Find Dining: August 09

Room Service  
Going on eight years, The Living Room has become a local favourite for exceptional food, known for its popular “Shaft” drink and a prime patio to see-and-be-seen on 17th Avenue.

Plus, its “interactive cuisine” encourages diners to enjoy the social aspect of eating and sharing. Start off with a brie and roasted-garlic strudel with red currant and rosemary jelly ($12), a seafood trio (tuna tartare, house-made salmon gravlox and lemongrass snow crab claw, $19) or a black truffle-and-aged white cheddar fondue ($27).

For entrees, try the Opal Valley lamb shank with buttered spinach linguine ($26), or the whole-roasted free-run chicken in a lemon, garlic and fresh herb marinade ($51). A chef’s menu surprise — a six-course meal — can also be prepared to the kitchen’s whims and seasonal ingredients ($90). Save room for the Bernard Callebaut chocolate fondue ($10 per person).

The cozy and laid-back ambience is well suited for dates, get-togethers with friends and even business lunches. And late-night eaters can rejoice — it is open until midnight seven days a week. (514 17 Ave. S.W., 403-228-9830)

A Noble Cause
Bringing together local and global influences, Flatiron Restaurant and Bar is named after the historic building in Manhattan and features a menu concept designed by top Canadian chef Michael Noble (Catch, Earls).

For à la carte appetizers, the Moroccan lamb quesadilla ($12.50), Thai sweet potato and chicken soup ($6.95) or ahi tuna pizza with wasabi and togarashi mayo ($12.95) are good segues into the meal. Fill your greens quotient with an artisan salad ($12.95) and choose from “steak” (8-oz. AAA New York, $27.95; 6-oz. AAA beef tenderloin, $28.95) and “non-steak” (roasted chicken breast, $20.95; bison short rib pasta, $17.95) mains.

All the steak cuts are hand-selected and custom-cut for the restaurant and shipped fresh overnight, so they’re never frozen, and topped with your choice of four house-made sauces: béarnaise, grainy mustard browned butter, cabernet thyme jus and creamy peppercorn.

The swanky dining room exudes a cool club vibe with its secluded booths, two-sided horizontal fireplace and red-and-black scheme, making it a good alternative not far from downtown. (2493 27 Ave. N.E., 403-266-4780)

Getting Fresh
Housed in a new multi-level building with its own underground parkade (and elevator that takes you right to the dining room), O Restaurant is the latest spot to join Marda Loop’s eclectic mix of eateries. With no separation between dining room and bar, the result is a sleek lounge setting for tasty cocktails, wine and market-fresh global cuisine — with the emphasis on fresh. Ingredients are made from scratch daily, including made-to-order, hand-tossed pizza dough (margherita, $12), pasta created from fine semolina flour, Rocky Mountain spring water and farm-fresh eggs (chicken tetrazzini, $14) and salads tossed with hydroponic greens (Tijuana caesar salad, $12).

Appetizers include buttermilk-marinated O rings ($6) and panko-dusted calamari with spicy Japanese mayo ($10). Follow up with sweet chili glazed ribs with daikon coleslaw ($21), a house-brined turkey clubhouse ($16) or organic king salmon with seared polenta, roasted red pepper sauce and market vegetables ($22). Depending on how much you eat prior, the taster-size dessert cups ($3 each) can be a mixed blessing. (2018 33 Ave. S.W., 403-249-0605)