Fine dining in Banff, with children

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 2 comments

Should children be present at a dinner that involves horseradish-crusted lamb shank and white tablecloths? My gut tells me no on this one, and yet, there we were at a fancy round table inside the Terrace Dining Room at the Banff Park Lodge, contemplating whether to order seared scallops with crepes or sablefish a la shrimp. Avery and Bennett, being kids, just wanted French fries.

Bennettt: “Mommy, I won’t eat my fries unless I like the presentation! Now, where’s that tablecloth so I can wipe the ketchup off my face?”

Normally I would leave the kids at home for this type of meal, but we were in Banff for the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food festival, and fancy dinner for the family was on the itinerary. The waitress brought paper and crayons, and Bennett promptly scribbled orange and blue onto the tablecloth (look really hard in the above snap and you’ll be able to see it). After colouring for approximately 30 seconds he asked Blake, “Daddy, where’s iPhone?”

After a palate-cleansing granita, Avery gets back to more interesting pursuits.

In situations like these, it pays to have an iPhone. Better to let the kids zone out playing Angry Birds than repeatedly ask, “When is our food going to come?” or, more to the point, “Where is French fries?” Valid questions, Avery and Bennett (appetizers really do prolong the dining experience when kids are along. And not in a good way). Inexplicably, when the waitress asked me whether I wanted the kids’ meals to come out early or with our entrees, I decided we should all eat together. Parenting fail.

The best part of the dinner was when our server finally brought out the children’s orders. Truly, I have never seen fries served in a separate white porcelain bowl, nor steamed veggies arranged just so, with dipping sauce in a little metal tin. The artistry of their dishes was lost on my kids, who immediately smeared ketchup all over their plates and faces. I cringed inwardly and took a silent moment to appraise my own entree:

Lamb shank on a bed of risotto. Yum.

The dinner was a success, but I’m not sure we’ll be making a reservation for four at Rouge anytime soon — I don’t think they serve fries.

Do you take your little kids out for fancy meals? Success or failure?

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Posted in Potpourri, Travel

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No gift bag left behind?

Posted on May 15, 2012 | 8 comments

Back when my eldest was a toddler and took no interest in her birthday party beyond the cake, I vowed I would never adopt what I viewed as unsavoury kids’ birthday party practices. Namely:

  1. Outsourcing
  2. Inviting a number of children greater than my child’s age
  3. Gift bags

This past Friday, at our daughter’s seventh birthday celebration, I realized I have broken all of my party promises. We let Avery invite nine friends to a gymnastics bithday party at the Flip Factory and handed out goody bags when it was over. These slips aren’t really a big deal since outsourcing a party is arguably easier than hosting it in-house (the entertainment is taken care of and the mess is minimized). And really, what’s a couple more friends when there’s a huge gym to run around in?

Gymnastics for an hour followed by pizza, cake, presents and gift bags.

Which brings us to gift bags. Even though a parenting trend prediction for 2012 suggested gift bags were on the way out, it’s daunting to defy party tradition and forego the little party thank-yous, especially when six- and seven-year-old girls covet them. So I stocked up on craft graft from Michaels and Jolly Ranchers from Dollarama and put together what I thought was a pretty kick-ass gift bag:

If China didn’t exist, neither would gift bags.

And yet. One little girl left her gift bag behind. Did she deem the contents unworthy? Had she and her parents vowed to eschew the tradition of gross birthday over-consumption by just saying no to the loot bag? Or did she simply forget to take her gift bag home with her?

Gift bag left behind.

I’ll never know the reason the yellow bag stayed at the Flip Factory that evening. But I like to think that, in Grade 1, my daughter’s friend took a look inside and thought, “Do I really need some lame Made-in-China crafts and teeth-rotting candy?” And then left the gift bag behind.

Should gift bags go the way of the dinosaurs or should we embrace them? Thoughts?

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Posted in Parenting, Potpourri

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Drink of the Week: Bloody Caesar

Posted on May 11, 2012 | 1 comment

If there’s one cocktail that says Canada — or at least Calgary — it’s the Caesar. The drink was invented in Calgary in 1969 by bartender Walter Chell, who wanted to add a twist to the established Bloody Mary. The game changer? Clamato juice.

Caesars are, arguably, an acquired taste. I’ve lived in Calgary now for 15 years and don’t love them. But after trying the Bloody Caesar at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel last weekend, I think I’m ready to re-explore this relationship. It probably has something to do with the fact they make their own horseradish sauce (you can see little bits of it floating at the bottom of the glass) and add balsamic vinegar — another twist! — but this Caesar is the best I’ve tasted. So, Hail Bloody Caesar! I’m a convert.

Bloody Caesar

  • 1-3/4 oz Finlandia vodka
  • 8 oz Clamato juice
  • 3 drops Tabasco sauce
  • 2 drops Worcestershire sauce
  • Lime juice (to taste)
  • Fresh horseradish (to taste)
  • Balsamic vinegar (to taste)
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • Lemon wedge and celery stick garnishes
  • Celery salt to rim glass

Rim a hurricane glass with celery salt then pack with ice. Build the drink over ice, stir, garnish and serve. Note: The Fairmont Banff Springs kicks up the garnishes a notch by opting for a lime wedge, speared olive and a pickled asparagus spear. Like!

— Courtesy Rundle Lounge at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel

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Posted in Cocktails

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