JOEY EVOLVES WITH THE TIMES
Chinook outlet sports new rustic chic look as the popular chain celebrates 25 years
Like Earls, Joey keeps abreast of restaurant trends — it doesn’t set them but is savvy in staying at the front of the pack. If compressed sushi becomes a thing in trendy restaurants, it’s on Joey’s and Earls’ menus within months. Fish tacos? Lettuce wraps? Gyoza dumplings? Butter chicken? All buzz-worthy dishes; Joey does them all.
At the kitchen helm is equally savvy executive chef Chris Mills, a Canadian Bocuse D’Or competitor and a chef with serious chops. Now 18 years into his tenure with Joey, Mills creates recipes that are achievable for chefs across the group, dishes that have broad appeal and currency, and dishes that have some variation for the region they’re in. His dishes work.
Joey keeps up with trends on the beverage side, too, with cocktails coming to the fore lately and a solid wine list, including some very good wines on tap.
To help celebrate Joey’s silver anniversary, The Chinook Joey, which opened in 2003, has undergone a big makeover. Gone are the separate spaces for lounge and dining room and the dark entrance area.
A popular look in 2003, the dim, private surroundings have given way to the current open concept that combines dining and lounging into one large, bright area. Separated by a large, oval, quartz-topped bar, the new Joey has fresh, leather- clad booths along with highlights of wood and brick. A vintage neon sign brightens one corner and new lighting adds a gentle glow to the room. It’s a combo of rustic and chic that works in 2017.
What still works, and which hasn’t changed, is Joey’s rooftop patio. A workout for the staff who lug the food up a long flight of stairs from the main-floor kitchen, the patio remains an oasis of semi-calm amid the hubbub of Chinook Centre.
Joey Chinook also remains a big food and beverage employer with more than 50 kitchen staff and 90 service staff during the summer months. With more than 300 seats upstairs and down, a lot of staff are needed.
So, after only 90 days of renovations, Joey Chinook has a new look and a refreshed menu and is ready to take on the next 25 years.
NEW FOOD DELIVERY GROUPS COME TO CALGARY
A couple of meal delivery groups have arrived in Calgary recently, allowing us to dine at home on more than just pizza and Chinese takeout.
UberEats, brought to us by the ever-expanding Uber folks, works through an app. Load the app and you’ll have access to more than 70 local restaurants. Order your meal and an Uber driver will have it to your door pronto. UberEats includes a broad cross-section of restaurants, including Workshop Kitchen, Burger 320, Tuk Tuk Thai and all the restaurants of the Teatro Group.
UberEats delivers to the core of the city with boundaries of 32nd Avenue in the north, 37th Street in the west, Deerfoot Trail in the east and 50th Avenue in the south.
Joining the delivery business is DoorDash, which operates in more than 300 cities in the U.S. Headquartered in San Francisco, DoorDash has recently expanded north, launching in Toronto and Vancouver and now Calgary.
DoorDash is also app driven and in Calgary includes Holy Grill, Kona Poke, Freshii, Burger 320 (again) and the Creative Group restaurants including Bonterra, Cibo and Scopa. Your selection of restaurants will vary with your address and the delivery radius of the participating restaurants.
RAIL CAR DINING AT HERITAGE PARK
For those who like to get out of the house for a bite, The River Forth Dining Car is up and rolling at Heritage Park. Every Tuesday through Aug. 29, the beautifully restored CPR dining car serves up lunch while you roll around Heritage Park. Lunch is $140 for two plus GST and park admission. (Reduced gate prices are offered to those with reservations.)
The lunch consists of a glass of wine, an appetizer, a choice of entree – filet mignon with Bordelaise sauce or seared chicken with spinach roulade – dessert and coffee or tea. The River Forth seats 36 and fills up quickly. It can be booked at 403-268-8500.
There are many other dining options around Heritage Park including Selkirk Grille, which recently launched a tasty new menu under executive chef Leighton Smyth’s direction. (No park admission is needed to dine at Selkirk Grille.)