This guest post was written by Mack, an Edmonton-based geek who fancies himself a part-time foodie. You can find him online at his blog, and on Twitter.
A little over a month ago, I was in Banff, AB for CanUX 2008. I had a great time and learned a lot. One of the best parts about the event was that all expenses were included – registration, lodging, and meals. We ate our meals at the restaurant at The Banff Centre except dinner on the last day, which was not included. I decided to take advantage of that and stopped The Bison Restaurant & Lounge on my way out of town. Sharon had recommended it to me in case I had time to visit a local establishment.
The restaurant is located on the second floor of the building, with the Mountain Bistro General Store underneath. Much of the building was closed for renovations at the time, but fortunately the restaurant was still open. I climbed the wooden staircase and was warmly greeted and immediately seated in the nearly empty restaurant (there were a handful of people in the lounge).
My waiter was attentive during my short stay, but not overly so. He answered all of my questions, but mostly left me to scope out the coppered kitchen and surf on my iPod touch (there was open wireless nearby). I would describe the interior of the dining room as sophisticated, with dark wooden tables and chairs, wine glasses at every table, and funky dim lighting.
I looked through the menu, including the “local for locals” insert, and eventually decided upon one of the wood fired pizzas. I chose the Smoked Bison, Caramelized Onions, Edamame, and Fresh Mozzarella pizza for $17. I wasn’t overly hungry, but the waiter assured me that the pizza was a good size for one person. He was right.
I didn’t have to wait long for my pizza to arrive. It tasted just as good as it looked! I thought the smoked bison together with the fresh mozzarella was the best part. The caramelized onions seemed to disappear in comparison, and the firm edamame beans didn’t quite fit with the rest of the pizza though they tasted fine. I thoroughly enjoyed the dish.
I’d love to take Sharon to The Bison to try one of their more interesting dishes next time! I think she’d really like it. If you’re looking for something unique in Banff, give The Bison a try.
Bison Restaurant & Lounge
The Bison Courtyard 213
211 Bear Street, Banff, AB
(403) 762-5550
Monday-Friday, 5pm-10pm, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-10pm
Only Here for the Food 
The pizza looks good, but I did wonder how the edamame would fit in. At first I thought the mozzarella was goat cheese – it looks that creamy and gooey. I bet it was delish!