Sophistication and Accessibility Make Grande Kitchen + Bar Perfect for Dining with Family and Friends
As the restaurant anchoring the Grande Rockies Resort, it’s important the Grande Kitchen and Bar has something to offer every guest. The effort to be broad in appeal can often mean safe choices and tired dishes made with bland ingredients. But under the leadership of Chef Air Bouphasiry, the team at the Grande has managed to create a menu that is both interesting and accessible, striking the perfect balance for dining with family and friends.
We arrived at the Grande for brunch as we wanted the best of all worlds. The extensive breakfast menu features farm-fresh classics like their beautiful omelettes, through to hearty bowls (try the Root Beer BBQ Pulled Pork!), sweet treats like a Banana Bread French Toast onto their excellent Bennies. This trip, we were lucky enough to catch the crab cakes, which often sell out. The Crab Cake Benny is a rich breakfast to be sure, so come hungry. But, it’s one of those dishes you can’t stop eating, even though you’re full. The fresh cakes are infused with umami with tender crab, golden fried to perfection and topped with a buttery Hollandaise with just enough citrus to balance things out. Further tang is delivered by a creamy tartar sauce and a wonderful addition of colour and texture with braised cabbage.
One of our favourite things about this eatery is its signature chips: thick, round-cut potatoes fried to a wonderful crisp on the outside, while maintaining a soft, potato filling. Not quite fries and not quite chips, this side is almost worth a trip in and of itself!
We also ordered from the lunch and dinner menu as the Poke Tuna Stack in the sharables section really caught our eye. This beautiful dish features fresh ahi tuna, crispy nori, tomato, sesame and creamy avocado tossed in a citrus chipotle mayo and topped with green onion and cilantro. Served with crispy crostini, this dish is delightfully light, while still being chock full of fresh, nutritious ingredients.
Other menu highlights include a range of salads from light and fresh to rich and hearty, salmon, pork, chicken and beef burgers, a range of vegetarian, seafood and meat pastas, steak, schnitzel and ribs for the ravenous and, of course, dessert including Chef Air’s famous French Crepes featuring a fluffy crepe stuffed with custard and topped with fresh berry coulis, banana, pistachio, almond, coconut and fresh whip.
