Category Archives: Mission

Mission, Restaurant

Blaze Pizza

In the Hopewell building on the corner of 4th Street and 21st Ave SW.
  • Opened: 2017
  • Address: 2032 4th St SW
  • Kid Friendly: Highchairs and change tables in men’s and women’s washrooms.
  • Brunch: No
  • Website: http://www.blazepizza.com/
  • Google Pics: Link
  • Wiki Page: Link

What if you could order up a pizza with a choice of sauces and unlimited toppings right on the spot, and what if it was ready in 3 minutes.

This way for your unique pizza creation.

Now you can with Blaze Pizza in Mission (they also have a location at Sunridge Mall).  Based out of Pasadena, California they opened their Mission Restaurant earlier this year.  It took us some time to make our way over and check it out, but I’m glad we finally did.  

While in line you can watch them prepare the dough for your pizza.
There’s a large selection of unlimited toppings

If you’ve been to Subway then you’ll understand the structure of Blaze Pizza.  The restaurant has a casual airy atmosphere, with high ceilings and a concrete floor.  The impression is open and bright.

 Stepping up to the counter you can order one of their signature pizzas ($11.65), these pizzas, are like from a traditional menu, but you can still make your own changes to them (for the same price).  Or you can forgo the menu idea and just go straight custom from the start ($11.65).  You can also keep things simple for a child or a picky adult with their 1 topping pizza ($8.15).  This gets you a choice of sauce, cheese & 1 topping.  They have a simpler still option, with Mozzarella, Parmesan and tomato sauce ($7.45).

Salads are also available.

Before the toppings your choices start with the sauces, in addition to a “classic red sauce” they have “spicy red sauce”, “garlic pesto sauce” and “white cream sauce”.  Then you have your cheese options.  As I once heard, when you change the cheese you change the taste.  Beginning with traditional shredded mozzarella they have goat, feta, parmesan, ovalini mozzarella, ricotta and gorgonzola cheeses.

“When you change the cheese, you change the taste”

If pizza isn’t your thing, then this isn’t really the restaurant for you, however, they do have a few salad options.  There’s a romaine lettuce, spinach salad, an arugula & fruit salad, and an iceberg.  These can then have other things added in and ordered in a side ($5.25) or entree ($7.85) size.

Maybe a nice water hits the spot?

They have a large selection of bottled drinks, including beer and wine, with pop and lemonade including free refills.  If you’re still hungry after your pizza they have some small dessert options with brownies, cookies and s’mores ($3.00).  

Lots of toppings.
And even more toppings.

For our first visit, I went with their BBQ Chicken Pizza – chicken, mozzarella, red onions, banana peppers, gorgonzola, bbq sauce.  Except I substituted sauteed onions for the red onions and spicy sauce for regular.  

BBQ Chicken Pizza ($11.65)

My wife had the Link In – sausage, red peppers, sauteed onions, mozzarella and red sauce.  

Link In Pizza ($11.65)

While our daughter ordered her favorite, a ham, and pineapple pizza.

“Pizza, I think I love you” Ham & Pineapple ($11.65)

Part of the hook of Blaze Pizza is that it’s fast.  So is it any good?  Yes, it was great.  But don’t go if a “Deep Dish” is the only pizza you like, because then you won’t.  The crust is thin and simple in texture.  Does it dethrone my favorite thin crust pizza?  No not even close.  I don’t really think they are trying to complete with an artisanal pizza.  What they’ve got is a quick pizza for cheap, where you can choose from a large selection of toppings and make something unique.  

Ready in 3 minutes.

 

The restaurant is totally child-friendly with spacious walkways and large washrooms with a change table in the men’s room as well.  The night we were there we saw at least eight kids enjoying their Blaze Pizza.  I highly recommend it for a quick pizza outing, especially with kids.  As always I’m comparing their food, atmosphere, and prices to their contemporaries and not fine dining.

A large and spacious area, brightly lit.

Some might accuse them of having something up with their dough to have it cook and rise so fast.  Almost as if to prove it is legit, they have a dough mixing room where you’re able to watch the dough being made.

Their pizza dough is made on site.
This stand mixer is huge!
Downtown, East Village, Festival, Mission

Beakerhead starts Wednesday!

or what is Beakerhead?

  • Since: 2013
  • Date: 5 Days Wed-Sun, September 13th – 17th
  • Time: Most events 11am – 8pm
  • Where: All over see official site for locations
  • What: 60 events, shows, experiments and workshops
  • https://beakerhead.com/
  • Google Pics: Link
  • Beakerhead 2017 Program Guide DOWNLOAD

 

  • BEAKERNIGHT
  • Saturday 7pm – 11pm
  • Fort Calgary and East Village River Walk
  • “Science’s Biggest Street Party”
video
play-sharp-fill

Beakerhead is an outdoor exhibit of art, science and engineering, it takes place over five days and several sites.  It is a great chance to see the city come together to experience something unique.  From what I understand Beakerhead doesn’t travel, it is a Calgary event.  Some of the exhibits do travel to other events.  I have to confess, in all my years I’ve only been to one exhibit and that was two years ago.  This year our family’s taking in the sights and sounds of Beakerhead.  We’ll check out one or two of the exhibits outside the east village area during the week.  Then Stephen Ave on Friday night, and the big site’s on Saturday.  I want to see my little girl see the “Serpent Mother”, I’m sure she’ll call it a dragon.

Learn more about Beakerhead and it’s past events on the Wiki page with this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beakerhead

Learn more about UofC’s involvement with Beakerhead in UToday with this: http://ucalgary.ca/utoday/issue/2017-09-12/explore-your-science-curiosity-beakerhead-2017

Nearly all the exhibits are free and sound awesome to check out.  Will there be food trucks in the area?  I don’t know, but seems likely.  Will it be cancelled it it rains?  They say no way, it will happen rain or shine.  I think it’s going to be a great spectacle and I hope to get some awesome pictures.

Come down, check it out, share your stories.

To see information about all the exhibits including times and locations with pictures follow this: https://beakerhead.com/events

  • Be sure to check out these exhibits
  • Loop – Interactive Musical Installation Link
  • Bowwave – Illuminated Art on the banks of the Bow Link 
  • Mars 112 – It’s a showhome, On Mars Link
  • Serpent Mother – Pyrotechnic Spectacle Link  Check it out!
  • Impulse – Lit up giant motion aware Teeter-Tooters! Link 
  • Scent Bar – Theatrical sensory experiences Link
  • Engineered Eats – Creative foods and beverages from 25 bars and restaurants Link
  • Malted Milkshake Madness – Learn the science and create Link
  • Beakerbar – Cold brews and chemical cocktails are yours for the tasting Link
17th Ave, Festival, Mission, Summer

4th Street Lilac Festival

  • Lilacfest is on Sunday June 2, 2019
  • This is the 29th year for the Lilac Festival
  • Along 4th St SW, Between 13 Ave & Elbow Dr
  • 10am to 6pm
  • Website: https://www.lilacfestival.net/

Lilac Fest, to many it’s the start of summer, it the biggest festival in Calgary.  Lilac Fest is a one day event located on 4th street from 13th Ave, south of the downtown core to Elbow drive on the south edge of Mission.  The festival begins with a parade at 10am going down 4th street.  

It runs from 10am to 6pm and features over 500 booths.  These booths are everything from food, crafts, clothes, collectables, imported items, to community organizations.  There are several bands playing on stages, several restaurants with fenced of patios for alcohol.   There is everything you can imagine to see.

I really enjoy Lilac Fest, I like walking from one end to the other getting some street food and seeing everyone glad that summer is finally here.  We’ve brought my daughter every year since she’s been born.  That means one year being pushed in her bassinette, another wearing her in a backpack, another her stumbling along and being picked up repeatedly, and now this year, just trying to keep up to her.

There are lots of activities for kids, from facepainting and games to trampoline jumping.  All of which I hope she can enjoy next year, most things are tough for a little one.  However there are kids everywhere, there are pets everywhere, and people, people, people.  

Don’t expect to park close, but it can be surprising how close you can get just a few streets from 4th.  With all the people there is an army of volunteers keeping the streets litter free and helping people find their way around.  There are multiple bin recycling stations everywhere, with those volunteers helping you use the right bin for you napkin, plate and drink container.  There is a lost kid station, that thankfully I’ve never needed to put through it’s paces.