Gone are the days when the Calgarian restaurant scene offered a vast array of dishes featuring Alberta beef -- generally acknowledged as some of the best in the world -- and little else. Recent economic boom times, and an influx of outsiders from around the country and all over the world, have bestowed upon the city a vibrantly eclectic, cosmopolitan dining scene. As is the case with most things here, a fresh, contemporary take dominates most menus, and the emphasis on organic and local ingredients seems to grow by the day. Don't be shocked to find local bison and elk on a great many menus around town, if accompanied by such cutting-edge culinary trends like molecular gastronomy (ginger-celeric foam, anyone?)
The city's most vibrant dining districts can be found either in or on the edge of the city core. The handful of blocks around 17th Avenue SW, between about 8th Street and 2nd Street, and 4th Street SW, between 17th Avenue and 25th Avenue (also known as the Mission) are the most dense eating and drinking destinations in the city. Just north of downtown, Kensington offers an eclectic array of choices as well. Downtown, power lunch spots are the order of the day, and many of them are excellent as well -- and particularly useful for before or after theater-going at the Calgary Centre for the Performing Arts, on Stephen Avenue.
Both earthy and urbane, eating your way through all of Calgary's worthy restaurants could take months -- not to mention a fair chunk of most people's savings. Flush with oil wealth as it is, Calgary's restaurants, which tend to cater to the new-money set, are rarely a bargain, with high-end restaurants pushing into the C$40-C$50 range for signature dishes like Bison tenderloin or filet mignon. What follows are some worth the pain.
Elsewhere -- Calgary sprawls into distant suburbs in every direction, making culinary adventures in the far-flung corners a time-consuming, confusing affair. However, at least a couple of spots, new this year, are worth the geographical challenge. Try Gaucho (3605 Manchester Rd. SE; tel. 403/454-9119), a Brazilian barbecue joint where, for C$28.95, you can eat all the rotisserie-skewered-and-roasted meat -- beef, pork, chicken, fish, in a variety of cuts -- you can stomach. The chef slices directly from the skewer onto your plate; you say "when." Another new place farther south, Alloy (220 42nd Ave. SE; tel. 403/287-9255) garners raves from the young, hip set. Contemporary, dynamic fare is matched by an equally dynamic crowd; at press time, reservations were required a week in advance, so book ahead.
