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Bill Peyto's Cafe

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callen60
callen60
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4 out of 5
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Good Option in Lake Louise

  • February 3, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
Good Option in Lake Louise

Despite its worldwide reputation, Lake Louise is a small place. It consists of, well, the lake and accompanying institutions (the Chateau, dominating the eastern shore, and Deer Lodge up the road a bit). The village is several miles away, along the railway, and largely consisting of Sansom Mall, which holds about a dozen businesses. Dining options are really, really limited, and for those not looking to drop a fortune on a meal, Bill Peyto’s Café is your best option—nearly your only option—and also a good one.

Don’t let its location in the Lake Louise Youth Hostel scare you off. For starters, this is a really nice looking hostel; and secondly, the restaurant is very good. It’s located in the back of the main building, reached most easily around the right side. It feels a lot like a ski lodge, with a large wooden room framed around the stone fireplace facing the entrance. There’s a healthy amount of seating, including several small, high round bar tables, and most were taken when we arrived for a very late lunch after leaving Lake Louise.

Although there was a cafeteria-style buffet along the far side of the room, all the food was served off a varied and tasty sounding menu. Something hot seemed appropriate, and I went with a bowl of bison chili, which came in a large metal dish reminiscent of a prospector’s pan. The big serving came with cornbread, and was just different enough to be memorable. My wife opted for a large salad with chicken breast—large enough that I got a few good bites of that dish, too. The server was friendly and attentive, and my only complaint was that I couldn't keep my eyes off the long snowboarding promotional video running on the TV in the corner.

The rest of the menu was filled with pastas, burgers, grilled fish and steaks, all pretty reasonably priced. Lunch for the two of us was under $30. Dinner and breakfast are also served here, and the breakfast menu included an appealing number of scrambles. If you were to spend any time in Lake Louise, I think you’d be well advised to frequent this place.

Although the café is comfortable, and not too fancy, I can’t help thinking that this place is a little too ‘citified’ for the real Bill Peyto, a turnoff-the-century outdoorsman and jack-of-all-trades from the turn of the last century. As a teen, he left London and arrived in Halifax, riding the rails to Golden, BC, where he finally left the train to work for the railway. He spent the next six decades as a cowhand, trail and mountain guide, prospector, outfitter and park warden, taking time out to serve in the Boer War and World War I, where he was wounded at Ypres. In addition to the café, a beautiful lake along the Icefields Parkway also bears his name.

From journal Mountain Hospitality: Dining and Lodging in Banff

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