Via Cibo South Trail – Calgary, Alberta

We were looking for a quick dinner this one evening, and we remembered having Via Cibo at Deerfoot Meadows being really delicious, so we decided to head into the location on 130th Avenue SE just off Deerfoot Trail. There’s ample parking but I assume when everything is opened, the parking situation will be trickier as there’s lots of development here right now.

The way the layout is for this fast food chain is standard, but they give you a number and you pick a table and the staff will bring you your order. It’s quite organized, and although it was really new when we came here, it was speedy enough. We do love the open kitchen concept, and their system was quite amazing. The service was great both for dine in and take out.

We started with their Margherita Pizza as I wanted something simple and delicious. They definitely delivered and everything was fresh and tasty. The crust was beautifully cooked with a nice crisp and it wasn’t soggy at all.

What is more Italian than pasta, so we had an order of their Alfredo Pasta with Sausage. At first, the portions seemed really small, but as you eat it, you do fill up quickly so it worked out at the end.

We definitely enjoyed our experience here. It was a quick night out dinner and we couldn’t have asked for anything else! I’m sure we’ll be back as we’re just steps away and I can always use a bowl of pasta! The food was definiately made to order which is something we appreciate a lot, and believe it’s well worth the time and effort.

Via Cibo South Trail

515-4700 130th Ave SE
Calgary, AB T2Z 4E7
403-720-2222

Giorgio’s Trattoria – Banff Alberta

I’ve been to Giorgio’s Trattoria in Banff before – a few years ago, but never for lunch. This time, we stopped in for a relaxing lunch and it was great! We got a table outside and it was a great way to spend the afternoon.

We started with an appetizer of Atlantic Mussels which was a big bowl of PEI mussels cooked in a tomato fennel sauce. The mussels were really plump and fresh, so they were really good. The sauce was tasty and not over powering and not water downed either. It was a great dish and set the bar for a really good lunch ahead!

I ordered their Canadian Pizza which I thought was an individual sized pizza. It turns out to be quite large so I ended bringing half of it home. The pizza crust was really good, and hand generous amount of toppings making the pizza quite delightful.

Then, it wouldn’t be an Italian place if we don’t eat pasta – especially they advertise themselves for homemade fresh pasta, so we ordered a bowl of Spaghetti Bolognese where we added meatballs to the meal. The pasta was delicious and the meatballs – tons of flavour. The sauce they used was a meat and tomato sauce which I thought was a little bit watery so it wasn’t as flavourful as it could be.

Overall, we still love this place. Even though so many years has passed, it still has great food, great service and a wonderful ambiance. It’s always worth the price tag for a treat so great!

Giorgio's Trattoria on Urbanspoon

Giorgio’s Trattoria

219 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB
(403) 762-5114

Via Cibo – Calgary, Alberta

I was having one of those crazy days at work that left me feeling really tired and exhausted. Luckily on this day, we got to meet up some friends at Via Cibo which is located at Deerfoot Meadows in the Southeast.

Because of such a tiring day, I decided to order myself a nice cup of Latte which was not only presented beautifully, but it tasted really rich and creamy. It was quite perfect actually! Anything would have been perfect on a day like this, but this was beyond perfect!

We started with a bowl of Chef’s Soup which was a chicken egg drop soup. It looked really greasy but it didn’t taste like it – even though it was! This soup was made with chicken, chicken broth, carrots and celery – of course with the egg drop. It was quite flavourful and quite different from any other kind of soup I’ve had before.

As there was a bunch of us, we had 2 pizza’s ordered. The first pizza was their Margherita Pizza which was a vegetarian pizza with mozzarella, tomato and basil. It was a fine pizza with a fantastic crust! As simple as it looks it was jammed pack with flavours!

The other pizza that we devoured was their Via Caslinga Pizza with tomato, sausage, salami and cheese. It had a nice kick to it and it was delicious! The crust again was quite tasty with a nice texture and thickness to it.

As we’re in an Italian place, we couldn’t skip trying their pastas. I must say – they have excellent pasta and it exceeded my expectation! We ordered the Pomodoro with Meatballs and it was really something special. The texture of the pasta was fantastic, the meatballs were large, juicy and tasty. The overall dish was delicious and something I would order again!

Then, we actually made it to dessert round during the same visit! You would think we have been starving for weeks – but the food was too good, we couldn’t stop eating. One of the workers suggested we try their Zeppole which was Italian donuts with sugar coating and a chocolate filling. I do not need to say anything else. These were little bites of heaven!

And then, just in case you thought we had enough – we ordered some Fiasco Gelato also to share! We’ve had them in the past and they were awesome, and this day – same thing!! Nothing beats Italian ice cream!

Overall experience was beyond expectations. We ended up eating the entire restaurant before we left and loved it! I’m sure we’ll be back soon!

Via Cibo on Urbanspoon

Via Cibo Deerfoot Meadows

7929 11th Street Unit# 2
AB T2H 0A7
403 253 9273

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!

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San Remo Ristorante

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

Aglio E Olio Food Truck – Calgary

As you can all tell now, I really like food trucks, and when they’re at Deerfoot Meadows on Saturdays, I’m most likely going to visit them. This one particular Saturday, Aglio E Olio was there, and it was my first time seeing them! They offer pasta from a truck, and the portion sizes are huge for only $10! It is a little more costly than other food trucks, but the amount of pasta you get, it’s incredible!

From this truck, we didn’t know how big the portions were until after we received our order. We actually got a pasta each, which was fine – we just had a smaller dinner! 🙂 I love Gnocchi when they’re done right, as they transform potatoes into pillows of light and softness! So, I ordered their Gnocchi Bolognese which was of course gnocchi with a spicy pomodoro meat sauce!! It was a wonderful and filling lunch, and I was satisfied to no end! On top of the great gnocchi, it had a huge piece of garlic toast, and I have been in love with garlic toast since I was really young!

The other plate of pasta that we ordered was their Penne Arrabiata, which was a plate of penne – which we love!! It is topped with with sausage and pomodoro sauce which in a way is similiar to the gnocchi, but the use of sausages instead of the ground meat changes everything!

This was a great truck to visit! I really enjoyed the Gnocchi with the Meat sauce – so if you’re looking for some starch, and some delicious topping, nothing really beats their Gnocchi Bolognese! I hope it’s there next time I run into this food truck!

Aglio E Olio on Urbanspoon