Green Me Up, Scotty (waaaaaaay up!) - Fabulous Salads in Banff

Dining in the mountains is as much about the views as it is the fine service and excellent cuisine. To find all three in one place, well, it almost seems like too much to ask. Except… that’s just what happens when you eat out in Banff. [Sky Bistro]

What could be better than a really good salad? How about a salad at altitude…

Given Banff sits at 1383 meters above sea level, technically any salad you might consume here in town qualifies as an elevated experience. We all know that eating a salad and fresh vegetables every day is one of the healthiest habits you can get into - the fiber in fresh veggies is good for you and they are packed with all kinds of vitamins and nutrients.

[Note from Mom: To get the greatest benefit from your vegetables, try to include as many different colors on your plate as possible - not only are those shredded beets and carrots visually delightful, those brilliant colors also indicate that different nutrients are present than you’d find in something deep green - like, say, spinach]. 

While that all might be true (thanks, Mom), I would add that a really good, fresh salad has to be one of the most delicious meals one could possibly consume! There are endless combinations of veggies and greens, made all the tastier when topped with nuts or fruit, fabulous dressings, or heartier options like beef, shrimp, salmon, or chicken. 

Whether you are looking for a side dish to accompany your main or if you prefer the salad to be the centerpiece of your meal, you’ll find some marvelous and unusual veggie options in Banff restaurants. The list would be waaaaaaay too long if I included every single place in town with a great salad, so consider this a starting place, a bit of green inspiration… And, of course, if you want more ideas, have a browse through the many restaurant menus we have up online right here on the website (click that EXPLORE button on the homepage). 

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
405 Spray Avenue

Up at the Fairmont Banff Springs, the chefs have access to freshly grown greens (check out the micro-green farm in the Block).

Though they don’t grow enough volume on site for all the many salads served each day at the hotel’s various dining establishments, chances are you’ll have a sprig of something ultra-local on your plate. 

Don’t miss STOCK Food and Drink when you are next up at the castle. This marketplace is not your average coffee shop! You’ll find a great selection of great locally-sourced gourmet ingredients in these tasty soups, sandwiches, salads, pastries and other light meal options.

Nourish Bistro
211 Bear St

No discussion of salads in Banff would be complete without mentioning Nourish Bistro, Banff’s go-to destination for veggie lovers. Vegan and mostly organic, you know you’re going to get an excellent salad here.

I can’t be the only one who loves felafel - check out this enticing combination in the Nourish Falafel Salad: field greens tossed with oven-baked chickpea falafels, served up with garlic dills, cucumber tomato crunch, roasted red peppers & raw cracker croutons, all drizzled with a white balsamic honey dressing and served with hummus & dill yogurt.

And, yes, all the other menu items are this creative, healthy, and delish!

Nourish Bistro - you know it’s going to be fresh and fabulous!

Cliffhouse Bistro
Mt Norquay Scenic Dr

The Cliffhouse Bistro, located in a recently renovated teahouse is reached via chairlift ride… Enjoy the cozy ambiance, warm up by the fire, and then order the Alberta Beef Salad served with prairie grains, heirloom tomatoes, baby cucumbers, hemp seeds, maple garlic, and soy dressing. Just the right combination of hearty (that’s the beef) and delicate. And… those views! Open Friday to Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm during the winter, add this to your list of must-do weekend adventures. 

Booster Juice
317 Banff Avenue

Looking for a liquid version of a salad? If I’m a little short in the greens department, I love a good smoothie. Have a look at the menu at Booster Juice and try a Green Hornet made with carrots, celery, spinach & parsley. Take a slug of that and I bet you’ll feel the goodness running through your veins… 

The views from the top of Sulphur Mountain can be distracting. Give yourself lots of time to enjoy the view before, during and after your meal.

Sky Bistro
Banff Sulphur Mountain Gondola - Upper Terminal

Another dining experience that involves a gondola ride is dinner at the Sky Bistro on top of Sulphur Mountain. Plan to arrive early while it’s still light out to make the most of the boardwalk and get a load of the fabulous views of the valley. When you’re ready to order your salad, consider the squash salad for something a little different. Roasted butternut squash is the star supported by a fine cast that includes arugula, watercress, macerated cranberries, candied pecans, goat feta, caramelized cipollini & maple vinaigrette. If you’d like to add a little extra protein, ask for the Alberta free-range chicken breast or some sautéed Canadian jumbo prawns. Yep, a salad at the Sky Bistro is heady indeed!

Of course, these restaurants don’t only serve salads, nor are they the only places in town to get your fix of greens… To browse the full menus (with prices), have a look at our online menus right here on the website.

If you are lucky enough to have enjoyed any of these salads, leave us a comment and let us know what you thought. We’re all ears! 

Happy Bloody Mary Day, Banff!

I’m not sure you’d find a day of the year with a higher per capita hangover rate than New Year’s Day. Maybe that’s why January 1 has been designated National Bloody Mary Day. The popular cocktail is said to be a hangover remedy: the vegetables are said to settle an upset tummy, the salt to rebalance one’s electrolytes, and the alcohol acts as an analgesic. I’ve always looked at Bloody Mary’s as a convenient way to deliver a salad and your morning shot of vodka in one handy highball glass. 

Whether you believe that a Bloody Mary has medicinal qualities or not, chances are if you enjoy this tasty cocktail it’s one you’ll consume with a hearty brunch, one of the most popular meals with which to serve one up.

Who Invented the Bloody Mary?

George Jessel in Love & Laugh, 1929 [By Fox Films - eBayfrontback, Public Domain]

Though one popular version of the history of the Bloody Mary says the cocktail was first served in Paris at the New York Bar in 1921, other evidence suggests it’s more likely that the basic recipe (half and half tomato juice and vodka) was actually invented by the comedian and vaudevillian actor, George Jessel, who is also said to have named the drink. 

Later, the bartender Fernand Petiot (who, confusingly, did work at the New York Bar in Paris) is said to have created the modern version of the drink while serving drinks at the St. Regis Hotel in New York, perhaps as early as 1934 by adding salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, lemon and ice. [For a full and fascinating theory of how the modern Bloody Mary came to be, read this article at Diffords Guide.]

What’s in a Bloody Mary?

Wherever the drink may have originated, the modern version generally starts with a recipe similar to this official one published by the International Bartenders Association:

Bloody Mary Recipe

3 parts vodka
6 parts tomato juice
1 part lemon juice
2-3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce
Celery salt
Black pepper

To preserve the viscosity of the tomato juice, the cocktail should be handled gently, stirring rather than shaking the mix. 

A celery stalk is the most common garnish, but you might also find an olive, lemon wedge, or dill pickle spear topping off the drink. Sometimes bacon or shrimp may also adorn the glass. 

How Did the Drink Get its Name?

Those who accept  Petiot’s claim (which does sound like a bit of revisionist history) that he invented the drink back in his Paris days may also believe his account that he named the drink after Queen Mary I, dubbed Bloody Mary for her fondness of executing others. Other theories attribute the name to Mary Pickford or a waitress called Mary who worked at the Bucket of Blood, a Chicago bar.

If the drink was actually first mixed by Jessel, his version of the story of the name is rather fascinating (if scary). According to Jessel’s autobiography (The World I Lived In!), the story goes that Jessel was in Florida and had been drinking hard all night. He wanted something to clear his head and ease his hangover. When the bartender offered him vodka, Jessel countered with asking for tomato juice, lemon, and Worcestershire sauce. Mary Brown Warburton, who had also been out carousing all night long, joined the conversation. When she tried the new concoction, some spilled on her white dress and she’s said to have declared, “Now, you can call me Bloody Mary…”

About a year later,  Mary’s sweetheart Ted Healey read a newspaper account that Jessel had named the drink after Mary. He apparently considered such intimacies as drink-naming to be inappropriate. Healey pulled out a pistol and took a shot at Jessel which, fortunately, missed. 

How is a Bloody Mary Different to a Caesar? 

A close cousin of the Bloody Mary, the Caesar was invented in Calgary by Walter Chell in 1969. The main difference between the two cocktails is that the Caesar includes clam broth. Clamato juice is a mix of tomato juice, clam broth, sugar, spices, and MSG and is commonly used as the mixer for a Caesar. To garnish, a wedge of lime is often added to the requisite celery stick. 

Where Can you Get a Great Bloody Mary (or a Caesar) in Banff? 

There are lots of options when it comes to finding a fabulous Bloody Mary in Banff. Here are just a few of our favourites.

Elk & Oarsman
119 Banff Avenue

The Elk isn’t know just for, you know, elk. Voted one of the top 12 mountain bars by Buzzfeed, you know your Bloody Mary is going to be a good one!

Bear Street Tavern
211 Bear Street

Settle into this comfy local favourite spot and see how they handle the Tavern Caesar (hint: the recipe involves pickle juice).

Ramsay Bar
405 Spray Avenue

Looking for a little pampering along with your Bloody Mary? The service at the Ramsay is without equal. Indulge yourself as you sip…

Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon
2-201 Banff Avenue

Bloody Marys and mechanical bull riding go together like… bloody noses and mechanical bull-riding? White Stetsons and the Calgary Stampede? BBQ sauce and Wild Bill’s take on the classic Caesar? Check it out for yourself!

Rose & Crown Banff
202 Banff Avenue

If you’re like me and love live music, the Rose & Crown is a safe bet with live music pretty much every night. Pair some toe-tapping-tunes with a Bloody Mary and you know you’re in for a good time!

Not sure what kind of bartenders are mixing your bloody drinks? Check out our article on identifying bartender species likely to be spotted at local watering holes. 

Let us know in the comments where you’ve enjoyed the best Bloody Mary (or Caesar) in Banff. What made it so terrific?

Become a Menu Hunter!

To earn points and rewards as part of our Menu Hunter program, snap a photo of you and your Bloody Mary (or other beverage of choice) and then tag us (@tastebanff) on Facebook or Instagram. We’ll do the rest.

Back to Basics with Bread, Salt, and Netflix

As a way to counteract the weirdness of life in lockdown, I’ve been nurturing a deep appreciation for the simple things in life... like bread and salt.

Last year I was lucky enough to be able to take a fabulous canal-boat trip along the Canal du Midi in France (man, that all feels like a lifetime ago…). We were in the Camargue where, among other things, they produce salt from vast swaths of pinkish salt marsh. I found a small jar of salt in a shop specializing in regional treats and brought it home. 

The salt was an instant hit! Debating whether or not it could possibly have a noticeably different flavour to regular table salt, we did some blind taste tests and, yes, all of us were able to identify the fancy French salt (perhaps this is one of the secrets to why stuff tastes so good in France?)

Even though I try to stay away from too much gluten these days, I still love to bake bread and the loaves I’ve made since my return do taste ever so slightly different (better!) than loaves baked before that Camargian salt came home with me. 

Wild Flour Bakery in Banff provides fresh, local bread for the Bow Valley.

Essential Bread Ingredients

I suppose that makes sense. There isn’t much involved in a plain loaf of bread. The basic ingredients are flour, water, salt, and yeast. Yes, there are all kinds of variations from there, but the basic loaf of bread is pretty straightforward.

It’s fascinating to me that such a simple concoction can bring so much pleasure and satisfaction. A thick slab of bread, buttered and slathered with strawberry jam is heavenly. A crusty roll torn open and filled with cheese, slices of tomato, and perhaps some olive bits must be just about the perfect picnic lunch to eat while perched at the side of a meandering river.

Bread is, indeed, a staple in our world, so it’s a darned good thing that bakers and bakeries have been deemed essential services. There is something reassuring about seeing images of fresh loaves lined up waiting to make their way into our kitchens. 

JK Bakery continues to offer bread and baked goods for local takeout and delivery.

Three local bakers continue to provide our daily bread and might I just say, “Thank you!” If you don’t already, follow Wild Flour Artisan Bakery, JK Bakery and Uprising Bakery online. They are all active on social media and currently providing safe local pick-up and delivery (check their respective Facebook and Instagram feeds for the latest details - things keep changing so I don’t want to get too specific about the particular offers here). Suffice it to say that supporting these small businesses during the crisis by ordering their baked goods is one way of making sure they are still around after the dust settles and the world returns to normal. 

Wild Flour Artisan Bakery 
Located in the popular Bison Courtyard in downtown Banff, Wild Flour Artisan Bakery makes organic, local, and healthy artisan bread and pastries.

The bakery location is currently open for take-out only but now Banff residents can order online and pick-up from the bakery, or get your favourites delivered right to your door! Their delivery menu includes handcrafted loaves of bread, lunches and treats, plus breakfast staples like ground coffee and granola. 

Brighten your day with a little Wild Flour goodness, all baked right here in Banff. 

JK Bakery - Banff
Like all restaurants and bakeries offering their wares during the COVID pandemic, it’s a good idea to check ahead to see what products are in stock on any given day. With a takeout and delivery menu featuring local favorites, the bakery is able to handle same-day orders for pickup and delivery orders when they are placed 24 hours in advance.

Uprising Bakery
If a loaf of bread is good, a bag of bread is even better! Each week Pat the Baker curates a selection of bread which is delivered to you in a cotton drawstring bread bag. Quantities are limited so be sure to get your order in early!  Sourdough is an Uprising specialty, so expect to see lots of sourdough varieties in the bread selection each week (Czech, Egyptian, Light Rye, Herb-infused are just a few examples).

Pat the Baker at Uprising Bakery is always experimenting with new bread varieties.

Some things will, no doubt, have changed when COVID passes, but our need for decent bread is about as certain as anything can be certain. 

Exploring the Essentials on Netflix

If you love food as much as I do, you might enjoy these two Netflix series that look at the essence of what makes good food great. 

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat


This fun foodies series is inspired by the book of the same name by Samine Nosrat. Explore what makes food taste great no matter where you are in the world!

Then, move on to COOKED, featuring Michael Pollan.

Pollan has been writing about farming and food for years and in this series, he explores the evolution of food through the lenses of the four natural elements; fire, water, air, and earth.

What are your top picks when it comes to food-inspired shows available online? Let us know in the comments!

Local Distilleries Keeping it Clean!

Banff Park Distillery producing hand sanitizer to help keep the Bow Valley healthy.

Like so many others, Wild Life Distillery posted a message to their patrons sharing their decision to temporarily close their tasting room and cocktail service:

Well, we’ve thought a lot about this... And it is especially hard to say on St. Patrick’s Day; however, as of tomorrow, we will be closing our tasting room and cocktail service (March 18th, 2020).
We are socially responsible as small business owners to look out for the health and safety of our staff, our customers and our community. We hope that the collective measures of Canadians will help flatten the curve, and we respect the decision-making process and the difficulty that this will cause many of our colleagues and friends.

Our production team is still strong and healthy, and we will continue distilling whisky until we are legally mandated to stop. If anyone is in the area and in need of a bottle, feel free to stop by to see if someone is here. We will investigate a Bow Valley delivery service for bottles, based on local demand. Stay healthy friends.

The message was similar to that put out by many local restaurants, bars, and businesses - we’ve become all too familiar with this troubling story. While some restaurants and other businesses have been able to maintain some take-out and delivery services, others have been forced to close their doors completely and hunker down to wait out the pandemic.

Wild Life Distillery and Banff Park Distillery rolled up their sleeves and got work, shifting their focus from distilled spirits destined for fancy cocktails to potent hand-sanitizers for those in need. 

In an effort to help alleviate stretched resources, Banff Park Distillery has been providing supplies to Banff’s Emergency Coordination Centre to help assist those in our community who are in need and to support and serve frontline workers in the best way they can. 

WILD Hand Sanitizer is also available for those in need. If you are aware of a group or organization on the front line, they are asked to contact Info@wildlifedistillery.ca for more information. For community members who are self-isolating, Wild Life Distillery is offering free sanitizer along with a minimum online purchase of $50 via their new online store). 

While the distilleries are able to make sanitizer, there’s a temporary shortage of small containers suitable for the distribution of this new product in small quantities. Given the determination and resourcefulness of these businesses, I’m hopeful a solution will be found before long. 

I’m not a spirits drinker myself, but this gesture immediately put several bottles of spirits from these two local businesses on my Christmas gift list for others in my circle who do. 

Thank You - and, Hang in There!

For all those who are now offering takeout, contactless delivery, volunteering to help seniors or those in isolation and under quarantine, thank you. We are, indeed, all in this together and these stories of locals helping locals are restoring my faith in humanity. 

Have a good story about someone making a contribution to our mountain community? We’d love to hear it. Post on social media and tag us on Facebook or Instagram (@tastebanff). We’ll happily give a shout-out to anyone who is helping our community navigate our way through this unprecedented situation. 

Post a Pic - Save a Restaurant!

Some restaurants - like Banff’s Carlito’s Pizzaria - are offering contactless delivery. We owe them our thanks - and, some social media love! @carlitospizzariabanff

Looking for an easy way to help out your local restaurateurs? We can all get pretty wrapped up in what’s going on out there and the last thing we may be thinking of is going out to eat even if your local favourite eatery is only using every other table and scrubbing everything with potent disinfectants… 

This new (temporary) reality did make me think that we can all help out the restaurants who are still providing take-out and delivery options by snapping photos of the tasty meals we are ordering in. There’s something kind of exciting about taking that bag of Chinese food or the pizza box or, these days, pretty much anything you could imagine ordering in a restaurant, and unpacking it at the kitchen table. That first scent of deliciousness wafting out of the bag never fails to make my tummy rumble in anticipation! 

No, the little sushi train won’t chug right up to your door to deliver your California rolls, but it has a better chance of still being at Banff Sushi House when things return to normal if you try to find ways to support your local restaurants during this period of social distancing.

Here’s Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept

So, here’s a challenge for you. When you order in, snap a photo of your food arriving, or maybe a picture of everything dished out on the table. Do a ‘plating’ video (kind of like an unboxing video) and post that. Maybe get all arty and take your best food photo ever. The most important part of this exercise, though, is not just to distract yourself and show off to your friends that you are still eating… but rather to TAG the restaurant to remind others that our small businesses are still open, still trying to provide us with services, and still in need of our support. 

Then, tag us (@tastebanff). We are doing what we can to let the community know who is open, who is delivering, who is serving what… We are active on Instagram and Facebook, so use your platform of choice and help us get the word out and support our neighbours. If you tag us, we’ll repost your posts to our stories and feeds and we’ll be sure we tag the restaurant as well. 

We love our local restaurants, coffee shops, and pubs and want them to be around when the dust settles and life begins to return to normal - this is an easy way for us all to help out. 

Thanks for reading! And, now more than ever before, thanks for sharing!

Happy Eat Your Noodles Day!

On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese, I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed.

My very first memories of noodles date back to my early childhood in Australia when, as a treat, my parents took my brother and me out for dinner at an Italian restaurant. I remember the candles on the tables, the while linen tablecloths, and the spaghetti bolognese we always ordered. With parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, this meal also usually had us singing, ‘On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese…’

When we took a ship from Sydney to England when I was about five, I was shocked to discover green pasta on our plates in the ship’s dining room. The Italian waiters laughed at our response and explained that the pasta derived its colour from spinach. Though this sounded positively horrifying (spinach infused pasta??), it was delicious and we quickly moved past our initial reluctance and gobbled up our meals. [Curious about how we were taught to eat our spaghetti as kids? Read this article about whether or not to use a spoon to roll your spaghetti strands onto your fork.]

Ancient Noodles Unearthed in China

According to an article in National Geographic, a bowl of millet noodles discovered in an archeological dig in China is the oldest example of the dish ever found. The noodles, estimated to be 4,000 years old, suggest people have been making and enjoying some version of long, stringy dough for a very long time. 

What makes a noodle a noodle? The shape of a noodle (long) is one distinguishing feature. But from there, the variations are endless. Noodles may be flat or round and may be made from a number of ingredients. There are still areas in China where you’ll find millet noodles, but wheat-based noodles are more common in Italian pasta, udon noodles from Japan, Indonesian bakmi noodles, and several other varieties, too. 

Rice noodles are popular in a number of Vietnamese or south Indian dishes, while others are made from acorn meal (dotori guksu from Korea, for example) or mung beans or potato starch (cellophane noodles). 

Noodles and soup go together like… spaghetti and meatballs.

Boiled, Baked or Fried - Noodle Preparation

Preparation varies from place to place - noodles may be boiled, baked, chilled, or fried. Perhaps my favourite way to consume a noodle is in soup - chicken noodle soup is a comfort food I first grew to love in childhood. My German grandmother made a delicious version using delicate vermicelli broken into shorter pieces and finely chopped green onions. Much later, I discovered the delights of Udon noodles in broth. A good bowl of ramen is something I still enjoy today. 

How Do You Like Your Noodles?

What about you? What’s your favourite noodle dish? Let us know in the comments. That’s one easy way to earn menu hunter points and be eligible for some fun foodie prizes! 

Looking for some great dining options in Banff? Have a browse through our online menus by clicking on the big orange ‘EXPLORE’ button on the homepage of TasteMagazine.ca.

What's Your Favourite Childhood Food?

Could there be a taste more quintessentially Canadian than maple syrup?

The first time I ever had silver dollar pancakes was at Phil’s Pancake House in Banff when I was kid. That was also the first time I ever tasted maple syrup and the first time I’d ever experienced whipped butter. No wonder I have fond food memories of my childhood in Banff! 

These flapjack-based experiences were very different to food encounters I had in Australia where I began forming my earliest food memories. The one that jumps to mind from those very early days was the tangy taste of Marmite spread on a slice of white bread. 

What Are Your Earliest Food-Related Memories?

Food is a central component of our cultural identity. When you think of your childhood, what’s your earliest food-related memory? Chances are you can think of a food that takes you right back to your grandma’s kitchen (or a TV tray in the living room). Those tastes from our past are often comforting and familiar, the kinds of foods we turn to when we are upset or feeling out of sorts. 

The first and last time I’m ever likely to try a dirty martini.

What About Your Food-Disconnects?

I think the longer we wait, the harder it is to get used to completely new tastes. I’ve been travelling this week and along the way found myself at a Roaring ‘20s party (that’s the kind of thing they do at conventions in San Diego!) This was the first time I ever had the (dis)pleasure of tasting a dirty martini. Good grief! Who invented such a concoction? Olive juice, gin and vermouth, I believe. The olives were fine… but the rest of the drink? I handed it over to my party companion, the who suggested that a dirty martini might be a perfectly-themed drink to go along with my sparkly headband. She thought it tasted just fine.

Granted, not too many children develop a taste for dirty martinis (I hope), but the experience did make me think about how hard it can be to step outside our comfort zones and try something completely new. 

Food You Love? Food You Can’t Stand?

What about you? Share a story either about a food you grew up with or something you tried for the first time in adulthood that you can hardly believe falls into the edible (or drinkable) category. Post in the comments or post a photo on Instagram (tag us @tastebanff or #tastebanff). Food is all about sharing and we’d love to hear your stories. Bonus? Sharing is a great way for you to become a Menu Hunter and earn points to make you eligible for some great prizes!