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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.

max_boost
04-22-2011, 02:12 PM
Just wondering if anyone has gone there later in the evening? They are open until 1am so I was thinking of swinging by around 10:30pm for a quick bite. Not sure what the scene is like at that time, if they are winding down etc.

e31
04-22-2011, 03:38 PM
I'm slightly curious about the circumstance of your second review. Was it completely candid or was the second visit instigated by an "outside influence"? I ask this because of the use of phrases used like "I recently had the chance to re-experience the restaurant" & "we were VIP customers".

Which review do you think would typically apply to a subsequent visitor?

BigDannyCool
04-22-2011, 03:41 PM
one of the head chefs is competing on top chef canada Connie DeSousa

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/topchefcanada/bios/Connie+DeSousa/4365905/story.html

Mibz
04-22-2011, 03:51 PM
I went there with a couple buddies.

Started with the tuna conserve, bone marrow au gratin and pig head mortadella. It was my first time eating bone marrow and godamn was it delicious, there just wasn't enough of it. The tuna was nothing special. The pig head was great with the mustard but not my cup of tea by itself.

Then we had a lamb dish that isn't on their menu anymore. It was lamb and lentils with something else, I don't remember the exact ingredients but I do remember it was the most tender lamb I'd ever eaten and it didn't punch me in the mouth with lamb flavour. Best lamb ever, and probably my favourite dish of the night.

We also had a seafood dish that isn't on their menu either :P It was octopus/squid (I don't know the difference) and scallops in a tomato-based sauce. It honestly tasted like Safeway brand tomato sauce and I didn't much care for it, though the seafood was cooked very well.

Lastly was the duck fat poutine with truffle gravy. Shit was gross. Way too rich and the truffle was overpowering. I don't hate truffle, but this was just too much. Maybe it was the fact that it was eaten last, and on a full stomach, but the thought of it seriously disgusts me.

I'm a low-class gent, I don't care about ambiance or decor.

Price was what you'd expect :dunno:

suen17
04-22-2011, 04:42 PM
Originally posted by e31
I'm slightly curious about the circumstance of your second review. Was it completely candid or was the second visit instigated by an "outside influence"? I ask this because of the use of phrases used like "I recently had the chance to re-experience the restaurant" & "we were VIP customers".

Which review do you think would typically apply to a subsequent visitor?

I'll be honest: the first time that I went I wasn't terribly impressed with what they had to offer. There was no pressure by the chefs for me to write another review, I felt that it was worth presenting a different outlook out of fairness. In terms of "VIP" customers, we essentially had their full and undivided attention, hence that is why I cannot comment on their level of service.

In retrospect, I should have started my second review with a better disclaimer, that being that we were served a set menu, with the full attention of the chefs, the owner, servers, and "beer guy." It was a unique experience, one that you might experience if you were Chef Ramsey and every dish was meticulously presented to you, explained, and paired with the house's finest liquors. Mind you, not everyone will have the same experience that we did. Obviously, on my second visit the chefs served their best dishes, and frankly, they did a fantastic job with that. Taking into account my first review, they did indeed have some shortfalls, but in my opinion, that will inevitably result from a *relatively* new restaurant and a menu that changes everyday. It's a bit disappointing that they don't have the consistency of, for example, Rouge, but when you find a good dish at Charcut, it is a rather amazing dish.

I'd have to say that this restaurant is not my favorite in Calgary, but their concepts and food is far more interesting that your run-of-the-mill steakhouse. Like I said earlier, their choices are far from what you may generally expect to find in Calgary, so order with caution. Their charcuterie plate still excites me, as does their cured meats... and that is what stood out for me; and still to this day, I'd go back for this reason alone. Unfortunate, however, that it's not for their mains - save the parpadelle.

Any other q's, let me know.

EDIT: To answer your first question, I was invited back. They had set up a private sitting, hence my "VIP re-experience."

schocker
07-13-2011, 10:40 AM
I gave charcut a try last week for lunch after hearing about it from top chef. I got the $25 lunch which was roast turkey with their gravy, arugula salad and the fries with Parmesan, then the cookies and coffee with desert. It was all quite good. I had kind of hoped the portions were bigger, but it was all prepared quite quickly so I was impressed with that and the food all tasted great. Also had one of their vanilla cardamom soda which was very good. Now I will have to go back to try the dinner there sometime.

sputnik
07-13-2011, 10:51 AM
Originally posted by suen17
To answer your first question, I was invited back. They had set up a private sitting, hence my "VIP re-experience."

That makes your review invalid IMO.

Guillermo
07-13-2011, 11:28 AM
Originally posted by sputnik


That makes your review invalid IMO.

this

rob the knob
07-13-2011, 08:15 PM
you wrote a nice review of an evening that is not what the restaurant offers as part of regular menu and regular dining experience


Originally posted by suen17


In terms of "VIP" customers, we essentially had their full and undivided attention, hence that is why I cannot comment on their level of service.

In retrospect, I should have started my second review with a better disclaimer, that being that we were served a set menu, with the full attention of the chefs, the owner, servers, and "beer guy." It was a unique experience, one that you might experience if you were Chef Ramsey and every dish was meticulously presented to you, explained, and paired with the house's finest liquors. Mind you, not everyone will have the same experience that we did. Obviously, on my second visit the chefs served their best dishes, and frankly, they did a fantastic job with that.

flipstah
08-08-2011, 12:26 PM
I think I'll take a stab at this place and give it a review... That and NOtaBLE.

PureDeXteritY
08-08-2011, 12:47 PM
I didn't see panna cotta on their online menu, is this not a regular item?

flipstah
09-24-2011, 09:20 PM
I went there a while ago and the only thing I found amazing was their duck poutine. Otherwise, it's quite generic and average; it's not terrible but not awesome.

I wouldn't go back though. Price was fair but I've had better for what I paid.

Stunt66
09-29-2011, 11:10 AM
The title needs to be changed, this is in no way a legit review. You got invited back by Charcut for a private sitting, of course they're going to charm the shit out of you.