Calgary

Calgary! Clear, blue skies, warm and sunny. The locals tell us it's like this year round.

So, what kind of food would you expect in cattle country? Steaks? Ribs? Giant roasts? Yes, it's all here. But, for something a little different in downtown Calgary there's the Metropolitan Grill. Californian meets Mediterranean in Canada. An unexpected delight awaiting us for a late lunch.

Sidewalk tables afforded us a view of the endless parade of tourists, students and locals of all types. There was a lady carrying about 50 red and black balloons, young men on skateboards, and a pirate. What would Calgary be without a pirate, I say.

We started our lunch, appropriately, with a cheese and mushroom fondue served with garlic toast slices, accompanied by a local beer, Big Rock Honey Brown lager.

Then, going for something on the light side we opted for a "cioppino" of Prince Edward Island mussels, salmon, mahi mahi and shrimp in a lobster sauce orzo. The dish was garnished with cilantro and a sprinkling of dill.



We tossed into this mix a chicken salad because we couldn't resist the description: chicken and lots of other good stuff. And justified our decision by calling our meal an "early dinner."



Perfect weather, perfect food. An auspicious start to our discovery of Canada.