A relative newcomer to the Calgary dining scene, Charcut Roast House has made a big impact quickly. Charcut gained recognition after their Co-Executive Chef and Co-Owner Connie DeSousa became a contestant on Top Chef Canada. Charcut was named one of 10 Most Memorable Meals of 2010 by Huffington Post, as well as one of Canada’s Top 10 New Restaurants by enRoute Magazine. Who are we to argue with the experts?
Charcut emphasizes the importance of sourcing food from locally produced goods, so all ingredients are purchased from local artisan farmers and ranchers, while herbs are grown in Charcut’s own garden. All beef is butchered in-house so that only the best cuts are served to customers. Even the beverage selection has a focus on quality as Charcut is always changing up their drink menu to include more exciting offerings such as craft beers, organic handcrafted cocktails, and small production spirits.
The menu can be best described as urban rustic, with very obvious influences from Italian and Country French cooking. There’s a definite focus on what could be called upscale comfort food – you can even order a bag of warm homemade cookies as dessert, or to take home. There are many offerings on the menu that are reminiscent of mom’s home cooking, though there are enough innovative twists on old classics to demonstrate that Charcut’s food isn’t anything close to Sunday night dinner. Then again, your mom probably didn’t own a custom built rotisserie and charbroiler.
What makes this restaurant even more special is the fact that they occasionally sell “Alley burgers” at random times. The restaurant will alert their social media followers and at the appointed time, a line will form in the back alley of the restaurant and everyone in line will be able to purchase a $5 Charcut burger. It’s another indication that this Calgary restaurant is doing things a little bit different. Charcut Roast House, 899 Centre Street SW, Calgary, 403-984-2180.