WHERE TO EAT: CHARBAR CALGARY
FOOD | Argentinean-inspired, with dry-aged steaks, vegetarian options and seafood. VIBE | Casual sophistication. Equally great for business lunches and best-friend birthdays. DECOR | Brick, black paint, an open kitchen and massive fir pillars and steel beams. DISH | Tableside ceviche mixto.
Charbar has been dry-aging excellent beef and mixing ceviche tableside in the Simmons Building for the last four years. It's co-owned by Charcut's Connie DeSousa and John Jackson, but the chef and co-owner who runs the open kitchen – and its Argentine wood-burning parilla grill – is a Chopped Canada winner (S1, EP9 ), Jessica Pelland.
If you want something beautifully butchered, cured or grilled over a fire, you can find it at @charbar_yyc, but there’s also a raw bar with oysters, and fugazza (Argentinian-style pizza), whose dough takes three days to make. Charbar shares its space (and some of its menu) with @sidewalkcitizen, which supplies sourdough, and @philandseb, which pulls all the espresso shots. If you’re thirsty for something stronger, there’s a solid wine list, a selection of craft beers and more than a dozen clever cocktails.
MY ORDER:
(Left) Traditional Argentine-style Empanadas with slow cooked Alberta beef along with hot sauce butter, (Center) Charred Napa cabbage salad with with avocado, crunchy seeds, mint and citrus, (Right) Charred Octopus with tomato romesco and lemon. MUCHO GUSTO!
