Explore the Edmonton Valley Zoo in a new way — after the gates close! This adults-only event provides an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look and up-close-and-personal encounters with the animals and exhibits, and is a fundraiser for the new enclosure developments at the zoo! ZooFest is on Saturday, June 22, at 6:30 pm — don’t miss out on the opportunity for 5 unique encounters:
A large beer selection, summery cocktails and a delicious menu secured National Beer Hall a spot on the list. Photo: Adele Brunnhofer.
WHERE Calgary Contributing Editor and the city’s best-known food critic, John Gilchrist, shares his selections for the best spots to enjoy craft beer in the city:
#5 Craft Beer Destination
Brewsters Brewing Company
With five locations in Calgary and one in Airdrie, you’re never far from a Brewsters brew, all made just for its own outlets.
•100, 11 Mckenzie Towne, Ave SE, 403-243-2739, brewsters.ca
•5519 – 53 St SW, 403-723-2739, brewsters.ca
•25 Crowfoot Terrace NW, 403-208-2739, brewsters.ca
•176, 755 Lake Bonavista Dr SE, 403-225-2739, brewsters.ca
•3 Stonegate Dr NW, Airdrie, 403-974-2739, brewsters.ca
• 834 – 11 Ave SW, 403-265-2739, brewsters.ca
Maps and Reviews
#4 Craft Beer Destination
Wild Rose Brewery
All house-made, Wild Rose’s bottled beers are available in the tap room as well as around the province. But try the always-changing draft beers for the latest and freshest flavours.
•4580 Quesnay Wood Dr SW, 403-720-2733 www.wildrosebrewery.com
Maps and Reviews
#3 Craft Beer Destination
Bottlescrew Bill’s Pub
More than 300 beers from over 35 countries are featured at this pub, which has held the corner of 10th Avenue and First Street SW for over 30 years.
•140 – 10 Ave SW, 403-263-7900 bottlescrewbill.com
Maps and Reviews
[RELATED: 5 Best Nightlife Spots in Calgary]
#2 Craft Beer Destination
National Beer Hall
Long communal tables, a prime 17th Avenue SW patio, over 100 beers and excellent food (including pickled eggs) draw all walks to this suds spot.
•550 – 17 Ave SW, 403-229-0226, www.ntnl.ca
•341 – 10 Ave SW, 403-474-2739, www.ntnl.ca
Maps and Reviews
Craft Beer Market boasts a lengthy beer list and a vast interior. Photo courtesy Craft Beer Market.
#1 Craft Beer Destination
Craft Beer Market
With over 100 international beers on tap, this “market” is a mecca for brewed barley fans. Chef Paul McGreevy’s food is mighty fine, too.
•345 – 10 Ave SW, 403-514-2337, calgary.craftbeermarket.ca
Maps and Reviews
Savvy dining tip: foodies in the city make their weekend reservations based on John’s Friday morning restaurant reviews on CBC Radio’s The Eyeopener. The eighth edition of his book, My Favourite Restaurants: Calgary, Banff and Beyond, will be released in September 2013.
DINING IN CALGARY:
•The 6 Most Creative Cocktails in Calgary
•Best Bars in Calgary’s Beltline District
•8 Best Restaurants in Calgary for Canadian Cuisine
•5 Gourmet Calgary Pizzerias
A top Calgary pizza with a traditional Neapolitan-style crust from Double Zero (Photo: Double Zero Pizza)
#5 CALGARY PIZZA
Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria
Family-friendly Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria is often busy, and for good reason. Its large selection of affordable, Neopolitan-style pizzas can be personalized with additional toppings. Try a spin on the classic Hawaiian pizza topped with Italian ham and crushed pineapple with feta cheese. There are two locations, one in the Mission district and one in Mackenzie Town.
• Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, 105, 2303 – 4 St. SW, 403-455-3839, famoso.ca, maps and reviews
• Famoso Neapolitain Pizzeria, 5 High St. SE, 587-352-5566, famoso.ca, maps and reviews
Festival season has begun in Edmonton! This weekend you won’t want to miss the Rainmaker Rodeo over in St. Albert — just a brief, 15-minute drive from south Edmonton. The excitement takes place rain or shine — though let’s hope for shine! — for three days, May 24-26, 2013 at the Kinsmen Rainmaker Grounds. There’s plenty to see and do here for adults and children, whether you’re excited for the traditional rodeo festivities or long for some sugary cotton candy amid a carnival-esque atmosphere. Here are our Top 5 Experiences to try at the rodeo this weekend:
5 Can’t-Miss Attractions at the St. Albert Rainmaker Rodeo Festival:
Take in Alberta’s big blue skies and warm summer weather. Courtesy Blue Devil Golf Club.
Alberta’s mountain parks are well known recreational destinations, but a wide variety of warm-weather outdoor fun can be had in and around Calgary. (more…)
Best Nightlife Spots in Calgary: Bartender Trevor Smith at Wine-Ohs (Photo: Jason Dziver)
5. Speakeasy With Style
Just off Stephen Avenue Walk, Wine-Ohs Bistro & Cellar is downtown’s newest live-music hotspot. With loads of speakeasy cachet, its upstairs restaurant and lounge is the street-side cover for a basement that features not only cool jazz and warm blues, but bistro fare and an extensive and carefully curated wine menu.
• Wine-Ohs Bistro & Cellar 811 1 St SW, 403-263-1650, wine-ohs.com
• Map and reviews
Every fall, Walterdale holds an open competition for amateur playwrights to submit their new material to be developed into a full production with the help of professional dramaturges. Now, after months of hard work and development, two new plays by four local playwrights are ready for their debut on the Walterdale stage. This is a great opportunity to see some fresh, innovative ideas by the up-and-coming theatre talents — Brad Fraser, a now-internationally acclaimed playwright and producer got his start in this same competition when the Walterdale produced his play Mutants!
Enjoy an evening of one-act plays created by the city’s hottest playwrights during Cradle to Stage. The Ugly Spot and Exposure will both be shown on each night of the series, with rubs from May 20 – 26, nightly at 8 pm at Walterdale Theatre in Old Strathcona (10322-83 Ave.). Each night offers something different for theatre-goers to enjoy:
International Soccer returns to Edmonton as the city proudly hosts Canada’s Men’s National Team v. Costa Rica on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 6:00pm at Commonwealth Stadium (11000 Stadium Rd.)! Our national team, which incudes two players from Edmonton, will face off against Costa Rica in an International Fixture game. International Soccer Association games are seldom played here, so this is a rare opportunity to see our team in action! You don’t need to be a soccer fanatic to watch the game — being amongst the lively crowd at the open-air stadium, watching some of the most talented athletes in the country is a great way to spend a warm spring evening!
Photo courtesy of Canada Soccer/Anthony Vasser
Tickets are $31.75-$56.75, or $27 each when you buy tickets in groups of 4. Tickets available via Ticketmaster; call or visit their website. Soccer fanatics will want to purchase tickets in the Canada Supporters section, reserved for the most loud and dedicated fans! Here, fans are permitted (and encouraged!) to remaining standing during the game and wield fan paraphernalia like banners, flags, and noisemakers.
CONTEST: Enter to win a pair of tickets to the game! Follow @whereedmonton on Twitter and look for the “CONTEST” tweets to find out how to enter, through May 27, 2013.
Visit www.canadasoccer.com for more information.
One of the contestants in this mouth-watering competition. Photo: 80th and Ivy.
It’s time to settle a question that’s near and dear to this beef-lovin’ town: who has what it takes to eliminate the competition and claim the glorious title of Best Burger in Calgary?
Red Bull Home Town Tour | www.redbulltourbus.ca |Friday, May 17, 7 pm | Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton
Get ready to dance to the music of local rock and hip hop artists Shout Out Out Out Out and Cadence Weapon, who will return to Edmonton during the Red Bull Home Town Tour for a FREE, electrifying show in Winston Churchill Square.
The inaugural year for this coast-to-coast tour brings artists who have become nationally successful back to their home town for a FREE concert aboard a completely unique sound stage bus. The tour bus, made up of a 1967 GM transit bus, 1974 Silver Eagle, and a 2012 Freightliner Chassis makes a “Transformers”-like change into a complete sound stage, complete with a 120,000 watt audio system and custom rock stage. Once deployed, the bus features a 9 x 12-foot green room in the rear featuring two leather couches, two 37-inch flat screens, and a combination of hardwood floors and red LED back lighting. In less than 25 minutes, the bus transforms from a typical 45-foot-long bus to a full out custom rock stage.
The show is free, but you must RSVP to ensure your spot as it is expected to fill to capacity.
In the May/June 2013 issue of WHERE Edmonton, we told you about some of the best spots in Edmonton to go for an authentic international dining experiences — restaurants that not only serve great international cuisine but that also had immersive decor and an ambiance that makes you feel as if you had been transported to the country of origin to dine on fine cuisine! In addition to Mikado, Koutouki Taverna, The Creperie, and Tres Carnales, here are three more great dining options for enjoying authentic international cuisine:
What’s the next best thing to a trip to France? How about dessert crepes from The Creperie — How can you resist!
Cavern is a new addition to the Edmonton dining — and retail — scene; it’s a retail cheese shop (hence the way the name plays off the concept of the “cheese cave”) and cafe and bar, serving up a selection of coffee, alcohol, and light breakfast, lunch, and dessert fare. WHERE Edmonton went to enjoy the venue during it’s opening week — and we very much enjoyed our experience!