Category: Calgary

Poor Ginger he is a good Albertan boy and essentially refuses to try anything that resembles a purely vegetarian focused restaurant.  Only once, in the last decade, has he acquiesced and tried dinner at The Coup on 17th Avenue in Calgary – he complained the whole time about being too hot and did not like the organic wine…..  Needless to say Nutmeg has decided that he is not worth the effort, so she only goes to this restaurant with her girlfriends.  Yes! The food is good enough to forget (or remember) that is is pure vegetarian and really healthy. (more…)

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Calgary Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews, The Coup Restaurant in Calgary, Vegetarian Restaurants

Saffron was is Calgary last weekend and as you may have gathered she is always in the “know” when it comes to restaurants, wine and cool gathering spots.  She was free for dinner on Saturday night and suggested a visit to the Vin Room.  Ginger had not tried out this wine bar/restaurant either so Nutmeg was happy to oblige and made reservations. (more…)

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Calgary Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews, Vin Room

Bearspaw Farmers Market is only open on Sundays (11am to 3pm – see note) from June to October. Cinnamon, Nutmeg and the Market Dog (Jade) went for a drive to check out this market on Sunday.  (more…)

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Alberta Farmers Markets, Alberta Organic Produce, Bearspaw Farmers Market, Calgary Area Markets, Food Markets in Alberta, Travel Alberta

Most of you who know Nutmeg, already understand that french fries, chicken wings, chips, onion rings, Cheezies and Kraft dinner do not factor into her diet much if at all.  The odd fry, one or two onion rings and that is definitely Nutmeg’s limit.  Ginger on the other hand loves ALL of it!
The Holy Grill, is located right across from Mountain Equipment Coop on 10th Avenue in Calgary.  It has been a restaurant for a while although the name has changed a few times.  It is definitely not fancy and the drill is quite straightforward.  There is no table service so you need to make a decision, place your order at the counter, find a seat and wait for your name to be called and then pick up your meal.  They do breakfast and lunch only.
The breakfast menu includes the traditional (to your specifications – Nutmeg is particular and it was perfect),  the Bennies (variations on eggs benedict)…

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Calgary Restaurants, Coffee Shops in Calgary, Restaurant Reviews, The Holy Grill Restaurant Calgary

This market is very new on the Calgary scene, it opened on July 7th  (note the spelling on the sign…shy a few letters).   Nutmeg is very excited about the potential for this market, it is centrally located, particularly for those in folks who live in the Southwest.  The Kingsland Farmers Market is located at 7711 Macleod Trail South in the old Shaw GMC location.  The Kingsland Market is open 4 days a week: Wednesday through Friday from noon until 6:30pm and on Saturdays from 9-3pm.  There is site is work in progress, as they are converting the old car showroom and auto body shop into a permanent indoor location for the vendor stands.  So when the weather turns back to winter for good, the vendors will be inside, for now they are outside in the parking lot.  There are about 20 vendors currently with a mix of produce, prepared meals and baking.  Merchants include some that can be found…

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Alberta Farmers Markets, Alberta Organic Produce, Calgary Area Markets, Kingsland Farmers Market, Travel Alberta

The Crossroads Market in Calgary is a year round facility, open Friday to Sunday 9am to 5pm.  The current location at 1235 – 26th Avenue SE, was once a Canada Packers Building…quite fitting for a market.  The indoor/outdoor space is a significant 100,000 square feet. There are over a hundred merchants of “antiques and crafts”  – Nutmeg’s take on this section… JUNK.  Once you get past the old vinyl records and velvet art there is a solid stable of indoor food stands that offer some variety to the somewhat bland Calgary grocery stores. (more…)

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Alberta Farmers Markets, Alberta Organic Produce, Calgary Area Markets, Crossroads Market, Travel Alberta

In Calgary, our true farmers market season is painfully short.  There are thankfully some reputable “local” producers, who supply some great produce during the spring and summer months.  It is a joyous occasion when Nutmeg sees the start of the local tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouse or Paradise Hill Farm. (more…)

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Alberta Farmers Markets, Alberta Organic Produce, Calgary Area Markets, Travel Alberta

Nutmeg has a beef with Calgary’s weather, in a nutshell it sucks.  For many years now she has heard all the noise about “Chinooks”….” shorts weather in February”… “it never lasts”… “you can golf in all four seasons”!!  Bottom line the weather is unpredictable and only “died in the wool” Calgarians like Ginger really embrace the constantly changing environment.  The great thing about Calgary, is when the weather does cooperate and that rare, yet fantastic Summer night appears – a restaurant patio is a must!  There are patios everywhere to try and take advancement of the rare moments.  One of the Calgary gems is the well protected and well heated (over-head heaters and out-door fireplaces) patio at Bonterra Trattoria.
Earlier this week lucky Nutmeg was treated to dinner by CardaMOM and Montreal Steak Spice at Bonterra Trattoria.  It was way too cold for the patio, at barely 8 degrees Celsius, so we huddled in the very warm and cosy wine…

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Bonterra Restaurant, Calgary Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews

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…

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Calgary Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews

Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters has recently opened a street front outlet in Marda Loop.  Nutmeg is now mobile, after ditching the crutches, so she thought that she would go and soak in the Saturday experience at the new location.  This group is pretty serious about their coffee as evidenced by the line-ups at the Farmer’s Market and new retail location.  The baristas get the orders out pretty quickly and the coffee is hot, so that deserves a check mark in Nutmeg’s books.  The design of the location is bright, clean and there is ample seating.  Marda Loop continues to evolve as a “go-to” retail strip and great inner city neighborhood, so the addition of Phil and Sebastian Coffee Roasters is welcome.
(more…)

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Calgary Restaurants, Coffee Shops in Calgary, Phil and Sebastian, Restaurant Reviews