The full article first appeared in Travel Awaits on Dec. 7, 2021.
I previously
wrote about dining experiences to celebrate significant occasions around Arizona.
I considered them unique because they were not only fine dining but had a special
ambiance. We visit my children a lot so we have also collected such experiences
in Calgary, Alberta where my second daughter lives. Later I will also share those
I found in San Francisco and Melbourne where two other daughters make a home.
River Café on Prince
Island in the Middle of Bow River, Calgary
Calgary
reopened right before our 13th anniversary and we hurried to go because we had
missed our family there for two years. Luckily, we found River
Cafe in the middle
of Prince Island on the Bow River next to downtown Calgary. You could not drive
there; the only way to reach it was to walk. Fortunately, we started from the
southern Bow River Pathway at the end of the beautiful Peace Bridge. And that takes you all the way to a
park concession building in the middle of the lovely Prince Island Park.
It was an amazing
setting and the menu was upscale, composed of dishes made from fine locally
sourced vegetables, meats, and seafood. My husband had fire-grilled Springbank bison
striploin cooked medium rare accompanied by grilled Sudo Farms baby cabbage, wilted
Ark Farms Swiss chard, and juicy Saskatoon berry jus gras. I chose the Haida
Gwaii halibut with flavorful Canadian dashi, spongy shiitake mushrooms, and
Sudo Farms wilted bok choy oozing with scallion oil. And the sweetened old-fashioned
rice pudding was a great finish.
Afternoon Tea at the Prince
of Wales, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
During our
lone weekend, we also camped at Waterton Lakes National Park, two and a half hours from the city.
Its upper Waterton Lake lies partly in the US and that is why it is partnered
with Glacier National Park as an International Peace Park. And we made sure we
experienced the Afternoon Tea at the colorful Prince of Wales Hotel perched atop a bluff in the middle
of the park.
It could have
been just the same as other ones we had tried like “the most expensive” at the Ritz-Carlton in London and “the best in the world” at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. But what made this one different is
that there were special treats for the little ones. Of course, they do not care
for fruit scones with clotted cream or delicate finger sandwiches of salmon or
crispy cucumber. They were given small plates of fine little chicken nuggets, small
brownie bites, and craft flowers fashioned with sweets.
Devonian Gardens Inside
the CORE Shopping Center, Downtown Calgary
When we got
back to the city, my daughter took me to the CORE Shopping Center on 7 Ave SW in downtown Calgary. Imagine my delight when I discovered
The Devonian Gardens inside! It’s a one-hectare botanical
garden and urban oasis on the fourth floor, with at least 500 trees, 50 plant
varieties, a living wall, several fountains, a few fish ponds, and a playground
for kids.
And the Food
Court is wisely situated right next to it. So we all ordered Pad Thai for under
CA$7 (US$5) at her favorite Thai kiosk and happily brought along our little noodle
baskets and chopsticks to an empty nook at the center of all the busy-ness. We had
an inexpensive delectable lunch amid the Garden’s greens.
Sky 360 at the Calgary
Tower, Downtown Calgary
Also in
downtown Calgary, no one will miss the iconic city landmark called the Calgary
Tower. As a rule, we thought such places emphasize location and view, but do
not necessarily have great food. However, my daughter gifted us with a dinner
for two at the Tower’s Sky 360 for another anniversary. We were happily surprised to find that our hypothesis
was not correct. The food upheld the Alberta tradition of great beef, grilled
to the exact doneness, with just a little pink for me.
And the sweeping
360-degree views of the city contributed to making our anniversary special. After
this positive experience, we also tried The Loupe Lounge in Seattle’s Space Needle and The Top of the World Restaurant at the STRAT Hotel in Las Vegas. I
also learned not to leave my drink on the ledge because I did not want to wait
for the floor to turn 360 degrees before I could take the next sip!
Lakeview Lounge,
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (headline photo)
A few years
ago, my husband drove me to Lake Louise, that postcard-pretty place about 30 minutes from Banff and
two hours from my daughter’s home. I had been there twice before, once in late
spring so the glacier was still in its full glory and at another time during
summer when it was not so impressive. This time he led me to the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise where he had reserved a table at the
Lakeview Lounge. I thought that the place was way too
expensive for us. But, as we sat in front of a huge picture window looking out to
the perfect “Lake Louise” scene for a Mother’s Day lunch, the basic burger I
ordered tasted like the premium steak for the Queen!
Rundle Lounge, Fairmont
Banff Springs Hotel
After lunch,
we checked in at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel where my children had gifted me a
suite. The hotel is a large, castle-like building built in 1888 during the time
of railway tourism. For dinner, my husband had reservations at the elegant Rundle Lounge. We again had the famed Alberta beef
as we shared the Prairie Heritage house dry-aged New York striploin accompanied
by succulent Canadian lobster tails in garlic butter. And the views were again spectacular
from the wide balcony off our table. The hotel is set off on its own in a
wooded area so we looked out to the Bow River tumbling over a magical
cliff-like rise.
