Provision - Calgary

Had a lovely Friday lunch here with my husband. Sandwiches were wonderful and fresh, and portion size was just right - not crazy big! I loved the combination of roasted eggplant and haloumi. Squash soup was deliciously smooth and Marcus' ice cream (try the peach and blackberry!) can't be beat. Service was attentive but not intrusive. We'll be back the next time we're looking for somewhere to relax, and linger over good food.

In beautiful setting of Memorial Park we dined outside. Ambiance is great, staff very friendly, service is quick and most important the food is really, really good. Honest, well-cooked and absolutely delicious. We weren't very hungry to start, but ate it all but the plates

La carte est plutôt courte et le choix limité, mais la variété des plats permet de manger à sa faim et tout le monde y trouvera son compte. C'est bon, bien amené. Les plats de viandes sont assez chers, et sont servis sans accompagnements. L'idéal est d'accompagner son plat d'une des entrées végétariennes, mais l'addition grimpe inévitablement. Vins à prix gangster. Service rapide et souriant. Terrasse extérieure agréable aux beaux jours.

My daughter and I checked out Provison for Sunday Brunch. We had gone to the restaurant that had previously occupied the space, and like it. So expected good things from this new Calgary hotspot. We made a reservation through Open Table and were able to secure a great patio spot on a very hot, sunny day. The brunch menu was fairly limited. Only 2 options for the Eggs Benny and the Omelettes, and if you were fussy about food combos, you likely wouldn't have found something from this selection. The omelette we ordered to share (along with a benny plate) had leek and mushrooms in it. Wasn't a bad flavour combo, but I crunched on some sort of rocky addition - likely part of the organic mushrooms. (I think everything on the menu is organic, which is a bonus). I'm lucky to not have chipped my tooth on that little "bonus".The eggs benny were good - yummy hollandaise and on a delicious biscuit. My only complaint there was the runny eggs. We weren't asked how we wanted our eggs, and I forgot to say I didn't like them runny. We should have been asked, in my opinion.The biggest complaint I had for Provision was about the drinks. I ordered coffee and my daughter wanted hot chocolate. It took about 10minutes for them to come out, and they arrived just before our food. I like to sip my coffee on a lazy Sunday, so this wasn't a good start at all. The coffee was tasty but it ended up being an Americano, which I was not told when I ordered it. I later learned this when I asked for a refill and was told I'd be charged for a whole other coffee. NOT cool. And my daughter's hot chocolate was very rich, which she didn't like at all. Ah well, everyone has different tastes I guess. But they charged us for a latte, which I thought was weird given it was just a hot chocolate. I guess that's what you get when there are no kids' items on the menu. Weird, considering it would otherwise be kind of a kid-friendly spot.Anyhoo... all in all, I can say that if you're looking for a nice patio with a great vibe, then this isn't a bad option. And the eggs benny would have been good had it not been for the runny eggs (which, I think, most people enjoy anyway). But be forewarned about the coffee and maybe don't order the leek and mushroom omelette!

I took 2 others for dinner on a Tuesday night to Provision (used to be Boxwood), I am not from Calgary, and when I visit Calgary (or anywhere for that matter) I always like to try at least one new restaurant, and this time it was Provision. It is in a very nice location in a park, near the classic Library and looks to have a very nice patio (with heaters), but we wanted to sit inside. The patio was quite busy, but inside was not. The menu, although limited, would cover most tastes. Each of us had a green salad to start ($11). When we ordered we were advised that all plates, except the special came "as is" with no sides. The lamb, duck and beef came in 2 "sizes" 3 oz or 6 oz. For example the 6 oz sliced lamb saddle was $26, the 6oz. duck leg was $24 which is somewhat excessive for "as is" no accompaniments, so I ordered the potato ($6) that was included with the fish special (Halibut $31) and one of my guests ordered the Asparagus ($16). My dinner companions said there food was very good, unfortunately my duck leg was overcooked to the point of being "stringy" but the skin was nice and crackly! We did not have dessert nor coffees after dinner. The service was good not outstanding but good. I think you can get more bang for your buck, with equally good and "original" food at other establishments nearby. Unfortunately neither the ambiance/view/setting could outweigh the overpriced menu items.