About ten months ago, JARO blue on Calgary’s trendy 17th Avenue quietly opened their doors to the public. On Saturday, what could have been described as the height of summer in Calgary, I got a chance to take a peek and left with a pretty good impression.

I tasted almost every martini on their list – they’re all dangerous.. but in a good way! The atmosphere and aesthetic inside are great and the patio is definitely fun to spend time on.

17th Avenue’s foot traffic is reminiscent of what I used to experience back in the day on Vancouver’s Granville Street when I used to get plastered at Jack’s Dining Lounge – everything from guys sporting their new Maseratis all the way out to the homeless and dejected using their wits to score whatever their poison may be. Either way, it’s always a good experience and the diversity of 17th is a definite departure from Calgary’s homogeny.

In speaking with Jared Seifrit, one of the owners of JARO blue, I quickly discovered that he’s originally from Vancouver and lives in Yaletown on occasion.  It’s probably why they’re so successful – taking elements and life lessons from Western Canada’s most cosmopolitan neighbourhood and one of the world’s best food and beverage meccas – it all comes together.

JARO blue
1314 seventeenth ave sw t2t 0c3
calgary ab

TEL: 1-403-237-JARO
WEB: www.jaroblue.com

Alright, I admit… the title is a bit  sensationalistic. It appears the powers that be in ‘no fun City’ land (aka Vancouver) need to hear from the public about the sculptures purchased to be legacy pieces during the 2005 – 2007 Vancouver Sculpture Biennale.

More details after the jump including information on today’s public consultation at the West End Community Centre.
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