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.
When Saks asked if I’d like to join the media tour two days before the Calgary location opens, of course I said, I’m in! Literally. Please enjoy my video tour… just a little longer than a New York minute. That’s a Fifth Avenue reference, folks. Meanwhile, my Manhattan zip code game is strong. (The video explains what I’m talking about). If I do say so myself!
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.
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.
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!
It’s never too early to start kickin’ it Western style in Calgary. Besides, chucks fans will be filling those grandstands in two shakes of a thoroughbred’s tail. So may I recommend the pre-distressed Geneva bootie, by Musse & Cloud, to get you in the hootin’ and hollerin’ mood?
If you haven’t heard of them, Musse & Cloud is a boutique European brand, inspired by bohemian silhouettes. The soft burnished leather and padded insoles ensure instant comfort for your feet. And the boho chic factor easily translates to style moments beyond Stampede. Coachella, anyone?
Feel like kicking it up a notch? The Millie meets all requirements for sophisticated big city style. Personally, I’m riveted. 
And, always helpful if you’re Canadian, and you feel obliged to kick off your heels every time you step inside, these Spanish suede booties make it easy to do with a heel zipper.
Check ’em out here... and guess what? They’re having a sale.
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.
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!
When you’re celebrating the addition two new planes to the private, friendly skies, why be subtle? “Cocktails and Jets” read the invitation, speaking the language of party destiny. Canapes could only be a bonus.
But it got better. President and COO James Elian invited me aboard a shiny new Embraer Legacy 450, the latest luxury addition to AirSprint’s aviation fleet. A full-fledged teenager, AirSprint just celebrated its 16th anniversary providing fractional jet ownership (don’t call it a timeshare) in Canada.
Surrounded by tiger wood paneling and creamy leather, I immediately asked the most unoriginal question I could: “What’s the strangest request you’ve ever gotten from a client?”
James, obviously an old hand at interviews, told me a passenger once wanted their jet supplied with half a dozen chocolate chip cookies. Each with six chips.
The story sounded suspiciously ready for prime time, but I was distracted by my ability to stand in wedge heels — without my hair grazing the ceiling. That, said James, is because the cabin is 6 feet tall and 6’10” wide. With seats that stretch out for snoozing, as long as you don’t mind playing footsie with the person across from you.
Meanwhile, this intrepid reporter moved on to more intense, investigative questions. Like… does the loo have a view?
And is the sink better than the ones in most apartments? Yes and yes. Important things to consider if you’re taking the jet to Palm Beach, because, my polo friends, this plane can get you there, direct from Calgary. Or to the Bahamas. Or to Cancun. However, if you want to say aloha to Maui with the Legacy 450, you’ll need to gas up in Vancouver. Or Oakland.
Outside the aircraft, the hangar was a hotbed for high style, exemplified by marketing connoisseur Britni Weston and Avenue cover girl and creative agency head Sharie Hunter.
Jory Kinjo and co went to the mile-high limit to provide the soaring tunes.
The party was also a launch pad for AirSprint’s new CJ3+, but a nearby Aston Martin received more lustful looks.
No need to worry about parking… 
… or legroom on the 450, either in the cabin or the cockpit. I couldn’t resist giving the 450 an imaginary test drive. This is your captain speaking: Congratulations on your new jets, AirSprint!