Good Folk (in the Otter Hotel), 600 Banff Avenue, Banff Alberta…read more
On the next to last day of a 12-day rail vacation from Washington, D.C. to Banff, Kevin Guadagnoli, my travel advisor from Amtrak Vacations, had booked me a two-night stay at The Canoe Hotel & Suites. He had booked my bus transport from Banff to the airport in Calgary, and while I waited for the bus I had time for breakfast before the bus arrived.
Right next door to The Canoe the Otter Hotel offered meals at the on-site restaurant, Good Folk. I was looking for a light breakfast, and Halle promptly brought me a menu and some water. The variety of offerings was excellent: in the listing were steelhead trout gravlax (dill goat cheese, pickled Spanish onion, everything bagel, rosti bravas, $25CAD), banana caramel French toast (double smoked bacon, candied squash seeds, Canadian maple syrup, vanilla crème fraiche, $22CAD), and the Good Folk Breakfast (two eggs, duck fat rosti bravas, sourdough toast, choice of wild board chorizo sausage, double smoked bacon or ancho squash & cippolini onion, $22CAD).
Hoping to keep it light, I asked Halle for a mimosa ($13), and from the list of side dishes I ordered two poached eggs with sourdough toast and house-made strawberry-mango jam ($13). In short order Halle was back with my order and a refill on my water. She was pleasant, attentive, and did a great job throughout the meal.
The restaurant was spacious, well-lit, offered a full bar, permitted low-volume conversations, and was ready with no waiting. There was both indoor and outdoor seating (this was July), and the mountain views from my table were awe-inspiring.