SS106 Aperitivo Bar — Restaurant in Calgary

Go to Pizza Culture instead.

Service here was authentically Italian, they weren’t concerned with us even a bit; the waiter was too busy flirting with a divorcé who had travelled to Italy years ago. The staff all seemed Italian but I’d be surprised if any of them had worked in a restaurant back home.

Prices are insane for what the place is.

Food was meh, pretty sure they’re just using bacon in the carbonara, and I had a lactose intolerant reaction to it, so they’re not using aged cheese. $20 for an Aperol spritz that’s all ice, and $30 for a charcuterie board we could have made at Co-op.

They’ve got zero sound absorbing materials in a small dining room, so we could hear every conversation in the room the entire time; there were only 4 tables but it was hard to hear my wife, so we just didn’t talk much, but I got to know many stranger’s lives more than I’d ever need to. They have a back patio but it looks like it’s just used for storage, they’ve got a front patio, but it’s on the Edmonton Trail sidewalk, staring into the sun. The vibe seems like the staff are 100% men who couldn’t be bothered to consider an ambiance might be nice. Charging prices like these, you can hire a decorator.

My wife and I have spent the last couple winters in Europe; we stuffed our faces for two weeks in Rome this February, some of the best food of our lives, so we’re trying to find anything similar here. Even with much lower expectations, we’ve been pretty disappointed at how crummy a restaurant can be and still get a 4.7 rating, thus how low our standards are here. All y’all’s rating this place 5.0 need to get out of the country and go eat some real food from time to time, then we might raise the bar and get some competition for better...

SS106 Aperitivo Bar is one of these places that you just have to know exists. It is not loud, it sounds Italian but does not have the typical red white and green colours or checkered red and white tablecloths.

The name SS106 is a reference to Strada statale 106 Jonica, an Italian state highway which extends for 491 km from Reggio Calabria to Taranto, covering the whole coast Jonica in Calabria, Basilicata and parts of Apulia. The owner's family is from Calabria.

Upon entering, we were greeted by Francisco, a man from Calabria, of course.

After having a negroni and Aperol spritzer and martinis with a charcuterie appetizer, Francisco guided us through the menu options.

We all had pasta. Gnocchi ai funghi, amatriciana, calamarata alla pescatore and for myself, a plate of pasta putanesca.

Putanesca, by the way, was not on the menu, but the chef had the ingredients and told Francisco that he could make such a dish.

Everyone including myself cleaned up our plates. I very much enjoyed my putanesca, it had plenty of black olives, capers and just the right amount of anchovies. The pasta was perfectly cooked, a pleasure to eat.

We concluded our dinner with a tiramisu, which we shared. It was generous, light and tasty.

A restaurant is, first and foremost about food and service. On those two most important aspects, SS106 gets full...

My only regret is not having tried this place sooner! Authentic Italian fare in a non-fussy atmosphere that’s suitable for families or date nights.

Food: we tired the calamari, pescatore, and carbonara. Calamari was lightly bathered, deep fried in clean oil, basic tomato sauce was perfectly complimentary. Carbonara was also tasty, guanciale is also a nice touch, but if it was cooked in the sauce longer, it would have made the sauce stand out even more on its own. The pescatore was also excellent, but there was a bit of sand/grit on about 1/3 of the muscles. That said, the flavour on everything was excellent, and very nicely cooked and presented. Pasta appears to be homemade. They also have their own wine, which is pretty neat.

Service: server was very attentive and friendly.

Atmosphere: saw a couple of large family style tables, a few regulars, and a few people on date nights. And everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Nothing fancy, but I enjoyed the artwork which added character and ambience.

Value: really good value for the quality!

Overall: high recommend and looking forward to trying other items! Reservations...