Restaurant Review: Elbow Room

The boroughs in Calgary have started to gain traction and it’s great to see. It really elevates the various areas throughout the city and the different vibes around town. This past year Calgarians have witnessed a huge growth in the Britannia area, with new stores such as Village Ice Cream, Monogram and of course Elbow Room opening up. I enjoy stopping by and picking up different goodies on my way to and from Chinook Mall or just whenever I’m in the area. I had the opportunity to stop in to Elbow Room again recently for their amazing media dinner tasting which really showcased what their food is all about – flavoursome and approachable in a relaxing space.

Atmosphere: Chic eatery with two great dining areas which are perfect for different sized groups and a wonderful patio overlooking Briannia.

Price Range: Mid $10s - $30+

Food & Wine: We were presented with an amazing selection of their fall menu dishes including specially picked wine pairings that all sounded amazing. To start we were provided a refreshing glass of Lambrusco. If you haven’t had it before, it’s a bit sweeter than a rose with a bit of a bubbly twist. Definitely a great way to get the palette ready for dinner.

Our first course continued down that line with Chef Blackwell’s unique take on tacos with Butter Chicken and Achiote Beef Tacos! The zingy flavours of both worked very well in a taco form and I particularly liked the combination of sweet and savory in the beef taco with the cabbage and corn slaw. We were also served some Crispy Fried Brussels Sprouts as a side, drizzled with a serrano pepper cream that made it so rich and flavoursome. The spiciness of the dishes paired nicely with the Verdita Rita margarita cocktail (think spicy and herbaceous) that was served with the course.

Next up was a nice play on a seafood course, with Lobster Rolls, Scallop Rolls and a Tika Masala Salmon. The contrast in texture from the crunchy bread to the creamy seafood were great bites that segues to the expertly cooked salmon. I enjoyed the spices used on the tender salmon and through its pairing with the cooling raita and the pickled veggies. We were treated to a light Pierre Sparr Riesling for this course where the slight grapefruit and peach aromas brought out the tanginess in the dishes.

Our third course made quite the impression when it arrived at the table with all the various items on the platter ranging from pasta to lamb and burrata to arancini. All the amazing courses were beginning to settle but I had to try everything that was presented starting with the prosciutto and burrata on toast, perfect for sharing or if you’re looking for something to go with wine. Next, I tried the Pesto Crusted Ling Cod, which again was cooked perfected, especially since overcooked cod can be quite dry but that was not the case here. What I was really looking forward to was the Lamb T-Bone since you don’t see it that often at restaurants where the lamb rack is often the favored cut. I think the lamb t-bone is a great choice due to the tender meat and its often better priced as well. Served with a red wine jus, it was cooked to a nice medium.

There was also the crispy Aracini balls, gooey and cheesy on the inside while remaining crispy and crunch outside a nice intro to the creamy Tagliatelle Carbonara with sweet peas and a green olive tapenade. Needless to say it was quite a bit of food but everything was extremely flavourful and it was hard not to want to try everything presented to us. We had the Cristom Pinot Noir as a wine pairing for this course and I can see why since we had quite the array of items on the platter it would have been tough to introduce a bold wine. The pinot was perfect, light enough to pair with the fish but substantial enough to stand up to the lamb.

Finally we arrived at dessert and I couldn’t pass up on this! The Bananas Foster made with Liege waffle (my favorite!!), banana rum cream, candied cashews, and swiss meringue tasted amazing! It was not the prettiest dish but definitely one of the tastiest. I could probably eat the whole thing. Liege waffles are hard to find and I’m so glad that the Elbow Room serves them and I really hope they keep it on the menu forever! We were also provided two flavours of Cheesecake Lollipops to try. The Peanut butter cheesecake with dark chocolate coating and crushed sponge toffee, perfect for the peanut butter lover among us and the Raspberry cheesecake with white chocolate coating and pop rocks. I am one of the few people who love white chocolate so this was right up my ally and the pop rocks only added to the fun of the dessert. To pair with this course we were served the Massolino Moscato which wasn’t overly sweet and a nice way to end the evening.

My Pick(s): Achiote Beef Tacos, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Tika Masala Salmon, Bananas Foster Waffle

Overall: Just writing this has made me realized that I need to stop by Britannia more often, especially to check out the Elbow Room’s brunch offerings! I am already craving those liege waffles, plus with so many great shops nearby we can head down and really spend a day there!

Elbow Room
802 49 Ave SW
Calgary, AB
(403) 460-8128
Website: elbowroombritannia.ca