Model Milk

Great food, service, a fun dining environment as well. The chicken and waffles are a delight, the waffles are very different and taste amazing. Salads, appetizers and dessert will also amaze. Can’t say enough about the décor and the desserts, so delicious!

So I went here for the first time with my girlfriend for a little date night expecting a really nice place. We had a reservation so they led us to our «table» but as we approached we realized it was actually just a long cafeteria table and you are sitting within two feet of the guests next to you. Maybe for some people they want to go out and socialize with strangers or listen to their conversation, but that’s what I’d like to avoid. I couldn’t hear my girlfriend and could only hear the table beside me. We asked if we could be seated at a non-​cafeteria style table and they gave an option which was technically a detached table, but was still within two feet of the table beside. So we said no that’s ok, and went to another nice restaurant that does give their customers more space.
I can’t speak to the food or service as we left within 10 minutes.
I am not sure why people would want to go out for a nice dinner and be rammed in there like sardines.

Food’s great, just not fan of the portions/​ratios! Came here for dinner for 4 and got the fondue. We got a nice helping of cheese fondue, but the fixings came in very small amounts. Overall the food is very tasty. It is a little pricey, but hey, if you’re going to go for an expensive dinner, might as well have good food!

My first review on Unilocal.I have posted hundreds of photos on Unilocal but had not bothered to leave any review; that is until I encountered such a bad service/​experience at Model Milk. Had high expectations due to all the reviews but the food were just meh. which would not be that big of a deal if it was not for the awful service/​treatment received from the hostess. There are plethora of good local restaurants in Calgary; I would skip this one.

I paid $ 50 for chicken and waffles… not joking at all. The waffles were looked like bit size pancakes and the chicken was supposedly free range.
The waiters looked like they care about their looks more than customers and they came to you when they felt like it. It’s laughable now but at the time we were super pissed.
There is a positive side to it. The burger were phenomenal. It was probably some of the best I had in my life. I recommend ordering it medium rare

Awesome place. Great atmosphere and wonderful staff. I have multiple allergies, and the chef, Joe, was on the phone with me for 10 minutes before I made my reservation, to review the menu with me and create options for me to be able to safely have. He took my reso right there and noted everything we talked about. I got to the restaurant, and they were ready to go with what I had planned with Joe as soon as I was ready to order, and the server knew exactly my allergies and reviewed everything. Great experience and I will defiantly be going back!!! Deeelish.

Excellent food & service!!!
Gave Model Milk a second chance, after having been underwhelmed a year ago. This time around, we went with our server’s recommendation to try the «cheezies» which were amazing — light, fluffy, and super savory. Also shared the calamari and tartare, both which were very good. For the main course, my boyfriend and I shared the chicken dinner, which was (1) huge and (2) super tasty. The chicken was deep fried with a spicy crunchy coating, and the accompanying biscuits and salad complemented it very nicely.
I will definitely go back.

The meal was delicious. The use of unique ingredients and thought put into the preparation of the dish is superior to surrounding restaurants. The atmosphere was cozy, I enjoyed the dim lighting and mellow vibe. The service was fabulous!

Wow. First thing: Eat here. ASAP. Came here by myself on a business trip after the article I read about it being ranked in the top 20 restaurants in Canada. Well deserved.
Round 1: baked oyster. Amazing. 1 huge oyster, (10 years old I think) baked, oyster motoyaki style, with salsa verde and other savoury additions. Rich, decadent and mind-​blowing.
Round 2: shaved broccoli caesar. Fresh and interesting. I really enjoyed it. For a salad. I figured I should have some veggies.
Round 3: calamari. Holy Neptunes Trident. Frigging excellent. It almost had the consistency of really delicious macaroni. Get this. Do it. Spicy, tender and better than any squid I’ve ever been served before.
Final round: Shrimp and Grits. Daaaaaaang! Grits were like creamy, decadent risotto. The egg yolk turned it into something sinful. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the broth was outstanding. Man. Mind-​blown.
No room for dessert unfortunately! Next time…
I sat at the Kitchen Passthrough and the folks in there work really hard. Congrats Chef. They were also friendly and suggested dishes as well as hooking me up with some samples. The chefs checked on me and even cleared my plates. It made for a wonderful and interesting experience, especially dining alone. That said, I think requesting this area would be a great idea for a first date! It’s a little warm in that area though so dress in layers… also great for a first date
Big thanks to the kitchen and my wonderful server… I never got your name but it says HL on my check. You were attentive, friendly and sincere. I appreciate that. From a service standpoint, I think I was also waited on by most of the servers and management, (as well as the kitchen!) at various times over the course of my meal. The ship is running smoothly here… and I appreciate that.
Thank-​you Model Milk, I will return.
–Lucas, AKA: Squamish Guy

Model Milk… so many great things, I don’t know where to start!
The constantly updated menu always gives you a reason to go back. The quality of ingredients and the unique variety of dishes offered will have you leaving completely satisfied. The service is always catered to the customers needs. The ambience is darling!
I highly suggest this place!

Ok Model Milk, where have you been all of Calgary’s life? Don’t you know we need you?
We got to sit at the kitchen pass. So we got an up front view of what was going on in the kitchen. I had dinner with a food photographer from New York City and we got to meet the chef from Model Milk.
It was a great experience. The food was fresh, on the cutting edge of an international culinary experience. And in Calgary! And what’s the cost skyhigh? No. It was totally reasonable. Especially considering the care the kitchen staff takes in preparing your food.
Everything we ordered was exquisite. We tried a cocktail, Eye to Eye. It had ginger and lemon in it, tasted great. It was served in a traditional «love boat» champagne glass.
The calamari we ordered melted in our mouths and the flavors were bold. Sourdough bread with cultured butter was to die for. We had shaved broccoli and seaweed with the tofu dressing. So awesomely perfect for vegans. We tried the Gouda cheese puffs. Decadent. Melted in my mouth. Great cheese flavor. Great texture.
The chef travels all over and has worked in kitchens from Hong Kong to New York City. There was never a moment when the kitchen staff wasn’t anything but hard-​working and attentive.
Highly recommend for a great dinner in Calgary.

Another gem on 17^th avenue in Calgary! All the little things, as usual for Calgary, are done perfectly — décor, music, menu presentation and organization, drink menu/​options, staff, and price was reasonable for what you get.
Got here a half hour early on a Friday night but was able to be seated immediately in the main room, enjoyed the mix of music while we had cocktails. Food wise got the ox and quail to start which was delicious and a perfect portion for two. Entrees were the burger and pork with mole sauce, grits, and acorn squash. Both were awesome, burger was one I will not forget for a long time, up there in best burgers I have had. The pork portion was big, and cooked so it was nice and tender but with a hard crispy burn on the top layer of fat. The grits were an interesting and welcome addition to the pork. Peanut butter cookie ice cream sandwich served as the grand finale and it did not disappoint, this too was a good size for sharing.
For $ 80 CAD for appetizer, bottle of wine, two entrees and desert you cannot complain for this level of quality and attention to detail — look forward to going back and also trying them out for brunch.

It’s a good place. Like every place in Calgary, it seems like it is probably financed by one of the same three people. I also like high ceilings, and the lamps. The lamps look expensive. So décor is a plus.
The expensive cocktail rampage sweeping our fine city for the past 4 years has stomped its way through here. They are the prerequisite $ 12-​$ 15 dollars, and contain two ounces of alcohol. They are also tasty, and come in many fine combinations. Good people, remember that your cocktail list must have at least 2 drinks that come with egg yolk. TWO.
Mainly, I like spending $ 100+ at this place (when oil was actually worth money) because the chef seems to do two cliches very well: 1) new spins on old favourites and 2) experiment with stuff that makes most people go «WHO WOULD EVER EAT SLICED LAMBHEART?!

You need to partake of this establishment’s culinary delights. Our night here reassured me it is not hype.
We started out at the bar, whereupon a dapper fellow with a moustache asked what we would like to drink whilst we waited. Some might call the facial hair «hipster», I think it speaks to an adventurous spirit and dedication to craft. This was borne out when I asked him if he could create a custom concoction. Bourbon, egg whites… to die for.
The house-​made infused gin also blew our skirts up!
The bagna caudal looked like art and rivalled my friend’s Italian Nonna’s. The tater tots were pleasantly high-​brow tasting. After stuffing ourselves with starters we ordered the fried chicken & beignets and a salad.
The salad was quite good. The chicken and beignets were on another level. Our table became oddly quiet once that dish arrived, except for some meows and snarfing noises.
I’ll be back.

The menu philosophy here seems to be best summed up as «delicious stuff we made up». To demonstrate the lack of adherence to any specific cuisine, the night we went, we had sweetbreads, garganelli, pickerel, and fried kitchen. All except the pickerel were outstanding, so they get 5 stars for quality on all three fronts: food, drink, service.
Food: I have never really liked sweetbreads due to texture issues, of the fact that they just taste like the sherry cream sauce they are usually smothered in. Model Milk’s fried sweetbreads had neither issue. They use the tried and true modern kitchen philosophy of cooking a moderate amount of the star of the dish perfectly, and accompany it with a multitude of complimentary flavors in distinct units that the diner can mix and match. In this case, the shaved cauliflower, the cumin laced crema, the persimmon wedges and more all worked really well to create a flavor gestalt.
The garganelli was a fairly small portion, but was packed with satisfying flavor having been made with rye flour, drenched in chicken schmaltz, and repleted with fork tender lamb neck pieces.
Finally, they had the elusive Hot Nashville Fried Chicken so I felt compelled to order it despite my opposition to paying ~$ 40 for a chicken, even if it lived at Club Med it’s whole life. Well, it was worth it. I’ve never been able to create a proper version at home so I tip my hat to their crispy yet saucy and really spicy coating, as well as the tender, juicy, flavorful whole cut up chicken meat. The homemade pickles are a nod to the traditional presentation, but their pancake like fried buttermilk biscuits were a nice deviation from the traditional white bread.
Drink: Hipster haters will seethe at the faux typewriter drink menu, and the suspender wearing, mustachioed bartenders, but dammit they make some of the best cocktails in the city. We’re not talking variations on classics, but rather completely new flavor combinations that change every month of two. There’s no point is telling you about mine because it’s long gone, but trust me they know what they are doing.
Service: I must commend the front of house staff for accommodating us on Valentine’s Day. We originally had reservations in their private dining room which was featuring the chef from Maison Publique but we found nothing we liked on the menu. The server was attentive but not overly so, and the general atmosphere was casual but classy.

Model Milk was ranked one of the best restaurants in all of Canada, so I knew I had to give it a shot when I made my way through Calgary. The place is not the overly fancy restaurant where you have to dress up. I loved the atmosphere as it had a pretty modern rustic feel with some kick ass music playing as well (mostly Hendrix with some Zeppelin).
The place is rather large and they have a small lounge area in the front with a giant dining area in the middle (and a second floor). The menu offers a variety of interesting items from Quail and Snails to Bison Tartare to Nashville Hot Chicken.
We started with the Country Inn Bison Tartare ($ 18), which came on a plate and separated into tiny balls of bison tartare. It was presented beautifully with pistachio and romaine emulsions splattered across the plate in an artful design. The bison tasted good, but could have used a bit more seasoning as the sauces, though good, didn’t enhance the bison.
Our entrée was a shared large format plate for two of the Fried Duck (Half — $ 50). The fried duck comes with milk buns, and some vegetables. The duck itself was amazing. The meat was so tender and the skin, slightly crisp, on the outside, still melded in with the meat and was just made a perfect bite everytime. Though it was half a duck, it felt like more as both the girlfriend and I struggled to finish. The milk buns were helpful in adding starch to the dish and for soaking up that soy-​based sauce at the end.
The service was very friendly and were helpful too. The presentation on some of the plates were done nicely and prices were not bad at all. Definitely a nice place to try out if you have some adventurous friends as well.

4.5 Model Milk comes to mind when I have to rattle off my top three favorite restaurants in Calgary.
Model Milk has delicious food that incorporates unique ingredients that never fails to comfort and delight me (and my dining guests)!
Model Milk is really conducive to sampling a whole bunch of dishes as the menu is dominated by a whole slew of tapas-​like size dishes. I’ve enjoyed everything from fried oysters, rabbit mortadella salads, to fried chicken!
One caution however — occasionally, Model Milk had a «guest chef». If you happen to dine on a «guest chef» night, you will not get the true Model Milk experience. One time we happened to dine on such a night, we found the food to be awful.
Tips:
Get the cheddar Apple pie. It is THE BEST apple pie I have ever had.
If you want to indulge or have a sweet tooth, also try to Fat Kid cake. The description they provide may scare you… But trust me, it is delicious!
Make resos! This highly popular restaurant gets booked up weeks in advance!

Unfortunately, this place did not work out for me.
STARTER. We had the bison tarter as the waiter recommended. It came with two pieces of multigrain toast. The toast was pretty good, chewy, crisp and nutty. The tartar though, was a little disappoint without much flavour.
MAIN COURSE. The main course wan pretty good, got the fish and squid. The fish was fantastic, perfectly seasoned, melted in my mouth. The squid was tender, a bit salty but I didn’t mind. The beans was a nice touch to the dish. Very satisfied with the main dish. Watch out for the small portion size though.
DESSERT. Absolutely horrible! We got the blondie and the apple pie. We expected something small and delicate. On the contrary, the Apple pie was huge! And both desserts were way tooooo sweet. Felt Like shovelling down pure sugar. Not a good way to end a nice dinner

Second time eating at Model Milk’s Sunday supper — this time, the theme was Southern style. Seriously, this is the best deal ($ 35/​person) because you get a reediculoouus amount of food. My sis loves this place so much that she wants to make it our go to spot whenever I come to visit cowtown. High praise indeed.
This review’s going to be short and sweet. Everything was delicious. Service was top notch and once again, they were very accommodating and were able to adjust the dishes so that my sister could eat most of the food.
Starters
— Crunchy fried oysters with slaw — I’m not normally a ‘slaw fan but this one was light and refreshing. A nice contrast to the fried oyster.
— Shrimp and grits — sooooo good, the shrimp were perfectly done.
— Rabbit and peanut salad — I don’t remember much about ze rabbit but the salad was tasty.
Mains
— Chicken and dumplings — a classic dish done to perfection. The dishes are separate so my sis could eat the chicken, which was moist and tender.
— Country fried pork chops — two monster sized pork chops that I had to eat ALL to myself. Seriously, in hindsight, I can’t even grasp how I finished both chops (BEAST MODE).
Sides
— Okra stew — I’m a fan of okra, which I know a lot of people aren’t. These were good, no slimy taste/​texture if you’re worried about that.
— MM Hoppin’ john — a medley of different beans that were soft, tasty and a nice compliment to eat with the meat dishes.
— Creamed potlikker greens — hm, these greens I guess were a bit similar to collard greens? Nothing really pops back into my mind about it.
Desserts
— Chocolate pecan pie with buttermilk ice cream — their ice cream is ridiculously good here. A nice scoop over a slice of chocolate pecan pie. Winner.
— Peanut butter monster cookie — I don’t remember the exact name (it’s on their regular dinner menu) but it was monstrous. We were so stuffed near the end of our meal that we had to take this one home.
If you’ve never been to Model Milk yet, what are you waiting for? Sunday Supper is the best deal in town.

I love BBQ, beer, home-​cooked comfort and junk food, so when you give me a high-​end restaurant that takes these everyday un-​specialties and elevates them to a fine-​dining experience, (excuse the grammar, but) there is no way I couldn’t not be in love with Model Milk.
Cocktails: This is one hell of a cocktail menu with some severely awesome and very adult drinks to choose from. I fell in love with the «Meat Hook» — 2.5 ounces Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Punt e Mes Vermouth, Maraschino Liqueur and Ardbeg Scotch. The double whiskey/​whisky mix gives you the warm, wood goodness of the bourbon with just enough of that «I stuck a dirty fish in an old shoe and set in on fire» taste of the Arbeg to keep it interesting. No sugar blended Bellinis on this cocktail menu.
Food: This is one hell of a food menu. Gourmet Cheezies. Seriously. They have cheezies that are made from, wouldn’t you know it, CHEESE! I kept expecting to find some sort of a dusty flavour on them, but they don’t. Each puffed, crispy, junk-​food lovers dream explodes with flavour from nothing more than the cheese it’s made from. To good to be true, right?
Brisket — This is one hell of a brisket. It comes as a large plate for 2 and was more than enough for the 2 of us (especially since we needed to stuff our faces with Fat Kid Cake). It’s filling and while our server told us it didn’t really come with any veggies, it’s definitely covered in salad greens and even comes with a bowl of giant lettuce chunks and kimchi sauce to dip it in. I think… I was pretty confused on how to eat this, to tell you the truth. Classless and uneducated? Yah, I very well may be. but what do you expect from a guy who’s breaking the bank to eat gourmet cheezies? I could have used some guidance on this one.
Fat Kid Cake — This is one hell of a cake. I had found a description online but what we got was definitely not what I read. «Chocolate sponge layered with vanilla cheesecake, raspberry buttercream, salty pretzel and topped with milk sorbet and sweet cherries.» Sound delicious, doesn’t it? The cake we had was constructed in the same kind of was as this but featured many more harvest, fall flavours, so I imagine the updated it from time to time for the seasons. I kind of wish I knew what was in this slab of wonderful, but I couldn’t find it on the menu and it doesn’t seem to be online.
Service: This is one hell of a staff they have going on here. The impression started when I made reservations online and found the only unfortunate time they had available was 9:30pm. They (Morgan) were nice enough to call me when some spots opened up to see if I wanted to change my reservation.
The staff were so on top of things, knowledgeable about the menu items and knowledgeable to say «let me find out for you» when something came up out of their particular area of expertise. You guys did a fantastic job of curating and guiding us through incredible experience. Thank you.
It was the hardest thing I’ve done in a while, but I even made the executive decision to turn my phone off for this meal. To my dismay, the low lighting makes for an intimate (while still casual enough for a Calgary local to feel comfortable) setting, it makes for terrible food photos! Instead of taking my own shots this evening, I’m going to sit back and hope that Model Milk posts their own pro Unilocal photos so the world can get a glimpse of the brilliance that goes on in their kitchen.