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| - My wife and I had dinner at Avec tonight to celebrate our 3rd anniversary together, and as this is a new restaurant that had not been reviewed much in the local food press, I was a bit hesitant to try it. However, after inquiring about the owners and chef, I decided to try it out, especially that it is just around the corner from our place. First, upon entering, the staff was very welcoming and the setting was nice and modern but unpretentious unlike many over-sophisticated and supposedly-hip new places catering to the oil and gas Calgary elite. After being served some sparkling water (a super deal at $1 per person, all you can drink), we started with a plate of refreshing grilled asparagus with oyster mushrooms and shaved Comté cheese, and a remarkable beef tartare with Dijon mustard, crispy shallots and slightly cooked egg yolk, over thin croutons. The meat was fresh and not too finely chopped so its consistency was as it should, not like hamburger meat. For main, we shared an excellent bouillabaisse served with toast and a little rouille (I would have loved a bit more of it...), followed by a duck confit with white beans and spinach and stewed cherries. The bouillabaisse was surprisingly very good and well seasoned, so good that we completely cleaned the plate with excellent baguette. I spent five years in Provence between Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence, and I can safely say that the bouillabaisse we had tonight would not disappoint a real marseillais. Indeed, it was so tasty that we thought the duck confit that followed would be a little bland, but as a matter of fact, it was not the case. The tartness of the cherries complemented well the richness of the duck, which was very tender and cooked to perfection. To finish off, we shared a delicious vanilla crème brulée which was rich without being overly sweet, so that it contrasted well with the hard caramel.layer on top. Even the coffee, a simple Americano with a rich crema, was surprisingly good, indeed much better than the brew served at most upscale coffee houses in town.
Overall, the setting was nice and trendy (and as a bonus during the Stampede, there were no haystacks, wooden fences or cowboy hats...), the menu offers a good selection, the food was excellent, the portions were satisfying, the service was prompt, courteous and friendly, and the prices were just perfect. We will be back!
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