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| - In May of 2015, Last Best Brewing & Distilling opened their doors to Calgary. Since then there's been a lot of positive reaction and hype, so I've been very excited to check it out! And well... now I have! First off let me just say, I'm impressed! I formerly knew this space as primarily the Amsterdam Rhino (it was also formerly shared by Brew Brothers Brewing Company and District Urban Tavern), and I could not believe how much they turned the place around. The former space was dark, dingy and overall unimpressive. What it is now is simply beautiful; it incorporates shades of rustic and industrial in a modern way that truly feels Albertan, overall it's warm, inviting and offers a lot to look at!
Arriving on a Friday afternoon after work it was extremely busy, I was impressed that they had incorporated tablets for a modern booking system that would send a text when a table was available. We had them put our names in and headed over to the bar where we decided to stay. The hostesses weren't very friendly and kind of gave off an arrogant vibe, I don't know why, but it always seems like the new hot spots in town attracts this unattractive personality where people think they're a big deal and don't have to be polite just because of where they work, but anyways... I digress. The seating inside was very charming and bright, everything is new and shiny! One thing my eyes were immediately drawn to is their courtyard patio, gorgeous outdoor spot! I definitely hope to be on it before summer ends! Instead we were seated where the action happens, at the bar. Their beer tap handles, rinsers, spill-area and overall bar top area were well kept and maintained, always happy to see good cleanliness habits!
Their drink menu features all their in-house brewed beers, don't expect any of your conventional beer choices here. I'm not a big beer snob, but I still had to go with the beer flight of course ;). Their beer names are great and all six of the choices I had were good and had something different to offer. The IBU ratings were a nice touch as it gave me good ground on where I should start and finish. I actually preferred the Show Pony Pale Ale and Caramel Latte Beer the most as I tend to enjoy lighter tastes for warm weather, the latter was especially delicious and had a great froth! They even did a wine flight which was great for my fiancée who has gluten restrictions, I haven't seen these kinds of sampler trays for wine elsewhere, very welcome surprise. I would love to see a gluten-free beer on tap eventually though.
I was also impressed by the food menu that has a local/Albertan flare to it, they even share their story/name that explains the "Last Best" being based off "The Last Best West" campaign that drew immigrants to western Canada, very cool! The food selection was moderate, prices a tad high but the choices they do have are quite unique and true to Alberta. I had the Knuckle Sandwich with fries and my fiancée had the Grilled Romaine Salad. There was some items that mentioned specifically being gluten-free as well, more reason for that gluten-free option on tap lol! The sandwich was just okay for me, it was well balanced but it felt like it was missing something or was just too light on something that would bring it all together. Good fries. The Grilled Romaine Salad was awesome (I finished off my fiancée's leftovers, hehe)! Who knew some grill and char to romaine lettuce could make such a different?! Great flavours that worked awesome together, I really enjoyed the ale mustard dressing as well.
The bartender was average, didn't add much to the experience and wasn't very personable. Managers didn't really engage any tables/customers. The best employee I saw was actually a porter who was working non-stop and always smiling! To sum: Great new restaurant/pub for Calgary, quite happy with this one! Has all the right ingredients to be a huge success, just hope the staff gets a bit better. I'll definitely be back!
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