So you’re a food writer looking to make the most of a road trip, and you want to find an off-the-beaten-path place to share with readers. You figure there’s gotta be a new-ish, non-truck-stop restaurant in some small town whipping up “the best burgers in Alberta!” that will make for a decent meal and an easy read.
What you don’t expect to find is a little piece of impressively authentic European fare in a town of just over 5,000 people.
The town is Didsbury, the restaurant is The 1906 Bistro – Bar, and it’s authentically European because Chef Theo Springer started it.
Springer is from Germany, where he grew up working in his parents’ restaurant. He trained at Germany’s Schloss Weitenburg castle resort, worked in kitchens across Europe, then ventured to Canada, where he worked in Banff and then Canmore, where he met his wife. In 2017, the couple opened a boutique in Didsbury, and “after four years of listening to our customers, on a daily basis, asking about ‘Where in Didsbury can we go for a nice lunch or dinner, a nice glass of wine, a coffee and pastry?’” they opened The 1906.
To us, the decor feels specifically French. But the extensive schnitzel menu is decidedly German, and the rest of the menu covers Europe just like its creator did. But we’re on the return route of our road trip, so we look for something light, and it’s raining, so we also want soup.
“Light” ends up being a caprese salad and charcuterie board that are as delectable (and locally sourced) as any we’ve had in Edmonton. And “soup” ends up being the Flädle, from Germany’s Baden-Württemberg region, which are savoury pancakes ribboned into strips, soaked in a beef broth and garnished with green onion. So far, it’s the soup of the year for this food writer, and I think about it every time it rains.
Our server says that, like any restaurant that’s opened in the last few years, The 1906 has struggled at times. And that while it has some town regulars, it relies largely on road-trip traffic. So the next time you want a southern-road-trip meal but want something more delectable than greasy burgers, head to Didsbury, for a little piece of Europe.
The 1906 Bistro – Bar
1906 20 St, Didsbury | 403.518.6676 | the1906bistrobar.com
