Digging up good food in Canmore

CANMORE, AB—Andrew Tutt, chef and owner of Quarry Dining Lounge, nearly exhausted all the restaurants in Stratford, Ontario, so he had to travel to Alberta to find somewhere new to work.

OK, not quite, but Tutt’s been cooking in professional restaurants for 20 years, having worked at some of Stratford’s best known eateries, including Down the Street, Rundles, Old Prune, and The Church Restaurant.

A native of the city, Tutt completed his training at the Stratford Chefs School. He also did time at Auberge du Pommier in Toronto and the Prince of Wales hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Tutt and his wife Casey, general manager at Quarry, relocated to the mountain town between Calgary and Banff to take care of her mother.

Before buying Quarry in January, Tutt worked at Catch in Calgary, Murrieta’s Bar and Grill in Canmore and the Bison in Banff.

When the Quarry Bistro came up for sale, the couple jumped at the chance, as the former owners were tired of the restaurant business and were asking a good price.

Besides changing the name, Tutt made only minor updates to the restaurant by changing the layout and renovating the washrooms. There is seating for 70 inside and 20 on the patio, in 2,400 square feet.

“It’s one of the better locations in town and I always wanted to own my own restaurant,” Tutt said, on the phone from Canmore.

He overhauled the menu “100 per cent” making it reasonably priced and focused on local, sustainable cuisine with an international influence. 

“Everything is recycled 100 per cent. Even the garbage bags and cutlery are biodegradable. I will only use Ocean Wise certified products. The focus is on sustainable,” Tutt stressed.

Signature entrées include grilled rib eye steak with a braised cap, served with blue cheese poutine frites and spaghetti carbonara with double smoked bacon in a white wine cream sauce and topped with poached egg.

Tutt serves what he calls the “Perfect Lunch,” a choice of a half or full-sized sandwich, and a choice of soup or salad, with prices ranging from $8 to $14.

Shared charcuterie and cheese plates are available, along with a choice of four small plates of mussels, seafood stew, surf and turf and smoked Arctic char.

“I made it accessible to what the locals were looking for. I tried to keep the price point reasonable,” Tutt said.

Entrée prices range from $17 to $32 and the small plates are $12 to $16.
The wine list is made up of 20 reds and 10 whites, three rose, sparkling wine by the glass, and some higher end vodka and gin.

Tutt said the clientele is a mix of local Canmore residents, weekend visitors from Calgary and international tourists visiting the Rocky Mountains.