On Friday, Mack was asked by fellow prominent Edmonton Next Gen-er Ken Bautista to join him on a social media panel at the Canadian Arts Summit, being held this year at The Banff Centre. With accommodations and travel taken care of, and no plans tying him to Edmonton for the weekend, how could he say no? I jumped right on board, eager for the opportunity to get away, and we were off.
We left on Saturday afternoon, and planned to stop somewhere in Calgary for lunch. The BlackBerry came in handy to look up hours of operation, and after some site surfing, we chose Myhre’s Deli (formerly The Palace of Eats), situated in the Beltline District. Galaxie Diner next door (operated by the same folks) is one of our favourite diners in Calgary, with their heaping portions, lively atmosphere and open kitchen. While waiting in line for a seat at Galaxie, we had some time to peer in the windows of the deli, which specialized in Montreal smoked meat sandwiches. It looked like something we had to come back to try eventually.
Myhre’s Deli
Myhre’s Deli is a small but warm restaurant, lined with comfortable, unpretentious wooden furniture, a retro-inspired wall menu, and furnished with an antique cash register. It was empty save for one table when we arrived, and without a soundtrack overhead, was a tad too quiet for my taste – almost completely opposite of our experience at Galaxie Diner.
In any case, the service was quick – we were presented with our order of 6 oz. regular ($10) and 8 oz. full ($12) Montreal smoked meat sandwiches nearly right away, slathered with our choice of a half dozen mustards. Contained in the same basket were tiny paper cups of lightly-dressed coleslaw and BBQ chips – it made for a nice presentation.
Our order
When we picked up the sandwich half, we found it to be absolutely stacked with sliced meat (from Quebec Smoked Meats). It was warm and so juicy that a single bite resulted in a cascade of moisture. The house blend mustard had quite an unexpected kick to it, but the refreshing coleslaw helped to calm down my palate. My only issue with the sandwich was the pick-out-of-your-teeth softness of the bread, though Mack thought that was chosen specifically to contrast the chewy texture of the meat.
A regular sandwich
With fast, efficient service and tasty sandwiches, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Myhre’s Deli. I just hope they crank up the music next time!
Myhre’s Deli
1411 11th St. SW, Calgary, AB
(403) 244-6602
Open daily 11am-4pm
Only Here for the Food 
Oh man…. can we get sandwiches like that here? Seems worth the three hour drive… I love the way the building looks too! There are so many factors that combine for a great food experience!
It’s a nice little strip, that’s for sure. When talking with Epiphanie Chocolate’s owner, who is familiar with Edmonton, we weren’t able to come up with anything quite the same. In hindsight, perhaps the little block with Tree Stone and Cally’s Teas on 99 Street would be comparable, but even then, it’d be a bit of a stretch.