I'm going to start with the food - because it will be the shortest. We didn't start off with the best luck in food - but after a rough couple days we put our foots down, threw on some real clothes and lipstick - and found a few places I wouldn't recommend you miss if you're in the area!
The Maple Leaf Grill and Lounge:
The Maple Leaf was our first real food of the trip! When we walked in they asked if we had reservations, but were able to quickly seat us without them. The place was definitely fancier, but our jeans and tanks were not too casual. The food was delicious! Katie got the signature salmon dish - and I had a beet salad, and the scallop appetizer as my main course. We enjoyed a nice glass of red wine after a long day of hiking, and treated ourselves to dessert as well - a cookies and cream cheesecake and a trio of creme brûlée (my biggest weakness!). The menu is definitely on the more expensive side, but with the exchange rate is still ended up being less than a nice night out in CT!
(neither photo is mine - but basically our table and my dessert - from their website!)
Saltlik Banff:
Saltlik was a restaurant we had read about on a blog we'd found when searching Pinterest for Banff suggestions! We decided to try it out for our final dinner in the national park. When we arrived we decided to sit in their lower level, which had a slightly more casual menu - and sat out on the patio. The weather was beautiful and the forecast had been rain all day - so we wanted to take full advantage! Katie and I each got tacos from the appetizer menu - duck tacos for me and sushi tuna tacos for her - and we split sides of truffle mac & cheese and lobster mashed potatoes. Let me tell you - YUM! I tend to be nervous about buying lobster dishes from areas that are not on the water (the RI snob in me comes out occasionally) - but the reviews had all been positive so we decided it give it a go. It was amazing!! We left that meal stuffed and very very satisfied.
(again - not my photo - but the view explains why we sat outside!)
Whitebark Cafe:
The Whitebark Cafe is located at the Banff Aspen Lodge - which was actually the first hotel we stayed at in town. On Monday, our last day before driving back to Calgary, we decided we were sick of hotel continental breakfast coffee, and were going to venture out for the real stuff. Whitebark Cafe was the highest rated nearby, so we stopped on our way into town. We wish we had tried it sooner! The line to get in was crazy, which we assumed was just because the coffee was good. As it turns out, the entire town of Banff had a major blackout the night before, and the Whitebark Cafe was one of the only places in town that had reopened the next AM! (and ALSO delicious - bonus!) We got lots of inquiries as we wandered through the shops that morning about where we had managed to find coffee. I got a soy misto - thanks boss for the new favorite drink!
(another photo from the site - sorry! I was too busy eating to take pictures anywhere apparently)
How do you decide where to eat when you travel? Typically - my husband lives and dies by Yelp, and we generally mix that with a little bit of asking around....but Katie and I definitely got lucky with these finds!
xoxo