Alta Bistro, Whistler

Near the heart of Whistler, this skinny restaurant is a popular location. Reservations recommended.

Alta Bistro

#104-4319 Main Street, Whistler, BC

Date: July 31, 2011
Occasion: BC road trip

Ambiance: long and skinny restaurant with limited dining space. The definition of moderne.

Service: attentive and hilarious!

Drinks: Great house-imagined cocktails served with flair. Mr CDW enjoyed Endless Summer while Mrs CDW enjoyed a bit of liquid Bergamot- yummy.

Ordered (and shared) two of the three-course set menus plus dessert.
1st course:
Soup - butternut squash with coconut and ginger. Velvety, with potent ginger - very good.
Charcuterie - cured duck breast, lonza, block garlic saucisson, bresaola. Chutney was awesome. And an amazing pate with cranberry crustini.
2nd course:
Prawn cocktail with advocate-lime sorbet - interesting texture, like gelato. Shrimps were fantastically prepped. Cocktail sauce matched perfectly. Luscious.
Beef carpaccio with frizze salad and cheeses. Cheddar almost overwhelmed the beef but it really stands up.
3rd course:
Chicken - cooked perfectly. Right balance of herbs - didn't overwhelm the chicken. Paired well with mini ratatouille and mash.
Lamb ribs - lovely with a nicely salted pomme. Salad was extra.
Dessert:
Chocolate cake - cherries were good. Very flavourful, nicely poached. Homemade ice cream and toasted almonds.
Creme brulee duo - 2nd is chef's crazy idea(!) was a mini mint. Tasty. Shallow brulee - more sugar would've been good.

Price: $$$$.

Overall: Another recommendation if you're in the region. Or drop in for a cocktail made by their fabulous staff!



alta bistro's menu when we visited



Pig Roast, Whistler

As part of the Canadian BBQ Championships in Whistler, they decided to do a whole pig roast. Here are a few pictoral highlights. Trust me it was mouthwatering!

The preparation - Friday evening

After a whole day to bbq, with some mopping and checking

The move

A happy pig?

Aura, Whistler

A lovely boutique hotel on the shore of Nita Lake.

Aura
Nita Lake Lodge
2131 Lake Placid Road, Whistler, BC

Date: July 29, 2011
Occasion: BC road trip

Ambiance: Beautiful view. Does the cross between elegant and rustic well.

Service: Amazing. Fantastic waiter, keen on ensuring we enjoyed ourselves and entertaining with some personal stories.

Drinks: Mrs CDW had Only in Dreams, had a foam with shaved white chocolate on top - amazing! Mr CDW enjoyed a cocktail with rosewater and muddle grapes with vodka and grapefruit juice.
Wine: A french 5-grape blend, rose.

We opted for the five-course tasting menu.

Amuse bouche: demi-tasse of pea soup with avocado and olive oil drizzle. Mr CDW gave a thumbs up.
1st course: Beet infused white salmon with sorrel and lime injected melon, with some deep fried dehydrated beet chips. A nice little dish. Fresh.
2nd course: Scallops with white carrot, shaved jalapeno, black garlic and cabbage slaw, kinzio mayo. Favourite so far. The mayo really stood out.
3rd course: Charcuterie: 3 in house cuts. Salami, Loin, shoulder. Wow - so much flavour. Went well with wine.
4th course: Sesame beef. Warm potato salad with rooftop (yes they have a garden up there) frizze and bacon.

5th course: Chocolate ice cream with banana chips, orange foam, coconut molasses. Seriously mmmm.

Price: $$$.

Overall: What a great meal, service and lovely location. Totally recommend.

Painted Turtle, Clearwater

On the Dutch Lake, with a peaceful setting, a little dining oasis in a campground setting. Arrived and then read a new chef had recently taken on the restaurant.

Painted Turtle
Dutch Lake Resort
361 Ridge Drive, Clearwater, BC

Date: July 27, 2011
Occasion: BC road trip, stopped at Wells Gray Park

Ambiance: Sitting on the covered patio is the way to go, unless the bugs are really bad. You are separated from the lake by a narrow trail. Looking over lily pads to mountains is a lovely way to wait for your food!

Service: was good, handling large groups well. *Although they do make arrangements for tour buses to stop - couldn't say then!

Drinks: St. Hubertus Fizzante rose. Slightly bubbly, sweeter dark rose.

Appies: Mr CDW really enjoyed hte Seafood Chowder. Sweet with corn and crab, a really different and good variation. Bread - foccatia was fresh and not too herby. Especially nice toasted along side soup. Mrs CDW had the Spring Greens salada with fresh crsip accents. Cucumber lime dressing wasn't noticable.

Mains: Mr CDW tried the Pork Tenderloin with a mushroom wine sauce and basmati rice. Pork was a bit overcooked, a watery sauce didn't add much. Nice bacon. Good ingredients. Mrs CDW ordered the Penne Pasta with ragu sauce and 5 homemade meatballs from local beef. Good sized portion, good seasoning. Really watery ragu, meatballs mushy.

Dessert: New chef schooled in pastry, so looked forward to trying his talents. Mr CDW had the Strawberry Cheesecake - dense with a nice Graham cracker crust. Additional raw strawberries would've been a nice touch. Mrs CDW tried the Cherry Pie a la mode. Nicely warmed, tasty filling, but the crust was disappointing.

Price: $$$.

Overall: Seemed like the chef had access to good ingredients and good ideas, but not the able to put them together yet. We wonder if the menu was inherited. Will give another go if in the area. Definitely for a latte and dessert with a peaceful view if nothing else.

Urban Diner, Edmonton

With two locations in Edmonton, we visited the newest one on the southside of the river.

Urban Diner
8715 109 St., Edmonton

Date: July 17, 2011
Occasion: Brunch and checking out the new location

Ambiance: slightly renovated from the old Fiore restaurant, it's still a cozy place with a patio. At 1pm it was only a 1/4 full.

Service: was good. Of course it wasn't a full restaurant.

Drinks: Coffee (okay) and freshly-squeezed orange juice.

Brunch: off the menu: Overall tasty and decent portions.
Mr CDW: Diner hash. Mrs CDW: French toast (really tasty) with pork maple sage sausage. Guests took on a Frittata and Diner hash.

Price: $$.

Overall: Will return. Brunch is offered (at this point) Sundays, 9am-3pm.