Chef's signature: Enjoy these of-the-moment dishes

With many people happily eating out again, Calgary’s restaurant scene has been on fire. Over the past year a number of new and exciting hot spots have opened up, so there are plenty of new things to taste and enjoy this fall. Try out these signature dishes at some of the city’s most buzzed-about new restaurants.

Surfy Surfy Bar

Malls aren’t usually known for providing interesting locally driven food options, but Chinook Centre’s Surfy Surfy is a different kind of mall restaurant. Owned and operated by the Concorde Entertainment Group, the Southern California-inspired eatery looks and feels like a laidback (albeit impeccably designed) beachside taco shack. The restaurant’s burger is worth investigation, but the stars here are the tacos, all served individually so that flavours don’t unintentionally compete with one another. The fish taco is the house specialty, with its grilled-to-order flour tortilla and an ultra-crispy piece of battered fish topped with sesame cabbage slaw and a citrusy yuzu mayo.

6455 Macleod Tr. S.W. (in Chinook Centre), 403-863-7356 (text only), surfysurfybar.com

Fortuna’s Row

This enormous new dining room in the East Village is the playground of Mikko Tamarra, the chef behind the very popular Con Mi Taco pop-up. With Fortuna’s Row, Tamarra expands his repertoire, drawing on a wider range of Latin American flavours to create a menu full of both small and larger format plates, all designed to be shared and washed down with one of the restaurant’s ultra-creative cocktails. There’s a lot to choose from, but first-timers should try out the Pato (Spanish for “duck”) platter, a feast of confit duck leg, roasted duck breast and grilled carrots served over a bed of green rice and topped with a sunnyside-up duck egg.

421 Riverfront Ave. S.E., 403-243-0069, fortunasrow.com

Mot To

Owned and operated by the team behind the long-running Pho Dau Bo restaurant, Crescent Heights’ Mot To offers a fresh take on traditional Vietnamese fare. The restaurant positions itself as a pho and banh mi bar and it does an excellent job with both its subs and its soups, offering varieties that push beyond what you’ll find at a typical Vietnamese restaurant. The biggest hit of Mot To’s menu, however, is its pho grilled cheese, a Vietnamese riff on a beef dip, featuring a crispy sandwich stuffed with cheese, beef and caramelized onions, served with a shot of pho broth for dipping on the side.

1609 Centre St. N., 825-910-8488, mottovietnamese.com

Pat and Betty

Through his work at Craft Beer Market, Home and Away, and his Burger Club, local chef Mike Pigot has long been known for his casual creations. With Pat and Betty, the friendly chef shows that he has some seriously sophisticated cooking skills. This lively and luxurious restaurant allows Pigot to focus on rich and indulgent ingredients like oysters, foie gras, pork belly and caviar. Pat and Betty’s must-try dish is its over-the-top “country” beef tartare. The high-quality tartare sits in a generous smear of flavourful “devilled egg” aioli that packs a punch without overwhelming the beef.

1217 1st St. S.W., 403-453-7690, patandbetty.com

Sorella

The little sister of the much-beloved Misson restaurant Mercato, Sorella (the name literally translates to “sister” in Italian) is lighter and brighter than its older brother in both cuisine and atmosphere. With its pretty terra cotta decor and an emphasis on seafood and vegetables, it sets itself apart from Calgary’s other excellent Italian restaurants by offering a gentler side of Italian food. One of Sorella’s strongest dishes is also one of its most simple: the spaghetti al limone embodies the restaurant’s concept with its fresh lemony flavour and a touch of confit garlic and parsley. Pair it with a salad or Sorella’s octopus appetizer, and you’ve got a perfect lunch or light dinner.

1036 Centre St. N., 403-470-1425, sorellatrattoria.ca

Alvin’s Jazz Club

Located in Westman Village, Alvin’s Jazz Club sometimes gets passed over in favour of the nearby Chairman’s Steakhouse, but this retro-styled restaurant and music venue offers surprisingly high-end food. The cocktails here are suited for the environment (sit at the bar with a martini or smoked old fashioned and you’ll absolutely forget that you’re in the suburbs), as are chef Dylan Bretecher’s sophisticated interpretations of classic dishes. The mushroom-capped short rib Wellington is rich and hearty, but the real surprise here is the prawn and lobster linguine, a bowl of pasta studded with cherry tomatoes, shrimp and luscious chunks of lobster tail, all tied together in a bright lemon Pernod beurre blanc sauce.

176 Mahogany Centre S.E., 403-313-1051, alvinsjazzclub.com