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Canmore Uncorked is a bit like Christmas. There’s 12 days of fabulous festivities. Only instead of all those maids a milking and lords a leaping, there’s set price menus, free tasting experiences, a whiskey, wine and beer festival, progressive dinners, cooking classes, and of course, our own Canmore Food Tours’ behind the scenes food tours (more about those soon).   My name is Callandra Caufield and I’m the operations manager at Alberta Food Tours, Inc. I was raised in Canmore and I love this town. Canmore Uncorked started in 2014 and I’ve had the pleasure of participating since inception. Though it’s tempting, I can tell you first hand, it’s impossible to experience everything this festival has to offer. Because most of us have limited time (and waist bands) for the festival, I’m going to share my “must eat” list of Canmore Uncorked…

There are some cities you just don’t want to miss. Chicago is one of them. From Thursday, October 12 to Monday October 16, 2017, Alberta Food Tours and our guide Liane Faulder travelled to Chicago with a small group of devoted food adventurers to experience one of the great eating – and entertainment – centers in the United States. Liane has had a distinguished career with The Edmonton Journal and had led 10 previous culinary excursions across Canada, the United States and Europe. Chicago had been on her bucket list for a long time and Alberta Food Tours, Inc. president Karen Anderson designed this itinerary after three research trips in 2015 and 2016. With some 2.7 million residents, Chicago is big enough to be home to a large number of innovative chefs experimenting with new food trends while continuing to nurture…

Calgary is a sprawling city of just over 825 square kilometres . The downtown is filled with skyscrapers but just a short walk or bike ride across The Peace Bridge lies a compact liveable, walkable area known as Kensington. The fact that Calgary has a string of neighbourhoods like this circling it like pearls on a necklace surprises many. This is where locals hang out and this is why we like to share areas like this with visitors to the city. As our friend Kenny Dunn at Eating Europe says, It’s nice to take a break from being a tourist. Calgary Food Tours has offered food tours in Kensington for a few years now. We love our long-standing partners and in an effort to help more people attend the previously only daytime offering, we recently moved the hours of operation to Thursday evenings,…

The Old Strathcona Farmers Market sells food and crafts, absolutely. But visitors to this hopping space in the heart of Edmonton’s south side are guaranteed to leave the site inspired by not only the quality of the offerings but the stories of the folks who toil at the booths. Vendors like Graham Sparrow, who has put years of sweat equity into his organic farm – Sparrow’s Nest – and brings both passion and fresh flavour to the fruits and vegetables he hauls into town weekly. And Laurel Ferster and Zinovia Hardy of Calico Baking Co. – who have perfected a range of artisanal breads, scones, croissants and tarts that sell out most Saturdays at the market.  “People don’t have to go to France for world-class bread,” says Ferster with confidence. “They can go and see the two gals at the market.” So…

Canada was rated the number one place in the world to visit in 2017 but what does that really mean in terms of how many visitors will actually show up each year? Destination Canada, our country’s tourism marketing board, has shown that on the path to purchase: 80 per cent of the world has Canada on their dream list 39 per cent are seriously considering coming 11 per cent are starting to gather information 7 per cent have a detailed itinerary 2 percent are finalizing the arrangements and 1 per cent have booked a trip to Alberta. As a small business owner in the tourism sector, I ask myself what can our company do to increase the likelihood that more visitors will not only choose Canada but make Alberta their first choice. After more than a decade in business, I’ve…

By Liane Faulder, Edmonton Food Tours guide and writer for The Edmonton Journal The definition of a romantic meal varies widely. Some couples can feel dreamily alone in a noisy and crowded space like El Cortez Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar (8230 Gateway Blvd.) and others like a padded banquette in a dark corner at the Red Ox Inn (9420 91 St). One duo might find a grilled cheese eaten while perched on a stool in a trendy sandwich joint like Farrow (8422 109 St.) to be gooey and gorgeous. Another needs champagne in the Confederation Lounge at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald (10065 100 St). If you’re of the cheap and cheerful persuasion, look no further than the aptly named Café Amore (10807 106 Ave.) The tables for two are tiny, and it’s easy to have an intimate conversation, especially…

February is the month we all think of romantic dinners but why squish all that love into one day or one month each year? Whether it is love for yourself, your family or a certain someone, it really is better to share love any and everyday of the year. Nourish a love affair with yourself,…

We are thrilled to be part of an incredible web series called On The Road Canada with Ryan Pyle and Lu Fei. Ryan Pyle is famous for his Tough Rides and Extreme Treks brands and in this gruelling adventure he and his sidekick Lu road motorcycles across Canada from Newfoundland to Tofino on Vancouver Island. They even ventured North to the Arctic. We were able to share a little more cushy adventure when they stopped off in Canmore to enjoy some of Alberta’s finest food on our Canmore Tasting Trail food tour. Our partners El Gaucho and PD3 byBlake are featured in the video. The whole town looks spectacular and after our tour, they also quenched their thirst at The Grizzly Paw Brewing Company. Check out the fun video above. If you are lucky enough to live here, it will make you…

Story by Liane Faulder – Far from hunkering down to wait out winter, Edmontonians are famous for getting out and discovering ways to brighten and warm the long, dark season. Here’s a list that celebrates keeping active this winter for visitors and locals alike:   Patio fare Dining au plein isn’t restricted to the summer in…

When the temperatures plummet in Calgary that means one thing and one things only – it’s time to embrace the season. Winter is loaded with fun things to do in Calgary and here are few of our favourites. Skating – Every community in Calgary has a volunteer committee to create and maintain an outdoor skating…

From Arctic to Atlantic to Pacific and every place in between, Canada, the world’s second largest country, celebrated its 150th birthday in 2017. Lonely Planet thought that was a good reason to name Canada the number one place to travel to next that year. The tipping point for that decision was the fact that access to all of our national parks were absolutely free for the whole sesquicentennial year. We have a lot of national parks – 44 of them to be precise. Our 150th birthday may be over but our great country and province are still here. Alberta is blessed with some of the country’s most magnificent national parks. (We think they might actually be the best in the world.) Waterton stands guard at our Southern border. Banff and Jasper cover vast territory in the West and Wood Buffalo looms in the…

  Calgary Food Tours was been named a finalist for Best Culinary Experience at the 2016 Canadian Tourism Awards. “The awards are presented annually by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada to recognize success, leadership and innovation in Canada’s tourism industry, and to reward those people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and…