For the Love of...: ...Chop Steakhouse & Bar (Calgary)

Overall - 8/10
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Food - 7.5/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 9/10

Why go to Chop?  Two words: Prime Rib.  More on that below...

Chop Steakhouse & Bar is located at the former Joey Tomato's, attached to Chinook Mall.  Service is friendly and the decor is modern and cozy.  Chop has good drink specials, ranging from cocktails to Kronenbourg on tap.

For appetizers we've tried the Coconut Lime Mussels which as the name implies is cooked with coconut sauce with shallots, garlic, and a coconut cream sauce.  The sauce was too thick, almost cheese-like in texture and seemed to contain some pureed vegetable matter (lemongrass? ginger?).  It was one of the rare times we didn't feel like using the bread to finish up the remaining sauce.  

The Ahi Tuna Pillars was wrapped in phyllo and sesame noodles, deep fried and served with wasabi aioli and citrus salsa.  We thought this was a creative preparation of the tuna but we had our doubts about how all the ingredients would come together.  However, to our surprise, the flavours and textures complemented each other well.

The Bourbon Glazed Chicken Wings had good flavour, but did not seem to be at its freshest.

We had no complaints with the French Onion Soup- onion-y and cheese-y.  Good stuff.

We've also tried the Smoked Rib Eye served with bbq sauce (on the seasonal menu).  The smoked flavour went well with the rib eye and was cooked perfectly.  If I hadn't tried the prime rib, this would have been more than satisfactory.    

Their prime rib is most definitely the best thing on their menu.  So far, the best prime rib we've ever had, and that is saying a lot.  Compared to other steakhouses, Chop's prime rib is the most flavourful, tender, evenly cooked and the best value.  A large, which is about a 16 oz, is only $29.95.  The server informed us the prime rib is made fresh daily, slowly roasted over a long period of time, which explains how evenly the meat is cooked.  The problem with other prime rib we've had is that the meat seems to be water-logged and insipid.  This on the other hand, was moist, and had concentrated beefy flavour in every bite.  A nice touch is the freshly grated horse radish and the side of light, crispy fries.  

If you ever find yourself at Chop, the prime rib is the way to go.  Forget about saving room for dessert, get the large prime rib and you'll be happy you did.  

If you know of a place with better prime rib, let us know!