For the Love of...: ...Vero Bistro Moderne (Calgary)

Overall - 8.5/10
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Food - 9/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 8/10

Located in the heart of Kensington Vero Bistro is accessible from most parts of the city and in the summer a stroll through this neighbourhoods eclectic shops is a great way to work up an appetite. Upon being seated we ordered the taro/sweet potato chips right off the bat to tide us over until our dinner guests arrived. Served with a fresh tasting lemon aioli for dipping it was hard to save some chips for everyone else

We shared a couple of appetizers including the fried calamari with romesco sauce and hand made chicken tortellini with a wild mushroom sauce. Our favourite was the fried calamari which were some of the most light and crisp we've ever had. The romesco sauce had a sweet smokiness to it that may have come from roasting of the red peppers. It was an unexpected combination that really worked well.

The highlight of our main courses was the special of the evening; braised pork belly and seared scallops over risotto. Often times the pork belly we've had at other restaurants is over cooked rendering the meat dry and stringy. Tonight though, it was perfectly braised leaving enough fat and moisture in the meat to melt in your mouth. Served along side some giant seared sea scallops this dish really was the ultimate surf and turf.

Being a sucker for prime rib, I couldn't resist their 16oz slab of meat served with frites, Parmesan shavings and arugula. The beef was beautifully aged making it tender and intensely flavoured, a perfect match to the aged Parmesan shavings.

We also got to sample a bit of the seafood bouillabaisse that was hearty and satisfying with the abundant seafood.  

For dessert, we ordered the passionfruit creme brûlée and the chocolate mousse.  Both were exceptional, with the creme brûlée being our favourite because of the pop rocks that were hidden with the caramelized sugar.  The fizz was a surprising twist on an old favourite.

Overall Vero Bistro Moderne has shown great improvement since the first time we dined there almost a year ago.  The quality, taste, textures and presentation exceeded our expectations this time around.  We look forward to going back again soon.