Biking, Hiking and Fine Dining
We did not expect to find a fine dining experience in Canmore, Alberta but we found it at The Trough. Canmore is the home of the Olympic Nordic Center (used for mountain biking in the summer), hiking, rafting, horseback riding, brew pubs, family restaurants, coffee shops and main street shopping. If it had not been for my sister’s previous visit we would have overlooked The Trough simply because of its name and lackluster street view impression could make you think that it was a place that served lots of bacon.
In actual fact, the family owned Trough, serves fine food with great service and an attention to detail. The Trough is open for dinner 6 days a week (closed on Mondays) and reservations are highly recommended. We made ours well in advance and were glad that we did. The interior is wood and stone, dark like a steak house but with some contemporary touches. While we are still not sure we like the name the little pigs throughout are kinda cute.
We were treated to an amuse bouche to start – crispy phyllo pastry topped with carmelized onions, feta and crispy basil. It was a nice way to start the meal.
The presentation of every item was unique. The “Trough Bruschetta” ($14) was served on house-made bread with heirloom tomatoes, truffle oil, balsamic, basil and local farm smoked bacon and chèvre. The bacon was a little undercooked for our taste but the flavors were amazing!
I would drive back to just Canmore to have these again! The presentation of the “Fish Fish Nachos” ($14) alone is enough to make me want more. And they were so tasty! Salmon and some type of ceviche were layered between crispy wontons. A fresh fruit salsa was served on the side. The dish had some great spice to it and the combination of the spice and the fruit salsa was terrific.
There were only 7 main course selections on the day’s menu but they included something for everyone – a daily catch, ribeye, ribs, tenderloin, duck, lamb and a vegetarian option. I chose the Catch of the Day “Fresh BC Steelhead Trout” ($36). The presentation of the meal was again unique and exquisite and the flavors were amazing! The trout was seared and flaky with grilled asparagus and a tasty potato latka (pancake) underneath. The smoked hollandaise was absolutley delicious and the seared Grand Banks scallop was a nice bonus. The chips were un-necessary to the perfect dish but looked good. I would love to drive back to Canmore for the fish tacos and this trout.
My sister ordered the “Brome Lake Duck Breast” ($37) which was a bit of a leap for her, but she was happy that she did. It was oven roasted to perfection and served with a potatoes and asparagus wrapped in bacon. The maple-whiskey vinaigrette drizzled on the plate was very tasty too.
The chef’s feature of the day was “10oz Angus Reserve Ribeye Steak” ($40). It was topped with smoked garlic & rosemary portabella mushrooms and served with chips, roasted vegetables and a red wine jus.
The “Jerk Spice Alberta Baby Back Ribs” ($38) were fall off the bone delicious. They were served with pineapple salsa and a yam cupcake. The cupcakes was unexpected, different and pretty tasty. The citrus glaze was very good. Hats off to the chef for the sauces used in all of the meals.
The Trough is a must visit for fine dining in Canmore. The only downside was the lack of BC wine’s available (mainly USA and France on the list). It was a great place for us to break up the family visits (we were travelling with a group of 11 parents, siblings, nieces and nephews) to the pub, dairy queen, seven-11, Starbucks and the grocery store. Thanks to Grammy, Gramma and Grampa from letting Trina and Brian escape with us!
Jeff & Tara Ciecko of CK Golf Solutions write two blogs on their website, one is their 19th Hole Blog where they share personal experiences and the Biz Blog where they share business best practices and golf industry related opinions. They have owned CK Golf Solutions for 5 years and provide marketing, social media and business services to the golf and other industries.
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