Chorney-Booth: Italian alpine cuisine rides into Banff with the new Fat Ox restaurant

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The town of Banff has always struck a nice balance between the modern and the historical. Its downtown streets are lined with contemporary restaurants in old spaces along with some golden oldies, giving Banff a nostalgic feel that’s long charmed tourists from both near and far. Fat Ox, a new restaurant from the Creative Group (best known for Calgary restaurants Bonterra and Posto) adds to that tradition of old meets new.

Almost exactly a year ago, Creative announced it had acquired Ticino, the Swiss-Italian fondue restaurant previously owned and operated by the now-retired Widmer family for over 40 years. Creative has also long owned Banff’s Rose and Crown pub but buying Ticino provided a new opportunity for the group to do what it does best: immaculate Italian cuisine.

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Fat Ox is not Ticino 2.0, but it’s also not Bonterra 2.0 — the group has carefully renovated the old space to give the restaurant its own identity. The room looks like it’s from a different era, with exposed wood beams and vintage-style furnishings and ritzy marbled bar counters, but is much different than the quaint mountain look Ticino was famous for. The 97-seat room is chic and comfortable, complete with a communal table for larger groups, plenty of bar seating, and prime spots in the front atrium facing onto Banff Avenue. Creative has also added an expansive 115-seat multi-level patio, with sunny seats for summer people-watching as well as cozy heated areas for winter après-ski snacks.

Banff’s restaurant scene has been punching above its weight for several years now, and Fat Ox keeps that momentum going on two levels. First off, the level of hospitality is superb — an easily accessible wine hub allows wait staff to have a glass in front of each guest before they’ve even fully perused the menu. Secondly, the food hits that sweet spot between ultra-fine dining and more casual fare, with a menu full of fresh Italian-inspired cuisine that speaks to the character of the Rockies.

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“We didn’t want to be Bonterra in the mountains — that would have been the easy way out,” says Fat Ox’s general manager Stuart Schnell. “We wanted nice Italian dishes people could enjoy while making it a destination restaurant.”

Overseen by Creative’s executive chef Glen Manzer, Fat Ox’s cuisine has been labelled “alpine Italian,” an appropriate tag given the menu’s combination of Italian flavours and Rocky Mountain-specific proteins. The giant meatballs ($23), a staple at Bonterra, are made with elk rather than veal and served in a rich pomodoro sauce. Large groups or families on holiday may want to share an “Ox Board” ($38) stacked with 30-month-aged prosciutto, imported burrata and olives or a stack of Tuscan polenta fries ($13) with parm dip. The pastas include a mountain-inspired bison bolognese on tagliatelle ($26) and spaghetti with those elk meatballs ($32) as well as the more unexpected black linguine vongole with clams and lamb sausage ($34).

The menu is rounded out with a selection of mains, including a classic veal saltimbocca ($68) and a selection of Black Apron Alberta beef ($58 to $198). You can’t have a convivial Italian dinner without drinks and the bar is well stocked with good wine and a list of Italian-inspired cocktails including a twist on an espresso martini that employs pistachio liqueur and a peach-based Italian margarita.

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Fat Ox is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is located at 415 Banff Avenue in Banff. For more information, the restaurant can be contacted at 403-762-3848 or through fatoxbanff.ca.

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For a different but equally unique Canadian experience, the Downtown Delta by Marriott Hotel has long paid tribute to famed Canadian explorer David Thompson with its Shoe and Canoe restaurant (the name is a reference to a Thompson quote) and the hotel is leaning in even further with a series of Thompson-themed dinners helmed by executive chef Eugene Hicks. The dinners — intimate 10-seat affairs held at a long table within the hotel’s kitchen — feature six courses of locally sourced fare with an emphasis on local lamb, bison and wild rose.

Throughout the meal, a guide regales guests with stories of Thompson and his various adventures, with a new tale delivered with each course. Rather than pairing the food with wine — which wouldn’t have been readily available in Canada during Thompson’s time — a bartender prepares whisky-based cocktails with each dish, each with a cheeky and thematic name.

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“One of the things that attracted me when I started working here is how deep the story of David Thompson is,” Hicks says. “I like that people can have a little fun and relax back by the kitchen. We can really show people what we do and tell the story of David Thompson.”

The plan is to hold the special David Thompson Experience dinners once a month, with the next taking place on Aug. 30. Tickets can be purchased online through eventbrite.ca.

Elizabeth Chorney-Booth can be reached at elizabooth@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @elizabooth or sign up for her newsletter at hungrycalgary.substack.com.

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