design district

Posted by kait / April 29, 2013

Continuing our plan for more date nights, we recently headed out for a dinner date and evening at District Tavern. I had stopped in at District before during Stampede season for a quick drink & bite for lunch but I haven’t been in since so I was really looking forward to seeing what was new on their menus.

While I was excited to hear about their delicious selection of gluten-free options, Byron was angling more for the craft beers that are brewed in house. And our server was really excited about bacon. Seriously, there is bacon in almost everything on their menu. We ordered up some drinks, I got their happy hour Mojito while Byron slurped up some Ambush Pale Ale. Starting our meal with a half dozen West Coast oysters served up with some, you guessed it, bacon vodka mignonette. The oysters were fresh and tasty with a real kick to them with the vodka sauce.

The cool thing about District is that they have all of the menus on rolling chalkboards allowing the chef to change things out daily. Sounds like they love bringing in new fresh ingredients and switching everything up a bit! After finishing up our oysters and drinks, it was time for dinner. I ordered the District Burger with a gluten-free bun with sweet potato fries. Absolutely delicious – I would have this burger again and again. Byron went for something a bit more Southern-style – pulled pork on a bun and the house IPA.

I’ll definitely be back for Happy Hour & a burger. And maybe next time I’ll try out their legendary poutine menu!

Design District Urban Tavern

all photos via ‘s instagram

modern kitchen: 80th & Ivy

Posted by kait / March 20, 2013

Dinner is my favourite meal of the day. While I appreciate a nice long breakfast or a lunch date with friends, every day I kinda ‘save myself’ for dinner. There is something absolutely civilized about dining in the evening and enjoying each morsel of a beautifully prepared meal.

And a dinner done right is certainly something to write home about. Ambiance, taste and care are all elements of a dinner done right. I found these all at 80th & Ivy on Friday night. A newer restaurant to Calgary, this self-proclaimed modern kitchen is where you go for an incredible locally-sourced meal complete with wine pairing perfection, a beautiful interior and exemplary staff.

Planning date nights has been a new priority for us. While I wouldn’t exactly call us an ‘old married couple’ quite yet, it is still very easy to slip into the routine of Friday night take-out and comfy clothes. And while there is nothing wrong with a bit of routine and R&R at the end of a long week, sometimes all you need is a new experience to liven up your attitude before starting the weekend in a tired and slugglish mood.

80th & Ivy was our date night destination last week and we were absolutely blown away by the service, food and fun we had over a three course meal. It was great to meet several of the management team and really get to know their expertise and witness their enthusiasm for local product, fine wine and excellent presentation. I really appreciate that kind of dedication when I visit an independent establishment such as 80th & Ivy.

I would love to share our menu with you as well as some photos I snapped during the meal.

Drinks to start: Pimms No.2 for me and a Dunkel Beer for Byron.

Small Plate to Start: Pan Seared Scallops and Prawns with Bacon & Rhubarb Relish

Spring Creek Ranch Prime Rib with root vegetables & wilted kale. This is only available on Fridays and Saturdays – absolutely worth showing up for!

Beer Braised Short Rib with herbed gnocchi and wilted kale.

Dessert: Creme Brulee with Amarillo Ice Cream & Rhubarb Compote. To. Die. For.

The Chocolate Mousse. Triple frozen layered chocolate mousse.

Night cap: The Homemade and Village Brewery Blacksmith.

Thank you 80th & Ivy for a memorable evening of food and conversation. Looking forward to returning for future date nights!

the raw bar at hotel arts

Posted by kait / January 15, 2013

Oh, gosh! Is it just me or is there some incredible seafood in Calgary right now? All I can say is I’ve been loving eating it all up. Earlier this winter, I attended a sweet little gathering of foodies and journalists at the Hotel Arts Raw Bar for a tasting of their new Asian fusion menu. Complete with a delicious and fizzy cocktail to compliment each dish, it is an understatement to say we were impressed.

Pictured below we have my favourite cocktail of the evening – the incredible Blossom Cooler. Fresh edible flowers line the glass of this sparkling cocktail. Without better words to describe it, it takes exactly like a Sweet Tart in drink form. Delicious! Below that we have one of the stunning desserts included in the meal, Plum Wine Poached Pear with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Plum Wine broth infused with sake. I love the idea of a cold soup that is also dessert. It was heavenly.

There was so much great fish throughout the evening but the Steelhead Salmon Tataki with avocado, jimca and orange slaw was definitely a highlight dish. Sprinkled with soy sesame dressing it was sweet and savoury, all at once. Below we have the BC Spot Prawn & Scallop Sunomoto with buckwheat noodles and dashi sunomoto. Wow, so fresh and lot of flavour packed into this dish. I loved the texture of the seafood with the buckwheat noodles. Any lastly, we have another favourite cocktail – Mister Grey infused with fresh lavender. Delicious, light and will be amazing in the summertime on the Hotel Arts pool patio.

I am also really looking forward to Hotel Arts’ new restaurant, the Yellow Door Bistro which will be opening up sometime this month. It will be a fabulous place to grab a meal anytime of day!

visit Hotel Arts & Raw Bar:

modern sushi at ki

Posted by kait / December 21, 2012

Sushi; quite possibly my favourite food in the entire world. I would much rather eat raw fish than sit down to a cooked filet. I have to admit that every so often I get in a sushi rut. I develop my favourites on the menu and I end up just ordering the same thing everytime and not really exploring new tastes.

ki_restaurant_post

I was so excited when ki restaurant recently invited Byron and I to come down to try out their menu. ki opened just 18 months ago in Calgary, after exceptional popularity in Toronto. While of course, it can be tricky to serve up the freshest of the fresh seafood when you are on this side of the Rocky Mountains but ki takes so much pride in their product. We met up with their general manager and Sake Sommelier, Adam Snelling and he basically led us through their unique menu with his favourite dishes served up to us for the evening. We sampled all sorts of sakes and had quite honestly the best experience I have ever had with the Japanese menu. My favourite drink of the evening of the evening had to be the Sakagura No Nigori Umeshu Premium Japan which is a pressed plum wine. It literally tastes like delicious candy and I’ve decided it has become my new go-to bottle when visiting the wine store.

The cool thing about ki is that their mandate is all about taking sushi to a whole new level. Indulge in many unexpected combinations like jumbo prawns with pureed squash or seared fresh scallops with buttered leeks. Also, unique dishes that are inspired completely by Calgary’s beef culture. So interesting the way they seamlessly meld Canadian dishes with Japanese traditions. The way they styled their plates was absolutely exquisite – almost too pretty to eat but incredibly worth it after digging in!

Another thing I absolutely loved about ki was their attention to allergies. I let them know that I have Celiac upon arrival and they immediately assured me that they had gluten-free tamari, gluten-free rice vinegar as well some fabulous gluten-free beer. As it happens, a lot of my foodie pals are also Celiac or gluten-intolerant so I would highly recommend this spot to anyone in Calgary or Toronto looking for a great gluten-free menu.

Definitely drop by this great spot if you are in the neighbourhood!

ki restaurant

tiffany’s holiday luncheon

Posted by kait / November 26, 2012

Details are everything.

I was so elated to attend the holiday-themed Tiffany & Co. luncheon last Thursday. Bloggers and members of the media were invited to attend a lovely afternoon lunch at the award-winning Model Milk (recently named top 10 new restaurants in Canada in enRoute magazine) with Elizabeth Hellebrand of Tiffany & Co.! It was so lovely to sit down for a stunning menu with some new and old faces. Of course, details are everything to Tiffany’s as well – the dining room was dotted with perfect white roses, beautifully wrapped Tiffany’s coffee table books, right down to the selection of wines and the hand-typed menus.

While this Tiffany’s get-together didn’t have multi-thousand dollar rings sitting at our place settings like the Breakfast I recently attended – Elizabeth shared an exciting tidbit that Tiffany’s had created the jewelery for the upcoming holiday release of Baz Lurhman’s (of Moulin Rouge fame) adaptation of The Great Gatsby! Scroll down to watch the fabulous trailor that is absolutely stunning with the costuming, decor and music – per usual for Lurhman!

saskatoon berry preserves!

Posted by kait / October 23, 2012

Remember back in the summer when I went and picked as many Saskatoon berries as I could? Well, I made them into delicious preserves just for you! Mixed up with some yummy BC blueberries, I have made a sweet and tangy Saskatoon Berry & Blueberry Preserves. Served up in a 250ml jar, this delicious spread is amazing on toast with butter or slightly heated up for dripping over vanilla ice cream.

I am selling these yummy little jars for $6 each.

If you are local in Calgary, I can do pick up/drop off or if you are based elsewhere in Canada, drop me a line at {} and we can chat about shipping costs.

Gonna go eat some toast now….. xo

Only A Local Would Know…

Posted by kait / October 5, 2012

There is just some things that only a local would know. Having lived in Calgary for most of my life, I am proud to say I can show you the best of the city, no matter what the subject. I wrote a quick guide for Cheap Flights Canada to showcase all of the fun stuff there is to do an experience in Calgary. Here is a snippet of some of the great food places I haunt frequently.

Five great restaurants in Calgary only locals would know:

Clive Burger: If you’ve got a hankering for a delicious juicy burger, Clive is the locale you’ll want to hit up. Order up with a side of fries and one of their tasty Cherry Custard Shakes – you’ll be feeling fine and full in no time. Completely community and eco-conscious, Clive Burger also carries many gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options not to mention that all of their packaging is compostable. Eating fast food has never felt so guilt-free.

Without Papers Pizza: If you love pizza, Without Papers will knock your socks off. Tucked up and away off 9th Avenue and only marked by their signature shiny red door, this gem of a pizzeria serves up some of the best in the city. Projecting kitschy cartoons and music documentaries on regular rotation on two walls, ‘pizza lovers can alternate watching the films and the open kitchen.

Mango Shiva: Looking for an amazing and authentic Indian dishes? Look no further than Mango Shiva on Stephen Avenue. Their gorgeous interior will immediately embrace you along with the warm aromas of Indian homecooking. Their $5 Happy Hour will keep you coming back for cocktails and appetizers while their weekend brunch is chockfull of Anglo-inspired dishes like Butter Chicken Poutine and Garam Masala Eggs Benedict.

Hana Sushi: A local favourite, Hana Sushi is one of the best spots in the city to pick up incredibly fresh and delicious sushi. Dine in or dine out, this great little joint is located right in the heart of Mission on Fourth Street. Must-have rolls include The Lovers Roll and the Double Happiness Roll.

Café Gravity: Nestled on the corner of the Inglewood Art Block, a delightful café has graced us with its fine cappuccinos, relaxing atmosphere and incredible prosecco happy hour prices. Every Friday they host local musicians and songwriters for their Open Mic Night, making this the perfect spot for a chill evening out.

So you see, Calgary is quite wonderful place based on only a handful of the amazing good places to visit. Quick hop on a flight and come visit!

Make My Lunch: Lunchbox DIYs

Posted by kait / September 10, 2012

Even though I don’t have children yet, I do like to pack my husband’s lunch every so often and I am an expert picnic basket packer – I thought I would share a bit of my expertise for back-to-school lunchbags! Check out the story over at Swerve. How do you make your kids’ lunches special?

good eats: gluten-free cinnamon sugar doughnuts

Posted by kait / September 4, 2012

Oh, doughnuts. The iconic hole’d dessert treat that somehow is making one hell of a comeback. While browsing through Crate & Barrel recently, I picked up an adorable little book written by Lara Ferroni called Doughnuts. Along with a couple of necessities like a baking pan specifically for doughnuts and this adorable screenprinted tea towel, I grabbed all of my gluten-free baking supplies to make these delicious gluten-free doughnuts. My first test was the baked recipe. I made regular cake doughnut topped with chocolate and maple icing. Sprinkled with some crushed walnuts – let’s just say Sunday night family dinner attendees were pleased.

While I don’t have a deepfryer I really wanted to try making the gluten-free raised dough version using active yeast and guar gum. Let me just say how exciting it was to see a gluten-free flour product rise! I have never used yeast before besides when I made bread with a mix in the breadmaker. Very cool. And dropping the doughnuts into the hot oil was entirely satisfying. In fact, I was shocked at how quickly they cool. Really only a couple of seconds does the trick. The result is chewy and moist. Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar – it is an absolute dream come true for someone avoiding gluten in their diet. I thought I would never have a good doughnut ever again let alone make them myself.

I definitely recommend checking this book out – it has 2 great gluten-free dough recipes along with plenty of regular doughnuts and a never-ending list of toppings and fillings. Next up Boston Cream and Lemon Curd!

good eats // fried cornmeal okra

Posted by kait / August 21, 2012

Got a hankerin’ for some southern-fried eats? Inspired by the likes of Paula Dean, I recently picked up some fresh okra from the T&T Asian Supermarket and thought I’d do up a little fried snack. Sliced thinly, these crispy cornmeal snacks are soft inside and have a mild taste. I paired them with some zingy avocado mayo for dipping and enjoyed with some unsweetened lemonade. Now if only I had a porch…

what you’ll need:

fresh okra (sliced into 1/2 inch pieces)
cornmeal
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
fresh cracked pepper
dash of salt
oil

throw it together:

Fill heavy bottomed pot with 2 inches of vegetable oil. Whisk together egg and milk until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together cornmeal, black pepper and salt. Dip okra slices into egg mixture and then roll in cornmeal mixture. Drop into oil and cook until golden. Remove with metal slotted spoon and place on paper towel lined plate. Pat dry to remove excess oil. Serve up with a squirt of avocado mayo or even ketchup if you are feeling adventurous! Enjoy!