World Vegetarian Day highlights just how vibrant and satisfying plant-forward dining can be.
At Olea Restaurant, culinary director Ryan Blackwell and his team craft dishes that showcase vegetables with the same care and creativity as any centrepiece on the menu.
In a city known for steak, you might think plant-forward food is hard to find. Thankfully, as we mark World Vegetarian Day on October 1, Calgary has plenty to offer vegetarian gastronomes. From restaurants with completely vegan menus like Hearts Choices, The Coup and Vegan Street, through to “beyond pasta primavera” offerings at steakhouses and family eateries choices abound for veggie diners. Check out this past article for some vegan suggestions!
This year, we visit a restaurant that’s found a sweet spot with a plant-forward menu with choices for meat-loving dining companions at Olea Restaurant in the city’s south west. Under the leadership of culinary director and co-owner Ryan Blackwell, Olea’s team has created a thoughtful menu with something for everyone.
“In honour of World Vegetarian Day, we’re proud to highlight our approach to plant-forward dining,” says Blackwell. “Where wellness isn’t about restriction or trend, but about celebrating fresh, seasonal ingredients and creating dishes that are as nourishing as they are satisfying, so guests can feel as good about what’s on their plate as they do enjoying it.”
And we did just that as we celebrated World Vegetarian Day a bit early. Here’s how we ate:
We kicked things off with a gorgeous, Golden Saffron Arrancini with fior di latte, arrabbiata tomato fondue and, of course, grana padano. While Olea’s Manchego Dates are legendary, we wanted to try something different this time and opted for the Tomato Bruschetta – a crispy grilled focaccia loaded with tomato jam, a zippy basil pesto, tangy pickled shallot and a unique, sweet mosto cotto.
Not wanting to miss out on any carbs, we dipped into the Crispy Potatoes with za’atar spice, sweet drop peppers (such a great touch), preserved lemon and a house-made tzatziki, which was delicious.
We opted for pasta and went with the Rigatoni, which was rich, creamy and delicious with saffron butter, pecorino romano, english peas, asparagus, artichokes and cured egg yolk. This dish offered no shortage of flavour and fresh ingredients.
Never ones to skip dessert, we went for the seasonal Saskatoon Berry Basque Cheesecake and the silky Dark Chocolate Mousse with whipped mascarpone, salted caramel and hazelnut praline. Yum!
With a great wine list and lots of local beer, Olea offers plenty to pair with your veggie-forward meal.
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