What I Thought of It

Moo’s Country Ice Cream
200 Barclay Parade SW
Calgary AB

Eau Claire is a popular hangout for Calgarians when the weather is nice, and it’s the site of choice for many local events and festivals. Catering to these crowds is Moo’s Country Ice Cream, an ice cream stand between the kiddie pool and the public washrooms.

Moo’s is the place to get your ice cream fix at Eau Claire. Unfortunately they are sometimes closed early, perhaps when the weather’s not so nice.

Moo’s sells a wide range of products: pop, packaged Nestle ice cream, and snow cones in all kinds of flavors. I am partial to the soft-serve ice cream.

You can get the soft-serve in flavors like cappuccino, green apple, strawberry, and more. The fun part about your Moo’s ice cream cone is that the flavor is added in swirls to the soft-serve. This makes for a pretty and colorful treat in which the flavours mingle nicely.

Moo’s is just an ice cream cart, so it doesn’t come with seating, but there are benches all over the park. And of course, public washrooms are right next to the ice cream stand.

Moo’s only takes cash, or you can use the ATM in Eau Claire Market.

Last thoughts: Moo’s Country Ice Cream gets a lot of sweet-tooth traffic when the weather’s nice, so you can count on their wares to be fresh and tasty. Moo’s will continue to be one of my favourite places for a cold treat. Just look for the big windmill and you’ll find Moo’s.

Food ++++
Service ++++

Little Caesars Pizza
728 Northmount Dr NW
Calgary AB  T2K 3K2
Phone: 403 284 5254

When you want a pizza and you want it right now, then Little Caesars is a great bet. My pizza craving led me to the Little Caesars in northwest Calgary.

To get there, just go north on 10th Street NW. You’ll find Little Caesars just where 10th Street becomes Northmount Drive.

Pizzas are always hot and ready (no waiting!) at this Little Caesars, and they’re cheap! You can get a Pepperoni Pizza for just $5, and it’s certainly big enough for a meal.

Little Caesars is not a sit-down restaurant. It’s just a pick-up counter where you order for taking out.

The staff are friendly and know what they’re doing. I got a Hawaiian Pizza ($7), which was hot and tasty.

If you want to spruce up your takeout dinner, Little Caesars also has dips, drinks, and their famous Crazy Bread.

Last thoughts: Little Caesars is always my first choice for takeout pizza. Their prices are better than most pizza places in town, and I don’t have to wait for the delivery guy.

Food ++++
Service ++++
Ambiance +++

A&W #1323
422 McKnight Blvd NE
Calgary AB  T2K 6A6
Phone: 403 271 6552

On a recent Saturday, I decided to drop into A&W for a dinner break between running errands. It was 7:30 pm, and the only other customers were seated at two tables.

It was some time before the server noticed me - he was busy cleaning the floors. He washed his hands, then proceeded to take my order with the best efficiency I’ve observed at an A&W Restaurant.

This A&W is right between Deerfoot Trail and Centre Street, basically on the corner of Edmonton Trail. It was clean and pleasant, and I spotted some newspapers for customers to read.

My Mama Burger, fries, and root beer were ready in a pinch. The fries were hot and still glistening with oil. I don’t see that often at A&W, which means that these were fresh off the fryer.

The burger was also hot and fresh. It seemed to have more onions than usual, but the taste was right.

Last thoughts: This A&W is not very busy, which is nice if you’re looking for a place to wind down. It’s easy to reach from the main traffic routes, and the staff are well trained. This A&W will stay on the list of the locations I like.

Food ++++
Service ++++
Ambiance ++++
Washrooms +++

Away We Go is a movie about Burt (John Krasinski) and Verona (Maya Rudolph). Burt and Verona are a bit different from most of us, and now they are expecting a child.

Verona is hoping to get help from Burt’s parents - who live nearby - when the baby is born. However, as it turns out, Burt’s parents will finally fulfill their lifelong dream - moving to Belgium - just a couple of months before her due date.

So Burt and Verona go on a trip in search of a place to raise their future baby. They want to be close to people they know, so they visit old friends and co-workers, who unknowingly demonstrate a series of lessons about life, love, and raising children.

This movie brings a fresh, unusual perspective in a smart and funny package. You will laugh and smile from beginning to end.

Last thoughts: Away We Go is a movie that far surpasses the trailer. It’s smart, funny, and touching, all in the right amounts and in the right places. Go see it today, because you’ll have to at some point, when everyone is talking about it.

Check out the Away We Go movie trailer. I know you’ll want to see it!

Genre: Comedy, Drama (2009)
Length: 98 min
Rating: R
Story ++++
Cast ++++
Humor ++++

McDonald’s, Shepard Crossing
109-522 130 Ave SE
Calgary AB  T2Z 0G4
Phone: 403 221 7599

This McDonald’s restaurant is just a bit inside the 130th Avenue SE area, across the street from Safeway and close to Home Depot.

This McDonald’s looks quite fancy. It has a fireplace, leather chairs, and nice booths. There is a PlayPlace for kids housed in a separate room.

They did make one big mistake with this McDonald’s. There is almost no room between the entrance and the counter, so at lunch time the line backs up all the way outside. McDonald’s should have planned for more space to contain the lunch crowd.

Staff here does not appear to be the smartest, which leads to longer waits than you’d expect at McDonald’s. Lucky for us, the food quality does not suffer.

Last thoughts: This McDonald’s has good food and an almost classy ambience. However, do I really want to wait in that line? I think that will depend on what time I get there.

Food ++++
Service +++
Ambiance ++++
Washrooms +++

The Old Spaghetti Factory
2nd Floor Cascade Plaza
317 Banff Ave
Banff AB  T1L 1J7
Phone: 403 760 2779

Going to Banff always brings up the question of where to go for food. This time I decided to go for dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory.

The Old Spaghetti Factory is on the second floor of the Cascade Plaza mall. A lot of thought and care went into the interior decor, which I really enjoyed looking at while dining there.

When I got there around 6 pm on Sunday, it was busy but I had no problem getting a table.

The nice thing about The Old Spaghetti Factory is that they offer a complete meal for a not-bad price. For about $15, you get soup or salad, an entree, a side dish, ice cream, and coffee or tea.

My drink arrived with complimentary bread and garlic butter, and who can resist warm buttered bread?

I ordered the New York Steak, not with a side of spaghetti but with a side of fries. The starter salad came less than a minute after I ordered. The salad was not too bad but obviously not freshly prepared. Some of the lettuce leaves were frozen, which is common in restaurants that prepare salads beforehand and keep them chilled.

The main-course New York Steak looked pretty good, but I ordered medium-well and got medium-rare. I left it at that and tried to enjoy it anyway. The cut of meat was not the best. It had some fat, which I didn’t mind, but the rest was almost impossible to chew. Actually the whole steak was extremely tough. Thankfully, the fries were the thick-cut and tastily seasoned.

For dessert I chose the Spumone Ice Cream with Peppermint Tea. Again this only took a minute to arrive. The tea was very good, but the ice cream I could have done without. At first I thought it had some pistachio bits (spumone is supposed to have pistachios), but they turned out to be ice crystals.

I needed a washroom break, so I went through the door marked “Restrooms” and found myself standing in the mall. The Old Spaghetti Factory does not have its own washrooms, so you’ll have to use the ones in Cascade Plaza.

Last thoughts: The Old Spaghetti Factory provided great service but ho-hum food. Maybe one shouldn’t expect much for $15, but the meal was nonetheless below par. With my pick of restaurants in Banff, you won’t find me back in this one. Elsewhere for the same price, I can get tastier food and go without the “free” starter and dessert. Look at your other options in Banff before you walk into The Old Spaghetti Factory.

Food +++
Service ++++
Ambiance +++++
Washrooms +++

The story of Bewitched centers on Isabel (Nicole Kidman) and Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell).

Isabel is a witch who is trying to have a normal life. Jack is an actor who has made terrible movie choices in the past and is now trying to get back in the game.

Jack is planning a remake of the television show Bewitched. Of course he needs the perfect co-star, but he doesn’t want a famous person to steal the show away from him. Then he accidentally runs into Isabel.

Isabel is casted for the TV series and the “fun” begins.

Last thoughts: It’s disappointing to find out that Bewitched was written by Nora Ephron (who wrote You Got Mail). The premise is nice, but her screenplay failed to make the story funny or interesting. The result was not worth my time. Granted, there are some funny parts and the cast is good, so if you’d like you can watch Bewitched and let us know what you thought.

Genre: Romantic comedy (2005)
Length: 102 min
Rating: PG-13
Story ++
Cast ++++
Humor +++

Joey’s Only Seafood, Motel Village
2120 Crowchild Trail NW
Calgary AB  2TM 3Y7
Phone: 403 284 4968

Joey’s Only Seafood Restaurant in Motel Village is nicely situated next to the pedestrian overpass from McMahon Stadium and just meters away from the Banff Trail CTrain Station.

The interior has a pleasant ambiance. It is a small space that manages to contain a good number of tables, and there’s a large aquarium in the center for your viewing pleasure.

Service at this Joey’s is always a bit rushed and not too friendly, but the staff do what they’re supposed to do, which is enough for me.

I have no complaints about the food. Joey’s Seafood has some of the best fish & chips - crispy, not too greasy, just enough batter. Go for the two-piece meal, because I can’t imagine anyone being able to finish three pieces of fish. Joey’s also has the best tartar sauce, which is supplied in a big squirt bottle at each table.

On Tuesdays Joey’s has all-you-can-eat fish & chips for $9.99, so if you’re famished you can fill up on tasty fish and fries for a bargain.

Sometimes Joey’s offers a fish-&-chips platter with one piece each of pollock, haddock, and halibut, so that you can decide which one you like best. In my experience, all three are delicious.

If you’d like a departure from regular potato fries, you can subsitute sweet potato fries. Joey’s does them very well - hot and crisp - and serves them with a lime mayonnaise dip. Joey’s sweet potato fries are so good, I could live on them.

Last thoughts: Joey’s is one of my favorite restaurants, and I’ve yet to have a bad experience in the times I’ve frequented Joey’s. It’s a cozy, affordable place for fish & chips and other seafood.

Food +++++
Service +++
Ambiance ++++
Washrooms ++++

21 is a movie in which Kevin Spacey plays an MIT professor who leads a secret life that involves bright students and big-time gambling.

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a very bright MIT student who also got accepted into Harvard, but somehow he has to scrape together enough money to pay for everything. He could win a prestigious scholarship, but the chances of that are slim, so he toils away at a clothing store until his logical brain catches the attention of his Statistics professor (Kevin Spacey). The professor invites Ben into a room with college students who are, inexplicably, counting cards.

That’s where I’ll leave you to discover the rest of this intriguing story.

21 will keep you glued to the screen and in suspense till the very end.

Last thoughts: 21 was great viewing from beginning to end. I would not hesitate to watch it a second time. The cast is very strong, and Spacey deftly keeps the story going. Get yourself the 21 DVD and enjoy it!

Genre: Drama
Story ++++
Cast +++++

A&W #1388
2608 39 Ave NE
Calgary AB  T1Y 7J9
Phone: 403 291 0210

Next to Barlow Trail, just south of McKnight Boulevard, you’ll find this A&W Express. I wonder how an A&W Express is different from a “normal” A&W?

This A&W has a nice layout with enough seating and probably a bit more privacy than most other fast-food restaurants. The decor, as with any A&W, has lots of orange, which really cheers you up.

The lady who served me was very friendly and helpful. My Teen Burgers were ready in no time.

I have no complaints about the taste, but the patty was not hot enough. It was just warm-ish, such that the cheese on top did not even melt.

Last thoughts: This A&W Express has a great location with lots of parking, and it’s just minutes away from the Calgary International Airport. Too bad I was turned off by the lukewarm beef patty. Next time I wouldn’t avoid this place, but I would consider other food outlets first.

Food ++
Service +++++
Ambiance ++++
Washrooms +++