Harvest is tucked way on 9th Street in downtown Canmore. This place is not flashy in any way. They have a small sunny patio for the days that allow for sitting outside. Inside is pretty rustic decor but clean and generally not too crowded. They have daily specials; usually two soups and a couple hot dishes. On top of that they have a great selection of yummy baked goods and cookies, including some gluten-free options. They have a standing list of delicious breakfast items (breakfast parfait, homemade granola, french toast), salads and lunch sandwiches (grilled cheese!). Pretty much everything is made to order. The coffee is good and there is little waiting (see Coffee Mine).
So what is the problem? They make no bones about catering to the local crowd. They are only open Monday through Friday, starting at 10am (too bad for the early risers). So if you are only Canmore on your days off (i.e. Saturday and Sunday) too bad – you are not going to Harvest. If you are lucky enough to spend a few extra days in town or are playing hooky, then venture over to 9th Street and take in the scene at Harvest and feel like a local.
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Just in case it is not already obvious, if there is one thing Nutmeg is very serious about, it is coffee. If there is one thing that brings out Mace (Nutmeg’s evil twin), it is bad coffee or inefficient coffee service. The Coffee Mine in Canmore has long been OFF Nutmeg’s list because the service is slow. After years in the location on 7th Avenue they have very recently moved “up-town” to Main Street. This is good news for Main Street as it fills in some of the dreadful empty retail space (a whole other blog topic) and possibly good news for The Coffee Mine.
So Nutmeg (and Mace) decide to put the old demons aside and check out the new location on Main Street. The problem is the first attempt was a failure…they only open at 9am on Saturdays and Sundays – too bad for early risers. This past Sunday with Ginger in town it was no problem arriving after 9am (he would not dream of getting up early on a weekend or for that matter any day now that he is retired). The space is much improved over the old location there are several tables and seating options, there is a wood burning fireplace for the really cold days and a large sunny deck. They have several posted house rules around strollers and kids, which is a bit of a turn off. That being said the food display counter is larger and not as crowded as in the old locale. The food selection is vast, with some healthy choices and lots of decadent ones. Most of the food is made fresh daily and beautifully presented. We ordered up a couple coffees and a breakfast sandwich and were told it would be about a 10 minute wait. It was about 10 minutes, the coffee was good and the sandwich fresh and hot.
So Nutmeg (and Mace) would like to formally say “Mea Cuppa” – The Coffee Mine is back in her good books, with the following warning… if you want your coffee hot, fast and strong go to Beamers, if you are on “Canmore time” The Coffee Mine is a great option.
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Tags: Canmore, Coffee Shops, Restaurant Reviews, restaurants
For those of you who are no longer under thirty years old “First Street Village” is 1st street between 17th Avenue and 12th Avenue SW. This used to be a dance bar scene in the late 1990s with Mescalero’s and the Crazy Horse which enjoyed regular patronage from Nutmeg and Ginger. In the past several years a dramatic change has occurred in this area the result is the emerging “First Street Village”. The transformation of an old Holiday Inn into the contemporary Hotel Arts started a construction frenzy with an expansion of the hotel and two nearby condo developments (Union Square, Colors by Battistella). The area now boasts some reasonable men’s clothing, boutique women’s clothing, coffee shops, a wine bar and Giuseppe’s Italian Market. Nutmeg has wanted to try this place for awhile. This location used to be a night club as well (possibly called the lizard or some equally appealing name). They have rid the place of the dance music and used the tri-level space to house a coffee and wine bar on the street level, deli on the second level and sit down restaurant on the top. The place was packed on a Friday night at 6:30pm, Nutmeg and Ginger were very lucky to get a table (still have not quite learned the reservation trick!!). They have done a nice job on the decor, Nutmeg would classify as “low end Tuscan”. The menu includes some salads, antipasto, pastas and pizza. Ginger wanted pizza so we split; garlic shrimp (they were not kidding about the garlic), caprese salad (good although not very big and the mozzerella was not buffalo) and a grec pizza with parma ham. The food was tasty, the atmosphere is casual – there were several families with kids and the wait staff were accommodating. However, they were understaffed or overcapacity – the service was slow and a bit disorganized.
Nutmeg poked around in the deli and noted they have some appealing prepared pastas and a fraction of the cost of Mercato. First Street Village has a the makings of a good neighborhood restaurant in Giuseppe’s Italian Market. Nutmeg’s recommendation ; make a reservation, do not go if you are trying to rush to the hockey game or better yet order your pizza in advance and take it home.
For eight years running Ginger and Nutmeg and a crew of very spicy friends have trudged up the Lake O’Hara access road in March. The conditions have varied every year from deep winter to nearly spring. The equipment ranges from light to touring to teli and alpine touring – this year the gals got really smart and went in on snow shoes. Everyone arrives parched, hungry and feeling like they have accomplished something and they have – 11kms of hills!! This year’s crew included Cilantro and Mr. High Maintenance, Curry Murray and Mr Curry, Mountain Pepper and Cayenne, Cinnamon, the salsa twins, Oregano and his lovely wife.
Why is Lake O’Hara a slice of paradise? So many reasons;
More than anything it is the incredible scenery, lack of crowds and the chance to get into the back-country for some turns. This year was over the top! We lucked into 25cms of snow early in the week topped off by 20cms on Friday through Saturday morning. Then the sun came out and the group was treated to two “blue-bird” days. So the hangovers were quickly cured and the blisters quickly forgotten. Our trusty and very patient guide Mike got the daring and energetic into “epic” powder on Saturday.
The weekend was full of laughs, a guitar concert by the staff, a raging dance party and the requisite gals vs boys charades game. The gals were victorious again, in case you were wondering.
Lake O’Hara is paradise summer or winter. Check it out for yourself.
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Tags: Backcountry safety, Backcountry Skiing, Lake O'Hara Lodge, Skiing in British Columbia, Travel British Columbia
Nutmeg says hands down Vienna is the best Coffee Capital. You will find decent coffee in all three locations, Paris has already been mentioned (02/23 Don’t tell the French Italian coffee is better), Brussels is decent with many options for Italian expresso or café au lait. However, the Viennese have created an entire culture around the “coffee-house” which generally involves a smoky bar or quieter lounge. Legend has it that soldiers of the Polish-Habsburg army, while liberating Vienna from the second Turkish siege in 1683, found a number of sacks with strange beans that they initially thought were camel feed and wanted to burn. The Polish king Jan III Sobieski granted the sacks to one of his officers named Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki, who started the first coffee house. After some experimentation, he added some sugar and milk, and the Viennese coffee tradition was born.
In Vienna, there are plenty of sweet choices to go along with your coffee. The two most delicious and famous are the Sachertorte and Applestrudel. Legend has it the Sachertorte was invented in the kitchens at the 5-star Sacher Hotel. It is definitely very good although Nutmeg is not sure if it is the best. The Sacher Café closely guards the recipe; in fact it is apparently locked in a vault. Not to worry though you can find a very acceptable version on Epicurious. The only issue in Vienna is they still allow smoking in restaurants so look for one with a non-smoking section…or no people.
Nutmeg’s vote: Vienna is the best coffee capital.
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Tags: Austria, Brussels, Coffee, Europe, Vienna Travel Tips
If there is one thing that Nutmeg and Ginger love to try it is food. The truth is you are not going to starve in any of these great cities; the array of options can be overwhelming. In all three cities Paris, Vienna and Brussels there is no end of options for international cuisine. Each city offers fresh farmers markets, local produce retailers and many ethnic specialty areas. In turn, each city has a large inventory of what Nutmeg likes to call the dreaded “overpriced and underwhelming tourist traps”.
With the internet, it is easy enough to search for good to great restaurant options in any city. Zagat is a reliable resource and a bit more established in Europe than Open Table.
The other strategy is “roll of the dice”; this means taking some time to look at the menu (price and limited variety), the décor (lighting levels and table settings) and the number of diners (never try an empty restaurant). Here are some recommendations based on this strategy:
Nutmeg and Ginger tried Indochine 21 night the food is influenced by South East Asia and the décor by Thailand and Vietnam. This place scored highly on Nutmeg’s list as the lighting levels were appropriate and the smoke levels low – oh and the food was very good.
A funky place to check out is Urania was built according to the plans of Art Nouveau architect Max Fabiani (a student of Otto Wagner) at the mouth of the Wien River and was opened in 1910 by Franz Joseph I of Austria as an educational center with a public observatory. It was named after the Muse Urania who represents Astronomy. The bar/restaurant is perched right above the water. The menu is not extensive but the food is decent and the service prompt. If you are not hungry just go for a drink Urania is a great people-watching scene.
A great find was Toscana 21. This tiny restaurant has been open about three years it is located just of the Place du Petit Sablon. The menu is limited in size with a focus on Tuscan specialties. Momma is the chef, her son Lorenzo and his wife (training opera singer) run the show out front. We had an antipasto selection with great pecorino cheeses and a selection of specialty cured meats. The main course pastas (all homemade from scratch) were fantastic. Ginger had a goat cheese and honey stuffed tortellini in a cheese, pear and poppy seed sauce. Nutmeg had “nude gnocchi”; spinach and ricotta dumplings without the outer shell – they were like little cloud puffs. The food was fantastic and Nutmeg will not be trying these at home. She will be booking another trip to Tuscany though!
So the bottom line is you are never hard-pressed to find good and great food in these European cities. Use whatever methodology you like (internet, word of mouth, roll of the dice) but Go and Explore!
Tags: Austria, Brussels, European Travel Tips, Restaurant Reviews, Travel to Paris
This blog post is out of order (and late) our trip itinerary was Paris-Vienna-Brussels, however the weather and the sites in Vienna were so engaging that Nutmeg had no time to write, so the best is last. Nutmeg and Ginger both like Austria and agree Vienna is wonderful, for slightly different reasons:
Nutmeg loves the fact that the Austrians seem to have combined the Swiss and German efficiency with fantastic architecture and cuisine that embraces the borders with Hungry, Italy, Germany and Switzerland.
Ginger loves the fact the Austrians serve schnitzel and spatzle in many variations. In addition, there is copious draught beer and the locally produced wine is very drinkable. He also loves the fact that the country has some really great skiing and they love to Apres Ski.
We visited Vienna the capital, it is a magical place, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The population is about 1.7 million, there is a good road system including a ring road (Ringstrabe or Ringstrasse) designed and built in the 1860’s (eat your heart out Calgary). This is a bike friendly city there are bike lanes everywhere, it is obvious that this is highly utilized as a commuter option. Vienna has tied Vancouver for one of the world’s most livable cities.
Vienna was founded around 500 BC, originally a Celtic settlement. In 15 BC, Vienna became a Roman frontier city (Vindobona) guarding the Roman Empire against Germanic tribes to the north. In the 13th century, Vienna came under threat from the Mongolian Empire, which stretched over much of present-day Russia and China. During the Middle Ages, Vienna was home to the Babenberg Dynasty, and in 1440, it became the resident city of the Habsburg Dynasties. It eventually grew to become the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and a cultural centre for arts and science, music and fine cuisine. It was occupied by Hungary between 1485-1490. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Ottoman armies were stopped twice outside Vienna. In 1679 the bubonic plague struck the city, killing nearly a third of its population.
In 1804, Vienna became the capital of the Austrian Empire and continued to play a major role in European and world politics, including hosting the 1814 Congress of Vienna. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, Vienna remained the capital of what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city was a centre of classical music, for which the title of the First Viennese School is sometimes applied.
Vienna has a large museum inventory including: Albertina, Leopold Museum, Natural History Museum, Belveder, Modern Art Museum and countless others. Unless, you are planning to stay for months in Vienna you need to really target what you want to see. Nutmeg and Ginger visited the Albertina; it has permanent collection, the Andy Warhol Cars temporary exhibition and a section of Hofburg staterooms.
On top of the art scene there is music and lots of it, ranging from the beautiful Opera (Staasoper) and Music Hall (Musikverein) to many small venues for local and international acts. It may seem obvious to some readers given this country was home to Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Shubert so the appreciation for music has a long history.
The Vienna Tourism group does a great job. You can purchase a Vienna card for 18 Euro; this allows you to take advantage of entry, food and shopping discounts within a 72hr period. Vienna Tourism has established some self-guided walking tours covering 6 different districts. Not to be missed are St Stephen Cathedral, The Hofburg Palace and gardens, The Parliament Building and the Town Hall (Rathaus Platz).
Kids and Adults should see the Spanish Riding School. It actually is still a riding school! The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world, which has practiced for over 430 years and continues to cultivate classical equitation in the Renaissance tradition of the haute école. You can go in the mornings and watch them practice, the cost is 12 Euro and you listen to lovely classical music while they practice, although you are limited in to viewing only what they are practicing at the time. They have shows a few times a week.
So Vienna is manageable, interesting, affordable and generally fabulous. Go and Visit Wonderful Vienna!
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Tags: Austria, Vienna Travel Tips
Nutmeg was last in Brussels a couple decades ago (more or less). At that time she and her friends stayed in an unrated hotel – sometimes called a “youth hostel”. It was a rainy depressing few days, the city was uninviting, the food marginal (keep in mind a student budget) and the place was filled with beggars.
So fast forward… the accommodations are not grand this time, although certainly a big step up from the hostel. The sun has shone for 2 out of 3 days and the beggars are gone. That is not to say you should not watch your pockets, just do so with the same level of caution you would apply everywhere.
Brussels fast facts:
Apart from being the centre of European politics, Brussels has a fascinating and old history that dates back to the 11th century when it began as a small dukedom the size of the current downtown area. In 1830 Belgium became independent and Brussels became the capital of Belgium under a new king and parliament.
Belgium became an independent state in 1830 after protests against the policies of King William of the Netherlands. Since then, Belgium has created its own Constitution and proclaimed its own sovereign – King Leopold of Saxe-Coburg was the first king of the Kingdom of Belgium.
An interesting fact is that Belgium is separated into 3 regions mainly due to differences in language – French and Dutch speakers. The regions are Flanders in the north (Dutch), Wallonia in the south (French) and Brussels in the centre (Bilingual). There is a small area called Ardennes that also speaks German but it is not an official region.
Nutmeg has warmed up to Brussels for several reasons; they speak French here and will tolerate her rusty skills (unlike the French), the chocolate is fantastic, the coffee is decent and the shopping rivals any other centre. Ginger had never been to Brussels before, so did not share Nutmeg’s slightly jaded view. He loves the beer selection and is really happy with the moules and frites combination.
The architecture is interesting and the Grande Place (Grote Markt) is beautiful although in Nutmeg’s opinion the city is not as esthetically pleasing as Paris or Vienna. There are lots of museums and galleries. The Costume and Lace Museum currently is displaying a fantastic “Sixties” exhibition.
The chocolate is definitely a highlight some vendors that Nutmeg recommends:
So in Nutmeg’s opinion Brussels has been redeemed! Plan a visit.
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