5 downtown dining spots to spruce up your workweek
By Isabelle Bennett, Staff Writer
Let it be known: the need to wear three pairs of pants and a parka is slowly dissipating. Not only does this validate the faith our society puts in the psychic capabilities of all the groundhogs who bet their shadows on an early spring this year, it also signifies the glorious conclusion of another semester. For some, this means travel. For others, this means work. But regardless of your summer plans, you’ve got at least one thing in common with the rest of us — we all need to eat.
As the proverbial saying goes, “you are what you eat,” so eat something awesome — or something like that. Here are five spots that will help you fill your lunch breaks and hangouts with good eats of all kinds for diets of all sorts and budgets of all sizes.
El Furniture Warehouse
107 8 Avenue SW
Located along Stephen Avenue in the heart of the city, El Furniture Warehouse offers a comforting, hole-in-the-wall feel with a menu to match. Homestyle favourites like nachos, perogies and chicken wings are available along with some less familiar dishes like quinoa and green apple salad, fried avocado tacos and chaing mai bowls. As if the food’s not tempting enough, it all costs $5.95 all day long.
Ten Foot Henry
1209 1 Street SW
A safe-haven for basketball players and vegetarians alike, Ten Foot Henry is a Calgary favourite with a whopping 4.7 stars out of a possible five according to good ol’ Google. The restaurant’s name derives from 1930’s comic strip star, Henry, who went on to become an icon among Calgary’s creatives. With its plant-based menu, industrially chic vibe, lightness and brightness thanks to vaulted ceilings, as per the name suggests, Ten Foot Henry is surely becoming an icon on it’s own.
Luke’s Cafe and Restaurant
800 3 Street SE
You can read all about this recent addition to Calgary’s food scene in its home, the new Central Library. If there isn’t a book all about it, there’ll be a tasty sounding menu to peruse instead. The menu changes throughout the day, giving a great excuse to never leave. From sandwiches that look better in real life than most foods do on advertisements to kale risotto and brown rice congee, there will be something for everyone.
Burger 320
1314 9 Avenue SE
Fact: there are a lot of burgers out there in this big bad world. Opinion: burgers as tasty as the ones from here are pretty rare. Customers can choose from traditional and signature combos or be the visionaries behind their own meals with Burger 320’s choices of cheeses, fixings, aiolis, relishes and extras to top a branded bun. Washed down with a hand-spun shake, lunches don’t come much better than this.
Model Milk
308 17 Avenue SW
Offering an upscale experience of innovative classics in the midst of terrific ambience, Model Milk will surely wow. Their claim to fame is bringing in whole animals from local and regional farms, which they butcher on site and use resourcefully. À la carte options like wagyu beef tartare, roasted arctic char and fricassee of calamari typically grace the menu while Sunday suppers feature three special courses for $40 per guest.
