Restaurant Review: Posto Pizzeria and Bar

 

There has been a new trend building on social media. It seems everybody is taking food photos and posting them on instagram. I knew a lot of people did it, I’m one of them! But I didn’t realize how crazy this trend has gotten until one night when I saw my in-laws family all taking them. Yup, we’re in an interesting time. For a foodies and people like me, there is nothing better than others who want to share photos of their food. It really helps me decide what and where I want to eat. So when I saw people starting to post all the delicious dishes from Posto, a new restaurant in town, I couldn’t help but start imagining what I’d order when I went and it surely did not disappoint!
Atmosphere:  A relaxed atmosphere reminiscent of its sister restaurant Cibo with similar interior designs but with a more intimate setting. Perfect for those looking for something a little less boisterous and more laidback.

Price Range: Mid $10s - $20s

Food & Wine: I was extremely excited for the soft opening after seeing all the delicious photos on instagram for the last little while. It was really hard deciding what we were going to get, so we decided to go with something a bit light and work our way down the menu starting with the Mussels. They were served in a light broth seasoned with garlic, leeks, pancetta, a bit of chilies and topped with parsley.  I really enjoy leeks and love seeing them used in seafood dishes. The earthy mild onion flavours of the leeks brings out the brininess of the mussels when combined with the pancetta, gave the dish a level of depth in the dish. We also ordered a side of the exquisite Bonterra focaccia bread for dipping.

The Scallops were served shortly after. It was a beautifully plated dish.  The scallops themselves were seared perfectly with a nice translucent center.  It was a fun experience mixing and matching the different ingredients to find the right flavour combination. I enjoyed a bit of green apple, a little pistachio with my bit of scallop. I found the smoked ham hock along with the brown butter cauliflower to be a nice bite in itself and that the ham would slightly overwhelm the delicate scallop flavour, which is why I enjoyed the two separately. Definitely let the dish speak to you in terms of which flavours you’d like to combine.

 
Continuing our seafood courses, we had the Halibut next. Seared and served with polenta fries, celery root slaw and topped with green romesco (a spread made with green peppers, chilies, garlic and almonds). The fish was cooked to perfection, each section flaking off. No knife required here, but I did find that I wanted a bit more seasoning. I couldn’t stop eating the polenta fries though, they were extremely crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I could have used just a plate of those alone. The slaw itself was refreshing and a nice contrast to the polenta fries as a side.

Moving away from the lighter dishes, we had the Beef Crudo (same as a tartare), which is rare beef mixed with capers, shallots and garlic served with a fried egg on the side and crispy toasts.  You have to mix the fried egg in with the crudo so that the egg yolk is nicely combined. This enhances the creaminess of the beef especially when spread on the crispy toast.

 
I couldn’t wait to try the next dish, the Squid Ink Ravioli with Lobster and saffron cream. The pasta had a nice chewy texture and was perfectly al dente. When combined with the savory lobster filling featuring large chunks of fresh lobster, it was an explosion of flavour. I would definitely order this dish again.

Our last plate that evening was the Beef Cheek and Bone Marrow served with crunchy sunchokes and mustard greens. The beef cheek was phenomenal! The word tender doesn’t begin to describe how succulent it was. There is no need for a knife when enjoying this dish. Just scoop a bit of the marrow on top of the beef cheek and dig in with your fork. Its decadent and delightful, a perfect plate.

 
Pizza is a must when dining at Posto, where the pizza dough is truly the star making every pizza a great choice. The chewiness of the dough itself is always my favorite part and I always savor the crust. We had the Smoked Salmon Pizza topped with leeks, capers and crème fraiche that evening. The flavours reminded me of eating bagel and lox. I highly recommend this pizza to those that are looking for something a little less traditional on a pizza.
One thing I couldn’t pass up on was dessert, particularly when the server told us what the specials were that night. The Zeppole (little Italian donuts) were served with a sweet milk chocolate dipping sauce, reminding me of churros and chocolate. The zeppole itself is doughier with a soft exterior, perfectly paired to the silky milk chocolate sauce. I could have eaten a whole basket of these, luckily for me they only brought out taster. I’m glad somebody was looking out for me. They were also serving a traditional Cannoli filled with orange mascarpone cream. It tasted very light due to the twist of citrusy tang mixed in to the cream. The cannoli shell was crispy and nicely coupled with the crunch and flavour of the pistachios, a lighter end to a meal if you’re not in to heavy desserts.

They were providing a sampling of the different wines they had on hand that evening, starting with the Briccotondo Fontanafredda from the Piedmont region of Italy. A medium bodied wine featuring blackberries with cinnamon and pepper with a long slow finish. Next we had the Morellino di Scansano by Castello Romitorio, which is a blend of Cabernet and Sangiovese from the Tuscany region. Full of plum and cherry notes, medium bodied with a lingering finish, it was my favorite wine of the night. Finally we also got to taste the Surrau Sincaru made from cannonau grapes from the Sardinia region of Italy. It had bold earthy and spicy flavors, full bodied and long finish, definitely a wine to be enjoyed with a meaty dish.

My Picks: Beef Crudo, Squid Ink Ravioli, Beef Cheek and Marrow

Overall: After seeing the menu at Posto, I was glad to have a game plan because I wanted to order and try everything on the menu! So continue to post those delicious food photos instagramers! Helping everyone decide on what they need to eat because when you have a menu like Posto’s, that’s as delicious sounding as it tastes, we need all the help we can get.

Posto Pizzeria & Bar

1014 8 Street SW

Calgary, AB
(403)263-4876
Website: www.posto.ca

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