CALGARY—Many visitors simply pass through town on their way to Banff or Jasper. But the city is emerging as a culinary travel destination with a slew of new and notable restaurants — so it’s well worth spending a night or two exploring what’s on offer before heading out on that ski or hiking trip in the Rockies.
Hot ticket dining: The Deane House has been part of Calgary’s heritage for more than a century and this fall, it reopened after an extensive renovation by River Café proprietor Sal Howell and chef Jamie Harling. With several cosy rooms and central Tenement Bar, it taps into the building’s history — some of the cocktails, such as Foibles & Sins, are named after journal entries made by Captain Deane. Then there’s the food: a celebration of regional Canadian cuisine, such as the 7K Ranch longhorn beef tartare.
A taste of Argentina:Charbar, an outpost of Charcut Roast House located in the historic Simmons building, uses local ingredients from the Prairies and West Coast — but the menu is inspired by the wood-fired grilling traditions of Argentina. Brunch here is not your typical eggs benny: there’s bacon, of course (which is worth the airfare to Calgary), but there are non-carnivore options, from traditional fugazza to the show-stopping deep-fried French toast bites with dulce de leche dipping sauce. There’s also a ceviche raw bar.
Drink local: Alberta-grown barley — considered some of the best in the world — is driving a revival in craft beer. But driving around to microbreweries isn’t a smart idea, so hop on a bus with Calgary Brewery Tours to experience the city’s emerging craft beer scene, including Trolley 5, Tool Shed Brewing and Banded Peak Brewing. Because of their smaller size, they’re “able to use really cool hops,” says Banded Peak co-owner Colin McLean. “We can still shop around for those rarer hop varieties.”
A dash of Michelin: After earning a Michelin star at Curlew in the U.K., British chef Neil McCue returned to Calgary after a decade’s absence to open up Whitehall Restaurant, one of the newest additions to the city’s dining scene in the historic De Waal Block in Bridgeland. There’s a British influence to McCue’s modern European menu, but it’s made with Canadian ingredients, from bison tartare with caviar to the must-try double-baked cheese soufflé with Le 1608 cheese from Laiterie Charlevoix in Quebec.
Best wings in town: In Korean, Anju means “food you can eat with alcohol.” That’s the premise behind this restaurant; chef and owner Roy Oh has created a menu that’s meant to be shared with friends, featuring modern Korean tapas. He’s perhaps best known for his to-die-for chicken wings, battered in rice flour. There are four varieties, but gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) is the must-try. And, like the name implies, there’s plenty of alcohol, from Asian beers, soju and sake to Asian-inspired cocktails.
Don’t pigeonhole this place: As its name suggests, Pigeonhole doesn’t want to be pigeonholed; it’s New World and Old World, with a casual European vibe. It’s an ultracool space, with its chandeliers, pressed-tin ceiling and repurposed marble from Edmonton’s CN building. And its menu is eclectic, with everything from beef shabu-shabu with pine mushroom tea to a Russian-style caviar service — but the rather plain-looking charred cabbage with mimolette and jalapeno salad cream turns out to be the surprising star of the menu.
Go wild: Hiking through Kananaskis Country — an hour’s drive from Calgary on the way to Banff — Julie Walker points to a plant I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. It’s called cow’s parsnip and yes, you can eat it.
“It has a parsnip flavour and a celery texture,” says Walker, who runs edible plant hikes and foraging workshops with Full Circle Adventures (she also works with Calgary chefs to source wild ingredients). “I like stuffing them with feta cheese and stir-frying them with sunflower seeds.”
Farm to glass: A visit to Eau Claire Distillery is worth the drive to Turner Valley, an hour’s drive from Calgary. Farmer-turned-distiller David Farran uses his own barley to produce small batches of farm-to-glass spirits in a former 1929-era movie theatre.
“We ship barley to Scotland to make scotch,” he says, “so it always seemed that it’s appropriate to have a single-malt whiskey distillery in Alberta.”
Eau Claire is winning accolades for its Parlour Gin and newcomer Equinox, made from the prickly pear cactus.
Vawn Himmelsbach was hosted by Travel Alberta, which didn’t review or approve this story.
Vawn Himmelsbach was hosted by Travel Alberta, which didn’t review or approve this story.
When you go
Get around: Catch the CTrain to get around the city (a day pass is $9.50), but a rental car is preferable if you want to explore outside the city. Calgary also has the most extensive urban biking network in North America, with more than 800 kilometres of pathways.
Stay: I stayed at Hotel Le Germain Calgary (legermainhotels.com), with spacious, modern rooms featuring a mix of concrete, wood and glass. Nice touch: yoga mats and in-room yoga videos.
Do your research: travelalberta.com, visitcalgary.com
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