Ruth's Chris Steak House- Calgary Tower

Crab Cakes

Ruth's Chris Steak House 

Lobster Tail

Lobster Bisque

Mashed Potatoes and Corn Medley

I must say I loved this Steak House, although the prices were a little steep for what you get. The atmosphere was perfect for our 10th Anniversary Celebration. Quiet, peaceful music, romantic atmosphere. They put Happy Anniversary confetti on our table and had a card for us as well. We did not even have to pay for our deserts which they customized with Anniversary Writing. We were treated very well by our waiter who was very attentive and respectful of our space. He was there when we needed him, but not hovering. My Crab Cakes were very easy to eat, the crab flavor comes through as the main focus, but could have used a tad more seasoning. The Lobster Tail was great as well, though was a little tougher than I  was thinking Lobster Tail would be. My wife's Lobster Bisque was delightful, a great way to start off her meal. The mashed potatoes were light and fluffy, though a touch of dill or garlic would have put this over the top. The corn medley was good as well, but again a touch of salt would have been all this needed. My wife's steak I would say was the highlight of this meal, as a steak should be. This had the correct amount of fat marbled throughout to make it tender, and it melted in your mouth, not much seasoning on this, but it really did not need it. And finally the best part of my meal, the desserts! My wife had Creme Brule with berries, and this was simply heavenly! Perfect! I had an amply named Sinful Chocolate Cake, that was surprisingly gluten free. This devilish cake definitely tasted so good and melted in your mouth like good chocolate should.
I would return to this restaurant again for a nice quiet evening, though prices could be shaved down considering the amount of food.

Steak

Gluten Free Sinful Chocolate Cake

 

Creme Brule

Teatro Ristorante

Atlantic Char

Lobster, Scallop, and Prawn Lasagna

Apple Cannolis

Teatro was an elegant and quiet restaurant. I liked that we could see the chefs in the kitchen and the smells were fantastic. One complaint would be that where we were seated was near the cleaning area of the kitchen that you could not see but we could smell the bleach. The waiter was attentive and kind, but at times seemed unsure of what he was doing. My Atlantic Char was delightful and vibrant, a great light lunch, a little seasoning would have been better, but overall a great mesh of flavours. The Lobster, Scallop, and Prawn Lasagna I could only sample a small bite of as it contains dairy.  The bite I did take though was amazing. So full of tastes of the sea, and packed with flavour. The Apple Cannolis were like little Apple pies and were a good way to finish off the meal. I was glad the dairy portion was on the side, that way I could eat some of the desert. Overall this is a great restaurant to visit in the arts section of downtown. 

Yellow Door Bistro

Pork Tenderloin with Spelt and Sweet Potato-Apple Puree

Chamomile Duck Breast With Mushroom-Split Pea Risotto

Apple Fritters and Gingersnaps with Rum Caramel and Vanilla Cream

My wife and I decided to take a short trip to Calgary for our 10th anniversary. The Yellow Door Bistro in Calgary, was our first downtown restaurant stop. This restaurant was very modern and provided a quiet spot to enjoy an evening out. The service was excellent, very friendly and prompt. My wife had the 3 Course Chef's Choice, which entailed an appetizer of Split Pea Ricotta Filled Pasta, entree Pork Tenderloin with Apple Sweet Potato Puree and Spelt, with a dessert of Apple Fritter and Ginger Snaps on a bed of Vanilla Cream and Rum Caramel. My meal was Chamomile Duck Breast with Mushroom-Split Pea Risotto. I must admit I had never had either duck, nor risotto before; I am definitely sold after eating it at this restaurant, it was absolutely delicious. My wife loved every course of her dinner and having sampled them myself, I must say her food was excellent as well. The fritters melted in your mouth, they were so light and airy. Was impressed with everything about the Yellow Door Bistro and would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in downtown Calgary.

Insurgent By Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (4 Stars)

Tris finds herself in a fight again, this time a completely different kind of fight. Instead of fighting to get into a faction, she is fighting to find out the truth, and free society from the lies that have kept them enslaved. Tris is willing to give up everything to stop Jeanine from keeping the truth from them; Tobias, family, factions, friends, and her own life. Her sacrifices could mean freedom, or a future unknown.
The plot just gets thicker in this installment to the Divergent series. Veronica knows how to make you twist and turn with every page. She keeps you on the edge of your seat. Her characters have depth, and change as the story line demands it. I do agree with her assessment that Tris should have shown much more grief over the loss of her parents, even the betrayal of her brother. That being said, everyone grieves in different ways, so it is hard to bottle up reactions and say everyone should react in this way. I love the ending as it brings things together and sets up for a dramatic next novel.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (3 Stars)
Hazel has been battling cancer for quite sometime. Unable to breathe on her own, she relies on a breathing apparatus to help her do what most take for granted. She is in a routine that works for her family, until she meets Augustus Waters. He has been cancer-free for a while, at the cost of his leg. He provides her with happiness, something she did not even realize she was missing. Wrapped in an author who may not be what he seems, they find comfort in his novel. Life seems to be looking up again, until it all fall apart.
This is the second John Green book my wife and I have read together (Paper Towns being the other), both books seem to have the same basic issue; John Green likes to use big words. His use of big words distracts from the plot, his characters use these words in sentences where people would not use them, and he makes it seem commonplace. In the end this just comes across as ostentatious and pretentious. Rant over.
His characters are well rounded and have depth rarely seen in novels these days. The situations they are in are heartwarming at times, and heart wrenching at other times. Loved the overall plot and how things flowed. I do wonder what his obsession with his characters egging cars is? Although in this novel it was rather amusing. I must say with both this book and Paper Towns,  I enjoyed the movies more than the books, a rarity for me. 
Would I pick up another one of his books? Probably not, although I know many out there who would disagree with that!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth    4/5 Stars
Beatrice has been in her faction her entire life. She is now 16 and must decide if she stays or changes factions, leaving her family behind. She soon discovers she is different, a dangerous truth that she does not understand. Making the decision she moves to Dauntless. A decision that will affect every aspect of her life.
The book was not quick moving until the very end, but it was captivating in its own way. I did enjoy the movie more, but the book does fill in more character-wise. They all seem to be well developed characters and have intricate backgrounds. The plot does move along at a good pace and keeps your attention. The plot is fairly deep and that shows in the conclusion. Set up nicely for the next novel in the series. Overall a great read, that I would recommend to young adults especially, but anyone who likes thrillers or futuristic novels.

Eagles of the Empire: Invictus by Simon Scarrow

Invictus BY: Simon Scarrow

3.5 Stars

I haven’t done a review in quite a long time, so please bear with me as I try to get back into the groove.

Cato returns home to Rome and does not get the reception he was counting on. His wife has died and now he must get to know a son he has never met. As his world crumbles around him, he gets the call to go back into the line of duty. Trying to prevent Hispania from leaving the Roman Empire. They are up against a cunning rebel leader who will stop at nothing to stir up rebellion in the colony.

This was off to a slower start than I am used to with Simon Scarrow novels. I did enjoy seeing the personal side of both Cato and Macro as it really assisted in their character developments. It did take quite a while to get into the book and I would not recommend starting with this particular novel in the Eagles of the Empire series. Once they do reach Hispania things pick up pretty quickly, but by this time you are a third of the way through the book. When the fight begins it is up to Scarrow’s usual standards, he has a great way of keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout the battle. Scarrow’s research on these lands and the time/event he is telling of is always impeccable and shines through. The conclusion of course leaves room for another instalment. Overall a good read, just wish he had found a way to make the first third more attention grabbing.