suen17
08-22-2010, 09:35 PM
Following my previous poor dining experience at Charcut, I recently had the chance to re-experience the restaurant. So in light of my second visit, I feel that it would only be just to reexamine my last review in detail.
I dined on a Saturday evening with my girlfriend and we were seated at a quiet location in the restaurant. Again, like my last visit, I was immediately impressed with the ambiance and quality of the furnishings. One curiously interesting thing of note that we had not noticed last time was that their water glasses were made of recycled wine bottle bottoms – this was really impressive.
Mind you, everything we tasted and that will be reviewed is wholly the chef’s selection. Nevertheless, while the kitchen has assuredly picked the best items on their menu, there was no question that the selections quite accurately represent the caliber of their menu.
Food: 9/10
Everything on their menu was either locally grown or made in-house, which made for a stunning food selection. For starters, we had their slow roasted heirloom beets with goats cheese, arugula and tuna conserve, and a raclette cheese with pan bread. The beets were as fresh as the ones we have growing in our garden, and within the one dish there were several varieties. The goat’s cheese was made in-house and positively melted in my mouth. The tuna conserve was unique in that while it is a preserved dish, the fish itself was fresh, smooth, and well pickled. To top it off, we received a freshly baked pan bread that was served not with conventional olive oil and vinegar dip, but with a divine melted cheese.
Again, like my last visit, we followed the starters with selections from their charcuterie platter. As we ate, we learned that their sausage is made in-house, and as a nice touch, they had a ham made from pig’s head – juicy and flavorful but not oily and overwhelmingly salty. Of note is their mustard which is, bar none, the most subtle that I have ever tasted considering many mustards will overwhelm the palate.
For mains, we each shared a piece of prime rib, a pasta, with heirloom carrots, peas and gourmet poutine on the side. The prime rib was unimpressive in terms of flavor but was cooked in such a way that at no point was the meat ever dry. It hinted of vinegar which suggested that it was perhaps cured but it was never a rancid kind of flavor. To be honest, however, it was certainly a quality piece of meat that we received. Our second dish, a pappardelle, had a freshly cracked egg on top which melded well with the cheese and bacon to serve as the sauce. As itself, it would have done well as a standalone main. To complement the mains, the vegetables were freshly grown carrots – and to be honest, I have never seen purple carrots, of which there were some. Poutine might not be a regular item one would expect in a restaurant of this caliber. This poutine was very memorable, made with duck-fat, in-house made cheese curds and truffle gravy. Each item served to us had distinct and full-bodied flavour, and yet worked together rather magically.
To end, we were served peach panna cotta that was delicious. Absolutely scrumptious. Again, made in-house (which is rare for large restaurants). On top of that, we had preserved cherry cheesecake. This item was very vaguely described and we certainly would not have ordered it had the server not mentioned it. But rest assured, it was well worth every spoonful. To top off the night, their chocolate gelato/cake/pudding/mousse? was astonishingly good. Nothing as smooth could compare unless crème fraiche was somehow frozen.
Liquor: 10/10
This is one of the only restaurants where I was familiar with less than 10% of the beer selection. This is not your regular beer list, but something for the real beer connoisseur Charcut even has the equivalent of a sommelier (wine steward) for their beers! Each of the following beers were picked by said sommelier and paired beautifully with each dish. The uniqueness of a restaurant pairing beer with food puts Charcut into a divine echelon.
-Lindemans: Lambic Peche
-Trappist: Tripel (High alcohol content but very sweet so hides its punch)
-Dieu du ciel: Route des epices (Rye beer; this beer I’ve had by itself and hated it; but with the prime rib it was blissful!)
-Dieu du ciel: Aphrodisiaque (If you like an espresso stout, you will adore this: chocolate and coffee notes.)
-Dieu du ciel: Rosée d’hibiscus (great beer to start the night off with)
-Liefmans: Fruitbier
We also had two glasses of wine, but unfortunately I failed to get their names. Nothing astonishing, but then again, I’m not exactly the fondest of wines.
Ambiance: 9/10
Great décor. Every piece was evidently hand picked and deliberately chosen. Even the dishrags that I previously condemned I found out were meant to reflect the “home kitchens” of Europe. Nevertheless, I still can’t say I’m that fond of it. Maybe it’s got something to do with how dirty I know my dishcloths are. Lighting was dim and cozy (made of mason jars traditionally used for canning) and the walls were adorned with wood details made from very old wood. The ambient music was soft and never overpowering.
Service: x/10
We received amazing service, however, I can’t say much more because we were VIP customers that night.
Price: 8/10
Pricing is incredibly reasonable. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill restaurant so don’t go expecting Moxies/Earls pricing. Entrees range from 18-30$ so it isn’t anywhere near as extreme as the décor would suggest. For a hotel-bound restaurant, I think that the prices are extremely valuable [i[if[/i] you happen to choose the best items on the menu. One would pay more for similar fresh produce at the farmer’s market.
The liquor is expensive but well worth the money. Think of each bottle of beer as a glass of wine – should its quality not be commensurate with what you’re receiving?
Overall: 9.5/10
After this most recent experience, I will have to recant my previous opinion on Charcut. I would most definitely re-visit this restaurant. This would be an amazing place for drinks at lunch with appetizers or to try their lunch specials with a “45?-minute guarantee” out the door. The chefs here are passionate about their food and do not hesitate to experiment with new ingredients. Just the fact that they are willing to make their cheeses, cured meats, and desserts in-house speaks volumes about the skills of the chefs. Nowhere in Calgary do I think you can find rotisserie, cured meats, and one of the city’s most appreciable selections of beer.
I would definitely recommend asking the server for selections as their menu changes daily. Even with my picky choices in food, I was impressed with everything they served us.
I dined on a Saturday evening with my girlfriend and we were seated at a quiet location in the restaurant. Again, like my last visit, I was immediately impressed with the ambiance and quality of the furnishings. One curiously interesting thing of note that we had not noticed last time was that their water glasses were made of recycled wine bottle bottoms – this was really impressive.
Mind you, everything we tasted and that will be reviewed is wholly the chef’s selection. Nevertheless, while the kitchen has assuredly picked the best items on their menu, there was no question that the selections quite accurately represent the caliber of their menu.
Food: 9/10
Everything on their menu was either locally grown or made in-house, which made for a stunning food selection. For starters, we had their slow roasted heirloom beets with goats cheese, arugula and tuna conserve, and a raclette cheese with pan bread. The beets were as fresh as the ones we have growing in our garden, and within the one dish there were several varieties. The goat’s cheese was made in-house and positively melted in my mouth. The tuna conserve was unique in that while it is a preserved dish, the fish itself was fresh, smooth, and well pickled. To top it off, we received a freshly baked pan bread that was served not with conventional olive oil and vinegar dip, but with a divine melted cheese.
Again, like my last visit, we followed the starters with selections from their charcuterie platter. As we ate, we learned that their sausage is made in-house, and as a nice touch, they had a ham made from pig’s head – juicy and flavorful but not oily and overwhelmingly salty. Of note is their mustard which is, bar none, the most subtle that I have ever tasted considering many mustards will overwhelm the palate.
For mains, we each shared a piece of prime rib, a pasta, with heirloom carrots, peas and gourmet poutine on the side. The prime rib was unimpressive in terms of flavor but was cooked in such a way that at no point was the meat ever dry. It hinted of vinegar which suggested that it was perhaps cured but it was never a rancid kind of flavor. To be honest, however, it was certainly a quality piece of meat that we received. Our second dish, a pappardelle, had a freshly cracked egg on top which melded well with the cheese and bacon to serve as the sauce. As itself, it would have done well as a standalone main. To complement the mains, the vegetables were freshly grown carrots – and to be honest, I have never seen purple carrots, of which there were some. Poutine might not be a regular item one would expect in a restaurant of this caliber. This poutine was very memorable, made with duck-fat, in-house made cheese curds and truffle gravy. Each item served to us had distinct and full-bodied flavour, and yet worked together rather magically.
To end, we were served peach panna cotta that was delicious. Absolutely scrumptious. Again, made in-house (which is rare for large restaurants). On top of that, we had preserved cherry cheesecake. This item was very vaguely described and we certainly would not have ordered it had the server not mentioned it. But rest assured, it was well worth every spoonful. To top off the night, their chocolate gelato/cake/pudding/mousse? was astonishingly good. Nothing as smooth could compare unless crème fraiche was somehow frozen.
Liquor: 10/10
This is one of the only restaurants where I was familiar with less than 10% of the beer selection. This is not your regular beer list, but something for the real beer connoisseur Charcut even has the equivalent of a sommelier (wine steward) for their beers! Each of the following beers were picked by said sommelier and paired beautifully with each dish. The uniqueness of a restaurant pairing beer with food puts Charcut into a divine echelon.
-Lindemans: Lambic Peche
-Trappist: Tripel (High alcohol content but very sweet so hides its punch)
-Dieu du ciel: Route des epices (Rye beer; this beer I’ve had by itself and hated it; but with the prime rib it was blissful!)
-Dieu du ciel: Aphrodisiaque (If you like an espresso stout, you will adore this: chocolate and coffee notes.)
-Dieu du ciel: Rosée d’hibiscus (great beer to start the night off with)
-Liefmans: Fruitbier
We also had two glasses of wine, but unfortunately I failed to get their names. Nothing astonishing, but then again, I’m not exactly the fondest of wines.
Ambiance: 9/10
Great décor. Every piece was evidently hand picked and deliberately chosen. Even the dishrags that I previously condemned I found out were meant to reflect the “home kitchens” of Europe. Nevertheless, I still can’t say I’m that fond of it. Maybe it’s got something to do with how dirty I know my dishcloths are. Lighting was dim and cozy (made of mason jars traditionally used for canning) and the walls were adorned with wood details made from very old wood. The ambient music was soft and never overpowering.
Service: x/10
We received amazing service, however, I can’t say much more because we were VIP customers that night.
Price: 8/10
Pricing is incredibly reasonable. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill restaurant so don’t go expecting Moxies/Earls pricing. Entrees range from 18-30$ so it isn’t anywhere near as extreme as the décor would suggest. For a hotel-bound restaurant, I think that the prices are extremely valuable [i[if[/i] you happen to choose the best items on the menu. One would pay more for similar fresh produce at the farmer’s market.
The liquor is expensive but well worth the money. Think of each bottle of beer as a glass of wine – should its quality not be commensurate with what you’re receiving?
Overall: 9.5/10
After this most recent experience, I will have to recant my previous opinion on Charcut. I would most definitely re-visit this restaurant. This would be an amazing place for drinks at lunch with appetizers or to try their lunch specials with a “45?-minute guarantee” out the door. The chefs here are passionate about their food and do not hesitate to experiment with new ingredients. Just the fact that they are willing to make their cheeses, cured meats, and desserts in-house speaks volumes about the skills of the chefs. Nowhere in Calgary do I think you can find rotisserie, cured meats, and one of the city’s most appreciable selections of beer.
I would definitely recommend asking the server for selections as their menu changes daily. Even with my picky choices in food, I was impressed with everything they served us.