Calgary’s best restaurants are the same ones that have been here all along.

A few months ago, in an effort to expand my social circle, I joined a supper club. We regularly meet at some of this city’s best restaurants and talk about food and wine.

But since I’m not really a foodie, I spend most of my time questioning what exactly it is that I’m eating and most importantly, how to pronounce it. The other morning, in an effort to be more involved in the group, I proposed a modern day breakfast club at one of this city’s most popular diners.

I recommended the legendary Blackfoot diner and was greeted with a muffled cheer – but mostly sneers.  I think some wondered why would we want to eat at an old diner when we could eat a new restaurant with a fancy French name, or somewhere named after an obscure type metal or collection of greenery.  Having never eaten at the infamous Blackfoot Diner, I was insistent that we at least try it.  I mean, how can we talk about food in Calgary, if we didn’t ever try the institutions?

As I hoped and suspected, the whole experience was wonderfully refreshing.  I understood every word of the menu, the prices were shocking … because I could afford them, and best of the all, the service was exactly what we needed: Sincere, personal and attentive. 

No one was talking with phony accents, pretending they were serving something fancier than bacon and eggs, and at the end of the day, it was just really, really good.

With so many new restaurants in Calgary, I’ve admittedly got caught up in the excitement of trying ridiculously delicious (and expensive) food, even if, most of the time, I had no idea what I was eating.  A few times, I even did research before going, just so I could order with confidence. 

I had somehow adopted the same philosophy as those people who spend $400 on jeans – the more you spend on food, the better it must be, right?

While I do think that sometimes it’s fun to spend money on a great meal, many of the tastiest meals I’ve had in Calgary have actually come from those so-called ‘dive’ restaurants – the same ones that have withstood this economy’s many booms and busts. 

I appreciate the ability to eat at some of Canada’s best restaurants, right here in this city, but sometimes it really comes down to the amount of butter you put on my toast (lots), the crispier the bacon and how many times you willingly call me sweetie, sugar or darling.