If you think all Alberta has is beef, think again. This bountiful province is full of farm-fresh produce, artisanal cheeses, and naturally leavened bread made from wild-harvested yeast. And yes, the juiciest, richest, most flavorful beef in all of Canada can be found in Alberta too.

Locals and tourists alike have the opportunity to celebrate all that the province has to offer every year during the Dine Around festival hosted by Alberta on the Plate. It’s an opportunity to support the restaurant scene across the province and take advantage of some great deals on spectacular food.

Before you head out and fill your stomach to your heart’s content, check out everything you need to know about Alberta on the Plate and their Dine Around Festival in 2021.

Table of Contents

1. What is Alberta on the Plate?
2. What is Alberta on the Plate’s Dine Around?
3. When does Dine Around in Alberta take place?
4. How much does Dine Around cost?
5. Save on hotel accommodations for Dine Around
6. Participating Dine Around Restaurants in 2021
7. 10 Can’t-Miss Calgary Restaurants to Try During Dine Around 2021

What is Alberta on the Plate?

Alberta on the Plate (AOTP) is an organization on a mission to connect the people of Alberta to the food they eat through targeted outreach, education, and promoting local food events throughout the year. Think of them as a spokesperson for all the beautiful food that is grown and produced across the province.

They highlight local farmers and products on their social media channels, promote events through their newsletter, and serve as the ultimate guide to eating farm-to-table in Alberta.

What is Alberta on the Plate’s Dine Around?

Every year, AOTP hosts Dine Around, a ten-day province-wide dining extravaganza that coincides with Alberta Local Food Week. The event highlights local restaurants across all major regions in Alberta by offering multi-course fixed-price menus showcasing food and drink that is native to the province.

The festival is an opportunity for consumers to discover more about what Alberta has to offer while supporting local restaurants, farmers, and suppliers.

When does Dine Around in Alberta take place?

Dine Around 2021 takes place from August 6^th to the 15^th. Stop by any of the participating restaurants during this time to take advantage of exclusive lunch or dinner options and explore new flavors and products unique to the region.

Each restaurant is required to include at least 3 ingredients in their dishes that are local to Alberta. Which 3 ingredients the restaurants choose is completely up to them, and while you do see plenty of beef, there are other hidden gems including Alberta summer greens and local cucumbers.

How much does Dine Around cost?

The cost of Dine Around will vary by restaurant, but falls between one of the following ranges:

• Lunch: $15 or $25 menu
• Dinner: $25, $35, or $65 menu

Save on hotel accommodations for Dine Around

Thinking of a stay-cation or a road trip to Alberta to try one of these amazing restaurants? Here are a few suggestions of where to stay plus how to save more with Moola:

• Coast Hotels has hotels across Canada, including dozens in major cities in Alberta
• Treat yourself to a stay at Fairmont Hotel in Macdonald and enjoy their Dine Around menu on-site
• The Grand Rockies Resort in Canmore Alberta is a beautiful hotel within walking distance to some wonderful restaurants participating in this year’s Dine Around festival

Before you book your reservation, check out the Moola app. You could save up to 5% on hotel accommodations for your Dine Around stay. 

Participating Dine Around Restaurants in 2021

To date, there are 87 participating restaurants across 6 regions in Alberta for Dine Around 2021. Here are the restaurants, broken down by area.

Calgary

• A1 Bodega & Café
• Abe’s Modern Diner
• Alloy
• Bonterra
• Calcutta Cricket Club
• Citizen Brewing Company
• Community Flat Bread Co.
• Donna Mac
• The Embarcadero Wine & Oyster Bar
• Fence and Post
• Ferraro Artisan Pasta & Pizza
• Flavours of Montreal
• Flower & Wolf
• Fonda Fora
• Forage
• Fraser & Fig
• Free House Local Beer & Food Hall
• Hawthorn Dining Room & Bar
• Jam’s
• Lougheed House
• Modern Ocean
• Modern Steak
• Murrieta’s West Coast Bar & Grill
• Oxbow
• Posto Pizzeria & Bar
• Rouge
• Sage + Co
• Selkirk Grille
• The Coup
• Wild Rose Brewery
• Yellow Door Bistro

Central AB

• Abe’s Modern Diner
• Bo’s
• Cilantro and Chive
• Community Flatbread Co.
• D&A Gardens
• Fence & Post
• Ferraro Artisan Pasta & Pizza
• Flavours of Montreal
• Gasoline Alley Farmers Market
• Habaneros Mexican Grill
• Harthouse Wine & Tapa
• Homeroom Diner
• Jam’s
• Lodge 43
• Overlander Mountain Lodge
• The Glens Grill
• The Red Brick
• Tryst

Edmonton & Area

• Culina to go
• Dalla Tavola Zenari
• Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
• Habaneros Mexican Grill
• Highlevel Diner
• Homeroom Diner
• Juniper Café & Bistro
• RGE RD
• Say Uncle
• Smokey Bear
• The Butternut Tree
• The Common
• Glass Monkey Gastropub
• The Marc Restaurant
• Three Vikings
• Tryst
• Woodwork

Northern AB

• Board’n’Barrel
• MaddHatters
• Twisted Fork

Rocky Mountains

• Authentic
• Community Flatbread Co.
• Crazy Weed
• The Evergreen Restaurant
• Fence & Post
• Sawride Inn
• La Terrazza
• Maligne Canyon
• Olive
• Overlander
• Table
• Tapas
• Tekarra Restaurant
• Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
• The Pines Restaurant
• Stirling Lounge
• The Vermillion Room
• Whitehorn Bistro
• Wild Flour

Southern AB

• The Clubhouse
• Umami

10 Can’t-Miss Calgary Restaurants to Try During Dine Around 2021

1.  Oxbow

1126 Memorial Drive NW, Calgary  |  (403) 228-4442  |  Make a Reservation

This creative and playful restaurant has a menu full of fresh flavors and a dog-friendly patio to enjoy during the summer. They also offer a fireside lounge with wine and cocktail offerings that are perfectly paired with your evening’s meal.

$35 Dinner featuring:

• Poplar Bluff Beet Pierogi: borscht broth and Fairwinds Farm goat crème fraiche
• Peppercorn Crusted Alberta Bison Ribeye: Deepwater Farms greens, wild mushrooms, Sudo Farms Peas, New potatoes & dill, red wine jus
• Haskap Berry Crumble: highwood Crossing oat crumble and vanilla gelato

2. Bonterra Trattoria

1016 – 8 Street SW, Calgary  |  (403) 262-8480  |  Make a Reservation

Bonterra marries the best of Tuscany with everything that makes Alberta special. Expect bright Italian flavors and a wide variety of local ingredients, plus to-die-for lemon olive oil cake for dessert.

$65 Dinner featuring:

• Bison Crudo: fried squash blossom, Canada’s answer to olive oil
• Caramelized Carrot and Goat Cheese Agnolotti: sugar snap peas, green onions
• Porchetta: roasted cauliflower, dandelion salsa verde
• Buttermilk Panna Cotta: Italian prune plum compote, spent grain crunch

3. Selkirk Grille

1900 Heritage Drive SW, Calgary  |  (403) 268-8569  |  Make a Reservation

Selkirk Grille knows local. Their dishes incorporate freshly picked produce that is grown nearby in heirloom gardens, as well as bread and baked goods made daily at their on-site bakery.

$25 Lunch & Takeaway featuring:

• Livingston Garden Greens: Heritage Park grown Artisan lettuce, Sliced Cucumbers and baby gem tomatoes, Candied Walnuts, Sylvan Star Grizzly gouda, Saskatoon berry vinaigrette
• Valbella Elk Burger: 6oz ground elk patty, Green leaf lettuce and Heirloom tomatoes, Maraschino cherry pickled onions, Jalapeño Monterey jack cheese, Alberta Bakery Rye bun, Sea salted shoestring fries

4. The Coup

924 – 17 Avenue, Calgary  |  (403) 541-1041  |  Make a Reservation

The Coup is a vegetarian restaurant serving up local, fresh, organic foods and beverages. Their focus is on community, sustainability, and responsible dining and their offerings are guaranteed to please vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

$65 Vegetarian Dinner featuring:

• Panko fried, Sudo Farms squash flowers: stuffed with almond ricotta
• Locally-sourced rainbow carrots and parsnips: pumpkin seed gremolata and Devil’s Head coffee soil
• Red fife vegan seafood risotto: fermented Mans Organics cucumbers and radishes, preserved lemon and Red Fox Fungi oyster scallops
• Vegan cannoli: vanilla oat creme anglaise with toasted walnuts, cayenne sesame seed, puffed wheat and plum compote

5. Modern Ocean

107 – 10A Street NW, Calgary  |  (403) 244-3600  |  Make a Reservation

Modern Ocean is so committed to local seafood, they have their seafood delivered to them daily from local suppliers. They’re committed to sustainable seafood practices that deliver not only the best fish for you, but the best fish for the environment as well.

$65 Dinner featuring:

• Slow roasted Broxburn tomatoes: garlic and herbs, whipped ricotta, arugula pesto, parmesan crisps, crostini
• Elbow Springs rainbow trout: roasted eggplant and mascarpone puree, rainbow swiss chard, orange basil gremolata
• The Saskatoon Farm saskatoon berry cheesecake

6. Community Flatbread Co.

185 – 1 Street E, Cochrane  |  (403) 932-1508

The motto of Community Flatbread Co is, “the fewer ingredients, the better”. They use organic ingredients as much as possible as well as sustainably raised chicken and locally sourced chorizo and salami in their delicious wood-fired pizzas.

$25 Dinner featuring your choice of

• Salad: Mixed greens, Red Hat cherry tomatoes. Local cucumber and radish tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. or
• Soup: Roaster garlic and tomato bisque. Garnished with Eco-Growth basil oil.
• Delizia’s Pasta: Valbella Moroccan lamb sausage, sundried tomatoes, red onions, artichokes, tossed in a roasted red pepper pesto and olive oil. or
• Flatbread: tomato sauce base, Valbella pepperoni and chorizo, red onion, mushrooms, and Red Hat cherry tomatoes, garnished with fresh herbs and chili oil.

7. Flower & Wolf

255 Barclay Parade SW, Calgary  |  (403) 517-6666  |  Make a Reservation

This sophisticated restaurant offers a modern and lively atmosphere with globally inspired dishes and a robust cocktail list. Their menu is upscale, yet approachable with a mix of familiar dishes from hot dogs to fish & chips.

$25 Lunch featuring:

• Salad: Galimax Alberta Summer Greens, Blush Lane Caramelized Peaches, Fairwinds Farm Chevre, Spiced Pumpkin Seeds, Micro YYC Sunflower Sprouts, Robertson’s Cabernet Vinaigrette
• Brant Lake Wagyu Beef Hot Dog: Good Bread Brioche Bun, Valbella Bacon Lardons, Aged Cheddar Cheese Sauce, Pickled Gull Valley Greenhouse Red Chilis, Triple Cooked Chips

$65 Dinner featuring:

• Salad: Galimax Alberta Summer Greens, Blush Lane Caramelized Peaches, Fairwinds Farm Chevre, Spiced Pumpkin Seeds, Micro YYC Sunflower Sprouts, Robertson’s Cabernet Vinaigrette
• Alberta AAA Reverse Sear Smoked Flat Iron Steak: Taber Corn + Sylvan Star Aged Gouda Polenta, Roasted Gruger Family Fungi Oyster Mushrooms, Confit Galimax Tomatoes, Chimichurri
• Blue Vista Orchards Haskap Berry Cheesecake: Highland Farm Honey Toffee Crunch

8. Fonda Fora

630 – 4 Avenue SW, Calgary  |  (403) 764-6260  |  Make a Reservation

Fonda Fora is Mexican food reimagined. Their menu takes you on a journey through the history of Mexican food and the Yucatan peninsula with lots of seasonal vegetables and the freshest seafood you can find.  

$65 Dinner Featuring:

• Shiitake mushrooms Borchetta: Marinated Pennybuns Mushrooms with mussels’ vinaigrette,  Sikil pak spread (tomato and pumpkin seeds), White onions, Heirloom corn nixtamal Tortilla
• Ensalada de camote: Spring mix, Peanuts and Chinook Honey dressing, Yam puree, Roasted Yam, Avocado and candied peanuts.
• Prime Rib con Chilmole butter: Grilled Harmony Beef AAA Prime Rib, Confit leeks, Chilmole butter (ashes and spices)

9. Embarcadero Wine & Oyster Bar

208 – 17 Avenue SE, Calgary  |  (403) 263-0848  |  Make a Reservation

This little oyster bar has the widest selection of oysters in the city, featuring at least 6 varieties on the half shell at all times. There’s a wine bar for intimate evenings as well as a dreamy patio for summer nights under the stars.

$25 Lunch featuring:

• Sudo Farms broccolini and broccoli soup: with cheddar and Vital Green Farms crème fraiche
• Chef Salad: with Galimax tomato, purple bell peppers, cucumber, Fairwinds Farm peppered chevre and Monterey Jack cheese, Amiable Organics green onion, Busy Bea’s Market Garden organic yellow zucchini, Fresh Flavor Farm romaine lettuce topped with hard boiled Mans Organics egg and chipotle marinated Alberta chicken breast with kale and sundried tomato vinaigrette

$35 Dinner featuring:

• Ewenique Farms grilled lamb rack chop: with Sudo Farms purple kohlrabi, spicy Busy Bea’s Market Garden potato croquette and blueberry gastrique
• Red Fox Fungi oyster mushroom risotto: with Fairwinds Farm chevre, Sudo Farms green cauliflower, topped with asiago

10. Fence & Post

214 – 1 Street West, Cochrane  |  (587) 437-4474  |  Make a Reservation

Fence & Post is committed to making local food shine, and they let the products speak for themselves. They take a quality focused approach utilizing products from small suppliers that are delicious above all else.

$65 Dinner featuring:

• Galimax tomato salad: house cured mangalitsa lardo from Country Accent with a basil foam & Broxburn micro basil
• Tender & juicy porchetta roast: with creamy Poplar Bluff mash potatoes with ARK Swiss chard & kale and an Alberta mustard sauce
• Velvety Fairwinds Farm & Greidanus honey goat cheese mousse: on layers of flaky barley puff pastry with crunchy puffed caramel barley

Ready to dine out? Check out Moola for deals on restaurants before you head out to eat!