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Bolsa Vietnamese – Calgary, Alberta

Honestly, I never thought I’d find myself at Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant after the 2009 shooting for some reason. But, with all the great reviews from here, I knew I would have to! So, I pulled up my brave pants and ventured off! We were greeted at the door by really friendly staff and tons of fish tanks! They’re just their pets/decoration, but they sure had a lot of them! I ordered the Bolsa Special Salad Rolls and they were different than any other salad rolls I’ve ever had! It was soft with tons of filling and packed with flavour!

While we were deciding to order, all the staff kept mentioning to try “spicy”… so, we asked them how spicy it was, and they said “quite spicy!” So, we ordered a bowl of Pho Bo Kho – medium spicy which really means we got a bowl of satay beef rice noodles. It was the perfect amount of heat (I can’t imagine the spice with it at full spicy!) even though I know we will be back just to try it!

We also ordered something a little lighter option and opted for Bolsas Special Rice Vermicelli which was the regular warm rice noodle without soup, but with nuoc cham and goodies. The goodies in this special was pork and beef sausages and I think there were some ground shrimp cake as well! Regardless, all the individual items tasted wonderful alone and even better together in the bun style!

Overall, we’ve been comparing all our Vietnamese experiences to this one. This one has just set a high benchmark for us – so for sure we’ll become a regular customer here!

Bolsa Vietnamese on Urbanspoon

Bolsa Vietnamese

180 94 Ave SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 255-3777

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BeaverTails – Banff Alberta

I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about BeaverTails in Banff. Weirdly, every time I’ve made it to Banff, something happens – one thing or another, and I haven’t tried BeaverTails… until now! This little store front is located right on Banff Avenue and it’s easy to find as it’s often the one with a huge line up!

This little place offers tons of options that all sound good – from ice cream/gelato/sorbets to french fries/poutines and much much more! Of course, with the name being BeaverTails, I knew that was what I wanted! I decided to try an Apple Cinnamon BeaverTail which was a deep fried dough with butter brushed on it… dipped in their cinnamon sugar mixture then topped with Apples and their apple sauce (kind of like a warm jam).

If you love apple pie and cinnamon bread… then, this is your snack! It’s like a fast food apple pie kicked up a few notches and it’s fresh! There’s nothing you wouldn’t like about this! It’s not over sweet, it’s not too messy (if you keep it horizontal like a pizza). If you’re not into treats like this, then I think you will enjoy their frozen treats (it’s the next thing I’m going to try!)

As mentioned, I really love this place. I think it’s perfect for any season. When it’s cold out, you can enjoy a BeaverTail and when it’s hot out, you can enjoy a frozen treat… and everything in between! So, believe me, I will be back every time I go to Banff!

BeaverTails on Urbanspoon

BeaverTails

120 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB
(403) 760-0606

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Bumpy’s Cafe – Calgary

I’m not sure why or even how I even ended up at Bumpy’s Cafe but it’s like it’s hidden gem! Parking wasn’t too bad as we arrived early on a Sunday morning so there was street parking! It’s not too hard to find as there are 2 entrances to the cafe.

Once we got inside, it’s a cute little place with lots of people coming and going – and a lot less customers sitting down and enjoying their morning. We sat down as it was going to be a slow paced Sunday for me.

I ordered to start, a cup of Hot Chocolate and it comes in a large cup – which I loved! It’s really creamy but it doesn’t feel thick and heavy. Plus, it’s not overly sweet, so it was just right for me!

We also figured they’d do latte art, so we also ordered a latte, and we were right – there was beautiful latte art!!

When I use to work at the hotel, one of my favourite breakfasts was their Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Bacon so, that’s what I decided to order from here.

We also ordered their Ham and Cheese Quiche which was in a pretty big slice, melty and ooey gooey making the cheese and egg really delicious!

Overall, the drinks were really delicious and the food wasn’t bad either. It’s simple foods and a tad greasy – but it tasted really good! I eat anywhere that offers good food and this place is no exception! If I was in the area again for breakfast, I’m sure I will be back!

Bumpy’s Cafe

1004 8 St SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 265-0244

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San Remo Ristorante – Mckenzie Towne

It was a late evening, and I haven’t eaten dinner, so my husband took me to San Remo, and it was really nice they didn’t kick us out as it was getting close to their closing time. We went in and was seated in a booth which was really comfortable. the restaurant and lounge still had a few tables, so I didn’t feel as bad that I was there.

Not long after we were seated, we ordered and a delicious bread basket came to the table. The bread was really nice, and the flavoured butter was a nice touch!

We started the late dinner with their Antipasto Platter which not only looked fantastic, it tasted pretty good too! This platter had assorted cheese and sliced prosciutto & salami. There were also some oven roasted pepepers, marinated olives and button mushrooms & artichokes. It was a fun platter to eat and great for sharing!

For the actual dinner, I ordered their Hawaiian Pizza which was made in the stone oven. This was the best pizza was probably one of the best pizzas I’ve had in a very long time! This pizza is made of Double smoked applewood bacon, fresh pineapple! The best part of this pizza was that it was finished with maple syrup which is excellent as it’s sweet and salty balance of flavour, it’s what makes it my favourite pizza so far!

We also ordered a bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese with tons of noodles and just enough yummy sauce. There were a few large meatballs, jammed pack with flavour. The portions are quite large, and it’s quite delicious! We were able to take some home too!

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and atmosphere from this restaurant. The food was really delicious and I just had such a great time that I know I will be back!

San Remo Ristorante on Urbanspoon

San Remo Ristorante

26 McKenzie Towne Gate SE #500
Calgary, AB
(403) 251-0998

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Pad Thai – Banff

I never really make reservations while I’m in Banff as I never know where and when I am going to be anywhere. We stumbled into the Clock Tower Mall right on Banff Ave and found this Thai food place called Pad Thai. There were tables inside and outside of the restaurant (all indoors of the clock tower mall) which is kind of dingy, but that’s okay with me!

We were one of the first tables to arrive and we were allowed to sit anywhere. We chose a corner inside and by the window and it was nice! You are still “in” the restaurant and you can watch people go by and other customers! We started our lunch with a plate of their Thai Dumplings which they call “Saw Moing”. It came on a plate with 4 purple flowers. It tasted a lot like some other Vietnamese “snacks” I’ve had as it has minced pork inside and you dip it in a sauce which is kind of a mix of plum sauce and Nước chấm.

In Las Vegas, I fell in love with a dish of curry with BBQ Duck, so to my excitement, they had Red Curry with BBQ Duck and I knew immediately that it was what I wanted, with coconut rice! The portions was quite large for a lunch but it was jammed pack with thinly sliced BBQ duck in this great Thai curry sauce. Over the coconut rice, I was really satisfied.

To top everything off, I ordered one of my favourite fried dishes, which is Pad Sa Hew which has tons of different spelling for. I commonly see it spelled as “Pad Si Ew”, but regardless, it’s the same thing – my favourite thing! Basically it’s fried rice noodles with soy sauce and they make it exceptionally good here. They use nice high heat in a wok – you can taste it (there’s actually a Chinese term to describe this) but it’s one of the reasons why I love this dish from here. Tons of smoke flavour, tons of seasoning flavour, tons of goodness and the noodles weren’t all broken into little pieces.

Thai food has always had a special place in my heart as it’s food I just love as regular daily food. This little place make it quite accessible and it’s delicious! The portions are huge and the price is a tad on the high side but it sure is delicious. This make it totally worth it in my books! I’m sure I will be back sometime soon!

Pad Thai

110 banff av
Banff, AB
(403) 762-4911