Week 19: John's Breakfast and Lunch

John's Breakfast and Lunch is located at 2614 4 St NW, Calgary, Alberta

https://www.facebook.com/johnsbreakfastyyc/

John's Breakfast and Lunch looks fairly nondescript from the outside and cozy and bright on the inside! There are a few tables on an outside patio but the fall morning chill drove us indoors. The serving staff are super welcoming and we were fortunate to find a seat next to the window, street-side. 

The Menu has a full offering of omelettes, eggs benedict, french toast and traditional breakfasts.  Bill chose a benny and I opted for the vegetarian omelette. The portions were generous and the vegetables in the omelette were fresh and not heavily oiled.  Often one of the downsides of a vegetable omelette is the vegetables are precooked and have gotten a bit soggy and tasteless.  Not so at John's!  The restaurant had a steady flow of customers and the atmosphere was relaxed! We would definitely go back and next time I'll try the French Toast.

My next post will be #20. We have circled back to restaurants on the blog a couple of times. Once was a return to The Holy Grill on 10th Ave. SW and the other was OEB on 1st Ave. NE. I'm starting to feel a bit "breakfasted out". We have really enjoyed exploring the Calgary breakfast options and have also enjoyed experiencing new styles and the way restaurants source their food products.  It's encouraging to know that local producers are supported as well as healthy eating choices. Evolution at work! I've yet to decide on a new direction for the blog and look forward to seeing what emerges!

The Book

This week I'm reading Lars Kepler's The Rabbit Hunter. Lars Kepler is the pseudonym of husband and wife team Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril. This is the 5th novel in this series that I've read and am loving this one. Investigator Joona Linna is serving time in prison and is          

temporarily released to search for the killer of a high ranking member of the Swedish government. Joona soon concludes that what Security Police thought was a political assassin is, in fact, a serial killer!

While working to create a profile and motive, two more people are killed and Joona discovers there are eight more people on the killer's list.  The killer leaves a cryptic nursery rhyme at each scene and no other clues. When the third victim is identified, all the rules of the investigation change!

Week 18: Galaxie Diner

The Galaxie Diner is located at 1413 - 11 St. SW in Calgary's Beltline.  It's easy to miss because it's tucked between two shops kitty corner from a Good Earth coffee shop.

The menu is quite unique as is the interior design of the Galaxie Diner.    It's an "old school" diner with the design emulating a renovated street car from the '50s.  The space is small and cozy and the chef cooks behind the counter.  We were seated in one of the 6 or 7 booths.  There are a few counter seats and very little space between. Each table has a wall jukebox.  They aren't operational but it was fun to look through the music selections.  

Bill ordered the Montreal Smoked Meat Omelette and I ordered the Breakfast Burrito.  Both were delicious and had lots of fresh tasting ingredients.  We always swap tastes and agreed that everything on our plates was excellent!

We go out for breakfast at least once a week so are getting pretty seasoned and probably a bit more discerning from when we started this project looking for cool and tasty places to eat breakfast in Calgary (or wherever we happen to be).  The Galaxie Diner fits into my top five.  The environment was so relaxed and retro that when we left the Diner, I half-expected to find the rest of the city transported back to the fifties!  The restaurant is not far from Shelf Life Books on 4th St. SW where we always find something interesting to purchase.  It always feels good to support an independent book store as there are not that many left in Calgary.

                                                 

And now the books!     

I've read a few books over the summer, mostly novels, and reread Eckhart Tolle's Power of Now. And by the way, I highly recommend it even if you've read it before. It remains one of the most profound discourses on the eternal space we inhabit from moment to moment. If I had the self-discipline, I'd read it at least once a year.

I now have 3 books that I'm looking forward to digging into.  The first is Reader Come Home, The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf (author of Proust and the Squid) , Birds by the Shore by Jennifer Ackerman and Lars Kepler's The Rabbit Hunter.  

I hope everyone enjoyed a great summer, good food and great reads!

Week 17: Dairy Lane

Dairy Lane Cafe  319 - 19 St NW Calgary has been at this location since 1950.  It thrills me to no end to know that at least something is older than I am! We've eaten here before but decided to add Dairy Lane to our list of notable breakfast spots.  They have added a nice outdoor patio - not a rainy day option but a lovely spot for warm summer days!  The breakfast menu is quite eclectic and includes traditional items plus burritos, tostadas and breakfast bowls. Dairy Lane emphasizes locally grown and organic menu items and the food is delicious! I ordered the Classic Breakfast and Bill had the All In Omelette. Both were perfectly done with fresh sides and great toast! The coffee is excellent!

No relevance just fun clip art

The Cafe is small but has a cozy feel.  The tables are pretty close together but for some reason it still

Every egg a happy egg

feels spacious and the customers are pretty chill.  I love that Dairy Lane is connected to a community project The Highbanks Society and have been for years.  

Take a short walk south down 19th Ave. after breakfast and stop in at Tapestry Thrift and Consignment Store.  They also sell new clothes and some lovely jewelry.  Keep walking and stop in at Soul Food Crystals & Books.  It's a beautiful little shop with an extraordinary selection of gems and crystals.  Linda, the owner, is an absolute wealth of information and has a great staff.  I challenge anyone to leave the shop without a pretty purple shopping bag!

Now the book!

I heard this woman interviewed on a Super Soul podcast and was very moved by her argument for actively participating in the direction we want to see the world move toward.  Her premise is that the existing political environment has caused so much confusion and chaos and that shutting the world out is not an option.  

It's a very inspiring and timely read as we in Alberta and other parts of Canada see a similar movement of racist, homophobic (and other ics) threatening our own values.   

Week 16: Bumpy's Café oops it's closed! Return to Holy Grill.

We set out to go for breakfast at Bumpy's Cafe on 8th St. SW.  When we finally found it, the lights were out and the door was locked.  As it turns out, they closed the cafe at the end of May this year.

When we were looking for a parking spot we coincidently found one right at the front door of the Holy Grill!  Because we'd already paid for parking and were getting pretty hungry, decided to go in for breakfast.  We were pretty convinced that the empty spot at Holy Grill's front door was some cosmic hint that should have just gone there to begin with!

Our return to the The Holy Grill at their 10th Ave. location was definitely a good decision.  We decided to try the Nicmuffin, fried egg, bacon, cheddar and tomato on an English Muffin and the Wakey Wakey, two eggs, Italian Sausage and their "smash browns" and toast. Both were unique presentations of traditional breakfasts.

The Holy Grill (s) are owned by three brothers, Nicholas, Jonathan and Andrew Yee who grew up around the restaurant business.  Their second location is on the corner of 5th Ave. and 4th St. SW, above Tim Horton's. 

We always look for something unique in each of the places we choose for our breakfast and the Holy Grill does have something very unique to offer.  It's located at street level with large clean windows (you know who you are that don't bother with this important detail) so the street entertainment is close at hand. We also liked the casual atmosphere and the super friendly staff.  The breakfasts are prepared quickly and it's perfect for those who are in a morning rush but also want something nutritious and tasty! Also, there is free parking on the east side of the Cafe.

AND NOW THE BOOK...

This week I chose to re-read a book that I read a few years ago. The book is called The Visionary Window: A Quantum Physicist's Guide to Enlightenment by Dr. Amit Goswami. Recently, the field of epigenetics has caught my interests.  'Epigenetics literally means "above" or "on top of" genetics. It refers to external modifications to DNA that turn genes "on" or "off." These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells "read" genes'.  References to quantum physics kept showing up and since Amit Goswami is a theoretical nuclear physicist and I happen to have 3 of his books in my library....  Dr. Goswami  calls himself a "quantum activist" so let me allow him to explain what that means.

"To change ourselves and our social institutions, quantum activism uses the power of quantum physics.  To see this, consider that quantum physics is the physics of possibilities.  Quantum thinking gives us back our free will to choose amongst these possibilities.  These choices are discontinuous, breaking us from past habits.  They come from a cosmic interconnectedness we call quantum non-locality, which is an ability to communicate through space and time without any signals."

Spine tingling?  Maybe not but epigenetics and quantum physics?  Be still my heart!!

Week 15: Holy Grill

The Holy Grill has three locations in Calgary.  The one we chose is located at 827 -10 Ave SW across the street from Mountain Equipment Co-op.  There's a small customer parking lost on the east side of the restaurant.  The restaurant is cafeteria style with an "old school" vibe and huge windows facing 10th Ave.  Unfortunately, we were so hungry when we got to Holy Grill we neglected to take ANY pictures.  You'll have to visit the website or Google "images" to get an idea of what the food and restaurant looks like!

It won't happen again!

The menu is sandwiches and benedicts (4 selections of each) and Bill chose the South Beach Benedict with two poached eggs, tomato, avocado and  hollandaise on an English muffin.  It looked delicious and tasted GREAT!  I chose the Bacon Avocado Crisp (wish I had a photo because the image would definitely make your mouth water) with bacon, avocado, fried egg, cheddar, mayo, pickled eggplant, spinach and tomato on a bun.  The pickled egg plant was a nice touch and I devoured the entire sandwich before even thinking about a photo!!  

                     

Fifteen breakfast blogs and I'm wondering if it might be time for a change soon.  We are enjoying eating our way through the breakfast offerings but think we may be approaching the time where something new is required.  I have a couple of ideas rolling around and they both involve food.  I'm interested in healthy, tasty and nutritious food without giving up the fun factor!

 Last night we went to a pizza restaurant in Inglewood called Without Papers. We went with the family and ordered three delicious pizzas The Shrooom with roasted garlic truffle panna, wild mushrooms, arugula and truffle oil;  The Margherita with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt; The Hawaiian 5-0 with tomato sauce, Canadian back bacon, pineapple, jalapeños, aged cheddar and mozzarella.  Each was totally unique and made with fresh ingredients.  

After dinner we went to Village Ice Cream in Victoria Park at 431-10 Ave. SE and what a wonderful spot! They make their own special recipes and judging from the large crowd out eating ice cream at 8 o'clock in the evening, it's a well loved place for families and friends to share delicious treats!

THE BOOK

I thought I was going to be able to stop myself, but I couldn't.  I'm now reading my fourth Ragnar Jónasson thriller called Blackout!  Detective Ari Thór is called in to investigate the brutal murder of a man who had come to the northern Icelandic town of Siglufjördur to oversee a construction project.  As the characters are revealed it is clear that each one connected to the murder had publicly threatened the victim. A young reporter from Reykjavik who has come to cover the story becomes entangled far beyond her role as a journalist!  The story takes place during the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjalllajökull (pronounced AY-yah-fyad-layer-kuh-tel) in 2011.  Can one get addicted to Nordic noir?

Week 14: Brekkie Cafe

Brekkie Cafe is located in SW Calgary off 85 St. at 9th Ave. in a strip mall.  The restaurant is quite unique and, if I could venture a guess, feng shui principles may have been incorporated into the design and decorating. The restaurant is bright, very clean, earth coloured walls with plants situated on the tables and in the shelving that divides the two sections. It's a very comfortable environment.

The Happy Diner

The menu is varied and there are a few interesting items that caught my eye like the Quinoa Almond Bowl and the Braised Short Rib Poutine. We decided to check out their more basic breakfasts so Bill ordered the Traditional Benny and I ordered the Classic Brekkie. Both were delicious and the eggs were fresh (no greater sin that to serve old eggs) and the sides were tasty.  The staff were great and our breakfast was served quickly.  Overall we really enjoyed our breakfast and to add to the positive experience, separate washrooms!!

Today was a cold, rainy day in Calgary.  We drove through a couple of the nearby communities and back home through Springbank. It was nice to see the green fields and trees with the homes nestled in the hillsides and the horses out enjoying the new grass and cooler temperatures.  There's a weather condition for all!

THE BOOK

It seems I can't get enough of the Nordic noir and am on to Nightblind, Ragnar Jónasson sequel to Snowblind.  This story takes place in the same northern Icelandic town where Ari Thór is faced with the shooting of his senior colleague.  None of the pieces of the puzzle seem to fit together and time is critical as Ari's own life may be threatened.  

Ragnar Jónasson is a master storyteller and I enjoy visiting another county through the eyes of a resident.  

Week 13: Monki Breakfastclub & Bistro

Monki Breakfastclub & Bistro has two locations in Calgary.  The original is in the Beltline at 1301 10th Ave. SW right across the street from Community Natural Foods. We ate at that location last week and weren't overly impressed the Rösti Waffle, too crisp, and the coffee, lukewarm.  The restaurant had been recommended so we thought we'd give the second location in Inglewood a try.  It's located 1420 9th Ave. SE with 2 hr. free street parking!

The restaurant is new, bright, and the tables are set up so that there's plenty of room. The staff are welcoming and friendly. 

We are learning that there are similar offerings in most of the breakfast spots that we have tried.  However, each one seems to have one or two "specials" that are unique to their restaurant.  Monki has a waffle selection that (although neither of us ordered them) looks tasty and decadent!  Bill ordered the Monki Huevos Rancheros with spiced rice, ground beef and fresh mushrooms and tomatoes.  I ordered the Salmon Avocado Toast and it was simply prepared and delicious.  Our server, Kaine, was great and made sure our coffee cups were full!

Having now been to both locations, we agreed that the Inglewood Monki is more comfortable and the food seemed a little fresher!  The Beltline location is in an older building so has a bit of "I can't believe we fit a restaurant into this space" feeling to it.  

The Inglewood location is close to a couple of my favourite places to shop. One is the stationery shop Recess at 1323 9th Avenue SE.  Recess has a huge selection of great quality products from all over the world and the quality of the pens, stationery, notebooks, art supplies and general office supplies is enough to send a pen and stationery nerd into a trance!  The second spot nearby is Next Page at 1217a 9 Ave SE a beautiful and not set up like your usual bookstore.  I won't say more about that so as not to spoil the surprise!

THE BOOK

This week I read a second Ragnar Jónasson novel called Snow Blind.  It takes place in a small Icelandic town, Siglufjördur, close to the Arctic Circle.  Ari Thór, a new police graduate from Reykjavik moves to the small town to begin his career.  He gets thrown into the "deep end" when 2 residents of the town are murdered and the close knit community does not give up information easily!

Why read this novel?  "Nordic noir" has an interesting combination of slightly tormented protagonists and isolated settings. The combination pulls you in to the desperate need to untangle and solve a mystery as though it were the only way to salvation! Who couldn't use some of that?