There are some fantastic appetizer dishes for sharing including the Cajun Style Beef Tacos as well as the Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings. The Prawn and Avocado Salad as well as the Albacore Tune & Salmon Sashimi served on a bed of fresh lettuce will be big hits this summer too.  

Later in June, Raw Bar will be hosting the Giffard Cocktail Competition helping to launch Mint Pastille into the Calgary Market.  The Calgary Professional Bartenders Association is bringing together the city's top bartenders to prepare cocktails to battle it out with this special elixir. Competition takes place at Raw Bar on Monday, June 24th and is open to the public to come and cheer on their favourites and enjoy our Raw Bar menu.  Follow @rawbaryyc for more details.

Spring Menu 

Chef de Cuisine Chris Barton launched a Spring à la Carte Menu featuring new seasonal and lighter ingredients.  

We also opened our patio so patrons can dine al fresco.  Chef's Table and the patio are open daily for breakfast and Monday thru Saturday for dinner.  Please contact us at 403.228.4442 to reserve a table.

Kensington Riverside Inn and Hotel Arts have purchased a fleet of Brooklyn Cruiser Bikes for our guests to enjoy.  We have twelve cruiser bikes available for rent so that our guests can explore Calgary's pathway systems.  Helmets and locks are included. 

Cooks Jordan Wilkinson and Colin Robin will be competing in the prestigious Chaine de Rotisseurs Comi Regional Competitions this week. This intensive black box competition challenges young chefs to prepare a 3-course dinner. They learn of the ingredients a few hours before they have to dish out these dinners for discerning judges.  Jordan and Colin have been busy practicing under the watchful tutelage of Chef Duncan Ly as well as our Executive Sous Chef Craig Boje. 

Hotel Arts Group has a pretty impressive track record with this competition and we are keen to cheer on our young chefs. Yellow Door Bistro Sous Chef Quinn Staples won this regional competition on two occasions when he worked at Raw Bar and Olives Restaurant.  Raw Bar and Olives alumnus, Stephanie Schneps won the regionals, nationals and won silver at the World Competition in Helsinki. 

On another note, Madison Miller won Gold at the Skills Canada Regional Competitions and she's gearing up for the National Skills Competition in Vancouver on June 8th.  We'll be cheering her.  Like the Chaine de Rotisseurs Competitions, we have a pretty good track record for the Skills Competitions too.  Cook Greg Olson won the bronze medal for regional competitions when he was studying at SAIT. 

Chef Ly produced another great recipe for the students at McKenzie Lake Elementary for their Celebration of Learning.  As several of the classes were growing peas, Chef Ly incorporated the peas into a memorable appetizer dish using BC Morel Mushrooms which are currently in season.  

English Pea & BC Morel Mushroom Arancini (yields 12 servings)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Off the Beaten Palate

Executive Chef Duncan Ly is featured in "Off the Beaten Palate" on PBS preparing a BBQ Pork & Shrimp Spring Roll using free-range pork from Spragg Meats in Rosemary, Alberta.  Last spring, Chef Ly paid a visit to Bonnie and Greg Spragg's pig farm and Meat Shoppe to learn more about how they raise their free-range pigs.  He returned later in the season with the crew from Off the Beaten Palate to shoot a segment about showcasing how chefs source our local and regional product for memorable meals in their restaurants.  "Off the Beaten Palate" showcases Chef Ly's recipe on their website:

http://www.offthebeatenpalate.com/pork-salad-roll/bbq-pork-shrimp-salad-rolls-calgary-alberta

To watch Michael-Ann Rowe's interview with Chef Ly and her tour through Alberta, check out "Off the Beaten Palate" when it airs on DPTV (Shaw Channel 81 in Calgary) on June 6th. 

Top Cocktail Bars 

Travel writer and cocktail columnist, Lisa Kidane, includes Raw Bar at Hotel Arts in her list of Calgary's Top Five Cocktail Bars highlighting the talents of Christina Mah and her protege, Savanna Beach.

 http://m.avenuecalgary.com/content/raw-bar-at-hotel-arts-0 

Raw Bar's Aztek Julip

Behind the Line with Duncan Ly

Chef Duncan Ly was profiled in an online article for Swerve Magazine by noted culinary writer, Dan Clapson.  Click on the link for a great read "Behind the Line with Duncan Ly". There's also a great recipe for Roasted Beet & Fennel Salad with Citrus Mint Vinaigrette.

White Hat Awards 

Each May, Tourism Calgary celebrates the best and brightest in the city's hospitality sector.  Hotel Arts and Kensington Riverside Inn had a host of nominations and two finalists: Gregory from the Raw Bar and Delilah from Banquets.  Morgan Clausen won the White Hat Award for Best Guest Services/Front Desk Agent  Our bright and boisterous team cheered him as well as all the finalists.

Alexander's Philly Kitchen Party - June 8

A few blocks from the Poppy Plaza, the party kicks up a notch later in the day as Chris Turner and Ashley Bristowe present Alexander's Philly Kitchen Party at the Hillhurst Sunnside Community Centre.  Kris Demeanor (Calgary's Poet Laureate), Lorrie Matheson, The Kennedy Administration, John Rutherford Kitchen Band and special guests will be performing to benefit Alexander's Fund and Therapy Programs.  Things get underway from 430pm until late with food trucks, bouncy castle and live auction.

Mind & Soul Concert II - June 8th

Moyeen and friends perform at Ubu Lounge on Saturday, June 8th.  It will be  night filled with soul fusion, jazz, pop, spoken word and great finger food. www.moyeenmusic.com

Colon Cancer Canada - June 9th

Colon Cancer Canada's Push for Your Tush takes place at the Fish Creek Provincial Park on Sunday, June 9th.  It's a Walk/Run and Family Fun Day that starts at 10:15am rain or shine.  For more information, please visit www.coloncancercanada.ca/calgary. 

Beef the Gala Festival - June 13th

Celebrity Chef Corbin Tomaszeki joins Hotel Arts Group Executive Chef Duncan Ly live in the kitchen as they prepare a custom menu showcasing unique cuts of Alberta's famous beef in inspiring dishes. Food Network regular Christina Pritchard will provide the play-by-play in the kitchen as it is played live for attendees. An evening of exquisite dining and unmatched entertainment, not to be missed!

Chef Corbin Tomaszeski knows a thing or two about Alberta beef as he raised on a farm outside Edmonton.  You can see Chef Corbin on  "Dinner Party Wars", Restaurant Makeover" and "Crash My Kitchen" on the Food Network and HGTV Canada.

http://www.beeffestival.ca/gala

 Timeraiser - June 13th

Flames Central will be busy with energetic Calgarians willing to donate their time in exchange for art as Timeraiser   For the third year in a row, Hotel Arts is helping out as accommodation sponsor for this great initiative which raises over 7,500 volunteer hours for numerous organizations throughout Calgary and also invests over $24,000 to support local artists.

http://www.timeraiser.ca/calgary.html 

TEDxYYC - Friday, June 14th

Hotel Arts is pleased to help sponsor TEDxYYC Talks for the fourth year in a row.  This year's talks will be hosted at the Jack Singer Concert Hall at the EPCOR Centre for Performing Arts.  

The speaker line-up is always impressive and this year's event is no exception:

-Maurice Strong, former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, founding CEO of Petro Canada and leader of the global sustainability movement.

-Rollin Stanley, General Manager of Planning, Development and Assessment with the City of Calgary. Prior to that, he held top planning jobs in Montgomery County, St. Louise and Toronto.

-Kate McKenzie is the founder of Worldviews Project that combines her passions as a storyteller, artist, traveler and junior high teacher to share inspiring stories of people making better communities through  positive change.

-John Kani is a renowned South African actor, director and playwright who has received many awards including a Tony Award and an honorary doctorate from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

-Professor David Cramb and Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Calgary is a nanoscience pioneer studying nanoparticles in blood vessels.

-Governor General Award winning author John Vaillant is renowned for his bestselling book, the Golden Spruce and his work in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and Outside, among others. 

-Paralympic Sit Skier Silver Medallist Josh Dueck was inspired by Rick Hansen as a T11 Full Paraplegic and now he inspires others with his amazing feats.

-Local theatrical innovator Rebecca Northan returns back to Calgary after a London run of her production Blind Date.  A graduate of Calgary's Loose Moose Theatre, Rebecca has paved her own way as a director, actor, corporate trainer, producer, writer and improviser.

-Reuben and the Dark will also be performing at TEDxYYC and also promoting their new release.

Registration for the event is still open at www.TEDxYYC.com.  

http://tonicforacause.com.

Woods Homes Golf Tournament - June 18th

Our friends at Woods Homes are gearing up for their 13th Annual Invitational Gold Tournament at Silvertip Resort.  Last year, they raised over $180,000 with funds earmarked to benefit the vulnerable children and families that Wood's Homes serves. To learn more about the tournament and the numerous projects that Wood's Homes is engaged in, visit them online at:

YMCA Strong Kids Golf Tournament - June 20th

Hotel Arts is pleased to help out our friends at the YMCA as they raise funds for their Strong Kids Program through their annual golf tournament at the Elks Club. YMCA Strong Kids Campaign raises much needed financial support for children, teens and families who are unable to afford the full cost of participation in a YMCA program or activity.  YMCA seeks to raise $1.5 million to help enrich the lives of 20,000 children and youth in Calgary. All money raised goes directly to children and youth so they can belong, grow, thrive, and lead.

http://www.ymcacalgary.org/index.php?page=sponsorship

Pig & Pinot - June 20th

Hotel Arts is helping to sponsor the City Palate's Third Annual Pig & Pinot Festival on Thursday, June 20th in the Spectrum Ballroom. 12 talented chef teams are given free reign to create delicious pork creations using naturally fed, pastured-raised Berkshire Pork from Irvings Farm Fresh.

Funds raised are in support of Calgary Meals on Wheels.

For tickets, please visit: www.pigandpinotcalgary/eventbrite.ca. 

Sled Island Festival - June 21-24

Calgary's summer of amazing music festivals kicks off with a band on June 21-24 as Sled Island Festival showcases 250 bands performing at 30+ venues throughout the city. As always, the line-up is eclectic and inspiring with a "must see" act or ten for fans of indie music.  For performance schedules and tickets, please visit them online at: http://www.sledisland.com.

Hotel Arts: Discover Calgary's Secret Heritage Trail.

Few Calgarians are aware that along 13th Avenue SW (i.e. Hotel Arts back door) is one of Canada's most interesting heritage walks.  It is just 8 blocks long, (2 km) round trip.  You could walk it in about an hour depending on how much you want to explore, or you could grab a hotel bike and cycle it in less time.

Walk out the hotel's First Street SW entrance (side door), immediately turn left and head to 13th Avenue. Take a right and mid-block you will be at the quaint Haultain School.  Built in 1894, the school is unique in many ways - its Richardson Romanesque architecture, Calgary's first sandstone school and the first one with electricity and running water.  Looking more like a house than a school, it is a reminder that Calgary is still in its adolescence as a city just over 100 years old.

Originally named the South Ward School, it was renamed in 1910 after Sir Fredrick Haultain, the President of the Executive Council (Premier) of the North-West Territories Legislative Assembly.  Today, it is home to the Parks Foundation Calgary, which is also unique in Canada with its mandate to foster parks, playgrounds and pathways throughout Calgary. 

Cross over Second Street SW and you are immediately at Memorial Park with its statuesque trees and iconic Memorial Park Library - Alberta's first library.  Opened in 1912, it is one of 150 libraries built in Canada with funds from the American millionaire Andrew Carnegie.  It is a classically inspired two-story sandstone building, sitting on top of a series of granite steps adorned with Ionic Columns and skilfully carved pediment, which combine to create a grand entrance.  The building is topped with a low-hipped roof with extensive decoration.  Still a public library, wander inside to enjoy the charming details that have been preserved, sit and enjoy a magazine or newspaper of find a great book. 

On the other side of the library is the storied Memorial Park, which was originally designed in 1911, by Calgary Parks Superintendent Richard Iverson, after the land was given to the City by the Canadian Pacific Railway for back taxes.  The actual development of the park was done by William Reader, Parks Superintendent (1912 to 1942), who created a formal garden with a symmetrical layout, manicured lawns, a mix of domestic and exotic trees and plants, intricate bedding schemes and geometrical walking paths to provide a tranquil respite for urban dwellers.  Reader even attempted to grow palm trees in pots as part of creating a unique prairie park.

The Park's "memorial theme" was intended to memorialize British Empire patriotism, with statues and cenotaph.  Today, it is used for one of Calgary's major Remembrance Day ceremonies.  The Park was recently given a major makeover, which saw the addition of the fountains and Boxwood Bistro.  It is also a popular feeding ground for Calgary's fleet of Food Trucks.

Continuing west along 13th Avenue at 4th Street (yes, there is no 3rd Street) sits the First Baptist Church. It was built in 1911-12 based on designs by architect D.S. McElroy. Many prominent citizens, including Thomas Underwood, a member of the church board, and R.B. Bennett, the City's acting solicitor, raised money for the construction of the church. Many socially prominent Calgarians worshipped in the church over the years, adding to its historical significance.

The building is a very good example of the Gothic Revival style, with its numerous pointed arches, gables, decorated windows, and attached buttresses. The building features a square tower with a spire at the corner. With a capacity to seat 1,300 people, with room in the vestibule for an additional 200 it is believed to be the largest Baptist church in Canada. The interior details are worth seeing, and its exterior is unaltered except for a two-storey brick addition, which was added inconspicuously at the rear in 1951 to house a church youth centre.

Continue walking west along 13th Ave and you quickly arrive at the grand Lougheed House and Gardens.  Built in 1891 and originally known as "Beaulieu", meaning "beautiful place" in French, the Lougheed House is now a national historic site. The mansion was built by Senator James Lougheed for his wife, Isabella Hardisty Lougheed and their two sons, Clarence and Norman. Following the move to the large mansion, four more children were born: Edgar, Dorothy, Douglas and Marjorie.

In 1907, the house was enlarged to accommodate the family and their large social calendar. Lougheed House received important state visitors on many occasions. In 1912, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and their daughter Princess Patricia stayed at the house. In 1919, the Lougheeds entertained the Prince of Wales at a garden party. Prince Edward visited in 1923 and 1928.  

Throughout its long history, Lougheed House has been a family residence, a training centre for young women, a women's military barracks and a blood donor clinic. Then, for many years, it sat empty - cared for, but unused until its restoration in 2000.  For more information and visiting hours check their website www.lougheedhouse.com.

Strolling through the formal Beaulieu Gardens, situated on the 2.8 acre Lougheed estate, is one of Calgary's best urban pleasures.  The Lougheeds were horticultural leaders in Western Canada in their day. The plant material has been accurately restored to the 1891 to 1925 period. Some of the original plantings and garden elements can be seen in the spruce trees, circle flower beds and the balustrades.

Directly across 13th Avenue is the more unassuming Ranchmen's Club.  Established in 1892, it moved to this location in 1914.  It is the oldest and most prestigous club in Calgary. The Club dates back to southern Alberta's golden age of ranching when cattle barons were the wealthest people in the town. Designed by architect R.E. McDonnell, it is a Renaissance Revival brick building with terra cotta architectural and decorative elements. The interior, as you might expect, features highly detailed wood, leather, stained glass and a remarkable art collection celebrating southern Alberta's rich ranching culture.  The attached 26-story "The Estate" condominium was added in the early '80s.  

Continue walking west, past 8th Street, to Central Collegiate Institute (high school), which is now part of the new Calgary Board of Education headquarters. The original building was built in 1908, with a five-room Scottish Baronial-style addition designed by Lang and Major in 1911 and later a William Branston desiged Egyptian Revival style gymnasium in 1940.  After numerous different school uses, it closed in 1965 and wasn't reopened until 1996 when it was leased to Rundle College for a private Jr. High.  In 2011, it was incorporated into the Gibbs Gage-designed new Calgary Board of Education headquarters.      

Websites

http://www.lougheedhouse.com/

http://2.beltline.ca/community/heritage/memorial-park-library

http://2.beltline.ca/community/heritage/ranchmens-club

http://2.beltline.ca/community/heritage/haultain

http://2.beltline.ca/community/parks-public-places/central-memorial-park