I just want to take a minute to thank the Alefantis Brothers of The Broken Plate Group of Restaurants for the invite to last Saturday's inaugural Greek Poker Tourny. All of the profits went to benefit the Calgary Hellenic Society's Special Projects Fund.

Now... being a poker virgin, I was a little hesitant to sit down at the tables. But after hearing that the 4th place player had never played before, and had a set of rules in his pocket, I am bound and determined to play next time!

The cast of characters in attendance was a who's who of Calgary restaurant owners, but they shall remain nameless, to protect the identity of those who were supposed to be at work!! LOL!! You know who you were! The food was great and a lot of money was raised for a great cause, I am looking forward to the next one, and yes Vic, I am bringing my wallet and my lack of experience with me!

Cheers!

Doing our best to get in a little "no kids/date time" last week, my wife and I managed to escape for a few hours and enjoy some patio time on Stephen Ave. With the weather as warm as it was, the patios were packed, but we were glad to get a space at Divino's. We enjoyed a number of appetizer plates (the House Made Rabbit Sausage was outstanding!), and a great bottle of wine (2007 Robert Weil Riesling). Our server Brett was very well versed on the menu and wine list and made the evening.

While we were sitting, talking and enjoying the night, we were really impressed by a musician who was playing on the mall. Ben Rose has an amazing song list and the crowd was as impressed as we were, even asking him for an encore. I have made his name a an active link, if anyone is thinking of having entertainment for a corporate function or other event or venue, you should really look him up.

 ...

Well it was another reason to hire a babysitter and explore the Calgary food scene, my lovely wife's birthday! When our close friends Oliver and Meg Malana (Oliver is the GM of Canadian Linen here in Calgary) heard the reason for the proposed night out, they quickly called one of Oliver's accounts and made reservations. This was my first visit to Il Sogno, so the anticipation was high to sample the culinary artistry I had heard so much about.

We arrived a few minutes early and were greeted with a warm smile and escorted immediately to our table. Our server James was professional, very polite and extremely engaging, so this set the mood for a great dining experience. As many of you know I am not much of a drinker, so Oliver introduced me to a Whisky Sour, while Dana and Meg enjoyed a couple of specialty Martini's. We chose to try Chef de Cuisine Christopher Picek's nightly creation, a five...

It was an amazing night of music, food and friendship at the University of Calgary Theatre on Monday night as the AHEPA Family, The Broken Plate Restaurants and the Alefantis Family sponsored an evening of music to benefit FARA and the search for a cure for Friedreich's Ataxia. This debilitating disease has recently touched the Greek community in Calgary and they rallied to raise as much money as possible to aid in researching a treatment and hopefully a cure. Dana and I were very grateful to be invited to attend this event by our good friend Diane Polesello on behalf of the Alefantis family.

The evening started with an awe inspiring array of food prepared by the talented culinary team from The Broken Plate. As usual, they out did themselves with everything from Thai Chicken in single serving take out boxes to Lobster Claws and my personal favorite, the Duck Cigar's. There was also an excellent...

Got an email this morning from my buddy Rob Hilditch of the Joey's Only group of companies, telling me he is growing a moustache (Texas handlebar with a soul patch I was later informed) to raise money for Prostate Cancer research. So after I stopped shaking with laughter and found my Blackberry on the floorboard of my truck, (all the while trying not to drive off the road) I fired up the laptop and donated $50 bucks to this physically impossible, yet very good cause on behalf of Rob's efforts.

Now we are all aware that Prostate Cancer is not a laughing matter (Rob's face with a handle bar is an entirely different kettle of fish) and this is something that has touched both Rob and I in our families. I would love to be able to join Rob in his quest to raise as much money as possible, but I have 2 problems,

1) As most of you know I have a pretty healthy Goatee and no issues with its growth.

On Saturday night I met some friends at 1600 World Bier Haus, in the Glenmore Landing Shopping Centre at 90th Ave and 14thStreet SW, to celebrate a birthday. Now, it was a short notice kinda thing, so when it was put together, I got a call asking if there was anyway I might be able to help out with getting us a table. (I know a couple of people in the restaurant and pub biz I guess was the rationale for the call, LOL)

Well... I sheepishly called my good friend George Haralabakos to see if I could impose on him for a favor. Now, when you make this kinda call, it is never for a reservation for 2 on a Tuesday night at 8:45pm....NO... it is always for a party of 19 (18 guys and 1 girl) at 11:oopm on a Saturday and you ask for no line, no cover, the best table in the house and a promo tab! Ok.. I'm exaggerating a little, but non the less, it was a "Hail Mary" request, and my friend...

Once again, Twitter has lead me to another unique find, a Blog by a local Calgary foodie!

If you are into eatin', loungin' or just plain hangin out, this is a great look at the Calgary food scene from the eyes of a local lover of food and traveler. Take a minute and scroll through the tastes and textures of ugonnaeatthat.com. I enjoyed it, and I know you will too!

Cheers!

Bootleggers Sports Bar & Karaoke
3444 - 32 Ave NE,
Calgary, AB T1Y 6G8

Having known Rob for more than 20 years, we can say without reservation that he is one of the most honest and hardworking people we know.

Rob’s has a long and proven history in the Food and Beverage Industry and leverages that knowledge every time he works with a client. He has proven this through his work with many of Calgary’s most prominent hospitality groups, including us at Bootleggers.

We would feel very confident in saying that if you are considering a sale or purchase of a restaurant or pub, having a coffee with Rob will help you greatly and give you the edge you need to make your plans a reality.

Bootleggers Sports Bar / Karaoke

Omar Polyniak - Owner Jeremiah Jurcic - President

Well my trip to Edmonton was very positive for a number of different reasons, but one of which is VERY interesting.

I stopped into West Edmonton Mall after a meeting to grab a bite. As I walked down Bourbon Street, feeling like I was back in Vegas, I decided to park myself at a table in Hudson's. Now this is not my first time at Hudson's, but it was at this location, and it's beautiful! Lot's of TV's, a warm inviting atmosphere and very friendly service proved that I made the right choice. I looked through the menu, which was varied and complete without needing an guided tour and a nap before deciding on what to have. I ordered a LOADED Burger (don't tell Dave my trainer) and some Cheese-sticks to start.

When the burger arrived.... I almost fell out of my chair, it was LOADED for sure! As I giggled to myself, I grabbed my cell phone and called Chris Decock to harass him about the size of my...

Well.. needless to say it was another rockin evening in Calgary's Pumphill district, as the 11th Annual Red Meat Party surged into the night. Countless friends, colleagues and client's of Kahane Law enjoyed the Studio 54 themed festivities with bell bottom jeans, Afro's of every color and description and the best collection of platform shoes I have seen since watching re-runs of Starsky and Hutch.

The food was once again indescribable, as every type of red meat you can think of was BBQ'd, smoked and otherwise cooked to the guests delight. Smoked prime rib, lamb chops, Montreal smoked meat and Jeff's dad's famous BBQ'd ribs were just a few of the items at the buffet table. The slush machines were workin overtime to keep up with the margarita's, and the ice sculpture with the tube running through it to chill the shooters was VERY cool. The DJ this year was a great addition, and Malla, the dance...