| Although I’ve never had the luxury of travelling to Paris, it is high on my list of places to explore. When I do finally go, I hope that it’s filled with delicious, quaint cafés and restaurants, filled with good wine and great food, like the Red Door Bistro.
Tucked away on 11th Avenue S.W. with a red canopy highlighting the entrance, it’s the bold venture of Darren Gurr and his Red Door brand of restaurants. Previously with Creative Restaurants (Catch, Bonterra, Wildwood), Gurr opened the bar Amsterdam Rhino, as well as a restaurant in Red Deer and three others in Panorama.
Casual dining with upscale ambience, the space is decorated in whitewashed wood, bright red accents, exposed brick walls and beautifully weathered hardwood floors. Hanging lamps cast a warm, yellow glow over the restaurant, which offers seating for 120, with booths, tables and an intimate arrangement of red leather wingback chairs gathered around the stone hearth.
Touting themselves as an "oyster and liquor bar," a wall displays an impressive collection of 80 available wines, most of them value oriented. All drinks are prepared using premium liquor, fresh juices and ingredients. Feature oysters are described on gilded mirrors, and shipped in from both coasts based on the market. Executive chef Peter Whatmough oversees the kitchen, while Graham Warner serves as chef du bar.
Although it is higher end dining, the staff wear bright red T-shirts and long black aprons to lend to the atmosphere and ensure a casual, laid-back air. It wasn’t overly busy for a Saturday evening, but the large open window to the kitchen showed plenty of activity. Our server was friendly and attentive and we were visited frequently to ensure our satisfaction.
Tap water is served in an elegant glass bottle and left at the table, saving the need to keep asking for refills. Everything on the menu was described in delicious detail. We started with the French onion soup (cup $4.95), which was reduced to a slightly thick broth texture with plenty of onion slices, chopped fresh thyme, and a piece of baguette topped with creamy melted gruyere.
We followed up with a generous serving of mussels and frites ($11.95), each served in large metal buckets with a creamy white wine and sambuca sauce for dipping. We also shared the crepe au fromage ($8.95). The cold crepes were light and tasty, with a feta filling drizzled in tomato sauce, but I would have preferred them served as a hot appetizer. After that, our server brought us a cloth-lined tin bucket with fresh cutlery, a nice touch.
For the main course, I had the lamb chops ($22.95). They arrived slathered in a creamy sundried tomato sauce with an assortment of seasonal vegetables. The lamb chops were difficult to navigate with the bowl shaped plate, but the meat was tender and flavourful. My companion enjoyed the chicken crepinette ($18.95), chicken stuffed with brie and cranberries, with a large serving of sweet savoury beans in a chardonnay syrup. The portion sizes were extremely generous, and both my companion and I ended up leaving almost half of our meals on our plates, but definitely not for lack of trying.
Gurr may describe his new space as "lowbrow casual bistro," but there is nothing lowbrow about it. The Red Door Bistro is to be enjoyed as a little piece of Paris right here in Calgary, whether you’re looking for casual drinks and a bite, or a more upscale dining event.
The Red Door Bistro is located at 607-11 Avenue S.W.; phone: 233-2433. |
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