Carino Riserva offers incredible service and their food is beyond amazing. We came here for my friend's birthday as a group of 5. You must make reservations as the dining room is small. It's open-kitchen concept so you can watch the chefs craft your masterpiece meal.
We started with the beef carpaccio and tuna poke and I had the duck confit with udon noodle soup. My table mates had the beef wagyu campanelle and duck breast. I have no complaints about any one of them! They also have seasonal specials written on the wall.
Fun fact: they use Sancho Japanese pepper powder in their duck confit broth and my partner learned this the hard way. While gulping his soup, he happened upon a sansho pepper "powder ball" and instantly had watery eyes and burning sinuses. Our server quickly inquired if he was OK, refilled his water and brought a scoop of gelato (on the house) to quench the heat. They joked about it to lighten the mood but also apologized.
We brought cake from outside for the birthday boy and after the staff sang "Happy Birthday" with us, our server surprisingly cut and plated slices for us, which almost never happens at any other restaurant. I was floored by the service and when we were the last ones to leave, the entire kitchen staff and servers followed us to the sidewalk and waved goodbye with many smiles and thank you's. This combination of hospitable service and great food is rare in Calgary. As a result, Carino deserves a spot in the Awesomest Restaurant That Almost Killed You Hall of Fame cause that's where they stand on my list.