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Balkan – Greek Restaurant in Banff

It’s been years since we’ve gone back to our favourite Greek Restaurant and it just happens to be in Banff, AB! It’s really nice as they have renovated the space to make it quite inviting – yet warm and intimate. It’s pretty neat, when you first get up the stairs, you’re greeted by beautiful piece of what appears to be a Greek imitation of their art on Ivory.

We came to this restaurant after watching the Santa Claus Parade that was held in Banff. It was quite spectacular as it was a night parade – which you normally don’t see. So, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to return here. This particular even, they were really packed as there were large families and parties going on – but we managed to make a reservation – so the food and service was still really good.

For drinks, I ordered a Virgin Pina Colada as it’s my favourite girly drink. It was really good and not too sweet, as some other places make it extra sweet – or there’s just no alcohol to make it bitter. We also had a bottle of Mythos which is Greek beer and it’s quite light and crisp.

For starters, they give you some nice fresh buns with Balsamic Olive Oil Bread Dip which is really nice! They do use a really nice Greek Olive Oil for this and it’s perfect for this application!

I ordered something I don’t normally, but for some reason, it really stuck in my mind that it was what I was going to get… so, I got it. I ordered the Arni Psito which was roasted lamb. The lamb was fork tender and it fell off the bone as I started eating at my dish. It was so good, I pretty much ate the entire plate before realizing we said we’d switch half-way to experience each others dishes.

The other dish we ordered was Greek Ribs and they were tender as well, lots of flavour and soft. It wasn’t fall of the bone ribs that are tender and juicy, but it sure is a different style.

Then, as stuffed as we were, we knew we wanted dessert from the moment we made a reservation to Balkans. We always order the Galactobouriko which is an amazing dessert that is really light, and not really sweet, warm, custardy with crispy phyllo pastry! To top it off, it’s topped with a decadent honey syrup and cinnamon.

Balkan The Greek Restaurant

120 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB
(403) 762-3454

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Perogy Boyz Food Truck

I really like perogies, and when I heard about the Perogy Boyz which is a food truck in Calgary – I knew I had to go and try it right away! It was great, the line wasn’t too long, and the cooking time did take awhile, but the guys on the truck made it bearable by talking to the hungry guests waiting for their food!

We weren’t hungry – we were there for the experience and we loved it! We ordered Duck Perogy which sounds awesome on it’s own! What with duck isn’t good? Well, ground duck, Saskatoon berries, and chive ponzu was excellent in the perogies! Ah yummy! Just the thought of it brings back memories!

While we were there, we wanted a drink and was really glad to see The Grizzly Paw drinks. The Grizzly Paw is brewery in Canmore, Alberta that brews their own beers and many other things including making soda. It’s really a great restaurant to go to and it is a family restaurant as well! They have excellent burgers there and I really enjoyed the food and service there. But, because they’re local, I love it! We took a bottle of their Orange Soda and it really is quite different from other brand name soda pops.

Sure, this maybe an expensive food truck – where it kind of defeats the purpose of a food truck (fast, cheap, easy) but it’s something special for sure though – handmade perogies?! I can’t make them that good! Plus, with all the labour costs and fresh ingredients, it’s okay to indulge in them sometimes! I think it’s worth while since it’s a million times better than frozen ones. It just doesn’t compare!

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Graze Restaurant and Grill – Calgary, Alberta

I’ve been going to Graze Grill once a year now for the last 5 years – and we only go on Valentines Day. They put out a really good Valentines Day Buffet at a really great rate! You don’t need to make reservations, but I have been doing it anyway the last 2 years.

The restaurant is located inside of Executive Royal Inn also known as the Royal Inn in Northeast Calgary. It’s really neat because I know that some flight crew that overnights in Calgary stays at this hotel – and sometimes you see them eating at this buffet for V-Day! The prices are really reasonable as well – as all other places really mark up their prices for this day, adults was only $25/adult in 2011. Sure, the selection isn’t HUGE as it is in a smaller hotel and really, how much selection do you need when the food tastes good? My favourite station of course is the carving station! We’ve had from beef roasts to prime rib and it’s always good!

This is a great buffet to go to in Calgary during special occasions because they care about the product of their food and they make it taste really good. The environment is really nice, warm and inviting. I’ve never tried their Sunday Brunch buffet before, but I’ve really never tried that anywhere in Calgary, except for a select few locations. It’s a place I’ll continue to go to annually for the special Valentines Day Buffet!

Overall, I think the buffet is well worth it! It’s got great food, and it’s close to a lot of amenities if you’re looking for something to do or somewhere to go afterwards. The dessert chocolate fountain is always fun too! Their desserts are quite decent as well! definitely hits the spot!

Graze Restaurant and Grill

2828 23 St NE
Calgary, AB
(403) 219-7484

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Boston Pizza Chinook Centre – Calgary, Alberta

This particular evening we were wanting to eat at Boston Pizza which is somewhere we use to go a lot, but has cut down. We went to the Chinook Centre location as it’s not only convenient, but we could also get some Christmas shopping afterwards! This location is one of the newest locations in Calgary, and I think it’s great!

I ordered the Baked Chipotle Bacon Penne which was excellent, with a nice spicy smokey chipotle taste which was kind of subtle, but enough to detect. This plate of penne was a large portion but was really good – it was penne with creamy alfredo sauce tossed with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and cheese. Then to make it extra special, they put a nice layer of cheese on top and baked it to oozy gooey yumminess!

For the pizza, we ordered Spicy Perogy Pizza and this was such a different type of pizza. Instead of your typical tomato pizza sauce, they use sour cream, and they line the pizza with potato slices. The toppings was delicious and it had lots of smoky bacon, cheese and green onions!

For dessert, even though we were super stuffed, we were convinced to try the Sticky Toffee Pudding and we’re so happy that we tried it. It was a delicious steamed chocolate sponge cake, topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream smothered with rich caramel sauce.

The food at this location was phenomenal, and the service overall was excellent. The prices was right, and you’ll never know what kind of new menu items you’ll find from Boston Pizza. It’s not your typical Pizza Chain as it offers not only your usual suspects at a pizza joint, but it offers new and exciting menu items and even specialty items like gluten free dishes.

Boston Pizza in Calgary Chinook Center

232 – 6455 Macleod Trail SW Map
Calgary, AB
(403) 255-2525

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Cookie Occasion – Calgary, Alberta

During a visit to see Fiasco Souped Up Food Truck in Calgary Marda Loop, I went to a place for cookies called Cookie Occasion which easily drew me to here as I love cookies.

I got to go get myself another cookie as I promised myself! This time, I got the Triple Sin Cookie and it was sinfully delicious. These cookies are made of the three common Callebaut chocolate chunks – dark, milk and white and they are all mixed into a great cookie dough! There’s really nothing quite like it!

The other cookie we purchased was Amaretto Almond Cookie and within the first bite, my mouth was exploding with almond flavours. These cookies are mixed in with Callebaut milk chocolate chunks, almonds and a splash of amaretto! We’ve never had a more almond tasting cookie before and it was really wonderful!

As much as I like cookies from anywhere, I can not get over how wonderfully delicious these cookies are, and the texture of the cookie is unlike any other. These cookies are a must try if you haven’t done so yet! You’ll see the difference, and you’ll thank me later! 🙂 But, note their hours are Monday – Saturday 10AM to 5PM!

Cookie Occasion

2107 – 33rd Avenue SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 246-6700