Cibo...made to share

Last night we went out to celebrate my brother in law's birthday at Cibo, an amazingly decorated restaurant on 17th avenue. Their food is made fresh, served when it is ready and made to share! We have been several times in the past and always enjoyed ourselves, truth be told, it is one of my favorite places to eat in Calgary. The decor always draws me in. The entire restaurant is decorated with upcycled materials full of stories from days gone by.

When we arrived for our 6pm reservation they had a highchair ready at our table and menus were out. The kids menus are laminated and contain a simple menu that is perfect for children. There are a few pizza choices and some pasta dishes ranging in price from $5 - $7 My girls generally like the ham and pineapple pizza and since it is SO big we only need to order one. Yes, that means our kids eat for a teensy tiney bill of $3.50/each! Harper (our youngest) has a severe allergy to milk protein but Cibo has always happily accommodated her by only putting cheese on half the pizza or removing the cheese/milk parts from their pasta dishes. Last night was no different. The girls pizza came quickly and efficiently to our table bubbly and warm with half of the pizza cheese free.

I had salmon with risotto and fennel and Mike had a pizza. My salmon was moist and full of flavour, the risotto was tangy and creamy and I ate every last bite. Everyones dishes were well sized, fresh tasting and delicious. We followed our meal with the Panna Cotta for desert which was absolutely amazing and the girls shared a lemon sorbetto (yay! for dairy free deserts!). The lemon was quite tart but it didn't bother Harper. Evelyn however shared in our Panna Cotta.

While Cibo is largely family friendly they don't have kid cups, crayons etc... that you find in other traditional family friendly restaurants. Make sure to bring a sippy with you if you have young ones and a few activities to keep those littles from getting bored. I always carry a journal with crayons and a few activities for the kids in my bag so it was more or less unnoticed that they didn't have busy hands activities for the kids for our family and friends.

With their fresh, delicious menu, gorgeous decor and casual atmosphere I would recommend any family to eat at Cibo. It is a highly enjoyable experience. Just remember to bring a sippy for your little ones and a few activities to keep their little hands busy so you can enjoy your meal without having to entertain too much.

http://cibocalgary.com/

(photo taken from Cibo Calgary website)