Big Taste a 'unique and affordable' way to explore Calgary food, says Julie Van Rosendaal

Every March, Calgarians are encouraged to get out and explore all there is to eat in the downtown core.

The Big Taste isa more than week-long food festival that involves almost 100 eateries and runs from March 2 to 11. The annual event is organized by the Calgary Downtown Association, who enlisted a range of participants this year.

Familiar Calgary standbys will be taking part, includingBuchanan'sChop House and Whiskey Bar,the Unicorn,Booker's BBQ Grill and Crab Shackand Cilantro Restaurant, which has reopened following a 30th birthday makeover.

Newcomers are joining the festivities, such as the Wednesday Room,Bread and Circus,Belle Southern Kitchen and Bar,Elwood and the Rabbitand Donna Mac.

All are offering prix-fixe, multi-course lunch menus for $18 and $28, anddinner for $28 or $40, with some happy hour specials and more elaborate gourmet menus priced from $55 to $110.

B.C. wine is back

Of course, there will be wine including bottles from our next-door neighbours. Following the premier's announcement suspending the ban on B.C. wine, the British Columbia Wine Institute reinstated their sponsorship of the festival this year.

"The Wines of British Columbia have been a proud sponsor of the Big Tastefor many years," president and CEO Miles Prodan said in astatement.

"After having to reluctantly step back from this year's festival, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again share and celebrate B.C. Wine with our Alberta friends. We look forward to working with Calgary restaurants again, and we are thrilled that Alberta consumers once again have the choice to enjoy B.C. Wine, as they have long done."

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Although the menus are fixed, each restaurant offers a few choices.

For example, at the new Elwood andthe Rabbit, which is in the historic de Waal building in Bridgelanda space that previously housed Whitehall Restaurant menu options for their three-course Big Taste dinner are elaborate.

Theseinclude a mushroom Welsh rarebit,which is near-burnt bread,foraged seasonal mushrooms,stilton fondue,beets,buttermilk salad made up of chewy sticky beets,beet pudding,spiced beet puff,rye andfennel crumble,tender greens andbuttermilk espuma,gnudi with caper and olive pomodoro sauceand a 10-day dry-aged cheeseburger.

Try out new spots

The Big Taste provides a unique and more affordable way to get out to try a few new spots. You can preview each restaurant's menus on the Downtown Calgarywebsite before making your reservation and peruse the dozen special signature events that naturally revolve around food.

Disclosure: I'll be MC'ing two of those events: a walking and tasting tour of Klein/Harris, Murrieta'sBar and Grilland ThomsonsRestaurant on Thursday, March 8,and an interactive dinner at the Tastemarketby SAIT on Saturday, March 10.

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