Rea’s Italian Cucina

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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.

Italian · Special Occasion

Luca Restaurant

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For my birthday dinner, I wanted Italian food. My first pick was Franca’s, but it is closed on Thursday evenings. My second choice was Luca Restaurant, as I’ve heard only positive things about the food and service since it opened. Let’s listen to “Piano Man” by Billy Joel for this post.

We sat inside the main dining room, which offered a hallway view of the interior of the Oliver building. What stood out for me was the sheer size of the vast glass chandeliers and the starchiness of the freshly hand-pressed white table linens. At 7:30 pm, the restaurant was still bustling with the energy of chefs and bartenders from the open kitchen and bar. I felt like I was dining at a swanky, international hotel.

L started with a sleeve of 88 Brewing Co. ($7), and I selected a glass of white wine ($13, Longheri, Pinot Grigio, Veneto DOC, Italy). Before ordering, I DMed Miss Foodie on Instagram to ask her recommendations at Luca. She suggested the Veal Chop “Saltimbocca” ($55) and the Bombolini for dessert ($12). I also ordered the Gnocchi Raviolo ($20), Calamari ($18), and Fettuccine ($27).

Pro-tip – order your own appetizer and main. These dishes aren’t meant for sharing. We didn’t care about formality and just switched plates mid-way. Of the two appetizers, the ravioli was my favourite.

The warm, yellow egg yolk flowed over the whipped ricotta stuffing and crisp bacon when I cut into the ravioli, pooling into the green sauce. The texture of the ravioli was smooth and springy. Absolutely delicious! I would order this again.

The calamari arrived stacked like logs, bundled neatly by a green onion ribbon. There was a noticeable amount of spice and heat from the smoked paprika. The squid had a bit of a chew to it.

The fettuccine was incredible! The noodles were thick and chewy. The wild mushrooms were crunchy, charred and heavily salted. The chomp-chomp sound of the earthly morsels was just as satisfying as licking up the truffle pesto and porcini cream sauce from the noodles.

The veal chop was thick and served sizzling hot. I found the veal chop tender and a tad fatty. Like the pasta, the meat and prosciutto was salty. However, the intense smoky flavour from the grilled chilli broccolini was delicious and more than made up for the heavy-handed seasoning.

We were offered a tour of the cocktail lounge after our dinner, but I was too tired to continue the festivities. Sadly, I’m no longer a spring chicken. Thank you, L, for taking me for a fresh and novel dining experience.

Italian · Special Occasion

D.O.P. – Celebration dinner

October 21, 2021December 4, 2021 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

Tuesday was a day of celebrations! First, I accepted a new position. Then, my friend Honesty quit her second job. Finally, Jyoti Gondek became Calgary’s new mayor. L took me, Honesty, and Glen Jr to D.O.P to celebrate this series of beautiful events. For this post, let’s listen to “Paperback Writer” by the Beatles.

I’ve been trying to get into D.O.P. for weeks. Even on a Tuesday night, the restaurant was packed, vibrating with energy from the open kitchen and the loud chatter from the customers dining at the bar. Pro tip – if you visit right when D.O.P opens, you’ll likely snag a spot at the bar.

We began with a round of drinks. Glen Jr chose a beer from Inner City ($8), L picked an Annex Italian Pilsner ($8). Honesty ordered a non-alcoholic Negroni ($6), and I sipped on a flute of Lambrusco ($14). I found the pinkish sparkling wine light, clean and minerally. L enjoyed his beer, which he said tasted like Peroni but better.

I heard D.O.P.’s antipasto are excellent, so we ordered two orders of Grilled Bread ($10); White Anchovy ($10); Whipped Ricotta ($9); Meatballs ($21.50); Eggplant ($7); and Green Pickled Tomatoes ($7). Holy moly – this bread is wondrous stuff. The innards of the bread were light and fluffy. I love how the bread puffs up and the big air pockets within. The outer layers of the bread were crispy, hot and salty. The olive oil was excellent – grassy and smooth. I know the French are known for their bread, but the heavyweight title should go to the Italians in Calgary. D.O.P, Rocket Pie, Savino, Azzurri, and Cotto – these chefs create magic with just flour, water, yeast, olive oil and salt.

Our server instructed us to eat the anchovies with ricotta and bread. What a knock-out pairing! The ricotta was cool and creamy, rich like whipped cream. The anchovies were bursting with umami – salty and pungent. I appreciated the crunch of the white onions against the oily mixture of fish and bread. This was my favourite bite of the night.

L doesn’t generally like eggplant, but he declared D.O.P’s version excellent. The eggplant was soft, tart and smokey. L thought he could taste balsamic in the eggplant.

L also doesn’t like tomatoes, but he was a fan of the pickled green tomatoes. He liked how the tomatoes were crunchy and tart. There was something in the tomato dressing that sparkled on my tongue.

Honesty loved the flavour of the meatballs. I was impressed with the soft, fluffy texture. The red sauce was delicious. Having made meatballs before, I could tell labour and a lot of love goes into this version. I would order this again and I’m not a fan of meatballs.

The Tajarin ($26) was a saucy, cheesy pasta dish. The thin egg noodles were soft and soaked up the flavour of the garlic and tomato sauce. I could see my father enjoying this dish. This pasta dish reminds me of an elevated version of the pasta at Nick’s Spaghetti House, an Italian restaurant my father would eat at weekly back in the 1960s.

I loved how the Veal Chop Parm ($49) arrived in this impressive, super-sized portion. The exterior was crunchy and sizzling hot. The veal itself was tender, blanketed in a heavy layer of melted provolone cheese. As I gnawed on the bone, I could feel the shards of the batter shatter and land in my hair. I’m not a dainty eater.

I ordered a bottle of Noelia Ricci Sangiovese ($65) to enjoy with our meal. I found this wine easy to drink, smooth and bright on my tongue. I also tried a glass of the house white wine ($9). I was so happy to find such an enjoyable glass of wine for only nine bucks; a tear escaped from the corner of my eye. Thank you D.O.P., you are my unicorn.

For dessert, we shared Gelato ($11), Plums ($11), and Limoncello ($16). The plums tasted like cherries to me. I thought I could detect a bit of licorice in the dessert. The gelato was cold and creamy, with a salty, crunchy garnish.

I’m a big fan of D.O.P. The antipasti, veal chop and wines are impressive. Hitting the Sauce gives D.O.P two phat thumbs up.

Italian · Patio · Pizza · Restaurants

Annabelle’s Kitchen

September 8, 2019October 20, 2019 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

On Friday, L received good news. To celebrate, we went out for dinner. I couldn’t get reservations to my top picks: Shokunin, Bar Von Der Fels or Carino. L suggested three restaurants. None of his options offered a wine list that appealed to me. I countered with Tavernetta, but L didn’t want to drive that far. I scrolled through Instagram and saw a photo from Annabelle’s Kitchen, a modern Italian restaurant in Marda Loop.

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L was indifferent but I was insistent. I stressed that Annabelle’s Kitchen is only five minutes away, and we could go to Village Ice Cream for dessert. For this post, let’s listen to “Compromise” by Molly Kate Kestner.

Annabelle’s Kitchen doesn’t take reservations. Another group that was initially behind me ran up ahead and got the last table. It wasn’t cold, so we opted to sit outside on the patio.

Our server Taylor provided solid wine pairing recommendations for our meal. She recommended a white wine – ($10, Brigaldar, il Soave, Veneto Italy) to go with the Ravioli ($16). The wine was light and lively on the tongue. I preferred the wine with the pasta, rather than just own its own.

You could taste the individual ingredients in the pasta – the lemon, the smooth mildness of the ricotta and the subtle pop from the garden peas and basil pesto. I thought this dish tasted almost healthy – there wasn’t an over abundance of salt, olive oil, butter or cream.

For our Sausage Pizza ($20), Taylor recommended a red wine (Mati Barbera, Piedmont, Italy $11). L ordered a Sour Cherry from Banded Peak ($8.50).

The Italian sausage had a nice chew to it. L liked the creaminess of the goat cheese. I enjoyed the heat from the pepper flakes and chili oil. The crust was perfectly baked and it reminded me of Azzurri Pizzeria. Crunchy on the bottom but not burnt.

For dessert, L wanted a salted caramel waffle cone from Village Ice Cream. I didn’t want any but L insisted I try some of his ice cream. He kept offering me tastes and I nibbled away until he complained that I ate half his cone. Here’s a pro tip for you. If you don’t want me to eat your ice cream, don’t ask me to.

We will be back – to Annabelle’s Kitchen for pizza and Village for ice cream. If you haven’t been to either businesses, I recommend checking them out.

Italian · Restaurants · Vancouver/Richmond

Vancouver – Lupo

August 14, 2019June 10, 2020 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

For our first night in Vancouver, L and I went our separate ways. He went on a bicycle and brewery tour with Moody and Cuz, while I took Beep Beep and N out for dinner. I’ve asked L before to set up N with his single friends, but he said she’ll eat them alive. When I told N, she agreed with L. Unlike me, she doesn’t like nice guys. In honour of N, let’s listen to “Bad Guy“ by Billie Eilish.

N recommended we dine at Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca, an Italian restaurant in Yaletown. Beep Beep and N suggested that I pick all the dishes and wine. I chose a bottle of Burrowing Owl ($96, Cabernet Sauvignon 2016). I found the wine full-bodied, intense but still fresh enough to sip on a warm summer night.

We shared the Bufala Mozzarella ($20), Parmigiana Custard ($20), Ricotta Gnocchi ($28), Taglierini ($28), and an order of Focaccia Bread ($7.00). A server accidentally brought over a plate of Octopus Mosaic ($20). When he realized his mistake, he told us to enjoy the octopus appetizer on the house.

We all thought the burrata was excellent. The cheese was creamy and smooth. The tomatoes were ripe and sweet. The organic greens were crisp and the basil noticeably fragrant. This dish rivaled the caprese salad at Cotto Italian in Calgary.

I wasn’t as crazy about the Parmigiana Custard. The texture was smooth and rich, and I enjoyed the cheesy custard-like texture, but it didn’t stand out like the other dishes.

We all loved the focaccia bread – it was ultra light with a crusty, airy exterior. The toppings of cheese, olive oil, cooked tomatoes and mushrooms made it almost pizza-like. The texture and flavour of Lupo’s bread is far superior to my homemade focaccia. I would order this again.

If you are into tomatoes, you must order the ricotta gnocchi. The gnocchi was soft, warm and gooey. Beep Beep said she could taste the fresh tomatoes in the sauce. I liked the addition of the eggplant. This was Beep Beep’s favourite dish. N was tipsy at this point and didn’t comment on the food, except to say it was good.

My favourite dish was the linguini with wild mushrooms. I enjoyed the sensation of crunching into the delicate earthy mushrooms. I found the chili and garlic oil downright decadent. I would order this again.

N informed me that Lupo is one of her go-to restaurants because of the excellent food, professional service, and the fact it’s a hidden gem in Vancouver. I enjoyed the food and company immensely. Hitting the Sauce gives Lupo two fat thumbs up.

Italian · Restaurants · Seafood

Garden of Italy – Nenshi Approved

February 3, 2018February 1, 2019 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

I’m always keen to know where politicians (e.g. Mayor Nenshi) and food writers (e.g. Gwendolyn Richards) dine in Calgary. I’m interested in where they eat and what they order. I swear I’m not a creep. For this post, let’s listen to Mariah Carey’s Obsessed.

I’ve taken a class with Richards, so I know she frequents Calcutta Cricket, Ten Foot Henry, Anju, Bridgette Bar and Bar Von der Fels. I heard that Nenshi likes Africana BBQ Curries and Cleaver (specifically for Plank Mondays). One place he’s tweeted about is Garden of Italy.

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I visited Garden of Italy’s Facebook page and saw the evidence, a picture of Nenshi with Chef Nahid. After further investigation, it turns out I know one of the owners – Ruby. Naturally I asked Ruby what Nenshi orders. She informed me that he has ordered the Baked Lasagna (twice), Garden Penne and a pizza (she didn’t specify which one). Seriously, politicians get zero privacy. I’m not helping either.

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For Disco Mary’s birthday, we wanted to celebrate at Garden of Italy. Ruby decorated our table with a birthday sign. What a sweetie!

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We started with glasses of pinot gris ($10) and Bruschetta ($4). The bread was toasted and had a light crunch to it. Piled high was a juicy, vibrant mixture of fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. This was a lovely start to our meal. I would order the bruschetta again.

Based on Ruby’s recommendation, I ordered the Seafood Platter ($35). The platter contained salmon, basa, mussels, shrimp, scallops, calamari and scampi. Each piece of seafood was cooked perfectly. The salmon was tender and moist. The calamari was toothsome. The mussels were fat and plump. The shrimp had a nice crunch to it. The homemade white wine tomato sauce was so mouthwatering that I’d suggest to Garden of Italy to sell it. The portion was large but I still ate everything on my plate.

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Legal ordered the Fettuccine with Creamy Garlic Prawns ($20). She mentioned the taste of seafood was predominant. Unlike some other pasta joints, you get an excellent ratio of seafood to pasta. Less noodles but more succulent seafood.

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Meets enjoyed her Gnocchi ($18). She thought the dumplings were buttery and light. The gorgonzola cream had the right amount of sharpness. Damn Meets, maybe you should start blogging too. Meets said the food was a thousand times better than Chianti’s and she wants to return again. The portions of the pasta are filling, but with the exception of the seafood pasta aren’t so huge you are taking leftovers home.

Jo ordered the Tutto Mare Linguini ($25). Out of all the pastas that were ordered, this was the most hearty. You get a big mound of noodles, with mussels, shrimp, scallops, clams, calamari in that same delicious white wine tomato sauce. Jo said the mussels and clams tasted very fresh. She took about half her food home.

seafood pasta

Disco Mary ordered Lombardy Chicken ($25). I didn’t ask her how her food was because at this time, I was deep into my own dish. I did overhear her say the pasta was al dente and the chicken was good. She doesn’t have Meets’ flair for describing food. Disco Mary took half her chicken home.

Ruby brought out a complimentary dessert for the birthday girl. Meets, without any prompting and perhaps emboldened by my praise of her, informed me that the tiramisu had the proper hint of coffee. I liked the simplicity of this dessert. You could detect each ingredient – the homemade ladyfingers, espresso and the ultra light mascarpone cream cheese.

Our server Sam was awesome. She’s British and hilarious, so funny in fact I asked her to join us for our next girls’ night. She warned me that she was more than our group could handle. Bring it on sister.

I would return for the bruschetta, the seafood platter and the lasagna because Mayor Nenshi ate it twice, so it must be good! Hitting the Sauce gives Garden of Italy two fat thumbs up.

Italian · Restaurants

Bread & Circus

December 10, 2017December 23, 2017 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

My buddy Jaime and her husband Kamloops treated us out for dinner at Bread & Circus. Bread & Circus is located in a space between Una Take-Out and Frenchie’s Wine Bar. The location is weird and wonderful. I felt like the restaurant was in a secret hidden location.

We were seated at the back of the restaurant in front of Frenchie’s Wine Bar. My husband L and I admired the picture of a French bulldog, so much in fact, we want a portrait done of our schnoodle Brut. L thought the lights over the painting was a nice touch.

My choice of music for this post? Let’s crack that whip and put on a show by the one and only… Britney!

Bread& Circus makes excellent cocktails. Jaime liked the traditional, heavy cocktail glasses. I concur. There’s nothing that ruins a fine drink more than a cheap piece of glass. Kamloops was impressed with his Manhattan ($13), noting the cherries were good. Jaime was pleased with her Lazio Negroni ($10). I ordered a glass of Costadila prosecco ($13) and L predictably stuck to Peroni ($7). We also ordered a bottle of Noelia Riccii Il Sangiovese ($60).

For appetizers, we shared the Chicken Liver and Almonds ($13) and Cauliflower and Cumin ($12). The chicken liver was cool, smooth and creamy like a paste. Topped with chervil, pickled red onion, honey oat granola and a cured egg, there was a delightful buttery crunch and sweetness to the dish.

The salad consisted of cauliflower, chickpeas, whey, cumin dressing and crystallized buckwheat. The cauliflower was cool and shaved so thin it was a treat to bite into. Cauliflower and cumin go together like bread and butter. The dressing was creamy and made the salad decadent.

Jaime ordered the Cacio e Pepe ($19). The linguini noodles are made in-house. We were warned the cheese was salty. The noodles were a delicate tangle. Jaime couldn’t finish it all so I helped her out.

I ordered the Carbonara ($20). The best part were the bits of smoked bacon. When I bite into it, I could taste delicious squirt of fat.

Kamloops ordered the Gnochhi alla Romana Braised lamb ragu ($24). I liked this dish so much, I probably ate half of it. I loved the combination of eggplant, mint and 3-year old aged parmigiano-reggiano.

One of the best pastas was the Oxtail Rigatoni ($23) I like how rigatoni was al dente with a bite of a chew to it. The red wine raisins gave a bit of sweetness to it. The pine nuts were toasted and still warm.

Each dish we tried was a different experience and the flavours worked. If you have a healthy appetite, I’d suggest you get an appetizer, your own pasta and a dessert. The food is rich, so the portions reflect that. When I got up from dinner, I regretted eating half of Jaime and Kamloop’s dishes. Life is hard when you’re a glutton.

Thank you Jaime and Kamloops for a wonderful meal. It was great to spend time with you again.

Beer · Happy Hour · Italian · Pizza · Restaurants

Posto – Pizza Lunch

April 18, 2017April 30, 2017 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

Jyoti Gondek invited me along with a few other of her volunteers to Posto for lunch and a chat about her election campaign as city councillor for Ward 3. Jyoti let me pick the food, though Finance said she would order her own meal because she has so many allergies. I asked Chris for his input, but I changed the dishes last-minute when I realized he wasn’t going let me order what I wanted. Sucker. He was too polite to protest.

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Finance ordered the special salad of the day – fresh heirloom Alberta red tomatoes, fior di latte, fresh basil with a balsamic vinaigrette ($16). The tomatoes were ripe and juicy. The cheese was subtle and soft.

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I ordered a pizza with smoked salmon, leeks, capers, creme fraiche and lemon ($24.00). I really liked the lightness of the creme fraiche and the creamy sauce on the crust. The smoked salmon was cool on the tongue and the capers added a nice saltiness to it. The crust is just awesome. Slightly charred, airy crust with a chew to it.

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We shared the special pizza of the day – house-made mortadella (pork sausage) with pistachios and balsamic vinaigrette ($22). The meat was juicy and flavourful. There was a touch of sweetness to the pie from the balsamic. I thought the sprinkle of pistachios went well with all the other flavours of the ingredients.

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If you haven’t been yet, I would recommend Posto for pizza. It’s a cozy date night spot. Best time to go is on Sundays, when pizzas are half-price all night long! I would recommend the potato, creme fraiche, leek, smoked pancetta ($21) and the spinach, shallot, garlic, wild mushroom, grana padano ($21), and the smoked salmon pizza.

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Italian · Restaurants

Chianti Cafe – Willow Park

February 8, 2017December 23, 2017 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

It was Disco Mary’s birthday on Saturday. Vintage Girl organized this gathering and she picked Chianti Cafe. She and Mindy comes to this location often and Mindy knows one of the servers.

When Vintage Girl booked the reservations, I thought of a restaurant I am dying to try called Garden of Italy. A couple of weeks ago, I saw Mayor Nenshi tweet about his meal there. I sent the girls an email suggesting we go, thus hinting we change the original plans. I guess I’m not as subtle as I think. Vintage Girl asked me straight out just when and for what occasion we should go to Garden of Italy? I sheepishly said, “Whoever has a birthday after Disco Mary.” I’m a beta, not an alpha. Oh well, we are going to Garden of Italy for Vintage Girl’s birthday in May, though that’s months away.

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I use to go to the Crowfoot location with my friends for the $8.99 pasta specials when I was in grad school. The only thing that’s changed is the parmesan cheese is no longer grated fresh at your table. Instead, there’s a shaker. Mindy told me it’s the same cheese. Apparently, management discovered that grating the cheese at the table led to greater waste.

Mindy ordered the spinach and bacon salad ($6). It tasted pretty much like I remembered. The bacon tasted like bacon bits and there was a generous amount of mushrooms. Mindy prefers the salad with more dressing. I agree, it helps mask the flavour of spinach.

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We shared a couple of appetizers: Ravioli Bites Trio ($9) and Fonduta ($10). Mindy dug into the dip before I could take a picture. She apologized profusely as Disco Mary reprimanded her, “She’s got to take a picture first!” No worries girls, I can improvise.

The crab dip was cheesy and warm, with chunks of crab and artichoke. The bread was toasted and smeared with a delicious pesto spread. Chianti’s version is better than my past attempts making crab dip.

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The trio of pasta wasn’t as yummy as the crab dip. The filling was sparse and the pasta itself was hard. The sauce was a smokey chipotle that tasted like it came out of a bottle. Taste wise, there was little difference between the three types of stuffed pasta.

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I couldn’t decide which pasta to pick for my entree. Mindy told me that Chianti’s is very accommodating and they will let you switch the sauces, noodles or you can pick two and have both. I ordered the Mare e Monte Fettucine ($12.50) and the Mediterranean Ravioli ($12.50). I’m not sure if Chianti charges extra for making changes or requesting a split order because Mindy treated me out for my belated birthday.

The mare e monte sauce was a light cream sauce mixed with scallops, peas and mushrooms. The scallops were plump and tender. I found the Mediterranean sauce bland. The lemon garlic wine oregano sauce was watery and I could just taste the individual components of the dish, boiled ravioli, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, feta cheese, spinach and artichokes. Again, the ravioli was hard.

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One of the many reasons I love going out with these girls is because they give me so much food. I tried Disco Mary’s Salmon Con Gamberoni ($18.50). The baked salmon was moist and tender. The mascarpone cheese sauce was heavy and swirled around my ravioli, made it taste a lot better.

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Mindy’s Pollo Alla Parmigiana ($16.50) was a good choice. The breaded chicken was crispy, covered in ham and bubbling with cheese. She opted for the shrimp fettucine, which was loaded with cheese and garlic. I found out from our server that the spaghetti, linguine and fettucine is homemade, but the other pastas are not.

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I didn’t take pictures of Vintage Girl or Jeanette’s food because their plates were far away from me and I was too lazy to get up. I tried Jeanette’s veal and I thought it was tasty.

Our server brought out a piece of chocolate cake with a candle for the birthday girl. I took a couple of bites. Drizzled with caramel sauce and dotted with whipped cream, with lots of layers of dense chocolate cake and sweet icing, it did the trick.

Chianti in Willow Park was busy, filled with mostly families and groups of friends. I can see why. Service was friendly and attentive throughout our meal. I also appreciate how accommodating the restaurant was when it comes to changing the dishes based on your preference. Chianti’s is a good option for family with kids. There’s something for all ages and the food is affordable, more so on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Italian · Pizza

Il Centro

November 22, 2016February 18, 2021 Hitting the SauceLeave a comment

On Friday, I planned and hosted my husband’s 40th birthday party. On Saturday, I thought I deserved a night out. I picked Il Centro because my ex-neighbour highly recommended their pizza. I mistakenly thought Il Centro would have a quiet, romantic ambience like La Luna Rosso. Il Centro is more the sort of place you take that loud talking friend or that relative that can’t handle their wine. Il Centro is a casual, family-friendly restaurant, popular with larger groups.

I have painfully good hearing. I don’t try to eavesdrop but what happens when you hear all the conversations around you? Anyway, when L and I were waiting for our table I overheard customers talking politics. One table was chatting about MLA Sandra Jansen’s floor crossing to the NDP party. Another table was talking about a city councillor (I’m pretty sure it was Evan Woolley) that was supporting Uber’s anticipated move to Calgary. However, I didn’t hear anyone talking about religion, so that was a good thing I guess.

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We had reservations, but we had to wait a bit for someone to set up our table. There were only three servers that night, working frantically to bring out food. I saw a server bringing out samples of wine to three female customers waiting for a table. He looked genuinely concerned that they had to wait for about 15 minutes.

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There were only two types of red wine served ($13.99). I read that the calamari (16.50) was good, so L and I started off with that as our appetizer. The ringlets were huge, but not as tender or clean tasting as La Luna Rosso’s version. La Luna’s calamari is smaller, but the squid has such a nice taste to it, almost like they soaked it in buttermilk before frying it up. The tomato sauce on Il Centro’s calamari was slightly sweet. The portion was enough for four people.

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We shared a small Stuzzicinia pizza ($18.50) and the Homemade Gnocchi ($26.50) with ham and mushrooms. If you have questions about the menu, don’t expect too much patience. When we were debating the size of the pizza, the server was abrupt, just short of rolling his eyes.

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L said Il Centro’s pizza was phenomenal. The crust was light, not thick or thin. All the ingredients tasted fresh. The raw tomatoes were cut thick, its juices made the pie a touch soggy. I ordered some jalapeno pepper and garlic oil ($4.50) on the side.

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The gnocchi was my favourite. The rose sauce was creamy and sweet. The gnocchi was fluffy and soft. Everything just melted on your tongue. I thought Il Centro’s version was even better than Mercato.

This little pizza joint was very busy and obviously popular with regular customers. It’s about the same price or a little more than La Luna Rosso. I’m still on the hunt to find my favourite Italian restaurant in #yyc. If you have any suggestions, let me know.