Editor Pick
Great Room...
- February 8, 2009
- Rated 3 of 5 by
callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
This was the only dining disappointment we had, and nearly the only disappointment of the entire trip. And that includes driving into a snowbank, since getting out was such an affirming experience. Murrieta’s is located in central Canmore, along with nearly everything else, on 8th Street. It occupies the second floor of a building along the east side, above a typical set of downtown shops.
A shallow staircase is lined with vintage photos of Canmore and the railway, and deposits you in the center of an impressive and unexpected room. The room is entirely done in wood beams, but avoids the vintage feel of a park lodge. The high ceiling has an unusual vault to it, and emphasizes the long run of windows along the north side. If any daylight remained, it must give a fabulous view out at the mountains on the north end of Kananaskis Country. The bar runs along the east side of the building, and we were seated there, at a four-top alongside the open top of the stairwell. The long, attractive bar was to my left, and the table was hardly a compromise given its bar locale.
The server was professional, clearly the most experienced we had in the Rockies. He made several recommendations, knew the menu well, and was at ease pairing wines by the glass (from an impressive list that featured Okanagan Valley vintners) with our orders.
Unfortunately, the food didn’t keep pace with the rest of the experience. I had yet to order salmon, and with our trip nearing its end, felt obligated to pass on some tasty sounding pastas, a bouillabaisse, the prospect of a nicely grilled steak, or another flatbread. Three versions of ‘simple fish’ were available: a pan roasted sockeye salmon, seared ahi tuna or sablefish. All three were done with your choice of spicy maple ginger dressing, a pickled lemon ratatouille, or béarnaise sauce.
The maple-ginger seemed the best match for salmon; my wife went with a Mediterranean flatbread having missed all of her opportunities so far. The salmon came atop a starch that was so disappointing, I can’t even remember what it was (except that it was soggy where I expected something else). The fish was a modest size piece, and prepared well, but the maple-ginger glaze was so thin that it seemed barely attached to the salmon. My wife’s flatbread was better, pairing roasted lemon chicken with chickpeas and an artichoke puree. It was a healthy serving, and I got to finish the last two pieces. On the flip side, both wines were good (a Twin Islands Pinot from NZ, and a Canadian Chardonnay).
Maybe it was just a bad night. Our host at the Inn was enthusiastic about this place, and every other recommendation he’d given us was dead right. Based on that alone, I’d give it another shot when back in Canmore. (It has sister restaurants in Calgary and Edmonton, but they can’t match the view.)
From journal Culinary Canmore