Madison's 12|12 brings nachos and workspace to an Inglewood patio

There's a new patio on Inglewood's 9th Avenue — a small courtyard-like space beside Recordland that has been vacant for years, since Bite Groceteria moved to a new location a few blocks away.

It's a prime spot for people watching, with comfy seats, plenty of shade, bar stools looking out over the avenue, cocktails and local beer by the pint.

People walk by and stop, noticing that there's something new here. The brightly coloured salads in wide bowls, patio lights and small baking sheets loaded with interesting ingredients draw them in.

Madison's 12|12 is Calgary's first eatery-communal workspace dedicated to craft nachos and salads, and not only is the place community-focused, it was largely community funded.

Owners Pieter Boekhoff and Jared Salekin initially planned to crowdfund the entire project, but it wound up a combination of bank loans and crowdfunding, with the option to invest still available via their #Nachos4Life program, which rewards you with nachos or a salad once a week for 10 years, or once a month for 99 years.

"The whole concept behind the restaurant was to make it part of the community — we wanted the community involved in as many ways as possible," says Salekin.

"We thought it was a good way to not only have it be their spot, but to have it be their own as well."

Along the same vein, it's meant to also be a co-working space — a new concept for small business owners and those who can work remotely and need a change of scenery, or somewhere to hold a meeting.

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Typically you have to buy a membership or pay by the month, week or day to work in a communal office, but they encourage anyone to come by and work anytime, for as long as they like.

"We wanted a place for people to be able to work comfortably the entire day," Salekin explains.

"The way coffee shops work, they're built not very comfortably because they want to turn people over. We kind of took the opposite approach — it's designed to be comfortable so people can stay all day. We did things like put power at every table, so that you're never fighting over the one outlet buried in the corner. We built the tables longer as well, so you can comfortably sit across from someone with both laptops open and plenty of space. There's coffee and food in case you get hungry, but no expectation to pay by the hour."

They're open at 7 a.m., pulling cappuccinos and lattes using Fratello beans, and they're putting the finishing touches on a private dining room/boardroom that will tuck 15 people quietly away in the back if, that's what they're looking for.

Why nachos?

"We felt that nachos were the one comfort food that had never been done properly," Salekin says.

"Every place has a nacho, but they just throw in some chips and cheese and that's what you get. We wanted to really put some effort into it and make them the best you've ever had."

They're also perfectly shareable.

Chef Keith Geddes, who after many years cooking at diners across the city, now elevates nachos from typical pub fare, using handmade tortillas from Taqueria Mexicana El Mariachi at the nearby Crossroads Market as a vehicle for everything from pulled pork to Hawaiian poke.

"Good quality chips deserve interesting ingredients," he says.

"Here you'll see more interesting combinations, more like you'd get on a pizza."

Beyond the nachos, which are lighter, crisper and more complex than your typical pub nacho, they make interesting salads, are open for brunch, and even do apple pie nachos for dessert.