Lifestyle

Bites: Calcutta Cricket Club, The Nash and Double Zero making news in Calgary’s always-changing cuisine scene

Chefs making a move, new restaurants opening and a downtown closing with hints of more to come.

Lots is happening in the restaurant scene lately, with new spots throwing open their doors, others closing to find new space and chefs making moves.

Let’s look at what’s going on, shall we?


There’s been a shift in the kitchen at The Nash in Inglewood as chef de cuisine Matthew Batey, who has been at the Michael Noble restaurant since it first opened in 2014, hangs up his apron for new opportunities with the Teatro Group.

As the corporate executive chef for that restaurant conglomerate, he will be overseeing the food programs for restaurants such as Alforno Café and Bakery, Royale Brasserie and Cucina.

Taking over from Batey is Paul McGreevy, formerly of Craft Beer Market and most recently the executive chef at Starbelly – where he stepped in to fill the shoes of Jonathan Sobol, following that young chef’s tragic death in a car crash. Starbelly has yet to announce who will be taking over from McGreevy.


Pizza fans only have another week to enjoy the pies at Double Zero downtown. That location is set to close on July 14th – though fans will at least still have the option of eating at the Chinook Centre location. Chef Robert Jewell hinted a new downtown location is in the works; no word yet on where that will be or when it will open.


Unknown Object
Calcutta Cricket Club

Meanwhile, 17th Avenue S.W. continues to add to its reputation as a dining destination with the opening of Calcutta Cricket Club – a restaurant bringing the food and flavours of the Bengal area of India to Calgary. This is the first of two restaurants Cody Willis (of Native Tongues) will open this summer, partnering with Shovik Sengupta, Amber Anderson and Maya Gohill on Calcutta. (The second spot, Twopenny Chinese, is expected to open in August.)

With a nod to street food, the menu features kati rolls, pan-fried paneer with honey and spices, chili chicken, curries and more. Sengupta and Gohill even shared some of their treasured family recipes, passed down over generations, to create the dishes. Match them with wine, beer or the creative cocktails from beverage director Stephen Phipps, including a mango-chili gin tonic that is sweet and a little spicy.

Taking over the spot that once housed Bar C, the restaurant has had a complete makeover thanks to Calgary artist Gohill, who transformed the space with bright greens and pinks, vintage photographs and bold patterns.

Calcutta Cricket Club is now open, seven nights a week, from 5 p.m. to late.

Gwendolyn Richards is a Calgary-based food writer and the author of Pucker: A Cookbook for Citrus Lovers. She regularly contributes to Avenue Magazine, the Calgary Herald and is the restaurant columnist for Where Calgary. She shares her cooking and eating adventures – and occasionally some of her shoes – on Twitter and Instagram at @gwendolynmr. 

Tags: