In this town, Escoba meant one thing: Food so good that at first bite you forget everything other than the word "ah." Our bellies were truly sad to see it go. 
Which is why we're so happy to announce that it's back! The tiny Euro-bistro disappeared this summer in the demolition of the Penny Lane building. Much to our delight, the owners have reopened in a nearby spot that's three times the size of their old digs.
It may be bigger, but it has the same cozy, country Italian feel we loved in the original. And the food - mama mia! The menu is mostly Mediterranean comfort dishes, like appetizers of goat cheese and roasted garlic ($11) and pomegranate "bbq" pork ($21), pls large entrees of grilled spring lamb chops ($21) and flatbreads with chorizo or smoked duck ($17). Every dish came with an oh-so-good suggested wine pairing from Escoba's extensive cellar.
For a real culinary lesson, we can't wait to try the five-course chef's tasting menu (available Tuesday thru Saturday, $85 without wine and $115 with wine). Until then, we'll settle for learning that escoba means "broom" in Spanish (too bad we're too busy cleaning our plates to remember).
Escoba
www.escoba.ca
624 8th Avenue SW
403-543-8911