Summer is the perfect time to get in your car and explore Alberta. One of our favourite spots to spend a day is Banff. It also happens to be one of the most beautiful places on earth (and where we tied the knot!). In Banff, you'll find towering mountains, crystal blue lakes, majestic wildlife, and what you're all here for, some delicious food. After a day of hiking the mountains, or a weekend of camping, head into town for a bite - there's plenty of wonderful options to choose from.
One of our favourite restaurants in the town of Banff is Bear Street Tavern. Their tagline is "Ridiculously Good Pizza" - and we couldn't agree more! Bear Street Tavern serves up some of the best we've had anywhere. They have an extensive menu of creative thin crust pizzas and other classic dishes that make this a regular haunt for us in Banff.
A great start to any meal at Bear Street Tavern is with a salad. When it comes to salad, they don't mess around! Their salads are packed with delicious ingredients that are a delight for the senses. We chose the Roasted Carrot & Parsnip Salad, and it was loaded with spinach, arugula, goat cheese, pickled onions, walnuts, and maple dressing. Normally this salad comes with prosciutto as well, but we opted to get ours on the side. The salad really comes alive through the crunch of the walnuts and peppery bite of the arugula. The cheese gives it all a delicate saltiness and the flavour added by the roasted carrots and parsnips gives the salad some earthy notes that fit right in with the mountainous surroundings. We only ordered a half order, which was just the right size for the two of us to wet our appetite for the pizza.
Our first pizza was the 'Wheeler Hut', a delicious vegetarian pizza topped with wild forest mushrooms, pine nuts, mozzarella, truffle oil, pesto, and pizza sauce. Few vegetables are as delicious as wild mushrooms. They're so delicate, yet so packed with flavour that immediately transports you to nature. The mushrooms on this pizza shine through, and the light flavours of the truffle oil, pine nuts, and pesto really bring out the mushroomy goodness. Any time you mix wild mushrooms, pesto, and truffle oil, how could you possible go wrong?
Our second pizza was the Hawaiian. Normally, your typical Hawaiian pizza comes with ham and pineapple, and that's about it. This, however, is not your typical Hawaiian pizza. Bear Street Tavern substitutes the ham with pulled pork (and let's face it, anytime you substitute anything with pulled pork, you're already winning), and adds red peppers, caramelized onions, and BBQ sauce to it's deliciously roasted pineapple. It's like Memphis meets Molokai - the result: amazing, soulful flavour.
But wait - there's more! We haven't even gotten to our favourite thing about pizza at Bear Street Tavern! When you order a pizza, you also get bottles of honey and chili oil. The idea is to drizzle some on your plate, then dip your pizza before you take a bite. It's ingenious! The sweetness of the honey and the light spice and flavour of the chili oil really add a new dimension of flavour to every pizza. We liked this combo so much when we discovered it, we try to replicate it with any pizza we can get our hands on. Definitely make sure to try it when you visit Bear Street Tavern!
V's Final Word: Thanks to Bear Street Tavern, I have really taken to heart the idea of putting honey and chili oil on my pizza, especially honey. Near my work there is a cafe that also serves pizza. They have honey on the side (for their coffee and tea, of course), and on more than one occasion I have drizzled some on their pizza. I may get funny looks, but it is so worth it! Try it anytime - and especially at the Bear Street Tavern!
P's Final Word: Bear Street Tavern is also partnered with The Bison Restaurant and The Maple Leaf, both excellent restaurants in their own right, and each worth a visit. The Bison has an epic brunch on Sundays and the Maple Leaf is a bit more upscale, but every dish on their menu is a winner. The Maple Leaf is also a great spot for a wedding reception - we would know!
Price Range: $65 for two pizzas, a half salad, and some sodas.
Website: http://www.bearstreettavern.ca
Address: 211 Bear St, Banff, AB T1L 1A1