our Calgary rotation

There’s something comforting about returning to a horse show you know well and have been coming to for years. Especially for a show with a set “circuit,” it becomes easier to settle into a rhythm and find routine on the road. Calgary is one of those destinations for us and part of the reason we love showing at Spruce Meadows.

Where to stay:

In all our years coming to Spruce Meadows, the selection of accommodations has not changed much. Usually we’ll stay at the Wingate by Wyndham Calgary South or the Courtyard by Marriott Calgary South, which are both easy choices, 8-12 minutes from the horse show. The Residence Inn by Marriott or local Airbnbs are also common options for horse show folk. For the most luxurious choice, Azuridge Estate Hotel is set in the mountains and has suites, dining, and spa experiences that feel like a real vacation destination. (It’s about 20 minutes from the Spruce Meadows, but a bit farther from downtown Calgary than most accommodations.)

During a Spruce Meadows summer, it’s very common that we’re at the show until (or through) dinner time and Cattle Baron has become a reliable staple on those days. Bonus points because they let us put playoff-basketball on their bar TVs.

Steady favorites:

• Ten Foot Henry - farm to table, we really love it here, but it’s hard enough to get a res, so book early

• Major Tom - downtown, overlooking the whole city, verrry good food and nice for a group

• Native Tongues - very casual Mexican

• Caesar’s Steakhouse - classic white-tablecloth steakhouse, a dependable res

• Broken Plate - casual Greek spot, tzatziki, saganaki, blah blah

• Model Milk - locally sourced menu, easy group spot

• Pigeonhole - small plates, sister restaurant to Model Milk, their charred cabbage is insane (+ covered in cheese)

• Lulu Bar - something-for-everybody type of menu, with Asian influences

Newer (to us) but notable additions to our dining rotation:

• Ryuko - our favorite sushi option in the area, casual and easy to get into, there’s a location closer to the show/hotels that’s also on UberEats (important)

• Cassis Bistro - consistently great French food

• Calcutta Cricket Club - Indian (same restaurant group as Native Tongues)

• UNA pizza - our go to for an order-in night

• Shokunin - upscale Japanese

• Scozzafava’s Deli - for an amazing sandwich (the eggplant caesar was insane)

  • Bonjour Sandwich Shop deserves a shout too

• Bill’s Peking House - super casual and yummy Chinese, close by the show/hotels

Honorable mention to Teatro for its locally sourced Italian set in a bank-vault-turned-wine-cellar.

As far as the horse show goes

The new Foxtrot Cafe is your best bet for a coffee, pastry (shoutout egg sandwich on a croissant) or quick lunch in between classes. Their associated Foxtrot restaurant overlooking the International Ring is where you can have a sit down meal. In reality, it’s hard to find many healthy food options on the grounds, so we’ll often pick up from Freshii (smoothies, salads, DIY bowls).

With some time off, you’ll find us:

• Driving to Banff for a change of scenery. The views are worth the drive.

  • There are also some good nature trails nearby in Fish Creek Provincial Park.

• Exploring the Chinook mall. We always find good things in the Aritzia here, stop at A-OK Cafe for a matcha, and likely hit Sephora and Candy Heaven. A new find this year is “Kiokii and…” for Asian skincare products and cosmetics.

• Shopping at Holt Renfrew or VSP Consignment (both Toronto favorites too)

• Getting a manicure at AmanaiL Boutique or Organic Nail Lounge

Based on zero personal experience, there are also good golf courses in the area and people like the Launchpad golf range (which is like TopGolf / DriveShack).

We can’t cover Calgary without mentioning the Stampede. The annual Calgary Stampede is essentially a week-long takeover of the city…the world’s largest outdoor rodeo, a music festival, a carnival, food and shopping markets, cultural celebrations, etc. etc.

For other ways to pass time outside of the horse show

• we like Breathe Hot Yoga (good massages too)

• It’s so fun to try different snacks when traveling, hit up Safeway for some Canadian favorites like Coffee Crisp, Bits&Bites (aka Canadian chex mix), Maynards fuzzy peaches and wine gums, and Smarties (not the U.S. kind)

• if you have an Airbnb or like to stock up on goodies for the barn setup, we love exploring local markets and health food stores

  • Amaranth Foods, Sunterra Market, and Community Natural Foods are all reliable picks (whole foods vibe, healthy snack brands, etc.)

  • Lina’s Italian Market was a new find this year, low key resembles a Citarella

We always end up revisiting old favorites and settling into familiar routines in places like Calgary. That means we’re bound to miss some new spots. Share what you know!

Adrienne, Alex, and Lucy