Located in the heart of Calgary’s historic Central Memorial Park, Provision is the inner city’s own little rustic culinary escape. Provision opened up in Central Memorial Park at the end of 2016 after the former location of Boxwood came available in the fall of 2016.
According to executive chef Daniel Pizarro, partners Jackie Cooke and Kirk Shaw (of Avec Bistro) took over the spot, did a few renovations and reconceptualised the location into an upscale-casual, produce-focused restaurant in the park. “Obviously the location was a big part of it, and the patio,” Daniel says. “Jackie prides herself in wine, as she is a sommelier. So a nice patio in a park kind of always goes well with that.”
Provision boasts a constantly rotating menu with seasonal ingredients that are sourced regionally wherever possible. For lunch, the restaurant serves up a constantly changing selection of freshly-made sandwiches. And for dinner, vegetables take the spotlight, alongside various meat and protein dishes (which typically come in three-ounce or six-ounce sized portions). While it’s not mandatory, family-style sharing is suggested. And diners are strongly encouraged to eat their vegetables.
