I know this may come as a shock to some of you but I had never been to Calgary until last week. I must say I was quite excited to drive south as I have heard so many times that “Calgary will remind you of Texas”. Now, for those of you who have told me this – I drove to Calgary in the snow and when I got to Calgary it was covered in snow – this is something I have never done (or seen) in Texas. I didn’t get to do as much as I would typically do in exploring a new city as I was there for work but I have done a round up of what I packed, where I ate, and where I stayed.
What I packed:
For work trips I always try to pack light. What do I mean by light? I mean an outfit for each event and limiting pairs of shoes. For this trip I had two days of meetings + two dinners. As most of you know meetings at hotels can be chilly and with it being Canada it was pretty chilly outside – so I packed accoridingly.
For my all day meetings I knew I wanted to be comfortable – because lets face it being uncomfortable for 6+ hours would suck. So for day one I opted for a cozy sweater and Spanx faux leather leggings and my J Crew Willa Suede ankle boots {they are currently 30% off}. I chose to stay in the same outfit for out night one dinner as the restaurant was just across the street from the hotel. I just added my winter Canada Goose jacket to be warm on the walk over.
For day two I chose tailored dress pants from a local store in St. Albert (Cerulean Boutique), a Commando velvet black bodysuit, and a pair of velvet Birdie flats.
For night two I went out to dinner with some colleagues so I changed out of my buisness casual into something a bit more comfortable. I was so excited to go to dinner I only have one picture of what I wore. I changed into a comfy sweater paired with distressed grey L’Agence jeans and the same black J Crew boots.
The third day I didn’t have any work related meetings prior to heading back to Edmonton so I opted for a pair of Lululemon leggings, an Artizia T-shirt, and good ole fashioned Uggs. I knew I wanted to be super comfortable for my 3 hours drive home.
Where I ate:
Night one our whole work crew went to a place called Char Bar. Char Bar is located in the Simmons Building in the East Village area of Calgary – it was a super cute place. I loved the industrial set up, it just fell way short on the food. I ordered the steak dish which came with cheesy mashed potatoes and grilled veggies. I’m always honest with y’all and this may have been the worst steak I have ever had at a restaurant. The only positive from this restaurant was the appetizer of a truffle and wild-mushroom soup – which was delicious. I can honestly say though – that I will not eat there again.
Night two I was looking to eat anything other than Char Bar so we headed to a spot called The Nash. This restaurant was located in a former 1900s hotel. The atmosphere was great and we were seated in a little nook right by a large window. Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable – which I love. He gave us recommendations based on his favorite things on the menu and we all ordered accordingly. To drink I ordered a Gin Fizz – and this has been one of the only places that makes it RIGHT! For appetizers we ordered the Crispy Rotisserie Chicken Potato Rolls and the Seared Maine Scallops with Crispy Pork Belly – both appetizers were DELICIOUS. For my main I had been so scared the night before I didn’t want steak, so I ordered the Pappardelle. I know y’all are thinking “pasta? she ordered pasta?”. And yes I did. This pappardelle was served as a Wagyu beef Bolognese with fresh ricotta and Grana Padano cheese – I would drive back to Calgary for this dish because it was ridiculously good. All and all The Nash gets 5 stars in my book. [ Below are the Pappardelle , the Gin Fizz, and the Crispy Potato Rolls]
Where I stayed:
I stayed at the Alt Hotel in the East Village. The hotel had underground parking on site and the sweetest front desk agent. They were really accommodating and let me check in early ( I am talking about 10 am in the morning early). This hotel was very European. What do I mean by that? You had to insert your room key to use the lights, TV, blinds etc. The room was small – but had everything you could possibly need. I would definitely recommend staying here if you are in Calgary for work.
I can’t wait to head back to Calgary in the future and explore some more of what the city has to offer. If anyone has any Calgary favorites – please send them my way.
Happy Traveling!
AK
Closer looks at my Birdie flats, Spanx Leggings and J Crew Booties.
The Blake Rose Life 