Tag Archives: brunch

The Wallflower

Wallflower Modern Diner on UrbanspoonI met up with my friend for brunch. My friend had arrived earlier than our arranged time and had lined up to get a table for us. When I got there 10 minutes past 11am on a Saturday, there were still people lined up and my friend had just been seated at a table. The place was jammed packed. Like the Farmer’s Apprentice, every inch of the restaurant was utilized for maximum seating. I had the seat where people would walk by and they kept bumping into the bag or coat hanging behind my chair – a bit annoying.

idearabbit-wallflower2The interior was artsy with hand painted intricate designs on the walls. There were portrait paintings that hung close to the ceiling. Customers were hipster-ish and hippie like with tattoos, dyed hair and the guy sitting next to our table had his feet up on the booth’s seat.

My friend had Earl Grey $3.50 (comes in individual pot), and I had the Chamomile $3.50 since disappointingly, they didn’t have Rooibos. A bit pricey for just a bag of Mighty Leaf tea bag. Our tea pots were full with hot water, and with how the pots were designed, hot water spilled onto the table as our server brought the pots. Pouring into our own cups, it kept spilling from the mouth, leaving a big puddle on the table – at least on my side anyways. Although both of our pots were the exact same type, her handle on the pot was so hot that it was impossible to touch it. Sorry, my pet peeve these days – tea pots that are dysfunctional no matter how pretty they look…

It took about 35 minutes for our food to arrive. My friend ordered the Salmon Benny $13 with smoked salmon, capers, red onion and cream cheese, while I had the Classic Benny $10 with poached eggs, grilled ham, salad, English muffin, house made hollandaise sauce and diced potatoes.

idearabbit-wallflowerI just looooooove Bennys!! This one was very good. The eggs done the way I like it. Delicious sauce, and a nice touch of greens on the side. The potatoes were nicely seasoned. It was good portion and reasonably priced. Presentation could have used a bit more umph, but it was ok.
Service was satisfactory. Would we return? Not sure…I’m not a lining-up person, nor do I like crammed places. Good Bennys though.

Taste: carrotcarrotcarrot    Price for Value: carrotcarrotcarrot

Atmosphere:  carrotcarrot   Service:  carrotcarrot
Location: carrotcarrotcarrot

Vendome

Vendome Cafe on UrbanspoonSo four of us went to Dairy Lane for lunch, but since the wait was close to an hour, and one friend was on a tight schedule, we decided to try out Vendome instead. We called ahead to see what the wait time was and was told 15-20 minutes. Our hearts sank as we saw the line up outside as we drove by.

There was a line up because you order first and then sit down. As we got inside and continued with the line up, it was really hot and humid inside. No AC or air flow. We tried to concentrate on the menu board to decide what we wanted to order.

idearabbit-vendome idearabbit-vendome2

Two of them wanted the waffles. I had already taken a look at the their menu online and knew I wanted some Benny’s. Yah! I got the Classic Egg Benedict (half size) $11 and a Rooibos latte. When we finally got to the cash register after 15 minutes or so, there was a printed sign that stated what was not being served today because of the oven malfunction? So my friend was stumped and complained to them that they should post it outside as well so that people aren’t having to make last minute decisions holding up the line.

However, all the staff was very friendly and pleasant. The place was a hipster-ish cafe, but the atmosphere was more relaxed and friendly than the vibe I get from similar places in Vancouver. I guess it’s no surprise since I still get ‘hellos’ from complete strangers as I walk through Calgary. People here are so much more friendly!

Since it was really stuffy inside, we sat out on the patio.

idearabbit-vendome3The Rooibos latte came first. It was really pretty with the latte art and tasted even better! Mmmm! Love it!

idearabbit-vendome4My friend ordered the Veggie Breakfast Panini (half) $5 with scrambled eggs, sautéed peppers and zucchini & cheddar.

idearabbit-vendome5 idearabbit-vendome7 idearabbit-vendome6Then my Benny’s! :D The egg was pouched softly and done nicely. Unlike most Benny’s where you would have the egg and ham sitting on an English muffin, this was one was on a piece of toast. Still, they all went very well together. The side dish or diced hashbrowns were nicely seasoned so that I didn’t need to dip into the ketchup at all.

It’s a nice in-your-neighbourhood cafe, a good place to catch up with friends over brunch as we did. Spacing is quite limited (we shared the picnic bench with someone else). The food was really good – a fair price of $15 (including tax) for food and drink.

We talked about the changes that Calgary has gone through in regards to the food scene. Calgary is catching up with the little trendy cafe here and there, and an increase in Asian restaurants – though not the sushi craze that Vancouver has. Yet, over the 3 days I was in Calgary, I went to 4 restaurants, and they were surprisingly all very good and wished that some were even in Vancouver as I rarely go to Calgary. Nice find! :D

 Taste: carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot    Price for Value: carrotcarrotcarrot

Atmosphere:  carrotcarrotcarrot   Service:  carrotcarrotcarrot
Location: carrotcarrotcarrot

Good Wolfe

Good Wolfe Kitchen & Bar on Urbanspoon

I met up with 2 of my friends for brunch on a Sunday. We originally planned to go to Sakana Bistro, but were disappointed to find that they were closed.

The inside has a slightly hipster-ish look, with a vintage but modern flavour – a perfect place to catch up with your friends. Our server was very friendly, but was quite busy with all the tables occupied. Because I was busy looking at the gifts that were given to me, we didn’t get a chance to look at the menu, and every time the server came back, we hadn’t decided…so after a while, he forgot about us…lol.idearabbit-goodwolfe idearabbit-goodwolfe2 idearabbit-goodwolfe3

I ordered the Egg Benedict with Breakfast Sausage $12. The food took a while, but it was superb! The egg was poached perfectly. The hash browns were a bit too burnt, but tasted really good with a mix of green onions. It had 2 pieces of strawberries and a slice of orange. And of course, the water in the glass bottle which I love. I had a bite of my friends’ dishes, and they were both good.

Despite not being able to try out Bistro Sakana, Good Wolfe surprised me with excellent food. The price wasn’t way too expensive either. I would definitely recommend, and would like to return again!

 Taste: carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot    Price for Value: carrotcarrotcarrot

Atmosphere: carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot   Service:  carrotcarrotcarrotcarrot
Location: carrotcarrotcarrot