You can totally sense a change in the vibe of the city once summer hits. The city literally comes alive! People are roaming about, festivals kickoff and patios are packed. Calgarians thoroughly enjoy their patios sometimes even when the weather isn’t at its finest. We brave the cold to get just a taste of that al fresco dining experience. Luckily for us there are patios a plenty during the summer when it’s perfect to sit outside and soak it all in. A new addition to the patio scene this year is Cardinale, which recently finished construction on their brand new patio for the summer and just in time for stampede! We were lucky enough to go down for a visit and try out their new summer food and cocktail menu as well!
Atmosphere: Cozy restaurant interior and intimate patio, perfect for sharing a couple drinks or dinner with friends.
Price Range: Mid $10s - $20+
Food & Drinks: There are some spectacular dishes at Cardinale and luckily for me they’ve remained on the menu and along with it some delicious new additions and tweaks to make their selections even more mouthwatering. We started with their new Calamari. I am always drawn to grilled calamari because it’s not too often that you see it on the menu with most places preferring to deep fry theirs. The sauce and accompaniments pair perfectly with the light flavors of the calamari. The bitter radicchio salad really blossomed the flavors of the gremolata.
Our other appetizer was my favorite on the menu (one that they’ve kept) the Gamberi aka salt baked prawns with jalapenos, pickled fennel and served with a garlic aioli. Just thinking about this dish is making my mouth water. There is a reason why they’ve kept it on their menu! The prawns are perfectly cooked, juicy and sweet. The flavours are further elevated by the garlic aioli and the jalapenos. Perfection!
For our mains we shared the Gnocchi which has been redone in a creamy mushroom sugo and blue cheese opposed to their previous tomato based dish. Surprisingly this dish was not too heavy even though it was in a cream sauce and the blue cheese actually accentuates the taste of the earthy mushrooms. I thoroughly enjoyed this and could see it becoming a crowd favorite.
We also had the Linguini with saffron, lobster, fennel, sambuca and grape tomatoes. The noodles themselves were well cooked and you could definitely taste the hint of sambuca throughout, without it being overpowering. Plus you can never go wrong with lobster!
For dessert we ordered the Ricotta Al Caffe, their take on a tiramisu with sweet ricotta, amaretti cookies to give it a textural crunch, espresso and whipped cream. I’m not a huge sweet dessert fan so this was perfect especially if you enjoy your coffee based desserts. I really like the addition of the amaretti cookies so it’s not your typical soft pudding like tiramisu.
To pair with our meal, we got to sample some of their cocktail creations which has also been revamped for the season and perfect for the patio. We had the Organ Grinder which is similar to an old fashioned made with makrers mark bourbon, amaro nonio, dates, biters and orange peel. It was a nice way to kick things off. Next we tried the Claudia with panerea gin, house made tonic, prosecco and juniper. It was super refreshing and a perfect patio drink. The server also recommended the Soylent Green and it's not what you think it is but instead it’s similar to a Pimm’s cup.
My Pick(s): Calamari, Gnocchi
Overall: For those that are looking for something different this year or a new patio spot, be sure to check out Cardinale. It’s got amazing food and drinks to complement our summer weather. Now the only difficult part will be to decide on what to eat and drink since there are so many great choices!Cardinale
401 12 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB
(403) 264-6046
Website: cardinale.ca
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