Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #escoba

ABC's of YYC (Week 5: E)

Escoba
624 8 Ave SW

Happy Birthday Mama!!  This week John and I took my Mama out for dinner for her Birthday!  I made sure to give her restaurant choices that started with E ;).  She ended up picking Escoba, which we thought was a great choice since we've been a couple of times and it is close to home.

Crab Cakes- Rock crab and sweet roasted corn, house made guacamole and chipotle aioli

It was a unanimous decision we all wanted the Crab Cakes!  They were soft and had a great flavour and a enjoyable heat that lingered in the mouth.  The crust was borderline too thick for us and was a tad soggy, but overall it was delicious.

Fresh Mussels- Savoury market ingredient broth; spicy tomato broth

Great flavour but the mussels seemed smaller then average.  It was cooked well with a a light kick of spice.  Overall the dish had a balanced flavour profile and was quite enjoyable. 

Smoked Duck-  Smoked duck breast with pulled pork sweet potato hash, season vegetable, apple and sage jus

My Mama's dish!  It had wonderful flavour and was cooked perfectly.  There was a nice crisp on the skin and with the sweet potato concoction, it was fantastic.  My Mama's favourite part was the sauce and requested that I would figure out how to make it...... Challenge..... accepted?  

Roasted Chicken and Scallops- Morrocan spiced bone-in chicken breast potato lentil pakora, roasted vegetable over roasted pepper coconut sauce

All of the components were cooked perfectly.  The chicken was not dry at all and had great flavour along with the scallops which were tender.  The vegetables and lentil pakora were really good but the coconut was lacking in the sauce as the other components were stronger.  The sauce was still amazing, however John enjoyed the chicken more without it (that's how good it was!!).  

Raccoloto Salad- Strawberry, mandarin, green apple, French bean, asparagus and pickled daikon over arugula mixed greens dressed with berry ginger vinaigrette. Topped salad with additional Ahi tuna steak.

So yes this was boring dish to pick, however I was in desperate need of veggies.  I soon regretted that decision because I thought the Ahi Tuna would accent my dish.  It did the complete opposite and took away from it entirely.  The small piece of Tuna was WAY overseasoned that when I bit into it, a layer of it would come off grainy and right onto the tongue.  It was quite unpleasant and I was just sad after.  Nevertheless, I got my vegetables which were fresh and crisp.  

Tiramisu- Espresso and Bailey's infused lady fingers with Mascarpone mousse

It was too thick and creamy and seemed more like a cheesecake than a light airy mousse.  The strawberry sauce was a nice touch, but the Tiramisu at Da Guido was better.

Overall, with the exception of the Ahi Tuna Steak and the Tiramisu, everything was sublime.  The flavours were great and the dishes were presented well.  Mama really enjoyed her Birthday dinner!

Enjoy!

Eat Well: #abcsofyyc #daguido

ABC's of YYC (Week 4: D)

Da Guido
2001 Centre Street N

Ciao amici!  We finally got a chance to visit Da Guido, which we have driven by countless times.  The restaurant itself was so warm and welcoming with traditional themed decor.  We began with a complimentary dish of Bruschetta!  The bread was so fragrant and crisp with a great balance of acidity.  It was a fresh and flavourful start to the night.

Scampi Al Burro- scampi in a garlic butter served on a bed of Arborio rice.

The scampi was cooked perfectly, and was wonderful with the garlic butter.  The risotto was amazing.  It was cooked a bit passed al dente, which we prefer.  The flavour was great and I just wanted to eat a whole bowl of it.

Carpaccio Al Parmigiano- thin slices of fresh filet mignon with lemon, olive oil and shavings of parmesan.

The cut of meat was lovely with great texture that almost melted in your mouth.  The flavour was mild and hard to find after the scampi.  However, once we cleansed our palettes, the soft flavour of the beef was revealed and was quite scrumptious.

Special: Pickerel with vegetables and a white wine tomato sauce

I had this lovely dish.  There were two large filets and the fish was just a tad overcooked, however I still thoroughly enjoyed it.  John had found a couple of bones in the pieces that he had.  Other then that, the mushrooms were soft and tender with great flavour.

The Sides: Penne in a tomato sauce and steamed vegetables

The sides were lovely!  I'm glad that the vegetables were steamed and they gave you quite a bit!  That large clump of green is spinach!  It wilts when it's cooked, there was a lot!!  The penne was soooooo good.  I couldn't stop.

Galletto Cacciatora- cornish game hen in a white wine, garlic and rosemary sauce

Game hen was cooked perfectly with delicious seasoning.  There was so much meat!  John loved it.  It was finger lickin' good.

Yeah....

Tiramisu- nuff said... just kidding.  Lady fingers biscuits laced with Guido's own special liqueur and espresso infusion

Favourite Tiramisu EVER!!!!!!  And I love me some Tiramisu!  It was nice and soft and tasted amazing.  I would eat this everyday if I could.

Overall, we were quite impressed with our meal and glad we finally got to stop in.  The service was great and our servers were quite attentive.  Our favourites were Game Hen and of course the TIRAMISU!!!!  Will definitely come back.

Enjoy!