Continuing my foray into Calgary’s newest restaurants (ok, Brava wasn’t all that new), my brother, dining companion and I, opted to try Alloy, a new restaurant established in an unusual locale. Located amidst the industrial-ish section of Calgary, just east of Macleod Trail, Alloy looks like it could be a ceramic tile store, rather than a bastion of fine dining. According to my brother, the low, flat, horizontal building (seemingly lacking any windows to speak of) once housed a condo rental facility. After some renovations to the exterior, the dark grey/blue structure looks more like a 1970s California bungalow – all modern, clean lines. The interior is something else entirely, it is all blonde wood on white – white linens, white rounded banquettes, (some) white walls, low-hung white light fixtures and a long line of (seemingly) patio doors leading out to a very Asian-inspired garden and terrace. The interior is fairly stunning and I admit to having been worried that the chic interior would outshine the food.
I needn’t have worried as the food, for the most part, stood up to the décor. After a very good wine recommendation from our waitress, we began our meal with a complimentary (to first-time diners only) plate of humus, olives and home-made naan bread. All of which were delicious and demonstrated early-on that this menu was to focus on a mish-mash of culinary styles (Lebanese, Asian, Californian, fusion, etc.). It should be noted that the name Alloy, referring to a mixture of different metals, refers to the fact that the menu was created by two chefs with very different styles. This was also evident in the first courses. Always being a sucker for Caeser salad, I chose the romaine hearts with Miso Caeser dressing and parmesan tuilles, which was surprisingly delicious and light. My brother had the prosciutto and melon plate – a stand-by, but worthwhile with top quality ingredients, as was the case with Alloy’s take on the classic. My dining companion opted for the tempura soft-shell crab which was light and tasty, not to mention the accompanying “salsa.” The mains were generally very good as well. My duck breast was perfectly pink, very moist and the accompanying orange glaze/reduction stood up well to the meat and the accompanying vegetables (including yellow beets – oh my!) were expertly cooked which brought out the vegetables full flavour. My brother had the short ribs, which were simple, yet satisfactorily prepared, while the accompanying sweet potato puree was a little bland. Lastly, my dining companion tried the monkfish with accompanying risotto. While the monkfish was light and fresh-tasting, the accompanying ginger sauce affected the risotto, turning it, inexplicably, into something like macaroni and cheese. The flavours were not bad at all, but the dish was somewhat misrepresented.
As for the dessert course, we hummed and hawed a bit, and eventually decided on splitting their assorted panna cottas. Rather than the usual cream and gelatin formula, Alloy cuts their panna cotta with yogurt which makes it less firm and more like a gelatinous creamy yogurt, but which in turn gives the creaminess an appreciated edge. While the panna cotta itself was delicious, what really made the dish were the accompanying compotes. The three small servings of panna cotta were topped with kiwi and jalapeno, pear and habanero, and strawberry and chili, respectively. The combination of heat, fruit and cool cream was spectacular. It is very rare that I am blown away by a dessert -- I would even hazard to say that the dessert was the best part of the meal.
