Eat your way through Southern Alberta and Lethbridge

BY LYNDA SEA

Day tripping between Calgary and Lethbridge?

Taste the pride of local farmers, small business owners and producers at these Southern Alberta culinary gems worth pulling over for.

Boasting nearly 4,500 farms, 11,000 businesses and more than 4.2 millions of acres of land, Southern Alberta is a major

THE HIVE (Nanton)

With two locations in Nanton and Claresholm, The Hive is a great shop that features gifts and goods from over 200 local Alberta vendors where you can find soaps, jewellery, art and baked goods. Inside the Nanton location, The Beestro is a cafe that’s a great pit stop for homemade soups, sandwiches, desserts and even bubble tea. Their popular grilled chicken pesto can be ordered as a sandwich or wrap but definitely opt for the sandwich as all of the Beestro sandwiches feature homemade bread by Fort Macleod’s Grandma Num Num’s Baking. Order Stu’s Morning Glory muffins to go, and pick up other road snacks like the confetti squares or cookie sandwiches for your drive. thehivenanton.com

ANTREE (Claresholm)

While many use Claresholm as a fuel stop between Calgary and Lethbridge, you won’t be disappointed to make a lunch or dinner stop in this rural town right along Highway 2. At Antree, a great Korean and Japanese sushi restaurant, find made fresh to order rolls and hot dishes like beef bibimbap, fish katsu (Japanese style battered Atlantic cod with salad, rice and homemade tartar) and soft tofu soup. The House sushi roll is a California roll topped with salmon and tuna with masago, and the delicious Lobster Roll is a deep-fried whole lobster tail with cucumber, avocado and tobiko. If you like squid and some heat, order the Spicy Crunch, which is food corridor in Canada. Once you hit the Bridge City, you’ll be surprised at how many great food spots are hiding in plain sight in Lethbridge. It’s an underrated, thriving culinary city teeming with cultural flavours and farm fresh ingredients, given its great growing conditions and climate. crispy giant squid legs with cucumber, spicy tempura bits, tobiko and spicy mayo. antreerestaurant.com

THE DINING CAR AT HIGH RIVER STATION (High River)

Next to the historic railway stationturned museum and visitor centre, The Dining Car is a unique breakfast and lunch spot right in the heart of High River. You dine in an actual Canadian National railcar built in 1947 that was converted to a dining car in 1965 as part of the Transcontinental rail line. There’s a map that spans the railcar showing the historic railway route that served Southern Alberta to Edmonton. The menu features all-day breakfasts named in honour of Alberta passenger trains (Dominion, Chinook and Stampeder) as well as burgers (chicken, salmon and cheeseburgers), but the highlights are their build your own eggs benedicts. Save room for the flapper pie, a cream pie with graham cracker crust with toasted meringue or the cheesecake on a pretzel crust. There are only ten tables inside so reserve a table in advance. thediningcar.ca

LITTLE GEM WINERY (Nobleford)

Just 20 minutes’ drive outside Lethbridge in Nobleford, there’s a 28-acre orchard and winery that’s worth a visit and tour. It’s all about the homegrown haskap berry here – a super berry known for its nutrients and antioxidants. From haskaps, Little Gem makes two reds including an oak-aged reserve haskap wine that tastes similar to a pinot, a rosé, a haskap cider and a fortified dessert wine. The tasting room offers charcuterie and Dutch-style eats like Frikandel (pork and beef sausage), spiced beef dough croquettes with Dutch mayo and ketchup curry, and breaded pork schnitzel. There’s also a shop which carries an array of cheeses, honey, meats and unique Dutch imports. littlegemwines.ca

TACOS MADE IN MEXICO (Lethbridge)

The Balderas family from Tlaxcala Mexico run this local restaurant that’s a cornerstone of downtown Lethbridge. Right across from the Southern Alberta Art Gallery, you’ll find this quaint Mexican restaurant which has colourful flags hanging from the ceiling, cozy booths and authentic dishes such as tortas, tostadas, quesadillas and more. Don’t miss the pork in salsa verde tamales, the Sopa Azteca tortilla soup, and enmoladas (corn tortillas filled with chicken or rice covered in mole sauce). For classic taco flavours, you have the choice of the usual, like carnitas, barbacoa and pastor, but there’s also longaniza (pork sausage) and lengua (beef tongue). tacosmadeinmexico.ca

TWO GUYS & A PIZZA PLACE (Lethbridge)

Ask anyone about pizza in the city and you’ll consistently hear about Two Guys – a Lethbridge institution since 2002 and one of the city’s top recommended places. John Catucci of You Gotta Eat Here featured this pizza place in 2015 on Canada’s Food Network and with right reason. They do pizzas that are full of inventive flavours that range from pulled pork to cheeseburger and philly cheese steak. The Italian Club pizza placed 5th in the 2012 International Pizza Challenge. It has a basil pesto base, mozzarella cheese, loaded with capicola and pancetta, white onion, and provolone cheese all finished with fresh tomato, arugula, parmesan and balsamic glaze, and the perfect crust is finished with garlic butter. This place is beloved by locals and tourists, and always full in the evenings and weekends. twoguyspizza.ca

UMAMI SHOP (Lethbridge)

Patricia Luu and Sven Roeder are the husband-and-wife team behind this specialty grocery store in downtown Lethbridge. Shelves are stocked full of imported and local products that range from condiments, canned foods, jams, rice and grains, to international snacks and seasonal vegetables. The entire back wall of the store is full of frozen goods like seafood, meats, dumplings and more. It’s the kind of place where you can shop for Momofuko goods (get the chili crunch, IYKYK), Umami house brand sauces, kitchenware, Italian pasta and sauces, imported cheeses, but also linger to have lunch. The kitchen/deli offers Vietnamese subs, lunch bowls, and Asian and European fusion dishes like ginger beef pasta. There’s also a bubble tea bar in the centre of the shop. umamishop.ca

MILKMAN MILK BAR (Lethbridge)

You won’t regret making a stop at this cute spot on 9th Avenue South that features small-batch, old-fashioned ice cream made from scratch. Enjoy it by the cone or cup or buy take-home pints for later. Brother and sister duo, Braden and Ashley Ohno, are behind Milkman’s “Tried and True” flavours like honey vanilla, salted caramel, strawberry malt, bad coffee, earl grey, and chocolate staples in the freezer. But they also do fun seasonal flavours that rotate “Just Because.”

Depending on the month, you’ll get creative flavours like upside down pineapple, black sesame and raspberry brownie. One of Milkman’s most popular “Just Because” flavours that makes a comeback every so often is the Cereal Killer — cereal milk base swirled with banana caramel topped with caramelised cornflake clusters. Both nogstalic and new, the ice cream here is seriously addictive. instagram.com/milkman.yql

PENNY COFFEE HOUSE (Lethbridge)

You can often tell a city’s culture by its coffeehouses, and Lethbridge’s downtown gathering spot says a lot. Open since the early 90s, the Penny Coffee House has been the city’s central spot to catch up with friends, where many have first dates and others hold business meetings. Come for the free-trade, freshly roasted coffees as you enjoy an Americano or cafe au lait and stay for the pure, relaxed vibes where local art dots the walls and conversations abound. There’s always a hubbub of activity inside, and on any given day, you’ll find fresh-baked goods like pie, squares, pastries and muffins, as well as soup, salads and sandwiches to satisfy your appetite. Try the turkey and bacon sandwich on homemade focaccia, the popular pasta salad or the Portobello mushroom, onion and cheese melt. There are daily specials and vegan and gluten-free menu options available. pennycoffeehouse.com

TARO NOODLE HOUSE (Lethbridge)

Locals rave about this noodle joint across from Galt Gardens and the Park Place mall downtown. Since it opened in 2018, Taro Noodle House is known for its noodle soups as all the broths and egg, udon, and rice noodles are made in-house. They also do stir-fries, bento boxes, and Asian appetizers like char sui steamed baos and basil karaage (deep fried chicken bites with fried basil leaves and house dill sauce). The generous portions mean that dishes like the Dan Dan Ramen can be shared but you likely won’t want to – it’s a hearty bowl of thick hand-pulled Bang Bang noodles with spicy minced pork, roasted onions, green onions and bean sprouts in a Tonkotsu broth. Order at the counter and the food is brought out quickly with great, friendly service. instagram.com/taronoodlehouse/

TELEGRAPH TAP HOUSE (Lethbridge)

This gastropub is housed in Lethbridge’s historical telegraph building right next to Festival Square, and is the place to enjoy some craft beers with friends and family. The menu features locally sourced ingredients. Order the marbled Alberta rib eye steak that comes in a sizzling hot cast iron skillet topped with Café de Paris butter sauce, served with grilled polenta and seasonal veggies. Or try the Poutine Overload, which is house cut fries with cheese curds from local Crystal Springs Farm, and gravy. This is the kind of place to enjoy chicken wings (get the honey garlic made with local Thrive Farms honey) with a cold glass of craft beer and watch the game on TV inside or snatch a table outside for laid-back dining and people-watching. taphouse.pub/

THE PIE STORE (Lethbridge)

Tucked in the industrial part of town, The Pie Store is run by retirees Lois and Ken Dyck, who make mouthwatering pies that draw lineups from locals, especially around major holidays. You can find them at the Lethbridge Farmers' Market, but this location in the city’s north is the place to find all their flavours of fruit, savoury, custard and other fillings of pies in family or single serve sizes. They’re most famous for their signature Saskatoon Pie which uses berries from Ravenwing Farms, a family-owned orchard in central Alberta. Their frozen Caramel Toffee Crunch – a frozen dessert pie which features a cookie crumb crust, a layer of caramel and frozen cream topped with chunks of caramel toffee and drizzled with caramel sauce – is a deliciously cold treat for your tastebuds this summer. thepiestore.ca