Brunch in Banff - The Juniper Hotel & Bistro

After a weekend of hiking, I was ready for a hungry man's breakfast! I stumbled out of bed, and into the bistro for the most beautiful stack of waffles I have ever seen. Honestly it was artwork, with it's almost structural, perfectly cooked waffles, layers of fresh fruit, curls of lemon zest and cloud of marscapone/creme fraiche hovering on top....u

It was both indulgent and light at the same time. A new favourite.

http://thejuniper.com/
Check out the map here.

The Eddie Burger & Bar - Banff

Voted "the best burger in Banff" and sporting a menu "stacked" with outside of the box toppings like p&j and patties ranging from chicken to elk, we definitely had to give this a try.

The staff was awesome and encouraged us to order fried pickles....which were AMAZING. Lightly seasoned with a salted crunch, this was by far my favourite part of the meal. Sitting at the bar;  we offered some pickles to our neighbours and made some impromptu friends from Montreal!

Now for the  burgers: Unfortunately  I am going to give a mixed review as the elk burger fell a bit short of expectations. The elk was bland and slightly dry. The salad was drenched in dressing resulting in a soggy tray and bun. Burger #2 was the Eddie Presley made with AAA beef. I consider myself a large eater, but could not finish this. It was juicy, and offered an experience in flavor combinations. Surprisingly the nuttiness of the peanut butter worked quite well with this meal! The onion rings (also a large portion size) would have been more exciting if battered the same as  the fried pickles.  

I would recommend trying a set menu burger (vs. building your own burger) especially if you are a first time patron, as these are likely tried and tested. We travelled here specifically for the elk burger and were let down, but would still recommend their beef.

On my wishlist is to try a bison or long horn beef burger here as well. Also their alcohol list was a lot of fun.

Overall I give this venue 7 jets out of 10.

http://www.eddieburgerbar.ca/
Check out the map here.

Edgemont City

Edgemont City - is an authentic staple for Chinese cuisine in the NW suburbs. Based on observation alone - this restaurant is packed EVERY night of the week (with predominantly Asian folken), is popular for banquets (10 course traditional meals) and has plenty of regulars! CRAVING GREENS??? We ordered a HEAPING plate of the "dummgoo dao miu" (snow pea leaves with enoki mushrooms - $15).

My personal favourite is the beef short rib hotpot with eggplant (#92. $12.95). The short ribs were large, meaty and tender and the eggplant the perfect texture - not mushy but absorbent of the tasty thick oyster sauce.

At 4:30pm on a Wednesday, the service was great! Our food was ready in a speedy 20min, and the server helped us with pronunciation of the dishes...

Saaj Grill - Lebanese

Despite the city being under a STATE of EMERGENCY, I decided to venture out to run errands in search of essentials (my apologies, Mayor Nenshi :p). Between the priorities of stocking up on water and canned goods I came across lunch at Saaj Grill. Tucked away (but with huge beaconing green signs) in the industrial/business area of the NE, I decided to give it a try. Clean and open on the interior, serving up fast and quality food - I may just become a regular!

The (I assumed owner) recommended the Donair, and also offered a couple of freebies for barreling through the weather to visit. They sport an open kitchen concept, with the rotisseries churning in front of you, and fresh toppings in view. The falafel (6$ for a regular wrap) was fried to a light brown, slightly spicy, with a nice crisp outside and moist middle. I tried a spinach pie as well, which appeared to be hand pinched together in a light dough with tangy filling. Yum!

Prior to arriving, my hubby had requested a prepackaged lumberjack sub from Safeway - which even for a wannabe foodie would be morally wrong to consciously purchase. Fortunately Saaj offered a fresh donair alternative ($8 large), which was very flavorful based on the seasoned beef alone, and was not overpowered by a lot of sauce. They also make their own pickled purple turnip (I'm not sure of the actual name)& sprinkle sumac (a tart spice) to balance out the fresh onions. The turnips are apparently tough to make, and is why many other shops in the city do not offer them.

If you do work in this area (4204-12th St NE), definitely give them a try, Saaj Grill is a small locally owned business that's excited about food - & it definitely shows in the quality of their product! I think my hubby is hooked.

Ming Eat Drink? No Thanks.

Despite a night of heavy rain, 17th Avenue was packed...In search of a pub to share (yet another) bevy, we stumbled upon Ming. This is an Asian themed bar, dimly lit with gold & bronze Buddhas hidden in the corners of the red interior. EAT: The menu is very reasonable with most tapas around the $10 mark and daily specials! We ordered the Ming's Ginger Beef ($9.50) because of the description "it's why we're famous", as well as Mao Dry Ribs ($9.50) and Sliders.

The ginger beef did not live up to their claim to fame, was bland and not even sweet. I also blamed the runny rice for my failed demonstration of chopstick skills. Worse were the dry ribs, which were burnt and consisted entirely of fat. Of the three sliders served, one was missing toppings. It was not overly busy, but the kitchen appeared overwhelmed based on the quality of food alone. DRINK: The selection for beer and hi-balls is basic, though I can't really speak to the cocktails which appear popular. I get the whole revolution theme (cool), but did not appreciate sitting under a portrait of Stalin (not cool).

Atlas Specialty....Kabobs!

A colleague recently invited me for lunch at Atlas Specialty Persian Cuisine. It is a small restaurant that also seconds as a grocery. Heading into downtown from the west - it can easily be spotted on 1000 9th Ave SW. Extremely popular amongst the office tower staff in the area! We each started with Persian tea - which is strong, amber in colour, fragrant, served in a glass cup and is kindly topped up throughout the meal. I trusted my colleague (with Iranian roots) to rec recommend a favourite - Kabob Sultani (19.50). This included two large kabobs - one of ground beef and the other strip loin laid atop a heap of sunny yellow basmati rice and grilled onions.

Simple and wholesome - nothing spicy here, the onions, garlic and salt bring out the kabob flavours. I personally, could only get through half of my meal, but it made for fantastic left overs (though did leave me craving water all day). For the next visit I will have to make time for baklava!

Village Ice Cream - Dessert Delish!

Wow talk about comfort food! I can't say I've tried creamier ice cream elsewhere. Yes I agree, $5 for a single scoop sounds expensive, but for ice cream this rich, it's an easily justified indulgence.
I love the unconventional flavours like cardamom! I have a weakness for toasted coconut (which likely stems from my preferred choice of donut from Robin's as a kid), so I was ecstatic to find it in ice cream form! Huckleberry was also quite good and not tart as expected.The hidden location - makes the hunt for ice cream treasure seem all the more elusive. Although upon arrival I appreciate that it is also easy (and free) to park in front. Enjoy! Check out their flavours here: Village Ice Cream

Sakana Grill - New Year, New Service!

After a stressful work week my nerosis tend to emerge. But last week, Sakana Grill & it's staff managed to put each of these at ease.Paranoia:Upon reading previous reviews, I admit to being a bit weary to book here for a business lunch, but Sakana Grill was accomodating. I reserved in advance (and followed up twice) to ensure lunch hour seating for a group of 10 collegues. I also showed up 10 minutes in advance, which prompted staff to setup the table very quickly. Perfection: Our server (Kathy) was great, managing random drink orders, allergies, & special requests kindly. The chef surprised us with a complimentary spicy tuna roll to tie us over while deciding on orders. The sashimi was thick-cut and fresh! ("Sakana Special Sashimi) The rolls (Stampeder, Geisha, Rainbow, Dynamite, etc) were a hit in presentation, taste & size. Timely arrival of dishes made for a great social atmosphere, where everyone always had something to pick off of.Approval:Part way through the lunch one of the staff stopped in to show off an impromtu card trick. The meal was rounded out with complimentary dessert (frozen grape skewers) and pocky for the ladies. The foodie persona (which exists solely in my head) was ecstatic to receive accolades for my choice in dining experience at the Sakana Grill.

Murrieta's West Coast Bar & Grill - Entrancing Entrees...Dispelling Desserts

I recently hosted a night out at this beautiful restaurant off the convenient & central location of Stephen Ave. Our hosts were amazing as were our entrees ranging from pastas to curry to lamb!
Being as it was a girls night, we opted for dessert (of course!)...unfortunately although all beautifully described on the menu, were either not what we were expecting or sub-par. "Bananas Foster" brings to mind whole bananas, which were instead integrated into a chocolate cake. I requested the "De-Constructed Apple Crumble", which was disappointingly cold, and consisted of shredded apple segrated to one side of the bowl from dry oatmeal on the other....It honestly tasted like muesli breakfast cereal vs the dessert indulgence I was hoping for....I continue to reccomend Murrieta's, but hope to see a better dessert menu in the future!

Takeout RUN to Dave's

My husband and I were in the need of some mid-week take-out last night....trolling through Urbanspoon we sided with the establishment with the best name. Fortunately for us we sided with "Wok with Dave". Prices are extremely reasonable with additional discounts for cash on pick up - making take-out that much easier to justify!
Dave seems like a nice guy and the food was in large portions and pretty good. My favourite was the Cantonese Chow Mein that included a bit of everything: chicken, pork, shrimp, veggies and egg noodles! Also it was nice having a date night where we managed to get through an ENTIRE MOVIE without falling into the usual take-out food coma (though be sure to request no MSG)! Thanks Dave for making my husband/movie/midweek bonding time that much more special... :) Check out their menu here. 

Safe Sapore

Entertained a group of coworkers (8) with appetizers: Vodka Smoked Salmon (delicious!), Grilled Calamari (terrible!), and Crostini di Burrata (also delicious). Bread was also provided, but I prefer when it is served warm. This restaurant offers three different gnocchi on its menu! I unfortunately chose the blander of the three (Gnocchi Della Nonna) but my coworkers enjoyed the other two.
Dessert selection mostly comprised of cheesecakes. I may have struck out with my choice of main, but boy, was the dessert, a cheesecake carrot cake fusion, ever good!Overall the portion sizes (other than the dessert) may appear small, but are mostly heavy meals, so it's probably for the best that they do the portion control for you! :) I say it's a safe bet for a dress-up date, or if you are on the company tab. I would give it an overall OK. Enjoy! Sapore by Zafferano

Our Thai, Muay Thai?

They accomodated myself and a coworker in the middle of the afternoon (3pm on a Thursday) in Vaughan. The restaurant is large and has a great & creative interior considering when you look a bit more closely it appears to be a converted warehouse!
We chose to be a bit adventurous and attempted the papaya salad (~$12) as an appy. Unfortunately I did not find this particular dish appealing at all! I wish the server had warned me that it was quite fishy (though I am partially to blame for not noticing the mentioned "dried shrimp"). Our mains were great. The tom yum soup (~$11) had a decent *kick* and the pad thai (~$13) hit the spot! My favourite part about this restaurant was their ICE CREAM menu - they carried green tea, purple yam, red bean & ginger flavours (not that I tried them all!). It's a great healthier option in the area (ice cream aside, but especially for those travelling on business). Our Thai

Turtle Jack's - WINGS = Food Baby!

Being from out West I was a little hesitant agreeing to lunch at a restaurant with the name "Turtle Jack's" but was pleasantly surprised by the comfortable, casual, cottage-like atmosphere. My co-workers recommended the wings here, and OMG were they delicious...but complicated...the experience was comparable to ordering a starbucks coffee, except with options like large, roasted, dusted, hot...:) I was also educated on flavours, and that there actually exists a BUTTER flavour! (their most popular apparently) I enjoyed the creole and hot options. My actual entree was nothing spectacular (~13) Peppercorn Burger, but portion sizes were huge (especially since I ordered my fries loaded). Unfortunately wings + burger + loaded fries = food baby for the rest of day. Great place to induldge in pub-like grub (again I push the wings) with your friends!

Bacio by Carla Pellegrino - Oh Oh Italiano!

Right before vacationing in Vegas, we managed to catch the flu, leaving us lethargic, lazy and mostly out of commission for the duration of our trip.. As a result we chose to quaranteen ourselves to our hotel room in the Trop....Saturday night we worked up the will to dress up and dine 'out' one night at Bacio's within the Tropicana (pathetic on our part, I know). The restaurant is quite nice and resembles an Italian eatery with all white decor from the floor to ceiling including the white crisp table settings in between. If you choose to be seated inside the restaurant, you are sure to feel transported to a small Italian villa, we opted for the 'patio' to people watch, which is always entertaining in Vegas!The food: We were served fresh bread with olive oil & balsamic vinegar to start. We selected the Veal Chop with peppers ($42) and Fruitti De Mare ($31) as our entrees. Both were absolutely amazing and flavourful! The veal chop was gigantic and in this delicous broth with marinated peppers. The linguini with seafood included some of the largest scallops and prawns I've seen, and the scallops were cooked to perfection. Now back in Canada, I am still craving their pasta....I would definitely reccommend this restaurant for a romantic date or night "out".

John's Breakfast & Lunch - Breakfast Blues :(

It was a sunny Sunday morning and my Urbanspoon app pointed me in the direction of John's as we were looking for a quick breakfast in the NW. We arrived and were fortunate to get patio seating right away....or so we thought. We quickly ordered, the menu items are all very reasonably priced, with the specials being around $8 for a loaded omelet (which my guest ordered) while I opted for the Eggs Benedict (~$9). We waited, then waited some more and had almost reached our 50min breaking point to walk away, when our food FINALLY showed up. Maybe it would have been understandable if the servers actually acknowledged us during our wait time, but seriously though, we ordered EGGS! And the special nonetheless! I likely could have pulled off grocery shopping plus made my own eggs in the same time period (note this is hypothetical seeing as I was extremely lazy that day). The food itself, was ok but unfortunately not worth the 50 minute wait.