Calgary Dining Trends: The Past 15 Years

High-profile Chefs
Once upon a time, kitchen crews wore anonymous whites and rarely appeared in the dining room. Today, chefs have public relations staff and brightly lit, open kitchens like those at Centini and Divino, where their skills are on view for all to see. Many chefs, including a raft of talented young Canadians, are bringing more personality to their plates.

Wine
Since the privatization of the liquor store industry in Alberta in 1993, the number of wines available has exploded. So it was only logical that wine bars such as Vin Room and AKA Wine Bar (709 Edmonton Tr. N.E., 403-984-7534) would become a huge trend, and that corkage — the option to bring our own wine, sometimes for free, sometimes for a charge — has gained traction during recessionary times.

Irish Pubs & Sushi Bars
A few years back, it seemed every new place that opened was either an Irish pub, such as the James Joyce, or a sushi bar, such as Blowfish. Although at opposite ends of the culinary spectrum, the two cuisine styles captured the public’s desire for casual dining that included homey comforts or a simple touch of the exotic.

Asian Noodles
Not just pasta anymore, noodles from Vietnam, China, Japan, Thailand and other Asian countries are filling bowls, plates and stomachs across Calgary. They’re quick, they’re filling, they’re tasty and they’re cheap. Up next: fast Japanese ramen noodle houses like Muku (326 14 St. N.W., 403-283-6555).

Prix Fixe Menus
Choose an appetizer, a main course and a dessert from a limited, but tasty prix fixe menu and enjoy a meal — like the Sunday Supper at Brava Bistro — for a set price. Many restaurants have recently added this option as a cost-effective way, both for the customer and for the restaurant, to present a meal. It makes splitting the bill at the end of the night easier, too.

High-end Dining
Fine dining was once the domain of hotels and private clubs, but now independent restaurants such as Rush and The Belvedere have gone after the top slice of well-heeled clients by offering deluxe service and menus, private rooms, wine lockers, valet parking and other creature comforts.

Multiculturalism
One of the best ways to learn about a culture is through its food. In Calgary, we have so many of the world’s cuisines, there’s not always a lot of each one, but at least they’re here, from the Portuguese food at Mimo to the Persian at Atlas (100, 1000 9 Ave. S.W., 403-230-0990). Trying new cuisines broadens our horizons and palates, and is one of the best parts of eating out.

Contemporary Cuisines
Many traditional cuisines have been updated with contemporary kitchen techniques and global ingredients. In addition, young chefs are creating new dishes by combining European and Asian approaches, using local foods and looking at Canadian ingredients in a whole new way. (Check out Rouge, Chef’s Table and Mango Shiva.)

Coffee & Tea
Around the year 2000, coffee houses started to increasingly appear with organic, temperature-controlled, latte-arted, fair-traded, shade-grown, micro-roasted, cat-ingested brew. Nomenclature aside, places such as Kawa, Phil & Sebastian and Bumpy’s make a great cup of joe, as do old-timers like Caffe Beano (1613 9 St. S.W., 403-229-1232) and The Roasterie (314 10 St. N.W. 403-270-3304.) And let us not forget the selection of fine teas like we’ve ever seen before at spots like The Naked Leaf and Steeps.

Baking
It’s not like we have a great bakery on every corner (yet), but bakers such as Manuel Latruwe have added much to the bread and pastry scene, as have bakeries like Brûlée and Nectar. The groundbreaking Decadent Desserts continues to stay up there with the leaders. And we can’t deny the amazing popularity of cupcakes in all their iced glory as seen by the success of Crave and Buttercream both dedicated to this specialty.

Tip and Tax
Tips used to be a small token of appreciation for good service. And tax? Not in Alberta! But now, combined, they’ve become a hefty whack of obligatory charges, especially for group functions. And if you think the 15 to 20 percent is substantial here, try some cities south of the border where 30 to 35 percent is the norm. Ouch!

Outdoor Dining
We love our outdoor seating, and restaurateurs are constantly finding new ways to increase seating and lengthen summer (gas heaters — yes!). It wasn’t long ago that we couldn’t really sit outside, especially if we wanted a drink. Heaven forbid someone should spy you sipping a brew outdoors. (It was illegal to drink alcohol outside in Alberta until 1980.)

Upscale Downscale
The diner has returned with a new menu of former greasy spoon items that have gone uptown. Try Avenue Diner and Diner Deluxe for a taste of new diner cuisine, like maple-fried oatmeal, or mac ’n’ cheese with sundried tomatoes and basil pesto.

Vegetarian Dining
More and more folks are switching to a vegetarian diet or eating vegetarian more often, so places such as The Coup have found a niche for their fare, and cuisines such as Ethiopian (Marathon, 130 10 St. N.W., 403-283-6796) and Lebanese (Aida’s) have found loads of fans for their veggie-focused foods.

Local, Seasonal and Organic Food
The Slow Food movement has raised awareness about how our food is produced. We’re increasingly eating local, seasonal and organic ingredients. We like the idea of supporting local producers, and food from close to home just tastes better, too.