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Condo dwellers of the Victoria Park area can now rejoice with their very own supermarket. Granted, it’s not a discount grocer, but the Sunterra Market (in the shiny Keynote tower) has its advantages especially for young professionals who live and work in the area.
 As Calgary’s closest answer to Whole Foods, Sunterra Market stocks organic milk in bottles, lovely stacks of cheeses, and gorgeous cuts of meat. (Did you know Sunterra started as a farm in Acme, Alta. 40 years ago before it branched into retail in 1990?) While not the cheapest items in town, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they weren’t as expensive as I would have expected.
There’s a huge selection of pre-made meals, or ones that just need a heating. From sandwiches and deli salads to lamb chops and lasagnas, who needs to slave over a stove?
The more than ample number of smiling staff are ridiculously helpful. The man behind the deli counter meticulously made sure I had an even portion of feta and different coloured peppers in the small take-out Greek salad I ordered.
There’s also a Starbucks counter, salad bar, and gelato counter with sweet offerings from Amato Gelato.
In addition to the grocery part of this Sunterra, there’s a classroom for demonstration cooking, and a modern cafe and huge patio on the top floor called MARKETbar.
 Here, Sunterra has set up comfortable seating from early morning for breakfast in the bright, airy front area to way past dinner time in the sleek bar/lounge.
Sunterra’s tried and true concept of ordering from a station and then paying at the cashier continues here. You can get savoury and sweet crepes, pasta bar, the Big Pan special and carving roasts. I also spotted a pizza oven at play.
I settled on a chicken and artichoke crepe ($6.49) expertly made right in front of me. The gigantic portion was stuffed with cubes of chicken breast, fresh and sundried tomatoes and a silky white wine cream sauce. For $6.49 that’s a hell of a deal.
If I worked or lived nearby, I could easily grab all my meals here.
P.S.: If you’re driving there, Sunterra will reimburse you for $2 for the Impark underground parking. You pay upfront and then exchange the stub of your parking ticket for the $2. Yeah, confusing.
Sunterra Market, in the Keynote building, 200-12th Ave. S.E., Calgary, (403) 261-6772.
MARKETbar open Sunday to Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 6:30 a.m.-2 a.m.
Grocery store open Sunday-Thursday 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday & Saturday 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Lineups are the bane of weekend brunchers in Calgary. It’s always a pleasant surprise when you don’t have to stand in line for at least 15 minutes, perhaps cupping a precious cup of coffee while craning your neck to see how far down your name is on the waiting list.
 The Bistro at Art Central is a quiet — very quiet — downtown spot where you can waltz right in for weekend brunch. There were five of us for brunch — can you imagine trying to nab a table at any of the smaller diners?
The Bistro at Art Central is decked out like an art deco/French bistro but the brunch menu is standard North American.
My vegetarian benedict ($11) was not bad; the hollandaise was decent, given a nice boost by melted provolone under tomato and grilled zucchini slices.
Jaela and Niki reported they liked their thick slices of French toast ($10) of cinnamon raisin bread and real maple syrup. Props to the side of proper fruit salad (fresh blackberries, melon, strawberries) that didn’t come out of a plastic bucket.
 But I think the big winner at the table was Michelle’s Bistro burger ($12), just a solid 6-oz. patty with butter lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese.
For hash brown lovers, sorry this isn’t where you’ll find standout potatoes. They weren’t crisp or hot enough. And coffee lovers, forget it. I had one of the worst cappuccinos ever here. So you win some, you lose some.
But here’s a bonus, after brunch, you can always stroll around the cool stores in Art Central and pick up some unique jewelry, prints or gifts or good coffee.
The Bistro at Art Central, 100-7th Ave. SW, Calgary, (403) 262-0282. Weekend brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
 So once again, a restaurant occupies the doomed corner of Memorial Drive and 10th Avenue NW, where other eateries have tried and failed. This time though, I hope the BottleHouse Beer Parlour — despite the cheesy name and font — gets a chance.
First of all, the space is huge, so there’s no cramming elbow to elbow like the other pubs in Kensington. Service has improved drastically from the other restaurants that have been in this location. And finally, the food is actually quite good. Surprise!
(Here’s a convenient spot to mention that my column in Metro Calgary has now turned its focus from dinners to lunches for all the commuters out there. BottleHouse was today’s topic.)
Yes, BottleHouse serves mostly pub food, but it’s done well with a few fresh surprises.
Three mini bison burgers ($8.85) were juicy on glossy buns, while popcorn shrimp ($8.95) were crisp and hot to the last pop.
I can honestly say I’ve never known pubs to make good salads, but the BottleHouse does a very respectable one packed with field greens, grilled Okanagan pear, candied walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and a perky raspberry vinaigrette ($11.95).
Pubs are also not known for pasta but taking the waitress’ word for it, I went out on a limb and tried the seafood curry fettucini ($12.65). I almost fell out of my bar chair. Six pieces of plump seared prawns were mixed in with meaty sea scallops, not-clumpy pasta and a just-right cream sauce.
Jason’s roasted turkey sandwich ($10.95) had REAL carved turkey meat with caramelized onions, Applewood smoked cheddar, and cranberry mayo on fresh ciabatta bread, and a side salad that wasn’t iceberg out of a bag.
It’s unfortunate that the only good photo I have is of chicken wings because they were just OK, while everything else we’ve had has been really good.
The beer menu is heavy on Canadian products, including microbreweries, but the price is right with bottles averaging $4.75 and pints $6.75.
BottleHouse Beer Parlour, 102-10th St. NW, Calgary, (403) 265-0018.
I was craving waffles one morning so took the opportunity to try the Belgian kind I’d heard so much about at Manuel Latruwe.
The bakery sells flaky croissants, fresh bread and sweet pastries at the counter. But you can also order off their short breakfast/lunch menu for eating in the cafe.
I can categorize my experience positively if I adopt the easy-going manner and eating habits of the French, or negatively if I recall it as an impatient, gluttonous North American. It kinda went both ways.
You order from the counter and then they bring the food out to your table. Ordering was painfully slow. The girl had to go into the back to check if there were waffles, asked for our order, then had to find someone to check again how to ring it in, then confirm our order again.
We were offered a choice of strawberries, ice cream, chocolate syrup, powdered sugar, maple syrup or whipped cream with our waffles. Because there was no mention of any extra charges, we assumed these options were all included. So we were a tad annoyed after we paid to see on the receipt that maple syrup cost an extra $1 as did whipped cream for another $1.
The waffles themselves cost $10. They were light, crisp and delicious, but I was still hungry after.
Manuel Latruwe, 1333-1st St. SE, Calgary, (403) 261-1092. Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday & Friday 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Sunday.
When Una Pizza + Wine first opened in the former space of Wicked Wedge on 17th Ave., it was instantly packed. They didn’t take reservations, so waits were about an hour long on weekends. I figured I’d hold off.
Now that I’ve been, I’m going to be going back a lot more. Una has done a great job transforming the blankness of Wicked Wedge into an almost too cool dining room. The banquette along one wall is lined with narrow tables (like many Toronto restaurants). One sweltering day (yes, those happen occasionally in Calgary), we sat at the bar in front of the kitchen. It was actually one of the best seats in the house because they had just installed an air conditioner right above it.
 Another lovely surprise was the appearance of one of my favourite servers in the city who had moved from winebar.
It’s funny because the diverse wine lists (white/sparkling and red/beer) and the short, focused menu remind me of winebar.
Una’s daily specials (focusing on local products) are listed on blackboards, while the menu is split between “bar food” (appetizers), salads and sides, mains (about four of them) and pizzas.
Sitting in front of the open kitchen meant we got to see how fresh everything was and how detailed the chef Stephen and his team are.
We started with cremini mushrooms ($6) stuffed with goat cheese and boar bacon. It was decent, more of a warm-up for the perfectly seasoned heirloom tomato salad ($11) with a bit of arugula.
It took us a long time to decide on a pizza because they all sounded and looked fantastic. I can’t wait for a cold winter day to try the potato pizza ($15) with provolone and fireweed honey. Even our server warned that the carb on carb pie was pretty heavy, especially for a hot day.
We ended up with a prosciutto ($20) with San Marzano tomato sauce, crisped prosciutto, provolone and fresh arugula.
While it was one of the higher priced pizzas (a margherita is $13), it was worth every penny. For Jason, it was a “just right” Goldilocks crust: not too thin, and not too thick. For me, the salty prosciutto and spicy arugula on the chewy crust hit it home.
 For dessert, our panna cotta ($7) arrived in a jam jar with fresh berries and a broken-up biscuit on top. While the panna cotta I’ve had before have been silky and with more of a custard texture, this one had a very thick cream — which Jason declared to be the best panna cotta he ever had.
While we were eating, we watched the kitchen work on a big bowl of braised beef, and then roll it in bacon for the next day’s pintxos special. It was obviously a new invention because all the chefs were excited to taste it and taste it again.
More than the effortless dinner, it’s that refreshing passion Una isn’t afraid to show which really impressed me.
Una Pizza + Wine, 618-17th Ave. SW, Calgary, (403) 453-1183. Open daily 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m.
- I’ve been carefully watching for this year’s Lobsterfest, an annual fundraiser hosted by the Stampede City Kinsmen, after such a great time last year. (I ate three lobsters.) But with their website down for several weeks, it turned out to be quite a test of my investigative skills. By the time I chased down an organizer, they had sold out!
Luckily, they’re releasing a few more tickets with a cutoff of this weekend. For $40, they’re serving 1.5 to 2 lb. lobsters (all-you-can-eat) along with sides like corn and buns. Proceeds go to charity. The Lobsterfest is on July 24 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bowness Sportsplex.
If you’re serious about getting tickets, leave a comment with your email (it won’t be public) and I can send you the ticket form and phone information.
- If I wasn’t already counting down the years to early retirement , I’d jump at this amazing job from Yelp. They’re looking for a community manager for Calgary: writing, marketing, event planning and reviewing local restaurants and other businesses.
- Latin American food and culture will be featured at Fiestaval at Olympic Plaza on July 24 and 25.
- Kensington’s annual Sun and Salsa Fest is back July 25. Buy a bag of chips to sample the salsas offered by the area’s different merchants. Proceeds go to charity.
When some friends insisted that I needed to have a baby shower, I frowned. I didn’t really want to to put anyone out hosting some sort of afternoon tea with games and ribbons and diaper cakes.
Being the bossy pants that I can occasionally (ahem) be, I asked (um, maybe stated) if we could do a barbecue dinner at PaSu Farm, roughly a 45-minute drive north of Calgary. I had read about their South African barbecue a while ago, but never really had a reason to go.
 PaSu is named for the couple who own it, Patrick and Sue de Rosemond. They’re originally from South Africa and raise sheep on their farm. After a few years, they added a restaurant to their property.
They do lunches, afternoon teas, private functions and special dinners throughout the year, like roast beef meals in the winter. The barbecues ($40 per person, not including drinks) are every Saturday evening in the summer. (Yes, make sure you call for reservations.)
It’s a gorgeous setting, especially on a clear, sunny day. I’d advise arriving early so you can walk around the property with its expansive view of the mountains, and visit with the sheep and llamas and Patrick’s cockatiel.
I can see PaSu being a great place for a small wedding. The dining room has huge ceilings and huge windows, with beautiful African art and tapestries on the wall. For my meat shower, as it came to be known, 15 of us sat at tables set up in a square shape so we could all talk.
While we waited for everyone to arrive, there were hors d’oeuvres of popcorn with truffle salt (I think) and delicious fritters made of green peppers and chickpea flour (I think).
Then they announced that the barbecue was ready and we all lined up at the grills on the covered patio to get our meat. There was boerewors, a South African sausage made of lamb, pork and spices. It was quite lean and delicious.
Pieces of tandoori chicken were soo moist and full of flavour. Thick sirloin steak and lamb ribs rounded out the meat complement.
 I asked if the lamb ribs came from the sheep on the farm; the answer was maybe. That’s because PaSu actually sells their lamb to Sunterra for processing, and then just buy back the two or three cuts they actually use for the restaurant.
While meat may have been the focus, a buffet of side dishes inside held some nice treats. Homemade corn bread, a refreshing Caesar salad with homemade dressing, sweet corn on the cob, and baby potatoes necessitated a separate plate.
A big crowd-pleaser was a kind of chili dish. I’m not a big fan of chili or beans but I had a second helping of this. I asked Patrick about it, and he said it’s something he learned to cook from his nanny in South Africa.
Basically, you take a cut of meat with a *lot* of fat on it (in this case, beef) and you cook it with samp, which are dried corn kernels that soak for several hours, some red beans, a bit of curry powder and salt and pepper. The long cooking time renders the fat into the rest of the “chili.”
After all that, dessert was laid out: a kind of braided donut dipped in syrup called a koeksister, some vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit salad.
It was a great meal and a great space for us to celebrate our future (hopefully non-fussy eater) addition.
PaSu Farm, Near Hwy 2 And Hwy 580, Carstairs, Alberta, (403) 337-2800 or toll-free 1-800-679-7999. Reservations required.
It’s a shame none of us have time for afternoon tea anymore. Relegated to a luxurious treat in fancy hotels, I wish we could all stop for sandwiches with the crusts cut off every day.
 The Dove’s Nest in Calgary is one of the few places I’ve found that does it on a regular basis for a reasonable price.
Part of Glenmore Landing, the cozy restaurant is open for home-style breakfast and attracts a regular clientele with its soup, sandwiches and homemade desserts for lunch. It offers afternoon tea Monday to Saturday 2-4 p.m.
The Dove’s Nest doesn’t have that white-glove, hushed, chandelier ambiance of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (or the view), but it’s a different type of fuzzy warm tea feeling. It’s more of a rustic, checkered-tablecloth, homemade-baking kind of place.
High tea for two is $42.95. First, you get to choose from more than 100 selections of loose tea. Each person gets their own teapot.
A traditional, lovely, three-tiered tray comes out with all sorts of goodies. On the bottom are sandwiches and savoury tarts. On the day we went, we had:
- cream cheese with dill on whole wheat with the crusts cut off (my favourite)
- chicken salad on a mini bun (needed more seasoning)
- salty ham salad and cheese (Cheese Whiz we thought, but it actually works)
- a mini salmon mousse tart
- a great warm spinach and cheese quiche.
On the middle tier are two massive homemade scones with whipped cream and raspberry preserves. Despite how dense they looked, the scones were quite light. I wish we had been offered Devonshire cream, which I only noticed later could be ordered for $1.50 extra.
  A handful of sweets sat on the top tier, including brownies, lemon tarts and cherry squares. I’d say this was the weakest link and I would have probably enjoyed the homemade pie more that I spied at the next table.
If you’re not in the mood for the full high tea, you can order a platter of finger sandwiches for $15.95 or a dessert platter for $13.95.
I like the homey feel of this afternoon tea; the owner came out of the kitchen to chat with everyone and ask how they liked everything.
Dove’s Nest, 1600 – 90th Ave. SW, Calgary, (403) 258-3300. Afternoon tea daily 2-4 p.m. Closed Sundays.
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