A great meal doesn’t need to cost a small fortune – especially in these days of the “new” economy. In fact, many restaurants that wanted you to plunk down a small fortune a year ago have relented and have created interesting enticements to get you back into the fold, should you have strayed. By great “cheap” eats, we mean a good meal for $50 or less. You can find “bargains” in all kinds of eateries, from downscale ethnic places to upscale contemporary restaurants. For our 3rd annual eating challenge, we asked a handful of discriminating palates to take $50 and buy a tasty meal for two in a favourite restaurant. This is what they found. (The $50 did not include tax and tip.)

Petite Restaurant

Sharon Schuld and Ellen Kelly

A rainy Monday evening seemed a good time to enjoy a meal at Petite Restaurant (1301 - 10 Avenue SW, 403-452-5350) on a petite budget of $50. We snagged the last table available in the 30-seat space, though a few seats at the bar remained open. Proprietors Jackie Cooke and Kirk Shaw have created a welcoming restaurant by using the high ceilings, brick walls and large windows of this old building to their best advantage. After settling into comfortable chairs we had a look at the wine and food menus to decide how best to spend our $50.

First things first – we needed to make a wine selection. Our server took the time to let us know what was and wasn’t available – a pleasant surprise. Ellen settled on a glass of Domaine Alain Chavy Bourgogne Blanc while I took a cue from the weather and ordered a bottle of Naughty Nellie Golden Artisan Ale. With drinks in hand we concentrated on the 12-item menu created by chef Jared Alvey. Our server told us that the stuffed pheasant was not available before we made our decisions. Its replacement was a lightly cured and seared salmon served on a mustard potato salad with broccolini. This was the comfort food we needed on such a day, so we ordered it along with the caramelized onion tart with aged gouda mornay sauce and arugula greens. Ellen’s first bite of the onion tart made her eyes close and her toes curl. My first bite of the salmon and potato salad was no less awe-inspiring. In Ellen’s words “this is how food should taste.” Sharing these dishes satisfied our appetites, but to be quite honest they were tasty enough to warrant more. The plates just about got licked but we remembered our manners in time.

Had we foregone the wine and beer we could have added the grilled flatbread with artichoke and roasted pine nut spread and watercress, then finished our meal with a dessert and still spent only $50. Should budget be no object, every item on the menu would be worth a try. The trout and the cheese plate at the table next to us looked appetizing. If you are on a budget and want to try this good food, Petite is open daily for lunch and features a less pricey menu than the dinner menu. This restaurant goes on our list of great places to eat in Calgary.

Bistro Piq Niq

Nancy Carten and Lisa Zinck

When we were challenged to find where two could eat well for $50 or less, there was absolutely no hesitation. We headed to a favourite haunt, Bistro Piq Niq (811 - 1 St SW, 403-263-1650). Nestled into the northeast corner of Calgary’s historic Grain Exchange building, Bistro Piq Niq exudes European charm. Owners Rob and Connie Young – he’s a jazz musician and singer and she’s an interior designer – inspired by their travels throughout Europe (especially France), opened their Bistro doors in the spring of 1995. It was a dream come true. The dining room, a long rectangle, is inviting, cozy, and chic. There’s a bar for those who like a quick after-work bite, and along the opposite wall, cushy banquette seating for those who want a more leisurely meal. The Bistro’s intimate interior, while cozy, is definitely “uptown” thanks to Connie’s design talents. There is one charming reminder of times past – the magnificent oval copper chandelier that hovers over the center of the room. If you were a visitor to the Westin Hotel in the late ‘60s you might recognize it from the hotel’s main lobby.

Lisa and I decided to make Tuesday night our “cheap” night out. Why Tuesday? If you’re in the wine biz, as we are, you’re always looking for the least expensive way to enjoy a glass or bottle of wine with your meal. At Bistro Piq Niq, Tuesday is no corkage night, which means you get to raid your cellar, bring your choice to the restaurant, and drink for “free.” That is, we could spend our entire $50 on food!

The talent in the Bistro’s tiny kitchen is chef Andrew Trinier, a graduate of George Brown College in Toronto. Looking at the menu, it was hard to decide between the moules frites and the salade niçoise. On Rob’s recommendation, we chose the salad. Ample for two as a starter, the platter arrived with perfectly seared ahi tuna laid atop a bed of arugula and frisée mixed greens. Steamed baby potatoes from Popular Bluff Farm in Lethbridge, crisp green beans, Broxburn Farm (also Lethbridge) cocktail tomatoes and tiny, perfectly cooked quail’s eggs prettied up the salade. Its vinaigrette was scented with just a hint of truffle oil. We were off to a good start. Next up, something warm and rib sticking. Lisa chose the confit de canard, a hearty boar bacon cassoulet with “falling off the bone tender” duck confit. Scrumptious! I was in the mood for soup, and a steaming bowl of velvety butternut squash was perfect. Dessert was no contest – terrine au chocolat. Two creamy, dense, slices of Callebaut chocolate terrine in a hazelnut tuille with fruit compote. We decided to forego coffee and continue to sip our wine, a lovely red, Clos des Nines, from France’s Languedoc region.

Big Fish

Kathy Richardier and Doug Proctor

Big Fish is one of our favourite restaurants. We are huge fans of the dynamic duo of Dwayne and Alberta Ennest who have transformed Edmonton Trail into a culinary destination. Ennest, who has cheffed in Calgary since his start at River Café, puts his own slightly edgy creative spin on everything he does so that our palates always anticipate new, interesting and fun adventures. We love new and fun adventures in food. The chef’s presentations of the classics are solid and no less palate perking.

We chose to eat well for two for under $50 at Big Fish (1112 Edmonton Tr. NE, 403-277-3403) in part because Wednesday night is bring-your-own-wine, no corkage (or Stelvinage), night. We could drink for “free” and devote our “big bucks” to food. We followed the lead of many others carting in their fave wines – Big Fish was busy on Wednesday. We also discovered that we could stuff ourselves with Ennest’s great food – and take a doggy bag home – and stay within our budget.

A generous bowl of the creamy New England fish chowder is brightened with a drizzle of tangy yuzu oil and a lightly garlic-buttered slab of grilled Tuscan bread. Most other attempts at this chowder pales in comparison. We love the fish tacos – tender chunks of fish topped with guacamole and spicy tomato mango salsa wrapped in green, red and yellow corn tortillas. But eat them first or the moisture might help the tortillas fall apart. Pea shoots everywhere. We love crunchy pea shoots. They decorate the tacos and the daily appetizer special – tomato and shrimp salsa fresca and mango guacamole scooped with house-made tortilla chips, squeeze of lime all over. So much good, fresh food here.

More pea shoots atop a generosity of soba noodles creamily dressed in miso and lime, crowned with ginger-chile glazed and grilled prawns and presented on tossed greens, rounds of cucumber. Oh My God good. Indeed, your palate can hardly do any better for perking than at Big Fish. And the service is charming – if the servers didn’t look different, you might think the Ennest duo cloned themselves for servers.

So, we have demonstrated, as have Nancy Carten and Lisa Zinck at Bistro Piq Niq (page 18), that it might pay to take advantage of the night your favourite restaurant invites you to raid your wine cellar – it doesn’t have to be a great bottle, no one is looking – and drink for “free” while you immerse yourself in your favourite food without spending too much. You might be surprised at how self-indulgent you can be and how small your bill is. And Big Fish is where you might want to go – tasty, adventurous food amply portioned to share and prices that won’t sink the ship. Our bill tells the tale.

District

Marcello Di Cintio and Moonira Rampuri

I came of age in the ‘90s, and so my first steps into District (607 - 11th Ave. SW, 403-233-2433) evoked blurred memories of The Fox and Firkin on “Electric Avenue” and my youthful digressions therein. I vaguely recall doing shooters at “The Fox” dressed as Elvis in a gold jumpsuit and a rubber pompadour wig. I fear someone, somewhere, may have photos of this.

The Avenue is no longer Electric, and The Fox is as dead as Elvis. This space is, however, unapologetically a bar again. There are booths, tall tables with bar stools, and sports on television screens. But there is nothing banal about District. Its taps feature a half-dozen house brews and a smattering of beers from around the world. The by-the-bottle beer list has almost nothing mundane on it. Cocktails are fashioned from whatever fruits are in season and Mason jars of house-made pickles define the pub decor. This pub takes food seriously.

Moonira and I showed up at District on a Friday eve and perused the menu’s offerings. This required some walking. District does not have menus on the table and, instead, writes out the food selection on blackboards scattered around the bar. District offers a long list of fancy bar appetizers, as well as a brilliantly conceived ‘build-your-own’ poutine. Moonira and I were most excited about the main courses. Most items included the name of the local farm or ranch where the food was grown. To find such a locovorian commitment in a downtown pub was a delicious surprise. So were the prices. The most expensive item – a pork chop, no less – topped out at only $19.

Pork is something of a specialty at District. Our waitress told us that District raises and slaughters its own pigs, and strives to use all parts of the blessed swine. Duly inspired, Moonira and I ordered a bucket of double-smoked bacon with maple syrup as an appetizer. We also took advantage of the Friday night special: poutine with a glass of Ambush Ale for $3.99. Though not the healthiest start to a meal, Moonira was nine months pregnant so we blamed our choices on “cravings.”

I ordered beef short ribs for dinner, Moonira the salmon niçoise salad. My Spring Creek Farms short ribs came with a generous slather of raspberry-ancho chile sauce, potatoes and steamed broccoli. The braised meat was crazy tender and the barbecue sauce was just berry enough: why are most other fruit-based barbecue sauces as cloying as jam? Though we were a little surprised that the salmon on Moonira’s salad was farmed, everything tasted fresh and the house-pickled beans were fabulous. Moonira vowed to return, post-partum, to eat those beans dunked in a caesar.

By the time we got through the night’s pie – a thick wedge of cherries and Saskatoon berries with vanilla gelato – we had decided that District was our new local.

Giuseppe’s Italian Market and Deli

Karen and Todd Anderson

Giuseppe’s Italian Market and Deli (1207 - 1 St. SW, 403-232-6230) had recently opened so I stopped by, and after spying a pizza oven, I knew I had to try it. I had just spent two weeks in Italy and was in serious fabulous-food withdrawal. My husband was in wife-withdrawal and it all spelled date night. Giuseppe’s looks like an Italian Nona’s dream kitchen. It’s huge, bright white with black tile and wrought iron accents, and boasts shelves stocked with quality Italian staples, cookbooks and house wares. The main floor is dominated by that dreamy mammoth forno and there are counters with panini presses and espresso makers raring to go. Visiting Nona’s kitchen might not sound like a date night, but a wine and tapas bar upstairs had just opened, and due to the snowy streets we had the place to ourselves. With attentive but non-intrusive service, it was charmingly romantic.

Soft Italian music played in the background as we were served a ramekin of plump olives and marinated peppers along with three types of house-made breadsticks and olive oil and aged balsamic in a stylish bowl for dipping. Linen napkins, wine glasses and rectangular side plates nesting the utensils graced the tables. We ordered two glasses of red wine. On the menu we found ten pizzas for $9.99, a selection of tapas ranging in price from $7 to $16, a veggie platter for $20 and a meat or fish platter for $25.

Reassured about our budget, we ordered the $16 cheese plate and started to nibble at the breads, chutneys, apples, grapes and three cheeses. We thought that a pecorino, gorgonzola and parmigiano would have been more in keeping with our expectations than the port-infused mystery cheese, smoked provolone and edam we were served. After the cheese plate, we were tempted by various combinations of calamari fritti, gnocchi pomodoro, goat cheese and prosciutto tart, crab cakes with garlic aioli or a roasted portobello, but finally decided that sharing a pizza and fresh salad would round out our meal.

Pizza is on my short-list for “the last meal” and that oven I had been drooling over delivered all that I wished for. The crust was sweet and toothsome without being thick, and the funghi and roasted garlic were in perfect harmony with the blend of feta, mozzarella and oregano. The feta salad was a generosity of arugula and slim slices of cucumber all dressed up with a feta and balsamic reduction. We ate slowly, talked about our day, and left in such a warm Italian haze that we didn’t even notice the snow on our drive back to the suburbs. Next time we’ll take the family.

Momoyama Sushi

David and Anne Bransby-Williams

When asked to write about two eating well for $50 or less we decided to go to the Momoyama Japanese Restaurant in the Glamorgan Shopping Centre (#6, 3919 Richmond Rd. SW, 403-233-0995). What’s the challenge, you’re thinking. Everyone knows you can eat well at a Japanese restaurant for very little money. But we make no excuses – we really like this restaurant. It is very simple and the decor is nothing to write home about, but the food and service are exceptional. It is a family business, and whenever we go there the same people are always making the sushi and waiting on us.

When we went for an early dinner, Momoyama was already busy and many takeout orders were being prepared. We chose green tea as our beverage and it arrived promptly. Sipping our tea, we worked on our menu choices. The menu emphasizes sushi, and after a short deliberation, we decided on the tempura roll plus a cold dish of tekka don and a hot dish of chicken teriyaki.

Since the tekka don and chicken teriyaki were classified as entrées, we each received a bowl of miso soup. The soup arrived quickly, steaming hot and garnished with kombu and tofu squares. The surprising thing about miso soup is that, despite its simplicity, all are not created equal. Momoyama’s is superior. Though we had expected to see the tempura roll arrive first, after we finished our soup, the teriyaki arrived, all a-sizzle on a cast-iron platter. The chicken, nestled on a bed of sliced cabbage, was perfectly cooked with crispy skin and a perfect complement of teriyaki sauce. A bowl of rice accompanied the dish.

Before we finished this dish, the tempura roll and tekka don arrived. The tempura roll was undoubtedly the jewel in the crown. Still-warm crunchy shrimp was brushed with a hint of mayonnaise, wrapped in nori surrounded by rice, and capped with thinly sliced avocado topped with flying fish roe. It was a delight to the eye and the palate.

Though the tekka don did not provide the same visual appeal, it was a delicious combination of large slices of tuna on a bed of rice accompanied by a lemon wedge, wasabi and pickled ginger. The quantity of food was more than ample – we took home the remains of the teriyaki – and all the dishes were delicious. The service is polite, friendly and efficient. Because the place is so small – eight tables – and take-out is a big part of the business, expect to wait a bit at peak times. We were not there at a peak time and our meal took under an hour. The best part – we ended up replete for $34.40. Maybe we could have eaten more. Or maybe not.