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Stephen Avenue

Stephen Avenue: The Core. As the name suggests, The Core is the moniker given to Calgary’s busy and exciting downtown. Centered around 8th Avenue, known as Stephen Avenue, the core has become a destination not to be missed. Along Stephen Avenue, you will find diverse award-winning restaurants. From tapas to wine bars, steakhouses to sushi, downtown has a flavor to please every palate. Not to be over shadowed by great food is the great shopping. Bankers Hall, TD Square, Scotia Centre and Eaton’s Centre is where you will find everything from unique apparel boutiques, cooking shops, wine merchants and way-cool electronics. While currently under renovations, the shopping is still abundant. Stephen Avenue is a great place to spend a Saturday with the girls shopping and eating! Could it get any better?
Featured Restaurants

Teatro

Overall Rating
Cuisine: Italian
(403) 290-1012
200 8th Avenue SE
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Try the lunch
Reviewed by: cabman on Feb. 26, 2010
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Wow. I have only tried the salad, but what a DEAL! this salmon burger is only $15?? I'll be back with more people next time! Need I say more?
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Nice Espresso
Reviewed by: foodieyum on Feb. 7, 2010
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Great single espresso and cappuccino. The barista (owner/manager?) had great knowledge and understanding of the beans they use. Great service and the panini was well priced and really hit the spot!
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Terrible Service!!!!! OK food.
Reviewed by: LH:0) on Jan. 17, 2010
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If you are looking for service DO NOT go to Mango Shiva! We had a 7:30 reservation last night and after being ignored by ALL the staff that walked by us by the front door for 15 minutes, we were tempted to walk right back out and would have done if we weren't meeting friends there.

The service did not improve after we were finally seated. Having to ask for the same glass of wine 3 times is not my idea of good service. At least my second glass of wine we only had to ask for twice. Our mains sat in front of us for at least 5 minutes without rice, naan and cutlery.

The food was ok, but honestly the service was so poor that it took away from any positives.

I wish Calgary restaurants would pay less attention to the decor and more attention to the customers who keep them in business. I'm fed up with paying for crap service and mediocre food in this city.

The waiter knew we were unhappy with him when we had to flag another waiter over to finally take our main course order.

The most attention he paid to us was at the end of the evening when he dropped off the cheque and clearly was trying to save face in order to influence us at the time of tipping. Don't get me wrong I'm all for giving good tips when the service warrants it, but the fact that you are expected to tip when the service is crap infuriates me!

Don't waste your time and money on this place!
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One of my absolute favorites as long as it's upstairs.
Reviewed by: Starsia on Jan. 16, 2010
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The oysters and sauces that come with them are to die for. If you are smart you know how to get the special oyster menu. There are sometimes dozens more types you can get if you know how. The only down side is if you eat the food from the menu in the oyster bar. You have to go upstairs to the restaurant to get the good food. It cost a little bit more but believe me it is worth it. The food in the oyster bar is bland while the food upstairs is perfection and the service is too.

Next time you go make a reservation and eat in the upstairs restaurant. You can still get all the oysters from the oyster bar but your taste buds will thank you for the rest of your food choices.
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Looks dry, but damn it's tasty.
Reviewed by: cabman on Jan. 9, 2010
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I was hungry and had finally decided to check out the newest location of Caffe Rosso. I have heard good things and wanted to try it out. The description of the meatloaf sandwich was tempting. It was so tender, juicy and tasty! I nearly forgot to get my caffine fix before my next meeting. Try this new location. I'm so glad that there is more options on this end of 8th Ave now.
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Oyster bar - I will be back
Reviewed by: littleeater on Dec. 30, 2009
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What can I say - the oyster bar at the Catch is one of my favourite places in Calgary! The service is always amazing; the oysters top notch; a great wine list; and lots of other options on the menu for those not into oysters (however, I do have to admit - I need to be convinced to order beyond the oysters).
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Seafood Tower Takes Power to Finish!
Reviewed by: JosephChene on Dec. 16, 2009
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Great new video, very cool idea!

Watching that Tower of Seafood being built is amazing, always love ordering it with my buddies after work with Stellas.
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Fine Dining
Reviewed by: foodie11 on Nov. 12, 2009
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Nice to see that the standards are still high...excelent food and service...
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Great coffee
Reviewed by: Calgary Guy on Nov. 8, 2009
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I had some meetings last week with some members of the Arts Community and dropped into this gem located in the old Burns Building across from City Hall and the Olympic Plaza.
This place does a booming business...and for good reason! The lattes are fantastic.
I'm going to make it a priority to host informal meetings on Stephen Avenue at Insomnia just so that I can get my fix of their great brew.
Nice setting, friendly staff, cool and eclectic crowd.
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Warm and Yummy on a Cool Autumn Day
Reviewed by: YLIME on Nov. 3, 2009
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Had Veggie Korma with mom (lunch), who had some type of chicken dish, probably Butter Chicken (she's not too adventurous). The Korma was excellent, warm and quite spicy. The textures (type) of veggies were my favorite, small and crunchy. Definately order some nan to go with this dish. Mostly work lunch crowd there for buffet, which is reasonable. Menu is reasonable.
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Lovely people, space, ESPRESSO!
Reviewed by: jfmanzo on Oct. 28, 2009
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Insomnia is in a gorgeous space, a sunny corner of the Burns Building- it could be a coffeehouse in Vienna or Buenos Aires, the sort of room that one rarely finds in too-modern Calgary. But the appeal here isn't just the lovely setting; coffee is top notch, with espresso beans sourced from Calgary's own Fratello Coffee (Insomnia uses the "competition blend," which is Fratello's top-drawer, boutique espresso) and delicious home-made baked goods (best cupcakes in town!), soups and panini.
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For the love of Coffee!
Reviewed by: James B. on Oct. 25, 2009
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I get a coffee and a sugar cookie from Insomnia almost every morning and it's a most pleasant start to the day.

Their coffee is french pressed and wonderful. Their sugar cookies are equally as great and go perfectly with the coffee. They change up the selection of baked goods regularly (If you're on twitter you can follow them and find out what's coming out of the oven!) The majority of the time the baked goods are so on point, although I have had a couple that missed the mark a bit (a bit bland or dry.)

They offer a very cheap and delicious lunch soup that usually changes every day.

I don't get the pleasure of sitting inside the coffee shop, but it's a well kept, high end impressive looking place with a welcoming atmosphere.

Support the independent family run businesses, especially when they make coffee as good as Insomnia!
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Quality and sevice far from "Capo's Restaurant"
Reviewed by: Tasty buds on Oct. 14, 2009
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The owner of Centini must have written the last review. The restaurant has a great environment, the service is ok, but the food is average to low; food is tasteless and it relies only on presentation. I know food comes first through your eyes but it has to end in your mouth and my mouth wasn't impress. Centini is a restaurant where, if you don't spend $200 on a bottle of wine, your service would be tardy.
On this website it shows that Cenitni's is a $20-$30 dollar range restaurant, maybe for a coffee and dessert. Pastas are about $30 and main courses go for $55 and up. My dessert was $12 and it was just like a dessert out of a supermarket, my fiance had profiterols and those were store bought, even though the waiter said they were not; my fiance and I are sure that Centini's buys them from Cosco. You cannot have a good meal for less than a $100. This place is overpriced and not worth a second visit.
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Absolutely AVERAGE!
Reviewed by: DowntownBusDevGuy on Sep. 24, 2009
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What am I missing here? I keep giving this place a try. I just cannot figure out why this place is popular.
The only thing I can say is that it is not terrible, but it is definately consistenly some of the blandest food I have eaten downtown.
Wonton crusted Prawns? Ask for extra dipping sauce because that is the only thing you will taste.
I guess the Oyster bar has some appeal? I give up.
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World Class Restaurant...in Calgary
Reviewed by: Worldwide Foodie on Aug. 31, 2009
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Centini consistently offers the best food and service in the city. We enjoy sitting at the bar or taking clients from out of town. We are always proud to show them Centini.
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Great place for a date
Reviewed by: Pragmatism on Aug. 27, 2009
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The atmosphere at this restaurant is excellent. The mood lighting sets a tone and the staff is extremely polite and helpful. The menu will satisfy anyone wishing to try something new and the prices are relatively reasonable. A very enjoyable dining experience.
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Teatro
Reviewed by: yycbabe on Jul. 20, 2009
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I took my husband to Teatro for his 45th Birthday, first of all they stuck us behind a post in a corner. The Waiter did not even pretend to care about the service we received, sad to say - we will not be going to Teatro again.
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Pleasant relaxed place to people-watch
Reviewed by: BowserK on Jul. 13, 2009
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Nice patio atmosphere; good food at a good price; great place for watching the Avenue crowds, but service could use some improvement
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Consistent and excellent - top notch
Reviewed by: richtk on Jun. 18, 2009
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Always very consistent on high quality food, service, but mostly experience.
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EXCELLENT!!
Reviewed by: jasper on May. 21, 2009
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I had stumbled across this pub after work one day with a couple collegues. The atmosphere was amazing, service was one of the best that I've experienced in a pub in Calgary, and the food was great!!
We had wanted a place to relax and have a great time. We've been to other places on Stephen Ave and had never found a place that we would ever consider frequeting often. This place is now our new hang out. Beers are a little pricey but well worth it. They have a long list of beers that are offered on tap which would satisfy anyones need. Guinness is the best in the city and poured correctly. I've been to Ireland a few years back and haven't had a Guinness that's even compairable until now.
The server was great. We were just wanting a few appetizers to munch on and she recommended a few that were great! One of which were Nachos that were made with Potatoes instead of Tortilla chips!
The atmosphere is great with high vaulted ceilings, not blaring music or TV's, and a awesome bar.
I recommend all of my clients that are coming in from out of town to go there and haven't had a bad comment since!
Go to this place! It will not disappoint!!
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Over-priced
Reviewed by: Eater on May. 18, 2009
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The food is good but not authentic. The service is good can't disagree with that. But for good and filling Vietnamese place, you can find somewhere else to eat for less than $10/person. I just find it ridiculous to pay almost $19 for a bowl of vermicelli and chicken!
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One of My Favorite Places
Reviewed by: DowntownBusDevGuy on May. 15, 2009
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Great food, Good looking girls, and fantastic service.
I eat here once a week at least, sometimes more.
What more could a guy ask for.
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Beautiful
Reviewed by: freshink on May. 4, 2009
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OMG! Amazing food, beautiful presentation. The chef is a doll.

A MUST try for something unique and yummy!
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Affair to remember
Reviewed by: chomp!craig on Apr. 27, 2009
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I got one of those invitations by email, for an event at Belgo Brasserie, to celebrate their 4th anniversary. You know the ones. I think, for the most part, I didn’t give them much credit because of my restaurant experiences over the years. I guess that there was also that side of me that thought “the guy that brought us Cowboy’s can’t really create a beautiful dining experience!” Can he?
I had heard from a very good friend who has become somewhat of a regular as of late, that her experience was phenomenal and she has continued to feel especially significant each and every occasion since the first time. So when Lorry corresponded with me and extended the invitation to come down early(I just couldn’t make the evening affair)I had a slight eagerness to find that little something unique, right here in Calgary. I did have high hopes as well as my grave hunger to satisfy, so it was a tall order. Never mind that my good friend that was joining me, is also a high maintenance kind of guy, so we tend to easily offend timid staff.
We were greeted by two very pleasant, young ladies, who were expecting us and then called me by my last name. Shardey and I had met once when I stopped in briefly weeks prior and she remembered me immediately.(Obviously, my severely Scandinavian good looks!) Since I had never been to Belgo, when she asked where we wanted to sit, I had little idea except to say “ I like to see the whole restaurant”. On the way we were treated to a quick tour of the restaurant and then brought to the best table in the entire restaurant(for our tastes anyway)! We were sat at a high table that over looked the main floor. This allowed us to get right into people watching mode.
Shardey offered us one of the 59 choices of beers as soon as we sat, but if you like beer, this will take a little more time to determine than the allotted one minute given. Luckily, she was able to advise us, based on our past experiences and we eagerly awaited our bubbly Belgian beverages. I was having Leffe and my friend had ordered the peach flavored Lambic Ale(kind of sweet, but that is his thing). Both were very satisfying and flavorful.
After hearing more about Shardey and some of her travels, we both decided that we were getting hungry. The description of the Club Maison was too tempting so I ordered it, while my friend had the “Man salad”. That wasn’t the name but what Shardey called it and we loved the description. This meat salad was a lamb chop, sausage and chicken with some small greens and blue cheese dressing(had to be on the side for my delicate friend). The food really looked great as Shardey climbed the stairs with our meals for the 200th time. My sandwich was fresh and seemed as if it was prepared with love, by people like CJ and Shaun(we met them during the course of the preparations for the evening event). The “Man salad” must have been good because my high maintenance friend only said mmmm, mmmm, through the whole lunch.
Preparations continued while we were treated to the sights and sounds of Belgo and guests on this early afternoon on Thursday. Every person(and there were many) made us feel as if we were missing the second coming, by not attending the Anniversary event! The management and staff had really rallied behind this event. It was quite infectious!
Belgo and all of it’s treasures, from Shardey to the management, unique décor to the red velvet swing, never mind the 59 beer choices, really are an escape from the sometimes mundane dining choices. When I think back, it was the experiences, stories and the wonderful smiles from the staff that really made me want to return soon and often. Thank you for the micro vacation Shardey and friends!
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Great date spot
Reviewed by: Ethan James on Apr. 21, 2009
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Each trip to Murrieta's is a great time. Good wine list and live music on the weekend. The atmosphere is elegant without being stuffy. Menu offers regional cuisine choices and plenty of tasty dishes.
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worse experience ever!
Reviewed by: littlechef on Apr. 17, 2009
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If you want terrible food, and expensive drinks then this is the place for you. We had been regulars going with a fair sized group of people about once a month for about a year, and this particular day it was my husbands birthday. So I made a cake and when I entered asked if it was possible for them to put it in the fridge for me. The girl said no problem and took it away. The servers shift was over and when the next one started I asked if she could bring it out after we all had dinner (there were about 6 of us) she said sure and asked if the other waitress had told us about a "cake surcharge" a cake surcharge ?! I thought, but said no she had not, the girl explained that it was for the plates that we were going to use... so they bring the cake and the 6 plates and forks and when the bill arrives it was $25!!!! has anyone heard of such and obsurd thing?! To make matters worse when the clear plastic lid for the cake finally made its way back to the table, it had finger marks all on the inside to where previously some of the top of the cake had smeard! DISGUSTING!
Please save your self the time never go here!
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Top Notch
Reviewed by: bluelemon on Mar. 25, 2009
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The combination of flawless food, impeccable service and elegantly refined surroundings creates a meal to remember. This is fine dining at it's best.
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always amazing
Reviewed by: fondata on Mar. 13, 2009
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Everytime I'm in Teatro I am in awe of the service, ambiance, and food.
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PHENOMENAL
Reviewed by: lindsay on Mar. 11, 2009
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absolutely beautiful restaurant with great service and food. the souffle is amazing and the sticky toffee pudding was decadent! everyone should go here, best restaurant in town
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Fabulous Diner Breakfast
Reviewed by: bluelemon on Mar. 9, 2009
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I love breakfast anytime of day and Avenue Diner is my top pick for breakfast in Calgary. They have a wonderful menu that features everything from oats to stuffed french toast, corn beef hash and deliciously fluffy pancakes. There is also a variety of lunch items. It's a fabulous place for brunch on a weekend or stop by for lunch during the week. Service is always friendly and on the ball. Well worth the wait but go early!
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Tastes great!
Reviewed by: Tonka on Feb. 22, 2009
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Decent chain restaurant with great portions and good eats. Feels a little Metropolitan Grill. Would be a safe bet in any major city.
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Great Location
Reviewed by: Button on Feb. 22, 2009
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Now this is a nice Earl's location! The atmosphere at this location is classy! The place definitely caters to the typical down town business crowd.
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Great place to celebrate meat!
Reviewed by: Tonka on Feb. 22, 2009
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I celebrated my friend's promotion at this restaurant. Good spot for a larger crowd if needed. I really enjoyed the food and liked the artistic lighting. I don't remember the service which means that I was able to get lost in my people. Thanks.
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Fun!
Reviewed by: Tonka on Feb. 22, 2009
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I lucked out with some great entertainment including a happy fiddle at this joint. The food and beverage are just what you expect to find at a pub.
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Good times!
Reviewed by: Tonka on Feb. 22, 2009
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Started out the night out at the Unicorn recently. Great atmosphere for connecting to others and the service was very friendly. I'd go again.
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Really funky breakfast joint
Reviewed by: Tonka on Feb. 22, 2009
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I love a good breakfast and you are sure to enjoy this place. I just wish there was another across the street so that I didn't have to wait outside to get in.
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Great Place to Eat!
Reviewed by: Button on Feb. 10, 2009
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I love this restaurant! It is one of my favorites! Great food, great atmosphere, great service and great value. Oh, and great appetizers! My favorites are the ribs and calamari!
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Mac and Cheese
Reviewed by: Christine on Feb. 9, 2009
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The best Mac and Cheese ever!!! There is usually a line up to get in but it is definetely worth the wait the atmosphere, service and food are great. It is a nice place to go for a table for two to four. I wouldn't suggest going with a large group unless you have time to wait for a table.
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Great Sports! Great Grub!
Reviewed by: Otis on Feb. 7, 2009
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I was most recently at the Unicorn for Superbowl Sunday, we had a blast!  They had drinks on special all night, a free buffet with Sloppy Joes!!!  A nice spin on the usual chili you see at a good sporting event.We were at the Unicorn for Grey Cup as well, again cheap drinks, free food, prizes, the whole bit.  It's our new spot for sporting events.  Keep it up guys!
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