RAW BAR AND HOTEL ARTS  

 
Poolside Yoga

With September's arrival, Poolside Yoga on Wednesday nights has officially wrapped up until next summer.  Hotel Arts was thrilled to partner with The Hot Yoga Lounge, lululemon and HedKandi Salon in hosting "Yoga in the City" mid-week on our poolside patio.  Yoga classes were taught by some fantastic instructors  from The Hot Yoga Lounge who led us through some great movements and innovative poses.  Attendees enjoyed discounts from Raw Bar following the classes as well as welcome surprises from HedKandi and lululemon.  We hope to renew this partnership again next summer for mid-week yoga as well as explore possible weekend morning options.

In the interim, guests of Hotel Arts can enjoy discounts on classes at The Hot Yoga Lounge at their location attached to the hotel.  Check out their range of classes and book online at: www.thehotyogalounge.com/the-schedule. 

Our friends at The Hot Yoga Lounge and lululemon also invite everyone to join in on Salutation Nation, Saturday, September 10th. The event will be held at SAIT's main field starting at 9:00am.  This complimentary event is part of an international day of yoga with 100 concurrent events taking place across North America.  For more information, visit

www.salutationnation.com. Namaste.   

DINE & CIRQUE 

Raw Bar at Hotel Arts is an ideal location for a quick and memorable meal before a trip to the Theatre, Flames Game, concert and....Cirque du Soleil's OVO.  As one of the closest restaurants to the Grand Chapiteau on the Stampede Grounds, make a reservation at Raw Bar before venturing over to see this amazing spectacle of acrobatic bugs.  Check out our menus (www.hotelarts.ca/raw-bar-menus) before heading over to whet your appetite and then enjoy an outstanding performance with Cirque du Soleil. 

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/ovo/tickets/calgary.aspx.  Hotel Arts also features a two-night stay package with 20% off OVO tickets and a $75 Gift Certificate for CORE Shopping that can be purchased online at   http://reservations.visitcalgary.com/English/Pkg_Select_Package.asp?Pkg_Code=CIRQU2.

YELP EATS PROMOTION: RAW BAR

Yelp! Calgary has invited the city's top restaurants to support their Yelp Eats initiative over the dates Sept 19-25, encouraging "Yelpers" to dine at participating restaurants (Raw Bar, District, Mango Shiva, Rush, Brava Bistro, JAROBlue, Ming).  Raw Bar at Hotel Arts will donate $10 to the 10,000 Kids Project & Brown Bagging It for Calgary Kids on behalf of "Yelpers" who spend $30 or more during their evening dining experience featuring Chef Duncan Ly's amazing Miso Black Cod Donburi.

To learn more, visit: www.yelp.ca/events.calgary-yelp-eats-sept-19-25 or www.yelp.ca/biz/raw-bar-calgary.  Help support hunger relief for kids by making your dinner reservation at Raw Bar by calling 403.206.9565 or emailing Adrienne@hotelarts.ca.

How to become a Calgary Yelper? Visit www.yelp.ca/signup.  

MISO BLACK COD & BABY BOK CHOY RECIPE 

For the "Yelp Eats Promotion" we encourage you to come in and try out this amazing dish while also making a difference in our community. Once you've tried this dish, you might want to try a version of it at home.  Chef Ly shares another great recipe featuring Black Cod with Baby Bok Choy.

For the Miso Marinade:

• 4 5oz portions of Black Cod
• 250 ml of Miso Paste
• 125 ml of Sake
• 125 ml Mirin
• 60 ml of Sugar

In a medium size-mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the fish. Pour the marinade over the fish and allow it to marinate for 4-6 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit . Place the fish on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for approximately 7-8 minutes or until the fish is cooked.

For the Bok Choy:

• 500 grams of Baby Bok Choy (washed, drained and trimmed)
• 30 ml of Olive Oil
• 5 ml of Sesame Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

In a sauté pan on medium high heat, add the olive oil. Then add the bok choy and sauté until bright green and tender. Add sesame oil, salt, and pepper.

For the Plating

Arrange the bok choy onto the centre of 4 dinner plates. Place the Black Cod on top of the bok choy. (Optional) serve with Japanese sticky rice and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

CALGARY COCKTAIL COMPETITION 

Raw Bar's very own Bartenders, Colin Tait and Kai Green, will be competing in the Fifth Annual Calgary Cocktail Competition as representatives of the Raw Bar.  This year's event will be held at the Amsterdam Rhino on Wednesday, September 14th with bartenders from Charcut, Olives, Rhino Amsterdam, Raw Bar, Sky 360 and other cocktail meccas.  The event is hosted by PMA Distributors, Swerve Magazine, the Rhino and the newly formed Calgary Bartenders Association. More information can be found on their facebook site:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/calgarybartenders/. 

Photo from 2009 Calgary Cocktail Competition held poolside at Hotel Arts

Colin and Kai will have their entries in this year's competition featured at Raw Bar.  Drop by over the next few days to try out their cocktails poolside or at Raw Bar before they compete for the top prize. 

COCKTAIL RECIPE 

In August, Raw Bar's Colin Tait competed in the BC Blueberry Cocktail Contest and walked away with top prize. He shares his winning recipe, the Be Berry Noir, in this month's e-Newsletter.

Be Berry Noir

• 6-8        BC Blueberries
• 1.5oz    Absolut Berri Açai Vodka (although any other berry-based vodka will work)
• 3/4oz    Okanagan Blackcurrant Cassis
• 0.5oz    Sugar Syrup
• Juice of half a lime
• 1          Egg White
• 0.3oz    White Cacao

Muddle the berries, sugar syrup and cassis in a Boston glass. Add the egg white and dry shake (sans ice). Add the remaining ingredients and ice. Hard shake for 15 seconds and then double strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with two blueberries on a prism stick.

PLANNING YOUR COMPANY HOLIDAY PARTY? 

Hotel Arts is inviting all smaller companies to be a part of our big holiday party! 

If your company ranks are of a smaller nature and you can't seem to find the right venue with all the "fixings" to host this year's holiday party, join in the fun of the "Big Venue Small Companies Big Fun" holiday party at Hotel Arts on Wednesday, December 7th.  Contact Caroline Seymour for more details at cseymour@hotelarts.ca or 403.266.7678.

CHEF'S TABLE AND THE INN     

Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence, August 2011

Chef's Table at Kensington Riverside Inn received the "Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator Magazine.  The award is presented to restaurants with wine lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.  The Chef's Tasting Menu not only features amazing dishes but some eclectic and innovative pairings which showcase the passion and expertise of the teams led by Chef de Cuisine Craig Boje and Maitre D'Hotel Michael Lazarowich.  Whet your appetite with a visit to our website to see the menus (www.kensingtonriversideinn.com/the-menus) and then make a booking to witness first-hand why Wine Spectator selected Chef's Table for its Award of Excellence. 

Upcoming Events 

• Penfolds Wine Dinner

We are excited to announce that the Penfolds Wine Dinner, scheduled for September 12th, sold out in one day after we sent out the invite.  Chef de Cuisine Craig Boje will be preparing a sumptuous three-course dinner beautifully paired with selections from Penfolds annual release, including the Penfolds Yattarna Chardonnay alongside a trio of top Shiraz expressions - St. Henri, RWT and the 2006 Grange.

• Penfold's Re-Corking Clinic

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 9:00am - 5:00pm

The Penfolds Re-corking Clinics offer owners of Penfolds wines 15 years and older the rare opportunity to have their wines assessed by a winemaker, and if necessary, opened, tasted, topped up and re-capsuled on the spot.

Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and Senior Red Winemaker Steve Lienert will be on hand to walk through the process for each Penfolds collector.

As well as a wine "health check", the Penfolds Re-corking Clinic will allow Penfolds wine enthusiasts to receive a market appraisal of their wines by a representative from Christie's Auction House.

To learn more or to register for the clinic, check out www.calgaryrecorking.com.    

• Napa Valley Vintners Wine Dinner   

Save the date....Chef's Table will be hosting  another amazing Winemakers Dinner on November 3rd.  There will be 30 seats available and the invitations will be sent out shortly. This is one of those great dinners you don't want to miss.  To learn more about Napa Valley Vintners, visit their site at www.napavintners.com.

Deconstructed Crème Brulée

The September edition of Where Calgary magazine highlights the Deconstructed Crème Brulée from Chef's Table as one of the Top Tastes (iconic and unique) in the city to experience.  They describe the dish as "A cable of vanilla orange Grand Marnier is laced with shards of sugar and surrounded by almond butter, hibiscus and pink rose meringues, Tahitian vanilla and Egyptian chamomile raspberries, crushed hazelnuts, bee pollen and wildflowers".  Chef de Cuisine Craig Boje invites you to experience this amazing dessert at Chef's Table.  If you're unable to join us for dinner, come by for dessert and enjoy a delectable deconstruction.

Pick up copies of Where Calgary at Kensington Riverside Inn and Hotel Arts as well as on-line.  Check out the link to the article here.

BELLA'S BLO BLOG 

BLO on First Street

Decked in bright pink, live DJ on site, champagne and strawberry water, BLO's grand opening "hit it out of the park" bringing those fashionistas in for some hair grooming. Located down First Street SW, BLO is a blo dry bar that opened up in Calgary on Friday, August 26. BLO offers the ultimate hair styling experience with their in-house blo menu. The menu consists of seven trendy hair styles, with optional adjustments to the style if needed.

My time at BLO consisted of a welcoming arrival with champagne when I walked through the door. I was taken to the back for a wash and scalp massage that was to die for. During this time, I was able to check out the cool pink art work and feel the cool vibes from the live DJ. After my wash, two girls tag teamed to dry my hair with a round brush, a crucial tool for the Hollywood look I had chosen. Forty minutes later, I was done, hair refreshed and ready for a night on the town. BLO is the perfect way to get your hair dolled up without a cut.

Get your BLO today for only $35.00. For more information on offerings, visit www.blomedry.com. Stay tuned for "BLO on the Go" options at Hotel Arts...ideal for bridal packages and girl getaways.

As BLO puts it, "You're not cheating on your hair dresser...no cuts, no colour...just wash, blo, go".

CALL OUT TO ARTISTS 

Red Wine, Blue Cheese, Green Art - Silent Auction

Hotel Arts is pleased to be hosting Green Calgary for their upcoming Red Wine, Blue Cheese, Green Art Gala to be held on November 3, 2011.  In preparation for this event, Green Calgary is doing a "Call Out" to artists as they seek environmentally themed artwork to be auctioned off at the gala.  Green Calgary is seeking works that tell a story, raise awareness or cause viewers to stop, think and question behaviours and their impact on the world around us.  Selected works will be exhibited online prior to and following the fundraiser.  Interested artists and those wishing to attend the gala are asked to visit www.greenartyyc.org or contact Green Calgary at 403.230.1443 or via email at art@greencalgary.org.

Deadline for Artwork Submission: September 25, 2011   

Green Calgary provides a host of information, products and services to help create healthy homes and communities.  Check out their site (www.greencalgary.org) to learn more about what they do.  There is still some room to attend their workshop on "Green Renovations, Solar Technologies & Green Building" on September 20th. 

UPCOMING EVENTS AT HOTEL ARTS     

Church, MyStyle

Church, my Style is back at Hotel Arts with another unique Sunday 'service' on September 18, 2011. Starting at 10:00 am, Calgary women (and their favourite alter boys) will enjoy a heavenly brunch, fall fashion show and presentation by the original skinny bitch herself, Kim Barnouin.  

Tickets are $125 and available at http://skinnybitch.zoobis.com.  

For more information visit www.churchmystyle.com.     

 Harmony Park Developments

Harmony Park Developments is proud to be hosting the first ever Armonia Gala, to raise funds for the people of El Salvador. The funds raised from the Gala will go towards improving the lifestyle of the people in El Salvador, which includes building safe and secure homes as well as providing medical and food support. Harmony Park Development's mission is to provide the people of El Salvador with necessities to sustain a better quality of life.  

Help support this initiative by coming to the Reception Gala on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 held at Hotel Arts.  

For more information on Harmony Park Developments, please visit http://www.harmonypark.ca/.

Hearts & Hands Charity Benefit

Hearts and Hands Foundation will be hosting a Charity Benefit and 4-course dinner at Hotel Arts on Thursday, September 15th at 630pm. Tickets are $100 and can be obtained by emailing:   nconnor32@hotmail.com.

Hearts and Hands operates programs in Guatemala building schools, dental and medical clinics as well as different initiatives to help promote healthier and more sustainable living options, like the construction wood-burning fuel-efficient vented stoves in the villages that they support.  

To learn more about the fundraiser and the different programs that they support, please visit

www.heartshands.ca.   

MUSIC IN MOTION 

Hotel Arts is pleased to sponsor Music in Motion once again in 2011.  Music in Motion is a unique fundraising event, collaborating to create an outstanding bone and joint health care network for all Albertans to improve the care and rehabilitation that musculoskeletal patients receive. On September 20th, Music in Motion will host a fundraising concert at the Jack Singer Concert Hall with Nikki Yanovsky, Senator Tommy Banks, the CPO, Alberta Ballet.   

Visit www.musicinmotionalberta.com to purchase tickets and to learn more about how sponsorships, donations and funds raised at this event are providing Alberta's researchers and practitioners the resources they need to provide the best care and treatment in the world.  

CRYSTAL KID CD RELEASE PARTY 

We profiled Frank Torrealba, Guest Services Agent, in our June Music Edition and his budding career as a touring musician with Crystal Kid.  Hotel Arts is very excited to help co-sponsor their CD Release Party on September 17th at Wyckham House.  Tickets can be purchased  at www.primeboxoffice.com.  On the heels of their CD Release Party, Crystal Kid will be doing some shows in Los Angeles later in October.  Our team at Hotel Arts is very excited to see Frank and his band make the jump to recording artists and to see them performing at festivals and in influential music markets.  Check out the band, their videos, upcoming gigs, and more information on their website at www.crystal-kid.com. 

SLOW FOOD CALGARY'S FEAST OF FIELDS 

On Sunday, September 11th, Chef Duncan Ly will be participating in Slow Food Calgary's "Feast of Fields" in the garden at Rouge Restaurant (1240 - 8th Avenue SE). This is a great opportunity to meet local growers and producers as well as some of Calgary's top chefs that create dynamic dishes with our wonderful Alberta harvest.   

Learn more about the event and Slow Food Calgary at www.slowfoodcalgary.ca. Tickets are available from the Cookbook Company Cooks at 403.265.6066.   

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Hotel Arts Group is actively involved in the neighbourhood around us.  Every month, we are dedicated to giving back to the community that supports our businesses and helps to make Calgary such a great place to live, work and play.

Here are a few highlights of some of the groups we are trying to assist: 

• Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation: On August 15, 2011 we supported the 10th Annual Links & Legends Golf Tournament to support the CEPF, a non-profit foundation based around providing support for students in Calgary and the surrounding area. The core mission of the foundation is to enhance student learning opportunities by partnering with the business community and educators. For more information, visit http://cepfoundation.com/.    
• Calgary Run for Water is a 5-10km walk or run happening on Saturday, September 10, 2011. By supporting the run, you are helping villages in Ethiopia access to clean drinking water. For more information visit  http://calgary.runforwater.ca.    
• Southern Alberta Art Gallery: SAAG is dedicated to promoting and supporting children's educational art programs. They are hosting their Annual Art Auction on September 17, 2011 to raise funds to further enhance their educational programs. For more information, please visit http://www.saag.ca/events/0003-art-auction.   
• The Calgary Choice Awards: The Calgary Choice Awards hosts an Annual Gala on September 30, 2011 in celebration of excellence for Calgary and its businesses. Leading up to the Gala, Calgarians have nominated the best in Calgary ranging from Customer Service to Best Employer. A portion of the proceeds from the Gala go towards the Green Learning Foundation in support of children's education. For more information about the awards, visit http://calgarychoiceawards.ca/.      
• Aga Khan Foundation Canada: The Aga Khan Foundation Canada is dedicated to improving the quality of life in African and Asian communities. Hotel Arts supported Aga Khan with their events for over two years. For more information on the foundation, please visit http://www.akfc.ca.