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The 'Where's the Beef' Holiday

Copyright (c) 2007-2023 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved
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I needed a vacation that wasn't going to take much time, something that would deliver a punch strong enough to knock the clinging, weeklong haze of too much work off my hunched shoulders. I could travel swiftly from Calgary to the Rocky Mountains, but that wasn't going to do it. I was in the mood for a mountain on a plate. An adventure. Something I could scale with a fork and a well-honed steak knife.

So my wife Jackie and I set out for Hy's Steakhouse, a culinary adventure housed in an old-oak chamber set in the heart of downtown Calgary. A trip to a favourite eatery is a fresh start any time of the day, something to invigorate mind and body and stoke the soul with fuel. I craved protein fed by flame and Hy's – one of the oldest steak houses in the city, steeped in history – charbroils its aged beef lovingly. No wonder it's a key element of Calgary tourism. Even actor Robert Duvall raves about it as a mouth-watering getaway.


Beef a Western Tradition

In Alberta, beef is a tradition and there are steak houses all throughout the province, particularly in Calgary, the international gateway to the Rocky Mountains, and Edmonton, the international gateway to the North.

More than 70 per cent of Canada's $15-billion beef industry comes from this province and half of the cattle are exported to nearly 70 markets worldwide, including some of the planet's finest restaurants and vacation getaways. Beef in Alberta is linked to pride. Alberta's history is built on ranches and farms and oil strikes. You don't want to serve a beef dish that's anything less than magnificent, whether it's sliced or skewered or tucked into pita bread.

"Here are your steak weapons," said our waiter, and he wasn't kidding. The steak knife was embossed with Hy's name, and it was imposing enough that you could wave it at a grizzly bear and be confident that the beast would high-tail it and run. Though on second thought, that's not sage advice for holiday travel in the Rocky Mountains.

I digress. The only danger at this restaurant is not ordering the right wine with your meal. At Hy's restaurant, the white-jacket service and dark paneling invoke old-school charm and serenity, the perfect accoutrements to enjoying my steak: a 10-ounce New York Strip with the restaurant's signature hickory barbeque steak sauce. I won't waste words: it was perfect.

Visitors from the Netherlands at the table to our right were ordering steaks as well, listening to the waiter explain the history of the restaurant. The founder of Hy's is a pioneer who epitomizes Alberta's entrepreneurial spirit. Before he opened his first Hy's in Calgary in 1956, Hy Aisenstat had several false starts as a businessman. He was a roughneck on Alberta oil rigs, a real estate salesman, chief factory representative for a Calgary trailer company, public relations man for an oil magazine, stock broker and then for three years, president of his own small, unsuccessful oil company. "It was a scrambling time," he said. "Nobody was going to feed me, and I had a large appetite."

In 1956 it was his fondness for good food that interested him in a chef's proposition to be partners in a restaurant, and soon Hy's was born. Today there are Hy's in both Calgary and Edmonton, as well as Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto.


Calgary and Edmonton Steak Houses

There are steak houses throughout Alberta that are within easy reach of where you're visiting. Below are a sample of a few highlights in both Calgary and Edmonton.

Calgary:

  • Carver's: Located in the downtown Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, Carver's serves some of the best steak in Calgary. Awards include "Steakhouse of the Year" in 1999 and Restaurant of theYear in 2000 (from WHERE Calgary magazine). There is a great wine selection as well as decadent desserts.

  • The Chicago Chop House: Located downtown by the popular Stephen Avenue walkway, The Chicago Chop House serves AAA Alberta beef and there's more than steak and prime rib, as the Chicago Chophouse is also known for pork and grilled salmon dishes.

  • Drinkwaters: Located in a historic building downtown, Drinkwater's restaurant features modern décor and serves Alberta beef including 28-day-aged Sterling Silver AAA Alberta beef.

  • Saltlik: Located on the Stephen Avenue Walk, Saltlik is an elegantly designed restaurant that serves dishes created by chef Dwayne Ernest. The Skybar Lounge is located upstairs.

    Edmonton:

  • Sawmill Restaurant: Named one of the top 100 restaurants in Canada by enRoute magazine, the Sawmill restaurants offer superb Alberta beef along with seafood dishes.

  • The Keg Steakhouse and Bar: While it's known for great steaks, The Keg also offers prime rib, seafood, appetizers and desserts.

  • Von's Steak and Fish House: This restaurant serves fine Prime Rib and hand cut AAA Sterling Silver steaks. Also, there's a great wine list.

  • Mayfield Grill Steakhouse: This West Edmonton steak house features excellent steaks in choice cuts.


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    Copyright (c) 2006 Travel Alberta, All Rights Reserved

    Travel Alberta is the destination marketing organization for the Province of Alberta. Guided by the Strategic Tourism Marketing Council, Travel Alberta is the steward for the effective delivery of tourism marketing programs. For information about our organization, please visit our Travel Alberta industry web site at http://www.travelalberta.com

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