Trying Beeswax Dry-Aged Lamb at Park by Sidewalk Citizen

It's not often that someone like Guy Fieri comes to Calgary to sing the praises of our restaurants, and it's certainly unexpected that one such restaurant would be a spin-off of a bakery.

Located in a small building at the corner of Central Memorial Park, Park by Sidewalk Citizen is known for their dry-aging and fermentation techniques. It has a beautiful solarium as well as the kitchen area that you can be seated in. An expansion of the popular Sidewalk Citizen bakery, it also serves as a year-round event space in Calgary's oldest park. We chose to sit in the fireplace-heated solarium with a beautiful view of the park, surrounded by plants and a wood-latticed ceiling.

I had to try the same dish that Guy proclaimed as one of the best lamb dishes in North America on the Smoked, Fried, and Aged episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: their Beeswax Dry-Aged Lamb platter, which comes with three cuts of lamb, house garlic fries, Turkish onions, and two sauces.

Before the main event, we got a taste of their delicious ginger-fig kombucha which is fermented in an oak barrel for two weeks. It was extremely refreshing with a perfect balance of fruity sourness and sweetness, and the ginger gave it a kick without being overpowering.

Ginger-fig kombucha

While awaiting the lamb (sourced from Lambtastic Farm in Vulcan, Alberta), I took a quick look in the kitchen area where I could see Chef Stefan working the grill - as seen on TV!

Chef Stefan Gusztak

The platter arrived, and I couldn't wait to dig into the three cuts of meat: skewers of 12-day dry-aged sirloin, 12-day dry-aged ribs, and 21-day dry-aged leg.

I didn't know where to start, but I really wanted to start, so I grabbed some of the sirloin skewer first and dug in. It was juicy and tender, with a good bite and of course the delicious earthy flavour of lamb. The aging process subtly reduces the gaminess of the lamb to, in my opinion, a level that's just right.

12-day dry-aged sirloin

Next, I went for a rib, which was incredibly flavourful and subtly spiced. It had a nice bit of sweetness to it and there's really nothing like gnawing some amazing meat right off the bone.

12-day dry-aged rib

Of course, we can't forget those fries. Though we came for the lamb, I have to say that the garlic fries were some of the best I've ever had: thin and crispy with a satisfying bite. While the garlic seasoning on the fries is already yummy, the savoury garlic toum and sweet red pepper jam sauces elevate them to legendary status.

Garlic toum and red pepper jam 

Last but not least, the dry-aged leg - which visually, was cooked to perfection. Taste-wise, I was not disappointed either; it had the perfect texture of a medium-rare steak paired with the rich flavour of lamb (minimally seasoned, since it really doesn't need any enhancement).

21-day dry-aged leg

The Turkish onions also provided a welcome vibrance and tanginess between bites, balancing out the decadent lamb.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the only thing I'd wish for is a larger portion size. It's advertised as feeding 2-3 people, but it's definitely leaning closer to 2.

Overall, I had a great experience at Park and this was definitely some of the best lamb I've ever eaten. If you don't believe me when I say it was MIAM MIAM MIAM MIAM, here's a picture of the metamorphosized plate... I wonder what happened to all the food?

Hope this gave you as much of anappetite for lamb as I clearly had!

Until next time,

Ana