Saturday Lunch? (Calgary)

[caseygirl]

Any suggestions? My better-half and I have a standing date for lunch on Saturday and find it increasingly difficult to accommodate a quality meal (possibly wine) where we can hear each other speak, and spend a couple of hours if desired. Any quadrant of the city is fine -

We have exhausted any chains - we used to like Redwater Grill for the grilled salmon sandwich and sweet potato fries - however they are no longer open for lunch on Saturdays.

[Jigga]

My husband and I enjoy The Main Dish in Bridgeland for a light lunch on Saturday or Sunday - they make fresh sandwiches (although I don't know if they make their own bread/buns - they are always good though) and soup for lunch and they have a walk up breakfast bar for brunch (they have excellent eggs benedict on fresh mini croissants - the smoked salmon is my fave). It's usually pretty quiet and they make a decent cup of coffee/cappuccino too. And, as a bonus, if you live in the area, they have all sorts of pre-made meals for busy nights when you don't have time to cook.

[John Manzo]

Seconding Main Dish's sandwiches- delicious and made with good ingredients and great care.

[caseygirl]

Thanks for all the info - plenty out there that I've missed or forgotten about along the way - got my list handy now - ... will report how it goes -

[alau2]

There's a cute place in Bridgeland called Artisan Bistro - 809 First Avenue NE - where I quite enjoyed lunch on a weekday. Not sure about weekends but it's a lovely quaint place where you will definitely be able to hear each other speak and lounge a little. I think it's run by two sisters.
http://www.artisanbistro.com/

[John Manzo]

Sunday is the real challenge!

I noted today that Brava is open for lunch Saturdays. I'm sure there are lots of other options.

[hsk]

If you try to make a reservation at lunch on a Saturday on opentable.com you can see who's open - Brava Bistro, River Cafe, and Wildwood are the oft-mentioned restaurants on this board that you can go to.

[caseygirl]

Thanks hsk will check that out -

[Bob Mac]

I am surprised at Brava and River being open for lunch. Lucky for you Calgarians.

Up here in Edmonton fewer and fewer spots are doing that. I think that the service industry crunch makes it more difficult. I usually end up in a chain as more often than not it is Saturday and Sunday lunches that my wife and I are more likely to want to go out and eat especially now during the current holiday season.

[ennui]

I know that the River Cafe is open for brunch on saturday and sunday - they run the brunch menu until 3:00 and then switch to an appetizer menu until dinner. There are a couple of lunch items of course, but not much to choose from. Not sure about Brava.

I'm from Victoria, where Saturday lunch usually means a packed house and usually every restaurant opens. It was really strange to see that most places close here, but it makes sense downtown. It's just a different culture of diners.

[Bob Mac]

The appetizer menu is "right up my alley" when it comes to Saturday lunch although unlike most others I am not a big fan of brunches ... I like Culina here in Edmonton but it has become too much like brunch for me on Saturdays...I'd rather have the beef and blue cheese and chocolate than eggs and have a light dinner....oh well cannot have everything.

However, Ennui if Marc and Sean opened Brasserie for lunch on Saturdays that might mean nothing was going to get done on a Saturday evening visit to your fine city...I'll have another glass of....