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www.celtic-connection.com
SEPTEMBER 1999
SUMPTUOUS MENU FEATURED AT BANFF PUB
By SHARON GREER
BANFF, Alberta — On a recent trip to Banff, my niece Amy and I were delighted to encounter an Irish pub as we strolled leisurely down Wolf Street. St. James's Gate is a unique authentic pub/ restaurant that is beautifully designed. Highly successful since its 1997 launch, it is owned by the Mill Group of pubs of Calgary.
We were fortunate to speak with Dave McKenna, the warm and hospitable manager. McKenna is fifth-generation Irish from the
Ottawa area and he told us the story of his maternal great-great-great grandfather who immigrated from Ireland. He was hired to help dig the Rideau Canal and in compensation, he acquired a plot of land in Arnprior which became the family homestead.
Aside from the lovely decor and accommodating atmosphere at St. James's Gate, the highlight of our evening was the exquisite, delicious food.
We started with an appetizer of
dry, pork ribs (soy sauce and dry mustard are the only two ingredients I remember) that we enjoyed so much we returned at a later date to order them again.
For her entree, Amy chose a rich clam linguine pasta with a slightly spicy herb tomato sauce.
I ordered one of the best Irish stews I have ever tasted. Made traditionally with lamb, this stew had four buttermilk dumplings (flash boiled) nestled in the centre. Contemporary in its unusu-
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GUINNESS. THE PERFECT pINT.
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DAVE McKENNA, manager of
ally spicy flavour, I happily devoured this scrumptious mixture, which incidentally was selected as the best by BonAppetit Magazine.
Robert Barrette from Montreal is executive chef for the establishment and when we returned another day for lunch, we sampled the Montreal smoked meat sandwich. It was heavenly. The briskets are flown in on a regular basis from Montreal.
When I spoke to Dave about the varied menu, he explained that because the pub must satisfy a vast diversity of international visitors, it must be as flexible as possible.
Visitors are primarily Europeans: Brits, Germans, Irish, Scots and Scandinavians. Canadians, Americans and Asians follow suit with
Photo: Amy Brown
the St. James's Gate Pub
a new market emerging from Mexico and South America.
Last but not least, on Friday and Saturday nights visitors are offered entertainment with a sometimes not-so-Irish flavour. The Scott Parsons band from Calgary played on the evening of our visit and their bluesy sound was a welcome diversion.
Each decorative feature in the pub, from the gorgeous tile and wood floors, to the ceiling and elegant glass partitions were designed and manufactured by Gemmell, Griffin and Dunbar of Dublin.
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For visitors to Banff, St. James's Gate located at 205 Wolf Street is a definite treat not to be missed.
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