1918 Tap & Table looks to build community by serving locally sourced food and beverages, and putting profit back into the neighbourhood hub.
The Kensington Legion #264 building has been a fixture on Kensington Road N.W. since 1953.
Recently, the structure was given, not just a facelift, but a total reconstruction, and in a collaboration with Truman Homes in exchange for the building, the Kensington Legion has moved across the street into a brand new, four-storey home.
It breathes new life into the organization, and sets the stage for the future of the Legion and its ability to generate revenue, sending profits back into the community.
The new building offers up a Lounge for those longtime Legion Members, as well as two floors of available office space and a fantastic restaurant on the ground floor, 1918 Tap & Table.
The restaurant is a lovely space with natural light streaming in on three sides thanks to the high ceilings and large windows. And the fantastic modern lighting also gives the space an airy feel, with an impressive cocktail bar being the eye-catcher as you enter the restaurant.
Boasting an incredible cocktail menu concocted by Jake Stanley, the focus is on seasonal, fresh ingredients and as many naturally-sourced flavours as possible, mirroring what is being created in the kitchen. Stanley is is looking forward to the community coming out for “more of an experience” than just a drink.
Aside from craft cocktails, 1918 Tap & Table will also have local beer on tap, including Tool Shed, Wild Rose, Village and Last Best to name a few. As for the wine list, 1918 is also partnering with the city’s noted Richmond Hill Wines to offer up selections from their fantastic wine stock.
In the kitchen, Chef Chris Murphy is excited to present a “from scratch” menu where everything is done in-house, enabling him to control the quality and value to the customer, and to ensure that 1918 provides excellent food as well as engage the community with a heavy focus on local purveyors. With less than 20 items on the menu, his goal is to prepare as many seasonal food offerings as possible.
The Kensington Legion owns the new building, with Truman Homes preparing to build a new, multi-storey building on the site of the old Legion. The new Legion’s Members’ Lounge is currently open, with many familiar members dropping by daily – business as usual. Those members will also get to enjoy the full menu from 1918 Tap & Table in their new space, while the restaurant itself opens officially to the public on Friday, June 23.
Kari Watson is a writer and former Listings Editor of FFWD Weekly, and has continued to bring event listings to Calgary through theYYSCENE and her website, The Culture Cycle. Contact her at kari@theyyscene.ca.