Photoless Review - Vero

(Mostly) Cross-Posted from Calgary is Awesome.

So I haven't updated in three weeks and now I'm going to tell you that I forgot my camera so there will be no photos for this entry? Yeah, I'm sorry. I fail at blogging :( **EDITED 09/20/09 TO ADD PHOTOS FROM A RECENT TRIP**

A friend of mine who reads the blog wanted to join me on one of my "food adventures", so we compared schedules and found a free spot this evening. I had a small list of places that I thought him and I might enjoy, and after a bit of discussion we decided to head to Vero, an "Italian fusion" bistro in Kensington, next to awesomejames's Fiasco Gelato.

We didn't have a reservation and the hostess was ready to turn us away when the waiter noted that there was one table that hadn't shown up and it was half an hour past their reservation already, so he was able to "squeeze us in". (Yay!)

The restaurant is done up in a bold black, white and red colour scheme that give it a clean, almost impersonal modern look that somehow seems to warm up over the course of the night as the space fills with people and conversation. The chairs are also more comfortable than they look - my dining companion sat down, leaned back, and rocked...

Vero is owned by the brother-and-sister duo of Frankie and Jenny Chan, but you wouldn't have if not for the subtle Asian accents - all the candleholders bear the logo of Goods of Desire, a popular home decor store in Hong Kong, and the sauce for our appetizer, mushrooms and escargot with a parsnip purée ($12), reminded me of Chinese black bean sauce with its garlicky savouriness.


We were originally lured to Vero for their "Three Course Sundays" special, where you get three courses for $39. (They also have a three-course lunch special for $15.) When the hostess explained it to us it sounded like more food than we could handle, so we opted to share the aforementioned starter and ordered our own mains. I had the risotto with Nova Scotia scallops ($27) which came with some of my favourite things - there were little bits of butternut squash, which cut through the saltiness of the risotto and the garlicky pesto (!) with its earthy sweetness. The scallops were big, juicy and plentiful and the entire dish was topped with greens (mâche?) and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar. Still, I felt the dish was lacking a certain je-ne-sais-quoi, though I enjoyed it nonetheless and managed to clean my plate, sopping up the last remnants of sauce with my scallops.

My friend was originally gunning for the ahi tuna, but then he saw that the Stuffed Chicken ($26) was stuffed with Medjool dates (among other things, like mascarpone cheese and mushrooms) and ordered that instead. He was slightly disappointed that the chicken appeared to be more "topped" than "stuffed" and that there were more mushrooms than dates, but he seemed to enjoy it anyway.

We didn't have room for dessert, though we were a little tempted by their chocolate fondue ($25), which is made with Valrhona chocolate, Baileys, Kahlua and Grand Marnier and served with fresh fruit, pound cake and burnt marshmallows for dipping. I was also impressed by their list of herbal teas, which boasted effects such as "lowering blood cholesterol" and "helps with digestion". Our bill did come with four tiny squares of Valrhona dark chocolate dusted with cocoa (two for each of us), served in a little yin-yang shaped dish. The first I tasted was soft and pliable with a hint of fruitiness, while the second was more solid and bitter. It was a wonderful way to cap off the meal, though if I'd had a little more room, I would've headed next door to pay awesomejames a visit :)


Vero
209 10 St NW
Calgary AB T2N 1V5
(403) 283-8988
Lunch: Tues-Fri 11:30-2; Sat-Sun 12:30-3. Dinner: Tues-Thu 5-Close; Fri-Sun 4:30-Close. Closed Mondays. Reservations recommended.