Two things I missed about Calgary after moving away: pho and Alberta beef. Luckily, I got both of these cravings satisfied during my two weeks visit home this month!
My girlfriend treated me to Vintage Chophouse & Tavern for lunch, a steakhouse consistently rated as one of Calgary’s Best Steakhouses for over 10 years. I’ve been there for dinner a couple months back and was quite impressed, so needless to say I was quite excited to try their lunch menu as well. Which actually was very similar to their dinner menu, only with less selections in terms of the steak cuts.
We started off with the Beet Salad, which contained red and golden beets, goat cheese, walnuts, and maple vinaigrette. A highly recommended dish by my girlfriend and it was very refreshing, to say the least. I’m a huge fan of beets, but I think the spotlight of this dish were the candied walnuts. Definitely wish there were more of those.
For our main, we ordered a medium rare 14oz rib eye to share. A bit disappointing as the rib eye was slightly over cooked, and would be considered a medium instead. The cut was also heavily marbled with fat, leaving barely any meat to munch on so we asked to have it taken back. The second one they presented was much better in terms of the level it was cooked, but overall it was still significantly fatter than usual and contained some tendons that had to be cut away. With all that fat, the flavour was no doubt there, the steak had a seared crust on the outside and was evenly seasoned with coarse sea salts. The staff at Vintage was very considerate and offered to pay for the steak since it was not up to par.
We also ordered a side of their signature VCH Mac and Cheese with lobster. I have never been a huge fan of Mac and Cheese cause I find it too heavy for my liking. But this was definitely one of the better mac and cheese I’ve tasted. Crispy top but creamy on the inside with visible chunks of lobster meat! The cheese was just the right amount and not overpowering at all.
Despite the slight disappointment with the rib eye, I would still highly recommend Vintage Chophouse to anyone who is visiting Alberta and would like to try out our famous Alberta beef. The price was fairly reasonable and they were able to provide an ambient atmosphere, perfect for those special date nights with your friend or other half!
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Price range: $50-$100CAD/person
Recommendations: Canada Prime Rib Eye, Beet Salad
Location: 320 11 Avenue SW Calgary, AB
Website: http://www.vintagechophouse.com
Itch-to-eat (out of 5):
that-itch.com 