Royale Now Open for Lunch

10 / 29 / 1811 / 13 / 18

Stepping inside Royale for lunch is like stepping into an oasis, not just because the noise from the seemingly permanent 17th Avenue construction is mercifully muted once the door shuts behind you. It’s the decor, the trees and all that natural light from above. Royale has been serving dinner since late 2017. Why did they wait so long to launch lunch?

Maybe it was because they wanted to make sure it was done right. Which, in my books, means a wine list that includes Whispering Angel rosé. Check. May I recommend the Artisan Green Salad to go with? The chevre makes these greens feel decadent, not diet.I followed with the Grilled Chinook Salmon, but it was a tough choice. The menu offered many items that justified a second glass of Whispering Angel.Take a moment to digest the view of the zinc-topped bar in Paris brasserie style. When Corbeaux Bakehouse, the restaurant formerly in this space, suddenly shut down after just one year sprucing up 17th, Teatro Group swooped in to expand its collection of Calgary comestible offerings to seven. In case you missed the Corbeaux moment, and still need your bearings, the restaurant is in the old Melrose location. Which I don’t miss. The ol’ renowned Melrose patio is now even better, with tiered levels to people-watch with discretion. If the construction stops in time for next summer, it will be an excellent place to rosé all day.

Meanwhile, back to our luscious lunch. Save room for foodie feed-worthy tiramisu. If you’re a dedicated copy consumer and you’ve read this far, I must stress: you can’t hear the construction when you’re inside. Go to Royale now, before the rest of the culinary crowds are in on the secret.

All photos except #2 courtesy of the amazing Maggie Keeper.

Have a Cocktail for Charity

10 / 25 / 18

It’s not even Halloween yet, but I’m going to go there: are you ready for the holiday season? Don’t be disgruntled by my jumping the gun — my mention is motivated by a good cause… and a good drink.

Meet the beverage that gives back: Smokey the Pear. A swirling of spiced pear juice made in-house, spiced bitters, white rum, Cointreau, yuzu and egg white, every purchase of this concoction will provide $1 toward Closer to Home’s Adopt-A-Family program in Calgary.

Sip this smokeshow November 1 through December 15 to feel good about your seasonal swilling. At the Wednesday Room on Stephen Avenue. Cheers!

Wednesday Is The New Friday

1 / 23 / 181 / 23 / 18

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.

Dessert at The Wednesday Room by Maggie Keeper — Courtesy of Super Pro Photog Maggie Keeper

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.

Venus in Fur Opening Night

9 / 14 / 1410 / 9 / 14

Calgary’s downpour last Friday made the normally buzzing Stephen Avenue a desolate place. Perfect for the opening night of Venus in Fur, presented by Alberta Theatre Projects!From the nosebleed section on the Martha Cohen Theatre, aka Tier 2, I had a wonderful view of the stage. Even the cheap seats are fab in this room.… although the leg room is a little tight. But I forgot about my knees jammed up against the railing as soon as the lights went down. Plus you’re allowed to drink during the performance. Although alcohol wasn’t required to make things interesting — I was riveted. Promoted by a saucy photo of a woman in thigh-high boots held up by garters, you expect this provocative play to be purely about pleasure and punishment. But it ends up being much more complex and intriguing, and will get you talking about a multiple of social issues beyond sex, to gender politics. The cadence of theatrical delivery makes it easy to watch. Just when it starts to get really serious, there’s a comic break that cuts the tension. Actors Tim Campbell and Amanda Lisman accept a champagne toast after the premiere, with Artistic Director Vanessa Porteous behind them. Apologies, Amanda , for catching you on the way to a blink and obscuring your baby blues. Not only is she beautiful, her performance, switching between wildly different characters, was thrilling. Go see this play!Afterwards, we stopped in to the new-ish Chicago Chophouse, next door to the theater complex, across from the skating rink (which, I’m pleased to say, despite our snowstorm last week, is still in liquid form). They didn’t balk at our 10:30 pm arrival, and we proceeded to have a fantastic meal. A surprising Caesar salad — the lettuce seemed more bibb than romaine — was light and lovely, with strips of The Best Bacon I’ve Ever Had alongside. Filet mignon was served a perfect medium rare.

Even though it was Friday night, the place was kind of empty. Although I think the cavernous heritage room in the Burns Building (no relation, unfortunately) would be hard to energize even if the restaurant was jammed. I humbly suggest filling the empty white walls with murals, Ayn Rand style. Chicago Chophouse has a cool Art Deco thing going on, but it’s not quite there. Although the decor was the perfect backdrop for our formal black attire.