Breakfast in Calgary
I'd started to give up on breakfast in Calgary. An historically bad plate of some sort of industrial by-products at Lido Cafe in Kensington (which online reviews had said served "great food at amazing prices", whereas the only amazing thing is that it's still in business after all these years) and the look of perplexion on my servers face when I asked for poached eggs at Moxies Grill, had re-calibrated my expectations to zero. And forced me to search out an organic, free-range egg supplier.
However, more searching has turned up two fabulous places.
First up, Diner Deluxe. OK, so it's a ways out from my downtown location and I had to wait in line for 40 minutes (and I got so lost on the way back that I ended up attempting to cross a 40 lane highway on foot) but this 50's styled diner is just rocking. It serves Kicking Horse coffee (from BC, using organic, fair-traded, shade grown beans, which means that you can drink three or four cups *and* be doing some good), Farmer Cliff's eggs (just outside of Calgary and free range) and amazing pork products from Regina's Fine Meats. They also grill a pretty mean Roma tomato, meaning that your plate of food looks all purdy. It's also next door to Urban Baker. Despite the fact they objected to me taking photos (and accused me of working for a rival bakery) their chocolate cranberry sourdough is a work of genius and will be turned into french toast the next time I go there. This batch was used to bribe waitresses to give me names of tattoo artists and for snacking on during the Calgary Tattoo Fair.
As good as Diner Deluxe (and within walking distance for me) is the Galaxie Diner. This place is smaller, but also retro styled. My steamed eggs benedict with Montreal smoked meats (served on a croissant, but I'll forgive them the inauthenticity) could have fed a family of four, but was just right on a morning when I felt like the floor of a minicab. One by-product of living in Calgary is that you find yourself doing the oddest of things, and my karaoke debut of "You're So Vain" seemed like a good idea after 74 Gray Goose and tonic.
Of course there's still the problem that I can't quite get my head around the bacon they serve here. It's a bit like eating bacon rind. But Diner Deluxe had a couple of bacon options, so I am prepared for next time. The search continues...
Diner Deluxe is at 804 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3J6
(403) 276-5499. The website is worth checking out.
Galaxie Diner is at 1411 11 Street SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1G7
(403) 228-0001
However, more searching has turned up two fabulous places.
First up, Diner Deluxe. OK, so it's a ways out from my downtown location and I had to wait in line for 40 minutes (and I got so lost on the way back that I ended up attempting to cross a 40 lane highway on foot) but this 50's styled diner is just rocking. It serves Kicking Horse coffee (from BC, using organic, fair-traded, shade grown beans, which means that you can drink three or four cups *and* be doing some good), Farmer Cliff's eggs (just outside of Calgary and free range) and amazing pork products from Regina's Fine Meats. They also grill a pretty mean Roma tomato, meaning that your plate of food looks all purdy. It's also next door to Urban Baker. Despite the fact they objected to me taking photos (and accused me of working for a rival bakery) their chocolate cranberry sourdough is a work of genius and will be turned into french toast the next time I go there. This batch was used to bribe waitresses to give me names of tattoo artists and for snacking on during the Calgary Tattoo Fair.
As good as Diner Deluxe (and within walking distance for me) is the Galaxie Diner. This place is smaller, but also retro styled. My steamed eggs benedict with Montreal smoked meats (served on a croissant, but I'll forgive them the inauthenticity) could have fed a family of four, but was just right on a morning when I felt like the floor of a minicab. One by-product of living in Calgary is that you find yourself doing the oddest of things, and my karaoke debut of "You're So Vain" seemed like a good idea after 74 Gray Goose and tonic.
Of course there's still the problem that I can't quite get my head around the bacon they serve here. It's a bit like eating bacon rind. But Diner Deluxe had a couple of bacon options, so I am prepared for next time. The search continues...
Diner Deluxe is at 804 Edmonton Trail NE, Calgary, AB T2E 3J6
(403) 276-5499. The website is worth checking out.
Galaxie Diner is at 1411 11 Street SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1G7
(403) 228-0001
Labels: breakfast, Calgary, Diner Deluxe, Galaxy Diner, Lido Cafe
posted by Suzi Edwards at Saturday, September 13, 2008
1 Comments:
Welcome to Calgary Suzi! Please don't judge us by our breakfast. It's the reality of living in a city with a 3% unemployment rate. The people who made your eggs (indeed it probably took more than one) have probably never made eggs before in their lives. They might have talked to their eggs in the past though....hmmm. Anyway, you'll get used to calling a non-fat latte "breakfast". :-)
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