DowntownCowboy
11-03-2005, 10:36 AM
Tribune Restaurant & Bar
118 8 Avenue Southwest 100, Calgary, AB T2P1B3
(403) 269-3160
Food: 2/5
Ambience: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Had lunch with 2 co-workers last week, it was their 2nd week open. Walking in its hard not to be wowed, it has to be the nicest restaurant I've been to in Calgary. The Belvedere, Murrieta's, The Ranch, Ric's Grill, River Cafe, Divino's, La Tavola have nothing on it. I don't know how much they spent, but the tin ceiling, great furniture, stunning main level bar, exposed brick downstairs, comfy leather chairs and vessel sinks didn't look cheap.
The waiter, whose intro was mostly apologies for not having 1/2 the wine and a few of the menu items available (the menu from chef Andrew Keen was "a work in progress"), started off by bringing us a Boundary Bay shiraz, which was the best part of the meal. The menu was incredibly random with no real theme. A chicken dish here, veal, crab, sandwich & fries, it seemed like too many people had a say in it.
I started with the Duck Cofin Nicoise Salad (duck came right off the bone as promised, it was more meat than salad, too salty though), and had the Veal as a main (nothing special, sauce was very weak, potato cake was good). My co-workers both had the most expensive thing on the lunch menu, a $22 seafood mix in a tomato broth. Neither were impressed, I tried it and the seafood didn't taste fresh (we are in Calgary, but the Catch does much better), and the broth had no bite. We weren't offered fresh pepper either.
By the end of the meal we weren't satisfied, but still not in a mood to have dessert because we just wanted to leave without donating more to the cause. Total bill was $130 before t/t. I'd return one day for a drink upstairs, but I'll wait til the menu settles out before I sit down for a meal.
118 8 Avenue Southwest 100, Calgary, AB T2P1B3
(403) 269-3160
Food: 2/5
Ambience: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Had lunch with 2 co-workers last week, it was their 2nd week open. Walking in its hard not to be wowed, it has to be the nicest restaurant I've been to in Calgary. The Belvedere, Murrieta's, The Ranch, Ric's Grill, River Cafe, Divino's, La Tavola have nothing on it. I don't know how much they spent, but the tin ceiling, great furniture, stunning main level bar, exposed brick downstairs, comfy leather chairs and vessel sinks didn't look cheap.
The waiter, whose intro was mostly apologies for not having 1/2 the wine and a few of the menu items available (the menu from chef Andrew Keen was "a work in progress"), started off by bringing us a Boundary Bay shiraz, which was the best part of the meal. The menu was incredibly random with no real theme. A chicken dish here, veal, crab, sandwich & fries, it seemed like too many people had a say in it.
I started with the Duck Cofin Nicoise Salad (duck came right off the bone as promised, it was more meat than salad, too salty though), and had the Veal as a main (nothing special, sauce was very weak, potato cake was good). My co-workers both had the most expensive thing on the lunch menu, a $22 seafood mix in a tomato broth. Neither were impressed, I tried it and the seafood didn't taste fresh (we are in Calgary, but the Catch does much better), and the broth had no bite. We weren't offered fresh pepper either.
By the end of the meal we weren't satisfied, but still not in a mood to have dessert because we just wanted to leave without donating more to the cause. Total bill was $130 before t/t. I'd return one day for a drink upstairs, but I'll wait til the menu settles out before I sit down for a meal.