Chorney-Booth: Edmonton's Bodega by Sabor makes its Calgary debut
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Oliveira and Mena have had their sights set on a Calgary expansion for years – a goal they've finally realized with a new Bodega location in the heart of Mission – but like everything else they've done, the move had to come naturally. Sabor itself was decades in the making: after growing up together as childhood best friends, Oliveira (who is originally from Portugal) and Mena (originally from Chile) took some big swings to pursue their dreams. Oliveira ended up back in Portugal cooking at a small seaside restaurant while Mena, a gifted singer and actor, found success fronting a Latin-funk band and starring in a touring production of Rent alongside Neil Patrick Harris. But as exciting as those personal pursuits were, both men eventually found themselves lured back to Edmonton and a new dream of running a restaurant together, focused on Oliveira's versions of Spanish and Portuguese classics.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Sabor opened in Edmonton in 2008, and through a gift for hospitality and sheer grit and determination, Oliveira and Mena built it into a local special occasion favourite. Bodega happened, they say, almost by accident when they created a small bar area within Sabor for guests to grab a drink before dinner. Tapas culture – the art of socializing over drinks and a small bite or two – is a strong tradition in Spain (the slightly different Portuguese version is called petiscos) and Edmontonians embraced Sabor's add-on so enthusiastically it turned into a restaurant of its own, eventually expanding to encompass six locations in and around the provincial capital.
Article content
Article content
Each Bodega has its own bit of local flair, and the 50-seat Calgary location is no exception. Situated in an old brick building that was most recently home to Bincho izakaya, the physical space provides a rustic vibe to complement the restaurant's classic Mediterranean fare. The one thing every Bodega location has in common is a signature sculptural 'white wall,' a collage of mounted knick-knacks and thrift store finds, all painted a dramatic flat white. Eclectic light fixtures also dangle from the Calgary restaurant's ceiling, and there is plenty of wood and tile, all giving the impression that the new restaurant has existed exactly as it appears for years.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Barcelona star Yamal faces backlash for reportedly hiring people with dwarfism for birthday party
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has been criticized and could face an investigation for reportedly hiring people with dwarfism as entertainers during his lavish 18th birthday party this weekend. Spain's Ministry of Social Rights has asked prosecutors to open a probe into the hiring and exposition of the entertainers. Ministry director Jesús Martín Blanco told Europa Press that such hirings 'take us back to the Middle Ages.' A local association for people with disabilities had already condemned the alleged hirings, saying it would take action 'legally and socially' against those responsible for promoting such actions. Spanish radio station RAC1 published an interview with one of the entertainers who said he was in the party. The man said they were all treated with respect. He complained about the reaction against Yamal for hiring them. Yamal celebrated his birthday with a party filled with celebrities. It also included some of his Barcelona teammates. ___ AP soccer:
Montreal Gazette
5 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Drimonis: Montreal's cultural diversity a problem? Don't believe the lie
I found myself in Outremont recently lining up for Terraza Luz, a weekend-only back-alley taqueria pop-up owned by Mexican-born chef Juan Lopez Luna and sommelier Lindsay Brennan. It's tucked behind the couple's main restaurant, Alma, recently voted the best Mexican restaurant outside of Mexico by the prestigious Mexico Gastronomic Guide. Alma means soul in Spanish, and there's no doubt that there's plenty of it here. The establishment, nestled on a sleepy residential street in a quiet neighbourhood, offers traditional Mexican cuisine inspired by Quebec products. The focus on Catalan wines throws a little bit of Europe into the mix. This isn't a restaurant review, although having grown up in restaurants, I pay attention to almost everything when I dine out — from the greeting to the ambience, to the way food is plated, to the prices and the products, to how staff (chef included) interact. Of course, the food. But more often than not, the stories behind the food. What struck me that day as I patiently waited in line with my friend to nab a table on the tiny terrasse is how Montreal everything was. Not just Alma's inception — a foreign-born chef coming here after falling in love with a local gal and bringing along his culinary traditions and passions to share with us — but the easy coexistence of it all. Here we were, diners from all over lining up, speaking a multitude of languages, in a back alley of a neighbourhood largely populated by Orthodox Jewish families. On the main streets, little shy kids with Hasidic sidecurls and kippahs were playing in yards, bikes and toys scattered everywhere, while nearby, Lopez Luna was busy hand-pressing one corn tortilla after another. No one seemed to mind the weekend invasion of gentile diners coming for the non-kosher pork belly tacos. The easy mingling of cultures, languages and religions reminded me of how I celebrated Greek Easter in Park Ex this year, at a Greek Orthodox church my community affectionately refers to as 'Panagitsa' (Little Virgin Mary). While not at all religious, I love the traditions of Greek Easter. Especially the ceremonial lighting and sharing of the holy light, distributed by the priest, symbolizing connection and the vanquishing of death. While we gathered outside on St-Roch St. (at the same spot that hosts the Greek festival in August), from the corner of my eye I could see a group of Muslim men who had just left the nearby mosque. Dressed in their long-sleeved, ankle-length thawbs, they were hanging out at the corner talking, unbothered by our gathering. Any longtime resident of Park Ex has at one point witnessed (or heard) Greek Orthodox Easter mass. Across the street, giggling teenage girls dressed in bright yellow saris were lining up for ice cream. A lot of ink is spilled daily trying to convince Quebecers that Montreal's diversity is a constant source of tensions. That coexistence is untenable. That our plurality is a problem. That our city has been overtaken by foreigners unwilling to integrate and live together. It's a lie. A calculated choice to focus only on the problematic exceptions instead of the peaceful co-mingling in our daily lives. On Saturday mornings when I go out on long bike rides by the LaSalle—Verdun waterfront, I always cycle by outdoor tai chi, Zumba and karate classes, where Montrealers of all ages, colours, origins, languages and religions come together to dance, laugh, exercise and just coexist. Some will claim my attitude is naive, but I refuse to let ideologically motivated politicians and pundits — opportunistically seeking any flimsy excuse to divide us — convince me that this city's cultural diversity isn't precisely what makes it so special. Montreal is a marvel of coexistence, and we're so lucky to enjoy all its flavours.
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Natanael Cano expands his sound with new album, ‘Porque La Demora'
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Natanael Cano was not afraid to leave the terrain of corridos tumbados that made him famous to experiment with trap, reggaeton, Afrobeats and other urban genres in his new album. Cano had tried out some of this genres in albums like 'NataKong' and 'Trap Tumbado,' but felt it was time for a radical turn. 'Porque La Demora,' which can be translated as 'Why the Delay?' may answer questions about the gap between his previous album, 2023's 'Nata Montana,' with its first track, which has Cano rapping. 'I'm happy to make this music, change the rhythm a little, I think it's something fresher. And more than trying to show people that more can be done, I enjoyed it a lot, I really enjoyed making this music,' he said in a recent interview in Mexico City. Cano envisions 'Porque La Demora' as the soundtrack to a party. The first song that paved the way for this album is 'Como Es,' a trap created with the producer EQ. For those looking for a sample of his new sound, Cano recommends listening to 'Polos Opuestos.' Also noteworthy is 'Mary Poppins' with Chilean star FloyyMenor, one of the new generations of Latin urban artists. 'Floyy Menor and I vibedvery well,' he said. 'People are going to like it, I loved it.' With Eladio Carrión he recorded 'Como Tony' and teamed up with Myke Towers and Ganggy for 'El Juez.' Victor Mendivil, a musician originally from the Mexican state of Sonora like Cano, is his guest for two songs: 'Bellakita' and 'Comida del Espacio.' Cano's past is not completely erased. He summoned another great of the corridos, Gabito Ballesteros, for 'Perlas Negras,' one of the album's standout songs with Afrobeat influences. 'The people who I showed it (to), loved it,' she said. 'No matter how old they were, they liked it a lot.' This week he premiered the video of the reggaeton 'Hoy Nos Amanecio' with Badguychapo and Capo, recorded in Punta Mita. 'I went to suffer,' he joked about the Mexican beach used as location. Cano was recently announced as one of the artists who will perform at the Coca-Cola Flow Fest, a major Latin urban music festival held in Mexico City, and he will also be at the Baja Beach Fest, a more eclectic festival in northern Mexico. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. 'How delicious, everything came together,' he said. 'It's time to enjoy those stages a lot.' Cano called Mexico's push for artists not to perform songs that promote crime (and the prospect of U.S. visa cancellations for regional Mexican music performers) a 'smoke screen.' 'Well, if it will help them solve what is happening, go ahead, we are not going to give it and if not, then let people express themselves in the ways they want, which in the end is not illegal,' he said. 'If there is no need, then don't do it, if there is no reason to do it.' Cano had protection from Mexican authorities after threats from criminals, but does not have a visa to appear in the United States after a traffic violation and attempted bribery in Sonora. Regardless, he is confident that he will eventually be able to perform stateside. 'It will be achieved, sooner or later. This is not going to last long. In other words, everything passes, and we are going to be there. Hopefully, we can sing to people for the first time.'
