TRAVEL AWAITS: Six Unique Dining Experiences In and Around Calgary

 

The full article first appeared in Travel Awaits on Dec. 7, 2021.

I previously wrote about dining experiences to celebrate significant occasions around Arizona. I considered them unique because they were not only fine dining but had a special ambiance. We visit my children a lot so we have also collected such experiences in Calgary, Alberta where my second daughter lives. Later I will also share those I found in San Francisco and Melbourne where two other daughters make a home.

River Café on Prince Island in the Middle of Bow River, Calgary

Calgary reopened right before our 13th anniversary and we hurried to go because we had missed our family there for two years. Luckily, we found River Cafe in the middle of Prince Island on the Bow River next to downtown Calgary. You could not drive there; the only way to reach it was to walk. Fortunately, we started from the southern Bow River Pathway at the end of the beautiful Peace Bridge. And that takes you all the way to a park concession building in the middle of the lovely Prince Island Park.

It was an amazing setting and the menu was upscale, composed of dishes made from fine locally sourced vegetables, meats, and seafood. My husband had fire-grilled Springbank bison striploin cooked medium rare accompanied by grilled Sudo Farms baby cabbage, wilted Ark Farms Swiss chard, and juicy Saskatoon berry jus gras. I chose the Haida Gwaii halibut with flavorful Canadian dashi, spongy shiitake mushrooms, and Sudo Farms wilted bok choy oozing with scallion oil. And the sweetened old-fashioned rice pudding was a great finish.

Afternoon Tea at the Prince of Wales, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

During our lone weekend, we also camped at Waterton Lakes National Park, two and a half hours from the city. Its upper Waterton Lake lies partly in the US and that is why it is partnered with Glacier National Park as an International Peace Park. And we made sure we experienced the Afternoon Tea at the colorful Prince of Wales Hotel perched atop a bluff in the middle of the park.

It could have been just the same as other ones we had tried like “the most expensive” at the Ritz-Carlton in London and “the best in the world” at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. But what made this one different is that there were special treats for the little ones. Of course, they do not care for fruit scones with clotted cream or delicate finger sandwiches of salmon or crispy cucumber. They were given small plates of fine little chicken nuggets, small brownie bites, and craft flowers fashioned with sweets.

Devonian Gardens Inside the CORE Shopping Center, Downtown Calgary

When we got back to the city, my daughter took me to the CORE Shopping Center on 7 Ave SW in downtown Calgary. Imagine my delight when I discovered The Devonian Gardens inside! It’s a one-hectare botanical garden and urban oasis on the fourth floor, with at least 500 trees, 50 plant varieties, a living wall, several fountains, a few fish ponds, and a playground for kids.  

And the Food Court is wisely situated right next to it. So we all ordered Pad Thai for under CA$7 (US$5) at her favorite Thai kiosk and happily brought along our little noodle baskets and chopsticks to an empty nook at the center of all the busy-ness. We had an inexpensive delectable lunch amid the Garden’s greens.

Sky 360 at the Calgary Tower, Downtown Calgary

Also in downtown Calgary, no one will miss the iconic city landmark called the Calgary Tower. As a rule, we thought such places emphasize location and view, but do not necessarily have great food. However, my daughter gifted us with a dinner for two at the Tower’s Sky 360 for another anniversary.  We were happily surprised to find that our hypothesis was not correct. The food upheld the Alberta tradition of great beef, grilled to the exact doneness, with just a little pink for me.

And the sweeping 360-degree views of the city contributed to making our anniversary special. After this positive experience, we also tried The Loupe Lounge in Seattle’s Space Needle and The Top of the World Restaurant at the STRAT Hotel in Las Vegas. I also learned not to leave my drink on the ledge because I did not want to wait for the floor to turn 360 degrees before I could take the next sip!

Lakeview Lounge, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (headline photo)

A few years ago, my husband drove me to Lake Louise, that postcard-pretty place about 30 minutes from Banff and two hours from my daughter’s home. I had been there twice before, once in late spring so the glacier was still in its full glory and at another time during summer when it was not so impressive. This time he led me to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise where he had reserved a table at the Lakeview Lounge. I thought that the place was way too expensive for us. But, as we sat in front of a huge picture window looking out to the perfect “Lake Louise” scene for a Mother’s Day lunch, the basic burger I ordered tasted like the premium steak for the Queen! 

Rundle Lounge, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

After lunch, we checked in at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel where my children had gifted me a suite. The hotel is a large, castle-like building built in 1888 during the time of railway tourism. For dinner, my husband had reservations at the elegant Rundle Lounge. We again had the famed Alberta beef as we shared the Prairie Heritage house dry-aged New York striploin accompanied by succulent Canadian lobster tails in garlic butter. And the views were again spectacular from the wide balcony off our table. The hotel is set off on its own in a wooded area so we looked out to the Bow River tumbling over a magical cliff-like rise.  

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