Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Airport Eats – Twist by Roger Mooking

I’ve lost count of the number of times that I have flown through the years.  But, there have been some good pubs and restaurants along the way where I have been able to get a quick bite to eat or have a pint to bide my team waiting for my plane to begin boarding.  Even though I haven’t kept track of the numerous restaurants that I have eaten or drank at, I wanted to start keeping track now with this blog moving forward.


Twist by Roger Mooking
With my recent trip to Alberta, I was scheduled to fly out of Pearson International Airport on Monday, April 18 at 7am EST.  Domestic flights require you to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours in advance, which I did.  However, with limited options open around 5am in Terminal 1, I had to really look for a restaurant or bar that was both open and appealing.  Enter Twist by Roger Mooking.


First patron at the bar shortly after 5am
The first thing that really caught my attention with Twist was the entrance to the restaurant, especially the lettering font used for the name “Twist.”  As soon as I walked in, I was impressed by how pristine and clean the restaurant was.  Of course, all restaurants should be clean first thing in the morning, but there was something about Twist that gave it more of an upscale vibe to it – something that basically said that this restaurant caters to the frequent business traveler and not just your casual tourist or vacationer.


Watching the news at Twist by Roger Mooking
When travelling solo, I usually prefer sitting at the bar because there are usually several televisions on displaying sports or news coverage to help kill time.  And most importantly, sitting solo at the bar also results in quicker service as the bartender must now take on a dual role.  Being the only patron at Twist on this particular morning, my bartender presented me with a menu while she headed back to the kitchen to get prepared for the morning breakfast rush.


Steak & eggs omelette with a side of frites
I ended up selecting the steak and eggs omelette with a side of frites.  The omelette came with three eggs, sirloin strips, crème fraiche, broccoli, and herbs for just under $13 CDN.  This protein overload hit the spot as I was barely able to make a dent into my side of fries.  Although my breakfast was excellent, the only downside was the slow service that I experienced here.  What probably should have taken 10 – 15 minutes to make seemed more like 20 – 25 minutes instead.  Regardless, I was able to make my flight on time with a full stomach.  Since Pearson Airport is my local airport, there is a good chance that I will eat here again.


Stomach full and ready for my flight to Calgary!
Twist by Roger Mooking
Pearson International Airport
Terminal 1 – After-Security (Canada), Level 2 Gates, Near Gate D32
Hours of Operation:  7 days/week from 5am EST – Last Flight
Phone: (416) 776-3100, ext. 1

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Thirsty Tales – Block Kitchen & Bar

With only 48 hours in Banff for a Sales retreat, I had very limited time to explore what Banff had to offer.  I would have to save the tourist attractions for a future visit, but damn if I didn’t get to at least explore Banff’s nightlife.  On a recommendation from a friend, I decided to check out Block Kitchen & Bar on my last night in this town.

Block Kitchen & Bar
One of the newest tapas bars to open up in Banff, the Block Kitchen & Bar is located at the corner of Banff Avenue and Caribou Street right next to Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon.  The first thing you will notice as you walk into Block is how small it is.  It’s so small that you could swear you were about to walk into a Man Cave than a trendy new bar.

Midnight Sun Stout - Yukon Brewing
After plopping myself up at the bar to watch some hockey playoffs on the television, I browsed through the beer menu in search of some interesting craft beers that I wouldn’t be able to get back home in Toronto.  The first one that piqued my interest was Midnight Sun Stout from Yukon Brewing.  I normally enjoy stouts, but this one fell flat big time for my tastes.  It was definitely the worst craft beer I have ever tasted, which is a shame as I had high expectations for a stout that was brewed from the Yukon Territory.

Aprikat - Alley Kat Brewing
My final beer for the night was Aprikat.  This Apricot wheat ale is brewed by Alley Kat Brewing, an Edmonton-based craft brewery.  While the thought of mixing apricot flavour with wheat ale seemed repulsive to me, I was astonished by how smooth tasting this wheat ale was.  Yes, the apricot flavour is over powering, but you hardly notice the alcohol content at all.  The Aprikat had definitely raised the bar for wheat ales in my book!

Full Moon over Banff on my final night
Since I had already eaten dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, I was not interested in the food menu at all.  I stayed until last call before moving onto Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon.  However, Block Kitchen & Bar will always be remembered as my first real bar experience in Banff.

Block Kitchen & Bar
201 Banff Avenue
Banff, AB T1L 1H8
Phone:  (403) 985-2887
Hours:  7 days/week from 11:30am - 2am