Calgary Vegetarian

Yesterday I took my wife and son out to Banff for a break from the city. After a relaxing dip in the hot springs we headed into town for lunch.

Previous outings to Banff have seen us eating at Coyotes Southwestern Grill, and Magpie and Stump, both of which had a number of decent vegetarian options. This time I decided upon The Eddie Burger + Bar after reading some great reviews on Urban Spoon, and the description of Eddie’s Famous Veggie Burger from their menu:

“homemade vegetarian patty, jalapeno jack cheese, tomato, avocado, shredded carrots, cucumber, spring lettuce blend & pesto mayo on a whole wheat bun”

Nothing gets me more excited about a veggie burger than finding out it’s homemade, and not just a regular store bought burger slapped on a bun with ketchup and mustard. I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the best veggie burger I’ve had in recent memory.

I’m pretty sure the burger was made from a mixture of mashed lentils and seasoning. When topped with the jalapeno cheddar and pesto mayo it made for a subtle yet delicious burger. My side salad with honey mustard dressing was nothing to write home about, but my wife’s yam fries were pretty darn tasty. The icing on the cake was that it was “Burgerpallooza” day, so most of the burgers were 50% off. This worked out to $6.50 for a burger and a side. Helluva deal.

The establishment itself is small and cozy, and was packed with customer even at two in the afternoon. As busy as they were, we were served with smiles, and in an orderly fashion. If you’re feeling anti-social there are a few big screen TVs playing sports games and videos to keep you entertained.

Next time you find yourself in Banff with the veggie burger blues, be sure to try The Eddie Burger + Bar.

Thought some Calgarians might be interested in this. The Airdire Vegetarian Dinner Club is hosting a “favourites” themed potluck dinner on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m, at the Town n’ Country Centre (275 Jensen Dr. NE, Airdrie, AB). Everyone is welcome to bring their favorite vegetarian dish and share with everyone else.

Dr. Patrick Chan, a retired neurosurgeon, will be speaking about brain health at the dinner.

Click here for more details.

Now is a good time to become friends with the Vegan page on Facebook. Non-stop vegan goodness!

Now go eat your veggies.

I had no idea that Higher Ground Cafe was serving up some vegetarian love on Wednesday nights, until I came across this post at Are You Gonna Eat That. Higher Ground’s Global Vegetarian Night runs every Wednesday evening from 5:30-9:30pm, and includes a three-course vegetarian dinner for $19.

Tonight’s dinner includes an autumn pecan salad with a roasted garlic and orange dressing, roasted potato and butternut squash bisque, and organic chai apple tarts for dessert. The food looks absolutely delicious, judging by the photos from past dinners on the Higher Ground Facebook page, and the original post.

The missus and I will definitely have to treat ourselves to a night out at Higher Ground in October, and taste what we have been missing.

From September 24th – October 18th, 2010, Planet Organic is running a Special Diet Food Drive to support local food banks and those with special dietary needs. Your local Planet Organic store will be accepting healthy items from the following categories: Gluten Free/Wheat Free, Low Sugar & Low Sodium, and Vegetarian.

Visit the Planet Organic website for full details and a list of most needed items.

The Calgary Vegetarian Society’s next potluck is taking place at 5pm on Friday, September 10, 2010 at the Co-op Midtown Market (1130-11th Avenue SW). The potlucks are vegan (no meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs, no honey). For full details click here.

Click here to download Planet Organic’s – August 2010 flyer.

Today’s Groupon is on the money. Pay $5 for $10 worth of vegetarian cuisine and drinks at Veggie Fusion Express.

Click the banner below to get in on this Groupon:

This is the first I’ve heard of Veggie Fusion Express, which is located in the Far East Shopping Centre (132 3 Ave SE) in Chinatown. The menu looks delicious, I will definitely be checking them out. Anyone else been there?

It’s exciting to see more restaurants that cater to vegetarians appearing in the city. Maybe one day we can give Vancouver a run for it’s money

The Gandhi Society of Calgary will be sharing Mahatma Gandhi’s philosphy with the Calgary community at their annual dinner/lecture on Sunday, September 26th. The event begins at 6pm with vegetarian dinner at Surahi Restaurant, 8906 Macleod Trail S.E. It will be followed up with a lecture by Dr. Ramdas Bhatkal. Tickets to the event cost $30. For tickets, please contact: Annie Looyis – (403) 547-9879, Dr. Anthony Parel – (403) 239-4480 , or Dr. Rookmin Maharaj – (403) 238-4856.