Bar Informal 1201 - 1 St. SW 403 261-6674 www
Bars fall into three categories. Some are just the extension of restaurants with more smoke and noise. Others, usually in hotels, are quiet meeting places for business people. Then there are real pubs—local gathering places for people who just like getting together for drinks, with food usually thrown in as an extra. The Drum & Monkey, introduced to us by our son, Scott, belongs to the last category. This kind of eatery, however, is hard to judge. The factors that draw people to places like this are mysterious. They centre more on atmosphere and community than food or drink. The D & M has a traditional front room with the obligatory brick walls and beer posters. Then there is a louder and darker back room with everything from plastic Tiki gods to a velvet Elvis.
So what about the food? The variety is surprisingly wide from the all day English breakfast to Lasagna, and from fish and chips to meatloaf. And it was quite good. Good vegetarian selection.