All you can eat: Pampa Brazilian Steakhouse

I've been to Pampa probably half a dozen times, if not more, and I gotta say-I love that place! It's a fantastic spot to go for lunch: it's downtown, it's convenient, and it's all you can eat so you'll be full for hours afterwards-thanks to that amount of protein. For lunchtime it's $24.95 per person and you get the unlimited option of 5 different types of meat and free reign at the salad bar. That's a pretty great deal, and well worth the money.

 

Dinnertime is good, but a bit more expensive-although you also get more meat. $49.95 per person gets you the option of 10 different types. Personally, I've always eaten at Pampa for lunch as I feel like it's a much better deal, and realistically 5 types of meat is still a lot. You can only eat so much, and 10 definitely seems mouth-watering, but also a bit excessive. 

It's downtown so being centrally located it is convenient, as I stated, but I'm not going to lie-parking is kind of a b****. If you work downtown like my usual "lunchtime Pampa" companion then it is a great place, and I always see plenty of business people that work in the area there on their lunch break.

When you arrive a server takes your drink order (and they always charge you for plain old water that anyone could get out of their tap-which kind of irritates me) but anyways then you grab your salad bar food and you're good to go! I believe you can also have the option of just eating from the salad bar, and no meat, for $16.95 if you're a vegetarian. Though why you'd come here if you didn't eat meat I have no idea-but there you are.

So basically then you turn your little dot on the table over to green, and this signals the guys with the meat (haha) to come around and offer you a selection.

At lunchtime you get the choice of rump steak, top sirloin, pork loin, chicken legs, and pork sausage. 

  

Personally I really enjoy the rump steak, top sirloin and the pork loin. The sausage tastes a bit too strongly of cumin for my preference, and chicken simply isn't my favorite. Soon enough, they start bombarding you with food and then you need to turn it back over to red so they'll let you eat in peace, until you decide you're ready for more, of course.

 Afterwards, the server meanders around with a plate of desserts, trying to tempt you into feeling like even more of a fatty, but generally you're so full by this time you can actually half-heartedly refuse. Although the desserts are pretty good here too and almost as delicious as they look, admittedly.

All in all, it's a great experience. Fantastic place to go for a lunch date, or with some friends, or even a big party. Would recommend it to anyone that loves meat and can eat a lot!

 

Buchanan's

I always like to try new restaurants when I go out of town, and Calgary always has great little foodie places I've never seen or heard of before. I've always liked Calgary, I used to live here before when I was young, and I often go back. On my recent trip I found this family-owned restaurant that was in a nice area downtown, very close to the hotel I was staying at. 

This spot intrigued me, it had pretty good reviews and I generally enjoy dining at family-owned restaurants because I find them unique, and there's something comforting about home-cooked meals that appeals to me. I made reservations, but since it was later in the evening that was apparently unnecessary as it was pretty dead. However, the atmosphere was quaint and the service was phenomenal.
 

The wine was great, served generously and taste samples were offered easily, which impressed me.  I ordered white wine, and it was delicious- not too dry or too sweet. Granted, I'd already had a few drinks before arriving at Buchanan's, but I was very happy with the speed and efficiency of service here as opposed to the previous restaurant I'd come from.

The complimentary bread was like a biscuit that looked like a muffin and even though it wasn't warm-it was delicious. Probably the best biscuit I've ever tried. I didn't expect it to be so good, and it was a pleasant surprise that made me anticipate my meal favorably.

 
 

I ordered crab cakes to start with and they were a very tasty appetizer. They were very crab-meaty and the sauce was awesome. They weren't the most crispy perhaps, but overall were nicely made, if a bit on the pricey side at $16. 

For my main course I ordered the "Buchanan Special" off of their feature menu and it consisted of bacon-wrapped pork loin medallions, mashed potatoes, and roasted spring vegetables with pineapple salsa. It was fantastic, the bacon was extremely yummy, and I was informed it was cooked in real maple syrup. The plate was awesome, my only complaint being the potatoes were passable-but not up to par with the rest of the plate. They tasted like they were those fake, instant mashed potatoes you get when you eat mediocre catered food, and they probably were.

Otherwise, I had an awesome experience. The service was distinctive in its excellence and the food and drinks were all very enjoyable. Drinks, and appetizer, and a main course came to around $70 so it's definitely a bit of a fancier dinner spot, but I loved the atmosphere; it's a great place to go on a  dressed-up date or for a nice dinner party.

MEAT

 

On the weekend I went to MEAT for the second time, luckily was able to get a table right away, although not on the patio like I was originally hoping for. It was a gorgeous evening though, and the patio isn't especially large so that's to be expected in all fairness. Obviously, this is the kind of place vegetarians and vegans should stay far away from, as they specialize in the stereotypical manly man's type of meal- smokehouse barbecue meat, bourbon and beer.

 

 The restaurant is right off of Whyte Ave, in a trendy area, so parking always sucks, but it's definitely in a appealing location to walk around and explore. The sign outside on the side of the building many seem to find (me included) fairly amusing. 

 

The menus are very limited. There's few choices for drinks, and nearly all contain either Bourbon or Whiskey, so be prepared! I ordered a "Lynchburg Lemonade" which I was informed was one of sweetest, or most girly-ish drinks that they offered. I have quite the sweet tooth and so I found that drink to be quite strong, with Bourbon overtaking any potential sweetness in it. Don't come here expecting Cosmos and Martinis is all I can say for that!

 

 

 For the meal we ordered the Smoked Meat Feature, which was basically a little bit of all the meat so you could try a bit of everything. As for sides we decided on the Brussels Sprouts and Potato Salad. The food comes out on large group platters as it's intended to be communally shared by everyone at the table. 

 The portion was fair for the price. It was around $60 for the sample platter of meat, and that is definitely more than enough for two people. It was likely enough for three or four even, depending how hungry the people in a group are, of course. I did enjoy the brisket and the pulled pork, they were my favorite items of the meat selection, although I did find it overall to be somewhat dry and the flavours were decent but not outstanding. 

There are bottles of homemade sauces on the table that are offered to be added to the food, but my intention was to try the meat as is, before adding other sauces and flavorings. Whenever I may come back, eventually, I do plan to try the sauces, although I'm not a big BBQ sauce person overall, admittedly.

In my honest opinion the best part of the meal were the sides. The Brussels sprouts and Potato salad were phenomenal. They were fresh, well-made and very delicious. I enjoyed them much more than the main attractions, and I'm a big fan of meat-especially BBQ.

 

I'd say overall the experience was adequate. The prices are fair, but I wish there was more selection and the food is satisfactory but not stellar. For Edmonton, it is pretty good overall and definitely a different experience than most are used too so I'd recommend trying it. If you want top-of-the-line smokehouse and BBQ meat though-go to Texas. The best meat I've ever had from that type of genre was in Dallas, Texas-hands down. But if you just want a different, fun experience that's in the city-give MEAT a try!

Korean BBQ

I went to the "Lee House" on the weekend, and it's the second time I've been there in the last few months. It opened roughly about 6 months ago, and it's an expansion from the first restaurant that's located near Whyte Ave. First impression, it's in Chinatown, so obviously for anyone that's been in downtown YEG, they know it's the straight up ghetto. Not that you should let that stop you from going there, heck some of the best places look like total dives-but are actually delicious.

Now, the interior is fairly nice when you go inside, especially considering the location-you can tell it's pretty new still. It was larger than I expected, and there were plenty of tables-mainly empty ones even though it was a Saturday night, but still it's a pretty new spot so one must take that into consideration.

 

The food itself definitely seemed pricey; understand that Korean food is not cheap. Almost any good Korean BBQ places are fairly expensive, no matter where you go. If you're thinking it's going to be cheap like Pho, or Westernized Chinese restaurants, you'll be disappointed. Good quality Korean food is something you pay for, it's not extremely expensive to make-but it is extremely time-consuming in a sense, to make. Kimchi and Bulgogi or Kalbi takes days to make properly.

I ended up ordering the Stone Bowl Bibimbap, L.A Kalbi, and spicy soup. I would say for the price, the portions were a bit small, but the quality was pretty good. Not a lot of options for the BBQ meat, there were only a few choices, but it was nice because you could cook the food yourself or have it cooked in the kitchen before it was brought out to you. 

Those three dishes would've been a bit less than $60, but then we grabbed two bottles of Soju- Korean alcohol. They look like Asian beers, but don't be fooled because they're 19% and like $20 per bottle. (That we did not realize, or would've only grabbed one!) Whoops! Yeah we figured out they weren't plain beers when the server brought out shot glasses to drink the Soju with.

Otherwise, the service wasn't the greatest, we had to ask for obvious things like bowls and cutlery, as it wasn't immediately brought with dishes that required them. I'm not surprised, as many Asian restaurants are not well-known for their quality service.

Overall it's a decent Korean restaurant, not the best I've been too by any means, but then Koreans are very picky with their own food, and I'm no exception. It was nice that it was located centrally, as many of the Korean restaurants are in the south side so it's more convenient for many.

Tasty Breakfast Spot

I finally tried Tutti Frutti (Breakfast and Lunch) for the first time yesterday, and I have to say I was mightily impressed. Granted, I was a tad hungover due to a few too many drinks from Wednesday comedy night-but that's beside the point. Anyways, generally the day after drinking I'm much pickier because my taste buds are dulled so it speaks well that I very much enjoyed this brunch chain.

I didn't know much about this place, as every time I've heard "Tutti Frutti" mentioned by others they were referring to the frozen yogurt places that were the recent craze. This is not the same, and from what I understand these two franchises have no connection to each other, besides sharing the same name.

From the very beginning I had a fantastic experience. The service was prompt and efficient, the menus were nicely designed, and the selection was great. I ordered an Ice Capp, of which there was a multitude of flavours to choose from (Hazelnut, White Chocolate, Irish Cream, Coconut, etc.) and  Ham Eggs Benedict, which is my typical favourite breakfast food.

The atmosphere itself was great and everyone was extremely pleasant. Even the other customers seemed quite happy and it was welcoming for all ages. 

I have to say the Ice Capp was particularly delicious. I ordered a coconut one and it was the perfect blend of coffee and ice with a subtle taste of coconut. It cost around $5 so it was on the pricier side, compared to say Tim Horton's, but way better. (And I find Timmy's Ice Cappuccinos to be pretty good!) It was worth paying a similarly Starbucks price for the superior quality of it, in my opinion.

One thing I would've liked to change though was the fact that no one mentioned how incredibly large the portion sizes are. It would've been good to know before we started adding things and all that. Once the food came I was like holy crap-I am totally going to need a to-go box, which kind of sucks because let's face it-breakfast type food does not taste particularly good as leftovers.

Otherwise I was quite content, the food was great, the price was fair especially considering the portions, and practically everything came with a mound of fruit: hence the name. Actually, it really reminded me of a better Cora's, which is a common breakfast spot I used to go to often. In all honesty, it is hard to make a breakfast place stand out because eggs and sausages get repetitive, and to make them memorable isn't the easiest thing to do. The taste was awesome, I devoured my eggs benny and tried some of my friend's crepe and they were stellar. The hollandaise sauce for my bennies won me over, it can be difficult to get the correct consistency and taste and they didn't skimp on it either, so it it was perfect.

Woman's Best Friend?

My kitty friend <3

The intriguing thing about cats is that you don't instinctively love them on sight the way many people do with dogs. They're distinctly different in the sense that you have to grow to appreciate cats, and learn how to love them.

I've always been a dog person myself, growing up I'd had a couple dogs, but I have never owned a cat until I became an adult. Now, I love all animals, but the thing about dogs is that well-trained dogs instinctively love you back, and they crave your attention in a way that invokes affection naturally. Dogs are what you make them into, and they're naturally social animals in the sense that their instincts drive them to seek your approval, and like a loveable child, it's hard to resist them.

Cats on the other hand, don't naturally respect people, and often don't even seem to really like us. They couldn't care less about our approval, and totally lack the desire to please us. This does not warm the heart in quite the same way that dogs do. And yet, there's something about them that have made them one of the most popular pets in the world, their relationship with humans tracing back thousands of years. 

Difference between Dogs vs. Cats

Cats are creatures with minds of their own. They aren't as interactive as dogs and are not nearly as active. Most of us can't hook up a cat to a leash and take them around for a walk-they'd hate it and end up being dragged. A lot of people have had bad experiences with them and that fosters dislike even years later, and many have allergies to them and their litter.

So what's so great about cats? Well for starters, everyone knows they're lower maintenance as they require less attention and care, and are notorious for being clean pets. That's a given. But what makes people, especially women specifically, actually love them?

Miss Mia

 It's really not until you get a cat of your own, and see how they are firsthand, day-to-day that you come to respect them. That's the key, really, I may still like dogs more and find them better in certain things-but I respect cats on a different level. They're intelligence, agility and curiosity is fascinating. The funny things they do every day and their ability to keep themselves entertained is admirable. Their personalities are hilarious and with cats when you earn their love that's something hard-won. They don't love everyone, most people they won't even like, but if you can gain their love and affection that's a far greater challenge overcome. You know you deserved it and there's something to be said for that.

Come to the International Cat Festival next weekend- I'll be there!

Bookworm

I've heard that the average person is admirable to read more than 10 books a year. What?! This boggled my mind, and even when I did my research I've heard it ranged around 6-16 a year. That's depressing to me. I consider that easily done in a month, even though we all have busy lives. Hell, Oprah is one of the busiest people imaginable and she's an avid reader. And I'm not stupid-I knew that the amount I read was more than what is considered normal because let's be real-reading is a dying hobby, but I didn't know it was that low.

By this point most people are probably thinking-uh, did I even read a book last year? Or for fun-ever?! Haha, don't get me wrong; I get it. A lot of people find it boring as hell and would rather do almost anything else with their spare time. I feel that way about myself about sports and watching tv for the most part, so I know that feeling only too well. 

I get social media addicts for sure; I mean news and gossip is interesting-there's variety for whatever you like, and it's interactive. That makes sense to me, and I understand why Millennials or Generation Y are far more heavily reliant upon technology than any generation preceding it. (Just wait for Generation Z though-they're already blowing us out of the water guys) Technology is winning out over a good old-fashioned book. Even when many do read nowadays, people are using Kobos and Kindles and other e-reader tools instead of good old paperback novels that still have that satisfying page-smell.

Growing up, I got bullied and teased for reading so much, although more so for thoroughly enjoying it I think than anything. I got used to hiding it, and being embarrassed as a youth. Which I find highly ironic because nowadays people think it's so great when they find out how much I read. Then again, once my age group hit University and College age things definitely changed. Now being smart is considered cool. How times have changed! 

Honestly though, I wish I knew more people that enjoyed reading like I do. It's hard to find fellow book-lovers out there and reading isn't exactly easy to do with other people either. It's not like you can read a book together with someone like you can watch tv or movies (ugh) together; it's totally different. I admit it can be frustrating when my peers talk about some show or another and I'm lucky if I've heard of it at all. I should join a book club.

Getting a job at a bookstore was probably one of the smartest things I've done this year. Being surrounded by like minded people is great. Already I've come across so many potential new reads and learned so much, it's fascinating. Like, did you know that the most commonly stolen book is in actuality the bible? How's that for irony!

Little bites of Heaven..

I've gone to Yann Haute Patisserie multiple times now, and every time I've traversed to Calgary and been able to stop by this little bakery I haven't been disappointed. First off, it's conveniently located in a nice area of Calgary that's pleasant to walk around in. The first time I'd tried it here was because a friend of mind had heard about the bakery and wanted to try it out, so I tagged along. If you'd never heard of it before, and perhaps was strolling by to visit a local coffee shop in the area, the first thing you'd notice would be an adorable butter-yellow house. That alone was intriguing to me; it was amusing that a cute house had been turned into a business. However, be warned, this is not the type of place to go to if you're on a diet!

 

The first thing I noticed when I went inside was an array of rainbow colours. Those would be the macarons, or macaroons as I tend to call them. Over the last few years I've heard both of those names used interchangeably by people, but I believe the correct term is actually macaron, because macaroons are in actuality those cheap little clusters of chocolate you get from the candy section in a grocery store. Macaroon, macaron-really, who cares though-they're amazing!

Inside the bakery it's a bit small and crowded so even 2 small groups of people will easily make it feel very packed in there. The people that work there are always kind and friendly and there's always been at least a few other customers inside when I've gone. The assortment of macarons take up most of the baked good offering area, however while there are other tasty treats offered at Yann Haute as well as macarons, I've honestly never tried them myself yet. The macarons always draw me in immediately and those are the bulk of what is offered and what the bakery is justly famous for. The other desserts look tasty and I'm sure are quite delicious but I came for the macarons.

Now if you've ever had macarons before you would know exactly what you're looking at. Essentially these little bites of heaven that look like miniature colorful burgers are originally French desserts, kept chilled but best eaten at room temperature, meringue-based with a type of filling such as buttercream or ganache. I've been to a few different places that sell these, but thus far Yann Haute Patisserie is by far one of the best. 

The taste is amazing, when you bite into any of their macarons it is extremely fresh with a slight firm flakiness to the exterior but incredibly soft with that melt-in-your-mouth quality at the centre. The flavours I tried tasted just like they should, even a special one that I bravely ate was tequila and lime, and I felt like I had taken an actual shot of alcohol as I consumed it. 

 I generally get a box of at least a dozen or more. The amount of variety available can be a bit overwhelming, as they have all the typical macaron flavours you generally see such as chocolate, lemon, or pistachio, as well as exotic types like carrot cake, nanaimo bar, and PBJ. A box of 12-which still didn't enable me to try all the potential flavours available that day-cost a bit less than $25, and although on the slightly pricier side at about $1.95/macaron, it was well worth it in my opinion. I always tend to bring a box of these back for my family or loved one as they make great little gifts!