Avenue March 2017

MOVE INTO & GET all

STUDIO TO THREE-BEDROOM HOMES WITH SERIOUS STYLE: From the concierge to Grosvenor's 300 years of experience, it's easy to brag about Smith living.

THE BELTLINE NEIGHBOURHOOD: Calgary’s hottest entrepreneur and design district. You’ll skyrocket to best dressed in your office.

THE CITY’S BEST RESTAURANTS: The four blocks around you are home to dozens of brewpubs and chic eateries.

B S H L

La Chic • Blu’s • ag silver boutique • Hedkandi Salon

Purchase $100 or more at Bankers Hall and receive 3 hours of complimentary parking. Visit bankershall.ca for details

Outfit: La Chic, Jewellery: ag silver boutique

RUN CALGARY. EXPERIENCE CANADA. YOUR CITY. YOUR RACE. YOUR DAY.

FINISH STRONG, PROUD & FREE

EXPERTLY DESIGNED HOMES

Walk on stylish pure wool-blend carpeting in all bedrooms

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Over 250 square feet of outdoor living on a private terrace

Over 1,250 square feet of space over two levels

Stay warm with in-floor radiant “Nu-Heat” in ensuite bathroom TOWNHOMES STARTING FROM $ 703,900

THE HOME OF POSSIBILITY

CURRIE: Combining the Core, the Commons and the Campus neighbourhoods to create holistic urban living that is second-to-none. Beautiful homes for young singles, urban couples, busy families and retirees. Seven minutes to downtown. Acre upon acre of green space. A true community where good people come together over great food, beautiful parks, walkable streets and balanced living.

And the possibilities are endless.

Wolf has never had a more exciting selection of ranges and cooktops – stunning in both performance and design. If you’ve been thinking about a cooking upgrade, now is the time to act. For a limited time, Wolf is offering significant rebates on some of its most popular products.

By Shelley Arnusch, Meredith Bailey, Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Dan Clapson, Max Fawcett, John Gilchrist, Jennifer Hamilton, Lisa Kadane, Jacquie Moore, Gwendolyn Richards, Alana Willerton and Julia Williams

FEATURES contents

104

Fashion

Want some fun fashion with your food? Here are the spring styles worn by Calgary's sartorially savvy service staff.

By Ricky Zayshley

an economic downturn, there’s an increase in the number of children left without enough food to eat in Calgary, and that can have a lasting impact on their lives.

By Elizabeth Chorney-Booth

Clothing and shoes from Michael Kors. For details, see the Source on page 153.

DEPARTMENTS

35 Detours

A photographer chronicles the recession, how to engage in Calgary’s francophone culture, talking about the Coming Out monologues and a look at OCL studios, which works with members of Florence and the Machine, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald and more.

123 Mountains

Get the most bang for your buck with these spring skiing deals in Panorama, Banff National Park, the Okanagan and more.

132 Style Q&A

Calgary jazz singer Ellen Doty’s personal style reflects her onstage persona, which is a blend of 1920s flapper girl and 1950s French coffeehouse torch singer.

138 Get The Look

The pieces you’ll need to get Ellen Doty’s look.

140 The List

46

The Pour Portugal’s Vinho Verde is minerally, low-alcohol and a great get-together drink.

129 Workout

Reed Ferber, director of the Calgary Running Injury Clinic at the University of Calgary, on how he keeps in shape.

By day, Megan Borg has a 9 to 5 office job, but by night (and on the weekends) she's one of Calgary's leading fibre artists who draws on a wide range of inspiration to craft her oneof-a-kind creations.

142

New & Noteworthy

Simons is opening its first Calgary location this month. Here are four things we’re looking forward to seeing from the Quebec-based department store.

144 Decor

The new home of Shaun and Jillian Connell, designed by Dean Thomas Designs and built by Braemyn Homes, is a modern take on classic forms and attention to detail.

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Editorial Interns Madison Farkas, Andrew Jeffrey

Fact Checkers Nicole Halloran, Fraser Tripp

14TH CALGARY UNDERGROUND

FILM FESTIVAL | APR. 17-23, 2017

Elevating Calgary’s cultural landscape with the best in international independent cinema, CUFF is Western Canada’s premiere genre festival. Throughout our 7-day festival you will discover unique films, lively Q&A’s with visiting guests, and be swept into the fun atmosphere CUFF has created. This year we will be showcasing 40 feature films, 20+ short films, retroSaturday Morning Cartoons, National Canadian Film Day event, parties and CUFFcade (custom arcade cabinets with new Independent video games!)

www.calgaryundergroundfilm.com

Facebook:

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Twitter: @CUFF

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Avenue is proud to support local initiatives in our community. Visit AvenueCalgary.com/events to find out more about upcoming events in the city.

Contributors Lori Andrews, Aldona Barutowicz, Kate Barutowicz, Erin Brooke Burns, Tiffany Burns, Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Dan Clapson, Andrea Cox, Max Fawcett, Tom Firth, Christina Frangou, Jennifer Friesen, John Gilchrist, Kaitlyn Hanson, Tara Hardy, Paige Johnston, Lisa Kadane, Kait Kucy, Jacquie Moore, Alana Peterson, Erica Piebiak, Gwendolyn Richards, Kimberley Seibel, Fraser Tripp, Julie Van Rosendaal, Colin Way, Chris Wedman, Julia Williams, Katherine Ylitalo

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Digital Advertising Coordinator Katherine Jacob Pickering (on leave)

Audience Development/Reader Services Manager Rob Kelly

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What We Eat Now A

venue covers restaurants and food in every issue of the magazine. And then once a year, we go whole hog and really do it in a big way. For almost 15 years, every March we’ve written our list of the best restaurants in the city.

And over that time, dining has changed significantly. Not only in this city — where we’ve seen such a huge increase in the creativity and vitality of our restaurant scene — but everywhere.

Diners are ever more engaged with what’s in the dishes they are eating, where their food comes from and who is making it. A growing cohort document nearly every morsel that goes into their mouths (I count myself among that list from time to time).

There are trend ingredients, trend dishes and of course, trend decors.

This year, in addition to our Top 10 Overall Best Restaurant picks, we highlight a number of top trends and the city’s Trend Leaders for each. Of course, one of the major changes affecting dining is one that has been much talked about in all facets of life: shifting demographics. So we also take a look at how the tastes and demands of millennials are changing dining and what local restaurants are doing to adapt.

EDITOR ’ S PICK

Hopefully we are nearing the end of winter — it’s time for some great ski deals in the mountains. Check them out on page 123.

Käthe Lemon Editor-in-Chief klemon@redpointmedia.ca

While the dining scene has certainly changed, it can still be a default to think that Calgary lags behind. So it was refreshing to hear one of the city’s leading chefs, Justin Leboe, declare that he sees more experimentation going on here than in Vancouver or Toronto. Collaboration and experimentation seem to have become the name of the game for chefs here — to the joy of local diners. Despite being in the throes of a lasting local recession, this is still a city of comparative plenty.

Most of us only have to think about what to eat or where to eat at meal times, not whether or not we can eat. However, a growing number of people, and perhaps most importantly an increasing number of children, face hunger daily. Fortunately the number of grassroots organizations battling this problem is also increasing. Take a look at Elizabeth Chorney-Booth’s story on childhood hunger starting on page 113, and see what you might be able to do to help.

POSSIBILITIES ARE BLOOMING.

Spring’s arrived at Willow Park Village. Discover the season’s newest arrivals in food, fashion and more at over 50 speciality shops.

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CONTRIBUTORS

403-264-3667

alloyhomes.com

info@alloyhomes.com

ANDREA COX

Andrea Cox is a freelance writer, editor and photographer with passions for architecture, design, urban planning, food, wine and sustainable living. Her work has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country and abroad. She has held the position of editor for several niche publications and was the regional managing editor Our Homes Magazine. She is currently working toward an MFA in creative writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University and penning her first novel. Cox lives in Calgary with her daughter, Lauren, and their Maltese puppy, Casey.

TOM FIRTH

Tom Firth has been writing and talking about wine for more than 20 years and has seen a wine trend or two (or 10) come and go in that time. What will never change is the joy that comes with finding and sharing a cool new wine with friends or family. In addition to writing “The Pour” column for Avenue, he writes for several other food and drink-focused publications and is the competition director for the Alberta Beverage Awards. A novice in the kitchen and expert in wine, he firmly believes that good riesling is proof the universe is unfolding as it should.

JARED SYCH

Jared Sych is a Calgary-based shutterbug, and when he’s not working full-time as Avenue’s staff photographer, he likes to spend his free time with his lovely fiancée Bre, daughter Harlow, dog Joey and cat Gomez. His favourite thing about shooting food is getting to eat the food afterward. Check out his tasty Instagram feed @poppasychie.

COLIN WAY

Born in Edmonton and raised in Calgary, Colin Way graduated from ACAD in 2005 with a BA in photography, and has been shooting commercially ever since. His work has taken him around the world and has allowed him to photograph a variety of high-profile people, including Olympians, mayors and CEOs. Way’s work has appeared in The Walrus, Avenue, The New York Times and other publications. He loves to bring out the story behind the people he photographs, capturing moments that speak volumes about who they are. He’s been known to fly-fish from time to time, but not known to catch much.

SPONSORED EVENT

WINE STAGE

MARCH 18, 2017, AT GASOLINE ALLEY AT HERITAGE PARK HISTORICAL VILLAGE.

Wine Stage celebrates its 18th year as Calgary’s premier wine and food event.

One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre invites you to savour the world’s finest wines from the city’s best wine merchants, expertly paired with the succulent culinary creations of Calgary’s most celebrated restaurants.

Tickets and Information: OYR.org or 403-294-9494

Avenue is proud to support local initiatives in our community. Visit AvenueCalgary.com/events to find out more about upcoming events in the city.

Vintage Chophouse 32-oz. bone-in prime rib chop.

GET YOUR GAME ON

Where to find game meats on the menu in Calgary and what home chefs need to know when cooking them.

BEST DRESSED

We highlight 10 of the year’s most stylishly dressed Calgarians.

Get beautiful and then get on with your life with our guide to low downtime medical spa treatments.

cityDETOURS

Portraits of the Recession

Mike Heywood captures the province’s economic reality in black and white.

Not everyone who approaches photographer Mike Heywood about his portrait project, Laid Off Alberta, actually wants their picture taken. “With lots of people, it’s almost like they just want somebody to talk to,” Heywood says.

The idea for Laid Off Alberta came to Heywood, a Calgary-based commercial photographer, as he began hearing news of massive layoffs in the city. “I was struck with this feeling of helplessness,” he recalls. “What could someone like me do about this huge issue?”

Heywood posted a Kijiji ad in April 2016 asking people who had lost their jobs in the

Portrait from Laid Off Alberta, a photographic series by Mike Heywood.

Photography by Mike Heywood

economic downturn to participate in a blackand-white portrait series. Within a few days, he had dozens of responses.

When he learned that the number of layoffs were the highest Calgary had seen since the 1980s, Heywood recalled that he first started photography around the same time. He decided he wanted the project to reflect his early career, so he shot on black-and-white film and processed everything by hand in a darkroom.

Working within those constraints has been a challenge, but also creatively fulfilling. “If I shoot something with a digital camera, I can always make it black-and-white later,” Heywood says. “But when you shoot in black-and-white, you take the colour out of the equation completely. It puts you in a different frame of mind because you know that no matter what you do, it’s going to be a black-and-white image.”

The black-and-white format has also resonated with Heywood’s subjects and audience.

“There’s an intrinsic interest in it because of the look and feel, that even though it’s old-school, it feels different and fresh,” Heywood says.

His goal is to take enough portraits for a gallery show, which he would use as a fundraiser for both the Calgary Food Bank and the support group Laid Off Calgary, though whether that will happen is still up in the air. “I have to be careful because I’m self-funding,” Heywood says. “Out of my excitement for the project, I could easily spend a lot of money.

“If the momentum is there, I’ll do it,” he says, “but honestly, I hope that by spring everyone’s back at work and the layoffs are old news. I don’t really see it happening that quickly, though.”

—Madison Farkas

See more Laid Off Alberta portraits at laidoffalberta.com.

Oui Oui, C’est Calgary

French may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Calgary’s heritage, but the city actually has a long history of Francophone influence.

“The French part of Calgary’s history always gets overlooked,” says Suzanne de Courville Nicol, founding president of the Society for the Francophone Heritage of Calgary. “Mission used to be Rouleauville, a thriving, self-sustaining Francophone village. It was also French-speaking Catholic nuns who established the education system and the first hospital.”

Today, the Association Canadienne-Française de l’Alberta (ACFA) estimates there are more than 100,000 French speakers in the Calgary area.

“In the past four or five years, we’ve seen a big increase in people moving here from Quebec, and in French-speaking immigrants,” says ACFA project development officer Marie-Thérèse Nickel.

Even if you don’t speak French, you can still participate in Francophone culture. A good place to start is at the ACFA’s Maple Festival des Sucres. “We want to celebrate the traditions of Quebec, but we also want to teach people about Franco-Albertan history, including Rouleauville and the Métis Nation,” Nickel says.

Running March 4 and 5 at Heritage Park, the festival features wagon rides, French-Canadian folklore, music, dancing and of course, a cabane à sucre, or sugar shack. Want to earn some Francophone brownie points? Ask for your maple taffy treat in French as “tire sur la neige.” You can also kick off Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, a national celebration of Francophone heritage, with the raising of the Franco-Albertan flag at City Hall on March 3, and recognize International Francophonie Day on March 20.

For those looking to hone their French skills, the Alliance Française of Calgary teaches classes throughout the year for all ages, everyone from raw beginners to fluent speakers. “We often find that people are ‘false beginners,’ ” says JeanBaptiste Roux, the organization’s director. “They maybe learned French in school, but they don’t remember much.”

The Alliance Française also organizes events like concerts, film screenings and pub nights for members to practice the language, many of which are free. —M. F.

For more information on the Maple Festival des Sucres, visit calgarymaplefest.com.

A self portrait of photographer Mike Heywood. Festival des Sucres photography by Hélène Bilodeau

As an architect specializing in age-in-place residential design, I speak to a lot of baby boomers who are getting ready to retire, downsize from their family home, and are worried about how and where they are going to grow old. Common across all of these conversations is a strong desire to remain living independently and a fear of ending up in an institution. “How do I even start?” is the most frequently asked question I get.

My response is two-fold. First, I recommend preparing for the short term. This means making appropriate decisions about the location, size, and layout of your new home so that it fits the needs of the next ten years of life. For most people this means a smaller residence that is located close to friends, family, and favorite activities in order to reduce dependence on the car. Proximity to mass transit is also a common goal. In terms of layout, I suggest a simple open plan that can accommodate the changes in lifestyle that inevitably occur when we move from a work dominated life to one engaged in a variety of other interests.

My second recommendation is to plan for the long term. This means finding a home designed to be adaptable and accessible. Although you are healthy and active right now, it is critical to ensure that your new home will continue to meet your needs as future health and mobility challenges arise.

Design for Aging-in-Place Seminar

Saturday, March 18, 2017 11:00 -12:00

l e a r n a b o u t t h e e s s e n t i a l p r i n c i p l e s o f a g e - i n - p l a c e d e s i g n t h i n k i n g . T h r o u g h a s e r i e s o f c a s e s t u d y e x a m p l e s , J o h n w i l l s h o w h o w t h e s e i d e a s c a n b e i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n o f b a b y b o o m e r h o m e s . T h e s e m i n a r i s f r e e b u t s e a t i n g i s l i m i t e d . R e s e r v a t i o n s r e q u i r e d b y c a l l i n g 4 0 3 2 2 9 4 3 3 0 o r e m a i l i n g a s k @ h o u s e b r a n d c a

John Brown is a registered architect. He is a founding partner in Housebrand and a Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary where, through the Design Research Innovation Lab, he explores the future of age-in-place design.

The Studio that Asbestos Built

Drive east on Township Road 240 near Chestermere, past fields strewn with hay rolls and marshes scattered with cattails. After the asphalt turns to gravel, you’ll find a red house so large it could be mistaken for an inn.

This is OCL Studios, and you can stay there, but only if you’re in the music business. Western Canada’s only commercial-grade residential recording studio, OCL also has the distinction of being the only sound studio in Calgary that includes the option to make chili in the kitchen.

Artists have sought out the studio from near and far; Brett Kissel has recorded several demos here and Theo Fleury made his first full-length album at OCL.

Yet the industry behind the studio’s existence isn’t rock ’n’ roll. Or even a little bit country. “It’s the studio that asbestos built,” says owner Dan Owen. He’s not joking. His company, Owen Construction Limited, specializes in asbestos removal.

Before Owen was a hazmat abatement contractor, he was a drummer. In the ’80s, he travelled throughout Western Canada, playing gigs with his group, Avenue Road.

In 2010, Owen decided to get the band back together and was determined to finally make an album. Not content to book recording time, he chose to build his own studio. But this wouldn’t be just any home studio. Owen brought in Sarah McLachlan’s sound engineer Chris Potter and travelled to Nashville to purchase a soundboard so large it had to be shipped in pieces.

The result is a space with three separate studios that allow three bands to record at once, as well as cozy bedrooms upstairs that provide lodging for up to eight people. Items on offer for visiting artists include at least 100 microphones, 30 snare drums, 11 drum kits, a dozen keyboards, several pianos and a harmonium.

The studio’s chandelier-lit great hall is an impressive sight, with a giant picture window

framing the Rockies in one corner, and a stainedglass window featuring the Beatles in Sgt. Pepper regalia — a remnant of the old Hard Rock Cafe in Eau Claire — anchoring the room. It’s no wonder several bands have shot their music videos here.

Despite being booked solid months in advance, OCL Studios plays a large part in the Prophets of Music Foundation to assist emerging artists.

“The takeaway is that [bands] come here and make a record,” says Owen. “We try to help them out with record companies. Then we send them on their way. Hopefully they have a few tools to help them succeed.”

Coming full circle, his own band’s first album, three decades in the making, should finally be released this spring. —Tiffany Burns

For more information on OCL Studios, visit oclstudios.com.

SPONSORED EVENT

DECIDEDLY JAZZ DANCEWORKS

BLACK & WHITE BALL

SAT., MAR. 11, 2017

FAIRMONT PALLISER

Prepare for an outrageous evening! Decidedly Jazz Danceworks presents the Black & White Ball at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel. Expect live music, nonstop dancing, light snacks, tantalizing auction items and impromptu performances by the DJD company. The Black & White Ball takes place on Saturday, March 11, 2017. One of the most anticipated nights of the season! Wear your black and white finest (or strangest) and dance the night away to Penguins on Broadway and a DJ!

Get your tickets today at http://www.decidedlyjazz. com/performances/events/ blackwhiteball/

Coming Out and Finding a Stage

You can expect everything under the rainbow at a performance of The Coming Out Monologues. According to executive director Madeleine Hardy and operations manager Nolan Hill, the staged event has seen a spectrum of stories and performances since it launched in 2011 at the University of Calgary.

The show was originally designed to be a single night of monologues about coming out of the closet and celebrating sexuality. Now, the event runs for three evenings and includes performances in a variety of artistic disciplines including dance, spoken word and duologues.

Hardy says Monologues has evolved beyond coming-out stories of gay and lesbian community members, and now extends to all facets of the LGBTQ community as well as its allies. She says the stories can be funny, sad or poignant and often deal with the lead up to the first time a person comes out.

Five Book Clubs You Should Join

March is a great month for settling in and devouring a great book. If you’re interested in adding a social angle to your reading, these book clubs are all accepting new members.

ASPIRING WRITERS BOOK CLUB

Are you working on a novel? How about a play or a short story? This club reads classic and contemporary novels in a range of genres, and each month’s discussion includes support and advice to help members with their own writing. Search the group on Facebook to join.

CALGARY PUBLIC LIBRARY ADULT BOOK CLUBS

Most CPL branches host monthly clubs, so you’re sure to find something to fit your schedule. Go to calgarylibrary.ca for the full club list and phone the branch for upcoming titles.

THE CALGARY WOMEN’S LITERARY CLUB

Hill first shared his own coming-out story at the 2013 Monologues in front of coworkers and friends he wasn’t already out to.

“I certainly wasn’t the person who was screaming out loud and proud in the streets,” he says. Sharing his story helped him realize coming out wasn’t something to be scared of, he says. “That was really powerful for me in claiming my own identity.”

Hardy says Monologues provide that same opportunity to everyone who participates. “I’ve often told performers, ‘If you don’t tell your story, someone else will,’” she says. When those stories aren’t told firsthand, says Hardy, the mainstream media reframes them and often distorts them as well. “We lose the depth of who our community is and identities that exist within it,” she says.

Fraser Tripp

The Coming Out Monologues run March 22 to 24 at the Calgary Public Library’s John Dutton Theatre. For information, visit comingoutyyc.com.

Calgary’s oldest book club, the Women’s Literary Club celebrated its 111th anniversary last month. The club chooses a different literary theme every year, and during their weekly meetings members or guest speakers give 30-minute presentations on that subject. This year’s theme is “Favourite Authors.” Go to calgarywomensliteraryclub.com for more information.

INDIGOREADS

Adults and teens can drop in every month at Chapters Chinook, which hosts clubs that read a variety of genres. Past books include Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Louis Sachar’s Holes. Call the store at 403-212-0090 to find out what’s coming up.

OWL’S NEST BOOKS CLUBS

With monthly literary and mystery clubs for adults and two kids’ clubs, this popular bookstore has you covered no matter your age or tastes. To find out what each club is reading visit owlsnestbooks.com.—M.F.

Coming Out Monologues performer, Sy Jewett.

photograph by Tet Millare

DETOURS THEATRE GRACIE

UNTIL MARCH 18

this month do to

In this new play presented by Alberta Theatre Projects, the titular character, Gracie, is like a lot of 15-year-olds in some ways, but in other ways, she isn't like them at all because she was born into a polygamous community. This solo performance shows the world through Gracie’s eyes, as she feels pressure to change, but also to conform to the world of faith and family she knows.

Martha Cohen Theatre, Arts Commons, 403-294-7402, atplive.com

THEATRE CRIME DOES NOT PAY

MARCH 2 TO 11

Downstage presents this musical by Calgarians David Rhymer and Kris Demeanor. Set in the 1940s, it is the story of a comic artist who falls in love with a singer with an abusive ex-husband. This inspires the artist to create work that bring him success, but also draws the attention of censors.

Engineered Air Theatre, Arts Commons,

FOOD THE BIG TASTE

MARCH 3 TO 12

Each year for The Big Taste, a number of Calgary’s downtown restaurants offer prix fixe menus at several different price points for both lunch and dinner, allowing diners to explore the restaurant scene for an affordable price. Last year, more than 90 restaurants participated in The Big Taste. Various locations, calgarydowntown.com

DANCE TO THE PAIN THAT LINGERS

MARCH 8 TO 11

To the Pain That Lingers, or À La Douleur Que J'ai, is a contemporary dance production from Virginie Brunelle, a young, Montreal choreographer. Part of the 2016-2017 Theatre Junction season, the performance explores human relationships, our connections with one another and how certain links between humans can never be broken.

Theatre Junction Grand, 608 1 St. S.W., 403-205-2922, theatrejunction.com

THEATRE OUR MAN IN HAVANA

MARCH 11 TO APRIL 9

This comedic production tells the story of Jim Wormold, a British man living in Havana, Cuba, in the 1950s, whose daughter Milly enjoys an extravagant lifestyle he can’t afford. To keep afloat, Wormold accepts a job from the British Secret Service as their “man in Havana,” despite not knowing a whole lot about anything.

Vertigo Theatre, 115 9 Ave. S.E., 403-221-3708, vertigotheatre.com

MUSIC WU MAN AND FRIENDS

MARCH 3

Wu Man is a premier pipa virtuoso — a pipa being a stringed Chinese instrument similar to a lute that has a 2,000-year-old history — and a prominent ambassador for Chinese music. Her Calgary performance is part of Mount Royal University Conservatory’s Soundscape Series at Bella Concert Hall.

Bella Concert Hall, Mount Royal University Conservatory, 4825 Mount Royal Gate S.W., 403-440-7770, mtroyal.ca

TALK

BEAUTY AND THE BIZARRE WITH PHOTOGRAPHER ANAND VARMA

MARCH 12 AND 13

Anand Varma will make you love bugs — or at least appreciate them. Varma’s photographs shows everything from a wasp eating a caterpillar (from the inside out) to the life cycle of honeybees. The event is part of the National Geographic Live series.

Jack Singer Concert Hall, Arts Commons, 403-294-9494, artscommons.ca

MUSIC AVITAL MEETS AVITAL

MARCH 15

This concert is a musical conversation between Grammy Award-nominated mandolinist Avi Avital and bass virtuoso and oud player Omer Avital — two players who share a common musical heritage yet have very different backgrounds. Joining them are Itamar Doari on percussion and Omer Klein on piano. Bella Concert Hall, Mount Royal University Conservatory, 4825 Mount Royal Gate S.W., 403-440-6111, mtroyal.ca

DANCE ALICE IN WONDERLAND

MARCH 16 TO 18

Alberta Ballet restages one of its most popular productions this month. Audiences can expect colourful sets, costumes and choreography from Edmund Stripe that help tell the tale of Lewis Carroll’s likeable heroine and the characters she encounters in Wonderland, including the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat. Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 1415 14 Ave. N.W., 403-294-9494, albertaballet50.com

CONSUMER EXPO CALGARY OUTDOOR ADVENTURE AND TRAVEL SHOW

MARCH 25 AND 26

March 20 is the first day of spring, which means it’s time to get excited about summer activities in the mountains again. At this two-day event, exhibitors display outdoor adventuring gear, travel experiences and equipment. There is also a whitewater demo pool, photography workshops and special guest presentations.

BMO Centre, Stampede Park, outdooradventureshow.ca

Wu

Man photograph by Stephen Kahn, Avital Meets Avital courtesy of Opera 3 Artists, Alice in Wonderland photograph courtesy of Alberta Ballet

Wu Man.

Alberta Ballet's Alice in Wonderland

Openings

FLEURISH FLOWER SHOP

Brighten your day with some fresh blooms from Fleurish Flower Shop’s new location in Parkdale. At 1,200 square feet, the shop is larger than Fleurish’s south location, and offers pre-made flower arrangements, cut flowers and custom bouquets created by Fleurish’s floral designers. In addition to flowers, the shop offers gift items such as Rewined candles, jewellery from Bronze & Butterflies and cards from Wrinkle and Crease.

FIELDSTUDY

Find your new favourite piece of home decor or apparel at this modern general store that recently opened in Mission. The approximately 1,000-squarefoot space is full of handcrafted goods that have been ethically sourced from across North America. Shop for ceramics, jewellery, vintage items, wall hangings and women’s clothing from Montreal’s Ursa Minor, Vancouver’s Tessa Hughes, San Francisco’s First Rite and others.

1812 4 St. S.W., fieldstudyshop.com

3 Parkdale Cres. N.W., fleurishflowershop.ca, @fleurishcalgary

FOO FOOD

This Victoria, B.C.-based fast-casual Asian restaurant has expanded into Calgary’s Mission neighbourhood. FOO’s modern, 800-square-foot space in the Tivoli building, was designed by SmithErickson Designs. The menu is inspired by Asian street food, so look for dishes such as caramel chicken, saag paneer, butter chicken, red coconut curry and seafood laksa. 2015 4 St. S.W., 403-454-2666, calgary.foofood.ca

Over 250 Plates OPEN WIDE

INJANATION

Discover your inner ninja at Injanation, a new ninja-athletics fitness facility that opened near the YYC Calgary International Airport this past fall. The 55,000-square-foot, all-ages facility is full of unique, fun activities that might just make you forget you’re actually working out. Challenge yourself with military and ninja obstacle courses, jump into the 15,000-square-foot trampoline park, scramble up climbing walls and more.

52 Aero Dr. N.E., 587-353-4652, injanation.com, @injanation

THE BIG TASTE

JANE BOND BBQ

With a food truck and catering company to its name already, Jane Bond has now opened a full-service barbecue restaurant in Southview. At Jane Bond BBQ, you’ll find chef Jenny Burthwright’s menu of house jerk chicken, pulled-pork poutine, fried catfish and more. Grab a seat in the restaurant or lounge and dig into some barbecued goodness.

2015 36 St. S.E., 403-277-7064, janebongrill.com/bbq, @janebondgrill

THE SWEAT SCIENCE

This 3,000-square-foot, non-contact boxing studio in Inglewood offers group classes in its heavy-bag studio, smaller classes in its “Ringside” classroom and private training. The studio’s roster of coaches includes some professional boxers, who will teach you how to hook, jab and uppercut with the best of them.

1406 9 Ave. S.E., thesweatscience.com

VIN ROOM YYC

Located in the YYC Calgary International Airport’s new International Terminal, the 2,000-square-foot, 75-seat space is Vin Room’s third wine bar and restaurant in Calgary. Choose from more than 80 wines and a tapas menu featuring globally inspired fare, then take advantage of travel-friendly features like seats with power outlets and free Wi-Fi.

2000 Airport Rd. N.E., vinroom.com, @vinroom

Carey Perloff

THE DIRECTOR OF A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS ON LOYAL FANS AND THE MAGIC OF VISUAL STORYTELLING

The co-production of American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) and Theatre Calgary’s adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s novel A Thousand Splendid Suns opens this month.

Directed by A.C.T.’s Carey Perloff and starring Calgary actor Haysam Kadri, the worldpremiere stage version of the beloved tale of friendship and resilience in war-torn Afghanistan is different than the novel. But Perloff says fans of the book will find much to love.

play is

beautiful about theatre, visual storytelling. It’s almost like a fairytale,” she says. “It’s quite different from the realism of the novel, but fans will absolutely see what they loved in the book.”

A Thousand Splendid Suns runs March 7 to April 1. For more information, visit theatrecalgary.com

“The

a distillation and focuses on dialogue, conflict and, what I think is very

BY Tom Firth PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jared Sych

Vivacious Vinho Verde

The fresh, young wines from this region in Portugal make for a bright and lively addition to any get-together.

Just like riesling, Madiera and Sherry, Vinho Verde suffers from a perception issue. The average wine consumer’s perceptions are firmly mired in the era when these wonderful and classic wines were so widely imitated, they became caricatures of the real McCoy.

One of the main wine exports of Portugal, Vinho Verde (meaning “green” or “young” wine) was, for quite a while,

all about being the cheapest and most cheerful-est wine around. The epitome of “plonk,” Vinho Verde was usually off-dry to sweet, lower-alcohol, effervescent and, if I can be blunt, boring — at a time when interest in wine was becoming all about terroir, authenticity and story.

The Verde (pronounced VAY-rd or VAYR-deh — both are correct) in Vinho Verde refers to the greenness of the region, which is much cooler and wetter than the

THE POUR

arid slopes of the nearby Douro region. It occupies an irregular wedge in the northwest of Portugal along the Atlantic coast as well as part of the Douro River. The DO (Denomination of Origin) of Vinho Verde accounts for approximately 90 per cent of wines in the region, while wines produced under the broader Minho appellation account for the remaining wines.

It’s a region dominated by around 19,000 small growers working almost 130,000 parcels of land spread across 21,000 hectares. It isn’t cost-effective for most of these parcels to make their own wine, so several co-operatives exist to buy the grapes from these small farmers and make wine under the co-operative’s label.

During harvest time, it isn’t unusual to see a long line of workers in tractors, pickups and flatbed trucks with bins and barrels of all sizes waiting outside the co-operative to have growers’ grapes tested for quality and weighed, then departing with cheques in hand. Though there are plenty of large producers (who dominate exports) and plenty of smaller landholders, this is one of those regions where it is possible for young and ambitious winemakers to farm and produce exciting wine without breaking the bank.

Like most Portuguese wine, Vinho Verde uses blends of indigenous grapes rarely seen elsewhere. The region permits the use of nearly 50 different white grapes, with most white Vinho Verde wines using loureiro, arinto and trajadura grapes, although alvarinho and avesso are also fairly common. For red grapes, vinhão and borraçal are the most common, with amaral and alvarelhão also in use. Though most producers would rather spend their time talking about their white wines rather than their reds, the reds can be very interesting and unusual with plenty of colour, tannins and acids. They are often served slightly chilled.

Vinho Verde is very versatile with a number of foods and cuisines thanks to its slight sweetness, hint of palate-scrubbing bubble and acid presence. Asian cuisine or Asian-inspired dishes work very well, as does seafood of almost any type or stripe from halibut to salmon, scampi to fish sticks. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this next pairing — turkey and all the fixings. Loureiro is a grape that is definitely underappreciated at the holiday table. I’ve served Vinho Verde at more than one Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, with no rioting in the streets afterwards.

As for cellaring, a few producers make wines that have notable progression over time, but these are very much the exception. I suggest buying

these wines when the occasion calls for them, or keeping a few on hand with the idea that you’ll drink them soon — whenever you’re having fun, casual get-togethers with friends or family. Serve them well-chilled and avoid all pretention wherever possible.

and peaches, it has a dry profile and

PICKS

ADEGA DE MONÇÃO 2015 ESCOLHA VINHO VERDE

Comes from a co-operative and made from alvarinho and trajadura grapes. Look for hints of grapefruit with peach and pear fruits. It’s quite dry, with the barest hint of fizz. A perfectly refreshing glass of wine. $14

on the nose with a decidedly floral per fume quality in this Vinho Verde based around arinto, trajadura, and loureiro

APHROS 2013 VINHÃO, VINHO VERDE, PORTUGAL

One of those elusive red Vinho Verdes, this one is bursting on the nose with sour cherry and blackberry fruit with just a little bit of earthiness. Full bodied, it’s a little sour, a little rustic and delicious. Try pairing with game meats or Bolognese-style sauces. $27

of wine the region is known for. A little crackle of bubble, a little sweetness

APHROS TEN 2015 VINHO VERDE, PORTUGAL

A leading producer of Vinho Verde, the loureiro in this bottle is biodynamically farmed and is lovely and delicate with citrus and a bare hint of mint leaf aromas. Excellent balance, a rock star Vinho Verde. $23

VERDE, PORTUGAL

Some people like their whites a little on the sweeter side, and this one delivers. Delving into dessert wine territory with about 70 grams of residual sugar per liter, it still has pretty tropical fruits, a pinch of effervescence and a little acid to boot. Try pairing with custards or creamy desserts with fresh fruit. $12

and totally quaffable, with a tickle of bubbles and slightly tannic raspberry fruits. Wine for fun! $13

MURALHAS DE MONÇÃO 2015

VINHO VERDE

Also made from mostly alvarinho and trajadura grapes, this wine has prominent citrus and intensity on the nose with clean tropical fruit flavours. It can be enjoyed on its own or with a variety of seafoods. $18

MINHO, PORTUGAL

An excellent bottle of alvarinho through and through, with lemony and flowery aromas that yield slightly waxy apple peel and tropical fruit flavours bracketed by tart acids and an everso-slightly creamy mouthfeel. Bored of pinot gris? Give this a try. $20

QUINTA DA AVELEDA 2014 VINHO VERDE, PORTUGAL

A fine blend of loureiro and alvarinho, the strengths of each show well, with floral and fruity touches of vanilla, honey, melon and lemons on the nose. Quite dry and quite crisp on the palate, it’s a perfect alternative to sauvignon blanc. Pair with seafood or poultry. $13

QUINTA DO AMEAL 2014 LOUREIRO

VINHO VERDE

Loureiro is possibly the best white grape for single-varietal Vinho Verde. Look for apple and honey aromas, with a little tropical or banana notes. It’s quite dry on the palate and shows no effervescence. Rich, stylish and delicious.

$17

10 BEST

¢ BY Shelley Arnusch, Meredith Bailey, Elizabeth Chorney-Booth, Dan Clapson, Max Fawcett, John Gilchrist, Jennifer Hamilton, Lisa Kadane, Jacquie Moore, Gwendolyn Richards, Alana Willerton and Julia Williams

¢ PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jared Sych

RESTAURANTS

Cuisine is a living form of art and never has it been more alive in Calgary than it is right now. As our dining scene continues to mature, we see increasing diversity in terms of price at both ends of the spectrum; stronger ethnic influences on menus across the city; a growing commitment to promoting seasonal, sustainable ingredients and supporting local producers; and a growing stable of remarkably talented, confident chefs who continually push themselves and their peers to create dishes that are on par with those at the top restaurants in the world. This year’s Top 10 Overall list was chosen with input from more than 60 food specialists — food journalists,

restaurateurs, chefs, educators and other industry experts — and highlights establishments that offer the very best balance of food quality and taste, service, value, ambiance, creativity and consistency. These 10 are so consistently exemplary that we could not rank them — they are presented as a group in alphabetical order.

We have also called out 10 of the city’s trend leaders — restaurants that are the best examples of current key dining trends, along with many others that deserve a shout-out as trend leaders. Beyond this, we also mention dozens of very fine establishments for dining and imbibing, which we hope will inform your decisions and encourage you to participate in the city’s dynamic dining scene with relish. —J.H.

Alloy

An alloy is a metal forged by combining two or more elements with the goal of making something stronger than its parts. Apply that rationale to food and you get Alloy, a Calgary restaurant that’s been mixing local ingredients with global flavours to create some of the city’s best cuisine for nine years running.

To remain a culinary leader for nearly a decade, when so many forces have altered the city’s food landscape — from the rise of small plates to the faltering economy to the clientele (patrons now Instagram nearly every

dish) — has required, ironically, a certain resistance to the winds of change.

Not only has Alloy resisted installing free Wi-Fi (so guests will dine and converse rather than take pictures and text), the restaurant has stayed the course with its food: on-trend dishes that borrow from global genres with surprising and delicious results.

“It’s the consistency of what we do,” says owner Uri Heilik who, along with co-owner and chef Rogelio Herrera, surprised foodies by opening Alloy in southeast Calgary’s Manchester industrial area in 2007. In spite of its at-the-time unusual location, Alloy became an instant success, and it still wins over newcomers who step into the mid-century-modern-inspired space for the first time and are swept away by its alchemy. “You could go to Alloy any different year over the past nine and know that it’s Rogelio. You know what you’re getting,” says Heilik.

FOOD

Local ingredients with global influences, including Asian, Indian and Mediterranean flavours.

VIBE

Comfortable and intimate — you’ll want to linger.

DECOR

Contemporary style that evokes 1960s Palm Springs bungalow glam.

DISH

Vanilla-braised beef short rib served with Parmesan cheese risotto and roasted vegetables.

BONUS

Free parking, great cocktails at the new Back Bar, open seven days a week.

That’s not to say the menu hasn’t changed. While some well-loved dishes, such as the truffle gnocchi, have been on the menu for years, others, like the once-popular lobster tempura, stayed awhile and then faded away. Still more, such as the beef short rib, appear to be the same as ever but have actually evolved thanks to slight modifications (a vanilla braise, for example).

Herrera adjusts flavours and experiments with new offerings on a weekly tasting menu, but his trademark mix of globally influenced dishes remains constant. “There is familiarity on the menu, but there is excitement as well,” he says.

Another constant is Alloy’s commitment to excellent service. Staff are on their game seven days a week, whether that means making a dish gluten-free or putting in extra effort for a birthday or anniversary.

Perhaps most importantly, Heilik and Herrera still love what they do, and they understand the balance of elements that makes Alloy a pillar of Calgary’s dining scene. —L.K.

Chili-crusted ahi tuna, aji amarillo and coconut reduction and langoustine aguachile

Anju

Those crispy wings with the craggy coating catching all the spicy gochujang sauce. That fried tofu with the sautéed kimchi and drizzle of citrus aioli. The rich oxtail tortellini perfumed with truffle oil. These are the dishes that put Anju on the map. These are the dishes we can’t get enough of. Chef Roy Oh’s specialty may be modern Korean with a hint of fusion, dished up in small plates designed to be shared, but really, what he creates in his kitchen are cravings.

Oh, a graphic designer by trade with no formal cooking training, has taken the traditional Korean dishes his mother would make and put his own stamp on them. (His approach to hospitality — that guests should be enjoying themselves, and that there should always be enough food to go around — also comes from his mother and watching her entertain house guests.)

The fundamentals are the same as in the dishes he grew up eating. Soy, sesame oil, sugar, garlic and gochujang or gochugaru (spicy Korean chili paste or ground chili peppers) are put together in varying combinations to make different dishes. But then Oh adds his own twist, influenced by the cuisines of Italy, the American deep south and Japan, among others.

Loyal customers who followed Oh from his first location, hidden away at the western edge of downtown, to the current one on what has become the dining mile of 17th Avenue S.W., have been rewarded with dishes that bring them back time and again.

Those trying Anju for the first time are hooked by the creative combinations of cuisines and flavours, the hits of spice and seasonings.

FOOD

Modern Korean.

VIBE

Chill, urban-casual.

DISH Gochujang wings.

DRINK

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

BONUS

Happy hour nightly from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. with $5 wine and beer and special snacks on feature.

dishes appear often, while old favourites are often revamped, like Oh’s nod to Momofuku’s Brussels sprouts recipe, which has gone through several iterations.

With the addition of a weekend brunch, where Oh infuses traditional offerings with Korean flavours (Asian

pear pancakes and eggs benny with pork belly and kimchi), your Anju cravings can now be covered from morning to late night, at least on weekends.

By definition, Anju means “food that you eat with alcohol,” so don’t overlook the clever wine and beer list and creative cocktails. And do remember to share those crave-worthy dishes. —G.R.

Chef Roy Oh with selections from Anju’s menu.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH PRAWNS

butternut squash and mascarpone ravioli, truffle butter, sautéed jumbo prawns, pine nuts, crispy sage.

Blink

That tradition of riding a horse into a bar whenever Calgarians win some sporting event? It started at Blink. Of course it wasn’t called Blink in 1923 when Eddie King rode his horse into the restaurant to mark the launch of the Calgary Stampede. Back then it was the Club Café.

The brick-and-sandstone structure has had many identities since then — saddlery, theatre and numerous restaurants — but has settled firmly on Stephen Avenue as Blink. One of Calgary’s best, Blink is a fine destination for a business lunch, a quiet — yes, you can hear your dining partner talk here — dinner for two or a quick bite and sip before the theatre.

With over two decades of restaurant experience, owner Leslie Echino, guides Blink almost effortlessly. (At least she makes it appear effortless.) The finely tuned kitchen, the immaculate wine list, the richly appointed room, the seamless service and a menu of internationally inspired, regionally sourced dishes all meld together into a remarkable dining event.

From togarashi-dusted popcorn and a snow-crab salad with brioche emulsion, Bartlett pear, endive, horseradish and apple, to pork shoulder with jowl bacon, cavolo nero (black kale), carrots, pear and almond, Blink’s dishes are creatively conceived and skillfully constructed. That includes the desserts, so often a culinary afterthought. They’re superb. And the food and wine pairings, led by Echino herself, are a treat as she scans her lengthy and exquisitely selected list.

Echino’s dedication to the winefood love affair has taken her to many

wineries and she has even delved into her own vinification. Last year, at Celler Pinol near Tarragona, Spain, she made a couple of wines in conjunction with winemaker Toni Coca I Fito. Both red and white wines are made mostly from organic grenache grapes (small amounts of macabeo and carignan are blended into the white and red respectively) and are labelled Conti-Mei after her grandmothers’ maiden names. The wines are available at Blink and at select wine shops around town. The time she spent at the winery helped Echino to better appreciate the effort and skill needed in the wine industry and to better understand the way that wines are constructed.

It’s that kind of commitment to detail that imbues Blink with quality. It’s a gracious restaurant, calm and assured without the tiniest speck of pretentiousness. The kind of place that you might even be able to ride your horse into. —J.G.

FOOD

Internationally inspired regional cuisine.

VIBE

Great business lunch or serious date spot with discreet corners and subtle tones.

DECOR

Historic sandstone and brick, in a long, narrow room with subdued lighting.

DISH

Pain perdu with pumpkin ice cream, chai anglaise and pecans.

BONUS

Great wine pairings, plus Calgary history.

Grilled pacific octopus with tobiko sour cream, compressed Asian pears and charred green-onion vinaigrette.

507 Riverdale AV SW

C4076594

$4,250,000

Impressive Executive home built on a 75’ lot with views of the river valley & downtown. Designed/ built by Mike Holmes, this home capitalizes on green construction & a masterpiece of interior design.

318 26 Ave

C4092892

$424,900

Move in ready or patiently awaiting a dream renovation, the opportunities are endless for this 1 bedroom + den with a spacious 1431 Sq Ft footprint.

20 Aspen Ridge MR SW

C4086999

$7,999,900

A culmination of French Country exterior and modern elegant interior collides in this captivating Aspen Estates home. This home has been evocatively conceived from every angle.

4606 16A ST SW

C4092128

$949,900

Incredible impact in a premier location, a triumph of modern design with a masterfully curated blend of high end finishes & custom detailing! The main floor living space welcomes you with open arms, showcasing a solid foundation of hardwood flooring, exquisite fixtures & lighting & contemporary colour palette.

5923 20 Street SW

C4084084

$1,749,900

Willix Developments has created an architectural piece that rivals the best you have seen! This is a home that speaks the language of love in every room. Amazing spacious entry invites you & your family to come in and relax.

1905 7 St SW

C4093023

$899,900

Beautifully designed by James McIntyre/Jeremy Sturgess this New York style Brownstone 2 storey townhome has been carefully renovated to meet the highest standards!

Pigeonhole

FOOD

Postmodern sharing plates served on Victorian china.

DISH Charred cabbage with jalapeno salad cream and shaved Mimolette cheese.

VIBE Casual, intimate European.

BONUS

Caviar service plus a bottle of bubbles for $100 on Mondays with proceeds going to charity.

Model Milk & Pigeonhole

since 2015, at Pigeonhole. The former was named Canada’s second Best New Restaurant by enRoute magazine, and the latter took first place in the same category almost the minute it opened. Pigeonhole’s now-iconic charred cabbage dish promptly went bonkers on social media.

The restaurants are physically attached, and conceptually related in the broadest sense. That is, that comfort food need not be familiar food, but that food is at its most comforting when raised, grown or caught close to home. The divvying up of a whole Broek Acres pig between the two kitchens illustrates their differences: pork ribeye at Model Milk versus a small-plated cured loin at Pigeonhole. Both rooms reflect their chef-owner’s idiosyncratic idea of what gourmet dining is. They are bright lights in a city where the term “chef-driven” has recently come to define the restaurant culture.

Indeed, over the past five years, chefdriven restaurants including Charcut, Notable and, certainly, Model Milk and Pigeonhole have contributed a wealth of iconic delicacies to Western Canadian cuisine that make Calgary one of the most illuminating and necessary stops on a national culinary tour.

No pressure, but Justin Leboe is watching you eat. Not in the way of a fretting parent; more a veteran film director noting the timing and tenor of his audience’s reactions: did they laugh? Did they cry? More to the point, did they dig into their ember-roasted sweet potato with gusto? Rather than observing from the equivalent of a back row in a dark

theatre, however, Leboe is front and centre on the restaurant floor — judging his own performance, not yours — expediting dishes and hollering orders to a row of young cooks toiling at a long counter at the back of the room: “Eggplant, a trout, an octopus and a duck!” He has been mistaken more than once for a mature busboy.

Leboe is the lauded chef-owner at Model Milk, which opened in 2011 and,

Leboe is widely regarded as one of this city’s boldest drivers of not only his own unique brand, but of a new era in restaurant culture. His devotion to creating culturally disparate, often vegetarian dishes rooted in regional ingredients has helped re-shape the city’s culinary landscape. Leboe, conversely, credits Calgary’s exuberant and permissive food and wine culture with unleashing his culinary ambitions and imagination. He admits it’s not what he expected to find here.

In 2007, Leboe was working as a chef in Bermuda, when he was tapped by the Vintage Group, who sought to shake up Calgary’s food scene with the opening of Rush. Leboe, who found his voice in acclaimed kitchens around the world

Chef Justin Leboe at Pigeonhole.

including at Daniel and French Laundry, took the gig with the idea that a brief stop in Calgary would take him a little closer, geographically at least, to his vision of a chefdom in his hometown of Vancouver.

As it went, Leboe definitely challenged conventional dining in Calgary during his playful and extravagant three-year tenure at Rush. He also found himself beguiled by the city’s energetic and inventive dining scene. “There’s so much more risk-taking here than anywhere else in the country,” says Leboe. “It’s certainly not just me — it’s that one can do this here. It’s that it’s possible to do things here that you can’t do anywhere else.”

Admittedly, no matter how intense his drive, Leboe can’t do it alone. His staff of 75 includes executive chef Eric

Model Milk

FOOD

Twist on Southern comfort food. It’s diner-meets-finedining.

DISH

The Model Milk Burger (ham hock, cheese curd).

DECOR

Vintage-industrial cozy.

BONUS

Weekly Sunday Supper’s threecourse “feast of wholesome goodness” served family-style for $40 per person.

Hendry at Model Milk and, at Pigeonhole, chef Doug King who took the reins in November. “I realized a couple of years ago that I lose valuable staff if I don’t give them roles to grow into,” says Leboe. “And I can’t be in two places at once.”

The loosening of Leboe’s grip on executive chef duties begs the question: Can such a winning chef-driven restaurant maintain its personality — its “Leboe-ness” — with its visionary chef no longer in the driver’s seat?

With precise, if unintentional, comic timing, Leboe answers only after taking a spoon out of his apron pocket to taste a bit of broth simmering on a Pigeonhole burner. “More salt,” he says flatly, to whichever of his five young cooks are listening (they all are). “It’s a collaboration,” he finally says. “I’m the senior person now — working with

these chefs is like looking in a mirror at myself 20 years ago.”

Chef King, an Edmontonian who made the move to Calgary after stints at Lumière, Hawksworth and, most recently, Kissa Tanto in Vancouver, confirms that Leboe has stayed true to his promise that the young chef would never be under his thumb. “Justin is never overbearing, but he’s constantly guiding me,” King says.

After working with some highprofile chefs who “seemed content just doing promotional work,” King is inspired to work with Leboe. “He gets his hands dirty here six days a week — he just wants to be part of this thing he built from the bottom up.” You’ll forgive Leboe for watching you smile when your charred cabbage arrives. It’s a pleasure he’s earned. —J.M.

Dry-aged beef tartare with crispy sunchoke, celery root and smoked oyster at Model Milk.

Native Tongues

Authenticity is on the menu at Native Tongues. From the slow-braised meats enveloped in corn tortillas and charcoal-fired seasonal vegetables doused with queso fresco and chili pepper-infused crema, to the traditional cantina feel of the space with its distressed walls, wooden tables and eclectic knick-knacks and oddities, there is a feeling of having made a run for the border without leaving the boundaries of Calgary.

At the heart of the kitchen, the wood-burning grill serves as focal point and the tool used to get that deep, smoky char on all manner of ingredients, from carrots and corn to grilled whole fish, brisket, pork belly and octopus.

Owner-operator Cody Willis’s passion for real Mexican street food has taken him on innumerable trips to that country. His aim is to fully understand a cuisine that, for many of us, has come only in the form of a fast-food chain with little connection to the actual dishes of Mexico.

These are not the hard-shelled tacos or bland burritos filled with seasoned ground beef of our youth, but deeply flavoured meats, slow roasted or braised to fall-apart tenderness, laid out on soft corn tortillas a little larger than the size of your palm, made from non-GMO corn, and topped with house-made salsas in varying levels of spiciness. Pick and choose from the list of Tacos de Guisado, like the traditional chorizo and potato or the confit pork with white onion and cilantro. Or opt for the large-format, family-style,

build-it-yourself versions featuring slow-roasted pork belly, lamb neck or grilled chicken.

The menu changes regularly to reflect the season, especially when it comes to the antojitos — literally “little cravings” — the starter dishes perfect for sharing while waiting for the tacos to arrive hot to the table. Depending on the time of year, Willis features local carrots, lentils and even cactus. People eagerly anticipate when

corn hits the markets and they can order elotes or esquites — corn topped with mayonnaise, queso fresco, then brightened with lime and cilantro. (Elotes is on the cob, while esquites is a spoonable, less-prone-to-needingfloss option.) When they’re on the menu, either is a must-order.

The only thing missing from making it a genuine taqueria is the need to exchange money at the airport.

G.R.

FOOD

Authentic Mexican.

DECOR True taqueria.

DISH Lamb neck barbacoa

NON-MEXICAN MUST-ORDER Hamburguesa al carbon

BONUS Taco Tuesdays, $2.50 tacos all day.

Head chef Rodrigo Rodas with a dish of pollo al carbon with salsa negra

River Café H

emmed by the river and surrounded by trees on an island at the edge of Calgary’s bustling downtown, River Café echoes the nature that surrounds it. Inside, the restaurant evokes the feeling of being in a cabin in the woods with the roaring fire in the winter and windows thrown open to let in any breezes during the warmer summer months.

That reverence for the natural environment is evident in all the details, right down to the individual ingredients that come in from local farms and ranches, foraged from forests and

sustainably fished to be beautifully prepared and plated.

Proprietor Sal Howell’s passion for the environment has made her a pioneer in the local and sustainable food movement. She has built relationships with area farmers and producers, brought in the Ocean Wise program to ensure the seafood coming into the kitchen is not depleting world stocks and slowly built a pantry that comes from a place as close to home as possible — right down to the most humble, most essential ingredient, salt.

Howell’s ethos is simple: eat seasonal, eat local, eat sustainable. But how that has been translated onto the plate at her restaurants goes beyond others’ approaches to the same philosophy.

In executive chef Matthias Fong, Howell has found an ally in her efforts to make as light a footprint on the environment as possible while still serving impeccable dishes full of flavour and contrast. (She has another ally in chef Jamie Harling, who helms the recently opened Deane House restaurant.) With his inventive approach and meticulous execution, Fong accepts his limitations in ingredients — no lemons, no pepper, no olive oil — and creates dishes that diners may not even realize have been restricted in any way.

This is Canadian cuisine at its most fundamental. The contemporary dishes Fong creates, from a play on risotto influenced by congee (Asian porridge) to a tartare spiked with saskatoon berries, showcase ingenuity and respect for the bounty in the surrounding landscape.

Instead of being confined by the geographic boundaries of using ingredients raised as close to the restaurant as possible, River Café has taken the inventive approach, whether it’s creating a substitute for soy sauce or crafting their own vinegar from the runoff of their beer tap. Howell and her staff also source ingredients unexpected in Canada, like rice grown in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. It’s that effort, that commitment, that translates onto the plate. —G.R.

FOOD

Elevated takes on classic dishes with a Canadian underpinning.

VIBE Cozy.

DECOR Cabin on a lake in the woods.

DISH Kolb Farms bison tartare.

BONUS Escaping from the bustle of the city without leaving town.

Owner Sal Howell with a selection of locally sourced and house-made ingredients.

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Rouge

The summer of 2001 was not an easy one for Paul Rogalski and Olivier Reynaud. They’d left significant jobs at La Chaumière to open their own restaurant and had sunk their savings into The Cross House. Their task was to elevate a middling, Continental-menued restaurant in a historic Inglewood house into a world-class dining destination. Open only a few months, and after costly renovations to the century-old house, the partners were almost broke.

FOOD

French-influenced regional.

VIBE

Calm, relaxed, professional.

DECOR

Creaky-floored Victorian restoration.

DISH

Duck breast with sunflower-seed butter, charred eggplant, bok choy and sunflower shoots.

But then a few people began to notice the change. And then a few more. And they told some friends about this new place with uncompromising standards, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, a talented chef and professional service.

More people came. Soon the bank account turned black and the partners breathed a sigh of relief. Then they changed the name to Rouge, re-painted and renovated some more. They even brought in kitchen help to give chef Rogalski a break.

Then, in 2010, Rouge landed on S. Pellegrino’s list of the Top 100 Restaurants in the World and all hell broke loose. Reynaud and Rogalski had to hire a staff member just to handle the surge in reservations from locals and international travellers alike.

More chefs came and went, each adding their own tweaks to Rouge’s stellar kitchen. The Great Flood of 2013, lengthy flood mitigation in the area, the closing of the Zoo bridge and shifting economies each added a nick to Rouge’s character.

The partners remained unswayed. They even opened a second restaurant — Bistro Rouge — up the hill west of Sarcee Trail to broaden their market.

Through all the physical, economic and staff changes, and now with chef de cuisine Brian Diamond onboard, Rouge has been indomitable. Lamb tartare with pickled garlic scape aioli, smoked egg yolk, farro crisp and goat feta is just one of many appetizers on the winter menu. Smoked Brant Lake Wagyu teres major (shoulder tender) steak, parsley root, hay ash cavatelli and sauce Périgueux is a reimagining of an Alberta beef dish. For dessert, think corn brûlée with husk meringue and bourbon peach, turning the familiar brûlée on its head.

Local ingredients, many of which come from Rouge’s own garden and beehives, play a prominent role at Rouge, as the kitchen pushes the boundaries of Canadian cuisine.

Fifteen years on, Rogalski and Reynaud are feeling more comfortable but not the least bit complacent. They remain as committed and as focused as ever, keeping Rouge atop the best of Calgary’s restaurants. —J.G.

BONUS A summer stroll through the garden.

Chef-owner Paul Rogalski and co-owner Olivier Reynaud.

Every piece of our lip smackin’ golden fried chicken is made from grain fed, locally raised chicken and, as with all our meals, always prepared in-house from scratch using only the highest quality ingredients.

You could find your ‘inspiration’ in Italy. Or, like many local chefs, you could find it at our shops.

So what’s for dinner?

Ten Foot Henry

When you launch a vegetable-forward menu in Cowtown, you expect it to be a conversation starter. But for Ten Foot Henry owner-operator couple Aja Lapointe and Stephen Smee, the menu — like the design, the service and the name — simply reflect their thoughtful, personal approach to contemporary dining.

Lapointe runs front-of-house and Smee is the chef. Both are veterans of the Calgary dining scene (Lapointe and Smee were previously involved with UNA Pizza + Wine). They lifted the best elements from their combined experience and consulted their own tastes when defining the Ten Foot Henry concept.

“We wanted to do a concept that was representative of how Aja and I live our lives,” Smee says. Part of that was putting proteins in a supporting role to vegetables. “That’s how we eat at home,” he says.

The restaurant, which opened its doors in March 2016, occupies a space in Calgary’s historic Eagle Block building on 1st Street S.W. The dining room is set back from the entrance, accessed through a short hallway that also leads to Little Henry, the small, street-facing sister café Lapointe and Smee opened in June 2016.

Designed by Connie Young, the 82-seat space is windowless but bright, with plants hanging from the high ceiling and an open kitchen. During the design stage, Lapointe and Smee drew inspiration from landscapes, gardens and home kitchens. The iconic Ten Foot Henry woodcut, on indefinite loan from owner Blake Brooker of One Yellow Rabbit, is an eccentric presence at the back of the dining room. “We love the name,” Lapointe says. “It’s fun and playful and removes the pomp and circumstance from dining.”

Like the space, Lapointe describes the menu as feel-good — the sort of food people can revisit often. She says people with different dietary

FOOD

Vegetable-focused, family-style dishes with a West Coast sensibility.

VIBE

Casual, bright and buzzing.

DECOR

Hip and unfussy, with an open kitchen, hanging plants, and plenty of concrete, wood and marble.

DISH

Tomatoes with fresh herbs, whipped feta and Sidewalk Citizen sourdough toast.

THE BONUS

Golden Milk Elixir to go from adjoining café Little Henry.

interests can enjoy dining together here; one person can order sautéed gai lan while their companion slices into a hanger steak. “We wanted to build a menu that we would be excited to eat,” Lapointe says. The small but considered drinks list, full of clean, fresh flavours, is similarly influenced by personal taste.

Lapointe and Smee love to entertain.

Ten Foot Henry has already earned a reputation for exemplary service, which Lapointe says is a testament to the experience of the team, and to their own sincere desire to wow guests. That approach is central to the menu, too. “You keep it simple,” Smee says.

“You keep your guests happy.” —J.W.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Grilled cauliflower bagna cauda with garlic bread crumb; sautéed gai lan; Sidewalk Citizen sourdough toast; yam tortilla with scallion, sumac, nigella, and sour cream; whole roasted beets with pistachio crema and fresh dill; tomatoes with fresh herbs and whipped feta.

Kelly Lai, MBA’13 Senior Consultant Ernst & Young

The Haskayne MBA. Calgary’s MBA.

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Aname as the massive palace — said to have had upwards of 1,500 rooms — that English monarchs called home in the 16th and 17th centuries, all resemblance between Whitehall the palace and Whitehall the restaurant essentially stops there. Where the palace was a place of rules and ritual,

chef-owner Neil McCue has created a restaurant without fuss or ceremony.

The white space and soaring ceilings of the two rooms in the historic de Waal building in Bridgeland may nod to something palatial, but the feeling is far more welcoming with inviting tufted banquettes, wing chairs, warm lighting and book shelves that give the whole space a sense of being in the library of a great house. It’s all anchored by a pipe-and-joint bar near the door.

This balance between cozy and grand, simple meals and haute cuisine, plays out on the plates coming from McCue’s kitchen.

Whitehall marks McCue’s return to the Calgary culinary scene, where he once made a name for himself leading the kitchens at Catch Restaurant and The Oyster Bar. This time, however, he has complete control, and he’s using it to showcase contemporary British dishes that nod to their classic heritage while still taking a modern approach.

Despite the Michelin star under his belt from Curlew near Essex, McCue has no interest in fussy airs and overly refined food. Instead, he offers a warm space, a cheeky cocktail list that references British figureheads (Tony’s Labour, Churchill’s Cigar, Thatcher’s Ass) and a menu populated with traditional British favourites.

It’s in the execution of items such as Scotch eggs, black pudding, Eccles cakes and fish and chips — things we could easily see on a pub menu or being offered up as part of afternoon tea — that McCue’s skill and experience show through. There’s a balance between the dishes of his heritage, those of his childhood, and McCue’s expertise in fine dining. The plates are beautiful yet approachable and reflect his ethos that simple ingredients prepared well make for the best meals.

At Whitehall, you can eat like royalty without having to keep a stiff upper lip. —G.R.

Whitehall

Chef Neil McCue with roasted pigeon and sausage roll.

FOOD Contemporary British.

VIBE Warm and welcoming with a hint of rock ’n’ roll.

DECOR Great house library as seen in black and white.

Use the bread brought to the table to dip into the melted edges of the soufflé as if it were a fondue.

14TH ANNUAL BEST RESTAURANTS / TOP TRENDS

+

72 TOP 10 TREND LEADERS

76 The Kids are Alright

80 KEY INGREDIENTS

SMOKING

In the ever-evolving global food scene, the ancient craft of smoking food may be one of the only constants. From primitive use as a means of preserving meat and fish to modern-day presentations of glass-encased clouds of smoke surrounding a cocktail or a plate of food, the way Calgary restaurants work with the aftermath of smouldering wood chips has reached peak creativity these past couple of years.

84 Mountain Dining

88 RESTAURANTS TO WATCH

92 Money for Nothing

94 MONSTER BURGERS

98 Restaurant Design

100 BEST BREW PUBS

102 The Full List

Cocktail menus around town see their fair share of creative infusion. Sit at the bar at Alloy to watch the barkeeps torch planks of wood and cup the smoke with glassware. Over at One18 Empire, ordering an old-fashioned will have you deciding between five different types of wood — like walnut or hickory — to smoke the glass before you even settle on a bourbon to bring it all together. Cheers!

The old-fashioned at One18 Empire comes in a smoked glass.

The technique of smoking can be surprisingly delicate when used for a quick cold smoke like you’ll see with The Derrick Gin Mill and Kitchen’s beef tartare. Longer processes lead to the robust and lingering flavours one finds after biting into a meaty pork rib end at Hayden Block, the Texas-barbecue hot spot. Nonmeat ingredients are also enhanced by the billowing treatment, such as the mushroom purée found inside Briggs’ signature devilled eggs or the smoked red-lentil hummus at Deane House. —D.C.

Briggs’ signature devilled eggs include smoked mushroom purée.

CONCEPT RESTAURANTS

OTHER TREND LEADERS

Bar Von der Fels

Concept: Value-oriented wine bar.

■ Eat: Brant Lake Wagyu tartare with hazelnut, celeriac, crabapple and Mahon cheese.

Container Bar

Concept: Located in a Kensington alley and made from a repurposed shipping container.

■ Eat: Shredded duck confit poutine with cheese curds and duck gravy.

National Bowl

(lower level of National on 10th) Concept: Bowling alley/taqueria.

■ Eat: Fish tacos.

TOP TREND LEADER

ANEW TABLE

BEST CONCEPT RESTAURANT

new Table has a simple approach. Would you prefer three courses ($48) or five ($70)? A couple of choices on each course and you’re set. Or just one course if you prefer. Add on a wine pairing or choose your own. Simple. Even for those who have a hard time deciding, Anew is a breath of fresh air.

The menu is the simplest thing about Anew. The selection of ingredients hews to local and

seasonal, each selected weekly to provide the freshest, highest quality possible. The culinary technique is French, with elaborate combinations, complex preparations and well-constructed dishes.

AFor example, you might lead off with a starter of squash, coconut, cardamom, coriander and lime, and go on to a sunchoke terrine with salt cod or a butterball potato with country ham and cabbage. The next course might be a Japanese-inspired trout dish with onion dashi and bonito, followed by your choice of pork with apple, celeriac and purple cabbage or lamb with turnip, purple barley and granola. And finish with a choice of pear with frangipane and rum, or a selection of cheeses.

Chef and owner Chris Barton takes his food seriously, changing the menu weekly to adapt to

changing seasons and keep the kitchen staff from falling into a rut. Calgary-born Barton fell in love with the concept of prix-fixe menus and has successfully brought this style to this lovely neighbourhood restaurant in Marda Loop. Anew is a warm, comfortable room with well-spaced tables and a tone that would fit just as well downtown as it does in this neighbourhood.

Sure, many restaurants around town have chef’s tasting menus. But no other place does them without any à la carte alternatives. Barton’s team works with what they have, a new pile of ingredients each week that is refined daily. Menu listings are deliberately vague. Order the lamb and you may get a loin, a shoulder or a leg, all cut from a whole lamb that arrived on Monday. There will be turnip and barley with the lamb but even those may be altered daily to best match the meat. (This menu was used last fall so don’t fantasize over the lamb — it’s long gone.)

It’s a bold concept for the young chef, one that requires great kitchen intelligence and skill. It’s a concept that makes Barton and Anew Table trend leaders

in the city. —J.G.

At Anew Table, the three- and five-course prix-fixe menus change daily.

CASSIS & SUZETTE BISTROS

BEST FRENCH DINING

From restaurants to cooking schools, French food, and the study of how to make it, has formed the backbone of the culinary arts for decades. It is by turns complex and refined, having formed what is now known as modern haute cuisine — disciplined yet laissez-faire, simple and comforting. At its heart, it takes simple ingredients and prepares them exquisitely. With their embrace of butter, wine, cheese and charcuterie, it is no wonder French restaurants continue to find a solid place in this city’s dining scene. And the appetite for French continues to grow.

Feeding that hunger are sibling bistros Suzette and Cassis, owned by Gilles Brassart and Dominique Moussu, where heritage and passion are evident not just on the plates coming from the kitchen but in the ambiance, design and feel of the restaurants.

While the sister restaurants share that certain French je ne sais quoi, the similarities end there.

Wee bistro Cassis feels like a small slice of the south of France has been dropped into a corner of the Casel Marché building on 17th Avenue S.W., just west of Crowchild Trail. Here, the menu focuses on simple and classic dishes — the stamp of French cuisine — from standards such as steak frites and a share-worthy charcuterie board to daily fish and meat specials that reflect the season.

Suzette, on the other hand, echoes of Brittany, the province on the northwestern edge of France known for its cider (which Suzette serves in the traditional bowl-like cup) and galettes and crepes.

The menu is populated with several versions of the savoury buckwheat galettes, filled with all manner of good things, from sautéed leeks and smoked salmon to the signature Complète, a combination of Gruyère, ham and egg. Sweet crepes doused with lemon and sugar, topped with salted caramel or simply butter and sugar are the perfect way to round out a quintessentially Breton meal. Unsurprisingly, namesake crepes Suzette (those flambéed with Grand Marnier) are also on the menu.

Between the dash of French conversation that can often be overheard, a glass of red, rosé or Brittany cider and a plate of something delicious, Suzette and Cassis serve as small escapes. —G.R.

FRENCH DINING

OTHER TREND LEADERS

Avec Bistro ■ Eat: Bison tartare.

Fleur de Sel ■ Eat: Moules frites Royale ■ Eat: Doré à la grenobloise

Cassis Bistro owner Gilles Brassart.

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

In many workplaces these days the word “millennial” has become something of an epithet, or at the very least a shorthand for those whose sense of entitlement appears to know no reasonable bounds. But Justin Leboe isn’t interested in stereotyping millennials, much less in trading in any of the negative ones about them. After all, his livelihood — and that of nearly every other restaurateur in Calgary — depends on them. “If you want to build a business for the future, you’re building it on that group alone,” he says, “because they’re the single largest demographic in the city.”

Thanks in part to that sheer demographic heft, the generation that everyone loves to hate — or, maybe, hates to love — is transforming the way restaurants are run in North America. But that’s also a reflection of the fact that millennials have clear (and clearly different) preferences around where and how they dine out than their parents do. Model Milk and Pigeonhole are both testaments to that generation’s interest in new experiences — and their disdain for the ones their parents prefer. “I find that [millennials’] sense of adventure and openness is far better, as guests, than any other group of people that come through the door,” Leboe says. “They want those new experiences.”

That holds true for the millenials who are making and serving the food as well. Their omnipresent access to information, for example,

and inclination toward more immediate forms of gratification, makes them a different kind of employee than those who staffed kitchens a generation ago. They’re not necessarily better or worse, Leboe says — just different. “It’s definitely more of a level playing field — the authoritarian approach that I grew up with in kitchens isn't going to work. While I learned that way, and certainly

had some of those habits, you have to shed them over time for this generation because they simply aren’t going to respond to the same stimulus.”

So it is in the dining room, where the white tablecloths and uniformed waiters have been replaced by communal tables and a sea of Chuck Taylors. That move away from formality and pretense, Leboe says, has transformed the entire

culinary landscape. “Ten years ago, you wouldn’t have seen Una, Charcut, or Model Milk in Calgary. I know because I watched people in my generation try it in Toronto and fail miserably in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Their restaurants all went under because they weren't opening North 44, Canoe or Jump. Now they're embraced.” -M.F.

“If you want to build a business for the future you’re building it on [millennials] alone, because they’re the single largest demographic in the city.”

—Justin Leboe, chef, Model Milk

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Award Winning

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CHARCUTERIE

Traditionally an oldEuropean pursuit, the craze for curing continues to sweep this side of the pond. The processes of curing meats by salting, drying, brining, fermenting and smoking, have made a comeback in culinary schools and restaurants in a big way. Add in pâtés, rilletes and fresh sausages and you have a carnivore’s dream.

Charcut and its younger sister Charbar have been at the front end of using lesser cuts of meat since they opened in 2010 and 2015 respectively. Both restaurants showcase dry-aged meats, whole pig’s heads and various cured meats in glass display booths, and house-made meats feature prominently on their menus. There’s no mistaking them for vegetarian restaurants. (But a good vegetarian-friendly meal can be had at either, particularly Charbar.)

The settings for the two restaurants couldn’t be more dissimilar. Charcut is located in the stylish steel-and-glass Le Germain building across from the Calgary Tower, while Charbar fills a big section

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Charbar’s short loin of ultra-dryaged beef and Charcut’s pig-head mortadella, tasso ham, lonzino and chorizo sausage.

CHARBAR &CHARCUT

BEST CHARCUTERIE

of the century-old Simmons building in the East Village. Both act as anchors to their areas, Charcut at the core of the city, Charbar at the nexus of new in the construction-heavy zone east of City Hall. Owners and co-executive chefs John Jackson and Connie DeSousa and Charbar chef Jessica Pelland do the heavy lifting in the kitchen. DeSousa can skin a pig’s head easily in under a minute, allowing the team to fill the cavity with a preparation that becomes mortadella. Pelland takes an Argentinean slant to her Charbar menu, creating beef chorizo

and — for hard-core meatheads — traditional morcilla, an Argentinian pork blood and fat sausage.

If innards and skulls aren’t your thing, don’t worry, both restaurants offer meat in many other forms — ultra-dry-aged porterhouse steak, fresh ground for burgers, rotisserie chicken, wild-boar bacon, bison brisket, lamb loin and on and on.

Staff even wear T-shirts by local company Food on your Shirt with meaty sayings on them, like “Praise the Lard.” Charcuterie can be tongue in cheek, so to speak. —J.G.

TOP TREND LEADER

K E Y I N G R

Kohlrabi had its heyday in 2016, kale has moved into retirement, so what’s next? Here are five hot ingredients for 2017 that diners will be seeing on their plates this year.

1. CABBAGE

A little fermenting or charring on a grill or over hot embers can transform this hearty vegetable from boring peasant food to a stand-out main on the plate.

■ Try it: Hayloft’s beet salad topped with grilled cabbage.

2. FRESH DILL

The intensity this aromatic herb can bring to a plate is being embraced by many local chefs, as well as mixologists when preparing more herbaceous libations.

■ Try it: Ten Foot Henry’s fried potatoes.

3. RED FIFE

As chefs become more adept at bread-making, they search out quality ingredients to improve their loaves. This Alberta-grown heritage grain is as wholesome and high-quality as it gets.

■ Try it: Rouge’s sourdough bread with butter.

4. SIDESTRIPE SHRIMP

Since spot prawns have spiked in popularity (and price), this equally tasty and sustainable cousin is now the preferred crustacean of chefs.

■ Try it: Deane House’s shrimp and grits.

5. TURMERIC

This ages-old spice regained popularity thanks to its holistic health properties, but also in restaurant kitchens for its vibrant colour and distinctive earthy taste.

■ Try it: Foreign Concept’s turmeric-marinated Alberta trout —D.C.

CLUCK N CLEAVER

BEST CHEF-DRIVEN FAST CASUAL

The dining landscape is shifting, with white tablecloths being traded for takeout bags as people search for meals that are tasty, good value and fast. Chefs have answered that call by offering their own takes on fast-casual dining.

Food trucks — forgive the pun — began to drive the trend, offering meals on wheels to hungry customers looking for something quick that doesn’t come in a bag with a toy. Since then big-name U.S. chefs have picked up on customer cravings for chef creations that don’t require reservations, including David Chang of Momofuku fame.

Closer to home, casual take-out joints and independent “faster-food” spots have carved out space in Calgary’s culinary scene. While these fast-casual outlets may require opening the wallet a little wider than you would at multi-national fast-food chains, there is intrinsic value in eating locally and supporting small businesses.

Few chef-driven fast casual spots were as hotly anticipated as Cluck N Cleaver, the fried- and rotisserie-chicken joint co-owned by the Gomes sisters, Nicole and Francine. Chef Nicole has made a name for herself as a top-notch boutique caterer in Calgary, as well as from her stint on Top Chef Canada. She and younger sister Francine had long planned to open a fried-chicken restaurant together before it finally came to fruition last year. Among her friends, Nicole’s obsession with fried chicken was clear. On her days off, she would offer to make it for potluck dinners with friends; she was never turned down.

That passion for perfecting a crisp crust and secret spice blend to flavour juicy pieces of chicken translated into the little restaurant on 14th Street S.W., where the pair offer fried pieces and quarter, half and full rotisserie chickens to go, along with fries, biscuits and gravy, salads and drinks — not to mention their chicken sandwiches. No time to wait for hot chicken fresh from the fryer? The sisters offer cold pieces, along with chicken salad, next to the drinks in the cooler.

The birds are sourced from multiple farms across southern Alberta and never frozen before they hit the fryer, making it possible for patrons to support local producers while getting something good on the go.

G.R.

OTHER TREND LEADERS

Abe’s Restaurant ■ Eat: The Big Lion burger.

Butcher and the Baker ■ Eat: Shaved-sirloin sandwich.

Native Tongues (take-out window) ■ Eat: The NT burrito.

CHEF-DRIVEN FAST CASUAL

Chef Nicole Gomes at Cluck N Cleaver.

TOP TREND LEADER

THE COUP

NICHE DINING

It wasn’t that long ago that vegetarian diners in Calgary had little choice when it came to eating out: you could seek out a Buddhist place for meat-free Chinese food or settle for gloppy fettuccine Alfredo at a sad pasta place. But as more people wise up to their body’s dietary needs and peculiarities or opt to cut various things out of their diets for ethical, religious or idiosyncratic reasons, Calgary restaurants have begun providing delicious, complex food that lets vegetarian, gluten-free, dairyfree and allergen-sensitive eaters enjoy a meal out.

When The Coup first opened on 17th Avenue S.W. in 2004, it was a godsend for vegetarians looking for a contemporary dining option. Today’s Coup is a vibrantly coloured retro-chic room, renovated in 2014 to not only spruce the place up, but also double it in capacity — which was necessary, because not only does The Coup appeal to vegetarians and vegans, but its steamy noodle bowls, tempeh shwarma sandwiches, legendary yam fries, and curiously delicious coconut bacon are enticing enough to bring carnivores through the door. And that’s important because most vegetarians and celiac sufferers have friends who can eat whatever they please, and those friends don’t want to waste their dining dollars on food that doesn’t satisfy their cravings. Some places, like Ten Foot Henry, solve this problem by offering a few meaty dishes next to veggie-forward fare, others like The Coup and White Rose just make sure that the quality and creativity of their vegetarian food is so high that no one misses the meat. Others, like Notable, quietly offer a gluten-aware menu without branding themselves as a specialty restaurant.

And it helps when a place can live up to its clientele’s standards without taking itself too seriously. Part of The Coup’s charm is its whimsical veggie cocktails that incorporate fresh juices, kombucha, oat milk, tamarind shrub and other Coup-worthy ingredients (combined with the very best booze, of course), which is essential to this trend of dietaryspecific restaurants. Things like rennet-free cheese and locally produced honey are important to The Coup’s customers, but ultimately, so is having a good time while enjoying tasty food in a lively room. After all, humourless piety isn’t what anyone is looking for when they’re out on the town. —E.C.B.

The Coup’s green-tea smoked and seared king oyster mushroom “scallops” served on black sesame paste with a side of coconut pandan rice and Thai eggplant peanut salad.

OTHER TREND LEADERS

Hearts Choices Thai Vegan Café

Niche: Vegan.

■ Eat: The vegan larb salad, with ground soy protein in place of the traditional minced pork or chicken.

Heaven Artisan GF

Niche: Gluten free.

■ Eat: Mechada arepa, a traditional Venezuelan sandwich made with glutenfree white-corn-flour bread and stuffed

White Rose Vegetarian Kitchen

Niche: Vegetarian.

■ Eat: Yellow beet risotto cake with plums, goat cheese, fennel, grilled apple and saffron cream.

Block Kitchen + Bar

This hip, tiny tapas joint in Banff serves small plates with mighty flavours. Dishes are Asian- and Mediterranean-inspired, and feature such creations as duck spring rolls, seared saikyo miso scallops, sake-infused kinpira and the always-popular cheese and charcuterie board. The restaurant is particularly accommodating to vegans, gluten-free diners and others with specific dietary concerns. Unlike the space, the menu is large so bring a few friends, order lots of dishes, sample the creative cocktails and drink in the atmosphere of this convivial space just off Banff Avenue.

MOUNTAINS

Park Distillery

BEST IN BANFF & CANMORE

Crazyweed

The menu at Canmore's Crazyweed truly reflects our Canadian predilection for simple comfort food alternating with cravings for global flavour. Skillfully prepared by chef and owner Jan Hrabec, there is much to recommend, whether you tend toward the elevated end of the dining experience — think Icelandic cod with laksa broth, red quinoa, Saltspring mussels, butternut squash and herb salad — of prefer more casual fare like wood-fired pizzas or pickle-brine fried chicken.

Eden

Protocol, manners and formal elegance — they’re not words you hear very often in today’s dining milieu, so it’s comforting to know they remain alive and well at Eden, because some occasions call for something special. The AAA Five Diamond restaurant serves French cuisine with modern flourishes, and while à la carte dishes are available, we suggest you splurge on a prix-fixe menu with wine pairings for an exquisite dining experience highlighted by a truly magnificent view of Banff.

When Banff's Park Distillery introduced its contemporary take on wood-fired cuisine two years ago, it was an immediate hit, and no wonder. Campfire cooking is an immensely satisfying way to feed an appetite worked up in the mountains, and if that’s not enough, the small-batch spirits made in Park’s on-site distillery provide the backbone to a creative and sizeable cocktail list. With plenty of dishes designed for sharing, from cheese and whisky fondue to the mess hall standard platter, this place feels quintessentially Canadian in the best way.

Eden.

Crazyweed.

Block Kitchen + Bar.

Park Distillery.

PD3

It’s a bus … It’s a restaurant … It’s PD3! Innovative restaurateur Blake Flann is behind the success of this double-decker food bus, which functions as a takeout food truck featuring Asian-style street food on the lower level and a sitdown dining car on the upper level. Surprisingly refined, the 16-seat upper deck serves contemporary “world fusion” food and offers a prix-fix menu as well as à la carte items — plus a spectacular view from every seat. The bus is open in Canmore May to October.

Tapas

Spanish-style dining in Canmore?

When it’s done this well, absolutely. Set in a character house, this warm, romantic space specializes in, you guessed it, tapas. Small plates are meant to be shared and savoured, so if you’re in a rush, this is not the restaurant for you. If, however, you enjoy lingering over the likes of charcuterie and cheese, manchego and serrano croquettas, crispy skin pork belly or braised oxtails, then settle in and put yourself in the capable hands of your server, who won’t steer you wrong. —J.H.

We Chose A Gourmet Kitchen.

YOU DECIDE HOW TO REWARD YOURSELF!

When you build with Trico Homes you’ll receive your very own Trico Red Card . It comes pre-loaded with rewards you can spend however you choose. AND it qualifies you for incredible ongoing savings and rewards!

PD3.

TOP TREND LEADER

MERCATO

BEST RESTAURANT MARKET

Anyone can tell you that the first step toward making show-stopping, restaurant-quality food is premium ingredients. A simple but extraordinary pasta dish, for example, has to be built from fresh noodles, perfectly ripe tomatoes, high-quality olive oil and the very best cheese — in short, the kind of stuff that you aren’t going to find at a typical supermarket. Since most restaurants acknowledge that their patrons are going to have to eat at home at least some of the time, it makes sense that some are giving customers a head start when it comes to home cooking.

Mercato perfected the concept of a restaurant paired with a market more than a decade ago. While the vibrant open-kitchen restaurant offers the ultimate dining experience, the adjacent market gives shoppers carefully curated, delectable at-home eating options. Mamma Cathy, Mercato’s beloved matriarch, sells her own jarred tomatoes alongside fresh pasta made in-house, produce flown in from Europe and exclusive Italian-imported estate olive oil from the operating family’s Uncle Luigi. For those who need even more help, the shop’s deli offers stuffed olives (also made in-store), sandwiches and housemade desserts, as well as take-home versions of the restaurant’s meals.

Not every restaurant has the capacity to stock in-house retail outlets with as many exclusive goods as Mercato does, but the option to buy something to eat at home (or tools to help you cook the food in your own kitchen) is a growing trend. It’s never been uncommon to see eat-in options within stores (think places like Lina’s, Italian Centre Shop, Unimarket, or Edelweiss Imports), but an increasing number of proper sit-down restaurants with table service are also getting into the business of retail. It makes sense: if a customer is food-savvy enough to spend an evening eating at Una Pizza, they aren’t going to be satisfied with subpar food at home.

Which brings us back to Mercato. While few home cooks will be able to perfectly recreate the restaurant’s pappardelle with marscapone and funghi di orecchione or balsamic-glazed lamb sirloin, a jar of one of Mercato’s 14 sauces and a package of handmade pasta (identical to that used on the restaurant side) is going to beat a box of grocery store mac ’n’ cheese any night of the week, guaranteed. —E.C.B.

RESTAURANT MARKET

OTHER TREND LEADERS

Mercato patriarch Victor Caracciolo.

HeritageParkYYC

UPCOMING EVENING EVENTS

Enjoy a three-course movie-themed meal at the Selkirk Grille followed by the film in Gasoline Alley Museum $42.95 +GST / person • Movie Only $8 +GST / person Menu and movie selections can be found at HeritagePark.ca

“HANDCRAFTED” A KICK OFF TO ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Join us Thursday, March 16 for a Big Rock Brewmaster’s Dinner with special guest Ashley MacIsaac!

Tickets $119 +GST / person Presented by Heritage Park and Big Rock Brewery

Foreign Concept

Chef Duncan Ly has ventured out on his own with Foreign Concept, a much-anticipated Pan-Asian restaurant that opened in the Beltline this past December. Offering what he calls an “alternative Asian din ing” experience, expect dishes like char-grilled smoked lemon grass chicken, large and small plates and a charcuterie bar.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT Foreign

dining room;

RESTAURANTS TO WATCH

These restaurants opened too recently to

Bridgette Bar

This chef-driven bar in the former Montauk Sofa space in the Beltline, is the latest eatery from the Concorde Group, owners of Anju, the National beer halls and Ricardo’s Hideaway, to name a few. Designed by Frank Architecture and Interiors, Bridgette offers a cocktail-focused drink menu and new American cuisine by chef JP Pedhirney, formerly of Rouge and Muse.

Deane House

Sal Howell, owner of River Café, has re-opened the historic Deane House in Inglewood as a full-service restaurant following extensive renovations. Chef Jamie Harling, formerly of Rouge, heads up the local, seasonal menu, which boasts of seared Maple Hill duck breast, braised rabbit perogies and an unlimited pastry bar during weekend brunch.

Plowshare Artisan Diner

Plowshare Artisan Diner has opened in the space formerly occupied by Gypsy Bistro-Wine Bar in downtown’s historic Grain Exchange Building. Chef Mike Scarcelli prepares dishes ranging from savoury stuffed French toast to bacon-wrapped meatloaf to be enjoyed in the diner’s rustic, comfortable setting.

Provision

Jackie Cooke and Kirk Shaw, owners of Avec Bistro, have turned the former Boxwood in Central Memorial Park into Provision. Chef Daniel Pizarro heads up the kitchen at both Avec and Provision, the latter of which features seasonal food and wine menus.

Untitled Champagne Lounge

The team behind The Derrick have opened a 2,000-square-foot Champagne lounge right next door to the downtown restaurant. The sophisticated lounge pairs handcrafted sparkling cocktails and 30 different Champagnes with small bites like oysters and caviar. —A.W.

Concept

chef Jinhee Lee; Alberta trout cha cala vong

COCKTAILFORWARD DINING

TOP TREND LEADER

PROOF

BEST COCKTAIL-FORWARD DINING

House-made pickled eggs, roasted cauliflower and pork belly steam buns top the list of things to order at Proof. It may seem counterintuitive to ponder a food menu at a cocktail bar, but the fact is, those small bites with big flavours sometimes draw more attention than the spirits, syrups and bitters that get shaken and stirred behind the bar.

“We have a very talented chef,” says managing partner Tony Migliarese. “People say, ‘Oh my God, not only are the cocktails great, so is the food.’”

Chef Justin “Tino” Longpre puts a lot of thought into Proof’s small plates, focusing on a variety of delicious bites that don’t require cutlery and that don’t take up a lot of space on the table.

The idea that alcoholic elixirs ought to be accompanied by excellent eats isn’t entirely new — after all, fine wine has been paired with gourmet food for centuries. What’s fresh is cocktail-forward dining; the practice of matching craft drinks with elevated bar food.

The trend is also different in that it’s not exactly dining. The crispy gnocchi and oven-roasted olives with almonds, for example, aren’t meant to be a

meal; rather, their powerful flavours, shared between friends, are intended to either balance or match the main attraction, which is the contents of the glass.

A prime example of this relationship is Proof’s Laura Palmer cocktail, best sipped while eating the steam buns. After a bite of the soft bun, which is stuffed with unctuous pork belly, seasoned with a hit of spicy kimchi and sprinkled with salty peanuts, revive the palate with a swallow of the drink’s refreshing, bourbon iced-tea goodness. Then, relish the contrast and repeat.

The evolution from a cocktail focus to a wellrounded dining approach shouldn’t come as a surprise; after all, patrons have an expectation of good food nowadays.

“If you’re going to put all this care into cocktails, you’re not going to put out crappy food. We don’t shy on the quality of the spirit, nor do we shy on the quality of what’s in the food. Plus, if you’re tossing back cocktails, you need food to absorb the alcohol,” says Migliarese. “It’s an all-encompassing experience.”

As a bonus, it’s also usually more cost-effective than a full-fledged dinner with drinks. —L.K.

OTHER TREND LEADERS

Drink: Chairman of the board.

■ Eat: Duck Reuben (shown above).

Raw Bar at Hotel Arts

Drink: Sayulita sour.

■ Eat: Cured tuna and fois gras.

Ricardo’s Hideaway

Drink: Key lime surprise.

■ Eat: The Maui ribs.

Pan-braised smelt with sofrito and clam vinaigrette paired with The Wallace cocktail at Proof.

STREET INSPIRED

PURE VIETNAMESE

BEST ASIAN STREET-FOOD INSPIRED DINING

Char siu sesame doughnut at Pure Vietnamese.

Vietnamese Kitchen and Bar, the dishes coming out of the kitchen speak to Vietnamese street food — and those from other cuisines — but with a refinement that elevates them far past hawker status. Pham’s standards such as won tons and salad rolls meld cuisines to create original flavour combinations. Those won tons? Stuffed with meaty and tender char siu and then topped with matchsticks of Granny Smith apple for tartness. His fried rice comes by way of Korea, flavoured with spicy gochujang and kimchi.

Don’t miss Pham’s so-called char siu sesame doughnut, which is a cross between a slider and a steamed, filled bun (known as a bao). The golden and light bunwich is stuffed with sous-vide pork shoulder, cucumber and pickled vegetables to offset that rich meat.

Street-side hawkers and vendors have long enticed hungry passers-by with fast and delicious dishes that are easy to eat standing around or sitting down on whatever horizontal surface is nearby. Cuisines from around the world have their own versions of street-side nibbles to enjoy, from takoyaki in Japan to tacos in Mexico and crepes in France. Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam have some of the most recognizable street food dishes and travellers there often find themselves stopping for a bite next to busy roads.

The cuisines of southeast Asia, with their combinations of salty, sour, sweet and spicy flavours and fast-paced cooking techniques, lend themselves well to these quick bites. They also translate very well into upscale versions to be eaten at a table with utensils and a cloth napkin.

Street food has long inspired chefs of all stripes who have translated these dishes into restaurantworthy versions. Among them is Lam Pham, a young chef who has created an entire menu out of that concept. At his restaurant, Pure Contemporary

Pho, vermicelli and banh mi all make an appearance on the menu but don’t overlook the less street-food like options. The tamarind-glazed cod with pomelo salad and coconut milk sauce should not be skipped. The fish is expertly cooked — still tender and flaking perfectly — while the citrus and herb salad plays nicely against the creamy sauce. Although there are many main dishes to choose from, it’s just as easy to build a meal from the appetizers, which are also perfect for sharing.

Eating street side is its own unique experience, not just because of the food but from the yells of vendors and rush of cars and scooters zooming past. Restaurants that have embraced street food don’t share that exact experience, of course, but the ability to lounge and order more as desired more than makes up for it. —G.R.

TOP TREND LEADER

MONEY FOR NOTHING

If nothing else, you have to admire their courage. On the heels of a disastrous decision to switch to so-called “humanely sourced” beef, Earls decided to send another sacred cow to slaughter last summer: tipping. Its Stephen Avenue location relaunched in July under the moniker Earls.67 (named that because it was the company’s 67th restaurant location), and it was designed to be a prototype for virtually everything, from new decor concepts and kitchen equipment to new dishes and drinks.

But the biggest experiment so far was its decision to replace tipping with a 16-per-cent hospitality charge. The staff liked it, for the most part, especially the cooks who saw their pay increase by $2 to $5 an hour. The reviews from the customers, on the other hand, were more mixed.

“The guests that come in and frequent us weekly and monthly loved it,” says Craig Blize, the company’s vice-president of operations. “But there were also guests who have been very vocal in saying that they’re not going to come into the restaurant until we change that.”

Earls.67 may be the first restaurant in Calgary to do away with tipping, but it’s not alone in North America. In New York, a host of high-profile restaurateurs, from Dirt Candy’s Amanda Cohen to Union Square Hospitality Group’s Danny Meyer, who have also 86-ed gratuities, while a smattering of smaller restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver have also given no-tipping a shot. In each case, the motivation has been the same: to shift money out of the increasingly heavy pockets of servers and into those of chefs, cooks and other kitchen staff.

“I remember serving when minimum wage in Alberta was $5.80, and the disparity between the back of the house and the front of the house was a lot less,” Blize says. “But now, because of pricing going up and the general population tipping way more on average than they ever have, the servers have gotten massive pay raises.”

John Jackson, the co-owner of Charcut, counts himself as a personal friend of Cohen’s. He’s impressed by her decision to move so unapologetically away from tipping, and while he’s not ready to follow in those footsteps, he’s watching to see if there’s anything they can learn. “It’s hard to say you’re not tipping any more and it’s built into the price, and now instead of $29 for this chicken you’re paying $40 — but down the street you have the option of paying the gratuity and the chicken’s still $29,” says Jackson. That’s why he and business partner Connie DeSousa have tried to find other ways to support their cooks, such as implementing the four-on, three-off kitchen schedule first pioneered at Model Milk. “I see the benefits on both sides,” Jackson says of the shift away from tipping. “We’re just trying to do it in different ways that best fit our business model.”

Earls seems to have come to the same conclusion — in February the restaurant ended its no-tipping experiment.-M.F.

TOP TREND LEADER

SHOKUNIN

BEST MILLENNIAL DINING

Each generation leaves an imprint on the experience of dining out, from what’s on the menu and how it’s cooked, to what the room looks like and what diners expect of the people working that room. The harbingers of influence right now are the millennials — tech-savvy, hyper-connected, socially conscious experience-curators who like their ingredients local and their liquor brown.

Those ideals converge in Shokunin, chef-owner Darren MacLean’s contemporary Japanese restaurant on 4th Street S.W.

MacLean’s prior venture, Downtownfood, was known for its sustainability initiatives, notably a rooftop garden with solar-powered irrigation and honeyproducing beehives. After Downtownfood shuttered in 2015, MacLean decamped to Japan and came back inspired. Shokunin, with its charcoal-grilled yakitori, free-form sushi nights and comprehensive line-up of Japanese whiskies, is what he did with that inspiration. “We wanted to just pick a restaurant up out of Tokyo and drop it here,” MacLean says.

Sustainability is very much on the menu at Shokunin, both in ingredient-sourcing and in process. (Among the reasons MacLean gives for

OTHER TREND LEADERS

delaying launching his takeout window is that he has yet to find environmentally responsible packaging at the right price point.) The millennial mindset is also in line with the phone and laptop charging stations along the banquettes. The impetus for this was to avoid the annoyance of customers charging their phones behind the bar, but the benefits to having the wired generation stay wired have gone beyond that. “Social media is an important part of marketing, so if we can facilitate ease-of-use in our restaurant, why not?” MacLean says.

Shokunin also looks, well, young. A bold art piece on the north wall is not the cherry-tree-on-washi of your parents’ Japanese restaurant. The cyberpunk heroine flipping the bird is, according to MacLean,

both “rejection of conformity” and socio-political statement. “I’m a feminist; I was raised by women. I have five little sisters, so it’s a representation of everything I’ve seen my sisters be told they can’t do. It’s a tribute to the women in my life.”

The hours Shokunin keeps are another key to its popularity among the young and unencumbered. The restaurant seats until 1 a.m. most nights and offers ramen after 10 p.m., the time when they switch the music to hip-hop and kick things up a bit, though not so much as to be mistaken for a nightclub. “We still want this to be a restaurant, first and foremost, that’s very serious about the food,” MacLean says. “We just don’t want you to have to feel serious while eating it.” —S.A.

Bourbon Room Moscow mule.

Clive Burger ■ Eat: The Clive burger. Shiki Menya ■ Eat: Chili goma

Scallop isoyaki, grilled tableside, with sake.

How well do you know your M O N S T E R B U R G

The humble hamburger is no longer the tidy, uninspired hand-food it once was. Monster burgers are the new norm, showing the boundless inventiveness that keeps burgers at the top of the food chain. Here are nine of our favourites. Can you guess where each comes from?

■ Best Part: Dragon sauce, a mixture of

Custom-made burger.

9. Dragon’s Lair Burger Co.

■ Best Part: Epic size and flavour.

8. Briggs Kitchen + Bar The chuck burger.

■ Best Part: The “toppings,” like cheese and fried onions, are stuffed into the burger.

7. Naina’s Kitchen Nainalicious.

■ Best Part: The bus is now -perma nently parked at the Crossroads Farmers’ Market.

6. Rocky’s Burger Bus Bacon cheeseburger.

■ Best Part: It’s $10 for lunch at the bar counter if you finish it in 30 minutes.

4. One18 Empire One18 Empire burger.

■ Best Part: The freshbaked, branded buns made inhouse.

3. Burger 320 Cavallari burger.

■ Best Part: It’s $10 during happy hour (reg. $21.50).

2. Buchanan’s Bacon cheeseburger.

■ Best Part: Ginormous array of toppings.

1. Flipp’n Burgers Beefy bacon -ched dar cheeseburger.

TEATRO GROUP:

OTHER TREND LEADERS

Concorde Group

The largest of the local, independent restaurant groups.

Old Favourites:

Anju

Bourbon Room

Clive Burger

Double Zero

The Palace Theatre (formerly Flames Central)

Goro + Gun

Local 510 & 522

National (four locations)

Palomino Smokehouse

Sky 360

RESTAURANT GROUP EXPANSIONS

Alforno, E.A.T., Ca’Puccini, Cucina, Royale, Teatro, Vendome Cafe

BEST RESTAURANT GROUP EXPANSION

The saying goes that two is company and three is a crowd, but that’s not necessarily the case when it comes to Calgary restaurant groups and their continuing expansions into the city’s culinary scene.

In 2016, Teatro Group breathed new life into the space formerly occupied by Corbeaux Bakehouse by renovating and redesigning the restaurant into a French brasserie, Royale, only months after bringing Alforno Café and Bakery to life.

After all, why be limited to Teatro when you can grab coffee and a pastry at Alforno or sit down to an exquisite charcuterie platter or traditional moules frites at Royale?

The new ventures have proven popular so far. Alforno is packed during weekday lunches with the downtown business crowd. In the quiet of the

afternoon, tables are still filled with people chatting or working away on laptops with a nice cappuccino and pastry within arm’s reach.

Teatro, the original restaurant, hasn’t been without its own changes. Dominque Moussu, executive chef at Cassis and Suzette, was brought in as corporate executive chef last year to revamp menus at all of the group’s restaurants, adding more French flair to each concept and then leading the charge with the creation of Royale. (Moussu remains a co-owner of Cassis and Suzette.)

Royale meets the true definition of a brasserie — a relaxed restaurant known for simple, hearty fare. The space evokes Paris with its zinc-topped bar lined with dark red stools and blue banquettes that encourage one to sit and have just one more glass of wine with your escargots, chicken liver pâté or rib-eye steak topped with peppercorn or Béarnaise sauce. —G.R.

Wildhorse

Recent Additions:

Bridgette Bar

Ricardo’s Hideaway

Creative Restaurants Group

Known for its rustic, contemporary Italian restaurants, this group has been growing steadily.

Old Favourites:

Bonterra

Cibo

Posto

Scopa

Loco Lou’s

Rose & Crown Richmond Station

4th Spot Kitchen & Bar

Recent Addition:

Mill Street Brew Pub (in partnership with Mill Street Brewery)

Cuisine Concepts

Owners Dwayne and Alberta Ennest have been involved Calgary’s culinary scene for more than 20 years.

Old Favourites:

Big Fish

Open Range

Recent Additions:

Coal Shed

White Rose

TOP TREND LEADER

Alforno Café and Bakery.

BY DESIGN

You may not be able to say specifically why you love your favourite restaurant space, but the designers who created it can. The food is definitely part of it, but the way it makes you feel — relaxed, elegant, playful, sophisticated, fun — is the result of thoughtful interior design. We asked four designers about restaurant spaces they created and their favourite aspects of each.

er volume, and finally the kitchen is elevated and raised like a stage. For me, the flow is quite poetic and speaks to the act of making food and having that be the theatre of the space,” says Allen.

diners to feel transported to Mexico. “We wanted to create a traditional, Mexican hole-in-the-wall, but we didn’t want it to feel thematic or contrived,” she says. Rather, she wanted the space to feel effortlessly lived-in and authentic. “We didn’t want it to be perfect. We wanted interesting tension between elements. There’s a story behind every single reclaimed and salvaged item, but it’s done in a way that seems like a designer wasn’t there, and that was the goal,” Hamilton says.

Ten Foot Henry

Ten Foot Henry’s building was formerly home to the Night Gallery, where the restaurant’s namesake, a 10-foot-tall plywood cartoon character, was on display for almost 20 years. Designer Connie Young, principal at Connie Young Design, says the history definitely informed the design, but much of the inspiration came directly from the food. “We approached it with a real sense of rawness and simplicity, which is really in parallel with the kind of food they’re serving, the fresh, plant-forward menu. We stripped [the space] to the skeleton and built it back up,” Young says.

Home & Away

At Home & Away, it’s all about the vintage and nostalgic element of sports, says Sarah Ward, principal at Sarah Ward Interiors. “Every kid has a sports story growing up. Maybe they were part of a community team or played recreationally or played hockey on a pond. So it was the idea that sport can touch everyone’s lives.” Ward’s design nods to gym class: there’s a re-purposed gymnasium floor, a water fountain, a set of wooden stadium seats and 50 vintage skateboards. It’s fun and playful and hopefully it triggers a few memories of the good old days best shared over a couple of beers poured from Home and Away’s trophy-topped taps. -M.B.

Trolley 5.

Mill Street Brew Pub.

Brewsters McKenzie Towne.

It has never been easier to get a good pint of beer in Calgary. Thanks to a relaxation of breweryrelated rules by the AGLC in December 2013, the city has seen an emergence of brew pubs. What differentiates a brew pub from a gastropub (e.g. Unicorn Superpub) or a beer hall (e.g. Wurst) is that it brews beer on-site in addition to serving food. Not only does this mean you’re getting the freshest pint possible — it also means that you’ll to be able to try some experimental brews and seasonal creations that you won’t find anywhere else.

BREWSTERS

In operation since 1991, Brewsters is the longestrunning brew-pub operation in Calgary. The company has five locations around the city, plus a pizza restaurant called Beer Revolution, and its brews are available at many liquor stores. For the true brewpub experience, head to the southeast industrial location at 55th Avenue and 53 Street. S.E. where all of the brewing takes place.

MILL STREET BREW PUB

This sizeable set-up on 17th Avenue S.W. is a welcome addition for those headed to Flames games and neighbourhood residents alike. Signature and seasonal beers are made on-site on a rotating basis, while the 20-plus portfolio of Mill Street beers is always available on tap. Operated by Creative Restaurants Group, which owns Bonterra and Cibo, among others, the brew pub’s menu was developed by chef Glen Manzer and is a worthy match with the excellent beers.

Did You Know

Alberta’s first brewery was, confusingly, the Saskatchewan Brewery in Medicine Hat located in the region that was then called the Northwest Territories. It was founded in 1882 by Englishman Thomas Ireland. The brewery only lasted five years and closed in 1887, eight years before Alberta became a province in 1905.

Alberta had segregated drinking halls for 40 years. Between 1927 and 1967, drinking establishments had separate entrances for “ladies and escorts.” The fear was that “loose women” would corrupt the men.

Beer enhances the flavours in food because the carbonation cleanses the palate and prepares it for the next bite, unlike wine, which coats the mouth. Pair delicate dishes with delicate beers and boldly flavoured dishes with assertive beers. Think of lagers as white wines and ales as reds.

Alberta grows about 50 per cent of all barley in Canada. Many international beer companies buy Alberta barley because it’s considered by many to be the best in the world.

There should be at least two fingers of foam at the top of a glass once you’ve finished pouring.

LAST BEST BREWING & DISTILLING

Part restaurant, brewery, distillery, cocktail bar and barber, Last Best wears many hats. Most of its creations like the Show Pony pale ale or Dirty Bird black lager are easily found at other bars around town, but you’ll need to go to the brew pub in the Beltline to sip their unique seaonal beers.

■ Best pairing: Olsch Kolsch B’Golsch and apple pie.

TROLLEY 5

This multi-level space on 17th Avenue S.W. gets pretty lively on the weekends and even more so when the weather warms up and the 15-foot windows can be opened. The brewing takes place in the lower level, and from the bar you can see the tops of the steel tanks poking through the floor. Trolley 5 makes six signature beers, including a white IPA and a porter, and also likes to keep things interesting by doing one-off collaborative brews with microbreweries around town like The Dandy Brewing Company.

■ Best pairing: Derailed pale ale with Derailed beef dip. —D.C.

Prior to Dec. 5, 2013, the AGLC wouldn’t sign off on a brewery until it had the capacity to brew 500,000 litres of beer per year and actually brewed 250,000. Now that the minimum brewery production laws have been removed, we can expect the craft beer scene to continue to grow.

Cheers to that!

■ Best pairing: 52nd Street peach ale and Memphis spring rolls.

■ Best pairing: 100th Meridian amber lager and venison Reuben.

■ Abe’s Restaurant 30 Market Blvd. S.E., Airdrie, 587-254-0539, abesfood.ca, @abesfood

■ Alforno Bakery & Café 222 7 St. S.W., 403-454-0308, alforno.ca, @alfornobakery

★ Alloy 220 42 Ave. S.E., 403-287-9255, alloydining.com, @alloyrestaurant

■ Anew Table 3574 Garrison Gate S.W., 403-727-1277, anewtable.ca, @anewtable

★ Anju 344 17 Ave. S.W., 403-460-3341, anju.ca, @anjurestaurant

■ Avec Bistro 550 11 Ave. S.W., 587-352-0964, avecbistro.com, @avecbistro

■ Bar Von der Fels 1005A 1 St. S.W., 587-349-2656, barvonderfels.com

★ Blink Restaurant & Bar

111 8 Ave. S.W., 403-263-5330, blinkcalgary.ca, @blinkrestaurant

■ Block Kitchen + Bar 201 Banff Ave., Banff, 403-9852887, banffblock.com, @banffblock

■ Boogie’s Burgers 908 Edmonton Tr. N.E., 403-230-7070, boogiesburgers.com, @boogiesyyc

■ Bourbon Room 341 10 Ave. S.W., 403-474-2739, bourbonroom.ca, @bourbonroomyyc

■ Brewsters Brewing Company four locations in Calgary including 5519 53 St. S.E., 403-723-2739, brewsters.ca, @wearebrewsters

■ Bridgette Bar 739 10 Ave. S.W., bridgettebar.com, @thebridgettebar

■ Briggs Kitchen + Bar 317 10 Ave. S.W., 587-350-5015, briggskandb.com, @briggskandb

14TH ANNUAL ★ TOP TEN

THE FULL LIST

■ Buchanan’s 738 3 Ave. S.W., 403-261-4646, buchanans.ca

■ Burger 320 814 1 Ave. N.E., 403-515-0035, burger320.com, @burger320

■ Butcher and the Baker 250 6 Ave. S.W., 403-265-7765, butcherbakeryyc.com, @butcherbakeryyc

■ Cannibale 813 1 Ave. N.E., 403-454-5808, cannibale.ca, @cannibale_yyc

■ Cassis Bistro 2505 17 Ave. S.W., 403-262-0036, thecassisbistro.ca, @cassisbistro

■ Catch & The Oyster Bar 100 8 Ave. S.E., 403-206-0000, @catchcalgary

■ Charbar 618 Confluence Way S.E., 403-452-3115, charbar.ca, @charbar_yyc

■ Charcut Roast House 899 Centre St. S.W., 403-984-2180, charcut. com, @charcut

■ Clive Burger 736 17 Ave. S.W., 403-229-9224, cliveburger.com, @cliveburger

■ Cluck N Cleaver 1511 14 St. S.W., 403-266-2067, cluckncleaver. com @cluckncleaver

■ Container Bar 1131 Kensington Rd. N.W., 403-457-4148, containerbaryyc.com, @containerbaryyc

■ The Coup 924 17 Ave. S.W., 403-541-1041, thecoup.ca, @thecoupcalgary

■ Crazyweed 1600 Railway Ave., Canmore, 403-609-2530, crazyweed.ca, @crazyweedkitch

■ Deane House 806 9 Ave. S.E., 403-264-0595, deanehouse.com, @deanehouseyyc

■ The Derrick Gin Mill & Kitchen 620 8 Ave. S.W., 403-475-7226, thederrickyyc.com, @thederrickyyc

■ Dragon’s Lair Burger Co. 1200 37 St. S.W., 587-349-4376, @dragonslairyyc

■ Eats of Asia 1235 26 Ave. S.E., 403-801-9453, facebook.com/eatsofasia, @eatsofasia

■ Eden Rimrock Resort Hotel, 300 Mountain Ave., Banff, banffeden.com, 403-762-1865, @rimrockresort

■ Fleur de Sel 2015 4 St. S.W., 403-228-9764, fleurdeselbrasserie. com, @fleurdeselyyc

■ Flipp’n Burgers 330 10 St. N.W., 403-474-9365, flippnburgers.ca, @flippnburgers

■ Foreign Concept 1011 1 St. S.W., 403-719-7288, foreignconcept.ca, @eatforeign

■ Frenchie Wine Bar 618 17 Ave. S.W., 403-453-1183, frenchieyyc. com, @bmexgroup

■ The Guild 200 8 Ave. S.W., 403-770-2313, theguildrestaurant.com, @theguildcalgary

■ Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey 1136 Kensington Rd. N.W., 403283-3021, haydenblockyyc.com, @haydenblockyyc

■ Hayloft 403 Mackenzie Way S.W., Airdrie, 403-980-8123, haylofton8th.com

■ Hearts Choices Thai Vegan Café 9679 Macleod Tr. S.W., 587-352-0993, heartschoices.com, @heartschoices

■ Heaven 1013 17 Ave. S.W., 403-249-3037, heavengf.com, @heavenyyc

■ Home & Away 1331 17 Ave. S.W., 403-455-9789, homeandawayyyc.com, @homeandawayyyc

■ Last Best Brewing & Distilling 607 11 Ave. S.W., 587-353-7387, lastbestbrewing.com, @lastbestbrew

■ Mabou Cheese + Bar 1006 17 Ave. S.W., 403-229-0905, janicebeaton.com, @jbffandmabou

■ Mercato 2224 4 St. S.W. and 873 85 St. S.W., 403-263-5535 (Mission) and 403-263-6996 (West), mercatogourmet.com

■ Mill Street Brew Pub 219 17 Ave. S.W., 403-454-6871, millstreetbrewery.com, @millstreetyyc

■ Mimo Restaurant and Lounge 4909 17 Ave. S.E., 403-235-3377

★ Model Milk

308 17 Ave. S.W., 403-265-7343, modelmilk.ca, @modelmilkbistro

■ Naina’s Kitchen 121 17 Ave. S.E., 403-263-6355, nainaskitchen. com, @nainaskitchen

■ National Bowl 341 10 Ave. S.W., 403-474-2739, ntnl.ca, @ntnlbowl

★ Native Tongues Taqueria 235 12 Ave. S.W., 403-263-9444, nativetongues.ca, @nativetongueyyc

■ One18 Empire 820 Centre St. S.E., 403-269-0299, one18empire. com, @one18empire

■ Park Distillery 219 Banff Ave., Banff, 403-762-5114, parkdistillery. com, @parkdistillery

■ PD3 by Blake 806 8 St., Canmore, 403-609-4928, blakecanmore.com, @blakecanmore

★ Pigeonhole 306 17 Ave. S.W., 403-452-4694, pigeonholeyyc.ca, @pigeonholeyyc

■ Plowshare Artisan Diner 817 1 St. S.W., 403-454-4953, facebook.com/plowsharediner

■ Proof 1302 1 St. S.W., 403-246-2414, proofyyc.com, @proofyyc

■ Provision 340 13 Ave. S.W., 403-263-0766, provisionyyc.com, @provisionyyc

■ Pure Contemporary Vietnamese Kitchen + Bar 815 8 Ave. S.W., 403-475-1899

■ Raw Bar 119 12 Ave. S.W., 403-206-9565, rawbaryyc.ca, @rawbaryyc

■ Ricardo’s Hideaway 1530 5 St. S.W., 587-349-2585, ricardoshideaway.ca, @ricardosyyc

★ River Café 25 Prince’s Island Park, 403-261-7670, river-cafe.com, @rivercafeyyc

■ Rocky’s Burgers 1235 26 Ave. S.E., 403-336-0405, rockysburgers. com, @rockysburgers

★ Rouge 1240 8 Ave. S.E., 403-531-2767, rougecalgary.com, @rougecal

■ Royale 730 17 Ave. S.W., 403475-9457, royaleyyc.ca, @royaleyyc

■ Sauce Italian Kitchen & Market 3326 17 Ave. S.W., 403-727-7627, sauceitalianmarket.com, @saucecalgary

■ Shiki Menya 827 1 Ave. N.E., 403-454-2722, shikimenya.ca, @shikimenya

■ Shokunin 2016 4 St. S.W., 403-229-3444, shokuninyyc.ca, @shokuninyyc

■ Suzette Bistro 2210 4 St. S.W., 403-802-0036, bistrosuzette.ca, @suzettebistro

■ Tapas 633 10 St., Canmore, 403-609-0583, tapascanmore.ca, @tapascanmore

★ Ten Foot Henry 1209 1 St. S.W., 403-475-5537, tenfoothenry.com, @10foothenry

■ Trolley 5 728 17 Ave. S.W., 403-454-3731, trolley5.com, @trolley_5

■ Tuk Tuk Thai 636 17 Ave. S.W., 403-455-0999, tuktukthai.com, @eattuktukthai

■ Untitled Champagne Lounge 403-475-7226, 620 8 Ave. S.W., untitledyyc.com

■ Watercress Express 1322A 17 Ave. S.W., 403-455-6222, watercressexpress.ca

★ Whitehall 24 4 St. N.E., 587-349-9008, whitehallrestaurant.com, @whitehallyyc

■ White Rose Vegetarian Kitchen 6512 Bowness Rd. N.W., 403-4558055, whiterosekitchen.ca, @meet_and_veg

SERVING UP

style

Erica Piebiak (ARTISTS WITHIN) NICK THERIAULT

Phil & Sebastian

Michael Kors Mens shirt, US$129, sweater, US$228, and tie, (price upon request), all from Michael Kors.

Calgary wait staff model spring’s best fashions.

ZARA MOHAMAD

Pigeonhole and Model Milk

Kenzo sweatshirt, $360, and Stella McCartney shoes, $1,435, both from Holt Renfrew; Isabel Marant Étoile skirt, $560, from gravitypope; The Horse watch, $189, from Fieldstudy.

CHICHI OKAFOR

Earls.67

See by Chloé blouse, $600, and Derek Lam 10 Crosby pants, $460, both from Holt Renfrew; jewellery, model’s own.

JOSH MITCHELL

Ox and Angela

Eleventy blazer, $895, and Anderson’s belt, $170, both from Henry Singer; Comme Des Garçons Play top, $185, from gravitypope; NAQP chinos, $160, from North American Quality Purveyors; Timex watch, $145, from LESS17; shoes, $398, from Poppy Barley.

KARLA SEDLICK Mercato

Marie Saint Pierre dress, $1,200, and jacket, $1,320, from Blu’s Womens Wear; Marie Saint Pierre socks, price upon request; See by Chloé sandals, $340, from gravitypope; vintage turquoise ring, $300, from Fieldstudy.

JARED TOBIAS HERRING

Shiki Menya

NAQP T-shirt, $45, from North American Quality Purveyors; Han Kjøbenhavn jeans, $227, from Modern Menswear; Timex watch, $98, and Adidas Tubular Doom shoes, $240, from LESS17.

ALECYN LEA

Una Takeaway

Objects Without Meaning top, $235, Hackwith Design House pants, $280, and Crescioni necklace, $364, all from Fieldstudy; T by Alexander Wang jacket, $700, from gravitypope.

Details, see The Source on page 153.

Worth the wait: crocodile investing

A young wildebeest steps into the Mara River unaware of the danger lurking just below the surface. Suddenly, the water splits, a flash of greyish green—and 15 feet of muscle surges forward, dragging the unsuspecting victim into the water.

After months of not eating, the crocodile’s patience pays off in a split second. While other predators must hunt daily to survive, the crocodile’s incredibly slow metabolism allows it to conserve energy for months (even years!) until it finds an opportune moment to strike.

Long-term investors can embrace a similar approach to great effect. For example, an investor may believe that a company has an excellent business model and is run by strong leaders, but finds its stock valuation too expensive. Using a crocodile investment approach, the investor can wait patiently for a better risk-

reward proposition to emerge and, instead of allocating capital at an unattractive price, opt to act when the odds of success are strongly in the investor’s favour.

Those who successfully apply this investment approach tend to have a competitive advantage over their peers. Good crocodile investors can take advantage of fear in the market and allocate a large amount of capital at good value. They can wait during periods of investor frenzy when the price for a coveted asset is bid up too high.

While a crocodile investment strategy makes a lot of sense in theory, it can be difficult to implement in practice. Crocodiles have evolved over thousands of years to be patient, but humans have not. In fact, many investors’ relationships with risk are exactly opposite to that of the crocodile: acting aggressively

when the perceived risk is low but the actual risk is high, and failing to act when opportunities present themselves because their perception of risk is distorted. Unfortunately, it is our own conditioned responses— millions of years in the making— that pose the greatest hurdle to successfully adopting this strategy.

So what does it take to defy our evolutionary biases? While evolution may not have equipped the human brain with inherent rationality and patience, these traits are possible to attain in the appropriate environment. At Mawer, we find a disciplined, systematic process and the right team can help investors keep their cognitive and emotional biases in check.

Ultimately, process is what allows investors to do what they otherwise may not: act strategically on the right opportunities.

The crocodile is a notoriously patient predator that carefully strikes at the right opportunity. Its strategy is useful for investors – but can be difficult to implement.

IN CALGARY Hungry Kids FEEDING

BY Elizabeth Chorney-Booth PHOTOGRAPHY BY Erin Brooke Burns

As food insecurity becomes a growing concern in the city, here are some of the organizations that get healthy food to the kids who need it.

Volunteers at Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids.

There’s no shortage of troubling stories about how the economic downturn is affecting Calgarians, but few statistics are as heartbreaking as the rising number of hungry children in the city. Across Canada, more than 1.2 million children live with various degrees of food insecurity and Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids, an organization that makes and distributes school lunches, estimates that the local need has gone up by about 30 per cent over the past year. The fact that kids, so full of hope and potential, are going to bed with empty stomachs is something that all of us can agree should not be happening in what is still a relatively prosperous city.

Hungry children are usually connected to equally hungry parents and there may be a number of reasons why those adults aren’t able to secure a reliable supply of food, ranging from simply not having enough money, to working more than one shift job and not being around to make sure that their kids are eating properly. No one family’s food insecurity looks exactly like another’s.

“When you see kids going to school without food, there are other questions that need to be asked,” says Calgary Food Bank CEO James McAra. “As a society we should ask if their parent or guardian had time to make lunch. Did they have time to go shopping and make lunch? Is it ongoing? Is it chronic? Or is it just that one time?”

While we may not always know the reasons an individual child is going hungry, we do know the results.

When children aren’t getting enough healthy food to eat it immediately interrupts what kids are supposed to do: grow, learn, play and develop the confidence that they need to be happy and productive. Even grown-ups who are able to feed themselves without much trouble know how hunger can affect their psyches — going just a few hours past mealtime can leave a healthy adult feeling distracted, lethargic and angry. Translate that feeling to a growing body that is supposed to be learning how to read, socialize and navigate the world, and potentially repeat it day after day. It’s no way to get a start on life.

“We believe that kids need to have proper nutrition and food so they can focus, learn and have the energy to grow and be strong and have confidence and self-esteem,” says Tanya Koshowski, executive director of Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids. “One Grade six boy told me that he feels ‘desperate’ when he’s hungry. We want to give these kids the opportunity to be the best that they can be.”

While the physiology of hunger clearly has an effect on a child’s ability to learn and grow, the emotional effects of being left without something to eat can also be profound. Food’s association with love and community is strong — when someone we know is grieving we bring them a casserole or a pie to show them we care. When a child is left with an empty stomach, they can feel abandoned by the community around them.

“It’s so much bigger than just food,” says D.D. Coutts, the Food Bank’s manager of communication and development. “When they receive food, children know somehow that the community cares about them. It makes them feel that the community is safer and they’re going to be okay. That in itself makes a huge impact on the child, psychologically.”

Getting to the root issues of childhood hunger and creating bigger picture solutions are the ultimate goals, but in the meantime, various Calgary agencies are working together to develop multipronged solutions to make sure that not only are kids being fed, but that they’re being fed nutritiously. Sixty-four percent of the Calgary Food Bank’s clients are families with children, which means that food is reaching kids through the hamper program. Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids provides more than 3,200 lunches to local school children every day, packed largely by volunteer groups around the city.

Those are the two agencies that Calgarians are likely most familiar with, but there are others out there as well working hard to fill bellies. The Alex Community Food Centre offers family-friendly meals and kids cooking classes. Soup Sisters volunteers make fresh soup that goes to support women’s shelters and programs for youth in crisis and runs the Souper Kids program, where kids make soup for other kids in crisis. MealShare helps raise money for Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids through specially marked menu items at local restaurants. The Boys and Girls Club of Calgary operates a Food and Nutrition at Schools (FANS) program that provides breakfasts and snacks. The Community Kitchen Program of Calgary also has a number of programs, such as the Good Food Box, to get affordable food to families, as well as a summer lunch program to feed kids who would be accessing programs like Brown Bagging during the school year.

This is all in addition to smaller community and church groups that work to keep kids and families fed. Naturally, all of these organizations need support, be it through donations of money, food or in-kind items and services, as well as volunteer hours.

The most important step when it comes to quelling child hunger, however, is actually getting food into kids’ mouths. “A lot of people say that food banks are just a band-aid, and sometimes all you need is a band-aid,” Coutts says. “Sometimes your wound is not that deep and you can keep going and will heal on your own. But for those whose wound is gaping, you need something much more than a band-aid. You also need continuous support to get you through whatever it is you’re going through.”

There are a few ways that people can help out beyond the “band-aid” stage. The Brakemen Foundation, which fundraises for Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids through events and a chuckwagon tarp sale, is behind the Zero Hungry Kids platform, through

“IT'S SO MUCH BIGGER THAN JUST FOOD. WHEN THEY RECEIVE FOOD, CHILDREN KNOW SOMEHOW THAT THE COMMUNITY CARES ABOUT THEM. IT MAKES THEM FEEL THAT THE COMMUNITY IS SAFER AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE OKAY. THAT IN ITSELF MAKES A HUGE IMPACT ON THE CHILD, PSYCHOLOGICALLY.”

– D.D. COUTTS, MANAGER OF COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT, CALGARY FOOD BANK

Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids volunteers making sandwiches and snacks. The nonprofit provides 3,200 lunches a day to Calgary school kids.

Kids decorating cookies at the Alex Community Food Centre.

A different kind of Rejuvenation in the Rockies

Canmore has always been a place to play for many within the beautiful Rocky Mountains. With the opening of Art of SKIN Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery you can now revitalize your skin and renew your energy in nature.

A boutique cosmetic clinic that specializes in individual care, they can sculpt, re-pigment, de-pigment, or restructure. The treatment options are endless. As soon as you walk through the door you can feel the difference at Art of SKIN, with materials from nature that have been transformed into a sleek modern décor.

The focus at Art of SKIN is empowering each individual through education. During your consultation they don’t just tell you what treatments you should have, they educate you on how each treatment works with the skin, what you can expect to see for results and why they are recommending the treatment. I was given

options to choose from depending on my budget. I had an a la carte menu of treatment options where I could choose just one or build a full treatment plan.

Looking for Fat Reduction? Dr. Lubitz offers Tumescent Liposuction, the surgical removal of fat. Want it during your lunchtime? Then opt for a SculpSure series – 25 minutes a treatment.

Want Skin Tightening? They have the industry gold standard Co2 Resurfacing. If you can’t take time off then choose from their range of Non-Ablative Skin Tightening treatments.

If you feel like you just look too tired they have Cosmetic Injections such as Neuromodulators and Fillers. If fillers are not right for you then you can choose Fat Transfer. Use your own tissue to restore your facial silhouette or another silhouette area.

Have you been playing too hard and now you have visible Veins in your legs? You guessed it, they do that too. From superficial veins to deep veins they offer it all.

If your looking for something else they also have Micro-Pigmentation to restructure eyebrows, correct lip lines or just to beautify. Laser Treatments for Hair, Pigmentation and Redness Reduction as well as Tattoo Removal.

On top of all of that Dr. Paul Lubitz also treats medical conditions including Acne, Rosacea, Hair Loss… and so much more. He also specializes in Skin Cancer Screening and Surgery.

It only makes sense to have your skin taken care of under the direction of a Board Certified Dermatologist both medically and cosmetically. Why not do it while relaxing in the Mountains? Your skin is worth it. Learn more at www.artofskin.ca

MOUNTAINS

SPRING-SKIING IN THE DEALS

MOUNTAINS

Seasoned skiers know that springtime is one of the best times to hit the slopes. Here are a few of the great late-season deals available at the resorts Calgarians love.

March can be a wonderful time to head up to the mountains if you’re a skier, or if you’ve decided to become one.

There’s still a lot of snow on the slopes, the temperatures are warmer and the longer days make for perfect sunkissed après-ski sessions. Scoop up one of these spring-season deals to make your March mountain getaway even better.

BY Shelley Arnusch

Kimberley Alpine Resort. Photograph courtesy of RCR by Mark Eleven Photography

MOUNTAINS

Spring on Sale at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies

The Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR), a group that includes Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and Kimberley Alpine Resort, has a Spring on Sale deal throughout the month of March. Those who book a three-night stay receive a discount of 50 per cent off the third night, with free skiing for kids 12 and under. (The complimentary child pass requires an accompanying adult with a minimum two-day lift pass to claim it.) This family-friendly deal is valid March 1 to 31 at all RCR properties.

403-254-7669 (Calgary office), skircr.com

Spring Ski Week at Sunshine Mountain Lodge

The gondola-accessed ski-in-ski-out lodge at Sunshine Village Ski & Snowboard Resort extends its Ski Week package deal into March and April. Starting at $999 per person, the package includes five nights accommodation, five days of skiing or snowboarding at the resort and four, two-hour lessons from the Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard School. Guests are greeted with a welcome reception on the first night and a farewell reception on the last night. The package also includes a tobogganing-and-bonfire party on the second night and a wine-and-cheese on the third night. For those who want a shorter stay, the lodge also offers springtime ski-and-stay packages starting from $150 per person per night, including an adult lift ticket, which retails for $99 on its own.

403-705-4000 (or toll free 1-877-542-2633), sunshinemountainlodge.com

March Break at Panorama Mountain Resort

This Invermere-area mountain village resort is a favourite of Calgarians who like the convenience of ski-in-ski-out accommodations. Panorama’s March specials include a package of three days skiing and four nights accommodation starting at $111 per person per night, redeemable any day of the week. There’s also a three-nights-lodgingtwo-days-skiing Midweek Break special available Sundays to Thursdays starting at $107 per person per night. Guests receive discounted rates on lift tickets and kids eight years old and under ski free when accompanied by an adult with a lift ticket for an equal or greater number of days.

1-800-663-2929, panoramaresort.com

TOP Family skiing at Fernie is more affordable in March with RCR’s Spring on Sale deal.

LEFT Kicking Horse Resort in Golden also offers RCR’s Spring on Sale deal.

Fernie photograph by Henry Georgi courtesy of RCR; Summit Hut photograph courtesy of Panorama Mountain Resort; Kicking Horse photograph courtesy of RCR; Sunshine Village photograph by Paul Zizka

MIDDLE Panorama’s Summit Hut is an ideal spot for spring skiers to catch some rays.

ABOVE Springtime at Sunshine Village means the return of the outdoor champagne bar.

Cooking Up Great Tastes at Great Events Group

In his position as Corporate Chef at Great Events Catering, Daryl Kerr gets to spend his days doing what he loves best: feeding a lot of people. In addition to his catering role (which includes catering services for Spruce Meadows as well as other venues and countless client events), Chef Kerr operates as a mentor and advisor for the prestigious Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant, the Cravings Market Restaurant, Office Gourmet Catering and Flavours Catering, which means his food has been enjoyed by a significant number of hungry people across the city.

“People ask how many people I cook for in a year and it’s literally over a million,” Kerr says. “Some of the tournaments at Spruce Meadows have us feeding up to 60,000 people a day with events and concessions. It keeps you on your toes and keeps you interested. No matter the size of the event, we extend a consistent attention to quality, creation and craftsmanship to all Great Events clients.”

Chef Kerr has been with Great Events Group for a decade and has been proudly introducing Calgarians to his own style of modern creative cooking that often includes elements of molecular gastronomy. While many corporate chefs tend to spend more time in the office than the kitchen, Chef Kerr remains incredibly hands-on. Whether he’s developing new menus for Great Events’ restaurants or catering divisions or putting together custom menus for clients who actively seek out Kerr’s creative magic, cooking remains his first love.

“I still make the coffee in the morning, I cook breakfast, I still come in late at night to do functions,” Kerr says. “I’m right here in the kitchen in front of a cutting board or standing at the stove with a frying pan in my hand. I love it.”

Chef Kerr’s hard work paid off in a different way this January when he was named Chef of the Year by the Calgary Academy of Chefs and Cooks. Chef Kerr is honoured by the award, and pleased that after a decade with Great Events Catering, he’s still able to challenge himself and surprise both his peers and clients with his dedication and unique approach.

“I try to make food interesting, exciting and customized to each event.” Kerr says. “Because if it’s interesting, people are going to keep coming back.”

Herb crusted lamb lollipop, pan seared Moroccan sea scallop, red wine jus, caper cream, goats cheese mash with celeriac, grilled vegetables

Chef of the Year Daryl Kerr at the 2017 President’s Ball hosted at the Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant

Okanagan Spring Break

If you like the vibe of the Okanagan, you will love that Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna is offering a Buy 5 Get 7 spring-break promotion where those who book five nights accommodation and five days skiing get an extra two nights and two days of skiing free. The deal is available from March 26 to April 16, a time when the resort will also offer a variety of Easter activities for families. 1-800-663-2772, bigwhite.com

THE SPRING PASS

If you’re a fair-weather skier, you might want to consider buying a spring pass to your favourite local resort. Both Sunshine Village and Lake Louise Ski Resort offer late-season passes, which tend to pay for themselves if you know you’ll be putting in at least four or five days between the beginning of March and closing weekend. While spring passes might sound like a bit of a gamble, both Banff resorts are worldrenowned for their long seasons, with Sunshine, in particular, extending its season through the May long weekend. If you don’t do the nine-to-five grind and would rather avoid weekend crowds, you can get even more bang for your buck with a midweek-only spring pass.

Late-season Cat-skiing Deals

When it comes to cat-skiing (backcountry skiing in terrain accessed via snow-cat) the later in the season you go, the cheaper it’s going to be. At Chatter Creek, a heli- and cat-skiing outfitter near Golden, the per-person rate for a three-day cat-skiing tour is $3,516 during the peak winter months, but drops to $2,885 for March 28 to 31.

(If you can wait until April you can do a two-day tour for as low as $1,692.) At Island Lake Lodge, a cat-skiing operation near Fernie, a three-day trip that costs $3,151 in February drops to $2,393 starting March 18. The biggest issue with waiting until March to book a backcountry trip is availability, though many operations have a wait-list or standby program for those who can go on short notice.

Chatter Creek, 1-877-311-7199, chattercreek.ca; Island Lake Lodge 1-888-422-8754, islandlakecatskiing.com

TOP Chatter Creek cat-skiing. FAR LEFT Big White Ski Resort. LEFT Chatter Creek lodge.

Chatter Creek photography by Dylan Page; Big White photograhp by Matthew Butterworth/Big White Ski Resort

BY Christina Frangou

BY Chris Wedman

Reed Ferber

The founder of the world-renowned Running Injury Clinic at the University of Calgary is a runner himself and isn’t afraid to be his own guinea pig.

The first strides taken toward one of the largest running-research projects in the world can technically be traced back to a 17-year-old boy thinking that rappelling out of a helicopter would be cool. As part of his application to work with the Alberta Forest Service (and jump out of helicopters), Reed Ferber first needed to pass a fitness test. He started running to get

PHOTOGRAPHY

in shape, dropping 25 pounds in the process. In addition to helping him get the job, those first jogs were the start of a long-time relationship between Ferber and running.

Today, Ferber is director of the Running Injury Clinic at the Uni versity of Calgary, where he leads the world’s largest study of running injuries. Since its inception in 2003, the clinic has seen 12,000 runners and has 4,000 patients (and counting) in its research database. Ferber and his colleagues developed a 3D-gait analysis system that is used at more than 50 clinics around the world to assess runners’ biomechani cal problems. All the data feeds back to Calgary where Ferber and his team study injury and gait patterns, publishing key findings on subjects such as gender-specific injuries, aging and stress fractures.

Sitting in his office at the University of Calgary, where boxes of the latest in fitness trackers are piled on his desk, Ferber describes himself as a very ordinary runner — he has the data to prove it. Since he started studying running, Ferber has undergone more analysis than almost anyone in his lab, which has shown that he’s “as average as it gets.”

“I’m just a normal dude who plods along,” says Ferber, wearing his trademark bow tie. “I could run a two-hour half-marathon, a four-hour full marathon, plus or minus five minutes depending on the day, the terrain.”

Ferber started running long distances as a grad student at the University of Oregon in the mid-1990s, when he and his roommate would put in a long run every Sunday to blow off stress. Soon, they realized they were running enough miles to train for a marathon. Over the next few years, the pair ran four marathons and more than a dozen half-marathons.

Ferber’s weekly mileage dropped and his pace slowed over the years, however, his curiosity about running persisted. It was his love of research, of trying to figure out how things work, that inspired the idea for the Running Injury Clinic, a partnership with the University’s Department of Kinesiology, that runs as an independent entity out of a lab space within the department. Right now, he and his research team are focused on a new gait analysis platform called Run Cubed (r3), which launched last year.

In addition to his work with the clinic’s patients, Ferber puts his research to use in his own workouts. He runs for 45 minutes, three or four times a week, either on a treadmill or outdoors, sporting a black T-shirt advertising the clinic’s logo, and mixes in exercises to maintain strength in his knees, his left one being problematic.

By testing himself, Ferber knows he’s among the 80 per cent of the population that can wear a regular running shoe without stability or motion control. In 2011, when minimalist, or “barefoot” shoes became the hottest thing in running and Ferber was inundated with interview requests about the trend, he took a pair from the lab and set out to run a half-marathon 10 months later, collecting data on himself along the way. “When I run with a forefoot strike (as minimalist shoes force runners to do), my left knee is totally fine because there’s a reduction in loading, but I’m also increasing the strain on my Achilles tendon by about 60 per cent,” he says. “My knee was quite happy but both of my calves were very upset with me, and they screamed a lot.”

Ferber’s running history hasn’t been injury-free, though he hasn’t suffered a serious injury since 2002, when he was sidelined with left I.T.-band syndrome. He still remembers the frustration of being laid up, which he says helps him relate to his current patients. “I can totally empathize with the injured runner because my mode of de-stressing was gone,” he says.

Unlike his wife, who gets up at 5:30 a.m. to work out, Ferber describes himself as a dedicated afternoon exerciser who is more intellectually productive early in the day.

Outside of the clinic, Ferber’s goals are to stay healthy enough to keep skiing with his family on weekends and run a few times a week. He’s now 46 years old and well aware of his own research indicating that runners become more prone to injury after age 45. Even so, Ferber believes that his current fitness trajectory will one day allow him to run the Boston marathon at age 65. “If I can keep this same pace going, then I’ll qualify. I don’t intend on doing special training to qualify for Boston, but if I qualify, it will just so happen that my age and time intersect right there.”

Reed Ferber at the Running Injury Clinic

SPONSORED EVENT

THEATRE JUNCTION THE WATERSHED

MAR 29 - APR 1, 2017

“The Watershed” captures Canada in a moment of acute political reflection in an increasingly polarized landscape. In this sprawling political story, a Montreal artist leads her family on a cross-country journey to investigate the forces shaping the future of our natural resources, encountering leading freshwater scientists, government officials, activists and business leaders along the way. “The Watershed” is a follow up to playwright Annabel Soutar’s smash hit SEEDS, presented in TJG’s 2014/15 season.

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Q&Astyle

Ellen Doty

Jazz singer Ellen Doty grew up in Okotoks. She released her first album, Gold, in 2014 and plans to release a second album this fall. Like her music, which is a fusion of jazz, soul and pop, Doty’s personal style is a fusion of eras. Her high-waisted skirts and tucked blouses would fit in at a 1950s Parisian café, her bobbed hair and bangs at a 1920s speakeasy. But Doty’s look isn’t just vintage-inspired, it’s the real thing, incorporating pieces she inherited from her grandmother. Doty also scours Calgary’s consignment stores for clothing from across the decades, creating a look best described as “modern vintage.”

How did you first get into jazz music?

My grandmother lived across the street from Nat King Cole in Los Angeles in the early ’50s, and she used to go see Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman and all the greats play at the Hollywood Palladium. Jazz got passed down to me through her and my dad.

Was fashion always part of your life too?

It definitely came later. Some of my high school friends would laugh that I’m into fashion now because I used to play basketball — I actually played at Carleton [University] — and I wore sweats and basketball clothes all the time. I even wore a Vince Carter jersey to school, which is kind of embarrassing. Around my second year of university, I started doing jazz performances and I wanted my style to reflect the kind of sound I was going for.

How did that sound influence your style?

Vintage clothing comes with jazz and a lot of the classic jazz singers of the ’50s had that look with the red lip and the winged eyeliner.

I’ve incorporated some of those things into my wardrobe, and I started playing with vintage hairstyles. I would love to have been alive when all those great musicians and style icons were around.

Was your grandmother a style influence as well as a musical one?

Definitely. One of my favourite pieces of hers is a navy-blue shortsleeved St. John knit sweater that she got in L.A. when the company first started. She was quite petite, so on me, it fits as a crop top.

BY Madison Farkas

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Lori Andrews

STYLING BY Aldona Barutowicz

HAIR AND MAKEUP BY Kate Barutowicz PHOTOGRAPHED AT Monogram Coffee

Dress from Reitmans; shoes from Bebop.

“I’D LIKE TO BRING BACK THE SOPHISTICATION OF THE OLD TIMES AND THE OLD STYLE. I WANT TO BRING BACK THE IDEA OF DRESSING UP IN GENERAL.”

Vintage sweater by St. John; skirt by Doty's friend, Sydney Evans; vintage pearl necklace from Doty's grandmother; necklace from J.Crew; shoes from Bebop.

I have some jewellery from her, too — a ’40s-style choker and some earrings. I also have a purse from her.

What kind of purse?

Back in those days, women would have a going-away outfit to change into after their wedding to go on their honeymoon, and the purse was part of my grandma’s outfit. It’s leather, very structured, like a box, with a marble hook clasp. I’m almost afraid to use it.

How has your style evolved over the years?

When I first started performing, I would wear heels all the time, and fancy dresses. But when you tour a lot, it’s just not possible. I’ve shifted to more comfortable Oxford shoes and A-line skirts.

Do you go for designers?

Honestly, on a musician’s budget and at this stage of my life, as much as I like designer pieces, they’re not really something I can afford. But I love what I find at consignment stores. It can take a lot of time, and you have to be in the right mood to look through everything, but I love that they’ve been recycled, and that someone else had them before me.

That’s sometimes what turns people away from consignment. I think it’s cool. Imagine one of your favourite pieces of clothing — all the things you did in it and all the wonderful places you went. It was so good to you and you wore it all the time, but eventually you had enough of it. Why not pass that on so someone else can feel good in it?

Which consignment stores do you shop at?

ReFind in Kensington, and I like SalvEdge Boutique and Trend. Vespucci is good for high-end stuff.

What do you have the hardest time shopping for?

Shoes are a challenge because I’m 5'11" and I wear a women’s size 11. Most places only go up to a 10, so I end up searching a lot. Pants are hard, too. That’s part of why I wear lots of skirts, because pants are often too short on me.

What are you trying to accomplish with your fashion?

I’d like to bring back the sophistication of the old times and the old style. I don’t need to be very exposed with what I wear — it can be beautiful and sexy but still classy and comfortable. And I want to bring back the idea of dressing up in general. In the ’50s and ’60s, they used to dress up so much to go to a movie, or the theatre, or a concert. I think it would be really cool if people did that again. I often dress up even on casual days.

Can you dress up and still be comfortable?

I think you can have both. It’s not that people should feel pressured to dress up, or feel like dressing up means they can’t wear comfortable clothes. My style is an expression of who I am, which is how it should be for everyone, and part of that is comfort. I think it relates back to my basketball days in terms of functionality: I needed to wear clothing I was comfortable in. Whatever you are doing, whether it's a night out, going to the office, or going to a show, your clothes should be functional and comfortable.

Dress from Purr; vintage bag from Doty's grandmother, shoes from Bebop.

Sarah Pacini is a complete collection Made in Italy; a unique blend of knitwear, prêt-à-porter and accessories. Individual pieces worn separately or in total look, provide clean and precise lines, open to the imagination and individuality.

“WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING, WHETHER IT'S A NIGHT OUT, GOING TO THE OFFICE, OR GOING TO A SHOW, YOUR CLOTHES SHOULD BE FUNCTIONAL AND COMFORTABLE.”

LIGHTNING ROUND

What did you think you’d be when you grew up?

Basketball player.

What station is your car radio set to? CKUA.

Biggest musical influence? Nat King Cole.

What song is stuck in your head right now? “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse.

Favourite childhood book?

Where the Wild Things Are.

Favourite fictional character?

Betty Boop.

Red or white wine? Red in the winter, white in the summer. Midnight snack? Nachos. Dream vacation? I’ve never been to Paris.

Lipstick brand? Urban Decay Mega Matte.

What charities or causes do you support? I do a concert at the Drop-In Centre every year for the clients, and I perform at the CBC Food Bank Drive kickoff.

How do you treat yourself?

Cadbury Mini Eggs. It’s a problem now that they’re available all the time.

Which words do you most overuse? I’ve been saying “rad” a lot lately. I’ll use it in a text and I’m like, “What am I, a surfer?”

Pet peeves? Spelling mistakes. Mine and other people’s. What makes you laugh until you cry? Hanging out with my best friend. We’ve been best friends since seventh grade, and we have a very similar sense of humour — we love wit and puns.

Vintage dress from Vespucci; vintage jewellery from Doty's grandmother; shoes from Call it Spring.

BY Ricky Zayshley

Get the LOOK

Inspired by Ellen Doty’s jazzy style.

1. Sterling silver earrings, $394, from Thomas Sabo. Market Mall, 1-866-461-9862 ext. 275, and Chinook Centre, 1-866-461-9862 ext. 253, thomassabo.com/ca

2. Scarf, $240, from Marc Cain. Chinook Centre, 403-351-2226, marc-cain.com

3. Small Emaline crossbody bag, $628, from Kate

Spade New York. Chinook Centre, 403-441-0360, katespade.com

4. Nersi Blushing Bouquet Bardot dress, $469, from Ted Baker London. Chinook Centre, 403-252-4027, tedbaker.com/ca

5. Shoes, $295, from Bebop. shopatthebop.com

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AS TOLD TO Jennifer Friesen

Megan Borg

Megan Borg is the fibre artist behind Secret Wool Society. Her unique woven wall hangings are sold on her Etsy shop and at markets across town, including the MidModMarket (to be held May 12 and 13 at the Bridgeland Riverside Community Hall), which she launched with Bex Vintage and Few and Between. These are 10 things in Calgary she can’t live without.

3 Custom Woolen Mills

I love taking little day trips out to Custom Woolen Mills near Carstairs because I absolutely love seeing their turn-of-the-century machinery in action. Whenever I go there, I’m in fibre heaven.

7 Jelly Modern’s Maple Bacon Doughnuts

These are sweet and savoury at the same time — and just so good. It’s just different enough that it’s not too extreme, but it’s not your regular chocolate doughnut.

8 Billie Boone Vintage

This is run by a local seller and it’s filled with vintage pottery and Canadiana home decor. I have a wide range of cat-themed home items, and she always finds the best pieces for my collection.

4 Tonkotsu Classic Ramen

Bowl from Shiki Menya

Shiki Menya is the only place I’ll actually stand in line for. After I had the classic ramen bowl I was hooked. I love how they take hours just to make the broth. You can tell they have a dedication to their art.

9 Trivia Night at Swans

I’ve been going with some friends for a couple of years and it’s my favourite night out. It’s not easy and we don’t usually win, but we love it anyway.

1 Yarn Ink

I love going into Stash

Needle Art Lounge to squish all the beautiful yarns, and my favourite is this locally handdyed yarn by Yarn Ink. They have really unique colour ways that you can’t find anywhere else.

2 Lamb’s Soapworks

These products are made with all-natural ingredients and are so good you almost want to eat them. The Rosemary Peppermint Dead Sea Salt Scrub is a full experience — so relaxing. I’m addicted.

5 Orange Habaneros from Greengate Garden Centres

Greengate has a great selection of hot peppers, and I love the orange habaneros. I make a fresh mango salsa for fish tacos. It’s perfect in the spring.

6Ceramics Classes at North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre

Ceramics are totally different from what I normally do, but I love it. It’s so nice to escape and do something that’s new and creative and just for me.

10

Ponchos by Crimson Clover

These vintage-inspired woven ponchos are crazy-beautiful. The artist weaves all the fabric, then sews it into ponchos. They’re so soft and totally unique. I’ve never seen anything like them.

secretwoolsociety.com

BY Ricky Zayshley

Local Finds

Simons, the Quebec City-based department store, is set to open downtown at The Core Shopping Centre on March 16. Here are four things we’re excited to see from the 176-year-old fashion retailer.

Architecture and Design

Calgary-based architecture firm McKinley Burkart completely transformed the historic Lancaster Building, part of The Core Shopping Centre, into a 95,000-square-foot shopping mecca. Five levels of the building’s interior was updated to reflect Simons’ contemporary style and the historic exterior was maintained. The renovations include a revitalised street-level entrance, which is a welcome addition to Calgary’s downtown vibe. Local artist Maya Gohill, known for her vibrant satirical portraits, stylized animals and abstracted figures, was commissioned to paint a giant mural that spans three levels. Look for work by several other Calgary artists including graphic murals by Megan Jentsch, which appear on vinyl wall coverings, and a new portrait by Chris Cran.

In-house Lines

Besides offering coveted designer clothing and shoe lines from all over the world, Simons also sells several private-label brands for men, women and the home. DJAB provides fashion-forward men youthful, edgy pieces, while Le 31 offers a broad range of men’s styles, from basic T-shirts to slim-cut suits and tuxedos. Women’s lines range from the cutting-edge, urban Twik to the work-focused, elegant Contemporaine. The Maison line has chic bedroom, kitchen and bathroom textiles and accessories, which range in style from urban sleek to rustic Scandinavian.

ÈVE CAFÉ

I love grabbing lunch or a coffee while shopping. Even a quick bottle of water is all I need to revive myself for another round of fitting-room madness. Simons’ Ève Café, located on the second floor, will provide this and more with its French Canadian-inspired menu. I envision an almond croissant, a cappuccino, excellent people-watching and a very happy, well-fed fashion editor.

Renderings courtesy of McKinley Burkart

Luxury Clothing Lines

New luxury fashion labels are always welcome additions to Calgary’s shopping scene, and Simons offers a handful of designer lines not previously available in the city. Punk enthusiasts and lovers of edgy British fashion young and old will be happy to shop the store’s selection of Vivienne Westwood. Several Canadian designers fill the racks as well, including Montreal-based designers Elisa C-Rossow and Denis Gagnon, both known for their structured, precisely cut clothing, and Edmonton designer Malorie Urbanovitch.

A look from Malorie Urbanovitch's 2017 collection.

The sleek contemporary kitchen is the favourite hangout spot for this busy family.

Building a House to Call Home

A young family takes a hands-on approach to building their dream home.

BY Andrea Cox

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jared Sych

A FOREVER HOME

You could say that it all started in the fall of 2014 with a Sunday afternoon family drive. “It’s one of our favourite things to do — tour inner-city neighbourhoods and look at homes and architecture,” says Jillian Connell, who spends her spare time, when she’s not hanging with her two boys, flipping through home magazines and scrolling through design ideas on houzz.com.

At the time, Jillian and her husband Shaun Connell were living in a contemporary Marda Loop infill with a rooftop deck, stunning views of the downtown skyline and a three-storey openriser staircase. “It was really beautiful, but when

we had children, we realized we needed something different. It was enough space, but it wasn’t designed in the way we would use our home over the next 20 years,” says Jillian.

A move wasn’t imperative, but for this hip thirtysomething couple, who at the time had a six-month-old and would soon have another on the way, it was all about creating a “forever home.” To accomplish this, they required two things: a designer whose work resonated with them and a fantastic lot in an inner-city community, close to the downtown core, where both of the Connells worked. For Jillian and Shaun, a forever home was all about providing the stage for building a strong portfolio of happy family memories.

On that serendipitous drive in the fall of 2014, the plan began to crystalize as the couple spotted a new-build home that they loved, which led them to their designer, Dean Bottomley of Dean Thomas Design Group.

It took a few more months to suss out the perfect lot, but in March of 2015 when a realtor friend called to tell them of an older bungalow for sale in Mount Royal, the stage was set. “When we saw it, we were so excited. We knew right away that this is where we wanted to raise our family. We fell in love with the trees and we could picture our boys riding their bikes on the street,” says Jillian.

“And the best part is that we found the lot in a real community,” adds Shaun. “People aren’t moving every two or three years. We are going to know our neighbours for the next 20 years and that is really great.”

The view from the great room to the foyer shows the custom-designed, solid-ash front door. Its gracefully curve echoes the sinuous lines used throughout the design of the home.

FUNCTIONAL AND BEAUTIFUL

The Connells briefly toyed with renovating the original home, which was built circa 1925. But when all was said and done, it simply wasn’t feasible or costeffective. “It was such a lovely home, but there were too many issues,” says Shaun. Instead, the couple worked with Bottomley to conceptualize a 5,000-square-foot, two-storey, new-build home with a craftsman-style facade. With its southern exposures and ample 70foot frontage looking onto century-old tree-lined streets, the site drove the home’s design. The goal was to blend traditional and contemporary ele-

ments, allowing the new home to meld with the surrounding heritage homes, while infusing it with a modern edge.

The couple wanted a home with personality and soul. For Shaun, a covered outdoor living space with a rock fireplace was at the top of the list of must-haves, followed by a grand foyer with a spiral staircase and an exterior brimming with old-world curb appeal. “I wanted the home to feel amazing,” says Shaun.

Jillian’s list was slightly longer. First and foremost, she wanted a home that was going to work for the family over the long term, as the

OPPOSITE TOP The home’s old-world facade blends perfectly with the heritage homes in the neighbourhood.

OPPOSITE MIDDLE The rustic simplicity of the wood harvest table from Restoration Hardware juxtaposes nicely with the brushed nickel Ralph Lauren fixtures.

OPPOSITE BOTTOM The home’s white interior is punctuated with graphic wallpaper including the bold print used in Shaun’s home office.

boys grew into young adulthood. Open living spaces, a gorgeous yet functional kitchen, lots of storage, a mudroom with cubbies and a builtin dog kennel for the family’s Yorkie terrier, Lilly, were all essential. As an energy trader, Jillian’s work hours are all over the map, so an attached garage was a must-have (they also built a detached double car garage for Shaun). “And I always wanted a home gym; it’s my dream come true,” Jillian says.

All in all, the couple wanted a comfortable and gracious home that would be the go-to gathering spot for family and friends for holiday and birthday dinners. To that end, the elegant kitchen features an eight-foot-long island clad in white Carrara marble, built-in furniture-style cabinetry and appliances and counter-to-ceiling white wall tile. Jillian sourced a 10-foot-long wood harvest table for the adjacent open-concept dining room from Restoration Hardware, perfect for seating large groups of guests.

Since the home’s completion in September 2016, the couple’s two sons have celebrated two birthdays — Gabriel turned one in November and William turned three in February. The memory book is already growing.

LEFT A Carrera marble surround and layers of millwork make the fireplace an enviable focal point in the great room.

ALL IN THE DETAILS

For as long as she can remember, Jillian has had a thing for design. “I’ve always loved it, but I grew up in Calgary, so I went to work in the energy industry,” says the passionate home enthusiast. She designed all of the home’s interior spaces, drafting with a pencil and sketchbook the extensive and intricate floor-to-ceiling millwork, cabinetry, jaw-dropping ash front door and the walk-in pantry with glass door and vintage crystal hardware.

Throughout the home, Jillian chose a myriad of tumbled textures — wood, marble, brushed nickel and glass — layering them to sculpt definition and highlight the architecture of the interior spaces. The walls are contemporary white with features of wallpaper to up the drama and add a sense of fun. In the mudroom, the walls are covered in paper with joyful drawings of dogs in every size, shape and breed. It’s a nod to the family’s tiny dog, who loves lazing on the room’s heated herringbone tile flooring.

In the upstairs laundry room, richly textured gold and white wall covering adds a regal air to a room delegated to the ho-hum task of washing clothes. “The laundry room is now one of my favourite rooms,” says Jillian. “I never thought that I would like it so much.”

The home’s pièce de résistance is the opulent master bathroom, which is filled with white marble finishes and a free-form floating tub with organic lines. “I am a tub person,” says Jillian, “so I really wanted to have a freestanding tub that had its own space, where you walked in and it sat there looking beautiful.”

In keeping with the forever-home theme, Jillian designed the boys’ bedrooms to be very inviting, with window benches, walk-in closets and large private loft spaces, accessed by ladders.

“Everything turned out so beautifully,” says Jillian, who was onsite almost every day of the yearlong build, managing the budget and designing her signature spaces.

She attributes the success of the project to the entire team. In fact, the couple is so grateful that as a tribute they embedded two memorial plaques inscribed with Braemyn Homes (the builder) and Dean Thomas Design Group (the designer) in the stonework of the home’s exterior facade. “We got the fairy-tale ending. It was the best year of my life and I’m sad its over,” says Jillian.

ABOVE Wall murals and a window bench add a touch of whimsy to one of the children’s bedrooms. BELOW LEFT The childrens’ ensuites are mirror images of each other. BELOW RIGHT A ladder leads to a bedroom play loft.

JILLIAN CONNELL’S TIPS FOR CREATING INSPIRED DESIGN

1. Before you design a home, take some time to think of how you plan to live and move through your space.

2. Research designs to get a feel for your style. Knowing your likes and dislikes will make the process much easier.

3. Identify the design aspects that you notice when you walk in the home and want to focus on most.

4. Set a budget and stick to it.

5. Understand the qualities of the materials you are selecting and how they will wear.

Framed photos add another layer of visual interest and personalize the formal living room.

Add an Element of Fantasy to Your Lighting

AtRobinson Lighting & Bath Centre Spring is about bringing in the new. This season Fantasy is emerging as a key trend. Here are some of Robinson’s recommendations on how to bring this look into your home with lighting from Kuzco.

Light & Formless

The light and airy Artemis pendant adds an astral element to your living space.

Bold Fantasy

The Holm chandelier evokes magic and romance with its quartz-like crystals.

Historical Reimagined

The Turin chandelier carries medieval influences of a candlelit hall with a modern LED update.

For more information on how to achieve these Kuzco looks and more go to Robinson’s Expert Advice column or explore their full product catalogue at robinsonlightingandbath.com

THE SOURCE

FASHION PAGES 104 TO 110

Blu’s Womens Wear Bankers Hall, 403-234-7971, and Southcentre, 403-225-8315, blus.com

Fieldstudy 1812 4 St. S.W., 587-356-2134, fieldstudyshop.com

gravitypope 1126 17 Ave. S.W., 403-209-0961, gravitypope.com

Henry Singer Bankers Hall, 403-234-8585, henrysinger.com

Holt Renfrew The Core Shopping Centre, 403-269-7341, holtrenfrew.com

Leo Boutique 810 16 Ave. S.W., 403-410-9236, leoboutique.com

LESS 17 930 17 Ave. S.W., 403-228-9199, lessoneseven.com

Michael Kors Chinook Centre, 403-537-0093, and two other Calgary locations, michaelkors.com

Modern Menswear 2500 4 St. S.W., 403-457-3377, modern-menswear.myshopify.com

North American Quality Purveyors 1207 10 Ave. S.E., 403-910-9913, shopnorthamerican.com Poppy Barley poppybarley.com

DECOR

PAGES 144 TO 150

Counter stools in kitchen, dining chairs and benches, sectional sofa and chair in living room, and sectional sofa in sitting area, all from Ethan Allen 3103 15 Sunpark Plaza S.E., 403-258-2346, ethanallen.ca

Thermador professional double oven from Trail Appliances 1025 9 Ave. S.E., 403-269-3600, and two other Calgary locations, trailappliances.com

Dining table, sideboard tables in living room, dog pillow and magazine rack in children’s bedroom, all from Restoration Hardware Southcentre, 403-271-2122, restorationhardware.com

Ralph Lauren chandelier in dining room from Carrington Lighting 2513 5 Ave. N.W., 403-264-5483, and 400 33 Heritage Meadows Way S.E., 403-259-3532, carringtonlighting.com

Bed in children’s room from Urban Barn 2500 4 St. S.W., 403-245-1031, and four other Calgary locations, urbanbarn.com

Desk in office and coffee table in sitting area, both from West Elm 868 16 Ave. S.W., 403-245-1373, westelm.com

“Cosmic Desert” wallpaper in home office from Hygge & West hyggeandwest.com

Designer Dean Thomas Design Group 403-3691802, deanthomas.com

Builder Braemyn Homes braemyn.com

Painter Cheeks Services 403-400-0488

Wallpaper installation Drop Wallcoverings dropwallcoverings.com

Flooring Divine Flooring divinefloor.com

CURATED BY Katherine Ylitalo

One-way Ticket

At the heart of the University of Calgary’s Energy Environment Ex periential Learning (EEEL) building is an impressive and grand staircase. The architects and designers, Busby Perkins+Will (Canada) in partnership with Dialog, won awards for the building’s environ mentally friendly design. The airy, light-filled atrium provides a shared social space for learning. People are encouraged to use the stairs, but also to rest, meet and study on the seven terraces.

Marjan Eggermont’s artwork complements the ambience with its thoughtful use of materials, imagery and underlying theme. Silver half-tone graphics of slender trees gleam on dark plates of steel and introduce ideas of nature into the interior. The 12 metal plates that clad the tall elevator shaft accentuate the soaring space, and those that extend in a tab at the base neatly fold the image of a landscape around the corner.

The vaguely familiar, spindly poplars are enlargements from the Dutch Golden Age painting The Avenue at Middelharnis (1689) by Meindert Hobbema, a painting well known for its use of one-point perspective. Inserting perspective in this space is visually clever from many angles, and mixing art with math in a building that houses labs and classrooms for science and engineering is fitting. The title, One-way Ticket, underscores the larger idea that a beckoning road, like a program of educa tion, holds promise.

Eggermont considers her immigration to Canada from Holland at the age of 18 to be one journey that changed her life, and the path of ed ucation to be another. She is currently a senior instructor and associate dean in the Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, and the co-founder, designer and publisher of the visually stunning digital journal Zygote Quarterly (zqjournal.org). each 4'x 8').

NOTE: The artwork is a legacy gift jointly financed by the U of C Alumni Association, the Students Union and the graduating class of 2010. Eggermont is represented in Calgary by Herringer Kiss Gallery.

Photograph supplied by Herringer Kiss Gallery