[troutman]

Calgary: Prairie city more urbane than cowboy

http://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/ar...y-11256368.php

I find an increasingly sophisticated, outdoorsy, friendly and laid-back prairie metropolis. To my surprise — having visited Calgary many times — I am hopscotching from one cool restaurant to another, sampling a spectrum of creative dishes from locally sourced contemporary Canadian cuisine to killer tacos, Alberta/Asian fusion and fine vegetarian fare — major inroads into Cowtown’s trademark steak and ribs menus.


I sip microbrews in swank and funky bars, prowl museums, and bike amid fit cyclists and joggers on riverside paths as rafters float by and surfers — yes, surfers — ride a cluster of waves against a backdrop of skyscrapers. “Yup,” says my waitress plunking down a cocktail made with local Eau Claire’s Prickly Pear liquor that contains a cactus essence, “this is Calgary 355 days of the year.

“When the Stampede is not happening.”