We went to Flores and Pine to celebrate 2 birthdays in March just before the Great Lockdown of 2020. We've been meaning to go to F&P for a while and the birthdays plus a City-wide Dine Calgary promotion made this a great opportunity to try...it out.
F&P isn't technically in Calgary. It just off the 1A Highway (aka Crowchild Trail) to Cochrane, Canmore and Banff on the south side of the Highway just up from a Centro gas station. This is important as if you are unfamiliar with the area you could miss the restaurant which is surrounded by trees and a tall fence. The restaurant itself is in a seemingly large building however, the parking lot is surprisingly small. We had problems finding a parking spot. While walking into the the restaurant, I noticed a sizable screened-in outdoor lounge/eating area. This would be a great spot to eat or linger after a meal during Calgary's short summer of 2 months or less. I imagine they have heaters which means you could sit outside late spring and early fall. Something to keep in mind.
Once inside we were met by a friendly hostess who took our coats and quickly showed us to our table. We had made reservations which is a good thing as the restaurant was nearly full notwithstanding it was mid-week and we had an early seating time. I recommend making reservations, even on a weeknight, if you are planning to dine at F&P.
On the way to the table we wandered through the bar, which seemed small given the building's dimensions. I noticed that behind the bar they had a couple of vacuum wine dispensers - a good sign if you drink wine by the glass. Surrounding the bar were multiple TVs all tuned to sporting events.
Once at our table, we ordered drinks. Only 2 of our group of 4 were drinking as the other 2 were tagged to drive home. Being a special occasion dinner, I ordered the "Premium Champagne Flight" which, the drinks list says, is a "Selection of 3 Champagnes". The flight cost an aggressive $70.00. Imagine my disappointment when the three 3 oz glasses arrived and I discovered that the flight was not as advertised. It was not 3 Champagnes but included Prosecco. Memo to F&P: Prosecco is not Champagne. Champagne comes only from Champagne AOC in France. In this respect, F&P is guilty of misleading advertising. I can't comment on the $32.00 flight but at least it is called the "Sparkling Flight" so, aside from the descriptor (which is also "Selection of 3 Champagnes"), I wouldn't have had any expectation that all 3 wines in the "Sparkling" flight were genuine Champagnes. Further, with the "Premium" flight being more than double the "Sparkling" flight, I think it's reasonable for someone like me to assume that the "Premium Champagne Flight" was indeed 3 selections of genuine Champagne AOC wines. Worst of all, the pinnacle wine, which was described by our server as being real Champagne, seem to be corked. To F&P's credit , the Assistant Manager came over immediately, smelt the wine and brought me a new glass. He didn't confirm nor deny that the first glass was corked. However, when I tasted the second glass, which was purportedly from a "fresh" bottle, it seemed quite sound and very much more alive than the first glass. If the first glass didn't came from a corked bottle, the first glass certainly came from a bottle that had been open for way too long. Aside from the false and misleading advertising, it's disappointing that F&P would serve stale wine especially at their food and drink price points. The other drinker at the table ordered a Bellini or some other girly drink (which is fine as she is female) while we pondered the food menu.
My companion and I ordered the prix fixe which was a multiple option 3-course meal. I don't think F&P offers prix fixe normally. It was offered as part of the Dine Calgary promotion I referred to earlier. One of our group ordered the burger. The prix fixe was nothing short of amazing. There was first a Chef's teaser which was fabulous. The big hit however was the appetizer which I believe revolved around pork belly. I ordered the steak option as my entree and it was well executed considering it wasn't from a cut known for its tenderness. With the prix fixe, I ordered the suggested matching wines. All were well chosen and matched the food marvelously. My hat goes off for whomever put together the pairings. By now, my Bellini drinking friend had moved to a glass of Prosecco - the same stuff I got in my "Premium Champagne Flight" .
Everyone ranted and raved about their meals especially our group member who ordered the burger. If I decide to go back, I'll look at that choice first and foremost.
Our server was excellent and our food and drinks came without undue delay. I would expect no less from a restaurant in this class.
The dining room is large with high ceiling. It has a surprisingly few numbers of tables. You would expect a quiet dining experience as a result however, as the dining room filled, the high roof amped-up the sound level noticeably. Not so much that it was unbearable or that you couldn't hear conversation around the table. Just don't expect a quiet, sedate dining experience at F&P.
The washrooms were sharply designed, spotless and well stocked with supplies. What you would expect given F&P's restaurant class.
A really cool feature of the dining room is the open kitchen. It's always fascinating to watch chefs and sous chefs at work. The oven is wood-fired so the restaurant has a very pleasant burning wood aroma.
In the end, our bill came to about $400.00 which is way over-the-top for a dinner for 4 with 2 people not drinking. That's my second biggest gripe about F&P: it's not good value. Sure, the food is great and high quality but in my opinion, based on other Calgary restaurants of the same class, F&P is too costly for what you are getting.
My primary gripe is being mislead regarding the "Premium Champagne Flight". Perhaps I should have asked what it comprised of before ordering but I'm not ordering where I have life-threatening food allergies. I believe diners should be able to rely on the descriptions printed in a resturant's menu, wine list and drink list without having to ask for a detailed rundown of what you get. Should have I complained? Maybe but that really isn't much of an option when you are with another couple celebrating. In fact, I recall mentioning to our server that I was expecting 3 genuine Champagne samples not 2 Champagnes and one bar-quality sparkler. Don't get me wrong, I am fond of Prosecco as much as the next guy but, not when my expectation (due to the description in the wine list) is for genuine Champagne and I believe I'm paying Champagne-level prices, Prosecco is no substitute for genuine Champagne.
So, would I go back? Maybe if I was in the mood for good food and I had a heck of a lot of spare change jingling around in my pocket that I don't need. I would also ask a lot more questions as to what I'm going to get.More
