Tucked in between two entrances to Cowboys Casino sits the historic Dafoe building, built in 1920. Formerly home to La Vita e Bella for a decade, the restaurant’s owners have recently rebranded to Cardinale. But the Italian part wasn’t changing. It’s written into the lease — no joke!
The new name was inspired by an Italian cocktail, which General Manager Graham Teare is mixing in this action shot.
And boy, does he know how to mix. Lots of places in town claim they are artistes in this department, but these are some of the most delectable drinks I’ve tasted in Calgary. The flavor-forward Sage Advice, on the left, is a garden in a glass, a kaleidoscope of gin, peas, sage and more. On the right, the Suspiria combines aperol, basil, balsamic reduction and strawberries, amongst several other ingredients, to create a sweet-smelling concoction that is not too sweet (my current drink dictation).
Craving a caprese salad? Get the Panzanella. It has the ingredients you want, and more, all piled onto a savory piece of pagnotta toast.
I’m not one for fried cheese, so this was an accidental order (I need to start reading the fine print on menus) but this Bocconcini was the most sophisticated fried cheese I’ve ever had. If fried cheese is your jam, try this.
Carbonara was calling me so strongly that I ordered the Mezze Maniche, even though my hot date had already called dibs. Major food blogger no no! However, no regrets, it was delish. Although if I could change one thing, I’d want the plate served with the egg yolk on top of the pasta. There’s something so satisfying about mixing it yourself. However, I’m sure the chef at Cardinale believes he can stir it up better. The menu here is inspired by traditional Italian cooking methods, using a combo of local produce and imported Italian ingredients not readily available in Calgary. My tastebuds definitely deferred.
Dessert comes in decidedly large, decadent portions. To the Ricotta al Caffe (left) and the Gelato of dark chocolate, toasted hazelnut and salted pistachio, I recommend you say yes.
But this summer, if it ever comes, and if you happen to be watching your waistline, you almost don’t need to order dessert. This Chocolate Mousse Spritz (not to be confused with spritzer – that’s with wine) is just one of six new spritzes that Cardinale will introduce this summer. Maybe in June, maybe in July… whenever the weather gods choose to grace Calgary with a semblance of civilized temperatures. These cocktails will make Cowboys people-watching from the patio even more entertaining.
Don’t confuse Cardinale with that other YYC restaurant name that begins with C and ends in A-L-E, as someone I know may have done. And good to know: Happy Hour is Monday to Friday from 3 until 5. Because I see the need for more Sage Advice in my future!
Category Archives: Savor
Chef Noble’s New Catering Business
Chef Michael Noble has always been up new adventures. That was evident when he appeared on Iron Chef, when the show was still in Japanese, before any food channels existed. Now he’s bringing his decades of experience to a new venture. I spoke with him at the launch party for his catering business.
Hayden Block Whiskey Club, the 2018 Edition
When I was invited to Hayden Block’s launch party for their second annual Whiskey Club, how could I refuse the charming southern combo of bourbon and barbecue? As a precaution, I did all interviews before the tasting began. The Club starts March 6th and there’s still room left. Watch the story for allll the drinking details.
Wednesday Is The New Friday
Strolling Stephen Avenue, when a flash of pink neon catches your eye? Don’t pass by.
Instead, step inside The Wednesday Room, one of Calgary’s newest spots to dine and lounge. Fittingly, I visited on a Wednesday, only to discover a slightly secret mid-week all-day happy hour. Wine, cocktails and food discount delight. Breaking Blue Besos news: the word is now out.
Of course, in a place with a typewriter theme, words abound…
… including a particular proverb that was fairly neutral until Jack Nicholson’s penchant for it in The Shining made the phrase sinister enough to drive you to drink. 
First stop, the darling blue divans alongside the bar, where a pair of cocktails called my name. The Rose Colored Glasses (front) is sweet tooth’s dream come true, however, it is the one I chose to eschew.
It was the Up In Smoke that really spoke to me. That mezcal had a message.
And that message urged me to get some food in my belly, before the words became too blurry. The Wednesday Room has an extensive food menu, based on share plates, and two dining rooms, each with their own personality. The one downstairs may feel familiar, if you’ve ever happened upon a basement lounge frozen in fabulous time.
Just to be safe, there’s another bar down here too…
… stocked with every libation you can imagine.
But on to the food! Armed with my usual appetite, I ate too much to show it all in this post. But my favorites included the Ribeye Carpaccio, whose chili relish offered a special sweet zing.
A word of warning if you order the Pounded Prawns — the shape they arrive in defy expectations. But thankfully, not tastebuds. Delish.
As if that romp-worthy rug wasn’t enough, service comes with an extra flair at the Room. When Summer expressed concern that we weren’t eating the last Crunchy Rice Cake (are you kidding?? we wouldn’t spurn that final bite of tuna tartare — we were just taking a break) I caught sight of the poetry on her forearm. Summer was kind enough to translate the Arabic. “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” Yes, Sarah Williams, yes.
Sated on words and wonderful food, somehow we still managed to have room for dessert. The Churro came with dulce de leche ice cream and a side of cardamom hot chocolate. My hot date captured me diving into a delicious mess of dark chocolate mousse, brownie chunks, charred raspberry coulis and sponge toffee. Thanks for the photo, Maggie!
After dining downstairs, pause for a moment upon your departure, and look up for the stars you love so fondly. You may be gifted with a vision of the Calgary Tower, in an unpredictable place.
Worth Every Penny
After several delays courtesy of our beloved city permitting department, Two Penny Chinese is finally gracing the up-and-coming First Street foodie zone with its red door…
… followed by a rounder door inside. When I attended the media launch earlier this month, the new restaurant by Thank You Hospitality Management (of Native Tongues and Calcutta Cricket Club fame) was already attracting customers, without any advertising. Just an hour after I took this shot, every table was full.
I love me a good restaurant bar, and Two Penny’s gorgeous marble expanse didn’t disappoint. 
Neither did the cocktail that got the party started. A Pisco Disco, if you must know. Which is a gorgeous blend of pisco, tequila, rose liqueur, lemon and rhubarb bitters, for those not in the know. Including me, until I took the first sip.
Now for the food porn section! I’ve whittled my massive collection of photos from this menu-encompassing meal (we tried everything except the Stir Fried Whole Lobster) down to three. Seen here, the dumplings were divine. Just be careful biting into them… all that lovely liquid inside is ready to spill.
Order the Special Fried Rice and you will find a marrow-filled bone comes with it.
The Roast Half Duck came with milk buns and hoisin dipping sauce. At this point, I was too stuffed to do anything except admire the Lazy Susan. Which, after much googling from different devices around the table, we realized was not invented in Asia. Although it’s not totally clear if Thomas Jefferson or the Brits should get the cred, Chinese restaurants obviously own it. Making it even easier to overeat.
But wait, that’s not all. Two Penny Chinese comes with its own bar. Take the stairs down to the TeaHouse.
You don’t need to wait until after dinner to find the eye of the tiger in the TeaHouse. The basement bar comes with its own munchies menu.
In the interest of due diligence, I decided to bookend the beaujolais at dinner with another cocktail. The Forty Six & 2 was like nothing I’d ever tasted before. The concoction of mezcal, tequila, rosé, coffee and sichuan pepper had everything to do with it. Original delish.
Thank you Cody Willis for bringing another delectable dining-scape to the Calgary foodie scene. Future patrons take note: get there early. Reservations aren’t accepted.
Benchmark beefs up Modern Steak
When our favorite steakhouse in Kensington Village announced a new partnership with an Alberta hormone-free beef producer, they decided a press release wouldn’t cut it. Instead, Premium, the top bull in Canada, along with his lovely four-legged escort, rolled up up in prime style. Soon that name tag on his ear will be upgraded to match his new moniker: Benchmark Modern Steak.
Inside the VIP dining room at Modern Steak, third-generation cattle farmer Michael Munton explained why his business tagline is “Engineering Superior Beef.” Much of it is the marbling…
Michael whipped out his smartphone to show me Premium’s fat stats. Seen in the blue, the average bull in Canada has .39% fat, while Premium’s marbling (in the white) is a whopping 1.86%, making him worth every cent of the $75,000 Modern Steak paid for him. His value as a prime papa will turn a profit pretty darn quick. Mike tells me his stud fees are $30-55 bucks a straw. And Premium is prolific. He can produce 2700 of those units in a week.
But enough of the numbers… Modern Steak had a table of hungry media to feed.
The first course of the four-course menu was steak tartare, made with – you guessed it – Benchmark beef. And a surprising white wine pairing: Four Star Chardonnay, a delicious vanilla-scented offering from California’s central coast. Of course, no self-respecting food blogger would take a bite before taking a pic, like Irene Seto on the right. On the left, Avenue Editor Kathe Lemon politely waits to dive in.
The next course was ravioli, filled with Benchmark dry aged braised short ribs, ladled with mushroom consome, topped with adorable pickled himeji mushrooms and bubbling grand padano foam. The server tried in vain to get us to eat at peak foam, without pausing to take photos.
Overheard kitchen drama just before delivery of the third course: “These plates look like sh*t!” No, Gordon Ramsay was not in the kitchen. But yes, Modern Steak’s chef cares just as much.
However, the plates looked fantastic to Mr. Fab and the rest of the reporters. The Benchmark Angus prime grade ribeye was cooked to rare perfection.
Dessert was beef-free but equally delicious. Pavlova, a tonic bean meringue with fruit salad, lemon curd and dotted with basil mint gel, went well with the paired moscato, but I always enjoy a fine wine lineup to aid my consumption. Which was why I denied the server trying to take them away from me.
While the prized bovines relaxed before their trip back to Benchmark HQ in Warner, AB, Modern Steak owner Stephen Deere hinted at a new venture: Modern Burger. He was mum on the details, but perhaps a little bourbon will loosen his lips. Modern Steak and Benchmark will partner up again for the Official Jack Daniels Stampede Dinner on Tuesday, July 11.
BC Wine Inclined
Last night Chef Meets BC Grape bloomed in Calgary, transforming the staid scene of a Hyatt ballroom into a boozy bounty of bonhomie. BC wines have come a long way, baby, growing from just 17 grape wineries in 1990 to 278 today. Didja know the Okanagan Valley is warmer than Napa Valley, and gets two hours more sunlight per day during peak growing season? However, my mission was more flavonoid than factoid. Here’s my tasting report.
First, I sipped one of my fave blushes, Hush by Dirty Laundry. Light and summery, with a name that only adds to the satisfaction. Yes, I’m a word nerd.
Next, I moseyed over to the Haywire table, where a jauntily-named sparkling wine caught my eye. Crisp, fresh, and definitely not sweet, The Bub was a delightful discovery — and destined to be my prosecco replacement this sumer.
Then it was time to see what the Calgary foodie crew had on offer. Deane House’s bison terrines were delish, with designer books in the background to add to the ambience. 
The suggested pairing was with another vintner’s red, but I took my terrine straight to my all-time favorite BC red. Burrowing Owl just keeps getting better and better in the rouge department. If you really want to be a burrowing baller, ask for the Athene. None of their higher end blend was on hand, unforch. But I managed to make do with multiple tastes of their Merlot, Cab Franc and Syrah. Yeah!
Despite Duncan Ly’s departure for foreign pastures, Raw Bar brought their A-game to the event. Not only because of the automatic caviar qualification (Northern Divine lives up to its name), but also because their nori crusted steel head salmon bites were amaaaazing. See what I did there with all those As?
Finally, an unexpected swoon over a Chardonnay. Until now, I’ve never found a BC chard that blows my hair back, despite my fangirlness over Okanagan wines in general. But Culmina is a new blend, by experienced experts. The Triggs (of Jackson-Triggs) consider this to be a culmination of their life’s work. It’s complex and lovely, and expensive (retails for about $55). To which I say, Cheers!
Designing for Dining: Find the Sex in the Room
If you’ve been cooking three squares a day on the home front for the past few years, perhaps you haven’t noticed — Calgary has been caught up in a foodie revolution. A hot new eatery seems to open every month downtown, on 17th, in Inglewood or in other cool YYC hoods. And it’s not just culinary art that creates the experience — interior design is also a prime part of the food mood. So when I was invited to a panel discussion of four of Calgary’s busiest restaurant interior designers, moderated by Jennifer Hamilton of Avenue Magazine, I couldn’t resist.
Food x Design was held in The Loft by Amanda Hamilton, an intimate space at the Guardian Towers in Victoria Park. Packed with design fans, savvy PR specialist Lara Rogers found a spot on the stairs.
On the left, Amanda Hamilton, who recently did the interior of Native Tongues, told us she’d loved restaurants ever since she was an Earl’s girl. Kate Allen, center, known for her work on Bridgette Bar, Model Milk and Anju, said, “At the start of a project, the designer should be mostly listening.”
Talk quickly turned to costs. For everyone who likes to blame the designer for going crazy with expensive details, Amanda said, “I think designers get a bad rap for blowing budgets.”
On the right, Sarah Ward (Nash, Proof, Cluck and Cleaver) credited Chef Michael Noble for changing her financial outlook on design. “Prior to working with him as designer, I didn’t realize the impact of how my design affected the bottom line. You have to be careful of applied costs down the road.”
Sally Healy (pictured below), the designer behind Our Daily Brett and the now-shuttered Borgo Trattoria and Capo, was quick to chime in: “It affects us too. Cuz if they go broke like some of my restaurants have…”
Sally’s spicy quips kept the audience laughing, including Pizza Una and Ox’s bearded owner, Kelly Black.
The boldest of the bunch, Sally’s the type of designer who can make you believe in a project from sheer force of personality. One of her top priorities when starting a new design? “You have to decide where the sex in the room is.”
Although Sarah Ward had a cautious outlook on design costs before the engineers weigh in (“We don’t know what it costs until we know what it costs,”) Sally disagreed.
“Once a client gives their wish list, I do have a pretty good idea of what it’s going to cost.”
Practical words from a woman in purple-accented platform shoes. Love it!
Bridgette Bar Begins
On the corner of 7th Street and 10th Avenue SW, under the benevolent gaze of MacLean and Partners, a new “chef-driven” bar has opened, as their website proclaims. Which, I suspect, is a different way of saying restaurant. I support an original turn of phrase, but sly semantics aren’t needed for a sunny spotlight. Bridgette Bar is bound to shine, far above the eatery herd. Read on to see for yourself.
I was delighted to be invited to an opening day exclusive sneak peek to sample a wide selection from the dinner menu. It was hard to tear myself away from the earthenware-encased watercress and charred beet salad… 
… and the excellent conversation at our table, in order to capture the moment, along with entrancing design details. But as faithful readers of Blue Besos know, I never shy from flexing my blog biceps in the name of naming the new It Place. And Bridgette Bar, the latest brainchild of the Concorde Group, could be It.
Despite the casual striped napkins and friendly flora, this private dining table is destined for VIPs. The sum of Bridgette’s namesake font choice, the macrame, even the menu items give it a 70s ski lodge vibe…
… yet the airy loft space of the former Montauk store will take Bridgette from winter through to motorcycle season with ease.
If the penultimate Pink Pompadour isn’t your style (although pisco, st. germain, pink grapefruit, lime and peychauds are cerainly mine) the cocktail menu has a lengthy list of reasonably priced wines, beers and bubbles. Along with several other drinks sure to boost Uber’s 2.0 in YYC.
Bridgette Bar is now open to the public, with a tempting Christmas treat: 50% off your bill from 2-5pm, during the month of December. Welcome to the Design District, Bridgette! See you again soon.
Brunch at the Block
Looking for brunch ideas this weekend? Look no further than Hayden Block. Even if you wake up at 2pm on Saturday or Sunday. Because they serve brunch until 3.
Hayden Block Smoke and Whiskey is housed in – you guessed it – the Hayden Block heritage building on one of the cutest blocks in Kensington. 
The weather wasn’t warm enough to grab a spot outside this time around, but those heat lamps could mean an early al fresco spring.
I’ll be honest. Texas-style barbecue is not normally my style. We found a sunny table by the window, and I prepared to be underwhelmed. However. The Eggs Benny arrived perfectly soft, atop a giant portion of pulled pork, with a subtle Hollandaise sauce. Tastebuds. Invigorated. In fact, this just might be my favorite benny in Calgary. I even ate all the potatoes, which I never do. They were excellent on their own, but the choices of three barbecue sauces at the table didn’t hurt.
The next plate was even more exciting. With whipped cream, blueberry compote and a big mound of meat, the buttermilk waffles were a taste collision that was delicious. By the way that sweet meat was a carne-val of candied burnt ends.
If I could change one thing at Hayden Block, I’d up the ante with the Caesar. Not that it was bad, mind you. But everything else we tried was so powerfully palatable, I was craving a little more wham, bam, clamato ma’am! Still, I managed to quaff two without any real issues. Excellent brunch, Hayden Block. I’ll be back!