To Travel is To Live

Wow!  It's been months since I added something to this blog!  I feel so guilty now! Over the past 9 months, I've started two new IT jobs, Bryan has started one new Process Improvement job, and I began working at a chiropractic clinic doing my holistic nutrition (my real passion).  Plus, I've been super busy getting my nutrition business up and running (check it out if you're so inclined here - I focus on helping women with adrenal fatigue, chronic stress and confusing sleep, concentration, hormonal and anxiety issues overcome them with the right foods and lifestyle). With everything that's been going on in our lives, I decided it was time to celebrate! Starbelly caught my eye at least 18 months ago (I think - I'm pretty sure they've been around that long).  I've been yearning to try this place and have suggested it a few times. I never won.  :(  Finally, I bit the bullet and booked Starbelly Open Kitchen for one of our 'new job' celebrati...

What better way to spend the evening?  Okay, so I didn't just go dancing and have some wine - I found a lovely South American restaurant a couple of blocks from my hotel here in Houston, Texas.  Located in the Uptown area by the Galleria, within walking distance (if you dare) of the DoubleTree Hilton, the Marriot, Aloft and other hotels, is this fantastic restaurant called Tango and Malbec .  Urbanspoon rated this restaurant as one of the best in the area, and it's noted to serve authentic Uruguayan dishes. The menu is rich in veal, beef and seafood options and boasts some mouthwatering pasta dishes as well.  Every Friday and Saturday evenings, Tango and Malbec showcases some form of entertainment, from South American bands to tango dancers.  Unfortunately, I was unable to take either of these shows in on my visit, so I imagine this entertainment begins around 8:00 pm or later.  As a single diner, I was seated in the bar area, but at least I was able to s...

Along Stephen Avenue in downtown Calgary, the magic of Christmas is brought to life by the magnificent lights strung up between lamp posts and the various window displays that take you back to a time reminiscent of department store shopping and hot chocolate with friends as the snowflakes fell lightly around you.  When we decided to see A Christmas Carol for a pre-Christmas treat at theater, it only seemed fitting that dinner should preclude this event at one of the many delightful Stephen Avenue restaurants.  I've been to Catch once before and only to try oysters for the first time with a friend, years ago.  I remember a cozy atmosphere in a dark, back corner, along with some delectable oyster-sauce pairings (I still recall how yummy a raspberry flavored sauce was).  And, since then, I've only heard great reviews about the rest of the food at Catch, so we decided to spend our Christmas celebration dinner there before the play.  Catch is situated on two leve...

Bryan and I didn't make any formal plans for New Year's Eve but I thought it would still be nice to at least get out of the house for a good meal.  We haven't been for Indian food in ages, it seems, so when I found Royal Ganesha on Open Table, I thought it might be a nice place to try.  The reviews for this restaurant are all great, so I figured it seemed like a great opportunity to get back into my exploration of Calgary restaurants.  Plus, I LOVE Indian food so I was really excited to try this! Located in the west end of downtown Calgary, amid the never-ending quantity of high-rise, overpriced condo buildings, Royal Ganesha is situated within an old (presumably) home that has managed to survive fate of the bulldozer like most other buildings in the area.  Parking was very easy for us, as there was a spot on the street out front, but I am not sure whether there is other parking nearby with the lot across the street stating it's being designed into (you guessed it...

Always on the hunt for a new experience, friends joined us last night to try out Xocolat , a relatively new Mexican restaurant to the Calgary food scene.  Located on 11th Avenue SW near the popular King and I Thai restaurant, Xocolat is refined elegance in an open concept dining room.  Surprisingly, for a Thursday night, the place was practically deserted, but perhaps the word has not yet been spread about this gem.   Or, perhaps, people haven't noticed it driving or walking by.   Xocolat's sign is stylish and simple, yet, because it's relatively small compared to neighbouring adverts, and because it's not lit up or designed to stand out, it was very easy to pass by their front door.  They need to place some lighting behind it or impose a more eye-level (and eye-catching) sign to draw customers in.  Outside was an Erdinger beer sign with the name and specials written in chalk - not exactly an accurate advertising scheme for this intima...

Looking for a step or two back in time?  Open Range is a quaint little restaurant in NE Calgary with wild west decor (wagon wheels in the corner, creaky wooden floors, bills that arrive in Louis L'Amour books...) and a thorough wild game menu.  Bison, boar, elk, and duck are available, along with traditional fare - beef, salmon and chicken.  For the adventurous yet unsure, the waiters give excellent descriptions and recommendations of any dish questioned.  Never has their information been incorrect yet during one of our experiences. The music playing through the room's speakers is from another era - songs my parents remember listening to growing up.  So reminiscent is this atmosphere that they even began talking about when they first got refrigerators, running water, and even electricity into their homes as kids!  It's amazing to think that people didn't have these common conveniences even 70 years ago in some places in this country.  Oh have times ...

My latest installment in the Open Table Experiment took place last night at Candela in Calgary.  This Spanish-style establishment serves a large assortment of tapas, or small dishes meant to share, ranging from deep-fried, vegetarian, seafood, Asian fusion, and sweets.  Located in the bustling Mission district, Candela conveniently offers clients a small parking lot - a much-appreciated perk when it can take dozens of tours around the area to find a place to park for a meal.  The decor is warm and inviting - you walk in through double glass doors and are greeted immediately by the hostess.  The restaurant boasts an open concept dining room, with a large bar situated in the middle.  Minimalistic in style, the bar does not overpower the room like it could, considering its size.  They've kept the bar lower to the ground, so it keeps the flow of the room moving.  Seating is cozy and comfortable, with benches and chairs throughout.  For first impr...

Some people like the "tried and true". Me? I prefer to take a chance. You never know what hidden gems you'll uncover. Perfectly located in the unrecognizable old Roger's Video building on 17th Ave, Cibo (pronounced "cheebo" for you truly Italian foodies) is one of these gems.  Their tag line is "Made To Share", and their menu offers packaged pricing for the scodellina , making it easier and more affordable to rest drive many of these scrumptious appetizers. Group sized piatti options are available and both pizza and pasta dishes can easily be divided up among the table. This concept is not unique - we've been sharing dishes at Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants for decades. What is novel is that food is ordered all at once and it arrives as it is cooked, with what appears to be an order following the order it's written in the menu. This gives you time to savour each dish before another arrives (and also clears away un...

It seemed like it was time to try out another restaurant in Calgary featured on Open Table, and with my birthday just around the corner, it seemed fitting to try out Toscana Italian Grill .  After all, my favorite food is Italian and it seems like there are always new, tasty Italian spots opening up in this city.  Toscana is located well outside the downtown core, which is refreshing as parking was accessible and abundant.  This little gem is located in a strip mall which has an adjacent Italian market that definitely needs to be checked out.   Our Sunday evening event did not require the reservations I had made, but in order to get my Open Table points (and accumulate free rewards), it was necessary.  Walking into the restaurant, I was impressed by the simple, yet elegant decor, along with the muted lighting and large, open space of the dining area.  What did concern me, however, was that for a Sunday evening, they sure were short of customers!  Our...

I always root for a new establishment in Inglewood.   That area still feels like the closest thing to home for me in Calgary, so I truly want it to thrive and continue to keep up its eclectic and historical attitude.   New to Inglewood, and located in the new building on 9 th Avenue SE that also houses gems like Bite Groceria and Espy, is CinqueCento (“500” for those who don’t speak Italian).   With its west-facing outdoor space holding a good number of tables, and its bright, white, windowed interior, this new Italian eatery has to potential to be a new dining hotspot in Inglewood.   After purchasing a Travel Deal online, I started to read reviews and, unfortunately, most were a disappointment.   Repetitive comments were made about slow staff and disorganization, so I was skeptical going in on Sunday.   Bryan and I chose to eat there alone, as I would hate to bring someone along to a less than stellar restaurant. We were impressed by the décor, ...

Our second entry into the Open Table Experiment is Cibo , an open, airy restaurant that markets itself as an "Italian sharing experience".  Located in the heart of Calgary's busy 17th Ave SW, this former Rogers Video building has been transformed into an elegant, two-level Italian restaurant holding lots of tables and a great many menu options.  This was our second visit to Cibo, as we had been very impressed the first time; we were not disappointed.   Our waitress was all smiles, offering helpful advice and ensuring our food and drinks were always available.  She had the attitude of an experienced server, and it turns out that was her first night working at Cibo!  Well done!   This visit involved three of us - Bryan, Scott, and me - so we opted to try a few more of their ingenious and scrumptious creations.  I think in the past few months I have developed a new favorite type of wine - valpolicella - which is a red wine from the Veneto region of I...

You may have driven by this restaurant dozens of times in the past 11 years and not noticed it until about 2 months ago, only to be told it has been in operation for 13 years. Okay, yes, this is my story. Being a food lover, especially of Italian, you would think I had taken notice of Il Sogno years ago. Apparently, some things still get past me. For our (Bryan and me) 4th anniversary I chose Il Sogno for 3 reasons: it is Italian, I got 1000 Open Table points by using their reservation system, and I had a $60 Groupon to use. Score! We were greeted by a friendly, talkative server as soon as we walked through the door. Our table was ready, situated right by a window with the heat of the summer sun streaming in. 6:00 must not be a popular dinner time as there was only one other occupied table. However, when we left at 7:30 there were only 3 other tables with people. It looked and sounded like everyone was having a wonderful dining experience anyway. Our waiter explained th...