The bottom line in cooking is fun, says Squawma Kavanagh, executive chef at Township Bar & Grill on the main floor of Bow Valley Square in downtown Calgary. “It’s just fun trying to pull this part from one cuisine and marry it with this part from another cuisine,” he says. “If you can get some delicious fusion happening that doesn’t confuse people, it’s fun. Food is fun.”
When he got his first job cooking in a restaurant at the age of 16, the native New Zealander knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. After participating in culinary competitions and apprenticing in restaurant kitchens in his home country and in Europe, Kavanagh landed in Calgary where he continues to enjoy the challenge of tantalizing patrons' taste buds at Township.
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I recently had a business lunch here and was treated to great staff who knew the menu well. The food was great and even though it was not an offered product, they made me fresh brewed ice tea, simply because I asked if they had it. Great place for business or a nice place to go as a couple.
A small group of us were here for a birthday dinner on a Friday night. Food was ok but what prompted me to write this review was the horrible service from our waitress "S-Andrew". I had to ask for my drink 3 times before getting it, our table was cluttered with dirty dishes and glasses that weren't taken away. We even had to resort to drinking water by refilling our own water glasses. After complaining to the manager the first time, she must've asked other wait staff to clear our table. The poor guy had his tray full of dishes and glasses, we counted he came around 5 times...and he wasn't even done. We asked for our bill and it took "S-Andrew" exactly 49 mins to bring it with the 18% automatic gratuity tacked in. So now we are forced to pay a tip on the most horrible service we've ever received in Calgary, because we were under the guidelines of parties 8 or over - even though we were 7 adults and 1 baby in an empty restaurant?! My friend flagged down the manager the second time to voice his concerns on the auto tip for the lack of service we received and how we waited 49 mins for the bill. She blamed it on how the computer system is not capable of splitting the bill and she will waive the auto 18% tip. No apologies on why we didn't receive any service in an empty restaurant, and how long we had to wait for the bill after asking for it. None of us will ever go back, despite the fact that half of us used this restaurant for business lunches on a regular basis with subpar service. But this hideous experience is just beyond belief.
A small group of us were here for a birthday dinner on a Friday night. Food was ok but what prompted me to write this review was the horrible service from our waitress "S-Andrew". I had to ask for my drink 3 times before getting it, our table was cluttered with dirty dishes and glasses that weren't taken away. We even had to resort to drinking water by refilling our own water glasses. After complaining to the manager the first time, she must've asked other wait staff to clear our table. The poor guy had his tray full of dishes and glasses, we counted he came around 5 times...and he wasn't even done. We asked for our bill and it took "S-Andrew" exactly 49 mins to bring it with the 18% automatic gratuity tacked in. So now we are forced to pay a tip on the most horrible service we've ever received in Calgary, because we were under the guidelines of parties 8 or over - even though we were 7 adults and 1 baby in an empty restaurant?! My friend flagged down the manager the second time to voice his concerns on the auto tip for the lack of service we received and how we waited 49 mins for the bill. She blamed it on how the computer system is not capable of splitting the bill and she will waive the auto 18% tip. No apologies on why we didn't receive any service in an empty restaurant, and how long we had to wait for the bill after asking for it. None of us will ever go back, despite the fact that half of us used this restaurant for business lunches on a regular basis with subpar service. But this hideous experience is just beyond belief.
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A buzzy drinks-and-dining spot that’s popular with the office crowd, this eatery is located in Bow Valley Square. Township’s menu is the creation of chef Duncan Ly, formerly of Raw Bar and one of the city’s top chefs. Ly’s Big Taste dinner creation opens with onion soup prepared with red wine, herbs and gruyere. Following this rich warm-up course, enjoy Angus sirloin steak with potato gratin and veggies in béarnaise. Finish with chocolate mousse with berries and Chantilly cream. Three courses, $35.
View this Smart ListOn the lower level of Bow Valley Square, Township Bar & Grill features a lightly clubby, business-casual vibe that’s cheerful enough for an office celebration meal and handsomely low-lit to suit an easy-going business lunch. Created by locally renowned chef Duncan Ly, the lunch menu features a sandwich selection that includes a Kobe beef burger and baby-shrimp clubhouse. Hot entrees include sirloin steak and frites, wild mushroom pizza and chicken carbonara fettuccini.
View this Smart ListA relative newcomer to the downtown dining milieu, Township serves an array of crafty, contemporary comfort dishes that include buttermilk fried chicken mac and cheese to steak sandwiches and bison burgers. Also creatively comfortable, The Township Lamb Burger is a cuddly concoction that features an eight-ounce lamb patty sauced with mint chutney and topped with tomato, lettuce and arugula as well as goat cheese and garlic aioli. The bun? Brioche.
View this Smart List