Dang, if I could shop weekly at a Safeway like this 
getting my groceries would be just that much more therapeutic, among other things. In case you’re wondering, the interior of this Safeway in Canmore, Alberta is much like pretty much every other Safeway I’ve been in, including the only one I’ve visited that rivals this one in terms of scenic surroundings: the Banff Safeway.
The Safeway in Pollock Pines, California is also pretty great.
Wow, in the US (“the States” as some might say) we’ve been missing out on some great potato chip flaves. In addition to the delicious variety of Lay’s shown here, I also got to try out the grilled-steak-flavored Ruffles and longingly eyed a bag of bacon mac & cheese chips at Safeway. Dang…
But chip flavors have certainly come a long way in the US. There are more choice-fatiguing flavors than ever before, and among them are gems like Kettle Brand’s cheddar beer, which is great with pickles.
Maybe not the best but really good if the dipping soup(? broth?) is tasty and the noodles have a substantive chew. The downside: it’s really rough trying to drink the soup, or whatever it is, so, unless you like your soup really saline, if you want some deliciously gulpable or sippable liquid during your meal, you’ll have to order a side of miso soup.
The bowl on the left here contains white-sesame-flavored soup with sprouts, green onion and slices of pork.
I think you know which one I had to get.
When I saw this on the menu as one of two lunch options (the second being some pasta dish I can no longer recall the details of), I had to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Despite being a little salty, this dish was pleasantly unique with its palate-piquing combo of Japanese curry and squid-ink pasta sauce flavors. The calamari strips in it were tender with just enough chew. Just wish it had come with a little more rice to more fully tame the slightly high sodium content of this entree.
This foray into “savory” yogurt is not what I expected. Thinking that the flavor of butternut squash would be more prominent, I was surprised to find that this offering from Blue Hill Farm was more like plain yogurt, tart with a hint of butternut squash. It’s not as sour as I find skyr tends to be and has a smooth, flowy creaminess to it. The sweet potato version was similar, mostly tasting of plain yogurt with hints of sweet potato. I’m curious if the carrot and beet versions taste any sweeter, but given the two I’ve tried, I’m expecting the carrot and beet flavors to be anywhere from subtle to nuanced as plain yogurt flavors are predominant on my palate.
And that works for me, because these yogurts go well with berries because of their overwhelming similarity to plain yogurt; you don’t have to worry about whether blueberries will pair well with butternut squash to enjoy this yogurt, if you like yogurt that’s more toward the plain & tart end of the spectrum.
This is by far the purplest meal I’ve ever eaten, and it was delicious, like all of the grain-free meals I’ve had at the Mission: Heirloom cafe have been.
Here’s a look at their shepherd’s pie; there’s a lot of ground lamb beneath the surface with some broccoli.
Man, it was sweet.
Onion bagel with scallion cream cheese.
Everyone I know who has been to Bagelsaurus loves it. And for good reason. The bagels, when toasted, have a nice crisp outside you’ll crunch through to a dense, chewy interior; the texture is fantastic as is the taste. Dang, it’s so wonderful. I’ve been there 3 times this week, and I tend not to repeat patronize food spots within a week, typically (to get variety).
If you like bagels and have no picky food preferences or dietary restrictions, you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but there are just a few things I’d suggest:
A Contemplative Compilation 