Interesting things happening around Calgary, Canmore and Banff.
Articles
Eat, stay, love
Hotel dining trends: were to eat (and sleep) now — Shelley Boettcher It used to be that, except for a few ritzy exceptions, you only ate at hotel restaurants in Canada because you were staying there and you didn’t know of other options. How things have changed. Fast forward to now, and hotel restaurants are […]
Wine, Music and Art
When this beautiful trio meets, magic happens — Shelley Boettcher Winemaking, it has been said, is where science and art meet. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, to see how many winemakers — and winery owners — draw their inspiration from the arts. Science gets the work into the bottle, but art and music make it so […]
Chef Spotlight: Chef Bill Alexander
The long way round to Grandma’s cooking — by Fred Holliss Originally from Akwesane Nation in Ontario, indigenous Executive Chef Bill Alexander has landed in a good place. Good for him, good for his family, good for his public works, and fortunately, good for us. He is the Executive Chef of the Little Chief Hotel […]
Suds With Supper – Dining With Beer
Eight local breweries elevating beer’s place at the dinner table The explosion in craft beer owes a lot to the general interest in good food, thanks to the popularity of food and cooking shows and the growth in specialty food retailers. Beer is food and people who want good food want good beer. It is […]
From Farmer’s Markets to Food Halls
For free range produce shopping, here are 9 must-visit locations in Calgary and area The restaurant scene in Alberta is constantly changing as old restaurants close and new concepts pop-up in new locations. Consumers have become more educated and aware of how our food is made, where it comes from and the process it takes […]
Move Over Chardonnay
From Albarino to Zweigelt, Alberta’s wine shops offer an entire alphabet of interesting wines to seek out and taste — by Shelley Boettcher Don’t get me wrong. I love Chardonnay. Whether it’s a crisp table wine or a toasty Champagne, it’s a staple in my cellar. Always. But sometimes my palate needs a jolt of […]
Calgary is Hopping Mad For IPAs
Local breweries love interpreting this classic beer style India pale ale, or IPA for short, is the beer style that built the modern craft beer movement. Originally a British style of beer, IPA was made to be sent to the colonies in India. Alcohol and hops are both preservatives, so IPA was made to a […]
A Life in Pursuit of Excellence
Chef Darren Mitchell lands at the Grey Eagle Resort & Casino — Fred Holliss “My true belief is to try and learn from as many people as you can,” says Chef Darren Mitchell, the Executive Chef – Casino Operations at Calgary’s Grey Eagle Resort & Casino, and, “If you don’t cook with passion and love […]
Family Owned Wines: Good Stories
Getting to know the people behind the labels — by Shelley Boettcher Family-owned wineries aren’t as common as you may think. These days, many are gobbled up by corporations looking for a taste of the good life. I get it. I love the good life, too. But I also love getting to know the people […]
16 Fun Facts About The Calgary Tower
The Husky Tower opened to the public on June 30th, 1968 and cost $3.5 million to complete. It was not just the tallest structure in Calgary, but towered over the downtown core being twice as tall as the next tallest building. The Tower is made of 11,000 tons of steel reinforced concrete. There are no […]
Cool Treats, Sweet Eats
10 spots for frozen treats this side of the Rocky Mountains — by Wanda Baker We all like to scream for locally sourced ice cream and fortunately the small-batch food movement guarantees some of the best ice cream and gelato in Southern Alberta. The weather here is known to change as quickly as our moods, […]
Top Nine Craft Beer Trends
Hop on to the craft beer chuckwagon — by Don Tse Craft beer is hot. New breweries have been popping up in Calgary faster than road construction zones. The growth in craft beer is being fueled by the overall growing interest in all things culinary. It’s a wonderful upward spiral. As more people realize that […]
France, We Have You To Thank…
Eurocentric oeniphilia — by Shelley Boettcher Even the most casual drinker knows that when it comes to the world of wine, France is one of the biggest and best-known countries. What is it about this Western European country that has captivated wine aficionados for generations? It would take a book — several, really — to […]
Touring Europe, One Wine at a Time
Eurocentric oeniphilia — by Shelley Boettcher The cool thing about wine isn’t just that it tastes good. It also gives you an opportunity to learn more about the world, even if you never leave your own city. Take wines from Europe, for instance. Most European wine-producing countries have indigenous grapes, grapes that have been grown […]
Southern-Style BBQ Heats Up In Calgary
Barbeque is hot – here’s some smokin’ destinations — Wanda Baker Once known as a steak and potatoes town, Calgary has been gaining momentum and popularity with its ever-expanding food culture and offerings. The art of Southern slow cooking has been wholeheartedly embracing the North and while barbecue is not new to Calgary, its slowly […]
These Ain’t no Army MREs
Prepared dishes have come a long way since the Army introduced Meal, Ready to Eat in 1981 — Fred Holliss Calgarians have been becoming a lot more heart smart and health aware over the last few years, and new meal options have arisen to match that change. If you are too busy to shop or […]
Father and Son Reunion
This is the first time we’ve interviewed a father-son combination here at Dining Out, and this first time is a really great start. Norm Flann and his son Blake are the combo behind BLAKE Canmore, PD3 by BLAKE, and YUGO EAT by BLAKE. Their newest endeavour, the flagship restaurant BLAKE Canmore opened around January of […]
Caesar! What’s With This Clam Juice!?
What the heck is this Canadian obsession with clam juice anyway? — Gordon Ingerson This year we celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary, but we also celebrate another uniquely Canadian product: the Caesar. Famously invented in 1969 by Walter Chell at the Calgary Inn (now the Westin Hotel) to celebrate the opening of a new restaurant. The […]
Fine Wine From Coast To Coast
Sesquicentennial oeniphilia — by Shelley Boettcher You can keep the little collector pins, the made-in-China T-shirts, and the tacky baseball caps. When it comes to celebrating Canada’s 150th, I want wine. Canadian wine. From coast to coast (and, perhaps if there’s enough global warming, to coast?), our country’s wineries are making some world-class vintages from […]
Dining to Go
Food apps are in your future — Wanda Baker Food apps have become an important part of the food community scene and are changing the way we think about dining and in some cases, how we eat. You can find restaurants with Yelp, discover new brews to love using Just Beer, or enjoy breakfast in […]