Calgary’s Best Eats aand Drinks Hang Outs

Leave a reply

Calgary Farmers’ Market – South is a great plaace to hang out with frieds and family

You recognize them as soon as you walk in the door. They’re gathering places, where people hang out with friends and families to share a leisurely meal or drink. They’re usually packed and abuzz with conversation.

With luck or good timing, you might find an empty table. Once you do, you probably won’t want to leave.

Here’s my list of the best such eat and drink “hangs” in Calgary. Let me know yours.

ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen Cafe
5302 Forand Street SW

It’s in a corporate headquarters lined by freeways and primarily designed to feed office workers. But it didn’t take long for neighbouring residents, many of them seniors, to flock to this stunning, high-ceilinged building for coffee klatches and affordable chef-made breakfasts and lunches. Good luck finding a parking space.

ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen Cafe

Wild Rose Brewery
4580 Quesnay Wood Drive SW

Two strikes against it. It’s in the middle of industrial nowhere, and it lives under the perpetual threat of demolition. No matter. The Wild Rose taproom is generally packed with people in vociferous conversation while sharing a beer and a bite. The real star here is the World War II airplane hangar that houses the pub.

Wild Rose Brewery

Caffe Beano
1613 9 Street SW

A Calgary coffeehouse that’s quietly been a neighbourhood institution for more than 35 years. Caffe Beano keeps things simple, with good, custom-roasted coffee, friendly, efficient staff, in-house baked pastries and fine Wayne’s bagel sandwiches. And a two-level layout that creates lots of nook seating choices.

But the critical element is the ambience. It’s a place where students, artists and neighbourhood regulars gather to read newspapers and have actual conversations. Caffe Beano is a true coffeehouse, not a coffee shop.

Caffe Beano

Calgary Farmers’ Market
South location: 510 77 Ave SW
West location: 25 Greenbriar Drive NW

Over the years, scores of loyal Calgary Farmers’ Market customers have survived stroller Fridays, swarms of private-school students with lunch money, and more vehicles than parking spots. They keep coming back for the fresh produce, the serenading musicians and the meals and drinks, from dozens of kiosks, shared in spacious food courts.

Calgary Farmers’ Market – West

Cold Garden Beverage Company
1100 11 Street SE

Arguing that Cold Garden isn’t the coolest craft brewpub in Calgary could well draw howls of protest.That’s partly because the Inglewood brewery welcomes dogs inside its taproom. And on a busy Saturday afternoon, the canine cacophony adds to the general din of folks chatting over some seriously good pints. Mostly though, Cold Garden is just undeniably funky with vegetated walls, comfy couches and graffiti-covered bathrooms.

Cold Garden Beverage

Primal Grounds Cafe
5255 Richmond Road SW

Every time I walk into this restaurant, I scramble to find a vacant seat. This is a true neighbourhood gathering place, where friends meet for morning coffee and legendary soups and sandwiches. Leave room for a slab of carrot cake and grab some frozen soup on your way out.

Primal Grounds Cafe

Lina’s Italian Market- Mercato
5108 Elbow Drive SW

Lina’s is a mini Calgary empire with four locations to serve all your Italian food needs. The Mercato location’s spacious dining area is a popular place to meet friends over a coffee, breakfast sandwich or plate of pasta.

Lina’s Italian Market – Mercato

National Westhills
180 Stewart Green SW

It may lack the cachet of a craft beer brew pub. But National Westhills more than makes up for that with dozens of local beers on tap and excellent burgers, pizzas and appetizers, often at happy-hour prices. The long, shared tables also encourage camaraderie among fellow diners and imbibers. No wonder it’s my go-to neighbourhood beer house.

National Westhills

Our Daily Brett Market & Cafe
1507 29 Avenue SW

Coffee and pastries, breakfast, lunch, glass of wine, dinner, fresh bread and groceries to go. Daily Brett has you covered. Add natural light streaming through high windows, and it’s easy to see why folks want to hang out here.

Our Daily Brett Market & Cafe

Trolley 5
728 17 Avenue SW

Hook up with some buddies at this hopping Beltline brewpub to watch a Flames game on a big screen TV. The pints are cold and the wings, burgers and pizza first rate. As a younger friend reminds me, “It’s not loud, it’s lively.”

Trolley 5

Lazy Loaf & Kettle
8 Parkdale Crescent NW

Lazy Loaf & Kettle

For three decades, it’s been a popular Parkdale meeting spot for coffee, breakfast, lunch and dessert squares. Lazy Loaf’s signature feature is the thick slabs of fresh-baked, nine-grain, no-dairy kettle bread that envelope its hearty, build-your-own sandwiches.

Blue Star Diner
809 1 Avenue NE

It’s mid-morning, mid-week in late February, and Blue Star Diner is jumping; I’m lucky to grab a vacant counter seat.

“It’s the community,” explains my seat mate, a frequent customer. Yes, Blue Star is smack in the middle of the inner-city Bridgeland neighbourhood. And yes, the tables are full of friends happily chatting away, creating a warm morning buzz.

But it doesn’t hurt that Blue Star offers arguably the best breakfast in Calgary, from novel takes on bacon-and-egg classics to innovative bowls.

Blue Star Diner

Sierra Cafe
39, 6439 Crowchild Trail SW

My idea of a neighbourhood coffeehouse, with folks from the southwest community of Lakeview congregating in this narrow space to chat over good coffee and scones. Other great neighbourhood coffee hangouts: Friends Cafe in Edgemont and Higher Grounds in Hillhurst.

Sierra Caffe

Marda Loop Eats and Drinks: Part 2

Leave a reply

34th Avenue SW1

Want a facial with that latte? Distilled Coffee House (2408 34 Avenue) is a combination coffee shop and beauty bar. Order a Rosso Roastery coffee and fresh-baked cookie.

Distilled Coffee House

Bonjour Sandwich Shop (1909 34 Avenue) is a tiny space churning out big, European-style sandwiches. The menu is roughly split in two. There’s the French lineup—think cultured butter, prosciutto and torched cheese—served on baguettes. And then there’s the Italian offerings, such as a spicy Calabrese salami on a Tuscan flatbread. known. as schiacciata.

Bonjour Sandwich Shop

Le Comptoir, by Francois (1928 34 Avenue) is a genteel French retreat, with seating on an elevated patio shaded by a large poplar and warmed by an outdoor fireplace. Sip a latte and indulge in a slab of quiche Lorraine or slice of carrot cake.

Lee Comptoir

Tat’s Treats (115, 1934 34 Avenue) advertises itself as “cereal-infused soft serve”. In other words, ice cream blended with, say, Cheerios or Fruit Loops.

Tat’s Treats

Wow Bakery (2002 34 Avenue) is truly an international cafe, with Korean, Japanese and French influences. The eclectic menu ranges from red bean buns and sweet potato bread to cream-filled doughnuts and condensed milk baguettes.

Wow Bakery

Tres Marias (2006 34 Avenue) is arguably the best Mexican food market in Calgary. Many of the grocery items—organic corn tortillas, multi-colour tortilla chips, fresh salsas and guacamoles—are produced in house. You can also order hot meals like burritos, tacos, tortilla soups and tostados.

Tres Marias

Marda Loop Brewing (3523 18 Street) is a neighbourhood brewpub with an expansive covered, heated patio. Quaff a Big Juice NE IPA alongside a large selection of chicken wings.

Marda Loop Bresing

Dog Days at Cold Garden

1 Reply

This might be the perfect spring trifecta in Calgary. Pints on a sunny, funky brewpub patio. A hot dog festival. The finish of a marathon road race, with all its thirsty competitors. Oh, and a fourth: a welcome “mat” for real dogs to lounge on, inside and outside the brewery.

Mix it all together and you’ve got a (barley) mashup called Dog Days Festival, a two-week (May 23-June 6) celebration of innovative hot dogs created by 45 participating restaurants.

What better place to launch it from than Inglewood’s Cold Garden Beverage Co, Calgary’s coolest brewpub with its festive lights, comfy couches, local art, gender-shared bathrooms and huge shaded picnic table patio. And a place that celebrates furry guests with the same reverence as its human customers.

Cold Garden doesn’t serve prepared meals. But who cares when several food trucks, likeThe Dogfather, are happy to offer curbside takes (like olives and crushed Doritos) on hot dogs for festival goers?

Other festival participants include Palomino Smokehouse, Posto Pizzeria and Village Brewery.

Cold Garden Beverage Co.
1100 11 Street SE, Calgary
Opens daily at 11 am
403-764-2653

Marda Loop Eats and Drinks: Part 1

Leave a reply

The west entrance to this prominent southwest retail district is graced by a large “Marda Loop” banner. A perhaps more realistic sign: Welcome to Hell.

That’s because a considerable stretch of 33rd and 34th Avenues was under construction for several years, prompting a merchants’ lawsuit against the City of Calgary. Even with the detour signs finally removed, it’s often a slow slog for drivers to get through a chokepoint on 33rd. I avoid the area as much as I can.

And yet, there seems to be new businesses, especially eateries and cafes, popping up all the time. I’m guessing the owners are anticipating a return to normalcy, with Marda Loop cementing its status as one of Calgary’s most prominent commercial communities. You have your choice of about five coffee shops and, in one block, three burger joints: A&W, Boogies and the new Rosie’s smash patties.

Vaycay Brew Pub is a new Marda Loop spot

Here’s a long list of Marda Loop eat and drink establishments worth visiting (from west to east), perhaps most enjoyably on foot. I’ve divided them into two parts, along 33rd and 34th Avenues.

33rd Avenue SW

Master Chocolate (2403 33 Avenue) is the 40-year legacy of Calgary’s father of chocolate, Bernard Callebaut. Choose a box of world-class chocolates and order an in-house mug of, you guessed it, European hot chocolate.

Masa Mama (3429 22 Street) is an upscale taqueria, with a focus on imaginative tacos such as chicken tinga and Korean fish, served on four-inch corn tortillas.

Diner Deluxe (2252 33 Avenue) was at the forefront of chic Calgary breakfast restaurants, now with three locations. Step beyond the usual morning meal with a brunch bowl of heavenly bacon and Brussels.

Diner Deluxe

Vaycay Brew Pub (2248 33 Avenue) is a new Calgary taproom. Chase a juicy ale with a fine short-rib taquito.

Choux & C (121, 2215 33 Avenue) is a refuge of elegance in a little French bakery and cafe, featuring delicate cream puffs and choux lattes.

Doughnut Party (109B, 2205 33 Avenue) is an Edmonton import with two Calgary locations. How about something exotic like a cherry chai vanilla twist doughnut?

Sammie’s Cafe (2205 33 Avenue) is a wee brunch destination, where a pork belly bennie goes down nicely.

Boogie’s Burgers (2129 33 Avenue) boasts solid Alberta beef burgers every which way (most with fried onions and mushrooms) and an equally long list of shakes.

Blush Lane Organic Market (2044 33 Avenue) is a sizeable natural foods store, featuring a small coffee bar, Connie and John’s Pizzas and an impressive selection of deli takeout dishes such as sausage rolls.

Established in 2000, Belmont Diner (2008 33 Avenue) is your classic diner, with counter seats overlooking hard-working chefs cooking standard breakfasts.

The flagship location of Calgary coffee juggernaut Phil & Sebastian (2043 33 Avenue) is surprisingly bright, with wood panels, a high ceiling and a long coffee and laptop bar. Get some ouzo butter toast or a doughnut to go with that exacting double espresso.

Aroma Cafe Bar (1845 33 Avenue) is a bright, spacious coffeehouse, with local art on the walls and a Mexican menu focus. In that spirit, order a Mexican hot chocolate and chorizo burrito.I