3.5/4 ANEW is a gem in the quaint, charactered neighbourhood of Marda Loop/Garrison.
Would I recommend this? Yes - it brings excitement to the Calgary food scene. They use quality ingredients and present the food beautifully. The service is attentive and low-key. The staff are knowledgeable about the wine list. It's a nice venue for date night, a special event and corporate events. I wouldn't bring kids here though because it is quiet.
I love the ever changing menu and the incorporation of local and seasonal ingredients. I also love the location - lots of parking and mere minutes from my home!
I'm rating ANEW for me and my dining buddy's combined experience. My experience was a 4/5 whilst my guest's was a 3/5 - we purposely ordered different selections when there was opportunity to, off of the 5-course chef tasting.
Amazing were the liver parfait and lamb dishes. The liver was flavourful and well balanced with acidity. The lamb served two ways was exceptionally executed. The fattier section was caramelized well and the leg was cooked in such a way to bring out the tenderness and breakdown the tougher tissue. The soup, a veloute was salty and could have done without the nori sprinkle. The nori sprinkle made it overly Asian in undertone and when paired with the French-style soup, was a bit odd. The cavatelli pasta was solid but uninspired. This dish could have done without green onions. The fish, a halibut was over-seared like a browned scallop. It simply took away from the delicateness of the fish. The slice was not very thick so the proportion of browning to poached interior was a bit off. The chicken dish was also lack lustre. It reminded us of Chinese crispy chicken. Not something I want to eat at a French restaurant. Lastly, the cheese dish was fine and standard. I received a Parmesan, Brie and blue cheese with Apple-onion chutney with toasted sour dough. The chocolate pot de creme was too sweet for my taste. I may have enjoyed it as a 3pm snack when I could use a sugar boost.