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CALGARY: Yann macarons and a Bliss pie

It’s impossible not to fall in love with Yann Haute Patisserie. First of all, it’s in a cute yellow house in Mission. Then you walk in and are transported to a small piece of France with the smell of fresh croissants and a warm greeting from Jéraldine Blanchard.

She and her husband/pastry chef, Yann, run the [...]

CALGARY: The Coup

I ate a whole vegetarian dinner — with NO MEAT — and I not only lived to tell about it, I very much enjoyed it.

The Coup, 924-17th Ave. SW, Calgary, (403) 541-1041. Closed Mondays. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday.

OTTAWA: Fraser Café

Whoever says Ottawa is a sleepy place hasn’t gone to some of the city’s newer restaurants. Fraser Café is leading the charge of eateries led by confident, young chefs.

Two brothers, Simon and Ross Fraser, run the restaurant and the kitchen. Their first venture was so successful they had to close their first location to find [...]

CALGARY: Cactus Club / Olive Garden

I had two vastly different experiences this past month at two chain restaurants in Calgary. I didn’t set out to compare them but it’s hard not to, when one was so impressive and the other so laughable. First, the good.

The Cactus Club Cafe chain started in North Vancouver, B.C. in 1988. I recall the [...]

CALGARY: Baba Ka Dhaba

My most pleasurable restaurant finds are ones that look like nothing on the outside (a hole-in-the-wall, if you will) but serve the most delicious food.

Baba Ka Dhaba most certainly falls into that category. Our friends Amit and Michelle, who discovered this strip-mall corner eatery, tried to set the scene well beforehand.

“Don’t wear anything new/nice/expensive,” Amit [...]

CALGARY: Spoon Me

With Calgary now thawing out, it’s a good time to try the frozen yogurt at Spoon Me in Kensington.

The concept is simple. Choose from three base yogurt flavours of natural (like vanilla), green tea, or acai (a slightly tart berry flavour) and then from any of their 26 toppings. There’s a nice selection of [...]

CALGARY: Phil & Sebastian Coffee Company

Enough has been said about Phil & Sebastian’s splendid coffee talents, but getting your sleepy hands on a cup of their lovely liquid usually meant a hot, cramped, long wait at their Calgary Farmers’ Market booth.

In late November, the duo finally opened their long-awaited storefront location in Marda Loop, and it’s been packed ever since.

The [...]

CALGARY: Fassil

One of my new favourite restaurants in Calgary is Fassil, a family-run Ethiopian place in the southeast. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get here to try their delicious stews and other dishes.

If you’ve never had Ethiopian food before, here’s a quick primer.

All food is served on and with injera, a [...]