Salvatore's Restaurant
9140 Macleod Tr S

January 5, 2001
Even people familiar with Calgary may be scratching their heads trying to figure out where this address is. It isn't really on Macleod Trail at all, but in the strip mall behind the King's Head Pub, across the street from the Carriage House Inn. The restaurant itself hides behind the 7-11.

Both my wife and I remembered reading a favourable review, but couldn't remember where or when. For birthdays and our anniversary we like to go out for a nice dinner, and more by good luck than good management we ended up at Salvatore's.

The dining room has an arched ceiling, painted pale blue with clouds, and illuminated by indirect lighting. The walls continue the sea and cloud motif, and the stone flagged floor completes the impression of sitting at an outdoor cafe. Having spent part of the Boxing Day week looking for an easy chair, I was very conscious that the restaurant chairs were very comfortable, and the table didn't rock.

We were thrilled at the quality of the meal. My soup had vegetables I've never seen in Minestrone, all fresh, leading to a light and delicate flavour. Linda's soup was smooth, with lots of seafood. The Ceasare salad was properly done, not soggy or over-sauced. I like it a little lemony and with enough garlic to give it some bite, so this was just about perfect. Too many restaurants use the croutons from a box. These weren't, and you could tell. My tenderloin came with roasted potatoes, carrots julienne, and asparagus tips. The tenderloin was tender and beautifully done, served with a pepper and mushroom sauce. I've had worse beef in so-called steak houses specializing in beef. The carrots and potatoes were cooked to perfection and delicately spiced. I even tried the asparagus, which I normally don't care for because I find them bitter and woody. What can I say? I don't have anything to compare them to. They tasted fine, but I don't understand why people go into raptures about them. Linda got most of my serving, and pronounced them "gorgeous".

I'm not normally a big fan of the dessert choices in Mediterranean restaurants. This meal seemed to call for a dessert though, and we were not disappointed. Linda's Creme Caramel was light and fluffy, with a orange flavoured sauce. My Spumone was easily the best I've ever had, much like going from the Safeway no-name vanilla ice cream to Haagen Daz.

From sitting down to leaving was about 2 hours of delightful taste sensations. This was not common restaurant flavouring, and demanded taking the time to savour it. We never felt rushed, nor were we ever wondering if they were out catching supper. The restaurant is small enough, and the food good enough that I believe a real chef actually paid attention to our meals. We will certainly be returning again.