The 2020 YYC Food and Drink Experience has a star-studded lineup of Calgary’s favourite and best-loved restaurants.  When I glance down the “who’s-who” list of restaurants I see names of places whose thresholds I can only wish to cross, let alone dine at.

To me, the 2020 YYC Food & Drink Experience is nothing short of a banqueting bonanza.

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The Restaurants

Commencing on February 28^th through to March 15^th, a lineup of 68 of Calgary’s favourite, top-rated restaurants will host 17 days of exquisite gastronomic repasts.  Serving up prix fixe (fixed price) menu offerings that include scrumptious lunches ($20 and $30), three-course dinners ($30 and $40), and gourmet five-course masterpieces ($65), these memorable meals will be offered at very attractive price points, accessible to most of the discerning public.

So, plan, prepare and budget to dine out. A lot.

Reservations at the participating restaurants can be made here.

The table below lists the participating restaurants, all of which are worthwhile to have on your radar for significant occasions or hot date destinations. Restaurants located outside of the downtown area are donated by the quadrant of the city in which they’re located, in case you want to find one closer to home as a starting point.

ALFORNO BAKERY & CAFE	ALLORA EVERYDAY ITALIAN (SW)
ALLOY (SE)	AÑEJO RESTAURANT
BONTERRA TRATTORIA	BOOKERS BBQ & CRAB SHACK
BOW VALLEY RANCHE (SE)	BRASSERIE KENSINGTON (NW)
BREAD & CIRCUS TRATTORIA	BRIDGETTE BAR
BUCHANAN’S CHOP HOUSE & WHISKY BAR	BUFFO RISTORANTE (SW)
CALCUTTA CRICKET CLUB	CHAIRMAN’S STEAKHOUSE (SE)
CHARBAR	CHARCUT ROASTHOUSE
CHIX EGGSHOP	CIBO 17TH
CUCINA MARKET BISTRO	DEANE HOUSE (SE)
DONNA MAC	DOUBLE ZERO (SW)
EMBARCADERO WINE & OYSTER BAR	ESCOBA BISTRO & WINE BAR
FLORES & PINE GRILLROOM AND GATHERINGS (NW)	FLOWER & WOLF
FOREIGN CONCEPT	HAWTHORN DINING ROOM & BAR
LULU BAR	MARKET
MÉLO EATERY	MIDTOWN KITCHEN & BAR
MILL STREET CALGARY BREWPUB	MISTER CHENS ASIAN BRASSERIE
MODEL MILK	MODERN OCEAN
MODERN STEAK KENSINGTON (NW)	MODERN STEAK STEPHEN AVENUE
MURRIETA’S BAR & GRILL	NATIONAL 17TH
NOTABLE (NW)	NUPO
OXBOW (NW)	PAMPA BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE
PIGEONHOLE	RAW BAR
RICARDO’S HIDEAWAY	ROCKY MOUNTAIN FLATBREAD CO. (SE)
ROUGE RESTAURANT INGLEWOOD (SE)	ROYALE
RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE	SALTLIK STEAKHOUSE
SELKIRK GRILLE (SW)	SHOE AND CANOE PUBLIC HOUSE
SHOKUNIN	TEATRO RISTORANTE
THE DANDY BREWING COMPANY (SE)	THE DERRICK GIN MILL & KITCHEN
THE GUILD RESTAURANT	THE LIVING ROOM
THE NASH & OFF CUT BAR	THE WEDNESDAY ROOM
TOWNSHIP 24 BAR AND GRILL	TWO PENNY
VINTAGE CHOPHOUSE AND TAVERN	WAALFLOWER KITCHEN & COCKTAILS (NE)
WINEBAR KENSINGTON (SW)	YELLOW DOOR BISTRO

To-date I’ve only ever dined at nine of these locations.  Clearly, I have a lot of visiting and eating to do in order to be an authority on any of them.  But if those that I’ve been to are anything to measure by, the 59 other restaurants will not disappoint.

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The Events

There will be 14 unique events running in tandem with the Food & Drink Experience, hosted by some of the previously listed restaurants.  Here, some of the chefs, sommeliers and celebrities may be making guest appearances.  These limited-availability tickets sell out fast, so be sure to secure yours soon. 

Below is a list of the events on offer in 2020.  Text in italics provides a Google Map link to the venue’s location.

• 28^th February: YYC EXP Cocktail Kickoff, Presented by Brightside @ Hotel Arts Poolside
• 1^st March: A West Coast Collaboration at Lulu Bar with Vancouver’s Anna Lena @ Lulu Bar
• 4^th March: Winemakers Dinner with Orofino Vineyards and RGE RD’s Blair Lebsack @ Rouge
• 5^th March: A Gluten-Free Pairing Dinner @ MARKET
• 6^th March: Sugar Shack: Cabane àu Sucre with Chef JC Poirier of Vancouver’s St. Lawrence @ Charbar
• 8^th March: International Women’s Day Dinner @ Donna Mac
• 9^th March: Pearl & Company: A Pacific Coast-Inspired Ocean Wise Dinner @ Bridgette Bar
• 10^th March: Get Crafty: Artisan Pizza Making & Craft Beer Dinner @ Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.
• 10^th March: For the Love of Lobster @ Flores & Pine
• 11^th March: DaiLo meets Shokunin: BINCHOTAN DINNER # 1 @ Shokunin
• 12^th March: Hillside Wine Dinner @ The Guild
• 12^th March: Winemaker’s Dinner with Martin’s Lane Winery @ Deane House
• 14^th March: Canadian Cultural Mosaic Dinner with Chefs Alex Chen & Darren MacLean @ NUPO
• 15^th March: YYC EXP Thriller Finale Dinner @ Foreign Concept

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Meet the Maestros Who Make the Event

YYC Event Chefs

This lineup of food gurus are shaping Calgary’s culinary landscape and placing our city firmly on the Canadian food scene.

• Cam Dobranski – BRASSERIE KENSINGTON
• Chris Barton – DEANE HOUSE
• Connie DeSousa – CHARBAR | CHARCUT | CHIX EGG SHOP
• Darren MacLean – SHOKUNIN | NUPO
• Duncan Ly – FOREIGN CONCEPT | MELO
• Erin Pickering – EMPIRE PROVISIONS
• Evan Robertson – MARKET
• Jessica Pelland – CHARBAR
• John Jackson – CHARBAR | CHARCUT | CHIX EGG SHOP
• JP Pedhirney – CONCORDE GROUP
• Joseph Solokoff – BRIDGETTE BAR
• Katelin Bland – BRIDGETTE BAR
• Laetitia Chrapchynski – NORTH FEASTS
• Liana Robberecht WINSPORT CANADA
• Matthew Batey – TEATRO RISTORANTE
• Matthias Fong – CALGARY
• Paul Rogalski – ROUGE RESTAURANT
• Peter Paiva – RAW BAR
• Rebecca MacLeod – PIGEONHOLE
• Rory McGouran – FLORES & PINE GRILLROOM AND GATHERINGS
• Shawn Jackson – THE GUILD

Guest Chefs

These highly respected personalities are influencing culinary palates across Canada

• Ned Bell – THE VANCOUVER CLUB, VANCOUVER
• Michael Robbins – ANNALENA, VANCOUVER
• Blair Lebsack – RGE RD, EDMONTON
• JC Poirier – ST LAWRENCE, VANCOUVER
• Nick Liu – DAILO, TORONTO
• Alex Chen – BOULEVARD, VANCOUVER

Special Guests and Winemakers

• Mijune Pak – INTERNATIONAL FOOD PERSONALITY, VANCOUVER
• Shane Munn – WINEMAKER, MARTIN’S LANE WINERY
• John Gilchrist – EMCEE
• Brad Royale – SOMM YYC EXP WINE DIRECTOR
• John & Virginia Weber – WINEMAKERS, OROFINO WINES
• Kathy Malone – WINEMAKER, HILLSIDE WINERY

To work your way through the entire list of 68 restaurants you will need to hit up four locations a day for every day of the event. Good luck!

Let the feasting commence!

Featured image courtesy of Bonterra Trattoria.