St. James Gate

On Dec. 29th 2008 I was on my way to Vancouver with my friend Sarah and we stopped over night in Banff and stayed with a friend who works at St. James Gate Olde Irish Pub. We decided to go there for supper and some drinks. I am sooo glad we did.

we decided to get the stuffed baby yorkies for an appetizer. They were absolutely wonderful. The outside was nice and fluffy like a yorkshire pudding should be but the inside had shaved beef and this wonderfully creamy horseradish sauce. there was pan jus to dip the yorkies, which gave it a great flavour. I had to snap this picture quickly before they were all gone!

For my entree I ordered the Beef Wellington. I had never had it before and was curious, so i decided to take a change and get it. it was a pleasant suprise. the outside was nice and flaky and the beef inside was cooked so well...it couldnt be rare because they have to make sure the bread is cooked but it didnt matter, it was still so tender. It was smothered in a creamy mushroom sauce and served with risotto and seasonal veggies. The risotto was a little dry and stiff but I couldn't care less because the wellington was so good! I was completely stuffed after supper.

BUT... you can't forget dessert. we were convinced by our friend Tina to get the bread pudding for dessert. it was soooo great. The bread pudding was a huge mound of this wonderful soft bread covered in a gooey sauce that make you smile! I wish i had the recipe, well maybe I don't because i would gain about 50 pounds in 2 weeks.

The atmosphere in the pub was great. Very relaxed but it was insanely busy. Our waitress was so friendly and the food came out really fast. I would highly recommend stopping into St. James Gate Pub for a bite to eat if you are in Banff.