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Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved Written by: Travel Alberta
Their books are not your typical Alberta guidebooks, littered with service details and predictable scenic drives through Banff National Park. Both their books do indeed cover roadtrips but the scenery tends to focus on groaning boards around the province. However, this specific report zooms in on big cities exactly what we had in mind when I joined Judy Schultz and Mary Bailey at an uptown diner where I asked them to dish about the food scene in Edmonton and Calgary.
Two of the province's most passionate and knowledgeable food aficionadas, this duo is committed to encouraging Albertans to replace our fast food, franchise eatery habit with an eating adventure that veers way beyond-the-box noshing.
They've recently followed up their best-seller, The Food Lover's Guide Trail Guide to Alberta with Volume Two, which adds to, and cross-references, the information in the first book. Loaded with scenic drives that highlight eateries on various roads across Alberta, consider this an abridged version, a map or menu for foodies.
Beyond Banff's Scenic Drives
"Calgary's into trendy, fun bistro dining where young professionals on expense accounts meet for drinks and move on to dinner," observes Mary, a certified wine educator and publisher of Edmonton's City Palate. Think chic, eclectic eateries like Divino and Living Room (403-228-9830).
"In Edmonton, ethnic eating is hot," says Judy, a nationally recognized food and travel writer and author of seven books. "Little India, Little Italy, Chinatown where Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodian restaurants and food shops congregate along 97th Street these neighbourhoods define our multi-ethnic culture." Make a voyage of discovery to the Lahore Sweet House (780-435-9419), Santo's Pizza and Steak (780- 421-1507) and the Hong Kong Bakery.
"People get excited about restaurants in Calgary," says Mary. "There's an air of celebrity about a new place. And people tend to splurge Calgary sells more wine than Edmonton."
"The amazing thing about Edmonton," says Judy, "is that you can get a top-dollar, exquisite meal, as good as any Calgary has to offer, for 30 per cent less." (And that's at an establishment like the Hardware Grill or Jack's Grill but keep it a secret, okay? Or none of us will ever get reservations!)
Corners with Cachet, Streets with Savoir Faire
The ladies agree that the scenes in both cities share a lot of common ground case in point, those streets or corners where marvellous menus and fine food shops seem to cluster. Take the renaissance blooming in Edmonton's 124th Street area new restaurants (too new to make it into Volume Two) Matahari (780-452-8262), the Glenora Grill (780-482-3531) and Mangiamo's join perennial favourites Café de Ville and the Urban Diner (780-488-7274). Whyte Avenue's poppin' with one-of-a-kinds like Flavours Modern Bistro (780-439-9604) and Packrat Louie. For bars that serve up groovy ambience with good food, try Sapphire (780-437-0231) and Savoy (780-438-0373).
Along Calgary's Kensington Road a scenic drive in itself pick up the essentials for a gourmet picnic at Janice Beaton Fine Cheese, the Kensington Wine Market and Muse Bakery (403-670-6873). Then there's "the whole 9th Avenue SE thing a great place for a weekend walkabout," says Mary. Check out Sugo, Village Cantina, Spolumbo's, and Rouge.
Afters
We've finished lunch. Over coffee, Judy and Mary get down to the core of the matter. Yes, Calgary may be closer to the Rockies and have more artisan bakeries than Edmonton but the capital claims more sushi restaurants the real point is both cities are blessed with dedicated, talented purveyors of fine food in all its flavours who need and deserve our support.
If we want to nurture a vibrant food scene, they say, we can live up to our taste buds' potential and bypass the "salt-sweet-fat" sameness of the safe and predictable. We can start by seeking out an independent restaurant or food shops in our neighbourhood...and we can do it with a couple of great guides in hand.
Look for The Food Lover's Trail Guide to Alberta and The Food Lover's Trail Guide to Alberta, Volume Two in bookstores across Alberta.
About the Author:
Copyright © 2006 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved
Travel Alberta is the destination marketing organization for the Province of Alberta. Guided by the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, Travel Alberta is the steward for the effective delivery of tourism marketing programs. For information about our organization, please visit our Travel Alberta industry web site at http://www.travelalberta.com
12.03.2006
Alberta Scenic Drives Go Beyond the Rockies
Article Presented by:
Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved Written by: Travel Alberta
This jaw-dropper of a scenic drive doesn't get near the Rockies instead it runs through Drumheller, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Medicine Hat, Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, then back up toward Calgary past too many other attractions to list.
The 43-km Drumheller Valley, of which Drumheller is the kingpin, is the centre of the richest deposit of dinosaur bones in the world. It's lunar in its stark beauty the product of wind, rain and the Red Deer River eating their way through layers of strata, leaving in their wake steep-walled coulees punctuated by the Badlands' defining characteristic, tall sandstone hoodoos. Through it all runs the peaceful Red Deer River.
Everyone who visits the Drumheller Valley everybody! has to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. It's a real eye-opener for all ages, one that never fails to impress! If you're there on a family vacation, seek out the many multi-generational programs like a Dinosite! guided walk where you'll join an expert who makes the natural and geological history of the Canadian Badlands seem like it's happening right before your eyes!
Then, especially for the kids, walk up the staircase inside The World's Largest Dinosaur for a gander (from it's mouth, no less!) at the river valley, in central Drumheller.
Other family vacation attractions in the Drumheller area include the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site and the tiny hamlet of Rosebud.
Next stop on this scenic drive is the one-of-a-kind Dinosaur Provincial Park site of the Tyrrell's field work. Drive northeast of Brooks through lush green, irrigated farmland and drop straight into a 75 million-year-old scene straight out of Star Trek it's an experience you'll never forget. Campers love the riverside, cottonwood-shaded campground, and visitors appreciate guided tours through the stark beauty of the world's richest dino bone bed. Don't miss sunset from atop one of the hills overlooking the campground.
From there, it's a short hop east to Medicine Hat, a clean, proud city on the South Saskatchewan River. Make sure to visit the Clay Industries National Historic District, which incorporates several historic sites including the world famous Medalta Potteries and Hycroft China within a nationally-designated historic district. A walk through downtown is a joy to those who long for the good 'ol days of owner-operated main street stores, and there are some very tiny-perfect tea houses and unique bistros where you can both rest your weary feet, and treat your hungry tummy.
You're in for an elevating experience on your cruise from Medicine Hat to Cypress Hills Provincial Park in the province's southeast corner. Somehow, ancient glaciers forgot to visit the park, so to get there, you climb several hundred metres up from the prairie to a whole new ecosystem the highest point between the Rocky mountains and the Atlantic.
Cypress Hills is an oasis of lodgepole pine, unique plant growth (14 different kinds of orchids!), lush flower meadows and quiet little lakes. Here, you can choose from motels and RV campgrounds to one of the most beautiful lodgepole pine campgrounds around. Perfect for a family vacation be sure to bring your bikes and boots as there are plenty of hiking trails. The wildlife viewing is also terrific! And don't miss the sunset from a cliff-side lookout from which you can see thousands of square miles of patchwork prairie stretch toward the eastern horizon.
There's another unique scenic drive in this neck of the woods - wedged between Cypress Hills and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, home of the largest concentration of native rock paintings & carvings on the North American Plains. If you take the (gravel) scenic drive through Manyberries, you'll be surrounded by waving fields of grain, and nothing else (no fences, no power wires...really!) for miles.
About the Author:
Copyright © 2006 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved
Travel Alberta is the destination marketing organization for the Province of Alberta. Guided by the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, Travel Alberta is the steward for the effective delivery of tourism marketing programs. For information about our organization, please visit our Travel Alberta industry web site at http://www.travelalberta.com
Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved Written by: Travel Alberta
This jaw-dropper of a scenic drive doesn't get near the Rockies instead it runs through Drumheller, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Medicine Hat, Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, then back up toward Calgary past too many other attractions to list.
The 43-km Drumheller Valley, of which Drumheller is the kingpin, is the centre of the richest deposit of dinosaur bones in the world. It's lunar in its stark beauty the product of wind, rain and the Red Deer River eating their way through layers of strata, leaving in their wake steep-walled coulees punctuated by the Badlands' defining characteristic, tall sandstone hoodoos. Through it all runs the peaceful Red Deer River.
Everyone who visits the Drumheller Valley everybody! has to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. It's a real eye-opener for all ages, one that never fails to impress! If you're there on a family vacation, seek out the many multi-generational programs like a Dinosite! guided walk where you'll join an expert who makes the natural and geological history of the Canadian Badlands seem like it's happening right before your eyes!
Then, especially for the kids, walk up the staircase inside The World's Largest Dinosaur for a gander (from it's mouth, no less!) at the river valley, in central Drumheller.
Other family vacation attractions in the Drumheller area include the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site and the tiny hamlet of Rosebud.
Next stop on this scenic drive is the one-of-a-kind Dinosaur Provincial Park site of the Tyrrell's field work. Drive northeast of Brooks through lush green, irrigated farmland and drop straight into a 75 million-year-old scene straight out of Star Trek it's an experience you'll never forget. Campers love the riverside, cottonwood-shaded campground, and visitors appreciate guided tours through the stark beauty of the world's richest dino bone bed. Don't miss sunset from atop one of the hills overlooking the campground.
From there, it's a short hop east to Medicine Hat, a clean, proud city on the South Saskatchewan River. Make sure to visit the Clay Industries National Historic District, which incorporates several historic sites including the world famous Medalta Potteries and Hycroft China within a nationally-designated historic district. A walk through downtown is a joy to those who long for the good 'ol days of owner-operated main street stores, and there are some very tiny-perfect tea houses and unique bistros where you can both rest your weary feet, and treat your hungry tummy.
You're in for an elevating experience on your cruise from Medicine Hat to Cypress Hills Provincial Park in the province's southeast corner. Somehow, ancient glaciers forgot to visit the park, so to get there, you climb several hundred metres up from the prairie to a whole new ecosystem the highest point between the Rocky mountains and the Atlantic.
Cypress Hills is an oasis of lodgepole pine, unique plant growth (14 different kinds of orchids!), lush flower meadows and quiet little lakes. Here, you can choose from motels and RV campgrounds to one of the most beautiful lodgepole pine campgrounds around. Perfect for a family vacation be sure to bring your bikes and boots as there are plenty of hiking trails. The wildlife viewing is also terrific! And don't miss the sunset from a cliff-side lookout from which you can see thousands of square miles of patchwork prairie stretch toward the eastern horizon.
There's another unique scenic drive in this neck of the woods - wedged between Cypress Hills and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, home of the largest concentration of native rock paintings & carvings on the North American Plains. If you take the (gravel) scenic drive through Manyberries, you'll be surrounded by waving fields of grain, and nothing else (no fences, no power wires...really!) for miles.
About the Author:
Copyright © 2006 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved
Travel Alberta is the destination marketing organization for the Province of Alberta. Guided by the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, Travel Alberta is the steward for the effective delivery of tourism marketing programs. For information about our organization, please visit our Travel Alberta industry web site at http://www.travelalberta.com
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