Calgary Food, coffee, etc. - Page 132

polishavenger · #**2621** Posted **Dec 10, 2010, 5:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danma

In other news, I went to lunch at Sushi Zipang in Bridgeland today. It was faboo!

Dan

They are pretty good, a touch pricey for what you get (I live across the street from them, very convenient for take out). If you are an avid Sushi fan, I would direct you to globe fish, easily my favorite.

polishavenger · #**2622** Posted **Dec 10, 2010, 5:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty van Reddick

Speaking of Red Mile- handwritten sign on door said "closed until April" (which sucks if you wanted Kumpir); but yesterday there was one of those landlord letters on the door... looks like another one on that strip bites the dust; three empty storefronts, by far the worst shape that complex has been in since I've lived in Calgary.

Thats probably a result of the very high rents they were able to get out of new tenants during the boom, which I imagine now are very burdensome with the slow down.

freeweed · #**2623** Posted **Dec 10, 2010, 6:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rusty van Reddick

Interesting discussion on chowhound the other day: Sushi Motto had a $20 for $50 of sushi deal on Deal of the Day (red flag deals' groupon type site) and they sold more than 4000. Some of us are concerned how a resto can survive this sort of "success." They are selling more than $200,000 worth of food for $80,000- and a chunk of that $80,000 goes to red flag. How do restos make money with these things? Drinks?

Make it up with volume? This worked in the dot-com era...

Seriously though, it's just an indication of insanely high markups. Plenty of retail operates this way too. The Winnipegger in me still whispers "never pay full price for anything". It's a way of life for an entire city, and somehow businesses still survive.

freeweed · #**2624** Posted **Dec 10, 2010, 6:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

Great, now there's a bona fide latte lifter in city hall..

You win the Internets for today.

Danma · #**2625** Posted **Dec 10, 2010, 11:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by polishavenger

They are pretty good, a touch pricey for what you get (I live across the street from them, very convenient for take out). If you are an avid Sushi fan, I would direct you to globe fish, easily my favorite.

Globefish has some pretty cool rolls and temaki, but for nigiri Zipang is tops in my books. I respect a sushi place that won't serve me toro if they don't have any worth serving...

Just talking about sushi make me

polishavenger · #**2626** Posted **Dec 10, 2010, 11:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danma

Globefish has some pretty cool rolls and temaki, but for nigiri Zipang is tops in my books. I respect a sushi place that won't serve me toro if they don't have any worth serving...

Just talking about sushi make me

I think I know where Im going for dinner tonight. I would also put globefish ahead in terms of nigiri as well, but both places are great. Comes down to preference really.

If you want something thats decent, and a good price, I would check out Ichiban on macleod and 42nd.

Ramsayfarian · #**2627** Posted **Dec 11, 2010, 12:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by polishavenger

I think I know where Im going for dinner tonight. I would also put globefish ahead in terms of nigiri as well, but both places are great. Comes down to preference really.

If you want something thats decent, and a good price, I would check out Ichiban on macleod and 42nd.

I find Globefish a bit over rated. Last time I tried Ichiband it was comparable to mall sushi. Went to my old stand-by Sushi Hibiki in Bridgeland. They had some really good Toro.

My buddy and I made pigs out of ourselves and the tab was only $42. I've heard of others not having good service there, but I've never had bad service or bad food there.

Rusty van Reddick · #**2628** Posted **Dec 11, 2010, 5:03 AM**

Danma, the best nigiri I've had in Calgary is at O Shima, and for December (or at least the next while), most nigiri is $1. Not toro but most items. The pieces are a tad smaller (I think) than usual but it's still an amazing deal for the most elegant nigiri, IMHO, in town.

ginsberg · #**2629** Posted **Dec 12, 2010, 2:23 AM**

best sushi in the city is Sushi Club in Kensington. By far. Everywhere else is just okay in comparison, IMO. You pay for it though. Globefish is incredibly overrated.

Rusty van Reddick · #**2630** Posted **Dec 12, 2010, 5:30 PM**

Sushi Club has its good and bad points. The room is awful. Nigiri is usually superb and you can get some pretty rare things there, like beautiful non-farmed west coast salmon... it's actually like Blowfish in that regard, there's always something special on the menu. The problem is that Sushi Club's rolls are, sorry, terrible. They are ridiculously overpriced (like $14 for a "giant roll" comprising FOUR pieces), rolled without care so on an outside roll the rice doesn't even cover the thing- it's like they have contempt for people who order maki and make it as badly as possible.

I'll say again, if you think Sushi Club (or Wa's or Zipang, etc) have the best nigiri in town, I urge you to check out O Shima.

Danma · #**2631** Posted **Dec 12, 2010, 10:48 PM**

I will try O Shima and get back to you

Ramsayfarian · #**2632** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 12:47 AM**

Had way too much fun at the Blues Can yesterday. Great food, awesome music and a bit too much beer. I had the baked macaroni and cheese. Very tasty. Friends had the beef dip and said it was awesome, we were going to try the frog legs, but we pussied out.

Here's a clip from the jam. Old guy on guitar is Tim Williams, not sure who the young guy is, but he held his own.

• Video Link

freeweed · #**2633** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 2:42 AM**

Serious question, when did mac'n'cheese become something people eat at restaurants?

Growing up it was what poor people and university kids ate (the latter in the form of KD). The past couple of years, I'm seeing it springing up on all sorts of menus and people talk about it like it's just normal. Is this maybe an Alberta thing and I'm just noticing it now?

Ramsayfarian · #**2634** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 4:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeweed

Serious question, when did mac'n'cheese become something people eat at restaurants?

Growing up it was what poor people and university kids ate (the latter in the form of KD). The past couple of years, I'm seeing it springing up on all sorts of menus and people talk about it like it's just normal. Is this maybe an Alberta thing and I'm just noticing it now?

Big difference between KD and baked macaroni and cheese made with 3 different types of cheese.

Why would it not be normal? You can't get any more normal than comfort food.

Rusty van Reddick · #**2635** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 4:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeweed

Serious question, when did mac'n'cheese become something people eat at restaurants?

Been on menues for years and years. The lobster mac n cheese has been on the menu at Brava for as long as it's been open.

freeweed · #**2636** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 5:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

Big difference between KD and baked macaroni and cheese made with 3 different types of cheese.

Why would it not be normal? You can't get any more normal than comfort food.

Like I said, maybe it's an Alberta thing, or maybe I just grew up and traveled in caves. To me it's the equivalent of having meatloaf or sloppy Joes on a fancy restaurant menu. It just always seemed the pasta dish "left off" most menus - lasagna, check. Fettuccine Alfredo, check. Cannelloni stuffed with whatever, check. Spaghetti, check. But macaroni? I realize it doesn't make much sense, it's all pasta.

And as rusty points out, there's a lobster mac'n'cheese that's damn near world famous according to some folks I know. The first time I heard of that I almost did a spit take. It sounded a bit like steak and french fries.

Jimby · #**2637** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 9:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeweed

l pasta.

And as rusty points out, there's a lobster mac'n'cheese that's damn near world famous according to some folks I know. The first time I heard of that I almost did a spit take. It sounded a bit like steak and french fries.

Steak frites is a classic mainstay of bistros and brasseries everywhere.

Me&You · #**2638** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 1:59 PM**

And Wildwood had a fantastic meatloaf that I had no qualms with ordering. More often than not, the ingredients align with the type of restaurant and you end up with delicious comfort food.

Nine times out of ten, I'm happier with a great mac n' cheese or meatloaf than more "normal" restaurant fare...

freeweed · #**2639** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 4:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me&You

Nine times out of ten, I'm happier with a great mac n' cheese or meatloaf than more "normal" restaurant fare...

Me too. I just took a look at the menu for the place my office is going for Xmas lunch, and I swear that every single dish has something "weird" added to it, just for the sake of looking snooty.

"Grade AAA steak, grilled to perfection, served with your choice of potato and CARAMELIZED WHALE MUCUS". That sort of thing.

DizzyEdge · #**2640** Posted **Dec 13, 2010, 11:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeweed

Me too. I just took a look at the menu for the place my office is going for Xmas lunch, and I swear that every single dish has something "weird" added to it, just for the sake of looking snooty.

"Grade AAA steak, grilled to perfection, served with your choice of potato and CARAMELIZED WHALE MUCUS". That sort of thing.