On Saturday the 30th we broke from our frequent pandemic pizza pick ups, for a taste of new with Pigot’s Burger Club. What was it, where did it fall on the charts, how did it rank?
Operating Monday to Sunday, noon to midnight Pigot’s Burger Club offers a pop-up burger experience. Orders can be picked up from Craft’s 10th Ave location or delivered via all major delivery apps. I can’t comment on any aspect other than the burger, well the website is simple, easy to use with many hunger-inducing burger images.
The menu features three burgers, a Cheese Burger, Bacon Cheese Burger and a Mushroom Cheese Burger. As well as two non meat offerings the “Non Meat a Tarian Cheese Burger” and “Non Meat a Tarian Mushroom Cheese Burger”. All burgers can be ordered as singles, doubles and triples. While the non meat burgers can be done as singles or doubles. To round out the menu there are Fries, Tots, Dirt Tots and a Kale Caesar. We ordered the side tots, as well as the Dirty Tots.
Now for the main event, the Burger! Is it the simplest form of north American fast food? Perhaps, then how come there’s such a wide range. From good to bad, mediocre to extravagant! What does one want in a burger? I can fire up my BBQ, cook meat with fire and fill a hunger. So when I order instead what am I looking for? Something unique, what’s my take away, how will I recommend this, or why won’t I.
This was it, a Bacon Cheese Burger I’m still thinking about.
It’s not complicated, it didn’t grab me with gimmicks and rare ingredients. What it is, is perfectly executed,with everything balanced proportionately. No teen threw this together at an assembly line with eight more quickly needed while a car waited.
This was planned long before I ordered it and crafted to exceed expectations. Assembled with care, beginning with the bun, not an afterthought or a fluke. This was chosen to make a first impression. Was it too soft, too dry, too much, did it just soak up like a spunge and fall apart? After all this is for pick up and delivery. No this bun offers just the right addition to every bite. Because again, this is a perfectly executed burger.
For my indulgence I had the Bacon Cheese Burger at $12.49 it’s where burgers are priced nowadays. The simple lettuce and flavourful tomato add to the burger. Then bacon, just right, and brown sugar onions, these are diced adding sweetness and intreig. Then the “Merican Cheese” this isn’t a single slice that gets missed, this melted goodness brings the cheeseness I remember every burger having, yet seldom do. Lastly Pigot’s secret sauce, just right, not strong, not lifeless, no this brings it all together in just the right proportions. Lastly that bun again, it’s not falling apart, you can put it down and pick it up again, the burgers collapse isn’t making you rush, no this construct holds together. Take your time savor.
First post in two years. And it’s a love letter to a burger.
My wife had the Mushroom Cheese Burger $11.99, I assume it was amazing.
What Stampede means to me? An expression of city spirit and western heritage.
It’s the middle of this year’s Stampede, and I haven’t been to the grounds, nor do i intend to. You might assume I don’t like Stampede, or that I’m one of the folks who only talks of leaving town during the annual event. However, this wouldn’t be true at all.
I moved to Calgary in ‘99 not knowing much about it. “The Big Four” didn’t mean anything to me. The historical ties to the CP Rail, I knew nothing about. Oil booms going back nearly a hundred years and the impact on the cities prosperity I had no knowledge of. I’m from the interior of B.C. where it’s all about Gold, Silver and Coal mines. Ghost towns are all over B.C. and the signs of busier times.
My first Stampede I didn’t go to the grounds and resisted the overflowing spirit around the city. I’m not one for “Western” culture, I’d only been on a horse twice for a total of a half hour. However history does interest me, especially history I can see. How did things come to be the way they are, there’s always a story. The history of Calgary is about pioneering a new way of life. That can be said across Canada, and even North America. However I don’t live across the continent I live here, so here is where I can see history’s influence on today. The more I learned about my new home’s history the more I was caught up in that pioneering spirit, and I believe it still resides here today. To me the Stampede represents a glamorous romanticized version of our history.
You can tell me the Stampede is only about partying and drinking. You can tell me the Stampede only represents cruelty to animals. You can tell me it’s a fraud to western culture with urban city folk pretending me be cowboys for ten days. You can also tell me Stampede is just an overblown and overpriced grab for tourists. I’ll agree with every one of those statements, from a certain point of view. But I’ll also say you’ve only experienced one aspect of the Stampede. It represents so many different things, to different people and different industries. You can be a big fan and not know all the aspects to it.
For me, it is an expression of city spirit and western heritage. We celebrate it to say this is where we come from and that spirit is still alive here. So does this mean I’m a big fan of the Stampede? Do I go to the grounds every year? Nope. But I do like what it represents. Coming from a small town, civic pride was important. We as a community took pride in our town, what it represented, where it came from, who built it, and what we had achieved. It was only natural to have city events and celebrations. You can have a city celebration to commemorate a city’s founding. Why don’t we just do that? Because, we’re celebrating more than our city’s history, it’s a collective history of the west.
In 2012 the Stampede celebrated 100 years of Stampeding. Technically it has only been running annually since 1924, but it’s origins can be traced to 1886. It was begun by the Calgary and District Agricultural Society, to promote Calgary, western expansion and agricultural ingenuity. I think that is still something to celebrate together as a city. Don’t complain to me that traffic is bad during Stampede, that hotels are expensive, or that all tourists are bad drivers. People are celebrating our home, any city in the world is going to be busy when it hosts a major event. I’m proud to have an event to host for the world. Proud that we have more than the Stampede to be known for, but that the Stampede is how we celebrate our city.
Stampede spirit isn’t confined to the grounds of the Stampede in Victoria Park it’s all around. When I see the first Stampede decorations going up at the end of June I smile because that’s our city spirit on display. There are families with long standing traditions of watching the parade together. For others it’s all about the midway rides, of the grandstand show. I’ve never yet seen the chuckwagon races live but I will. Why? I have no history or connection to agriculture or cattle. But it’s where I live, where I choose to live, where I’m proud to live. I like the Stampede, I look forward to the city’s expression of it, the unity of common experience, I love what it represents to so many.
When you’re new here it may not mean anything to you, but it likely will, especially if you can get past the county music.
Events that make up the Stampede
Parade – Held the first Friday in July and kicking of the event is the Stampede Parade
Rodeo – Technically this is what it’s all about. One of the largest of its kind in the world covering six major events, bull riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, saddle bronc and bareback riding – and four novice events – junior steer riding, novice bareback, novice saddle bronc and wild pony racing.
Rangeland Derby – This the chuckwagon race perhaps the most iconic event of the Stampede.
Grandstand Show and the Stampede Showband – Held each night on the grounds this is world class entertainment with song and dance to acrobatic performance ending with a nightly firework display.
Exhibition – The agricultural exhibition began in 1886, made up of 50 farm and ranch displays and competitions.
Midway – The midway is what most people talk about when they say “the grounds” with a mixture of rides and carnival games. There are two concert areas. Nashville North, a huge party tent (with lines even longer) is a country music venue. Next is the Coca-Cola stage, where there’s family entertainment during the day and rock and pop acts at night. Lastly, the Saddledome host headline acts.
Market – Located in the BMO center it’s 410,000 sq ft of retail space with vendors selling everything imaginable, with a featured area called the Western Oasis.
The Brewer’s Apprentice – 448 8th Ave SE – The East Village’s own spot to fill your growler with the finest craft beers
For a list of names and links mentioned in this post see the bottom of the article
Once upon a time, you could pick up a simple six-pack of mass-produced swill, enjoy it, and be none the wiser that beer could be so much more.
You might encounter some different styles, but it was dominated by the lager. It was produced by huge national breweries and you could find it everywhere. This remains true, but enter the craft beers to change everything.
Big Rock Brewery – Traditional – An English Style Brown Ale
My beer experience began later than some. I didn’t drink before I was of age. The very first beer I ever drank was a Big Rock Traditional. I thought it was all right, but drank it slow. I ordered Kokanee now and again but didn’t like it much. Two to three years later I switched to Keith’s, back when it was still hard to find. I drank it more frequently. I was developing a taste for beer. Even then I knew there were different styles of beer, but I couldn’t name any of them, any more than by saying “light” or “dark”.
1410 World Bier Haus Restaurant & Lounge – 1410 17 Ave SW – One of my favorites
In 2006 I met a friend at the recently opened 1410 on 17th Ave. He told me they had beer from all over the world, and sure enough, the menu was organized by country. I thought this was pretty cool, and I ordered a beer from Germany. (I know that Bottlescrew Bill’s has been around far longer, with at least 240 beers available. But that’s not where I was that day.) At home I still bought Keith’s, however, a friend would bring over a new beer with every visit, and my time with Keith’s was coming to an end.
Liquor Depot – 1140 17 Ave SW – Craft Beer Cooler
The curiosity of tasting a new beer becomes part of drinking beer. A conversation would come up. What does it taste like? What are the flavors? The answers were no longer easy. I was hooked. Where could I find more? When variety is what you’re looking for, craft beer is where you’re going to find it. Well, what is craft? Following changes to Alberta’s liquor laws, it became easier to start up a brewery. Previous restrictions required such high outputs that few could afford the startup investment. But I’m not talking legalities, I’m talking about what craft means to beer. It means small, independent with traditional methods, yet experimental with flavor. Since the change, these craft breweries have been popping up everywhere. They have their regular offerings to appease, but it’s in the experimentation where they build reputations. Suddenly beer is like indie music in the 90’s; everyone wants to talk about their latest discovery. For restaurants, this means carrying at least twenty to thirty beers instead of the previous eight to twelve.
CRAFT Beer Market – 345 10 Ave SW – My first beer adventure with intent started here
Can you still go out for a simple beer in Calgary? Of course you can. But the market for craft beer has taken off, and there’s no going back. This beer revolution has pushed the prices that the public accepts higher and faster than any other food and beverage category. As a result, the big national breweries have done their part to get in on this, but I don’t think it’s for them. As far as I’m concerned the very definition excludes them. Let’s look at the aptly named “Craft Beer Market” or just “Craft”. Their beer menu contains over a hundred beers, all on tap, organised by style, and I’m not talking “lights and darks”. I went a few months after opening, having heard a great deal about it, and it didn’t disappoint. That first visit was with a beer aficionado friend. He told me our beer journey would start light and travel through the many styles. We enjoyed a mixture of appetizers and entrees and the hours passed. I don’t remember, or can’t if we visited all those styles, but it left quite the impression.
Trolley 5 Brewpub – 728 17 Ave SW – 17th’s ave hot spot of the summer
Do you still enjoy your favorite mass-produced beer? Nothing wrong with that if you do. Or are you adventurous and experimental too? Do you want to start expanding your beer horizons? There’s nowhere better to start than Calgary’s own local breweries. My first beer, though I didn’t realize it at the time, was from one of the granddaddies of local beer, Big Rock Brewery. Founded in ‘85 it was joined in ‘89 by Brewsters, and then in ‘96 by Wild Rose. These three preceded the current craft breweries, but aren’t just significant for when they got their start. They each have a history of supporting the local market with innovations, sponsorships, and being encouraging to newcomers.
The YYC Beer Map put together by Tourism Calgary and the Alberta Small Brewers Association – Is this still available? Will a new version come out next year?
They’ve been joined by Caravel, Village, Annex Ale, Dandy, Tool Shed, Common Crown, Banded Peak, Cold Garden, High Line, Zero Issue, and Citizen. Any one of these are great and I look forward to trying more. Speaking of more, there are more local breweries coming.
National on 10th – 341 10 Ave SW – The 10th Ave location features a bowling alley in the basement and the ultra-chill Bourbon room upstairs
Most of these breweries offer tours to see their facilities, hear their tales, and afterward enjoy a beer in their tasting rooms. However, if that’s further than your enthusiasm goes today, I suggest “National”. Part of the Concorde restaurant group they have quickly grown to four locations in the city. National has about half the beers that Craft does, however with a formidable focus on Alberta breweries. I suggest the Tool Shed People Skills. You can still go to my old favorite too. “1410” from the 933 Group had been called “World Beer Haus” before any of the others. Their menu is no longer listed by country but they’ve kept up with the trends and still have one of the largest selections. I suggest their exclusive from Village Brewery “Holy Grail” it’s a quenching amber ale. If you looking for an option serving their own beer, then I have three to suggest. Two having opened last fall, Trolley 5 and Mill Street. Both on 17th Ave, Trolley 5 was purpose-built on the ground that once was Melrose. They have claimed the title for the patio to be seen on. All their beer is produced on-site, with others on their menu usually from breweries just a few blocks away. Mill Street comes from Labatt, but I won’t hold that against them, as I appreciate their reuse of the historic Costigan House and the investment in the east end of 17th Ave SW. They have an offering of 21 beers and a selection from six other seasonal brews.
Brewsters – Hammerhead Red Ale – A traditional red ale with medium body, ABV: 35 – My favorite when I was still drinking bland beer at home
Village Brewery – Holy Grale – Caramel Amber Ale
Trolley 5 – Derailed – West Coast style Pale Ale
Where’s the third? Well, I can’t talk about local beer without talking about “Last Best”. Located on 11th Ave in what you may remember as District, or the Fox Downtown. Last Best has more beers I enjoy than any other. Even the styles that aren’t for me, I enjoy tasting there. While I may agree with accusations that the food is just a little pricey, it is excellent (which if you’ve followed my previously mentioned reasoning, means I accept more often than having issues).
Last Best Brewing & Distilling – 607 11 Ave SW – My favorite brewpub
A friend pointed out that Last Best has a monthly beer tasting they call the “Social Club”. I was shocked at the time, a favorite pub of mine, only a half dozen blocks from home, and I didn’t already know about it. We immediately made plans for the following month and I haven’t missed one since! Here’s the lowdown: on the first Wednesday of every month Last Best hosts the Social Club in their lower-level called “The Beer Shop”. Here with a quieter atmosphere and a unique beer list separate from upstairs you’ll find new discoveries to be had. But the real treat is during the Social Club, it’s all about beers that aren’t on the list at all.
Two events for different tastes
Downstairs you’re in for something unique
This menu isn’t available upstairs, only in The Beer Shop
The Beer Shop isn’t large, and therefore creates the perfect cozy atmosphere
The downstairs continues the upstairs vibe, but slows it down for leisure drinking
Hosted by Last Best’s Adam Sequin, each month introduces a new theme. Since I starting going in June we’ve had the following themes: Sours, Summer Fruit Ales, Gin Pairings, Wild Ales, Lactose Sugars, Barley Wines and most recently Christmas cookie pairings.
Adam Sequin explaining some brews at a summer Social Club
I believe this was “the Kimmie, the Yink and the Holy Gose Ale” from Anderson Valley, during the June tasting
Beginning at 8 o’clock the first 10oz samples are brought around, with the others following at roughly half-hour intervals. Adam introduces the beers, discusses the breweries, origins of the brews, and what makes them unique. His understanding and passion for beer is apparent and he adds his own personality to the whole event. In no way is this just a promotional event for Last Best: what it feels like is a secret little club for beer lovers. Frequently this isn’t a solo gig for Adam either as there’ll be representatives from the other breweries featured that night.
Never intimidating or conceited it’s just relaxed and enjoyable.
For me, beer has changed from that simple boring lager to something unique. And like music, I want to share it. Talk about it with like-minded individuals and discover more new favorites. Yes, there’ll be hits and misses. That’s why when you’re adventurous, you start with singles. The next time you’re out, be adventurous. Don’t ask if they have your regular on tap, “because this is a 90’s music store” ask them for their favorite. You’ll hear an elaborate tale about what they like and what they’ve tried. They’ll ask what styles you like. Maybe keeping it easy by using “light and dark”. They’ll tell you about a local brew that they just put on tap tonight that you must try. Then before you leave, having enjoyed this craft adventure, your server will suggest you try their real favorite.
For ten days (Sept 22 – Oct 1) nearly 50 restaurants will have a special pizza. Many of these Pizza’s will have outrageous toppings. You’ll be able to pick up a pizza passport from participating restaurants and collect stamps for the opportunity to win prizes.
A few spots that don’t have pizza offering will have pizza-themed items like pizza burgers and pizza poutine. From every $20, $3 will be donated to Calgary Meals on Wheels.
Beakerhead is an outdoor exhibit of art, science and engineering, it takes place over five days and several sites. It is a great chance to see the city come together to experience something unique. From what I understand Beakerhead doesn’t travel, it is a Calgary event. Some of the exhibits do travel to other events. I have to confess, in all my years I’ve only been to one exhibit and that was two years ago. This year our family’s taking in the sights and sounds of Beakerhead. We’ll check out one or two of the exhibits outside the east village area during the week. Then Stephen Ave on Friday night, and the big site’s on Saturday. I want to see my little girl see the “Serpent Mother”, I’m sure she’ll call it a dragon.
Nearly all the exhibits are free and sound awesome to check out. Will there be food trucks in the area? I don’t know, but seems likely. Will it be cancelled it it rains? They say no way, it will happen rain or shine. I think it’s going to be a great spectacle and I hope to get some awesome pictures.
Come down, check it out, share your stories.
To see information about all the exhibits including times and locations with pictures follow this: https://beakerhead.com/events
