I went.I saw.I devoured.This week, the Calgary Stampede unleashed its annual advance feast for the media, and let me tell you, it was a rollercoaster of flavors.Some hits, some misses.There was no mustard ice cream on the featured menu this year — I didn’t like that one last year.Also absent: garlic lemonade. Not exactly the thirst-quencher I had in mind before slurping it down in my best cowboy getup.But fear not, dear readers, for this year's culinary preview was an adventure to remember, led by yours truly, the Chief Food Correspondent of the Western Standard.Among the headliners for this summer's Stampede fare is Cowboyaki—a dish described as a brush with takoyaki sauce, filled with a medley of meat floss, seaweed, octopus, pickled ginger, and cabbage by the folks at Happy Fish Catering..I ate it pretty quickly. Didn't want to linger too long on the tentacle chewing experience, you know? It's an octopus. The thought that I was chewing on a tentacle was not something I wanted to think about while chewing on it.So down the hatch it went.I didn’t like it.Octopus just isn’t my thing. I was rather thankful that the sample was a pretty small size.It actually reminded me of the time Western Standard reporter Jonathan Bradley made the mistake of telling publisher Derek Fildebrandt that he didn’t know what prairie oysters were.Jonathan found out soon enough, and then “voluntarily” (according to my sources) ate a bunch of them.Set some kind of a record too!.Jonathan’s a pretty good sport. That’s why he’s so popular.Anyways, since Jonathan’s now up in Edmonton as the Alberta Legislature reporter, I have to do these stupid food reviews. But let's not get ahead of ourselves with ratings. You'll have to wait for those. Can't spoil the Stampede menu too soon, now can we?But I can give you initial thoughts.I’m also assuming that, by now, Fildebrandt has stopped reading.So I can be more unfiltered — I can channel my inner Cory Morgan.As I stood amongst what I imagine was Calgary’s underground hipster culture, I couldn’t help but notice a “foodie” atmosphere.Everyone was in good spirits, and friendly..It was almost as if they were unaware that they were in the presence of the greatest food correspondent the Western Standard has ever had.Not only that, but the food was not bad.One of the more adventurous recipes I had the opportunity to taste was the “Fire Roasted Gator Pepperoni Pizza” from Avatara, a local pizza truck.This unique pizza boasts a foundation of gluten-free spices and the freshest crushed tomatoes, all on a thin crust. Layered atop this delicious base is hand-tossed, low-fat mozzarella cheese, followed by artisanal alligator pepperoni and locally sourced caramelized onions, topped with homegrown basil..It was pretty good.I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the gator-oni and real pepperoni. Someone should do a taste test at Stampede this year to determine exactly how they differ.I think Fildebrandt should do it, which he will likely agree to, if he’s still reading the article at this point.But, since we all know he’s not, once again the task will inevitably fall to me, your favourite Western Standard Chief Food Correspondent.Now, let’s get to the sweet treats of the day.First, I wandered over to the “Family Squeezed Lemonade” truck for a “Pina Colada Boba Lemonade.”It was one of the highlights of my free lunch.Yummy.It was a very good mix of fruits with lemonade and really captured that summer feel.The only thing that could have made it better was a sunny sky!Finally, for dessert, the mini-donuts are a must. They tasted just like cake..Stampede is only 58 days away.I hope you are ready.I am.Josh Andrus is the self-appointed Greatest Food Critic in Western Standard History. (Ed. Note: In fact, he's the only one to ever hold the position.)
