Rouge in Inglewood
Old buildings, those with a rich and exciting history, fascinate me; Inglewood is full of beautiful pre-WWII mansions, elegant merchant shops, and even a barn! I simply love wandering around this tiny community and imaging the lives people led when they occupied these buildings almost 100 years ago. I'm especially intrigued by the ghost stories that continue to entertain and draw people to Inglewood, and have a personal goal to visit each haunted site that I read about in books or through tours.
My desire to go to Rouge for dinner has weighed not only on the A.E. Cross house ghost stories, but also on the fact that the house is absolutely gorgeous from the outside plus the nature of the restaurant owner to grow and serve his own produce right on site! Situated on the corner of 12th Street and 8th Avenue SE, this restaurant still occupies six city blocks, an astounding feat in Calgary's desire to rip out community parks and recreational facilities to jam in as many dwellings as possible. Inglewood is so close to downtown that, should a builder get his/her hands on the property on which Rouge sits, this wonderful neighborhood gem would likely be no more. For this reason, I hope that Rouge continues to prosper, win awards and be seen as a top dining spot for special events and romantic celebrations.
When Bryan asked me where I would like to go to celebrate completing my B.Tech degree (with Honors!), my first thought was of Rouge. I truly have been wanting to try the food for years, but its prices have usually dissuaded me. But, this was a fairly large accomplishment on my part (and Bryan's, for putting up with my stress and constant venting about non-responsive group project members), so Rouge seemed absolutely appropriate. The night was perfect for parking across the street, crossing under the Zoo bridge and slowly walking up the sidewalk towards the magnificent old house that has intrigued me for a long time. The bushes and trees adorn the fence along 8th Avenue, preventing passers-by from much more than a tiny glimpse of the large yard beyond. The trees have been groomed to create a half-canopy across the sidewalk, making the journey to Rouge somewhat whimsical, allowing me to step back in time. This vegetation reminds of the beautiful Oak Alley plantation in Louisiana; upon arrival, the lane is perfectly canopied by 200 year old oak trees, framing the magnificent plantation home in the distance.
Entering the old house, I was amazed with the preservation of the old door mouldings and staircase. The floors creak with every step along the old, wooden planks; arches adorn every entryway, and huge fireplaces and bay windows are placed throughout the home. Dining tables have been set up in such a was as to fully utilize as much of the house as possible, without being crowded. The little nooks and alcoves are adorable, and the low ceilings and windows in what I assume were servants quarters, make for a historic experience. (Our waiter, the fabulous Jean-Francois, gave me a nudge at one point and told me to go explore!)
As it was a beautiful night, we opted to sit outside under the tent to enjoy views of the huge yard and feel the wonderful night air. The restaurant was fairly quiet for a Tuesday evening, with couples celebrating anniversaries and friends taking part in the Chef's Tasting Menu. It was fun watching their food come out and hearing the waiters describe the process that they used to develop the recipes. It's very expensive, but I think one day I will have to try it!
So many options were presented on the menu that night that we decided to share one appetizer and one salad, and then each order a main dish. Our seared tuna rolls, one of the delectable starters, was absolutely amazing. There were flavors that were sweet, some sour, and one so familiar yet we were both unable to identify it!
I chose a salad that would use a number of fresh ingredients from the garden, one that included zucchini, mint, and lettuce. This salad was definitely refreshing and light!
For our main dishes, Bryan chose the tenderloin, served with mushrooms, sweet pea and goat cheese, all in a veal reduction. The pea and goat cheese agnolotti were awesome (yes, he shared)! He devoured every morsel, even if it took him some extra time to finish.
My dish was a lovely piece of Ocean Wise wild sockeye salmon placed on top of this wonderful cherry tomato, lentil and mushroom mixture. In fact, I could have just had a bowl of this lentil accompaniment and skipped the salmon because it was that tasty!
After a stroll through the garden to settle our tummies, a couple of glasses of Italian wine from our ideal half bottle, and some weird and wonderful conversation, Bryan and I decided we couldn't skip the dessert! So, with stomachs already insanely full, Bryan went for a chocolate fix with the Flourless Chocolate Torte - I'll take his word on it that it was delicious. The ice cream was probably the best I've tasted in a long time though!
If there is something lemony on the menu, I generally have to try it, so of course, my choice was the Lemon Yogurt Cake, served with a delightfully sweet fresh berry sorbet.
Whether it was consumption of food at 5 times our regular amount for dinner, the intimate time spent together, or our lack of sleep, but our experience at Rouge was exceptional, ending with uncontrollable laughter over the stupidest comments and questions. I want to return in the fall to experience more local produce when, hopefully, their harvest offers different choices. I see already, one week later, the vegetable offerings have changed on the menu.
My desire to go to Rouge for dinner has weighed not only on the A.E. Cross house ghost stories, but also on the fact that the house is absolutely gorgeous from the outside plus the nature of the restaurant owner to grow and serve his own produce right on site! Situated on the corner of 12th Street and 8th Avenue SE, this restaurant still occupies six city blocks, an astounding feat in Calgary's desire to rip out community parks and recreational facilities to jam in as many dwellings as possible. Inglewood is so close to downtown that, should a builder get his/her hands on the property on which Rouge sits, this wonderful neighborhood gem would likely be no more. For this reason, I hope that Rouge continues to prosper, win awards and be seen as a top dining spot for special events and romantic celebrations.
When Bryan asked me where I would like to go to celebrate completing my B.Tech degree (with Honors!), my first thought was of Rouge. I truly have been wanting to try the food for years, but its prices have usually dissuaded me. But, this was a fairly large accomplishment on my part (and Bryan's, for putting up with my stress and constant venting about non-responsive group project members), so Rouge seemed absolutely appropriate. The night was perfect for parking across the street, crossing under the Zoo bridge and slowly walking up the sidewalk towards the magnificent old house that has intrigued me for a long time. The bushes and trees adorn the fence along 8th Avenue, preventing passers-by from much more than a tiny glimpse of the large yard beyond. The trees have been groomed to create a half-canopy across the sidewalk, making the journey to Rouge somewhat whimsical, allowing me to step back in time. This vegetation reminds of the beautiful Oak Alley plantation in Louisiana; upon arrival, the lane is perfectly canopied by 200 year old oak trees, framing the magnificent plantation home in the distance.
Entering the old house, I was amazed with the preservation of the old door mouldings and staircase. The floors creak with every step along the old, wooden planks; arches adorn every entryway, and huge fireplaces and bay windows are placed throughout the home. Dining tables have been set up in such a was as to fully utilize as much of the house as possible, without being crowded. The little nooks and alcoves are adorable, and the low ceilings and windows in what I assume were servants quarters, make for a historic experience. (Our waiter, the fabulous Jean-Francois, gave me a nudge at one point and told me to go explore!)
As it was a beautiful night, we opted to sit outside under the tent to enjoy views of the huge yard and feel the wonderful night air. The restaurant was fairly quiet for a Tuesday evening, with couples celebrating anniversaries and friends taking part in the Chef's Tasting Menu. It was fun watching their food come out and hearing the waiters describe the process that they used to develop the recipes. It's very expensive, but I think one day I will have to try it!
So many options were presented on the menu that night that we decided to share one appetizer and one salad, and then each order a main dish. Our seared tuna rolls, one of the delectable starters, was absolutely amazing. There were flavors that were sweet, some sour, and one so familiar yet we were both unable to identify it!
I chose a salad that would use a number of fresh ingredients from the garden, one that included zucchini, mint, and lettuce. This salad was definitely refreshing and light!
For our main dishes, Bryan chose the tenderloin, served with mushrooms, sweet pea and goat cheese, all in a veal reduction. The pea and goat cheese agnolotti were awesome (yes, he shared)! He devoured every morsel, even if it took him some extra time to finish.
My dish was a lovely piece of Ocean Wise wild sockeye salmon placed on top of this wonderful cherry tomato, lentil and mushroom mixture. In fact, I could have just had a bowl of this lentil accompaniment and skipped the salmon because it was that tasty!
After a stroll through the garden to settle our tummies, a couple of glasses of Italian wine from our ideal half bottle, and some weird and wonderful conversation, Bryan and I decided we couldn't skip the dessert! So, with stomachs already insanely full, Bryan went for a chocolate fix with the Flourless Chocolate Torte - I'll take his word on it that it was delicious. The ice cream was probably the best I've tasted in a long time though!
If there is something lemony on the menu, I generally have to try it, so of course, my choice was the Lemon Yogurt Cake, served with a delightfully sweet fresh berry sorbet.
Whether it was consumption of food at 5 times our regular amount for dinner, the intimate time spent together, or our lack of sleep, but our experience at Rouge was exceptional, ending with uncontrollable laughter over the stupidest comments and questions. I want to return in the fall to experience more local produce when, hopefully, their harvest offers different choices. I see already, one week later, the vegetable offerings have changed on the menu.
 |
| Bryan is very content and happy after his big meal (me too)!! |
 |
| Switchblade Knife! |
Comments
Post a Comment