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| - I wanted to want you-
I needed to need you -
Oh how I would have loved to love you.......
I have been waiting and wanting to dine here for some time. I dig everything about this place - the 'Gallo Nero' , the Black Rooster - the symbol of Chianti Classico in central Italy . The location next to the Stampede grounds , the funky little facade on 17th.
My timing was poor . Guests in from south of the 49th. Stampede . Rodeo in the morning and wagons in the evening . In between the chaos ....? fine Italian dining....?
For non-Calgarians Stampede is Christmas , Mardi Gras , the State fair of Texas and a Roman orgy -( think Caligula -not Caesar ), all rolled into one. The morning spent at the rodeo in 90F heat was all that you would expect and following the final bulls our stetson topped Budweiser fueled posse of 20 , adorned in boots , buckles , big hair and denim descended upon the 'black rooster'.
To their credit they did not bar the door. The tables had been arranged in advance and we were seated promptly -( all the better to get out in a timely so as not to miss the first wagon race)-- but service was slow , the wine glasses were refilled sporadically and the fixed menu seemed a little uninspired.
Now i get that the proprietor might be a little put off by the ' Western Wannabees' pounding Barolo in his fine dining establishment but , come on , this is Calgary during the Stampede not Teatro alla Scala during the Milanese opera season- ya gotta go with the flow.
We dined - We drank - we dashed back to the grounds . But something didn't feel quite right. Perhaps it is possible to enjoy Osso buco while downing fine northern Italian wine dressed like Porter Wagoner - but not here ....at least not on this night.
Three stars and a promise to try it all again soon , off Stampede season for a better read.
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