olives in Calgary opened up in the arriVa Tower on Olympic Way SE almost kitty corner to the new Cowboys (nee Desperados Steakhouse then rechristened Coyotes) on Friday, July 4th. We got to check them out on day 6 and were duly impressed.

When I queried my friend, Kyle Hoeght of Opus on 8th fame, someone who knows my tastes through various foodie adventures, he put me on to his friend and colleague, Jenna Kopperson who currently works as the assistant manager at olives. I jokingly said, not the Olive garden, right?

Definitely not – olives is about Innovative Italian food and they execute very well.

In discussions with the staff, whether it was John the young and enthusiastic waiter who greeted us with fresh-baked pancetta bread, or Ryan the well versed assistant manager who masterfully orchestrated wine pairings for our food on the spot, you could only deduce that they’re not only friendly but that they’re also extremely passionate about great wine and great food – truly refreshing for Calgary which has seen a turbulent decline in the care and attention put into the service industry as a result of the influx of capital from the oil boom.

At the same time, it’s good to see that John Torode’s group, the company which brought Hotel Arts (Raw Bar and Saint Germain in tow), is continuing their tradition of excellence with the opening of Olives.

The skinny:

olives
1129 Olympic Way SE (MAP)
Calgary, AB T2G 0E6

TEL: 403-984-5000
FAX: 403-984-5002

WEB: olivesrestaurant.ca

Hours: Friday and Saturday, open until Midnight. Open until 11pm every other night of the week.

The restaurant itself is simple. Three open concept rooms with little more than a shimmer screen marking their separation – a deli area for the afternoon, the main dining room and a lounge for everything thereafter. High ceilings and a very contemporary feel. The best part of the main dining room is that it features an open kitchen and hightop service right at it’s edge where you can choose to ante up and watch rockstar chef Jonathan Canning create his masterpieces.

Click on any of the above thumbnails to view the images full size. More about the food, after the jump.

So, what did we eat?

Steamed Gulf Prawns and Manila Clams

Truffle Parsnip and Mascarpone Raviolis – Barbera d’Alba “Paiagal” to pair with the Alba truffles

Sous Vide Veal breast – Aglianico Campania to pair

The lemon zest in the mashed potatoes, btw?! Phenomenal.

Two cheeses …

… and an incredible Tiramisu (both desserts) paired with Vin Santo, the ‘holy wine.’

This review doesn’t even scratch the surface of what olives truly offers – the deli, the lounge, ’100 Wines’ next door, the raw power and potential – but all this writing is the making of a very hungry writer, so for now, the pen rests.

Scoop: We can’t wait for the Torode group’s next project, the 300+ seat Vista (which will also be in the arriVa Tower), to open up! See you at the opening.

More photos? Click HERE to check out all photos titled “Olives Resatuant” in my Flickr Photostream.

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

During my trip to Calgary for the Stampede, my friends and I chanced upon some fire spinning taking place on the corner of 17th Avenue SW and 8th Street in Mount Royal. Here’s some cool fire spinning photos:

Makes me want to head to burning man or something like that!

On my last trip to Calgary, I finally had a chance to check out FlamesCentral and was duly impressed. The Concord Group has seriously done some good work on the former location of Stephen Avenue’s Palace Nightclub.

Here’s some photos from the experience:

Dinner included Panko Crusted Prawns, a decent Ribeye and for my guest, a Lamb Shank.

The 108 seat Wildfire Grill within the FlamesCentral complex is immaculate. The service provided to us by our service was pretty good despite it being Calgary where people can move jobs in a whim.

Click on the thumbnails below to see the rest of the place including the main area, a bar made of hockey pucks and the founders’ lounge.

Overall, I’m looking forward to going back – especially during hockey season. Can’t wait!

Click HERE to see updated photos in my flickr stream relating to Flames Central.

Now, I wonder what Vancouver and other cities’ players will be doing to top this?

Last week I missed the Parasuco Jeans flagship store opening on Granville Street in Vancouver… this week, I miss the FlamesCentral opening on 8th in Calgary. Just my luck.

The Parasuco invite was by far the best executed. They mailed out jean pockets filled with an invitation.

The FlamesCentral and Wildfire Grill invite … well I always enjoy paper invites.

The Parasuco event, I hear, went off. I look forward to hearing about the private FlamesCentral party from all you readers!

Cheers!

Palace Nightclub on Stephen Avenue Mall has had it coming for a long time. Finally, they’re about to open and the details are being made public. Watch 8th Ave. for a Concorde Entertainment Group style opening with all the stops pulled out – something you could only do in Calgary.

THE CALGARY FLAMES & CONCORDE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP RELEASE NAME AND LOGO FOR NEW HYBRID SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT FACILITY & RESTAURANT OPENING MARCH 2007

For Immediate Release

January 24, 2007

Calgary, AB – The Calgary Flames Hockey Club and The Concorde Entertainment Group announced today that the names of the new hybrid sports entertainment facility & restaurant taking shape in the landmark Stephen Avenue Palace Theatre location will be FLAMES CENTRAL & WILDFIRE GRILL respectively.

Flames Central is a unique North American venue and a modern day hybrid version of the interactive “sports bar” that will provide sports fans with an opportunity to enjoy the history of The Calgary Flames through original memorabilia, state of the art contemporary décor and cutting edge entertainment options. Flames Central will not only play host as a modern day sports viewing coliseum, but will also play host as a special event facility, conference center and concert hall.

Wildfire Grill will provide Flames Central guests a casual upscale dining experience. Open daily for lunch and throughout each evening, Wildfire Grill is sure to be an exciting addition to the already booming Stephen Avenue restaurant scene.

Construction for this project continues, and the opening is slated for March 2007.

During my last trip to Calgary, I drove by the former location of Mescalero’s on 1st Street SE and thought what a fun place Crazy Horse was for an NYE location. That and the Banke on 8th where a pinstriped suit, some good friends and a black Russian Sobranie to puff on were de rigeur.

A sign is affixed to the soon-to-be demolished building at the old Mescalero’s location reads:

NEW YEARS EVE AT CRAZY HORSE LIMITED TICK[E]TS AVA[IL]ABLE P[H]O[N]E 266-1133.

They’re long gone and the number’s out of service. Soon, it’s just going to be condos.

SO. What are your plans for New Year’s? The two hot tickets in the city are the sold out Thomas Lynch Ministry of Sound event and the NYE 007 event at Mynt which will be their very last NYE event at their current location before being demolished.

Calgary is growing up quickly. Mynt goes down at the end of January. Ceilis and Cowboys have been granted an extension until the end of Stampede. Yee haw!

“Mission Control is an exciting new approach to corporate productivity that provides a dramatic increase in the productivity and effectiveness of your team, while reducing workplace stress.” (Source: leadershipinc.com)

Checked out the Mission Control two-day workshop courtesy Paul Gossen last week and I can definitely say that the time is well spent. I’ve already recouped a great chunk of the time spent at the workshop (and it’s only been a couple days).

Mission Control is a system that allows you to effectively take control of your time and get more accomplished, meet your commitments and gain peace of mind.

At the course, you learn a system – a way to interact with with standard tools such as Microsoft Outlook.

My mailbox only has six items in it, I sleep better and will be sending all my staff to learn about it soon.

I’m very fortunate to have good friends. Friends like Glenn Stevenson at City TV in Calgary – people in the know, people who know about great new restaurants like Victoria’s Bistro • Bakery • Bar • Ballroom on 17th Avenue SW.

For starters, fantastic ambience, friendly staff and excellent food. A rare thing in Calgary’s boom market where the an experience at event the finest restaurant could be tarnished by inexperienced or worse yet, complacent staff. All the good people have left for greener pastures so it seems except with here – where you’ll find people a hidden paradise where foodies frolick. Okay, well, that’s a bit much – actually, everyone there loves food so maybe it isn’t too much of a stretch.

Okay so what’s to know about Victoria’s?

• Good food
• Great service – friendly people
• Excellent drink selection and wine list (accessible and well chosen)
• Organic fare
• Multiple rooms, a very spacious venue

Some photos – you can also watch my tag “Victoria’s” on Flickr to see new developments:

The chef is a genius. The food excellent. What stuck out as well was dessert. Lisa Cheah, their head baker, is a Slow Food member and makes some of the most amazing baked goods I’ve ever tasted. Next time you’re in check out their crème brulée tarts! (… and say hi to Lisa).

Rating: 10/10 (Perfect score)

———

Victoria’s Restaurant

ADDRESS: 306 – 17th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2S 0A5 (MAP)

TELEPHONE: (403) 245-5356

EMAIL: info@vic17.com

WEB: www.victoriason17th.com

Here’s the scoop for the Palace in Calgary according to Jocelin – apparently they have a 150 seat restaurant called Wild Fire. The rest of the club will have a 1200 person capacity, 600 on the first floor and the rest for the two upper floors. It’s going to be huge! The Calgary Flames are involved and I’m totally looking forward to this new venue on 8th Avenue. Keep your eyes peeled.

Palace Night Club – slated to open in November, 2006
Capacity: at least 1200ppl
Location: 219 8th Avenue SW, Calgary