| There was so much bad mojo associated with the offbeat space chosen by the owners of Muse (107 10A St. N.W., phone 670-6873) to open their great new restaurant, that I wondered if the curse would ever be lifted. Forget Café Calabash, does anyone remember Newt? Or that there was once a Divino Kensington? The space always had so much potential, but its strange three-floor layout prevented any ambience from developing. I began to wonder if the place was haunted.
And now, Muse has had a little flood and a little fire, forcing the restaurant to close temporarily. It is slated to reopen this week. Maybe the poltergeist was having its last bit of fun.
No matter now, though – Muse is a success, and the spirits of restaurants past have (mostly) vanished. The space’s twisty design works to Muse’s benefit, as its intimacy, even sexiness, is increased. There’s even a separate table for 12 right by the kitchen. It’s one of those places where you might be surprised to discover someone you know is also dining there when you run into them in the john. You might never have encountered them otherwise.
The overstuffed chairs and muted lighting lead you to imagine that the food at Muse will be comforting but a bit heavy – but you’re wrong. Instead it’s light, playful and urban, drawing on Calgary’s multicultural makeup in a postmodernist sort of way. Chef David Cox uses Alberta ingredients when he can and there’s no restaurant in Calgary that feels quite as Calgarian as Muse, apart from the River Café. The food is sophisticated, but the kitchen staff clearly has a ton of fun.
We arrived at 9:30 p.m., very late by Calgary standards, one Saturday night and the restaurant was full, but we were at the end of the dinner service and were put at the last table available, up against a post on the top floor. Much to the front-of-house staff’s credit, however, we were moved, without having to ask, to a vacated window table as soon as it was cleared. Someone at Muse is paying attention. And the service was similarly attentive and professional.
The appetizers were excellent. The aromatic duck ($10) was the best restaurant appetizer I’ve had in ages; it’s Cox’s take on Peking duck, with duck confit being served with a ginger plum jam and crepes. The jam had a lot of crystallized ginger in it, which added a surprisingly hard edge to the richness of the dish. It was very complex and messy and great. The foie gras and homemade rabbit galantine combination ($16) was a study in contrast and texture. The foie gras was creamy and was accompanied by brioche, while the rabbit was grainier, like a pâté. Both were excellent takes on classic French dishes.
The pan-roasted pheasant main course ($30) was plentiful and rich, and perfectly cooked. Pan roasting allows the pheasant to remain moist and to be imbued with the scents of the pan. It was succulent and delicious. The Rondelles de Hockey, or hockey-puck sea scallops ($32), are really intended for scallop lovers, not volume eaters. Sea scallops as good as this are very expensive, and so you get only three or four. But they’re intense, and came with a tomato water and roasted butternut squash purée, and a little bit of peppery heat. You have to expect this with sea scallops – it’s all about taste, not quantity.
Dessert was crème brûlée scented with lavender – and not weakly scented, either. Rather, it was intensely flavoured.
It’s possible that Muse is the first new restaurant in Calgary in a long while where the chef’s vision is paramount and the place exudes confidence in its food. "We know people will like this," it seems to say. If you build it, they will come.
A small clarification: in my January 29 column, Peter Fraiberg was identified with Savoir Fare. Fraiberg is the former owner of Savoir Fare, but is not associated with the current owners. |
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