Road to Joy
Baker Creek Bistro.
We first became aware of Baker Creek Bistro on our first trip to the Canadian Rockies in the late summer of 2003. The travel guide that I had bought was highly complimentary of its inventive menu featuring local cuisine. On that trip as well as our visit in the winter of 2006, though, we split our time between Banff and Lake Louise and didn’t make a visit to Baker Creek Bistro a priority.
Big mistake. Huge.
On this vacation, Chris met a fellow photographer while waiting for sunrise at Moraine Lake. They started chatting about their respective trips: hotel accommodations, restaurants, and Chris’ new acquaintance highly recommended Baker Creek Bistro. So, off we went - three times, in fact.
Monday night we ate in the lounge, a cozy bar featuring creative pub fare. (Chris selected a pulled pork sandwich, and I, not one to turn down cheese, picked a four-cheese grilled cheese sandwich. Both were excellent.) Most appropriately, we came across Chris’ fellow photographer, and had a lovely meal visiting with him and his wife, both professors at my alma mater of Boston College.
Wednesday night we dined in the restaurant, also highlighting an inspired menu. Chris had the Alberta strip steak special, and I had the tasting portion size of pan-seared scallops. (Not the lobster fritters, which were accidentally delivered to our table; Chris was only so happy to taste them, though.)
Finally, Friday morning was our last visit to Baker Creek Bistro, where, despite arriving at five minutes before cutoff time, we had a leisurely breakfast while enjoying a nice chat with our waiter, a native Calgarian who has settled in Lake Louise to enjoy all that nature has to offer. (Chris and I are extremely envious are are trying to work out how we could make that situation work for us!)
Baker Creek Bistro is a gem in the Rockies: fabulous food, appropriately rustic decor, all with a fun attitude that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’ll be first on our list when we next return to Lake Louise.
