Calgary’s culinary scene is constantly in flux. From new restaurants opening and others closing, to new menus and concepts, there’s a lot to keep track of. We’ve got you covered with a weekly recap of what’s new and notable in Calgary’s food scene.
Participating Concorde restaurants are offering summer deals for the rest of August
For Concorde’s Endless Summer event, the restaurant group is offering deals on food and drinks from August 11 to 31. Head to its participating restaurants for deals like $6 ahi tuna crudo and $8 spritzes and highballs at Barbarella Bar, $8 coconut coolers and $5 hot dog baos at Lulu Bar, and $8 martinis and Tom Collins and $15 Hokkaido scallop crudo at Major Tom. Check out the full list of deals on Concorde’s website.
Eighty-Eight Brewing Co. is celebrating its seventh birthday
Eighty-Eight is one of Calgary’s most iconic craft breweries, and on August 23, it’s celebrating its seventh birthday. Mark the occasion by heading to Eighty-Eight for a party in the parking lot from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Share a few pints, grab a pizza from Portland Street Pizza and listen to DJs pumping tunes all day long.
More recent food news
Zero Issue Brewing closes its doors
For eight years, Zero Issue Brewing has been delighting Calgarians as one of the most unique breweries in the city, offering a wide lineup of beers like the Nemesis IPA and Innsmouth Cherry Tangerine Sour. Zero Issue recently shared on social media that it has closed its doors for good, paying homage to its past and present brews through some very clever wordplay. This is a big loss that will surely be felt in Calgary’s beer scene.
The Cultural Chef Exchange brings chef Garam Park to Calgary
The Cultural Chef Exchange dining series is the brainchild of chef Darren MacLean (of Shokunin, Eight and Nupo) in partnership with Food Tourism Strategies. The dining series is back again, bringing one of Seoul’s rising culinary stars, Garam Park from Dresden Green, to Calgary for the collaborative dining series. On August 15 at Shokunin and August 16 at Eight, MacLean and Park will be hosting special dinners that fuse Park’s delicate Korean dishes with MacLean’s Canadian-focused Japanese cuisine.
SAIT celebrates 75 years of hospitality and tourism
SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism is a big part of what makes Calgary’s culinary landscape what it is — the program feeds many of the city’s restaurants with the chefs and food service professionals that will be the industry’s future leaders. The School of Hospitality and Tourism is celebrating its 75th anniversary, and has some big plans in the works. The Highwood Kitchen & Bar, the student-run restaurant, has been under construction for a while, and construction is nearly finished, giving the students a renewed space to practice their skills. Plans have also begun for a Banff Hospitality & Tourism campus.
Alberta on the Plate returns
Alberta on the Plate is one of Alberta’s biggest dining festivals, with participating restaurants offering a multi-course, set menu dining experience or special menu items, all highlighting Alberta’s bountiful ingredients. The festival returns from August 8 to 17, with 39 Calgary area restaurants participating this year including River Café, Bar Chouette and more.
Dave’s Hot Chicken lands in Calgary with two new locations
L.A. born Dave’s Hot Chicken is a popular spot for Nashville hot chicken across the U.S., and the chain recently made its Calgary debut with two new locations opening here within the last month. The chain opened its first location in East Hills on July 3 and a second Beacon Hill location opened on August 8. Dave’s serves up chicken sandwiches and tenders available in seven heat levels (be forewarned that anything past mild is very hot), as well as sides like fries, mac and cheese and coleslaw. Dave’s is also planning to open another location in Willow Park in 2025.
215 409 E. Hills Blvd., 825-540-9377; 11588 Sarcee Trail N.W., daveshotchicken.com