Restaurants

First Look: Elwood and the Rabbit Restaurant in Calgary

Whimsical, globally inspired comfort food rules the menu at this new YYC eatery.

By Julie Van Rosendaal / March 16, 2018

Whimsical, globally inspired comfort food rules the menu at this new YYC eatery.

A new eatery has opened in the iconic 1910 de Waal block in Calgary’s historic Bridgeland neighbourhood. The corner spot has been home to some of Calgary’s best-known restaurants, most recently Whitehall. It’s now Elwood and the Rabbit, focusing on globally inspired comfort food with a playful slant.Chef Dylan Draper, who grew up in Calgary cooking alongside his grandmother, is now at the helm in the kitchen, turning out a unique and inspired menu; consider mushroom Welsh rarebit with near burnt bread, roasted cremini, shemiji croquette and stilton fondue. There’s a rabbit liver parfait, crispy lamb belly and an aged crown of chicken with salsify and celeriac, sorrel, jus vollaile and lavender buerre blanc—a shared plate with a $56 price tag. There’s a dry aged cheeseburger on a sesame milk bun, kimchi potato salad and an interesting cocktail menu, along with ice wine, port and sherry.The interior is clean, modern and whimsical, very similar to Whitehall with warm wood and an open bar in the middle of the room. The name pays homage to the feral rabbits that are known to run rampant in Bridgeland—the story goes that an Italian family in the neighbourhood once kept them in their backyard, and they made their escape and multiplied—and an Elwood P. Dowd quote on their website sets the tone: “We’ve entered as strangers–soon we have friends.”