national park – Elsie Hui

October 26, 2014

Athena Pizza and Spaghetti House – Banff, Alberta

We’ve been wanting to try Athena Pizza and Spaghetti House for quite some time now as they’ve been here for over 30 years – it shows us they’re doing something right. Located right by the Clock Tower Mall, on the 2nd floor, they’ve got a good sized space for pizza!

One of my favourite pizza’s is the Hawaiian Pizza so I ordered myself a small pizza. It’s actually pretty big for it’s size, but probably right for it’s price. At $15.50, this pizza has lots of Canadian bacon and pineapple on it. It’s got a nice crust that is sturdy enough to hold the toppings without being thick or greasy. It’s a good pizza!

The last thing we enjoyed was their Oven Baked Lasagne which had thin lasagna pieces with a rich meaty homemade sauce, topped with cheese – and then baked in the oven. The garlic toast that it came with was absolutely delicious and I would probably order another slice of it if I didn’t have an entire pizza!

Overall, it was a great place to eat! The food was good, the pizza was decent and the pasta was terrific. The prices were a little high for what it was, but the quality of food made up for it. The service was quick and friendly.

Athena Pizza and Spaghetti House

112 Banff Ave
Banff, AB
(403) 762-4022

October 25, 2014October 25, 2014

Evelyn’s Coffee Bar – Banff, Alberta

We were walking around along Banff Avenue when I decided I wanted to stop into a coffee shop and wanderied into Evelyn’s Coffee Bar right on Banff Avenue, north of Caribou Street. The location is really easy to find and the tables outside will help you find it!

This is a coffee company that seems to have re-branded itself or renamed it for whatever reason. But, on their own website, it’s now called Evelyn’s Coffee Bar. I went in and ordered their Pumpkin Spice Latte which is one of my favourite fall drinks. This one not only had a latte art but it smelled wonderful! I think I will order it extra hot next time, or I took too long before I started drinking it – it wasn’t too hot. It tasted great and it made me really happy.

We also ordered a Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Frappe which I thought my husband was silly – it was a relatively cool afternoon, but whatever he wanted. It tasted really chocolatey and delicious. The nice thing about this frappe was it wasn’t filled with ice so you’re able to enjoy a lot more of this drink.

I really enjoy this location as it’s busy, yet you’re able to find a table to sit and enjoy the drink. You never feel rushed or anything. It’s a great place to sit down and watch the world pass you as you’re right on the busy street of Banff.

Evelyn’s Coffee Bar

215 Banff Ave
Banff, AB
(403) 762-0352

October 14, 2014

The Regent Hotel – Revelstoke, British Columbia

We took a weekend trip to BC, just to see the Salmon Run which was really quite amazing! We ended up staying at Revelstoke’s The Regent Hotel which is kind of in their older area near the train lines.

Once we checked in, we pretty much called it a night as we were quite tired. This hotel caters to bus tours as there was at least 2 staying in the hotel when we were there. the hotel rooms are quite decent and quite newly renovated. The rooms do lack your amenities like a coffee maker or water boiler, but it was just fine.

We got a room with a King bed kind of tucked away in the corner where we over look the side street. It was quite a quiet stay, although trains do go by, it’s not too loud.

The bathroom was of a good size and so was the shower. It offered your basics so it was perfect for an overnight! Our stay included a complimentary hot breakfast buffet which was a nice way to start our day before we ventured on our way back home.

The Regent Hotel

112 First Street East
Box 582
Revelstoke, BC
250-837-2107

October 13, 2014October 13, 2014

Lake Louise Station Restaurant – Lake Louise, Alberta

It’s Thanksgiving 2014, and this year instead of making a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we ventured to Lake Louise on our way home from BC and stopped at Lake Louise Station Restaurant which is a hidden gem, tucked away and seasonal! We were quite lucky to get a table as we didn’t even make any reservations!

Inside was really rustic, like an old wood cabin train station with a wood burning fireplace in their main dining room. We were seated in an inside room, which was pretty much how it would look like if there was a conductor there. We did see a train go by and that was the highlight to the ambiance experience! One we got seated, I knew I wanted to warm up with a spicy Virgin Caesar and it was delicious!

Once we ordered our meals, a plate of bread and bugger came out. The bread was really fresh, with a subtle sweetness to it. It tasted great with butter and as dull/boring as it looks, it was excellent!

With our 3 course dinner, we had a choice between soup and salad. We both opted for soup as it was cold outside. The soup of the day was their Cream of Asparagus and it was very delightful! It wasn’t so creamy that it’s thick, but it had a nice texture to it with great taste of asparagus. It was cooked nicely as well, as the colour didn’t resemble overcooked asparagus!

For the entree, we both decided to have their Turkey dinner which was huge as it came with slices of turkey meat with gravy, seasonal vegetables, stuffing, and some potatoes. With it was some cranberry sauce and coleslaw. It was delicious and I ate everything up!

Our dessert was where we picked different desserts! I had their Strawberry puffed pastry which was really nice strawberries with whipped cream inside a puff pastry triangle, topped with cinnamon/nutmeg. It was a really nice dessert, although not light, it tasted light!

The other dessert was their Pumpkin Pie which was little individual sized pumpkin pies. The filling was really good, and the crust could be better – but it was still an awesome pumpkin pie. I personally think it would have been nice if they heated up the pumpkin pie a little, but I know they were busy!

Overall, a fabulous dining experience in a piece of history! The atmosphere – you couldn’t beat it, and the service was really helpful, friendly and quick. The food was tasty and was perfect for our Thanksgiving dinner!

Lake Louise Station Restaurant

200 Sentinel Rd
Lake Louise, AB
(403) 522-2600

October 2, 2014November 10, 2014

Afternoon Tea in Fairview Dining Room – Lake Louise, Alberta

I have wanted to experience Afternoon Tea for year now, and I finally got my first opportunity at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise inside the Fairview Dining Room which was a wonderful anniversary present I got. We waited for a table by the window to overlook Lake Louise and it was a fantastic view for sure! We sat down at the table and it was already ready for us which made us really excited.

We started with their seasonal fruit salad which was really perfectly cut and prepared and tasted great! The fruits were sweet and it as just a nice summery treat!

Then, came the star of the show, our 3 tier afternoon tea platter with our dainty sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middle and desserts on the top! It was as amazing as it looks!

The finger sandwiches was fresh and amazing! My favourite would be this little guy on the croissant and the smoked salmon sandwich. Everything was amazing – so it’s pretty hard to pick just one!

Then, the middle tier was the scones and those were absolutely amazing. With the fresh berry compote and devonshire cream, it was a delight! But, nothing beats my favourite tier, the desserts! The best dessert on this try for me was their Coffee Eclair.

We had such a great time here, instead of waiting 14 years before our next visit, we’re planning to make this an annual event as they do change up their afternoon tea menu – so it will never be the same!

Fairview Dining Room

111 Lake Louise Drive
Lake Louise, AB
(403) 522-3511