Britannia’s Elbow Room Could Be Calgary’s Next Brunch Hot Spot
The brunch menu includes Lige Belgian waffles and a forest mushroom fricassee. You can also try the mix of small share plates and more traditionally plated entrees at lunch and dinner.
Photograph by Jared Sych
Not to be confused with the Elbow Room Lounge in the Glenmore Inn, this Elbow Room is a new restaurant in increasingly trendy Britannia. The two-storey restaurant features a sunny main-floor dining room with an open kitchen, plus an upstairs bar with a walkout patio. Chef and owner Ryan Blackwell leans to a selection of items described as “simple and delicious” that draw influence from various cultures while using local products.
A mix of small share plates and more traditionally plated entrees, the aim is to make everyone from the nearby neighbourhood feel comfortable when they’re ordering. Traditionalists can opt for steelhead trout or Sungold lamb T-bones, while new-school eaters may share a plate of fried chicken with Blackwell’s signature ultra-fluffy Lige Belgian waffles.
Where Elbow Room really stands out is with its brunch menu, which Blackwell has tried to distinguish from diner-style pancakes ‘n’ omelettes fare. With sophisticated offerings like a forest-mushroom fricassee, a Moroccan stew with merguez meatballs and a sausage-and-roasted-pork-loin bread pudding, this could be a game changer for the brunch scene.
802 49 Ave. S.W., 403-460-8128, elbowroombritannia.ca
Photograph by Jared Sych
The sunny main-floor dining room at Elbow Room.
Photograph by Jared Sych
Elbow Room was designed by Sarah Ward Interiors.
Photograph by Jared Sych
Grab a seat here to see some of the action in the open kitchen.
Photograph by Jared Sych
There’s also an upstairs bar with a walkout patio.
Photograph by Jared Sych
Photograph by Jared Sych
When you order the Lige Belgian waffles at Elbow Room, you can also get toppings like white chocolate rose water, salted caramel, maple syrup, milk chocolate or orange marmalade.
Photograph by Jared Sych
The forest mushroom fricassee features mushroom ragout, poached eggs, fingerling potatoes, dill arugula salad and sourdough bread.