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BigTasteYYC, March 6-15, 2015, is a magical time in Calgary. Foodies and non-foodies alike can indulge in some of the city’s greatest culinary experiences. If your budget is wide, there’s $65 gourmet menus at select downtown restaurants, but for those of us who aren’t ready to spend $65 per person on a feast, there’s dinner menus at premier downtown restaurants for $35 and lunch menus for $25 or even $15!
Keen to indulge without hurting my pocket, I headed to Anejo for a 3-course lunch for $15.
Even before the food came, I was intrigued by the environment of the Mexican restaurant itself: a wall covered in shelves of tequila, skeleton dolls, hip seating arrangements, and a delightful contrast of a darker area and an open, bright area.
The first course was a choice between guacamole or salsa, an accompaniment to a bowl of
wonderful tortilla chips. Since I went with another person, he got guacamole and I got salsa so we could have the best of both worlds. The guacamole was a perfect combination of creamy and flavourful and refreshing, and (most importantly) was perfect dipping consistency (not too solid, not too runny). Although I generally am against anything at all spicy, the salsa still delighted me: yes it had a kick to it, but the freshness of it made me keep on dipping.
Tacos were the focus of the meal, with the option of either corn or flour tortillas, and the filling 
choices of lamb, pork, beef, chicken, fish, or vegetarian. I’m horrible at decisions, so I opted for one chicken and one beef. As we waited for our main course, I was tortured by the sight of others’ tacos being brought to their tables (pleasingly plated of course). Alas, I was able to bite into that flavourful, warm goodness. The meat was shredded and tender, the corn tortillas were the perfect flavour. Since I’m not a fan of hot stuff, I took off the spicy red peppers (I accidentally ate one by itself and learned their heat the hard way). It was only lunch, so 2 tacos was the perfect serving.
Dessert is always exciting in my eyes. Some would say “oh it’s just ice cream”. But no. It’s
gourmet gelato from Fiasco Gelato. There were so many choices, but in reality I’m quite sure any selection would have been amazing. I ended up getting the apple pie/crumble flavour, and oh my god I wish I had been given a never-ending bowl. The flavour was fresh and natural, and there were chunks of pie/crumble that took the scoop to a whole new level.
The waiters were very friendly and engaged, the dips and ice cream came in trendy wooden bowls… Really, the whole experience was wonderful. Sure, the meal wasn’t as complex as other Big Taste offerings, but overall I enjoyed both the food and the experience.
IÂ highly suggest you participate in Big Taste YYC, and furthermore, I suggest you make a stop at Anejo, whether for the Big Taste or for any other time you crave a bright food experience.
