To Travel is To Live

Stories have been circulating about the wonder of NOtaBLE , a popular restaurant in the heart of Bowness, so obviously I have been interested in dining at the establishment.  When our friends chose NOtaBLE for our October dinner club installment, I was excited, yet a little worried, because the common refrain for this restaurant, the pun off its name, is that seats are hard to come by ("NOtaBLE = No Table").  I was quite impressed to see that they do take reservations, though, so my hopes were not completely dashed at this point. Well, I have to say, from the moment I called to inquire about our larger group until the last email I received from their customer service manager (more on that later), NOtaBLE has exceeded every expectation I had. Of course, the initial 'plus' for this restaurant was that, while they could only manage a group of 12 people, no more, they did not force upon us a set menu - yay!  They did, however, request a $100 deposit from me to be re...

One day last week, an email arrived from one of the many promotional companies I subscribe to advertising tickets to the TELUS Spark Adults Only night.  The featured theme was CSI, a night of insight into the world of forensic tools and techniques used to solve crimes.  I love anything that deals with forensic science, most notably, forensic psychology (or, really, any forensic information I can find on neuroscience, psychiatry, illnesses of the mind, or general behavioral traits in criminals), and decided this might be an interesting evening out with Bryan.  Apparently, TELUS Spark offers Adults Only nights once per month on the 2nd Thursday of each, offering up different themes, opening up the exhibits to the more 'grown-up children' out there, and even offering up a bar.  Previously, the mere thought of visiting Spark, an attraction identified as one where children can play with science and learn about how things in our world work, gave me shivers as I imagined...

After a brief summer hiatus, our group gathered together on the weekend for September's installment of our dinner club.  This month, Thai was chosen as the theme, and we settled on the restaurant only after we had our numbers in - Khao San Thai Kitchen on 17th Avenue SW.  When we called to make our reservation, they told us they couldn't reserve for larger than 10 due to the size (and popularity) of this small restaurant.  That's understandable as they had a line up out the door from 7pm onwards, and they probably can only seat 40-50 people, with the patio open.   Our wait staff were outstanding, with only a minor mix-up over our separate bills at the end of the evening.  With 10 people requesting more drinks, add-ons and other items at various times, often while the waitress was trying to concentrate on another task for someone else at the table, we all were very impressed that we received our orders quickly and without issues.  The staff seemed ve...

Every motorcycle trip I go on seems to be cursed with bad weather!  Since my previous trips took place late June to mid-July, when rain is typically heavier, this year I opted to go away for a weekend in August.  Unfortunately, it was probably the wettest weekend all summer, to date! But, we had fun.  The trip was certainly an adventure.  I used to be so much better at planning and executing those plans so that I was always ready for anything well in advance.  This isn't really the way I have been acting lately (and maybe Bryan is just rubbing off on me).  But, one week before our trip, I decided I needed a new helmet and a tank bag.  The tank bag I bought turned out to be awesome - I don't know how I survived without one before!  But, as anyone knows who buys a new helmet, it takes some time to work them in.  I had some trouble finding a helmet that fit - my old one whistled like crazy and it squished my cheeks so bad that it gave me a hea...

Each month, I eagerly await the next issue of Avenue magazine here in Calgary because there is always some excellent article (whether long or short) on a fairly new restaurant on the scene.  My favorite issue this year was their ranking of the top restaurants in Calgary, based upon a few different categories (Best Patio, Best Cocktail, Best for Late Night, etc.).  Topping out the Best Overall list was Alloy, a relatively hidden dining spot on 42nd Avenue SE.  For those who aren't familiar with the city, this is land of the trades and strip mall, with companies like ABB and random home or commercial services adorning the corridor.  It's not exactly a place you would expect to find a high-end restaurant.   However, I like Alloy's style:  They found a rather plain-looking building with a wrap-around parking lot, shielding patrons from the busy street.  Upon entering, you can easily forget how atypical this location is for such an establishment....

Ox and Angela, a relatively new Spanish-style tapas restaurant and lounge (it opened in 2011), has repeatedly popped up in my Open Table searches and I finally was able to experience the establishment.  Chosen as the place for dinner before our evening out at the Jubilee, Bryan and I arrived quite early, avoiding dinner crowds and taking advantage of the empty outdoor seating area.  Like most restaurants along 17th Avenue, Ox and Angela overlook this busy corridor but don't have a lot of space to offer their patrons.  There are two small patios, each capable of holding roughly 10 people. On such a beautiful evening, it was great to sit outside and people watch while we ate our meal. Tapas are not new to us, but we sometimes have difficulty deciding on how many plates to order and on which ones we both might like.  (I'm finding that bacon or ham products are becoming more prominent in many dishes, which is disappointing.)  So, to make things easier for both Bry...

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 ...