There’s no shortage of places in Calgary to get a steak. Just about every neighbourhood pub offers a decent steak sandwich; you’ve got The Keg if you want something familiar; and fancy joints like Modern Steak and the Vintage Chophouse populate our inner-city neighbourhoods. But Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar isn’t just another steakhouse — especially for tried-and-true Calgarians.
The original Hy’s Steakhouse opened in Calgary in 1955 but while other cities in Canada have been able to maintain Hy’s old-school vibe with locations in Whistler Vancouver Toronto Ottawa and Winnipeg our city has been without a Hy’s for almost eight years ever since the location on Fourth Avenue was closed to make room for high-rise construction. On Monday December 15 a new Hy’s openened in the Core shopping centre with a street entrance on Eighth Avenue and Third Street S.W. as well another access point in the mall.
I know what you’re thinking. Hy’s is opening in a mall? The legendary restaurant where every prominent oil executive who worked in Calgary from the ’50s onward has eaten his or her weight in steak sandwiches and rye whiskey is adjacent to a store that sells suits? Yes but don’t let the Core address fool you — this is still your daddy’s steakhouse: dark wood plush booths and table service carts bring back all of the opulence and glamour of the original Hy’s. The new space has all the modern conveniences (including a showpiece of a grill sandwiched between the bar and the main dining room and a big-screen TV in the lounge that can be tastefully concealed with a piece of art when there’s not an important game on) but it could also easily act as a set for an episode of Mad Men.
As for the food the new Hy’s kitchen is helmed by chef Andrew Keen (most recently the corporate chef at the Vintage Group) who has a long-standing soft spot for a back-to-basics approach to fine dining. Those who choose to eat like Don Draper can order classics like Steak Diane or Chateaubriand (both prepared tableside) or you can jump into the 21st century with some Braised Pork Belly or Muscovy Duck Confit. Of course Hy’s famously addictive cheese bread is on the menu — as it has been since 1955.
As with other high-end steakhouses in the city Hy’s is a bit of a splurge but if you’re lucky you may be invited to a corporate event in one of the restaurant’s several private event rooms. Or just pop in for a drink and admire the lounge’s history wall featuring pictures of founder Hy Aisenstat in all his mid-century glory. Either way there’s something magical about stepping into what feels like hallowed halls — even if it’s a new location in a mall.
