The Grizzly House – Banff, Canada
Oops. A lost Banff post. Here you go:
We heard about the Grizzly House from a local. It’s a funky fondue restaurant from the 60’s. We were promised the opportunity to cook elk and caribou on a hot rock.
Kenny was really excited about the chance to be a cave man and cook exotic raw meat on a hot rock, so we knew we would visit The Grizzly House. This place was so much fun!
We didn’t want to pay the top dollar for our experience, so we went at lunch – same experience, smaller portions and cheaper prices. Perfect!
The Grizzly House is a very funky place. I don’t think the decor has changed since the place opened in the late 60’s. I don’t really exactly remember the inside as we opted to sit out on the porch but my impressions include random shades of orange and gold, weird carved wood, decorative mushrooms, and knitted things…maybe a noodle macreme plant hanger?
Kenny really wanted to try some kind of game, but didn’t see it on the lunch menu. We both ordered the steak fondue. Our waiter, Ivan, suggested we upgrade 1 or 2 ounces of our meat to try bison and caribou. Excellent solution!
Soon we were cooking small pieces of meat on a 650 degrees rock right on our table.
We were giddy that the wind was blowing the smoke of the fondue in the opposite direction. We thought we could leave greasy-meat-smell-unscathed. Then a table of Russians next to us also ordered a hot rock and raw meat. Our clothing may forever remind us of them. Ha!
Our entree was accompanied by a tart German-inspired green salad and bean salad.
We finished with fruit to dip in a rich pot of chocolate fondue.
If you’re heading to Banff anytime soon, DO visit The Grizzly House. Ask for Ivan. He was our waiter. We watched him handle the entire patio full of visitors, including the very large party of Russians, with the same grace, ease and friendliness that one would expect at a 5-star restaurant.
Have fun!