Variety is the spice of Calgary’s contemporary restaurant scene, and the charcuterie plate is an edible ambassador of local tastes. Whether enjoyed as a starter or as a snack paired with drinks, charcuterie is a means to sample a restaurant’s pickling and meat-curing prowess as well as gain an appreciation of regional and specialty treats.
New on the emerging Fourth Street Northwest restaurant row, this contemporary bar and eatery features a charcuterie plate heaped with variety. A changing selection of house-made preserves such as green beans, red onion and asparagus is paired with local and Canadian cheeses as well as in-house and locally made meats from gravlax (cured salmon) and salami to duck prosciutto. Mustards and compotes complement.
A cozy downtown hideaway, Escoba’s charcuterie platter is heaped with house-made meats including not-too-spicy chorizo sausage, honey-smoked salmon, prosciutto and smoked duck. These finger-licking nibbles are paired with garlic flatbread, red-pepper bean hummus and a selection of premium cheeses that changes daily.
A Beltline outpost of Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts (CRMR), Bar C has access to the group’s Alberta game ranch. As such, its cured meat selection is tops. The small-plate charcuterie selection may include smoked bison and duck, capicola ham, elk salami and venison pate. House-pickled pickles, crostini and grainy mustard are the accompaniments. Pair with a cheese platter featuring such selections as Morbier, Roquefort Papillon and Jarlsberg with fruit, warm baguette, honey and fig jam.
Nestled within the Smuggler’s Inn complex just south of Chinook Centre, Tango is a comfortable and stylish spot in which to share wine and snacks. Its daily mix of meats may include prosciutto, landjäger sausage, blunderfleisch (a type of cured, smoked beef) and smoked bison. House-made pickled veggies, spiced mustard and crostini accompany.