WINE Recommendation:

Cheap wine you should buy…2005 Heartland Stickleback from Ben Glaetzer. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, and Grenache. At 14% percent alcohol it packs a boozy punch but comes across as well balanced with nice fruit and low tannins. For about $13 a bottle you can’t go wrong. Wine overlord Robert Parker rated the Stickleback 90 points out of 100. This wine kicks the crap out of the over marketed yellow labels and wines with penguins or other animated characters on the bottle. Buy it at Richmond Hill Wines or J. Webb. This is a great wine to open after you’ve had a bottle or two and don’t want to drain the good juice out of your cellar or if you’re new to fermented grapes and don’t want to break the bank.

Good Things Eaten Lately:

Even though I consider their wine list to be a sham….I have to admit that my lunch at Blink was a pleasant surprise. I like the room, the service was very good and the food really surprised me. The red wine braised boneless short rib ($24.95) I had was fantastic. Served in a mini cast iron ramekin I thought the portion would be light…but was impressed by how much food they packed in that little pot of joy. The meat was cooked perfectly and was easily managed with my fork. The veggies complimenting the meat were firm, tasty, and thanks to the cast iron it was all warm throughout my lunch. While I am still not sold on this place…I am intrigued enough to come back for an early dinner before the steroid-monkey and club-girl crowd shows up. Still can’t believe what they’re trying to charge for E&E Shiraz so value remains a question….but I digress.

Once in a blue moon I ignore my expanded belly and need to satisfy my cravings for good fish and chips. Fortunately there is the Chowder House Seafood Restaurant (609-1st Street SW) a block away from my office in Petro Canada. Two times in a row I have been served excellent fish and chips by friendly, attentive staff. The batter is crispy crunchy good and the chips don’t taste of fish…which tells me they’re operating different fryers…thank the heavens. There’s also a nice selection of different types of fish you may choose from for your battered pleasure. The other dishes I have seen served around me on my trips here have also looked good…so maybe it’s time I tried more than their fried goodies.

I am a BBQ nut. If you smoke it, grill it, char it, or put a flame anywhere near it I’ll chow down. A great little spot for cheap Chinese BBQ in downtown Calgary is Happy Valley Restaurant (100-3rd Avenue SE). You can order the lunch BBQ special with extra meat and tea for about $10. Choose from duck, pork, or Chinese sausage…or just get all three! It’s not the Ritz but about once every week or so I have to satisfy my cravings for their glazed meaty treats. I have no idea what their other food is like…cause the BBQ rules.

Denman Island chocolate bars from Planet Organic are an expensive treat at $3.75 a bar….but the espresso chunk chocolate bar with a nice glass of port is something that will bring a big smile to the crankiest curmudgeon after a tough day oppressing creative underlings. The chocolate they use is made in Belgium but it’s in BC where they work their magic with ingredients all certified to be organic. An excellent treat.

Pies Plus (12445 Lake Fraser Dr SE) chicken pot pie….TO DIE FOR. Damn they’re good and hot and flaky. Loved their comfort food expression. When I ordered my peach-apple pie and the girl asked me for $18.75 I almost fell over…but having devoured the chicken pot pie crust I figured what the hell? What the hell indeed…it was the best pie (lard in crust) I have ever had besides the pies my granny makes (sentimentality always wins). I am now officially hooked on Pies Plus...and when I bring them back their pie tin I get $1 off. It’s worth it either way. Last thing…their bathrooms were SPOTLESS.

They’ve Gotta be Kiddin’ Me…

I had read many good things from various food personas about Aladdin’s Casbah in Avenida Village. Having acquired a taste for Lebanese food and other assorted Middle Eastern delights from my girlfriend and her family (Lebanese) I was excited that maybe…just maybe we had a new ethnic specialty spot in the south of Calgary worth checking out. Alas Aladdin didn’t have any tricks up his sleeve on the night we dined there. Maybe I should have rubbed the lamp harder? The store bought pita in plastic bag, the bottles of Costco water and very odd tasting food failed to impress. I hate to discourage or flame new spots down south but our meal was not something I’d ever wish to experience again. We ordered everything and most of it was dried out, seasoned poorly or just flat out tasted bad. Not interested in going back anytime soon.