Donna Mac

Donna Mac

I drove past the restaurant simply titled Donna Mac one evening and was completely taken in by the gorgeous decor and very inviting styling of this brand new eatery that is on the corner of 10th Avenue and 9th Street here in Calgary. Floor-to-ceiling windows gave me a great view of what to anticipate inside. 

Here is another gorgeous interior by Sarah Ward (Two Penny and Proof). I loved the light hickory flooring. This is a sexy space to enjoy a night out dining and enjoying others company with many sharing plates to dive into!

What better way to start off the night than with this scrumptious cocktail, On The Brightside. A perfect balance of Absolut, Bols Apricot and Fino Sherry along with orange, lemon, maple and rosemary. 

I was almost clapping with excitement to see this stunning plate of Roasted Beets appear as one of the first courses. The pairing of beets with grapefruit, fromage blanc, stout beer malt,  and chervil was epic. I would have that again in a flash!

A small but perfectly balanced bowl of Scallop Tartare was next, served with kholrabi, cucumber, herbs, horseradish and sprinkled with poppy seeds. This was delightfully delicious!

Rave reviews were given out for the next dish entitled Pork Salad which is a unique blend of pork, cabbage, pear, chili, and herbs.

The dishes kept coming and this Grilled Brassicas which is pork sausage, espelette peppers, salted turnip and almonds was one of my favorites. The surprising crunch from the nuts and the wonderful flavor from the sausage was a unique offering that I so enjoyed.

Time to try another cocktail and this one was so pretty with jasmine tea right in the ice cube! This Tanqueray based libation, On a Larkin is paired up with St. Germain and Limoncello and is in the section on the cocktail list of While You Eat!

This Wild Mushrooms plate is made with roma rice, radicchio, apple, and red wine. It is a risotto dish and if you are a fan you will like the freshness this has to it.

The sharing and plates continued with a Pork Belly that everyone was loving!! It is served with sake steamed clams, seaweed salad, and fermented rice.

I am drooling thinking about not only the Beef Cheeks and how tender, melt in your mouth they were but how unbelievably awesome the Jalapeno and Cheddar Potatoes were. They were creamy and so full of wonderful flavor, and are ranked up there with the best mash I have ever had!

If you are a shrimp fan you will be diving into this dish called Shrimp on Shrimp on Shrimp which come grilled, fried and gravy, with Old Bay,  and an old school lemon wedge!

Per special request we were able to sample the Fried Chicken Sandwich which I am sure is done sous vide and served on a tumeric bun, delish!

This Burnt Honey Cake with compressed pears and yogurt mousse is a nice change from most desserts, light and delicious!

This dessert is called Chocolate and Malt and I would have licked the bowl if no one was watching. This is a sublime combination of dark, milk and white chocolate with pistachio brittle. 

I loved this 1 Bite Smore as for me it is the perfect little bit of sweet! I believe this is only $2 and after a big meal this is the way to finish things off. The top is made of crispy rice paper, so clever!

Come down yourself to try all these dishes or more! Donna Mac is located at 1002–9 Street SW(403) 719-3622. Follow along on Twitter and Instagram too!