Welcome to the Club (the Canmore Dinner Club, that is… Now, Invite a Friend!)

Not a member of the Canmore Dinner Club yet? What the heck are you waiting for??

Love Dining Out? Making Friends? Here’s the Club for You!

One of the things I love most about travel is the way a meal can stretch out for hours. Maybe that’s because the places I enjoy visiting most (France, Spain, islands in the Caribbean) have a very different relationship to mealtime than is typical here at home. Here we are often rushed, grabbing something to eat on the fly. Even when we do get out for a meal those phones are all too often not just at the table but in our hands fighting for our attention even when we are dining the company of those we love most. 

I don’t know too many people who anticipate with relish dining alone (I am such a person, but maybe that’s because I always have a book to read and a book I’m writing tucked into my bag so a few minutes alone at a table to which someone will bring food and drink is a delicious luxury….)

My point is, we are missing out by not sharing long, slow, leisurely meals together while enjoying the company of others and practicing the fine art of conversation. 

The Canmore Dinner Club is our answer to this unfortunate direction the culture of food and dining is taking in all too many places. 

How Does the Canmore Dinner Club Work?

Every couple of months a group of us - (some will already be friends, some will become new friends…) will get together in a different restaurant in Canmore. Expect chef’s tasting menus, sneak peaks at new menu items, and a chance to experience food and drink you might not necessarily try otherwise. 

Depending on the restaurant, there may be live music, or dancing, or jugs of margaritas. There may be board games or special desserts prepared just for us. Though we’ll usually be going out in the evening, I love brunch, so every now and then we’ll mix it up and go on a dining adventure during daylight hours. 

What Does it Cost?

There’s no cost to join - just like our Taste Canmore Facebook page and ask to join the Dining Club Group. It’s just that simple. We’ll approve you and keep you in the loop. 

Of course, eating out is more fun with friends, so if you know someone you think would enjoy eating out with the rest of us, invite them to join the Facebook group as well. 

It’s going to be fun! Let’s go out for dinner, shall we?

Does Spaghetti Grow on Trees? Can You Use a Spoon?

Spoon or no spoon? How do you eat your spaghetti? [Source]

If my mother had had access to YouTube she would have shown us this all too convincing documentary about where spaghetti comes from. Who knows how long it would have taken me to figure out the truth?

My mom was full of … surprises. She taught us kids a lot of useful things like how to tie our shoes, how to read, and how to address the Queen, should she ever come calling.

She also told us that spaghetti grew on trees. I was dubious, but when we visited the Old Spaghetti Factory in Vancouver, they had a photograph of women harvesting the long strands from trees…

Who knew? If my mother had had access to YouTube, she would have removed any lingering doubts we may have had by making us watch this now-famous BBC documentary about the spaghetti harvest.

The whole ‘spaghetti grows on trees’ story wasn’t the only not-quite-accurate information she shared. When it came to spaghetti-eating, my mother was adamant that the only right way to consume stringy pasta was with a spoon and fork. She drilled us about not taking too many strands of spaghetti onto our spoons at one time so that when we rolled up the spaghetti (by pressing the tines of the fork into the bowl of the spoon and then twiddling the fork) we didn’t wind up with a bundle of spaghetti too big to fit in our mouths. 

We had practice sessions and were made to do it properly. This lesson was right up there along with always saying please and thank you, keeping our elbows off the table, clearing our plates when we left were finished, and not leaving the table before we asked permission. 

Mother Knows Best - Or, Does She?

I accepted all this as gospel until I moved in with a bona fide Italian who took one look at my two-handed spaghetti rolling skills and shook his head. “Italians don’t eat spaghetti like that.”

Wait, what? My mother was wrong about something like this? It hardly seemed possible. 

I did a little research and while it’s true that most restaurants provide a spoon and fork for pasta patrons and none other than Emily Post declared that both were necessary for acceptable spaghetti consumption, in fact, Italian kids learn to twirl their spaghetti without the help of a spoon.

Well. I. Never. 

When in Doubt, Ask an Expert

Still in denial that this could be true despite mounting evidence to the contrary, I chatted with Nick, a nine-year veteran of the Old Spaghetti Factory (the Banff location) to see what he had to say on the matter. “I’d say about 2/3 of the customers don’t use a spoon.” 

I was astonished. No spoon assistance at all? Nope. Though Nick did say that some customers “…may use a knife to cut off a stray strand.” 

A knife? That hadn’t even entered my mind as being a possible solution. Back at home, my mother insisted that nobody over the age of four should have their spaghetti cut up for them. It was a rite of passage to graduate from an adult cutting our pasta for us to being handed a fork and spoon and being taught the ‘proper’ way to do things. 

Don’t Believe the Expert? Ask Google

Except, apparently, it isn’t! Further research revealed that in Italy, only very young children and hopeless people (and tourists) use spoons. 

Not that you will be made to feel bad if you go to the Old Spaghetti Factory and ask for a spoon. “As long as our customers are enjoying their meals, it doesn’t matter,” Nick says. “It’s a matter of personal preference.”

As for Nick, he avoids the prickly issue altogether by avoiding spaghetti. “I prefer shorter pasta - penne or tortellini.” 

However you choose to get your spaghetti strands to your mouth (or if, like Nick, you prefer your pasta on the short side), you’ll find lots of options on offer at Victoria restaurants. I’ve listed a few below to get you started.

Old Spaghetti Factory
703 Douglas Street
A family favourite for decades, come for the pasta and stay for the spumoni!

Can’t decide what kind of sauce to go with your spaghetti? Check out the Pot-Pourri Spaghetti with Meat, Mushroom and Clam Sauce - it’s a sampler for the undecided and includes generous portions of the Old Spaghetti Factory’s most popular sauces.

An evening at Il Terrazzo is always a special occasion.

Il Terrazzo
537 Johnson Street
There’s a reason Il Terrazzo has been consistently named the best Italian restaurant in Victoria. The place serves great food and the ambience just can’t be beaten!

Take your pasta tasting up a notch with their Spaghettini con Capesante served with seared scallops, mushrooms, smoked bacon, leeks, fresh lemon and cream.

Pagliacci’s
1011 Broad St

The bustle and energy at Pagliacci's is a given, as is the line to get in for lunch and dinner. This longtime Victoria institution, serves fresh, delicious and fun Italian fare that is a favourite among Victoria’s locals. 

Just reading the menu at Pagliacci’s is fun, in fact. Take the Spaghetti Western description:

Spicy meatballs & linguine in tomato sauce with parmesan “You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.” -Eli Wallach as Tuco in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

See what I mean?

Zambri’s
820 Yates Street

Zambri’s is about a whole lot more than just a helping of spaghetti. This great Italian restaurant focuses on the whole experience and has set the stage to sit and enjoy a Prosecco from their impressive wine list. Paired that Prosecco with a new dish or an old favourite.

If you love tuna as much as I do, you might want to give their Spaghetti alla putanesca a try. Tuna, olives, capers, anchovy, and tomato sauce add something rather special to a spaghetti meal.

For a more comprehensive list of Victoria restaurants and their full menus, have a browse through our online menu blog.

Spoon or No Spoon? What's the Official Way to Eat Spaghetti?

To use a spoon, or not to use a spoon… that’s the spaghetti question! [Source]

When I was a kid, my mother was adamant that the only right way to eat spaghetti was with a spoon and fork. She drilled us about not taking too many strands of spaghetti onto our spoons at one time so that when we rolled up the spaghetti (by pressing the tines of the fork into the bowl of the spoon and then twiddling the fork) we didn’t wind up with a bundle of spaghetti too big to fit in our mouths. 

We had practice sessions and were made to do it properly. This lesson was right up there along with always saying please and thank you, keeping our elbows off the table, clearing our plates when we left were finished, and not leaving the table before we asked permission. 

Mother Knows Best - Or, Does She?

I accepted all this as gospel until I moved in with a bona fide Italian who took one look at my two-handed spaghetti rolling skills and shook his head. “Italians don’t eat spaghetti like that.”

Wait, what? My mother was wrong about something like this? It hardly seemed possible. 

I did a little research and while it’s true that most restaurants provide a spoon and fork for pasta patrons and none other than Emily Post declared that both were necessary for acceptable spaghetti consumption, in fact, Italian kids learn to twirl their spaghetti but without the help of a spoon.

Well. I. Never. 

When in Doubt, Ask an Expert

Still in denial that this could be true despite mounting evidence to the contrary, I chatted with Nick, a nine-year veteran of the Old Spaghetti Factory in Banff to see what he had to say on the matter. “I’d say about 2/3 of the customers don’t use a spoon.” 

I was astonished. No spoon assistance at all? Nope. Though Nick did say that some customers “…may use a knife to cut off a stray strand.” 

A knife? That hadn’t even entered my mind as being a possible solution. Back at home, my mother insisted that nobody over the age of four should have their spaghetti cut up for them. It was a rite of passage to graduate from an adult cutting our pasta for us to being handed a fork and spoon and being taught the ‘proper’ way to do things. 

Don’t Believe the Expert? Ask Google

Except, apparently, it isn’t! Further research revealed that in Italy, only very young children and hopeless people (and tourists) use spoons. 

Not that you will be made to feel bad if you go to the Old Spaghetti factory and ask for a spoon. “As long as our customers are enjoying their meals, it doesn’t matter,” Nick says. “It’s a matter of personal preference.”

As for Nick, he avoids the prickly issue altogether by avoiding spaghetti. “I prefer shorter pasta - penne or tortellini.” 

However you choose to get your spaghetti strands to your mouth (or if, like Nick, you prefer your pasta on the short side), you’ll find lots of options on offer at Banff restaurants. I’ve listed a few below to get you started.

For a more comprehensive list and for full menus, have a good browse through our online menus.

Old Spaghetti Factory
317 Banff Avenue

Can’t decide what kind of sauce to go with your spaghetti? Check out the Pot-Pourri Spaghetti with Meat, Mushroom and Clam Sauce - it’s a sampler for the undecided and includes generous portions of the Old Spaghetti Factory’s most popular sauces.

Ticino Swiss Italian Restaurant
415 Banff Ave

Ticino Swiss-Italian Restaurant has been family-owned and operated since 1979 and the owners are proud to support local suppliers (like Valbella Meats, local farms, BC wineries, the Banff Roasting Co. and the Banff Tea Co.). That kind of passion for local combined with a love of European dining means a memorable experience you’ll want to linger over. Be sure to try their Spaghetti al Sugo con Verdure Grigliate (spaghetti with meat sauce, garnished with grilled vegetables). 

Castello Ristorante
405 Spray Avenue

Craving a taste of the “La Dolce Vita”? Reserve your table at Castello Ristorante now to feel as though you are gazing at the Coliseum from a tiny Italian bistro. At Castello, the pastas are hand-made, the pizza is perfection and the desserts provide the sublime end to any meal.

Catello’s Spaghetti main dish comes with house meatballs, Parmigiano Reggiano, basil, and marinara sauce. 

Meatball Pizza & Pasta  
337 Banff Avenue

Meaty, cheesy, carby deliciousness is what the Meatball Pizza & Pasta is all about. Look no farther for all of your Italian-inspired favourites from Bruschetta to in-house-made gnocchi, and of course, spaghetti.

Do Tell! Spoon or No Spoon?

You know we have to ask… how do you like to eat your spaghetti? What did your Mama tell you about the ‘proper’ way to do things? Or, like Nick, do you prefer penne? Share your pasta-consumption strategies in the comments below!

For more Italian dining options, have a look at our selection of online menus.

You Could Be Our Newest Canmore Menu Hunter: Here’s How

Menu Hunters come in all shapes and sizes…

What’s a Menu Hunter? 

If you love exploring food and drink in the Bow Valley, then you’re already a menu hunter! Couldn’t be easier, right? 

At Taste Canmore, we’re all about trying new dishes, or discovering fresh takes on old favourites. We love finding new places to eat, drink, and share great times with friends. And, we love sharing what we discover with the big community of foodies here in Canmore.

How to Get Started

All you need to do to officially take part in our Menu Hunter program is to comment on posts like this (start by replying to this post with your favourite place to go out for brunch in Canmore). You can also earn points by tagging us on social media whenever you post your foodie photos. We’ll do the rest. We’re tracking who posts about food and drink (the places, the people, the menu items) on Facebook and Instagram and as long as you tag us (@TasteCanmore or #TasteCanmore), your Menu Hunter score will start adding up. Of course, follow us so you don’t miss any of our posts on Instagram and Facebook - like or respond to those and earn extra points. 

Here at tastemagazine.ca you’ll find up-to-date menus (with prices) for local restaurants and that’s another easy way to participate in the menu hunter program. Love the tonkotsu ramen at Ramen Arashi? Drop us a note in the comments under the Ramen Arashi menu. Chose the Sage Bistro as the perfect place to celebrate your 25th anniversary?  We love stories stories like: they make our hearts melt! 

Each month we’ll announce a featured Menu Hunter and award some fun prizes (stuff like Taste swag and most excellent gift certificates). We have some special promotions up our sleeves, so some months there may be more than one star Menu Hunter. The best part is, you don’t have to do anything particularly difficult. Just let us know you are out there and what you’re chowing down on! 

Join Our Dinner Club!

While social media is terrific (we’re big fans), there’s nothing like in-person, face-to-face conversation shared over a great meal. That’s why we’re starting two dinner clubs in the Bow Valley - one in Canmore and one in Banff. Join one, or both - they’re easy to find on Facebook. First LIKE our page (Taste Canmore or Taste Banff) and, from there, join the Dinner Club Group (click the blue button). You’ll be the first to hear about our special evenings out featuring chef’s tastings, great food and beverage pairings, and themed dinner evenings. 

At about this time next year (yep, we’re planning our 2021 New Year celebrations already) we’ll be hosting an awards ceremony to feature the best of the best in food and drink in the Bow Valley. Menu Hunters like you should start keeping track of your favourites so when the time comes to vote you don’t forget to give credit where credit is due. 

That’s it for now! If you have any questions, ask below (your questions count toward your Menu Hunter points, of course…). Stay tuned, keep reading the blog, and keep an eye on our social media feeds for more details and to see if you might be our next featured Menu Hunter!

You Could Be Our Next Menu Hunter: Here's How!

If this fine fella can be a Menu Hunter for Taste Banff, so can you…

What’s a Menu Hunter? 

If you love exploring food and drink in the Bow Valley, then you’re already a menu hunter! Couldn’t be easier, right? 

At Taste Banff, we’re all about trying new dishes, or discovering fresh takes on old favourites. We love finding new places to eat, drink, and share great times with friends. And, we love sharing what we discover with the big community of foodies here in Banff. 

How to Get Started

All you need to do to officially take part in our Menu Hunter program is to comment on posts like this (start by replying to this post with your favourite place to go out for lunch in Banff). You can also earn points by tagging us on social media whenever you post your foodie photos. We’ll do the rest. We’re tracking who posts about food and drink (the places, the people, the menu items) on Facebook and Instagram and as long as you tag us (@TasteBanff), your Menu Hunter score will start adding up. Of course, follow us so you don’t miss any of our posts on Instagram and Facebook - like or respond to those and earn extra points. 

Here at Tastemagazine.ca you’ll find up-to-date menus (with prices) for local restaurants and that’s another easy way to participate in the menu hunter program. Love the breakfast buffet at Vistas Dining Room? Drop us a note in the comments under the Vistas menu. Chose the 1888 Chop House as the perfect place to propose to your one true love? Stories like that make our hearts melt - tell us all about the big moment!!

Each month we’ll announce a featured Menu Hunter and award some fun prizes (stuff like Taste swag and most excellent gift certificates). We have some special promotions up our sleeves, so some months there may be more than one star Menu Hunter. The best part is, you don’t have to do anything particularly difficult. Just let us know you are out there and what you’re chowing down on! 

Join Our Dinner Club!

While social media is terrific (we’re big fans), there’s nothing like in-person, face-to-face conversation shared over a great meal. That’s why we’re starting two dinner clubs in the Bow Valley - one in Banff and one in Canmore. Join one, or both (they’re easy to find on Facebook: Banff Dinner Club and Canmore Dinner Club) and you’ll be the first to hear about our special evenings out featuring chef’s tastings, great food and beverage pairings, and themed dinner evenings. 

The Pinnacle TASTE Awards

At about this time next year (yep, we’re planning our 2021 New Year celebrations already) we’ll be hosting an awards ceremony to feature the best of the best in food and drink in the Bow Valley. Menu Hunters like you should start keeping track of your favourites so when the time comes to vote you don’t forget to give credit where credit is due. Stay tuned for more details!

That’s it for now! If you have any questions, ask below (your questions count toward your Menu Hunter points, of course…). Stay tuned, keep reading the blog, and keep an eye on our social media feeds for more details and to see if you might be our next featured Menu Hunter!

For the Love of a Good Noodle - What Makes Ramen So Special?

Ramen noodles: not your Mama Romano’s pasta… Source

Unless you’ve been living under a noodle-free rock for the past several decades, you will know that a ramen noodle is not just a strand of fat spaghetti. What you might not know is why. 

What Makes Ramen Noodles Special? 

Ramen noodles are wheat-based, but what makes them unique is the use of kansui, an alkaline mineral water that contains some combination of sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and sometimes phosphoric acid. Though none of that sounds too appetizing, reducing the acidity of the mixture (which also includes wheat flour, salt, and water) is what gives the noodles their unique colour (slightly yellow) and firmness even when they spend a long time soaking in broth. 

The broth in which ramen noodles are served is the second distinguishing feature of the different types of ramen you may see on a menu. A couple of the more common varieties include: 

Tonkotsu
Made by boiling pork bones, fat and collagen for a very long time, this broth is thick and flavourful with a consistency like milk or even gravy (there are many variations - from region to region and also from one shop to another). 

Shōyu ramen [Source]

Shōyu
The clear brown broth of shōyu may be based on chicken, fish, or beef to which the ramen chef has added soy sauce. You’ll quite likely also see bits of seaweed, bamboo shoots, or green onions floating about in your bowl. 

Miso ramen [Source]

Miso
This broth variation features lots of - you guessed it - miso along with oily chicken or fish broth. Some chefs may also introduce some tonkotsu or lard, which makes miso ramen rather feisty and flavourful. The noodle variety used with this broth is often curly. 

Oh Yes, the Noodles

The noodles are the star of the ramen show and there are several variations that are served according to how they best complement the various broth and topping options. Thin, thick, curly or flattish are some of the noodle types you may run across. 

To Top it All Off

As if good noodles and tasty broths weren’t enough, different chefs and restaurants use a wide range of toppings to make a great dish even better. Roast pork, seasoned bamboo shoots, hard-boiled eggs, seaweed, pickled and seasoned mustard leaves or bean sprouts are just some of the possibilities in the toppings department. 

Are Instant Noodles Still Ramen?

Popular quick meals and an after school snack stable at our place, instant noodles are popular if not exactly the real thing… Source

I wonder if Momofuku Ando had any idea that his 1958 invention would take off the way it did. Gazillions of portions are consumed in countries all over the world, perhaps because they are so darned easy to prepare. Add boiling water to your noodle brick, stir in the provided seasoning, and hey presto! a couple of minutes later you have a bowl of shockingly edible noodles. 

In terms of instant noodles being considered true ramen… well, it’s a bit like suggesting my efforts at painting the portrait of a woman who is sort of smiling are equivalent to the master strokes which produced the Mona Lisa. Yes, I may be using paint, brushes and canvas but there’s a world of skill, subtlety and difference between my work of ‘art’ and the real thing. Sure, instant noodles are based on and inspired by the original ramen noodles (fried and dried or air-dried) and many of the same ingredients could be listed, but a portion of cup noodles does not a bowl of ramen make. 

The Ramen Museum in Yokohama

In 1994 the Ramen Museum opened in Yokohama in Japan and is billed as the ‘world’s first food-themed amusement park.’ [Note: The world needs more of these!!] The museum dates the first contemporary Japanese ramen back to 1859 when the nation lifted trading restrictions and opened its ports to foreign imports like wheat-based noodles from China. 

A couple of very cool things stand out about this shrine to the humble noodle. First, a replica street dating back to 1958 (the year instant ramen was invented) includes a dagashi-ya (old-fashioned sweet shop) packed full of traditional candy and children’s toys, a traditional tea shop, and, of course, numerous ramen shops. 

While there’s also a gallery where you can learn all you ever wanted to know about ramen by traditional museum means (displays), that’s not the second super cool attraction. Visitors to the museum can take a noodle-making class in the ‘experience corner.’ I totally want to do this next time I’m in Tokyo!! 

The traditional dough-flattening technique involves lying a fat bamboo pole over a counter/low table on which the noodle dough has been placed. The noodle-maker then slings a leg over said fat bamboo pole and jumps up and down to spread the dough out. Though the process may sound a bit strange, it’s the capturing of tiny pockets of air caused by the lifting and squashing of the dough that creates the unique texture of noodles hand made in this way. [Note: if you are all excited and eager to buy a ticket to Tokyo so you can hop up and down on one leg while squeezing a fat green bamboo pole between your thighs, please check with the museum about dates, times, and availability of spaces in the classes]. 

If you are not inclined to get intimate with bamboo but would still like an authentic ramen experience, as luck would have it we have some exceptional ramen noodle options right here in Canmore. 

Where to Get Ramen in Canmore

You can’t do much better than a bowl of Chef Seki’s tonkotsu ramen. [Nikki Tate]

Ramen Arashi
1000 7th Avenue, Canmore

Ramen Arashi has been going strong in Banff ever since ramen chef Kentaro Seki opened his doors and started filling noodle bowls with his delectable, authentic ramen variations. In even better news, as of 2020, you no longer have to drive to Banff to enjoy the chef’s creations. 

There are plenty of varieties to drool over, but for a real treat try the Tonkotsu Ramen flavoured with tonkotsu base, pork belly, garlic oil, red ginger, takana (pickled mustard leaf), garlic, and green onion. 

Chef’s Studio in Canmore has a couple of ramen options on the menu that you should definitely check out if you are a noodle-lover. [Nikki Tate]

Chef’s Studio
709-8th Street, Canmore

Chef’s Studio offers a range of Japanese dishes including Sukiyaki Ramen topped with slow-cooked sukiyaki beef and onion, soy sauce-based pork broth and Tomato Ramen topped with grilled chicken in a milk, chicken and pork-based broth.

Love Looking at Menus?

For full menus of all of Canmore’s restaurants on our menu blog, click the ‘Explore Now’ button on the main page of the website. A ramen-lover? Let us know your favourite variation (noodles, broth, and toppings) in the comments below this post. If you’ve tried any of the menu items listed on our menu blog, you can also comment under each menu. 

Become a Menu Hunter!
If you love talking about food and sharing your experiences, you are in the right place! By following us on social media, adding your comments, and tagging us in your feeds when you are out and about sampling the best of what the Bow Valley has to offer, you can be our newest Menu Hunter and qualify for some pretty nifty prizes sure to warm any foodie’s hungry soul!

Celebrate the New Year in Canmore: Fireworks, Food, and Fun!

2020. Hm, I haven’t had 20/20 vision since I was a little kid, but maybe this is the year in which I’ll begin to see things clearly. In the Chinese zodiac, 2020 will be the year of the rat - and the first year in a new 12-year cycle (which officially begins on January 25th). While I can’t tell you what lies ahead next year, what I do know is this: living in the Bow Valley is all about getting outside and enjoying the companionship found in our warm and welcoming community. 

On New Year’s Eve, there’s no better place to set the tone for a healthy, out-doorsy year than down at the pond where Canmore locals gather to celebrate the end of one year and the arrival of the next.  

Canmore New Years Eve Fireworks & Party

December 31, 2019
Party on the Pond – from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm (7th Ave and Mallard Alley)
Things get started early for those with young kids or who want to get a jump on the evening’s festivities. If that sounds like you, the pond is the place to be! Warm yourself at one of the roasty, toasty bonfires, dig out those ice skates, and listen to live music by Elk Run and Riot while sipping on hot chocolate and snacking on street food from local vendors. Family fireworks start at 8 pm. 

Midnight Fireworks at Millennium Park (1st Street and 5th Avenue)

When things begin to wind down at the pond, meander down the road to grab a bite to eat on Main Street before catching the midnight fireworks at Millennium Park. The Canmore Hotel is open late and a great place for refuelling before continuing your evening.

Resolution Flow: A Journey from Head to Heart with Erin Evans

December, 31, 6 pm - 8 pm
The Yoga Lounge, 200 - 826 Main Street, Canmore, Alberta T1W 2B7

Looking to unwind and regroup as the year comes to a close? Here’s a wonderful way to ease into 2020! Come enjoy an evening of yoga (all-levels) that integrates live drummers, intention-setting, hands on assists, and prizes from the Banff Yoga Festival, Lululemon, and The Yoga Lounge! Use the drumming rhythms and your body to silence your noisy mind and instead access the whispers that lie within your heart.  What’s your life vision for 2020? 

Check the Yoga Lounge website for prices. 

Yuk Yuk’s New Year’s Eve Comedy Night at Tank310

December 31, 2019, 10 pm
Tank310, 310 Old Canmore Road

No year should begin (or end) without a good belly laugh. The folks at Tank310 agree with that philosophy! Head on down to Grizzly Paw’s Tank310 as they welcome Yuk Yuk's to Canmore for a fabulous New Years Eve Comedy Night! There are three ticket options to choose from starting with the Dad Joke Level Ticket (a single ticket, 1 beer, and party favours for $45), then the Chuckle Ticket (which includes a ticket, party favours & 2 pints (or a glass of wine for $50), and finally the top-of-the-line, no holds barred Kneeslapper Ticket (which includes 4 drinks, 2 tickets, party favours & meat & charcuterie board for a hundred bucks). 

No matter what type of ticket you buy, the laughs are unlimited (though the number of available tickets is not…) If you’re already giggling in anticipation, then get your tickets now or you’re at risk for starting 2020 with an upside-down smile… never a good thing

Masquerade at the Malcolm

December 31, 6 pm - 1 am
The Malcolm Hotel, 321 Spring Creek Drive

What’s a new year without a masquerade ball? If you’re like me and love to dress up, then this is the event for you. The fun begins at 6 pm with a reception, followed by dinner from 7-9 pm and then dancing from 9 pm to 1 am with a short interlude of celebratory cheering and kissing at midnight.

If you haven’t had a chance yet to check out the Malcolm Hotel, this is your moment. The hotel is lovely and I can’t imagine a better way to begin the new year than enjoying a scrumptious buffet dinner and dancing the night away to live music performed by the Elektric Squirrels. Even better, splurge and purchase a guest room package so you only need to toddle up to your room after the evening’s festivities wind down. No need to scrape off the car, worry about driving while tipsy or having to make the bed on the first day of a brand new year.

Remember Us When You’re Having a Great Time!

If you find yourself out and about and enjoying one (or more) of the fun activities going on in Canmore on New Year’s Eve, take a moment to snap a photo, post to IG and/or Facebook and be sure to tag us @tastecanmore. We suffer from terrible FOMO and can’t be everywhere at once, but with your help, we won’t have to miss out on any of the fun!