Santa is back at Southcentre as is Sammy the Snowman. There’s lots going on for the holidays!
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calgary
Flower & Wolf
With delicious dishes and expertly mixed drinks, Flower & Wolf in the Sheraton Eau Claire is definitely worth checking out.
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this weekend in yyc
There are a lot of things happening this coming weekend in Calgary. So many great events, can’t wait!
YYC Pizza Week (#yycpizzaweek)
This is the third year for YYC Pizza Week which runs from September 23 – October 2. With almost 50 destinations participating, this event raises money for not one, but two charities in the city – Calgary Meals on Wheels and 100 Men Calgary. Grab a friend and feel good about all the delicious pizza options. Check out the website for more info.
Calgary Home + Design Show (#CHDS16)
The Calgary Home + Design Show runs from September 22 – 25 at the BMO Centre. Calgary’s top chefs will be on hand for some cooking demos on the Trail Appliances Cooking Stage. Chefs Neil McCue of Whitehall, Paul Rogalski of Rouge and Duncan Ly from Foreign Concept will be a treat for all the local foodies. And of course, I can’t wait to check out all the great ideas to beautify and decorate my house. Be sure to check out Cory Christopher, who showed me how to make this beautiful terrarium! Buy your tickets online and save $3. Visit calgaryhomeanddesignshow.com for more info.
7th Annual Food for Thought event (#FoodForThought)
On September 25, REAP Business Association is hosting one of Calgary’s favourite food events. This event boasts 22 sampling stations and emphasizes how local food and sustainable practices make a difference. I love that this is a family-friendly event so even my little foodie can enjoy it! Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
in and around calgary
There’s been a lot going on the last couple months in Calgary. From restaurant openings, new menus and celebrations, it’s been busy! Here’s what’s been happening!
PZA Parlour
This new restaurant is located in the SW, taking over the space that was once home to Red Robin. The decor is great and the restaurant features a planter wall and even a Vespa.
I came for a bloggers dinner and we were treated to an amazing meal!
From crispy calamari to cheesy pizza to the best doughnuts topped with Nutella!
Thomsons Restaurant Summer Menu
I was invited to check out Thomsons new summer menu. We tried their Apple & Brie Grilled Cheese as well as their signature dishes like their Steak Bites made with Alberta Beef. I also loved their nachos, especially with their lime sour cream.
They have quite a list of cocktails to enjoy as well. Perfect for enjoying on their patio.
Second Cup Reimagined
Second Cup Coffee Co. unveiled its first-ever cafe of the future in Calgary. With a completely new look, you would never guess that this was a Second Cup!
Some of the items that stood out were:
The Slow Bar which features the Steampunk – a coffee brewing system that is uses technology to brew the perfect cup of coffee.
A Wireless Charging Station
Community Wall Mural
The new concept store in Calgary is located in the Braeside Shopping Centre.
Veg-In YYC
Veg-In YYC is a new vegetarian cafe open in Downtown Calgary. From sandwiches to burgers, these meals are made using the freshest ingredients. These vegan and vegetarian dishes have an east indian influence. Don’t forget to get your chai or lassi!
Good Earth Coffee House opened its first location on 11th Street in Calgary 25 years ago! Since then, its grown to over 45 locations nationwide. Congrats on your anniversary!
sky 360 and the big taste calgary
It’s time for The Big Taste in Calgary – every foodie’s favourite week! Hubby and I checked out Sky 360 for lunch last weekend and it was great. It had been years since I’ve been to the Calgary Tower and this was a nice treat. As we lunched on our 3 course, $25 menu, the floor of the restaurant rotated and we got an amazing view of our city.
The first course for The Big Taste was either a soup or a salad. We both went with the Greens Salad which contained carrot chips, cucumbers, shave radish and topped with a pomegranate and pink peppercorn vinaigrette.
For the second course, I went with the Grilled Blackened Chicken sandwich which was served on fresh focaccia. The bread was so good and the chicken had a nice kick to it. The fries that were served on the side were cooked to perfection. Hubby went with the burger which was also very good.
We ended our meal with a cream cheese gelato served with strawberries.
After the meal, we were able to enjoy the tower from the observation deck. The glass floor was kind of scary – I had to not look down in order to take this picture.
It was a great meal, definitely worth a visit. Considering a trip to the top is $18, the lunch during The Big Taste is a great deal!
Cococo Chocolatiers and Halloween….and a giveaway!
Halloween is one of my favourites and I can’t believe it’s in 5 short
days! I can’t decide what my favourite part is – dressing up (how cute
are all the kids!), decorating the front lawn, having a party, trick or
treating (the only time when begging for candy is totally acceptable).
Who am I kidding, it’s about the chocolate!
I’m so happy to share that one of my favourite chocolate places has a
lot of great chocolate choices for Halloween. Cococo Chocolatiers, owners of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut® sent me a few of
their Halloween offerings to sample. All unique chocolates crafted by Cococo use the finest natural ingredients and blends and are free of preservatives. For Halloween, they are offering:
Chocolate witches starting at $21
Chocolate wafers, a box of 30 for $15
Chocolate skulls, a box of 7 for $16.50
Pumpkin Lollipops, 6 for $10.50
Chocolate bars, $3.95 each
I think the lollipops are perfect for handing out at school. The skulls
make a Halloween table even more delicious and festive. The wrapped
chocolates are perfect for handing out to guests or for those special
neighbours that come knocking at the door. I might take all the candy that Q collects and trade him for the chocolate witch – natural, handmade goodies just seem like a way better option than all the candy he will likely collect.
You have a few days to make a run for it and pick these up by Halloween. You can also enter to win! Cococo Chocolatiers is offering a gift basket valued at around $100 for those in Calgary. The gift basket
includes all the Halloween chocolates mentioned above, including some
chocolate covered pretzels and a solid chocolate owl. Contest closes on November 1st so you won’t get them in time for Halloween but trust me, you will enjoy every bite!
Just leave a comment about how you celebrate Halloween. You can even unlock more entries via Facebook and Twitter. Good luck!
calgary rocky mountain wine and food festival *giveaway*
It’s October and time for one our favorites – the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival. The Festival presents Calgarians an exclusive opportunity to sip, sample and savour with friends, family and co-workers.
The Calgary Rocky
Mountain Wine & Food Festival, sponsored by Sobeys Liquor and
Safeway Wine & Spirits, is back for a weekend of indulgence,
offering a unique opportunity to explore new products and flavours. The
Grand Tasting Hall will overflow with more exhibitors than ever before!
Attendees can expect 140 wineries, featuring a distinguished collection
of wines from 16 different countries, more
than 150 brands of premium spirits, single malt and blended scotches,
port, liqueurs and craft beers. Taste what’s new and hot in the adult
beverage scene with approximately 100 new-to-Alberta wines, beers and
spirits! Bursting with flavour, nearly 50 local
restaurants and food purveyors will cook up a variety of gourmet
culinary creations. For an enriched tasting experience, knowledgeable
industry experts will be on hand to educate and entice.
The event takes place a the BMO Centre, Halls D & E on Friday, October 16, 5 – 10 p.m, Saturday, October 17, 12 – 4 p.m. and Saturday, October 17, 6 – 10 p.m. Tickets are available online at
www.rockymountainwine.com. Sampling coupons are required for sampling and are available for purchase onsite.
Want to win tickets to the event? I have a pair of tickets to the Saturday, October 17, 2015 afternoon session which runs from 12 to 4pm. See the many ways to enter down below. The ticket includes free entry into the festival but winners will have to purchase tasting coupons. Please note that you must be 18 or over to be eligible.
calgary home + design show – giveaway!
One of my favourite trade shows that comes to Calgary is the Home + Design Show. Although we moved in a couple months ago into our new home, we’re still looking to get things just right. The show always provides lots of inspiration and great ideas which I’m looking forward to!
The show will be held from Thursday, September 17th to Sunday, September 20th at the BMO Centre. You can buy tickets online and save $3 courtesy of RenovationFind at www.calgaryhomeshow.com.
With big names like Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, stars of HGTV’s House of Bryan: In the Sticks, design duo Janette Ewen and Jef Hancock, founders of Parker Barrow, local design favourite Alykhan Velji, lifestyle expert Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault and the winner of Western Canada’s Next Home Stylist, plus
more than 350 exhibitors and a slew of sensational new features,
there’s expert insight, innovation and inspiration for stylish living at
every turn.
I’m excited to be a judge for the Samsung Junior Chef Challenge! On Saturday, September 19th, two local teens (ages 12-17) will be selected to couple up with Calgary chefs Michael Dekker of SAIT and Eric Mah of CRAFT Beer Market in a $5,000 winner-takes-all showdown on the Trail Appliances Cooking Stage.
Want to go to the show? You can win a Fall-Ready Prize Pack valued at over $100, which includes the following:
2 x Fiasco Gelato Cards
1 x Real Deals Candle
1 x Thank You Card from Curate by Alykhan Velji
4 x Tickets to the Calgary Home + Design Show
There are several ways to win (see below). Contest closes on September 15th. Good luck!
calgary food tours – craving kensington
I was thrilled to finally take part in a food tour a couple months ago. It was so amazing, I’ve been raving about it since. My friend Karen Anderson, the nicest person you will ever meet, started Calgary Food Tours in 2006. The tours take place through different neighbourhoods around the city (as well as some markets) while the tour guides share their passion for food along with some history.
The tour that I took was Craving Kensington which included two blocks of deliciousness in the neighbourhood of Kensington. The tour started at the beautiful Kensington Riverside Inn. Our tour guide Jenny filled us in on some interesting history of both Calgary and Kensington. Having been born and raised in Calgary, I was a little embarrassed that I didn’t know a lot of the information that I learned that day.
Next stop was lunch at Pulcinella. This gorgeous 2-story restaurant is family run and serves delicious Neopolitan pizza cooked in a wood burning oven from Naples. We started with crispy calamari and a tomato salad with creamy burrata. This was then followed by a couple of thin crust pizzas. A lot of food for four people!
Following our Italian lunch, we went to The Naked Leaf and had a little tutorial and tasting. The store boasts many organic teas as well as an amazing patio to enjoy the drinks on.
Wine lovers rejoice – there’s a stop at the Kensington Wine Market! The staff here are happy to share their knowledge and a glass or two of their favourites.
We moved along next to the Peasant Cheese Shop and tried out a few of their many cheeses. While there, you can also pick up some accompaniments like crackers, preserves and charcuterie.
It’s a good thing we were doing a little bit of walking because our next stop was more food. We stopped at Brasserie Kensington for some of their poutine. The fries were perfect topped with cheese curds and duck gravy. Definitely going back again for that!
We ended the tour on a sweet note – at Crave. We were able to tour their newly renovated store and we learned how to do their trademark swirl. We were able to practice hands on so that was fun. Of course, sampling was involved.
If you ever get a chance, definitely try out one of the tours offered by Calgary Food Tours. It was a fun afternoon and I left with a full stomach and so much knowledge!
#MenchiesMyWay – win a summer vip pass!
There’s nothing better than a cool treat on a hot day. That’s why Menchie’s is always a favourite this summer.
Menchie’s is the largest growing frozen yogurt franchise in Canada. Menchie’s just launched the new Oreo cookie flavour, one of over 150 flavours available at the froyo joint. The best part of Menchie’s is it lets your creativity shine.
You start at the yogurt bar where you can mix up your favourite frozen yogurt and sorbet. Next you head on over to the snack bar where you can add toppings like nuts and candies. Next stop is the toppings bar where you can add fruit, cookie dough or bobas. Last stop are the sauces – from Nutella to peanut butter sauce, there’s a topping for everyone.
Menchie’s is giving away a Summer VIP Pass giving you 7 complimentary visits to any Menchie’s location across Canada. Winning is easy!
1. Get creative and take a picture of your Menchie’s creation
2. Follow @Mechies_CA and @fareenjj on Twitter or Instagram
3. Name your creation and share it on Twitter or Instagram – be sure to hashtag #MenchiesMyWay as well as tag both @Menchies_CA and @fareen.
I’ll pick a winner on August 18th.
I went to Menchie’s on 17th Avenue in Calgary a couple weeks ago and came up with this creation – The Nutty Chocolate Bomb made with Oreo and Nutella froyo, topped with Nutella, almonds, peanuts and Nanaimo bars!
What’s your creation?