Chef’s Table at Riverside Inn

If you’re celebrating a special occasion, or need to get back into the good books of your significant other, Chef’s Table at Calgary’s Kensington Riverside Inn is the place to go. This award-winning Calgary restaurant has been gaining praise since 2008 and was most recently was named the winner in the “worth the splurge” category in Avenue Magazine’s list of Best Restaurants of 2011.

Like many other Calgary restaurants, the menu at Chef’s Table features the local flavours of Albertan beef. Diners can choose between the red wine and soy braised Alberta Bison Short Rib with Russian blue potato purée or the equally delicious red wine braised Alberta Beef Tenderloin with agria potato purée. For a taste of Canada’s west coast, Chef’s Table offers up BC Black Cod with a roasted garlic crust and creamy scallop broth or BC Halibut with truffled white bean purée and chorizo ravioli. The Vancouver Aquarium recommends these two dishes, as well as the Grilled Octopus appetizer, as ocean-friendly seafood choices. Nothing enhances a romantic meal than knowing that your food is from a sustainable source.

For those who would rather spend the evening gazing longingly into the eyes of their dining companion than looking at a menu, or are afraid of attempting to pronounce things in front of their date, Chef’s Table offers a fixed five-course tasting menu. Each course is paired with an optional wine course, making it a perfect option for anyone looking for an impressive meal without all the bother of choosing which fantastic dishes on the menu to try.

The obvious convenience of dining at a restaurant attached to a hotel is that if things go well, you can always suggest staying the night – if only to try the Brioche French toast at brunch the next day. Chef’s Table at Riverside Inn, 1126 Memorial Drive NW, Calgary, 403.228.4442.