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If Calgary has an official food of 2024, it might just be the sandwich. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Scozzafava’s Deli, a new wildly popular Italian sandwich shop on 17th Avenue S.W. and now I have two more meat-between-bread options to report on. As simple as they may seem, sandwiches – be they hoagies, burgers, or just good ingredients slapped between two pieces of sliced bread – offer endless opportunities for flavour combinations. Portable, easy to eat and, for the most part, relatively affordable, a good sandwich will never go out of style.
That’s what Francois Mion was thinking when he opened Bonjour, his compact Marda Loop sandwich shop, in early September. Originally from Paris, like many Frenchmen before him, Mion loved Calgary but missed the high-quality baguette sandwiches he enjoyed back home. While he isn’t a chef by trade Mion has always had a love of cooking (and previously worked at the nearby Avitus Wine Bar), so he set to developing a no-fuss shop to bring the sandwiches of his youth to Calgarians.
“Sandwiches are comforting and speak to everyone,” Mion says. “But when you use some of the best products it really elevates your sandwich into something else. I want to offer something different and show what we have over in Europe.”
Bonjour specializes in both French baguette sandwiches and Italian combinations served on schiacciata, a Tuscan flatbread. The dozen or so sandwiches on the menu have their own unique flavours, ranging from the simple Parisian with French ham and cultured butter ($12) to the Hot and Cheeky with n’duja, porchetta, buffalo mozzarella, and caramelized onions ($17). Dion’s personal favourites include the Mama Mia with porchetta, gorgonzola cream, roasted eggplant, and honey ($18) and the hot Burgundy Dip with boeuf bourguignon-style brisket, comté cheese, mushrooms, and a side of jus ($19).
Bonjour is small, with counter service and a row of stools lining the window, but its clean red and white motif is chic and welcoming. The shop is part of the Avenue Thirty-Four development in the Elizabeth Block and sandwich lovers also have access to that building’s outdoor courtyard patio. In addition to the sandwiches, Mion serves a small selection of salads, beignets, and even alcoholic drinks.
Bonjour Sandwich Shop is located at #101, 1909 34th Ave S.W. And is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The restaurant can be reached at 403-816-6969 or through Instagram at @bonjoursandwich.yyc.
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For something decidedly more North American, you can’t beat a great cheeseburger. For the last year and a half, Bastion Burger has been gaining fans with its food truck, but the brand just laid down roots as the food provider for Pinbar. The much-loved pinball bar has gone through a couple of food concepts since opening in 2018 and management asked the Bastion crew – chefs Jeremy Theoret, Dan Neild, Chris Rivest, and marketing guy Ted Lee – if they’d like to come on board. They were happy to oblige.
Bastion has earned itself a strong following in its relatively short existence: the burger makers are all involved in both the local music and tattooing scenes, giving them a built-in audience of loyal customers. There’s some power in the kitchen, too, with the chefs having experience at several local fine dining restaurants, though it was their penchant for the simple but mighty burger – and the prospect of working with friends – that brought them together.
“A burger is a perfect food,” Rivest says. “It’s a full meal but you can get as creative as you want in between the buns.”
“We all grew up eating cheeseburgers,” Theoret adds. “It’s happy food. Restaurant food is expensive and can be pretentious. We’re trying to have fun while also taking it very seriously.”
That seriousness shows through in what is definitely a “chef-driven” product: a Bastion burger may look like your typical sloppy cheeseburger at first, but customers can expect two patties crafted from a custom blend provided by Regina’s Fine Meats smashed ultra-thin to create lacy edges kissed by the magic of Maillard reaction. Their base burger, the OG Smashy ($12.50) is topped with shredded lettuce, caramelized onions, house sauce, and lots of pickles, all jammed inside a Martin’s potato roll.
Other options include a play on the cheese-filled Juicy Lucy dubbed The Lucille as well as the spicier Benjamin, topped with house jerk ketchup and jalapeños. Bastion also offers corn-pop fried schnitzel chicken smash burgers, hotdogs, and a bun-free burger “salad.” Great burgers need to be met with equally delicious fries, which Bastion accomplishes with shoestring-cut Kennebec brined in pickle juice and fried in beef tallow, served with a side of garlic dill aioli ($5) with loaded versions also available.
Bastion Burger is currently slinging burgers inside Pinbar at 501 17th Ave. S.W. from 5 p.m. onwards Monday to Thursday and noon onwards Friday to Sunday. Its food truck service will also resume in the spring.
Elizabeth Chorney-Booth can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram at @elizabooth or sign up for her newsletter at hungrycalgary.substack.com.