SA LUTE S & S H O UT O UT S Congratulations to The Establishment Brewing Company, named Brewery of the Year at the 2021 Canadian Brewing Awards! This is the second year in a row a Calgary brewery has won the title - the 2020 award went to Common Crown Brewing Company! Congrats too to Airdrie’s Sorso Lounge, who beat out more than 255 restaurants across the country to win Best Caesar in Canada - and then donated their $25,000 award to the community to thank them for their support during COVID. The recipe includes pineapple rum, black fermented garlic, mango nectar, and… bone marrow ice cubes! Until November 28, 19 Banff restaurants are cooking up special fixed price menus and dishes showcasing local ingredients for Banff National Park’s Taste for Adventure. If you’re dining, you could also win one of four weekly prize packages of accommodation, lift tickets with rental equipment, helicopter tours, and dog sledding too! Check out banfflakelouise.com/tasteforadventure. There’s no stopping Tuk Tuk Thai – building on the most popular items from Thai Sa-on’s menu, they’ve now opened their ninth location in Calgary’s Shawnessy neighbourhood at 275 Shawville Boulevard SE! The old Melrose/Royale space on Calgary’s 17 Avenue SW is now home to Porch, a bright, airy, and retro space (retro music too, we knew all the words!). Fort Architecture have done a terrific job, blurring indoor and outdoor dining, with swings at the bar and by the fireplace. The huge tree from Wurst has found a new home here too! Chef Dylan Sexton’s sharing menu is pure comfort food – elevated. We tried a lot of dishes and loved them – that chicken liver paté and ling cod? Wow! With Jimmy Nguyen’s cocktails and some of the friendliest service around, Porch is a new fave to add to our list! Seven days 11 am-late. Connie and John’s Pizza have expanded, and now their 16” round NY 6 Culinaire | November 2021
and 14x10” Detroit-inspired pizzas are available at Blush Lane Marda Loop! There’s a rotation of hot slices, but best order in advance for full pies, half pies and faves, as they take 20 minutes. These pizzas travel well, so you can also order with SkipTheDishes and DoorDash. Seven days until 9 pm. Edmonton has a new barbecue restaurant. The city’s first building with plumbing and hot-and-cold running water, 112-year-old Transit Hotel, at 12720 Fort Road, has transformed into Transit Smokehouse & BBQ, keeping much of the history as a throwback to the old west. All your favourite smoked meats and sides are here, with smoked ice cream too, and we can expect live music at weekends. Seven days 11-11. Calgary’s Kensington Village is home to the new Meatball Project – that means great quality, great value, and great food that you can feel good about,
and that your kids can enjoy with you. It’s privately owned and local, with all Alberta, sustainable, grass-fed beef, and no fillers or gluten, and plant-based meatballs too - you might be hardpressed to tell the difference! These are filling dishes, all handmade, and all dairy-free - even the amazing latte soft-serve ice cream with donut balls! There’s no fryer here, only an air fryer, and service is stripped out to allow for such great prices. Watch out for Pizza Project coming soon too! Seven days, lunch and dinner. Modern Group’s new south Calgary steak and seafood location is open at 10606 Southport Rd SW – and it’s stunning. Modern Steak chic has a vibe all of it’s own: black and white, ultra modern, with lights to admire. Even the washrooms are noteworthy! While starters are mostly the same on each side, and there are weekly features, Steakside has a meaty menu with a few seafood dishes, and Oceanside has a seafood menu with a few meat dishes, and a raw bar for 8 people too. Your table can order from either menu. Our Benchmark Angus filet was impeccably cooked and seasoned, and our king prawn risotto with lobster veloute was delicious – and short rib poutine is on offer…! There’s a private room for 25, and a semi-private space for 50 people – and two patios, one with a fireplace! Lunch and dinner, closed Mondays.
