AMEX x Charbar: dine like a Cardmember

every once in a while comes an opportunity so delicious it is impossible to turn down. calgary has been stepping up its food game for quite some time now. we have internationally renowned chefs and restaurants and just wait for visitors to ask us about where it’s good to eat, drink and be merry. a few months ago, we had an opportunity to join American Express for an exclusive Cardmember dinner at calgary’s pigeonhole restaurant, enroute magazine’s TOP canadian restaurant. this week we were lucky enough to not only dine at one of OUR favourite spots in the city but also do it on their incredible rooftop patio with a diverse group of people from a variety of different industries, who have endless stories to tell. the one thing everyone had in common? the American Express Platinum Card. because it couldn’t just be any regular charbar dinner (although those alone are worthy to rave about), the guest of honour was none other than chef fernando trocca (owner of sucre), who flew in from his native argentina to celebrate the art of argentinian cuisine that was the very inspiration for charbar in the first place. owners and chefs, john jackson and connie desousa as well as charbar’s head chef jessica pelland treated us to a an incredible show of asado bbq. for those who have had the pleasure to experience charbar, you know what a treat it is to get to sit on that beautiful patio, take in the breathtaking views of the calgary skyline in picture perfect weather and watch the masters at work.

 the menu was filled with personal highlights: the dinner started with a tableside ceviche mixto, octopus, tuna and tiger’s milk (yes i drank it straight from the bowl), followed by morcilla and red shrimp (translation, blood sausage and the most meaty delicious shrimp both tyler and i have ever tasted). when you think empanadas, comfort food immediately comes to mind, and no wonder, the three flavours that came out next were as unique as they were satisfying. cheese and onion, beef and humita were the three offerings and the table quickly polished those off the plates, we even ran out before everyone could try them all. the main course, and what we have all been waiting for, was a parilla grilled 120 day ultra dry aged beef, peep the pictures of jessica cutting into it with a SAW! topped off with bone marrow and green and red chimichurri. a real serious carnivorous feast, vegetarians beware! each meal was paired with a complementing wine, ending the night with the catena malbec, fernando’s personal connection to the catena family made this the proverbial cherry on top of the cake.

another night for the books and worthy of a blog post no less, thanks to our friends at American Express. platinum concierge, travel services, airport lounge access, exclusive airport benefits at Toronto Pearson Airport, travel and shopping insurance, cancellations and Membership Rewards are just some of the perks waiting for you as an American Express Platinum Cardmember. having had the card for just a few short months, we are already reaping the benefits at every travel destination and right here at home. my personal favourite Cardmember service has to be the platinum concierge, think of it as a 24/7 personal assistant for all your booking needs, concert tickets, dinner reservations and recommendations. for those who are already Cardmembers, you are regularly eligible for front of the line tickets and exclusive dinner invitations, just like the one we experienced at charbar. to learn more about how you can become an American Express Platinum Cardmember CLICK HERE. we’ll see you on the other side! Xoxo

“This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Amex Bank of Canada. This post reflects the blogger’s personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsor.”