with such stringent standards for fermentation. The owners refuse to release any wine unless it is fully mature.
Next was the 2018 Domaine Marnes Blanches Savagnin Sous Voile from Jura, France ($75). Marnes Blanches is one of my favourite wineries; their wine is always a hit at my parties, as it is so easy to pair with melted Comte cheese. Lululemon could smell maple. While it smelled sweet, Erik described notes of camomile and fresh, dried and bruised apple. We learned this wine comes from 45+-year-old vines grown on marl and limestone. I loved this one so much that I bought a bottle, as did my friend. Erik recommended pairing this cuvee with something fatty and raunchy, like salty almonds or raw clams.
Our third tasting was a 2015 white wine, Domaine Garreliere Chenin Blanc “Coulée Douce” ($45), from Loire Valley, France. This wine smelled bright and floral, and the texture was much lighter than the previous wine. Erik described the notes of stonefruit and pointed out the green tinge of colour. We liked this one so much that we bought a bottle as well. Erik recommended pairing this wine with mushrooms, morels, or gorgonzola. There was a cheese master in the room, and he recommended a gouda, such as a Dutch Grasskass.
Erik described the next wine, the 2014 Pacina Rosso from Tuscany, Italy, as a classic old Italian wine that tastes just as the winemakers intended. Pacina seldom releases their vintages consecutively as they wait for the wine to reach optimal maturity. I found the scent pretty, but my favourite red wine was the next one.
The 2018 Franz Weninger Saybritz Blaufrankisch from Burgenland, Austria, was bright and delicious. We admired the violet and red plum hue. I asked Erik about sentiment and why some wines have it, and others do not. He informed us that sediment comes from many things, such as skins, yeast, and colour. Leaving the sediment in (unfiltered) provides texture and quality as the natural tannins act as filters. In commercial wines, filtering wines provides that sterileness that some people have come to think as standard.
The dessert wine was a 2017 Cantina Marilina Gocce d’Autunno Passito from Sicily, Italy. Erik noted the “rapturous sunlight from Sicily” wine was baked under the sun for 10 to 15 days, and it is a bottle you could keep for a couple of decades.
I’ve been to a few tastings, and this might have been one of my favourite events because of all the neat things I learned. Thanks, Erik, for hosting these informative seminars and teaching us about natural wines.
This last week has been a food fest. I met up with Zoomhahaa for oysters, L for pizza at Two House, Lululemon and Kournikova for beer, pizza, wine and dessert, and a takeout lunch of Chinese BBQ. Let’s listen to “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus for this post.
Zoomhahaa and I met up at Koto Sushi. Our server was friendly and didn’t make us feel bad for taking advantage of their wicked happy hour oyster special. West Coast oysters were only $1.25 each, and that is the deal of the year.
Zoomhahaa and I prefer West Coast oysters over East Coast because we like our oysters fat and creamy. In comparison, East Coast oysters are flatter and thinner in size, with briner, saltier notes.
We started with a dozen oysters each. Each oyster was shell-fragment-free, a major shucking feat, especially for happy hour. The sea morsels were milky and smelled like the ocean. We alternated between the green onion mignonette and eating the oysters with lemon and its natural juices. Paired with a cold Sapporo ($6) and a big glass of wine ($6), we both exclaimed there was no better way to spend an hour after work. We ordered a second dozen oysters each, and the last round was even better than the first. We left full and happy, and I swear, I was just one oyster away from gout.
The next night, I felt chipper after work, so I told L I was taking him out for pizza at Two House Brewery. We shared the Formaggi ($23) pizza. This pizza is so simple but so good. The cheeses paired well with the sweet drizzle of honey. We washed our supper with Yuzu Shio beer (12 oz, $6), a light, lemony beer.
I met Lululemon and Kournikova on Thursday at the Bear and Kilt on Stephen Avenue. Once you walk in, you feel like you are in ye olde Calgary. The whole setup is adorable, with old furniture and vintage memorabilia. We bumped into Christina, the co-owner of Klein & Harris, who rushed in to check something. Kournikova also knows Christina, and she mentioned she was heading to her restaurant for a late dinner with her husband.
Lululemon and I drank Wild Rose beers ($7.99) and personal pizzas ($14.99). Kournikova ordered Patron and soda ($14). For our second drink, Kournikova felt like wine, so we walked to Annabelle’s Bar across the street for another drink. There, we shared a bottle of sparkling rose. We met the manager, Simon, who knows Eric, the co-owner of Juice Imports. We chatted about the restaurant culture in Montreal and how getting wine from Pinard & Filles in Calgary was easier than in Quebec, where the winery is located.
Kournikova settled our tab and took off to meet her husband across the street for dinner. Lululemon ordered us beverages, as well as Whipped Ricotta ($15), Tiramisu ($12) and Crème Brulée ($12). I was so full from the pizza, but the tiramisu was so light and soft, it was too delightful not to devour. Lululemon took that photo below, in case you are wondering why there’s one good photo on the post. She told me not to fight for the bill, and she said it was such fierceness I backed down and said I would get the next one. When we finished, I called an Uber to take us home. The driver pretended to be outside but wasn’t and cancelled on me. Lululemon hailed us a taxi instead, and the next day on Good Friday, I slept off all the dessert and wine.
On Saturday, I went to Sun’s BBQ to pick up some duck and BBQ pork. After I made my purchases, I walked a block over to BBQ Express and picked up a two-meat-on-rice lunch combo ($11). I ordered soy sauce chicken and crispy pork. Two things stood out. First, the owner was so friendly and polite. Second, he was so generous with the meats he had to put a rubber band over the container so the food wouldn’t spill out.
When I got home, I hastily snapped a photo. Unfortunately, the angle of my image is awful, as it doesn’t show off the crispy skin. The pork was tender and cut well, so each slice of meat with crunchy skin was proportional and fit nicely in my mouth. There’s just something so winning about the combination of the plainness of the steamed rice in contrast to the rich, fatty crunch of the skin. The soy chicken was the show’s star, as the meat was plump and silky. The sauce on the chicken skin was light but flavourful, with a touch of sweetness. The food was so good I posted it on Calgary Food – FoodYYC.
Unfortunately, I received three unpleasant comments. One complainant doesn’t know how to use contractions. Another thinks anyone that has a cash only business is a thief, liar, or criminal. The third person tried to argue that I didn’t eat crispy pork, even though I said I did and you can see the crackling skin poking through. All I wanted to do was spread some good news about a cheap and cheerful eatery, but hey, it’s the Internet, and everyone has an opinion.
When I looked up the names of a couple haters, I recognized their writing style and realized they used to write nasty comments on my previous employer’s Facebook page. What a small world! I think I’ll stick to sharing my experiences on my blog, where it is a safe place to spread the word about delicious eats in Calgary.
Bex.oxo received some excellent news and took me out to celebrate at Stonyslope Brewing Company. She knows the owners, and ever since she attended the soft opening, she’s been raving about the homemade bread and sour cherry beer. Let’s listen to “I Bake the Bread” by Reckless Johnny Wales for this post.
The brewery has a safe, family vibe. We sat near the front, so I could overhear several customers coming up and wishing the owners success on their new venture as well as the arrival of their newborn baby. Ten minutes after our arrival, the owner’s father announced that it was his wife’s birthday. Everyone sang happy birthday to a slightly embarrassed but happy-looking wife.
We couldn’t order the cherry sour, as it was so popular it sold out. Instead, I ordered an Osmotar (12 oz, $6.50), a light Finnish farmhouse ale. My beer was cool, mellow in flavour and foamy.
For food, Bex.oxo ordered most of the menu. She requested two orders of Bread and Butter ($12), Meats ($7), Cheeses ($7), Pickles ($4), Popcorn ($4) and Perogies & Sausage ($18). Stonyslopes nailed the food. Now, this is a quality charcuterie!
The homemade Amish bread was warm, and the hand-churned butter melted in my mouth. The bread is baked daily and brought out fresh from the oven. The bread is so good, I saw a customer buy some bread and butter to bring home. I like combining each bread piece with butter and meat or just butter and cheese. Bex.oxo loved the Ski Queen Whey, a Norwegian cheese which tastes like a cross between fudge and caramel. Her favourite combination was to eat the popcorn with the Ski Queen.
For meats, we sampled the Soppressata, Landjäger, prosciutto salami, and Mennonite sausage. Each meat was impressive – thick cut, chewy and delicious. I’m bringing L next time, as I know he would appreciate the selection of meats and cheeses.
The asparagus, pickles, and carrots are clearly from a local farm. Crunchy, bright and tangy, these are some of the best-pickled vegetables I’ve consumed. If Stonyslope sold their pickled vegetables by the jar, I bet they would fly off the shelves.
The perogies were sensational. The dough on the perogies was ultra-thin, while the piping hot filling was silky yet fluffy. The Spraggs sausage was so good I couldn’t stop eating it. I would get this again.
I left super stuffed and blissfully bloated from all the beer, bread, meats and cheeses. Thanks, Bex.oxo, for treating me out to a delicious night. I’m a fan, and I give Stonyslope two phat thumbs up!
I wanted to take my brother Five Stars (formerly known as Jacuzzi) out for Italian food. I picked Rea’s Italian Cucina, a restaurant I’ve heard from acquaintances who swear the food at Rea’s reminds their nonna’s cooking. Let’s listen to the “Pasta Song” La Famiglia for this post.
When we arrived, I noticed most of the customers appeared to be of Italian heritage, which I considered an excellent indicator of what was to come. L commented he liked the old-school vibe, dark furniture, prominent paintings, and curtained windows. Five Stars said he was surprised every table was filled by 6:35 pm. L informed him that Calgarians prefer to eat early.
Our server, Dante, greeted L as he recognized him. It turns out that Dante is the owners’ son and a Haskayne School of Business student. What a small world.
For drinks, I ordered a glass of Ripassa (9 oz, $19), L picked a glass of Peroni ($8.50), while Five Stars chose an Orangina ($4.50). For food, I ordered the Calamari ($17), Salsiccia Casa Sausage ($17), Linguine Mare ($31), Fusilli Ferraro ($23), and a medium pizza, the Sandro Special ($24).
I recommend ordering appetizers, as the two we tried kicked some serious ass. The sausage had a spicy kick with a generous fat-lean ratio. What stood out for me was the chewy texture and unique seasoning. The tomato basil sauce was just beautiful, robust with a vibrant tomato flavour. All sausages should aspire to be Rea’s sausage. L and Five Stars said this was their favourite appetizer.
Five Stars noticed that I handed my phone to L to take pictures of the food and asked him if he usually took photos. With a long-suffering sigh, L rolled his eyes and confided that he had always taken the pictures but never received any credit. I retorted that L has a better eye for photography than I do, and I also make Five Stars take photos for me. I thought but did not say it was lovely they could bond over a common complaint.
I preferred the calamari wasn’t deep-fried because you could enjoy the satiny texture, and L mentioned it was cooked perfectly. The ringlets were silky smooth, and tender. We both loved the tangy sauce. L pointed out the big difference between the sausage’s tomato sauce and the calamari. I tried the two side-by-side and thought the tomato sauce in the calamari tasted more like olive oil. I would get the calamari again.
After a suitable amount of time, our mains arrived. The pizza dough was homemade and in between a Greek-style and Neapolitan crust. Covered in molten cheese, I could detect a pleasingly strong smoky flavour. The olives, prosciutto and cheese tasted extra good to me.
The fusilli was my favourite because of the pure decadence of the rose sauce. The creamy sauce was so smooth and luscious that I cleaned the plate. Five Stars mentioned he liked the texture of the fusilli. Slick with a slippery sauce, the surface still had a slight chew.
The linguine mare is one of Rea’s signature dishes. There was almost as much sauce as noodles, which I loved because the tomato sauce was so thick, fresh and balanced. L and Five Stars were surprised there was so much seafood. The ratio of clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp and calamari to noodles was even. The flavour of all the shellfish was prominent, though the brightness of the tomato sauce cut through some of it. I dig the cheeses Rea uses in the pasta and pizza – it’s more flavourful and tastes better than the one I use at home.
I would come back. I’d order everything again, but I want to try the veal tortellini for variation, and L said he wants to try the chicken parmesan. We shared everything, so the amount of food we ordered was perfect. We only had half a pizza left over. Five Stars declared this was his favourite meal in Calgary. He asked how we found it. L gestured to me, and I explained I’d heard about this restaurant for over a decade now, as it has a reputation for homestyle Italian food. Hitting the Sauce gives Rea’s two phat thumbs up.
