"Redwater Rustic Grille" Top 5 Page for this destination Calgary Restaurant Tip by madamx

The Redwater Rustic Grille is located on a bland commercial stretch called Macleod Trail, which I hate with a vengence. However, I'm willing to overlook that fact after having lunch here one day. Redwater Grille is one of Calgary's newest restaurants, opened by Canadian celebrity chef Ned Bell. The room is beautifully decorated, incorporating a tiny bit of natural elements with tons of sophistication, a nice twist on that rustic modern look that everyone loves here, so much so that it's getting fairly cliche these days. Think of New York meets the Rockies.

The only problem I can see is if the bar is hopping at night, there might be an annoying noise factor, as it's smack right in the middle of the dining area. The service was very attentive and I don't know if it was a mixture of no lunch crowd and new restaurant, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Favorite Dish: We started out with a giant prawn plate with a tomato chipotle/lime dip which included 5 huuuuuge tiger prawns, sprinkled decoratively with a chipotle seasoning.

We agreed we made a good choice with the chicken club sandwich. It consisted of a pulled rotisserie chicken salad dressed in a tangy mustard/mayo dressing topped with lettuce, bacon, and a smoked tomato relish, on a fresh whole-grain bun. The bacon was perfectly crisp and the right thickness. This was accompanied by hot, fresh fries lightly sprinkled with -- chipotle seasoning. Ok, seeing something "Emeril-like" here? This chipotle theme was getting a little repetitive and slightly tacky.

The dessert menu was so fabulous we had a hard time picking one to share. Torn between a chocolate peanut butter tart with caramel sauce and marshmallow gelato, warm brownie with banana gelato and hot fudge sauce and a coconut cheesecake with pineapple salsa, we picked the brownie. Sumptious.

The food here is extremely tasty, extremely good value for the quality of food (lunch for two $43.00 including tip). However, if this place eliminated the "chipotle" theme, it would truly elevate the dining experience to true sophistication.

Address: 9223 Macleod Trail South
Comparison: about average
Phone: (403) 253-4266
Price: US$11-20
Rating: 4
Theme: American
Website: http://redwatergrille.com/