For the Love of...: ...Rodney's Oyster House (Calgary)

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

We're suckers for a good seafood feast. In years past when a special occasion rolled around we often chose to celebrate at Red Lobster with their 'Ultimate Feast' chock full of lobster, crab, scallops and shrimp all on the same plate. Since then we've had the pleasure of dining at some amazing seafood restaurants (see Ship on the Shore, Edinburgh and Hog Island Oyster Co., San Francisco).  Part of me still craves that buttery plate of seafood, but I think our tastes have matured.  Thankfully Rodney's Oyster House has opened up a new location in Calgary and more upscale seafood eats are now easier to be had than ever before.

We couldn't resist the 'Captain's platter' which included steamed half lobster, crab claws, prawns, oysters and potted mussels. The oysters were extremely fresh and just as good as those we had recently at Hog Island. The crab claws were served with a delicious lemon mayonnaise while the lobstar and prawns were steamed to perfection. The potted mussels were our surprise favourite on the platter, being pickled in a mixture of butter, lemon and dill.

The clam chowder was rich, creamy and bursting with large chunks of clam. It was a great warming dish to follow up the chilled seafood platter and something we are sure to crave when the temperatures dip.

Our next shared dish was the Haida candy which is a sweet cured and smoked salmon served with house pickles. The chunks were on the large side and a bit of a mouthful to chew since the curing and smoking process made for a pretty dense piece of fish.  Despite wishing the pieces were sliced thinner,  the flavour of the smoked fish was delicious.

The main courses are conviently offered in half and full sizes allowing your to try a number of dishes. We chose the seared scallops which were served with simple sauteed spinach, cauliflower, tomatoes and mushrooms. The Fundy scallops were as fresh as can be and their flavours shone through without the need for any sauces or special seasonings.

We really enjoyed our experience at Rodney's and most appreciated the careful and respectful treatment of their wonderfully fresh selection of seafood.