It's been noted--our current economic situation is not really thriving, and this fact is evident even in our beloved restaurants. We all pretend we have the money to splurge, for who doesn't love a gourmet meal prepared by someone else? For those frugal Calgarian souls it's almost time to tuck those Lean Cuisine's in your icebox and enjoy what this fabulous city has to offer. From March 9th to the 15th some of Calgary's top restaurants will showcase their finest culinary selections. We're talking three course lunches and dinners folks, all at reasonable prices ($15 to $85). The over abundance of restaurant choices may make you ponder, and luckily, so have we. Here is a selection of the best spots to check out during this momentous week.

Belgo Brasserie
Belgo Brasserie's menu is reflective of the man behind the boiler, Chef Shaun Desaulniers. With a worldly track record that includes luxury tastemakers like the Fairmont Palliser and Westin Hotel—Desaulniers culinary expertise in Beligian, Greek, and French fare is fused into each of his specialty plates. Duck Confit and Bacon Linguini, beer-braised chicken with fresh herbs and potatoes, and a fish stew, (which unfortunately is not part of the Dine Out menu) that dizzies up scallops, sablefish, tuna and clams in a rich tomato broth--are just a number of fresh meat and saltwater selections available for the taking. With a selection of French lagers like Kronenbourg and Boris mixed with your typical Stella and Kokanee choices, basic clean and crisp leafy hops are represented. Where the beer may lack a tad in selection, Belgo makes up for it in their wine choices. Bordeaux meets Tuscany in the love affair of Haustes-Cote de Nuits and Argiolas "Costera." By the bottle (which we all prefer) or glass options quench thirsty palates, and won't dry out your pocket, too much. The price ticket is usually a bit more than you'd token for, so take advantage of the $35 menu, it won't last long. 501 8th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB, 403.265.6555. Full Story


Bistro Piq Niq
The serenading sounds of jazz may take you back to the era of love, but you may also find something on the plate worth sharing the festive warmth with. Expect the Piq Niq's classic Table D'Hote pre-fixed menu to be similar to that offered during Dining Week. An all-seared experience awaits with choices like seared duck breast, pan seared Arctic char with honey, or a seared rooster loin. Joanne McFadden's pastry experience (the lady knows about good butter) at Shaw's Hotel was a humble beginning for the now Executive Chef. Simple and proportional cutlets are part of Piq Niq's glory, with classic Duck Confit and more du jour selections than seats—the modest salad and poultry options shy from thick sautéed dressings and instead use dabs of citrus vinaigrette to jazz up the taste. The Dine Out menu will be mixed up daily so one can expect many du jour choices. 811 1st Street SW, Calgary, AB, 403-263-1650. Full Story

Blink Restaurant and Bar
The contemporary dining chalet is full of fine-finished wood, creamy beige lounge seating and a meek equilibrium between mature and modern menu choices. Its sophisticated simplicity garners a dining ambiance that is more about the 'stare and smile' rather than the 'stab and shovel' method to eating. Moving from the stiff and glitz of Cantro, General Manager Patrick Malone has brought ambition to the busy sommelier wonder. As one of the eight restaurants choosing a different route this year for the Dine Out event—the overabundant three-course menu and wine pairings will top out at $85. Choose from Butternut Squash salads, Braised Lamb, Rainbow Trout or a Vegetarian favourite like the gourmet Mac and Cheese plate (even macaroni can become gourmet). To finish the experience warm up to an ensemble of juicy apple tarts. The private dining area can be requested at no extra charge, so grab ten of your coolest cats and get wrapped up in a cozy chic haven. 111 8 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB. 403-263-5330. Full Story


Catch Oyster Bar
Housing the 2009 Culinary Chef of the year is always a good thing to entice the big spenders. The two-floor Oyster Dining House has combined a lunch and dinner pre-fixed menu that boasts savory finishes. The second floor lunch menu will welcome Butternut Squash soup with roasted apples (the sweetness returns later in the apple pie and maple ice cream), and a main of Braised Pork. The first floor combines lunch and dinner options, with the change from Butternut Squash soup to Caramelized Onion soup and added aged cheddar croutons. If you're looking for quality B.C. tuna you can rest assure the heaping serving will keep you refreshed while you wrap your linguini around the hefty swimmer. Expect a steady shift between Shiraz's, Pinot's and Cabernet pairings. Each day will offer a different catch so don't expect to know the vineyard viscosity ahead of time (unless you call). 100 8th Avenue SE, Calgary, AB
403-206-0000.
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Chef's Table
Known for the extensive tasting menu, the Chef's Table already knows how to bring in a good crowd. Executive Chef Theo Yeaman's hands have grazed the likes of Newcastle's Jesmon Dene House, London's Fat Duck restaurant, Vancouver's Lumiere and worked at Toronto's Canoe restaurant. Keeping things pretty local--the $85 menu will cook up homegrown tenderloin with light additions like a B.C Crab Bisque dressed in a fiery rich cognac juice. Finishing off the evening with an espresso enriched baked fraiche will have urban dwellers licking their lips (nothing like a little cream to wash away the crab taste). Located in the trendy Kensington area, the boutique hotel's fine dining meets comfortable atmosphere sets a romantic sumptuous exclusivity that acts as a personalized retreat or cheap escape for these frugal times. The open-kitchen design doesn't just allow the food to be stirred up frequently, but it welcomes eye gazers and foodies to keep watch while kicking back in the in the Polltrona Frau leather chairs. 1126 Memorial Drive NW, Calgary, AB
403-228-4442.
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FARM
The love for artisan foods is stripped down to the 'nitty gritty' at Janice Beaton's everything essential FARM. Highlighting the best in cheese (we have to say that since it is straight from Beaton's cheese shop, right?), meat, vegetables, and bread—the holistic tasting experience is a sampler's dream. Small-plates encourage communal comfort and, all manners aside, picking from other plates is a darn cheap tasting treat. Cheese can stand alone, if it must, but paired with a perfect Sherry or nice bubbly makes for a sweet harmony. Homespun favourites like Janice's bubbling Mac and Cheese and Lamb Liver Pate are among the selections offered during the Dine Out event. Although pricey, the organic produce and purified goods maintain a Farmer's market charm, just indoors. Sometimes the simpler the better, and who can resist the Farm pickles and home-baked chocolate chip cookies? Pillsbury has nothing on Janice. As for Bic's, well that's still debatable. 1006 17th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB, 403-245-2276. Full Story

Metropolitan Grill
Bridging the heat of Cali' with the flavour of the Mediterranean is the recipe for this downtown grill. Their premium grade "AAA" Alberta Angus Beef steaks are one of the most sought after in the city. Interestingly enough the most sought after steaks WILL NOT be the main event. Instead get ready for tangy yet sour bursts of herbs in the starter choices. Choose between the California Greens or Metropolitan Caesar (keep you're heart monitor on) where cheese meets a cherry vinaigrette in a synchronized decadence of zest. The sour cherry flavour is revisited in the main Black Mission Fig dish. Concurrent cheese and cherry bites are sauced-a-plenty so if you're not a fan of either, choose a different locale. The made-from-scratch pudding will hopefully lighten up the over exhausted use of cream, allowing the vanilla bean gelato to liquefy the bitter aftertaste. Paired with a one of their 150 wines you may find yourself gulping more than eating, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. 150- 317 7 Avenue SW, 403-263-5432.
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Olives
Shying from the traditional likes of Italian fare, Chef Jonathan Canning uses his creative off-beat stuffers' (parsnips, mascarpone, truffle) to fill the inside of the average ravioli dishes. The daringly different restaurant has put out quite a modest prix fixe menu for both the noon and the evening dining hours. Starting with the lunch menu, guests will get to experience a traditional Tomato Salad (hold the trumpets), grazed with fresh mozzarella and trickles of torn basil and virgin olive oil. The Veal Bolognesse Pappardelle meshes basil with parmigiano reggiano, garnishing the cutlet with quasi-monolithic taste. Intrepid dinner selections are few and far between. Starting with calamari is (in our opinion) bland, even if the olive and chili sauce forms a sweet batter. Save some of the sauce for the Sous Vide Chicken Breast in case the roasted red pepper puree isn't bold enough for your hot mouth. The harvest is near with a finishing plate of Pumpkin and Mascarpone Torta that combines honey and ricotta gelato into, debatably, the most appetizing choice of the evening. 1129 Olympic Way SE, 403-984-5000.
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Q Haute Cuisine
Q Haute Cuisine
The seasonal shift of the menu allows Chef Michele Aurigemma to keep the cuisine full of variety while the already hefty three to eight course meals speak for themselves. Aurigemma's avocation for change will ensure a rotating menu during the Dine Out Calgary event. His bold vision of contemporary selections helps comprise a prima-fixe menu that is succulent, stylish and sophisticated. Fois Gras and Chicken Liver with marinated lentils and saffron poached white peaches will have guest's mouths swirling with sweet and bitter flavours. Some of the rotating entrees include the Sea Bass mixed with tortellini in a bean beurre blanc (a white bean cream sauce), or a Chicken Breast filled with roasted fennel and black truffle, with a somewhat convoluted web of goat cheese, seared zucchini, and pearl onions all tucked in a creamy Madeira lather (talk about a tasty fusion). The business-chic casual restaurant combines a formal fine-dining mentality in each of the five private dining rooms. 100 La Caille Place SW, Calgary, AB
403-262-5554
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Sky 360
Take your taste buds through a panoramic journey of Calgary's land and sky. Leave it to the workings of Concorde Entertainment Group (Flames Central, Whiskey Nightclub, Mercury Lounge) to heighten the tasting affair. What was first seen as a mere tourist attraction has increasingly become a venue full of meeting and greeting potential (not to mention elevated fun)! The revolving dining room provides a 360 degree view of the Rocky Mountains with sparks of Calgary's landscape. Enclosed in quaint, twin-fold beige booths, guests will enjoy the forty-five minute spin-about while dabbing into their lunch starter option, cleverly named the Tower Salad. The main will feature a choice between a sandwich (they call an 8oz Grilled Tenderloin Burger a sandwich---and we like it!), or a Pine Nut and Goats Cheese Penne. Don't forget the Buttermilk Panna Cotta shortbread for the afternoon delight. If you can handle the height factor (you big baby, wuss, momma's boy) there is no other way to tackle the day then from above. 101 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB, 403-532-7966.
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