Lunch downtown offers so many choices, but during The Big Taste, Calgary’s Dining Festival it seems like there’s more than usual and everything sounds delicious. It’s a great time of year to try new restaurants or return to one you haven’t tried in a while. While reading the menus, one in particular caught my eye (a dessert, of course), the Knickerbocker Glory at Catch Restaurant and Oyster Bar for a few reasons.
- Knickerbocker Glory has a brief mention in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone when Harry gets to finish Dudley Dursley’s, because his Knickerbocker Glory isn’t big enough. If it’s something that Dudley Dursley, an eater extraordinaire, would like then it’s definitely worth a try.
- On Wikipedia it looks delicious. Usually made with ice cream and fruit in a glass with either jelly, custard, syrup, whipped cream or a combination of those. Not just a sundae a super cool sundae with a glorious name.
- Catch just won Avenue Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year , so their take on this unique dessert is (almost) guaranteed to be the perfect finish.
How did it stack up?
The meal started with Shiitake and Ling Cod Wonton Soup with a sweet and sour shellfish broth a great way to start lunch during another chilly day in Calgary.
The Smoked BC Coho Salmon Sandwich with dill cream cheese, aged white cheddar and fries turned out to be the exact sandwich I had been eying at the table next to us. It tasted as good as it looked, so I hope my amateur food photography does it justice. In fact, the table on the other side ordered the same thing when they saw ours, always a good way to order at a restaurant.
Next was the dessert. The pressure was on, had I built it up too much? Or more importantly had I saved room? Out came the Knickerbocker Glory.
First impression? Beautiful!
Then, remember to actually take a picture for proof.
First taste? Delicious!
The smooth vanilla ice cream perfectly matched the layer of crème anglaise (like custard) and offset the cold nicely. Underneath, the fruit compote (a mix of raspberries and rhubarb) added a bit of tartness and the little bit of cake helped hold the juice.
This menu is only available for lunch during the Big Taste until March 14, 2011. If you try it, let me know what you think.
