The Teatro Experience - Dinner Club Installment
Through the irritation of planning our third dinner club installment, I had not really been looking forward to our evening at Teatro. I appreciate the choice of venue, because the building, both inside and out, is stunning. The atmosphere is magical and old-world, and people have had previous experiences that have impressed. Walking into the cavernous dining room enforced with vintage, white pillars, you are taken back to another age.
As promised, our group had one of the alcoves all to ourselves. What surprised me was, our table was set for 8, there was one table tucked away for 2 (not set up), and a serving station for our waiter. This all seemed to just nicely fit in the alcove, so I'm curious what 20 people would look like in the space. The settings were elegantly placed, with our own special menu printed out below our napkin.
A huge appreciation goes out to our waiter. He was outstanding, always attentive and there when we needed him. He was friendly, joking and conversing easily with everyone in our group. One thing to say about Teatro, their wait staff are stellar!
Our food came out like clockwork, everyone receiving their dish within seconds of each other so as not to wait. Our wine glasses were always filled promptly, and concern was obvious over whether we were enjoying our meal. It was nice to be seated away from other patrons so we could freely laugh and discuss matters, I do admit.
The pre-selected menu consisted of 5 courses and 3 types of wine. Luckily, those wanting wine were all quite happy to have the Catena Malbec offered, and we enjoyed 3 bottles throughout our stay. It was smooth, with just a hint of the Malbec spiciness that some are known to possess.
Course #1 - Butternut Squash Chowder
This soup was rich and creamy but not heavy. The texture was pleasing, though the taste lacked some pizzazz. When we all requested pepper from our waiter, he clearly seemed intent on finding out what was wrong with the soup. Maybe it's because our palettes have become more accustomed to spicy foods, but the soup did have a blandness to it that was mostly overshadowed by the addition of lots of pepper. But is sure does look tasty!
Course #2 - Mixed Greens Insulata
I enjoyed this course. My salad greens were fresh and the dressing light. The taste was subtle, yet perfect for such a simple salad. And the portion size was quite large and satisfying.
Course #3 - Eggplant Tortellini
Since I had been craving pasta all day (I had just finished a 7 day cleanse whereby I wasn't allowed to eat anything 'fun'), this was what I most looked forward to for dinner. Disappointment reigned as the plate of 3 small white-pasta tortellini were placed in front of me. Sigh. Even worse, they weren't very good - the pasta was chewy and in some places quite tough to cut through, and the eggplant, again, seemed bland. On a positive note, the red indescribable sauce was tasty, yet meagre.
Course #4 - Choice of Beef Tenderloin or Salmon
I opted for the salmon, while everyone else chose beef. Turns out I should have included the Gnocchi in the entree items! Live and learn. My salmon was good but I was quite turned off to find the skin facing me, disguised under char marks and some white foam topping (this turned out to be an apple cider foam meant to enrich the flavour much like lemon juice does for fish, and it was very appealing). Salmon skin will relieve me of my appetite in a heartbeat! However, I manned-up, took off the skin, and ate the salmon. It was good, slightly overcooked perhaps, with a distinct fishy smell.
My friends with the tenderloin all seemed to enjoy this dish, but stated it wasn't overwhelming. The Keg could have provided them with the same quality, and at $100 per person for this meal, expectations were extremely high.
What was greatly appreciated was how our waiter brought us complementary sides due to the pepper incident with our soup: he was concerned we hadn't enjoyed it, so he tried to make things right with 3 sides: mushroom risotto (very yummy), garlic sauted kale (extremely good), and a side of roasted brussels sprouts.
Course #5 - Valrhona Chocolate Creme Brulee
I was stuffed halfway through my salmon, and still able to show willpower over sugar, so I graciously donated my dessert to a friend. However, judging by how people inhaled this dish, I think it was tasty!
The Verdict:
Teatro's tagline offering Fine Dining was met in the form of how elegant our table was dressed, the professionalism of our waiter, and the removal and addition of various appropriate utensils for each course. However, once again, $100 per person for this meal was greatly overpriced - I have eaten better food at other, less pretentious restaurants. It seems like their reputation for amazing food and experiences has gotten a bit out of hand - for an Italian restaurant not to serve outstanding tortellini is one huge strike against this place.
For a glimpse at a gorgeous building in a romantic, intimate atmosphere, Teatro will meet your needs. But, for outstanding food that simply wows you, there are many better options in Calgary these days.
As promised, our group had one of the alcoves all to ourselves. What surprised me was, our table was set for 8, there was one table tucked away for 2 (not set up), and a serving station for our waiter. This all seemed to just nicely fit in the alcove, so I'm curious what 20 people would look like in the space. The settings were elegantly placed, with our own special menu printed out below our napkin.
A huge appreciation goes out to our waiter. He was outstanding, always attentive and there when we needed him. He was friendly, joking and conversing easily with everyone in our group. One thing to say about Teatro, their wait staff are stellar!
Our food came out like clockwork, everyone receiving their dish within seconds of each other so as not to wait. Our wine glasses were always filled promptly, and concern was obvious over whether we were enjoying our meal. It was nice to be seated away from other patrons so we could freely laugh and discuss matters, I do admit.
The pre-selected menu consisted of 5 courses and 3 types of wine. Luckily, those wanting wine were all quite happy to have the Catena Malbec offered, and we enjoyed 3 bottles throughout our stay. It was smooth, with just a hint of the Malbec spiciness that some are known to possess.
Course #1 - Butternut Squash Chowder
This soup was rich and creamy but not heavy. The texture was pleasing, though the taste lacked some pizzazz. When we all requested pepper from our waiter, he clearly seemed intent on finding out what was wrong with the soup. Maybe it's because our palettes have become more accustomed to spicy foods, but the soup did have a blandness to it that was mostly overshadowed by the addition of lots of pepper. But is sure does look tasty!
Course #2 - Mixed Greens Insulata
I enjoyed this course. My salad greens were fresh and the dressing light. The taste was subtle, yet perfect for such a simple salad. And the portion size was quite large and satisfying.
Course #3 - Eggplant Tortellini
Since I had been craving pasta all day (I had just finished a 7 day cleanse whereby I wasn't allowed to eat anything 'fun'), this was what I most looked forward to for dinner. Disappointment reigned as the plate of 3 small white-pasta tortellini were placed in front of me. Sigh. Even worse, they weren't very good - the pasta was chewy and in some places quite tough to cut through, and the eggplant, again, seemed bland. On a positive note, the red indescribable sauce was tasty, yet meagre.
Course #4 - Choice of Beef Tenderloin or Salmon
I opted for the salmon, while everyone else chose beef. Turns out I should have included the Gnocchi in the entree items! Live and learn. My salmon was good but I was quite turned off to find the skin facing me, disguised under char marks and some white foam topping (this turned out to be an apple cider foam meant to enrich the flavour much like lemon juice does for fish, and it was very appealing). Salmon skin will relieve me of my appetite in a heartbeat! However, I manned-up, took off the skin, and ate the salmon. It was good, slightly overcooked perhaps, with a distinct fishy smell.
My friends with the tenderloin all seemed to enjoy this dish, but stated it wasn't overwhelming. The Keg could have provided them with the same quality, and at $100 per person for this meal, expectations were extremely high.
What was greatly appreciated was how our waiter brought us complementary sides due to the pepper incident with our soup: he was concerned we hadn't enjoyed it, so he tried to make things right with 3 sides: mushroom risotto (very yummy), garlic sauted kale (extremely good), and a side of roasted brussels sprouts.
Course #5 - Valrhona Chocolate Creme Brulee
I was stuffed halfway through my salmon, and still able to show willpower over sugar, so I graciously donated my dessert to a friend. However, judging by how people inhaled this dish, I think it was tasty!
The Verdict:
Teatro's tagline offering Fine Dining was met in the form of how elegant our table was dressed, the professionalism of our waiter, and the removal and addition of various appropriate utensils for each course. However, once again, $100 per person for this meal was greatly overpriced - I have eaten better food at other, less pretentious restaurants. It seems like their reputation for amazing food and experiences has gotten a bit out of hand - for an Italian restaurant not to serve outstanding tortellini is one huge strike against this place.
For a glimpse at a gorgeous building in a romantic, intimate atmosphere, Teatro will meet your needs. But, for outstanding food that simply wows you, there are many better options in Calgary these days.
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