Worth The Trip
The Iron Goat Pub & Grill
Aroma Authentic Mexican Cuisine
“40 percent of the people in Canmore eat gluten-free”, said Michael Leslie of the Iron Goat, on our first visit to this mountain dining spot. Why? Is it catching? “They don’t all have to”, he continued, “they choose to, so we offer all our dishes as gluten-free too. We tell our guests to look at the menu, decide what you want and we’ll make it happen to cater for any allergy”. This piqued our interest, so we deliberately ordered dishes that would normally contain wheat flour to see how they translated. Wow, we were not disappointed! Our shared appetizer of Bruschetta ($10.50) came half with smoked Brie and wild mushroom (creamy, smoky, cheesy and crunchy all at the same time) and half with balsamic tomatoes and feta (an explosion of flavours). Both were at the high end of comfort food. Our Smoked Wings ($12.95) were enough for a meal, with 9 giant finger-licking pieces and a zingy, creamy lemon pepper ranch dip, all dished up in a mini cast-iron skillet. We hardly had room for our mains, but gobbled them up anyway, Chef Adam Janisse would be proud! Blackened Chicken Carbonara ($18.25) was very generous, with tons of flavourful chicken and smoky house-cured bacon. Who would have guessed it was gluten-free? The Kobe ‘Oscar’ Burger ($16.75) is topped with lobster, blue crab and provolone: decadent and delicious, and came with the best fries! With food as good as this, superb service and attention to detail (even the candles are little miners’ lamps) - and did I mention the views? The Iron Goat Pub & Grill certainly deserves its title, “destination dining”.
When José Castillo, executive chef/owner of Aroma, opened his restaurant four years ago, it wasn’t his intention to cater to gluten-free diners. While it’s increasingly popular here, it’s a natural part of Mexican cuisine; in turn, Aroma has become a prominent venue for those excluding gluten from their diet. “In Mexico, we don’t eat flour – we don’t eat bread,” Castillo said, “we eat corn, it’s cheaper and available.” The lack of gluten certainly doesn’t translate to a lack of flavour. Perhaps it’s because nearly everything in the restaurant is house-made. “We don’t use canned beans or premade food, and we get almost everything locally,” Castillo said. Certain sauces, like the habanero-based ones used liberally at Aroma, are difficult to find and costly here, so Castillo imports them from Mexico. The menu has a great selection for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; including vegetarian options. Castillo’s, and his customers’, favourite is Charro Negro: a robust dish of fried eggs on a crisp corn tortilla, topped with black bean sauce, sour cream, and feta cheese. Paired with a side of hash browns and homemade chile seco (chiles roasted in oil), it is the epitome of hearty breakfast food. For a snack, try Ceviche Mazatlan, or the Aroma Apertivo: homemade tortilla chips, with black bean dip, spicy housemade salsa topped with chile seco, and creamy guacamole. Staying for dinner? Try Cochinita Pibil, pork tenderloin in achiote sauce with tortillas, rice, and vegetables. For an extra special experience, pair it with a shot of tequila as recommended by Castillo. There are twenty-two kinds of tequila on the bar shelf here. With an extensive cocktail list and a selection of Mexican beers, it is also the ideal venue for a street-side patio drink.
The Iron Goat Restaurant & Pub, 703 Benchlands Trail, Canmore, 403 609-0222 www.irongoat.ca reviewed by Linda Garson
Aroma Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 837 Main Street, Canmore (403) 675-9913 www.aromamexicanrestaurant.com reviewed by Stephanie Arsenault
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C UL INAIREMAGAZI NE. CA ● J UNE 2012