Food is the most primitive form of comfort — Sheilah Graham (1904 to 1988)
Graham, a nationally syndicated U.S. gossip columnist, hit the nail right on the head. Sometimes, all you want is a comforting meal.
Hanni's, located near Mount Royal College, offers an abundance of comfort food, mostly of the Mediterranean variety. Adorned with burgundy tablecloths, wood trim, benches around its outer limits and mirrors on the walls, Hanni's will probably never win an award as the most stylish place in town. Who cares, really, when the food is this good?
The simple, traditional dishes served are familiar to most, but there are a few twists, keeping things fun and fresh. We started off with appetizers, a move I would later regret when I was too full for dessert.
I had the gamberetti al aglio ($9.95), or jumbo prawns steamed in lemon-butter sauce. They were good and worth the money.
My guest had the spanikopita ($8.95), which was surprisingly dry. Based on the overall quality of everything else we sampled that night, I'm willing to give Hanni's a free pass on this one and write off the mistake. My gut tells me that this was not their normal presentation.
For our meals, I chose the vitello alla parmigiana, or veal parmigiana ($16.95), which was delicious. It came with a soup starter, and I opted for the tomato lentil. The soup was hearty, with a subtle spiciness that gave it enough flavour for some kick without being too hot.
All of Hanni’s main entrées are served with a choice of baked potato or pasta. I tried the pasta, which was spaghetti Bolognese. The pasta side dish was also delicious, and complemented the veal perfectly. The meat sauce was very nice, worthy of being ordered as its own main on another visit. The veal was tender, not at all chewy, and the breading was not greasy. Overall, it was a great dish and lived up to my expectations.
My guest tried a 10-inch pizza, the Hanni's special ($15.95), topped with chicken, red onions, banana peppers, basil and feta cheese. I noticed, while we ate, that several customers came in to order or pick up pizzas, and with good reason. The pizza looked wonderful. It came with a nice thick crust that was a perfect golden brown.
As my guest was unable to finish the pizza in one sitting, I made sure to inquire the following day as to how it stood up. "The pizza was also amazing cold," I was told.
There are several pasta options on Hanni’s menu that I’ll try on my next visit. All of the pasta dishes are available in regular- and larger-sized portions, which is good to keep in mind if you are hoping to save room for dessert.
The service was remarkable, which is something for Hanni's to be proud of, based on the staffing crisis Calgary restaurants are currently experiencing. During our visit, there was only one waitress working, and she handled it all skilfully and effortlessly. I was very impressed. There were six tables on the go while we were there — about half capacity for the small yet comfy room — and she navigated it all with ease and grace.
Unfortunately, we did not sample any desserts. We were simply too full… comfort-ably full.
Hanni’s is located at 2-4655 37 St. S.W.; phone, 246-4555.
