Sunday Supper: Model Milk Bistro

On my quick trip to Banff last month, I had the chance to stop by a restaurant I've been dying to try in Calgary. Finally. I think I've been wanting to make a visit for a couple months now, so finally sitting down in the restaurant was a dream come true. Sad dreams, I know.

Model Milk Bistro - 308 17 Avenue SW - Calgary AB

Model Milk was a restaurant I really wanted to visit, mainly for their Sunday Supper. Everytime I've been down in Calgary, I've never been around on Sunday night - so when the opportunity came up, I jumped at the chance. We weren't able to make reservations for early in the evening (5pm), but were assured there should be seats available when the restaurant opened.

A majority of the interior of the restaurant is lined with brick and warm wooden accents, while many unique light fixtures are placed throughout. The juxtaposition of classic and modern architecture makes this restaurant really special.

I was meeting my friend (Carmen)for dinner, and arriving at 5:15, we were surprised when the waitress informed us that all their walk in tables had already been taken. Apparently there was a big line up before they even opened, so seating at the eating bar were the only seats available. To tell you the truth, I always prefer the eating bar cause you can see all the action and interact with the chefs in the kitchen!

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with Sunday Supper, it happens at Model Milk every Sunday, and it's the only thing you can get - no orders off the regular menu. The menu is preset and different each week, and you get a 3 course meal for $35 per person, drinks excluded. But don't think you're just getting 3 dishes, cause each course consists of a couple different items. So to start off the meal that night, I tried one of their unique non-alcoholic creations, the Blueberry sour ($6): wild blueberry purée, fresh lemon, lavender, ginger, egg whites. The drink itself had a trace of tartness, but it was refreshing and yummy to sip on throughout the meal. There were so many interesting choices both alcoholic and nonalcoholic - I can't wait to be back to try out some more of the unique creations!

To start off our meal for the night was the MM Caesar salad served family style, consisting of kale, baby romaine, Caesar dressing and Korean chili powder. The greens had a satisfying crunch to them, while the salad was garlicky and slightly spicy. Garlic lovers, try this out. Vampires? Beware.

Next up was an individual Smoked Tomato & Mozarella Crostini for each person. When I first saw the crostini, it kinda struck me as looking like a beautiful egg. The melted mozarella topped with an intensely red 'liquid' yolk on a crisp crostini had a nice smokiness, while the balsamic countered it with a light sweetness.

The last dish to our first course was the Fricasee of Calamari. The calamari was presented in ribbons, served with dehydrated tomato, edamame, and croutons. The calamari was tender and easy to chew, and full of salty and spicy flavours. Of all the dishes, this was one of my top picks for the night. Best of all, it's available on their regular menu!

The first dish of the main course to be served up was the Oven Roasted Lois Lake Steelhead Trout served over a mix of onion and fennel. I'm not normally a fish person, but the trout was cooked to perfect, flaking off with each bite. The fish itself wasn't overly seasoned, so the true flavours of the trout were able to shine, and the fennel below added a different element of texture and flavour. This was Carmen's favourite of the night!

The second feature dish of the main course was Model Milk's Fried Chicken served with pan gravy. The coating of the chicken was nice and crisp (even after sitting for a while), coating the tender, moist chicken on the inside. The gravy was light, giving the dish a bit of depth and moisture when eaten altogether - definitely recommended!

Every sunday supper meal comes with four sides with the main course. First up was a combination of the Beets Bakey & Roasted Cauliflower with Taleggio. Ever since having beets in a salad at CHARCUT, I've loved beets as a side. The beets kept their form but were easy to bite into, juicy and naturally sweet. The cauliflower on the other hand was creamy and not so cheesy that it felt heavy.

Our other two sides were Sauteed Greens with Sesame and Polenta. As a little girl growing up, I was never exposed to polenta. It was always rice, rice, and more rice. I love seeing it as a side on menus, as I love the creaminess and texture. The polenta cooked up that night was no different, and it was definitely big contrast to the crunchy greens served in the same dish.

To end off our Sunday Supper meal was a delicious Banana Cake with Housemade Chocolate Ice Cream. The cake itself had a layer of vanilla cream in the middle, and covered with dark chocolate. It was served up warm, moist, gooey, and not too sweet - just the way desserts should be! The ice cream wasn't too rich, and just slightly sweet like the cake. We actually got to see how the chefs make the ice cream too, it was a cool little machine that made small batches at a time. See? So much fun to be had sitting at the eating bar!

At $35 per person for a huge, filling meal on a Sunday night.. I have nothing to complain about. The dinner service was well executed and the service was prompt and friendly. The menu for Sunday Supper changes on a weekly basis, but I'm sure you'll love it no matter what is on the menu. Be sure to arrive early, or snag a reservation. Sunday Supper runs each Sunday until 10pm - maybe I'll see you there the next time I'm around in Calgary!

Rosso Pizzeria

I remember when I first started University Da Capo was one of the first "new" restaurants that I went to with my friends. Heck, maybe it actually sparked the beginnings to this blog. Anyway, once Da Capo closed a while back, I wondered what would be replacing it.. luckily, it's replacement Rosso serves up pretty similar fare.

Rosso Pizzeria - 8738 109 Street - Edmonton AB

Walking into Rosso Pizzeria, you're greeted with a darker environment - the red walls and warm wooden tables make the restaurant feel more intimate than before. The U-shaped counter still exists in the middle of the restaurant, dividing one side from the other. And to be honest, it's a little high compared to the rest of the tables, as it blocks everyone's view from seeing the newly installed wood-fired pizza oven. Wasn't that oven supposed to be one of the highlights of Da Capo's reinvention?

Nonetheless, what is impressive is their array of beer and wine available. A vast display decorates the top of the bar, and there is so much variety to choose from. Pizza and beer... a perfect combination in the eyes of many, right? But if you're not in the mood for drinks, Rosso does have the Q water system installed, and serves the water free of charge.

If the drink list isn't overwhelming for you, the number of food choices available is comparable to the drink list! Our table spent a good amount of time looking through the choices on the menu, and it was tough to narrow it down because a lot of the food sounded great. I will have to mention that you do have to have a fairly good grasp on your Italian food words, as a majority of the menu uses Italian to describe the ingredients.

We started out the meal with the Antipasto Misto ($15): cured meats, assorted cheese, olives, artichoke hearts & roasted peppers. On our board we had prosciutto, and two types of salami. The selection and proportion of charcuterie meats to bread was perfect, and combined with the fresh, mild cheese, this was a nice dish to start off the meal before diving into the pizzas.

My personal choice for the meal was the Margherita Pizza ($13): san marzano tomato, fior di latte, fresh basil, because I feel that a good Margherita pizza can tell you a lot about the restaurant. It's a simple pizza that you really shouldn't be able to mess up. The red sauce was thin, which helped ensure the pizza wasn't too soggy in the middle. With little bits of cheese here and there and a sprinkle of basil, this was a simple, tasty pizza.

Next up was the Prosciutto Cotto Pizza ($15): san marzano tomato, fior di latte, cotto, mushrooms. The ingredients were heavier on this than the margherita, and the mushrooms added extra moisture, making this pizza soggier in the middle. However, I did like the combination of ingredients, as the prosciutto wasn't overly salty. For all the red sauce pizzas, you can upgrade the mozzarella for buffalo mozzarella for an additional $3, which I don't feel is entirely necessary, but to each their own.

Lastly, we finished with a white sauce pizza, the Rappini E Salsiccia ($16): fior di latte, rappini, local fennel sausage, robiola. I typically don't enjoy pizza bianca, but this one wasn't bad. I really enjoyed the stronger flavour of the fennel sausage, and despite having the unique texture of the rappini, it was a little stringy and hard to chew. The pizza dough was cooked nicely though, as it had a soft texture and wasn't overly dry.

For dessert, we took a peak into their case of gelato and were faced with a ton of different options. From mascarpone to mayan chocolate, I settled for something really different - halva. Halva is actually a dense, sweet dessert typically found in the middle east, but in the gelato form at Rosso, it was a sesame seed gelato. The smooth, creamy dessert was studded with sesame seeds and had a light sweetness to it. It was the perfect sweet finish to the meal.

But if gelato isn't your thing, Rosso offers up choices like custard and tiramisu for your sweet tooth. Being close to the university campus, Rosso is a great spot for a quick dinner with friends after class. The pizzas here at Rosso remind me of those from Famoso. Thin crust in the middle with puffy, crisp dough on the outer edges. The pizzas cool quickly and have the tendency to become soggy fairly quickly, so I would recommend trying to stagger your orders for pizzas, or request to have them come out at different times. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Manicure Monday: Pink Flamenco

May long weekend! Hope you're all having an awesome Monday so far - it's a holiday where I am, so I get to have today off to... catch up on all the homework I probably should've done a couple days ago. Whoops! Can't blame me though - the weather here has been absolutely gorgeous and I've been spending lots of time sitting out on patios just enjoying the act of doing nothing.

This week on my nails, I've got another classic OPI shade that reminds me of summer. Pink Flamenco is actually from the 2009 Fall collection, but its another one of those polishes I love the use over and over again. This polish is a hot pink with a strong blue tone in it, making it more of a bright purple-pink shade. The formula is smooth and full opaque in two thin coats - it dries to a gorgeous shine and levels itself out beautifully. I was able to wear it for 3 full days before signs of tip wear started to show - something to keep in mind if you don't like to change your polishes frequently!

A Big Thankyou: Lace Dress & Emerald Accents

I have a lot of things to be thankful for. The past couple months my life have been a whirlwind adventure - with school, family, jobs, etc. But one thing has kept me mostly sane - and that is this blog here! I need to say a big thank you to all of you that support me in this blogging journey, because so many great things have come my way. I've been able to connect with countless individuals throughout the world, and locally the support has been amazing. For those of you that are unaware, a couple months ago, I was shortlisted with a nomination for Yeggie - an award recognizing social media in Edmonton. I was nominated for Best in Food - and although I didn't win the award, it was a honor just being nominated with all the other deserving individuals.

So with this post, I thought it would be suitable to share with you what I wore on the night of the awards banquet.


H&M Eyelet dress (similar) (love this) | Shoedazzle Heels (similar)
Aldo Clutch (similar) | Oia Jules Necklace
Who knows where this adventure is going to take me next? All I can say is that I will continue to work hard and be thankful for everything I'm given. So thankyou, thankyou, thankyou - I cannot thank you all enough for being here on this journey with me.

xo Andrea