| Tired of eating heavy, sleep-inducing meals every lunch hour? Well, perhaps it’s time to return to the classic sandwich – and the new Chapas Grande Café & Deli (#108, 513 Eighth Ave. S.W., phone 613-8157) will take you there.
Entering Chapas from Penny Lane Mall provides a good perspective on the restaurant’s layout. However, if you use the street entrance, you run smack into the washrooms. This poorly designed floor plan surprises me, considering how much thought went into renovating the space formerly occupied by The Wine Cottage.
You’ll find a bar scene on one side of the brick interior with tall, round tables mounted on whisky barrels, while a more relaxed vibe exists on the other side with rows of booths with cushioned benches. The owner, who previously worked in a hotel in The Hague, has added some European touches to her Calgary restaurant, such as the communal reading table. Here, patrons can play board games, read magazines or meet other people and yet still enjoy some privacy afforded by the table’s raised middle. My friend and I sat in the "living room," which is furnished with ottomans, throw cushions, plants and big, green theatre curtains that frame the view of the street. This is definitely the best spot in the restaurant.
The menu is written on blackboards as well as on photocopied sheets of white paper (which I hope they’re planning on changing to something more impressive). There are about 17 different sandwiches ($7 on average) – such as crab salad, roast beef, spicy hot chicken and Montreal smoked meat – served on baguettes or croissants that are baked off-site every morning. Other items include quiche with salad ($6.95); chicken saté with French bread ($9); nachos with cheese and ground beef ($8.50); and a platter with pâtés and cheeses ($14.50). Chapas also caters lunch and provides takeout.
My friend ordered the egg salad on a croissant ($6.50), which she said was one of the best egg-salad sandwiches she’s had in a while, owing in part to its sauce of mayonnaise, sour cream and celery. I ordered French brie on a croissant ($7), which was delicious with its melted brie and fresh cucumber slices, lettuce and plum tomatoes. While our lunch was tasty, the process of eating it was rather difficult. Since the table was too low, causing us to bend uncomfortably over our meals, we opted to balance our plates on our laps, also a precarious arrangement.
I think the lounge is best for, well, lounging, so we did just that with our cappuccinos and shortbread cookies. It’s a lovely spot to enjoy a cup of coffee and the morning’s fresh pastries, which include Danishes, chocolate croissants and almond croissants.
The licensed restaurant also features a selection of specialty coffees, such as Irish, Jamaican, Russian and Spanish ($6.50). Chapas is open from 9 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m., except Thursday and Friday, when it closes at 9 p.m.
The downtown core is definitely in need of more sandwich cafés, but with premium rent to pay, I’m concerned about how this restaurant will survive given that the average entrée costs only $7.50. I hope they sell a lot of sandwiches. |
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