| Art galleries and furniture stores are unlikely places to serve food, but if you have the space and the capabilities, then why the hell not? (Tune in next time for a review of bistros and cafés in Calgary’s interior design stores.)
After relocating from her 25-year-old spot on Riverfront Avenue, Virginia Christopher Fine Art not only has more space – 3,000 square feet of it – but the gallery’s eponymous owner also has a chef in her family. It’s Dwayne Ennest, who, along with his wife Alberta (Christopher’s daughter), are the proprietors of Diner Deluxe, Piato Greek House and, most recently, Big Fish and the eatery in question, Vue Café (816 - 11 Ave. S.W.; phone 263-4346).
"Chanel is selling chocolates and Hugo Boss is selling cigars. It’s about making the most out of your retail space," says Christopher, who noticed this trend on her last visit to Paris. At Vue Café, you can enjoy soups, salads, sandwiches and tapas amid works by Western Canada’s contemporary artists. The open kitchenette is located in the middle of the gallery where patrons sit, eight on each end, around the circular wooden countertop.
My friend and I shared a salad of Belgium endives, mazzuna, baby bok choy and black-eyed peas with goat cheese. The salad was fresh but the cilantro cucumber vinaigrette was barely detectable, and overall it was not terribly exciting for $11. However, the tapas spring rolls were delicious and creative (cut smaller, these would make great party hors d'oeuvres). The spring roll itself is marinated eggplant with a filling of oyster mushrooms, fresh sage and Rocky Mountain brie ($9).
We also halved a panini filled with coriander-spiced organic chicken breast, pea shoots and Oka cheese, with a lovely caramelized red onion and grainy mustard tapenade on herbed focaccia ($13). Panini can also be made on a baguette or sweet onion sourdough, with your choice of roasted organic potato wedges, herbed whole-wheat pasta salad or organic field greens. Our server was friendly, but did not know much about the menu items. Thankfully, the cook was just steps away.
Some business people in the neighbourhood told me they feel Vue Café’s prices are too high, which they find disappointing as the area is in need of more lunch places. For example, the prices for panini at Vue range from $11 to $14 (for the smoked Manitoba trout), compared to $5 for the far-superior panini at Mercato or $9 at The Coup. So it seems Vue is catering more to corporate groups, and especially the art and interior design crowd who don’t mind buying pricey sandwiches after purchasing an oil on canvas.
Indeed, Vue Café is a fabulous venue for private functions, such as business meetings and luncheons. Its cheese bar is perfect for wine and cheese events. The six varieties of Canadian and imported cheese are served with your choice of spiced quince preserve, sour-cherry lemon-balm jelly or black mission-fig preserve (3 oz, $8; 5 oz, $10; 7 oz, $15). The liquor licence is forthcoming.
To book a special occasion, call Vue Café or e-mail angie@telus.net. |
Copyright ©2005 FFWD. All rights reserved.