Alistair Barnes, corporate chef for Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, told us game accounted for half the entrees ordered at three Banff area lodges the company owns.
The lunch menu at Velvet, one of their four Calgary restaurants, included an elk Rueben sandwich, a "gameburger" and bison sirloin on a baguette. The firm has a farm where up to 600 animals roam at a time.
Veterinarian Dr. Terry Church, who showed us around, said the meat is hormone and supplement-free.
The farm is on more than 200 hectares of rolling country on Calgary's outskirts. There's a small shop open through early October, and products can also be ordered on line at crmr.com/ranch/index.php.
Smoked game from the ranch, along with fish, was on the "charcuterie board'' we shared as an appetizer at The Ranche, a gracious restaurant in a century-old former ranch house in Calgary's Fish Creek Provincial Park. For a main course, try the beef tenderloin.
Lunch at River Cafe, in flower-filled Prince's Island Park on the Bow River, right downtown, was a treat. Chef Scott Pohorelic told us dealing directly with 15 local farmers has led them to think of each ingredient as "something special."
Four of us shared several appetizers and main courses, including red lentil hummus, beet salad with goat cheese, a tarragon tomato tart, morel mushroom perogies, and a superb piece of pacific halibut.
We skipped dessert because next stop was the headquarters of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut. Callebaut, who lives just outside Calgary, has 28 stores in Canada. Only two are in the East (London and Oakville) but orders can be made through bernardcallebaut.com. You can watch the chocolate-making process from a viewing corridor.
Our last Calgary dinner was impressive, this time at Chef's Table in our hotel, Kensington Riverside Inn. Besides an a la carte menu, there's a tasting one that runs $110 per person ($60 more for wine pairings). Roasted Alaskan sablefish (also called black cod) was my favourite.
This 19-room boutique hotel is an AAA Four Diamond property with a friendly, attentive staff. Rates include breakfast and parking. Visit kensingtonriversideinn.com.
Money-saver: The Orlando/Orange County Visitors Bureau is making a deal available every week as part of its Bundle of Free Smiles campaign. Visit the Deal of the Week section at visitorlando.com/smile for details.
