Feast your heart out

Restaurants & Featured Dishes 2025

The screen fades, the page turns, and the table is set. This year, we’re blurring the lines between story and supper, as Calgary’s most imaginative chefs bring their favourites to life. Not as nostalgia bait. But as full-bodied, flavour-forward interpretations of the meals we’ve always craved, from cult classics to guilty pleasures.

Chef Jeremy Ouellette

I Ate His Liver With Some Fava Beans and a Nice Chianti

There’s something quietly terrifying about Lecter — cultured, articulate, and always in control. That tension between civility and savagery inspired Chef Jeremy’s take on The Silence of the Lambs, expressed through a hauntingly elegant risotto layered with fava bean pesto, Parmigiano, butter, delicate fava leaves, and a rich foie gras mousse — soft, indulgent, and just unsettling enough. Try it if you dare.

Chef Joseph Lavergne

Spaghetti Il Padrino

Just when you thought you were out, it pulls you back in. Inspired by the timeless Italian-American Classic The Godfather, it’s everything you want in a Sunday family meal… minus the drama. Chef Joseph puts his spin on a Corleone-approved tribute with tender veal meatballs, pork sausage, and a red wine tomato sugo that simmers with tradition. Finished with Grana Padano and olive oil, this dish is an offer you can't refuse.

Chef Jack Coetzee

Goodfellas Prison Pasta

A scene straight out of the mob movie canon, Chef Jack Godfellas brings cinematic swagger to the plate — proof that even behind bars, you can cook like a king. Linguine is tossed in a slow-simmered tomato and garlic sauce, finished with slices so thin they melt in the pan, just like Paulie taught us. It’s crowned with sausage or steak, torn basil, and a drizzle of good olive oil. No shortcuts. No flash. Just soul, tradition, and borderline obsession.

Chef Artem Bavolskyi

Prawn Bisque Spaghetti

Taking a page straight from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child’s iconic prawn bisque gets a pasta-centric twist from Chef Artem. Rich and buttery, this autumn comfort dish pairs spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, chili breadcrumbs, and a swirl of white wine–infused sauce that simply says bon appétit.

Chef John Beddoes

Spaghetti alle Vongole

Inspired by Tampopo, the 1985 Japanese “ramen western” with its unforgettable lesson in spaghetti etiquette, Chef John channels the scene into a hand-rolled pasta built with BC Manila clams, fermented chili powder, and white wine. It’s a dish that calls for restraint. Bring your very best table manners. And definitely don’t ask for parmesan.

Chef Mikko Tamarra & Chef Hayme Tallis

Nonna’s Sunday Gravy

Inspired by the so-bad-it’s-heartwarming 2025 comedy Nonna’s, where a grieving son opens a restaurant staffed entirely by Italian grandmothers, Chefs Mikko and Hayme serve up pure pasta nostalgia. Their ricotta gnocchi with Italian chorizo ragu, apple, and pecorino comes with enough love to make Nonna proud — even if she’s yelling at you from the kitchen. It’s comfort food with a twist.

Chef James Waters

Chowder di Vongol

A creamy, briny tribute to Melville’s Moby-Dick — and the chowder chapter that launched a thousand cravings, Chef James serves up a nautical homage that’s equal parts comfort and classic. This Italian-style reimagining of New England clam chowder features linguine, clams, a velvety potato-leek sauce, pancetta crumbs, fresh parsley, and lemon. It’s warm, sea-kissed, and subtly smoky. A worthy supper for sailors, scholars, and pasta lovers alike.

Chef Ethan Campbell

Timballini alla Bolognese

Inspired by Big Night and Chef Ethan's own journey through Italian kitchens, this dish captures the soul of the original timpana — not in scale, but in spirit. Three crispy, golden bites hold ditalini, slow-cooked beef and veal bolognese, peas, and molten fontina. Served with bright marinara, Grana Padano, and a whisper of chive. Smaller in size, but with all the heart of Primo and Secondo’s feast.

Chef Mike Pigot

Timpano alla “P&B”

Grana Padano & Rosé Pasta “Pressé,” layered with Italian sausage, béchamel, crushed tomato, and a semolina crisp, then finished with a golden egg yolk gelée. Inspired by Big Night, the Stanley Tucci classic, Chef Mike crafts a tribute to creative risk, culinary roots, and the joy of feeding others. Or as Pat & Betty says, “gustant statim” — once they taste.

Chef Dean Fast

Dinner at Dorsia

The infamous Dorsia comes to life in this sinister spin on one of cinema’s most iconic dinner obsessions. Inspired by American Psycho and the elusive elite restaurant that haunts Patrick Bateman’s ego, Chef Dean presents squid ink salmon ravioli adrift in Lelom thyme broth and beet juice. It’s a dish as dark and refined as Bateman’s designer suit.

Chef Kristen Livingston

Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

Inspired by the Two Towers chapter of The Lord of the Rings, Chef Kristen reimagines Samwise’s fireside stew as a cozy plate of Poplar Bluff gnocchi, braised Farming Worx rabbit, Alberta root vegetables, and herb butter. No gnocchi in Middle-earth? No problem. The essentials are all here — just upgraded with a little Shire-meets-chef energy. No need to journey to Mordor for a proper meal.