CALGARY: Fine dining splurge

There’s a pretty rustic lodge in Calgary that serves stellar food – and you don’t have to hike or ski to get there. In fact, a short stroll from downtown Calgary suddenly brings you across the Bow River onto leafy Prince’s Island Park and the folksy River Café.

Don’t be fooled by the cabin, roaring fireplace and fly fishing tributes. This place serves seriously elegant food.

River Café is committed to the best ingredients from the region, including organic and free-range items from local producers and its own organic garden. That dedication really shows.

My bison pemmican starter came with sage naan bread and micro greens with a Saskaton berry vinaigrette. It was unique and delicious.

Jason’s poplar brushed sugar scallops starter was seared just right, with a pumpkin puree, sage pesto and house-smoked bacon.

It was Thanksgiving Sunday and the organic turkey dinner was flying out of the kitchen. But I really wanted something different so I went for the rabbit special for my main course.

It was done two-ways: a roasted loin and also braised in a cream sauce. Served with some of that house-smoked bacon and simple root veggies, I quite enjoyed it.

But it paled in comparison to Jason’s herb-crusted bison striploin with brown-butter spaetzle, roasted beets and Saskatoon berry port wine jus. Oh my word. It was a showcase of exactly what River Cafe sets out to do. Local, fresh, and stunning.

In light of the bison and rabbit, we gave our server an interesting conundrum when we asked her to choose a red wine. She came through with a 2002 Château des Tours grenache. The light colour was misleading because there was quite a bit of depth – just enough spice to keep the fruitiness down.

Pumpkin pie for dessert came as a tart topped with fresh cream and praline. Again, it was lovely.

Dinner is not inexpensive – our bill was $185 before tip – but it’s worth the splurge.

River Café, Prince’s Island Park, Calgary, Alberta, (403) 261-7670.
Open for lunch Mon-Fri 11 a.m.- 3 p.m., dinner nightly 5-10 p.m., brunch Sat and Sun 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed on Christmas and month of January.