| What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of hospital food? Everything swimming in gravy? Green Jell-O? Green Jell-O swimming in gravy? If you’ve stayed long enough in hospital, you’ve either endured the food or the jokes about it. So what do physicians and nurses eat? I wanted to know if those who bring you hospital food would, themselves, eat it. And what about your hungry hospital visitors?
The Highwood Grill at Rockyview Hospital offers the typical inexpensive cafeteria fare of sandwiches, chicken fingers, various soups, your basic salad bar, a selection of muffins and oh-so-much Styrofoam. All these items work together to produce the signature scent of the Calgary Stampede. To really appreciate the skill and quality of the cooks, I sprang for hot (as in temperature) daily items. All around me there was a hum – rather, a collective chirp of sopranos and altos – generated by the mostly female nurses whose pastel uniforms act like camouflage amid the lavender walls, teal tinted glass, dusty-rose chairs and pastel tweed carpet (the bulletin on the table says this is newly laid carpet). A physician once explained that these pastels are considered "soothing."
The kind of lighting under which everyone looks like they are fighting the flu was not soothing, but illuminated the surgery I was performing on the Kickin’ Chicken Enchilada ($4.95). Remove soggy wrap; avoid the suspiciously bright yellow cheese; search for chicken – oh, I think those are kidney beans, or maybe black beans; remove a few purple onions; see here, this might be the chicken – nope, they’re chickpeas. And on and on it went with this soaked-sleeping-bag of a thing. I also ordered a side of glazed pork ($3.02), which was extremely dry, despite the fatty edges and honey glaze. Although listed as a "side," my question "What does this come with?" was answered with, "You can have it by itself."
Fraternal twin to the Highwood Grill is the General Café at the Peter Lougheed Centre (PLC), serving exactly the same cafeteria fare, producing the same Stampede scent. I opted for the Shepherd’s Pie and the Hunter Chicken daily specials (both $3.27); the former I ordered with firm and sweet green beans, the latter with rice (sides 93 cents each). It’s unclear what "Hunter" is referring to – likely not the cause of death. The glaze was bland, but palatable. Of the two, the Shepherd’s Pie was the tasty winner, ideal for meat-and-potatoes types who are willing to forgive the top-heavy and overly cost efficient potato-to-meat ratio.
Sharing the seating area with the General Café at the PLC is the Market Grille. Better lighting, sponge-finished walls, dark wood and framed prints of cool café beatniks make this the "swankier" cafeteria of the two, as well as a refreshing break from the requisite soothing hospital pastels. Its many food stations offer a wide selection of breakfast and lunch items, ranging from cereal to stir-fry. This "two-tiered" food arrangement targets those who can afford its pricier items, such as medical staff and short-listed MRI patients, for example. The Teriyaki Beef Stir-fry runs to about $5.75 and the small portion of fish in the Fish & Chips is tasty but doesn’t justify the $5.85 price tag.
Asking about the patients’ food, an enthusiastic grill cook at the Foothills Hospital’s Garden Deli described for me the production of 15-gallon containers of oatmeal that feeds both patients and staff in the cafeteria downstairs (which is closed on weekends). The Garden Deli at the Foothills is akin to the Highwood Café and the General Café, except the items I chose were significantly better. Juicy chicken breast and good-looking lettuce were tucked into a fresh, toasted bun ($4.63). A friendly nurse suggested a hamburger, which was, in fact, a delicious and generous portion of beef and flavour ($3.46). Again, I munched amid more hospital teal and purple, but it seemed fresher in the Garden Deli’s natural light.
The award for best value goes to the Garden Deli at the Foothills. Best selection and ambience goes to the Market Grille at the PLC. The Highwood Grill at the Rockyview? Congratulations on your new carpet. |
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