Cibo

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Calgary is densely populated with Italian restaurants, but only a few are truly exceptional. (La Piccola Napoli is a great place to start) This was our second time visiting Cibo and it took us over a year to revisit this place. The first time when we were here, we were misguided by the server and got overcharged with one of the dishes. It was also that time that we learned that many Calgarian restaurants charge their diners a couple bucks for distilled water. (Just ask for tap water to avoid getting ripped off)

This time we came with a friend and was looking to find out if its service has improved.

The restaurant featured a spacious indoor dining area with rustic decor. The dimly lit interior gave it an old pub-like feel.

It was a nice day so we requested to sit at the patio.

Our server patiently gone through the menu with us and explained that most of their dishes were made to share (meaning most dishes came in communal sized portions).

We ordered an appetizer to share and each selected a main.

arancini

The arancini ($12) was strongly recommended by the server. The deep fried rice ball was stuffed with intensely flavorful ricotta fresca and sweet fior di latte. Crisp on the outside and creamy inside. The fresh tomato sauce on the side added a refreshing taste to it. Yum! 🙂

pan-seared wild white shrimp

The pan-seared wild white shrimp ($13) came in a tiny portion (only 5 shrimps). The jumbo shrimps were cooked in light, white wine sauce with chilies, pistachio, gold raisins and garlic. Tasty, but ordinary. I could have made it at home.

ravioli

We were quite surprised how small the ravioli ($21) was. For that price, we were expecting a larger plate. The pasta was filled with gingery minced beef and pork and mixed with asparagus, mushrooms and white truffle cream sauce. Somehow the combination delivered an Asian taste sensation. Haha. We enjoyed it.

Even though this time we received a much better service, we found that most of the menu items were overpriced. We had an enjoyable meal, but the food was not so spectacular that will make us return.