Resturaunt: Caribou Grill
Address: 1002 5 Ave, Valemount B.C
Phone: 250-566-8244
Website: www.caribougrill.com
Rolling mountains with a dusk haze and trees for days. I’ve been driving for 7 hours and need some food, stat!
Now that I have arrived at my destination, Valemount British Columbia, I can finally eat!
Valemount is a small town and an obvious attraction for winter sport folk. When googling restaurants and reviewing ratings there weren’t many options in this town of just over 1000 dwellers, but after finding out my first choice served frozen veggie patties (as fresh as all of the non-vegetarian food seemed) I settled on my second choice, Carib
ou Grill. Located close to the town’s heart, the Caribou Grills online menu definitely had a lot of options that enticed my taste buds.
When driving up to the location it is impossible to miss. Right smack on the corner of 5th Ave and 3rd Ave, surrounded by trees both young and old it resembled a rustic log cabin. Planted on that corner is a giant Inukshuk rock statue and an enormous vertical log sign with the name “Caribou Grill” carved into it.
Upon entering the place is packed and it’s a holiday so there is a line up for a table. So far so good! I sit at the bar to avoid waiting.
The interior is decorated with animal heads, antiques and what appears to be feathered native artifacts. It has a definite Cowboy and Indian type feel. There are feather, caribou and native printed seat cushions and the menu is made of leather. The theme doesn’t fall short!
I placed my order making sure that the items are made in house. The tomato soup to start and the glory bowl to fill me to the rim.
They begin every guest’s meal by serving you a portion of their Homemade cheesy bread. Made fresh everyday, sprinkled with just the right amount of cheese and roasted garlic. Fluffy, delicate and definitely worth going in for a second helping.
My soup is out promptly. It is a light and fresh “cup of soup” size portion. I find charred tomatoes and chopped onions swimming in the warm, rich tomatoey broth. The perfect dip for my last piece of cheesy bread. (This actually was my second helping as I had convinced the server to allow me more following a bevy of compliments.) It is decorated with a sprinkling of fresh parsley. My tummy is telling me it’s not nearly a large enough serving.
Next I receive my glory bowl, recommended by my server as the best vegetarian option next to the vegetarian chili.
Toasted sesame seeds mixed in a castle of brown rice on a bed of spinach. Surrounding the rice is a moat of fresh cherry tomatoes and roasted broccoli, yam, beets, mushrooms, tri-coloured peppers and yellow and green zucchini. There is a sprinkling of dark green pumpkin seeds amongst the veggies providing that crunch the dish needs. The rice is warm but the veggies are chilled giving it a salad kind of feel. Garnished on top is a crisp peak of shredded radish and green zucchini. The dish is very pleasing to the eye. It is accompanied by a Tangy Tahini and Soy dressing that really provided the right amount of acid and creaminess. The roasted vegetables were lightly coloured, tender and juicy allowing the natural sweetness to emerge. The contrast between the fresh and roasted vegetables was something to savour.
You’re definitely not sacrificing flavour with these vegetarian options.
Highest of highs: Gotta say the homemade cheesy bread. Best I have ever had! That mixed with the charred tomato soup was out of this world!
Lowest of lows: It was on the pricier side especially for the vegetarian options and portion size.
Overall this restaurant was a hit! Next time I will try to sneak some of that cheesy bread home with me for a midnight snack.
This Cobra Approves!
