Forget the slow food movement – foodies are now talking about Rush eating. (As in the new fine dining restaurant and lounge that’s garnering gourmet buzz in the C-spot.)
Hot off their success with the Redwater Grill and Vintage Chophouse, the Vintage Group brings us this 9 Ave. beauty. It’s posh. It’s pretty. It’s an excuse to avoid penny-pinching (what global financial crisis?).
Dainty little purse holders so we can discreetly dangle our handbag at the table’s edge? Check. Private wine lockers? Check. Water that’s “made” in-house with Canada’s first FRESH water filtration system? Double-check – there are still and sparkling variations.
Beyond the high-end details, the real star is the food; BC-born, world-renowned Chef Justin Leboe, backed by a master sommelier formerly of Capo, pairs North American delicacies like Spring Creek beef and St. Canut milk-fed-pigs (Google them if you’re not impressed) with produce from local farms. Small and large plates are available a la carte ($9-$17) in the lounge; we chose to indulge in the tasting menu ($85, plus $45-60 for wine pairings) in the more formal, cell phone-free main room. What warrants special mention? The French toast with seared foie gras starter ($10 additional cost to the prix fixe dinner).
If we do need to start saving, we could always stop in for lunch ($30-$38).
Rush Restaurant
www.rushrestaurant.com
100, 207 9 Ave. S.W.
403-271-7874