Chez François
I remember a time when I could get a buffalo steak dinner for a buck and a half…and that included coffee and a heafty slice of pie. We'll never see prices like that again, but you can still find a great meal for a fair price here in Canmore.
Chef (and owner) Jean-François Gouin and his wife Sylvie introduced Canmore to fine French cuisine back in 1989, and their restaurant today is among Canmore's favourites.
The dinner menu overflows with French classics: Coquilles Saint-Jacques, escargots, Crevettes Provençales, langoustine, veal tenderloin and many others. Give the Bisque de Homard (lobster bisque) a try. It's fine by Stein. For the main course, I recommend Canard à l'Orange de François - Chez François' bestselling dish. Duck can be tough, but mine fell apart on my fork. No wonder Chef keeps the recipe top-secret!
For dessert, you can't go wrong with the Gateau au Chocolat - three layers of chocolaty goodness. Other classics include Crêpes Suzette, crème caramel and a cheese plate with Brie.
The four and six-course Table d'Hôte offer some of the best food (and, at $39 and $69 a person, some of the best value) in the Rockies. The rerstaurant also serves breakfast and, for lunch, a great selection of soup, salad, sandwiches and fresh fish.
It's no surprise the place is always full. The food's excellent, and the reasonable prices and generous portions add up to great value.
Chez François is located at 1604 - 2 Avenue just off Bow Valley Trail. Open daily for breakfast (7am to 2pm), lunch (11:30 am to 2 pm) and dinner (5 to 9 pm). Reservations: 403-678-6111
