A New Restaurant....For Me!

I found an amazing vegetarian restaurant here in Calgary! Located in trendy Kensington, this cafe had the most wonderful atmosphere and food! The next time you are looking for something different to eat, check out Gratitude Cafe!

Gratitude Cafe was such a unique restaurant! Our table had decks of playing cards that invited us to play games while we waited for our food. And the cafe lives up to its name: all of the dishes you can order have wonderful names like "I am grateful"- which is a lettuce wrap stuffed with quinoa salad, guacamole and black hummus. I stared at the menu for a long time trying to decide which meal I was going to order- I would have loved to try them all! I settled on the "I am amazed"- a hearty vegetarian lasagna. I haven't had lasagna in a long time, and it was delicious!

A lot of the meals can be made vegan and gluten-free, so there are options for those with food allergies or preferences.

My man ordered the "I am appealing"- which was a calzone stuffed with vegetarian chili. He got to choose from an array of veggies to stuff into it. I can't believe he was able to get through the entire meal. He is such a good sport coming with me to vegetarian restaurants. He absolutely loved the food. We love supporting the small local cafe's and restaurants; the food is always so fresh and filling!

If I would have had more room I would have tried the dessert. So the next time you are going out for lunch or dinner, try something different and swing by Kensington for a fun vegetarian experience. And let me know how the dessert is!

Eating Out

I would love to talk about one of my favorite restaurants here in Calgary. If you have never been to The Coup you are missing out on something great. Many people think that vegetarian meals have to be bland and simple, and the word vegetarian brings up visions of plates of beans and salads. The Coup is dispelling those myths by creating wonderfully delicious vegetarian meals, while promoting whole, organic, and local foods. You can taste the fresh and seasonal vegetables in the dishes! I enjoy supporting local businesses who want to make it easy to eat healthy.

One of my favorite things to eat is the 'el taco', and my meat-eating significant other loves the 'falafel quesadillas'. The soup of the day is always full of tasty spices and seasonal vegetables. And if you want to try something outside of the box order the smoothie of the day and be prepared to be surprised: who would have known that a banana and basil smoothie would have tasted so good?! On the weekends I have often stopped in for a breakfast frittata with organic free range eggs, yams, and seasonal vegetables. It is a great way to start off a busy weekend. They also have a variety of salads to choose from, and if you want to start with an appetizer, try the hummus.

So the next time you feel like going out to eat but want to try something different, check out The Coup at 924 17th Ave S.W., and be prepared to want to go back to try something else!