I've decided to expand this blog. While books are and will always be important to me, there are so many other things I'd like to talk about: teaching, everyday experiences, food, animals and travel. So I've decided that while books will continue to be a big part of this blog, I'm not going to limit myself to one small subset of my life. Hopefully, this will help me keep this blog more up to date.
This morning my husband and I hit the gym then went out for breakfast. I absolutely love breakfast and I'm always looking for that perfect breakfast spot, beyond the boring and often questionable big chains. As a vegetarian, breakfast is great because there are always choices for me, unlike going out for lunch or supper. I love being torn between a few choices rather than being stuck with the one thing on a menu that is vegetarian. Ryan and I have tried a few contenders and here are my favourites in Calgary. Coming soon...my favourites in Edmonton.
The Main Dish: Since doing personal training at In Bridgeland, Ryan and I have become regulars at this great place just down the block from our gym. The Main Dish is an unusual concept in that it has both casual dine-in and gourmet take out options. The take-out section features cold items that you can re-heat at home. Ryan's faves are the sundried blueberry turkey burgers and I like the Apricot Quinoa for easy lunches. Their take-out choices seem quite pricey, but when you consider the quality of ingredients, it would probably not be too inexpensive to make at home either. As for the dine-in choices, the prices are great and the food is amazing, especially the brunch items. Their veggie omelette is the best I've ever had, especially when you add mushrooms. Ryan likes their stuffed French toast that is basically a Monte Cristo done up as French toast. Their coffee (according to friends- I don't drink coffee) is amazing and I like their premium loose tea and London Fogs.
Reds- Located on 17Ave, this popular breakfast spot is worth the wait outside. And plan to wait at least 30 minutes, though they will bring you coffee while you wait. All the food is locally sourced and made with premium ingredients. Their buckwheat blueberry pancakes are amazing! I also really love the classic 2 egg, toast and hashbrowns breakfast. They serve Mighty Leaf tea, which is one of the few bagged teas I will drink. I recommend the Green Tea Tropical. The only criticism I have of Reds is their service, but considering how busy it is, it is understandable. Basically, you should go for the food and expect decent but not amazing service.
Blue Star Diner- Just down the street from the Main Dish is a spot we tried today. Every time I drive by I see a crowd waiting outside so I knew it had to be good. And it was fantastic! Ryan got the stuffed French toast, stuffed with mushrooms and gruyere, and I had the veggie Eggs Benedict. I was a little disappointed that they didn't have a veggie eggs Benny on the menu, considering they have 4 types of veggie burgers (so excited to try them). But my friendly waitress was happy to accommodate by suggesting tomato and avocado as a substitute for the meaty bennies. The result was delicious! I substituted fresh fruit for the hashbrowns and it was a lovely melody of oranges, blackberries, grapefruit, strawberries and raspberries. Ryan stuck with the hashbrowns and they were really good and nicely crispy. One of the regulars advised us while we were waiting outside to come around 9ish to avoid waiting for a table. Like Reds, they will bring you coffee to make the wait a little better.
We're happy to have found some fabulous restaurants for brunch in Calgary. Hopefully, we will keep adding more to the list. What are your favourites?
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