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Chianti Cafe – Calgary, Alberta

I went to try Chianti Cafe after picking up a good friend from the airport. She wanted to try a good Italian place, and I was here a few years ago, and it seemed to have gone downhill…

We ordered Calamari to share, and it was decent. It was quite crispy and breaded nicely.

I had penne al pacifico – which was basically smoked salmon with sun dried tomatoes on penne pasta. It was an interested texture of smoked salmon and the pasta was less than al dente, as it had quite a bit of crunch in the centre of the pasta. It wasn’t unbearable, but it wasn’t preferred.

We also had a Piatto Combinato Veal medallions with peaches, mangos in a cream sauce served with penne in fresh spinach & tomato sauce. That I heard was quite tasty.

Our last dish that we ordered was the linguini Kitsilano which was Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, tomato sauce with linguini. It was a decent dish.

Overall, I think it was just the texture of the smoked salmon which probably made my dish seem to fail, and made the rest of my dish seem to be a disappointment, especially considering the other 2 entrees were fine. The calamari was really good too, and they only used the body of the squid, so it was all in ring forms. It was deep fried in oil that seemed to be quite dirty, but the overall taste was good.

Chianti Cafe

2805 32 Ave NE
Calgary, AB

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Nellie’s Cosmic Cafe – Calgary, Alberta

I’m actually not really one that likes an “American” style breakfast, but I must say, I really enjoyed eating at Nellies Cosmic Cafe for breakfast. It’s a real home style restaurant, and it is just really cozy and inviting!

The fact they use actual mugs for coffee, teas, hot chocolates, etc is really a nice touch. Instead of having it feel like a restaurant with “all the same mugs” it now feels like you’ve entered Nellies house and they great you with a nice warm drink.

I’ve ordered the perogies as I LOVE perogies, and it doesn’t have that layer of grease I don’t really like first thing in the morning. To my excitement when my plate came, my plate was piled high with scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, potatoes, and tucked away under the toast was the star of my breakfast — perfect perogies. They tasted great, and it wasn’t over cooked at all. I’m not sure if it’s homemade, but it sure can pass for it! I really enjoyed my breakfast here at Nellies Cosmic Cafe and would go back in the near future!

We also got a plate of corned beef hash and it also tasted really good. At the end of breakfast, we left really satisfied with a very full belly! The price was decent at Nellies for the amount of goodness you get!!

Nellie’s Cosmic Cafe

1001 17 Ave SW
Calgary, AB

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A Ladybug Belgian Patisserie – Calgary, Alberta

We visited the market at Currie Barracks one afternoon, and couldn’t help but to stop by A Ladybug Belgian Pastsserie with the soft scent of freshly made crepes. We weren’t hungry or anything, but just couldn’t resist that sweet temptation. So, we sat down and ordered ourselves a strawberry waffle, as that’s one of my favorite things to eat on a nice hot morning.

The freshness of the fruits, and crispness of the outside of the waffle, to the soft chewy waffle inside was in perfect harmony. The whipped cream used to garnish was home made, and tasted great with the waffles as well. We always thought we would be back, but I guess the market at Currie Barracks have closed. I hope they’ll re-open in the new location, as I can’t wait to sink my teeth into some more waffles, and perhaps crepes too!

A Ladybug Belgian Patisserie

4199 Quesnay Wood Dr SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 689-0244

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Pies Plus Cafe – Calgary, Alberta

Pies Plus Cafe is a neat little place I stumbled upon. Not wanting to make my own pies, and craving for a home made pie, I knew the frozen isle in my local grocery stores wasn’t going to do.. and, I didn’t want to go to the Farmers Market during this long weekend rush.

I then looked up great pie places, and to my excitement, there was one not far from my house. So, I went there for lunch and ordered myself a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of apple pie. Sure, the pie was cold — which would have been awesome if they popped it in the oven to make it hot again, but it was still really good.

We also ordered a beef pie and that was really delicious. The beef in the beef stew was really savory and tender, and seasoned quite nicely. There was a pie topper which was really light and flaky.

I really enjoyed my experience here, although it was a little costly. The neat thing however, there were lots of people who came in and out of the store with empty pie dishes, which was neat! It sure keeps their customers coming back for more pies!

Pies Plus Cafe

611-12445 Lake Fraser Dr SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 271-6616

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Ricky’s All Day Grill – Calgary, Alberta

Ricky’s All Day Grill has the best turkey gravy in my opinion. It’s a small location, with really great food, so be sure you have lots of time before even thinking about going to Rickys.

I always order something with fries and turkey gravy on the side, and I really enjoy the Hawaiian burger from Rickys as it offers a sweet and savory taste from both the teriyaki sauce and the grilled slice of pineapple. It’s the perfect balance to a burger. This delicious burger does tend to make a big mess as well, so roll up your sleeves and enjoy this treat!

Ricky’s All Day Grill (130th Ave)

4307 130 Ave SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 257-6658