Calgary Food, coffee, etc.

[*Stardust*]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

This place:
https://goo.gl/maps/Y8gF6QqE72Q2
is going to be a Bakery/cafe. Can't remember the name, I ride by it every day, it starts with an "A" I think...They have been working at it for awhile, probably pouring tonnes of money into it for some reason. That space just never does well. I can't imagine this succeeding.

Poor Eau Claire. Such a beautiful part of the city, yet it never succeeds.
I don't see it surviving either.

[Surrealplaces]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Spice Cafe. I think Sahara before that. I forgot that was the old Señor Frog's! Sooo long ago....

Used to also be a Greek place there...Oresti's (sp?) Even before Senor Frog's

[Harju]

Originally Posted by *Stardust*

Poor Eau Claire. Such a beautiful part of the city, yet it never succeeds.
I don't see it surviving either.

The two businesses that were there before the bakery did okay. However, one was a local bar/grill that evolved into night club that was, I think, shut down for drug and gang activity. The last tenant was a live heavy music venue/bar that shook the neighbourhood too many times which was enough to get the zoning changed.

The bottom of the building was Sahara, Mirchi and now Spice 7. There might have been something between Sahara and Mirchi but I cannot remember. Mirchi added a hooka lounge that became a gang hangout and had a shooting. It was replaced with Spice 7 (same owners I believe).

I agree that the bakery/cafe may have a hard go of it.

[Fuzz]

It is called Alforno. Payed attention this time!

https://twitter.com/alfornobakery

Part of Teatro...interesting. Wonder if they know something we don't...Would be nice to bring some life to that end of the river though.

[Spring2008]

John Gilchrist: The year ahead in Calgary restaurants

JOHN GILCHRIST, FOR THE CALGARY HERALD
More from John Gilchrist, for the Calgary Herald
Published on: January 1, 2016 | Last Updated: January 3, 2016 9:38 AM

2015 was a huge year for restaurant openings and culinary happenings in and around Calgary. The year ahead will likely be a bit quieter — restaurant openings often come in cycles — but we have some tasty things to look forward to. Here are a few highlights.

1. First out of the gate will be Darren MacLean’s Shokunin at 2016 4th St. S.W. MacLean, who previously owned and cooked at Downtownfood, has spent time in Japan studying culinary techniques and will bring these ideas to the restaurant-heavy Mission district. Shokunin will open early this month.

2. Calgary will see the first Canadian outlets of Blaze Pizza early in the New Year. They call it “Fast-Fired Custom Built Artisanal Pizza,” a style that allows the customer to order top-quality ingredients that are baked into pizzas in three minutes. Look for locations popping up in Sunridge and in Mission. (The Mission location will be in the same building as Shokunin.)

3. One of the hot trends for 2016 is fried chicken. And who better to open a fried chicken shop than Top Chef competitor Nicole Gomes in tandem with her sister Francine. Their new fried- and rotisserie-chicken takeout joint has the enticing name of Cluck’n’Cleaver and a menu of high-quality, fast-casual dishes. Look for C’n’C at 1511 14th St. S.W. soon.

4. Market, the fine 17th Avenue restaurant, will open a retail outlet in the Calgary Farmers’ Market in January. We’ll be able to take home many of their products from pickled carrots to hand-crafted chocolates.

5. Phil & Sebastian will launch a line of cascara cocktails in their Simmons Building location, using the skins (cascara) of coffee beans. Popular in coffee-growing countries and a growing trend in North America, cascara brings yet another nuance to the world of coffee.

6. Also in the Simmons Building, Charbar’s rooftop restaurant will gain its own identity this year. When the snow melts and the umbrellas come out, we’ll see a menu distinct from Charbar’s and a new name — Rooftop at The Simmons.

7. Duncan Ly, former executive chef at Hotel Arts and the Kensington Riverside Inn, is working on his own Contemporary-Vietnamese-Pan-Asian concept that he hopes to open by mid-2016. Located somewhere in the city centre, the name will be La Vong.

8. Airport dining will receive a huge upgrade when the new International Terminal opens later this year. Included in the mix will be local favourites Vin Room, Spolumbo’s, Green Chili and Hana Sushi among the eighteen confirmed food outlets. Also, look for a Wolfgang Puck restaurant plus the first airport location for Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, a Belgian Beer cafe and a Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut outlet.

9. In addition to the airport itself, dining in the area north of the airport should improve with the opening of a number of hotels. Tonic Kitchen+Bar is already open in the Clique Hotel as is Pacini in the Acclaim (for a couple years now). Look for more food outlets to spring up here as the airport district grows.

10. Garth Brown, the mastermind behind Test Kitchen, will be back with a new concept in a new location shortly. This time Test Kitchen will showcase the talents of young, emerging chefs not only in a restaurant setting but in a television format as a series of eight shows will be taped.

Brown is also working on a series of pop-up restaurants in Hong Kong and Australia to be followed by repeat performances here in Calgary. Look for more on the new Test Kitchen project early in the New Year.

11. Oliver & Bonacini, the large Toronto restaurant group, has signed chef Ryan O’Flynn, the reigning Canadian Culinary Champion, to play a major part in the development of the new food services operations at The Bay Downtown. Construction dust should be flying soon.

12. An icon of the 1980s — 10 Foot Henry — makes a return in 2016 in a different form. The cartoon mascot of a former club and One Yellow Rabbit has been resurrected as a Mediterranean restaurant under the vision of restaurateur couple Steve Smee and Aja Lapointe. Look for Henry — all 3.048 metres of him — at 1209 1st St. S.W., soon.

13. Following a flood closure, Norma Jean and Kai Salimaki’s The Block will reopen by the end of January. During the reconstruction, the owners have built a new menu and added an all-day breakfast. The Block is at 2411 4th St. N.W.

14. After a busy 2015 opening Eighth Avenue Trattoria (E.A.T.) and refurbishing Vendome, the Teatro Group will continue to be active this year. Their Alforno bakery is slated to open in February.

15. Mhairi O’Donnell, owner of The Loop, is in the process of shifting her Grate & Barrel grilled cheese cafe from Mission to 17th Avenue S.W. Expect it to open early in the New Year in the former Nellie’s Cosmic Cafe at 1001 17th Avenue S.W with perhaps a slightly different name. (Apparently there’s a similarly named housewares store that doesn’t like her choice of words.)

16. Construction paper and hoarding are up at the former Melrose spot in the 700 Block of 17th Avenue S.W. The east section should become Trolley Five brew pub sometime this year and we wait for a new concept to appear in the former Corbeaux spot.

http://calgaryherald.com/life/food/j...ry-restaurants

[DizzyEdge]

Can anyone recommend a place to go for coffee and dessert in Calgary or within a 30 min drive of Calgary?

[Fuzz]

Alforno Bakery is open yesterday and this morning. Didn't stop in as I was riding by on the cycle track(and probably nothing I can eat there anyway) but it looked nice and open and bright.

Lots of pics on their twitter.
https://twitter.com/alfornobakery

[UofC.engineer]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Alforno Bakery is open yesterday and this morning. Didn't stop in as I was riding by on the cycle track(and probably nothing I can eat there anyway) but it looked nice and open and bright.

Lots of pics on their twitter.
https://twitter.com/alfornobakery

Looks good! I think I'm going to check it out this weekend. Hopefully the bakery does well in that location, that area of downtown seems like a dead zone.

[Innersoul1]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Alforno Bakery is open yesterday and this morning. Didn't stop in as I was riding by on the cycle track(and probably nothing I can eat there anyway) but it looked nice and open and bright.

Lots of pics on their twitter.
https://twitter.com/alfornobakery

Rusty was there on Monday. He had an enjoyable experience and said that the Porchetta sandwich was to die for. The space is gorgeous. I can't believe it was the place (Senor Frogs) where I used to do all of my underage drinking back in the day.

[MalcolmTucker]

If the Inglewood Dominos looked like this would people still complain? https://www.flickr.com/photos/746241...in/photostream

Can't embed on this Apple device.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

If the Inglewood Dominos looked like this would people still complain? https://www.flickr.com/photos/746241...in/photostream

Can't embed on this Apple device.

Yes, because they're mostly complaining about it being a chain store.

[alantvuong]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Yes, because they're mostly complaining about it being a chain store.

according to the Carl's JR website where you sign up for emails, the new 2 locations coming to Calgary are 32nd ave NE and Stampede Station SE

[artvandelay]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Yes, because they're mostly complaining about it being a chain store.

Damn hipsters!

Originally Posted by alantvuong

according to the Carl's JR website where you sign up for emails, the new 2 locations coming to Calgary are 32nd ave NE and Stampede Station SE

Great news! I've been wanting to try Carl's Jr. but haven't been bothered to drive up to 16th yet. I wonder if they are taking a CRU in Alura.

[Spring2008]

Earls on Stephen Ave is being rebranded to an Earls67 and opening back up in June. New coffee place on 17th ave opening called Philosafy. After you're done eating can burn some calories a what's soon to be north America's largest rowing centre on 17th ave called Row17.

https://www.instagram.com/row_17/

[McMurph]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

After you're done eating can burn some calories a what's soon to be north America's largest rowing centre on 17th ave called Row17.

I suspect in about 6 months we'll all be able to get an awesome deal on slightly used second-hand rowing machines.

[woychukb]

Originally Posted by artvandelay

Damn hipsters!



Great news! I've been wanting to try Carl's Jr. but haven't been bothered to drive up to 16th yet. I wonder if they are taking a CRU in Alura.

That's an interesting one. I'm wondering if LoungeBurger is closing? That building is Stampede Station and it would seem odd to have Carls Jr. right next to another burger place. I'd love to see it in Alura though - I live in that building and am a bit frustrated by the vacant retail spaces.

[Innersoul1]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Earls on Stephen Ave is being rebranded to an Earls67 and opening back up in June. New coffee place on 17th ave opening called Philosafy. After you're done eating can burn some calories a what's soon to be north America's largest rowing centre on 17th ave called Row17.

https://www.instagram.com/row_17/

Sweet! We could all do to be a little more like Frank Underwood!

Credit: Fitnesstown.ca blog

[Electrical Storm]

Originally Posted by Innersoul1

Sweet! We could all do to be a little more like Frank Underwood!

Credit: Fitnesstown.ca blog

Those machines are stunning. AFAIK they retailed from $1,600 for the base model a few years ago.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by Spring2008

Earls on Stephen Ave is being rebranded to an Earls67 and opening back up in June. New coffee place on 17th ave opening called Philosafy. After you're done eating can burn some calories a what's soon to be north America's largest rowing centre on 17th ave called Row17.

https://www.instagram.com/row_17/

Any idea where this will be located?

[Me&You]

Originally Posted by McMurph

I suspect in about 6 months we'll all be able to get an awesome deal on slightly used second-hand rowing machines.

Originally Posted by Electrical Storm

Those machines are stunning. AFAIK they retailed from $1,600 for the base model a few years ago.

Yeah, the water rowers aren't actually that expensive.

Not sure if McMurph was joking, but I doubt we'll be seeing a glut of rowers on the market in 6 months.

For one thing, Calgarians gobble up new fitness trends like no where else in Canada; I have no doubt there will be enough people who will give rowing a try (if only 'cause "it's cool").

Secondly, and most importantly, the economics of these fitness class places are insane. I mean cash cows. Like, cash flow like a m-f'er.

Anyways, I think they'll be ok...