Our 15th annual survey of the best and worst the city has to offer
THE CITY • URBAN LIFE • SHOPPING • SERVICES • NIGHTLIFE • DINING OUT
THE CITY
Best new trend
- Cycling
- Food trucks
- Craft beer
Worst new trend
- Hipsterism
- Dubstep
- Wildrose Party
Best kept Calgary secret
- Inglewood
- Market Collective
- Sidewalk Citizen Bakery
Scariest crosswalk
- 17th Avenue at 15th Street SW
- Kensington Road at 10th Street NW
- Edmonton Trail at Memorial Drive NE
Most livable neighbourhood
- Hillhurst / Sunnyside
- Mission
- Altadore / South Calgary
Best off-the-beaten-path day trip
- Bragg Creek
- Drumheller
- Kananaskis
Best place to take kids
- The Calgary Zoo
- Telus Spark Science Centre
- Prince’s Island Park
Best place to waste an entire day
- The Calgary Zoo
- Prince’s Island Park
- 17th Avenue SW
Best place to snag Stampede breakfast
- Chinook Centre
- Community Natural Foods
- Fluor Rope Square (Olympic Plaza)
Best place to go for a picnic
- Prince’s Island Park
- Bowness Park
- Fish Creek Provincial Park
Best place to get wet
- Elbow River
- Bow River
- Sandy Beach
Best place to pick up someone of the opposite sex
- The Ship & Anchor
- Commonwealth Bar & Stage
- Local 510
Best place to pick up someone of the same sex
- Twisted Element
- The Ship & Anchor
- The Backlot
Best public place to “do it”
- Nose Hill Park
- Prince’s Island Park
- Fish Creek Provincial Park
Best place to um smoke
- Prince’s Island Park
- Nose Hill Park
- Crescent Road NW
Best place to people-watch
- 17th Avenue SW
- Stephen Avenue Walk
- The Ship & Anchor
Best local not-for-profit
- The Mustard Seed
- Inn From The Cold
- Calgary Food Bank
Calgary’s claim to shame
- Calgary Stampede
- Peace Bridge
- Stephen Harper
Best use of local tax dollars
- Public transit
- Peace Bridge
- Cycling infrastructure
Worst use of local tax dollars
- Peace Bridge
- New roads
- Public transit
Best alderman
- Druh Farrell
- John Mar
- Gian-Carlo Carra
Worst alderman
- Druh Farrell
- Diane Colley-Urquhart
- John Mar
Best hikers’ trail
- Douglas Fir Trail
- Nose Hill Park
- Fish Creek Provincial Park
URBAN LIFE
Best radio station
- CJSW 90.9 FM
- X92.9 FM
- CKUA 93.7 FM
Best art gallery
- Glenbow Museum
- Art Gallery of Calgary
- Trépanier Baer
Best dance company
- Decidedly Jazz Danceworks
- Alberta Ballet
- Pulse Studios
Best theatre company
- One Yellow Rabbit
- Alberta Theatre Projects
- Theatre Calgary
Best place to gamble
- Stampede Casino
- Elbow River Casino
- Grey Eagle Casino
Best festival
- Calgary Folk Music Festival
- Sled Island
- Lilac Fest
Best free event
- Lilac Festival
- Sun and Salsa Festival
- Snowblower
Best fund-raising event
- CJSW Funding Drive
- The Big Rock Eddies
- Timeraiser
Most beloved Calgarian
- Mayor Naheed Nenshi
- Jarome Iginla
- Ralph Klein
Most embarrassing Calgarian
- Stephen Harper
- Rob Anders
- Danielle Smith
Best local villain
- Stephen Harper
- Rob Anders
- Ric McIver
Sexiest man
- Mayor Naheed Nenshi
- Jarome Iginla
- Brett Wilson
Sexiest woman
- Jill Belland
- Tara Slone
- Connie DeSousa
Best professor
- Ron Glasberg
- Noel Keough
- John Manzo
Favourite local TV personality
- Jill Belland
- David Spence
- Todd Gallant
Favourite local radio personality
- Chad Saunders
- Fraser Tuff
- Greg Beharrell
Best local blog
- Mike’s Bloggity Blog
- Calgary Is Awesome
- Dan’s Good Side
Best local twitter personality
- Mayor Naheed Nenshi
- Kelly Oxford
- Crackmacs
Best journalist/columnist
- Drew Anderson
- Mike Bell
- Josiah Hughes
Worst journalist/columnist
- Rick Bell
- Licia Corbella
- Mike Bell
Best local photographer
- Glen Co
- Phil Crozier
- Kenneth Locke
Best local actor/actress
- Meg Roe
- Ellen Close
- Ksenia Thurgood
Best local musical act
- The Dudes
- Michael Bernard Fitzgerald
- Chad VanGaalen
Best local record label
- Flemish Eye
- Mammoth Cave Recording Co.
- Homebreakin Records
Best local album of the last year
- Tough Cookie – Samantha Savage Smith
- Sanctums – Sanctums
- Barbers Thieves and Bartenders – The Dudes
Best local DJ
- Smalltown DJs
- DJ Rice
- Ivan Rankic
Best visual artist
- David Brunning (Aka Thekidbelo)
- Mandy Stobo
- Chris Cran
Best local author or poet
- Kris Demeanor
- Sheri-D Wilson
- Andrew Wedderburn
Best local filmmaker
- Gary Burns
- Mike Peterson
- Michal Lavi
SHOPPING
Best shopping district
- Uptown 17th Avenue
- Kensington
- Inglewood
Best corner store
- Kalamata Grocery
- Bridgeland Market
- Jimmy’s A&A Deli
Best skateboard shop
- The Source Snowboard and Skateboard Shop
- Mission Snow and Skate
- Group Seven Skateboarding
Best ski/snowboard shop
- The Source Snowboard and Skateboard Shop
- Mission Snow and Skate
- Ski Cellar Snowboard
Best bike shop
- Bow Cycle
- Bike Bike
- The Good Life Community Bike Shop
Best place to buy music
- Sloth Records
- Recordland
- Hot Wax Records
Best musical instrument store
- Axe Music
- Guitarworks
- Vintage Music
Best place to buy a book
- Fair’s Fair
- Pages Books on Kensington
- Shelf Life Books
Best comics store
- Phoenix Comics
- Another Dimension
- Red Skull Comics
Most stylish furniture store
- Kit Interior Objects
- Domicile Interiors
- Revolve Furnishings
Best men’s clothing store
- Understudy
- Purr
- Leo Boutique
Best women’s clothing store
- Purr
- Blame Betty
- Espy Experience
Best lingerie
- She Apparel
- The Cat’s Pyjamas
- Knickers ‘n Lace
Best place to buy a sex toy
- A Little More Interesting
- Little Shop of Pleasures
- Priape
Best consignment/vintage clothing
- Divine
- Trend Fashions
- Cat’s Eye Retro/Vintage Clothing
Best shoe store
- Gravity Pope
- Arnold Churgin
- Luna Blue
Best place to find cool jewelry
- Market Collective
- Purr
- Rubaiyat
Best optical
- The Brass Monocle
- Eyeclectic Eyewear
- Blink
Best flower shop
- Peaseblossoms Flowers & Stuff
- Twigs & Company
- Anne Paterson’s Flowers
Best international food store
- Lina’s Italian Market
- Kalamata Grocery
- The Italian Supermarket
Best place to buy organic food
- Community Natural Foods
- Calgary Farmers’ Market
- Sunnyside Market
Best bakery
- Glamorgan Bakery
- Sidewalk Citizen Bakery
- Rustic Sourdough Bakery
Best farmers’ market
- Calgary Farmers’ Market
- Crossroads Market
- Kingsland Farmers Market
Best deli sandwich
- Spolumbo’s Fine Foods & Deli
- Peppino
- Lazy Loaf & Kettle
Best ice cream/gelato
- Fiasco Gelato
- Amato Gelato Cafe
- My Favorite Ice Cream Shoppe
Best liquor store
- Willow Park Wines & Spirits
- Calgary Co-op Wines & Spirits
- Kensington Wine Market
SERVICES
Best fitness facility
- Talisman Centre
- Heavens Fitness
- Eau Claire YMCA
Best place for yoga
- Hot Yoga on 17th
- Yoga Passage
- Bodhi Tree Yoga Centre
Best hair salon
- RedBloom Salon
- Hedkandi Salon
- The Ginger Group
Best spa
- Stillwater Spa
- Oasis Wellness Centre & Spa
- Riverside Spa
Best tattoo shop
- Bushido
- Smilin’ Buddha Tattoo
- Immaculate Concept Tattoo & Piercing
NIGHTLIFE
Best new bar
- Commonwealth Bar & Stage
- Craft Beer Market
- Wurst
Best neighbourhood pub
- The Ship & Anchor
- The Kensington Pub
- Hop In Brew Pub
Coolest hole-in-the wall
- Milk Tiger Lounge
- Hop In Brew Pub
- Broken City
Best brewpub
- Wild Rose Brewery & Taproom
- Brewsters Brewing Company
- Design District Urban Tavern
Best gay/lesbian hangout
- Twisted Element
- The Backlot
- Fab Bar
Sexiest clientele
- The Ship & Anchor
- Local 510
- Commonwealth Bar & Stage
Best redneck bar
- Ranchman’s Cookhouse & Dancehall
- The Palomino
- The Roadhouse
Best place to watch sports
- Schanks
- Flames Central
- Melrose Cafe & Bar
Best place to shoot pool
- The Garage Billiards Bar & Grill
- Schanks
- Olympic Billiards
Best place for comedy
- Yuk Yuk’s
- The Comedy Cave
- The Laugh Shop
Best place for karaoke
- Ducky’s Pub
- Nanta Karaoke & Bar
- Broken City
Best place to dance
- Commonwealth Bar & Stage
- The Hifi Club
- Twisted Element
Best concert venue (under 500)
- Republik
- Broken City
- Commonwealth Bar & Stage
Best concert venue (over 500)
- MacEwan Hall
- The Saddledome
- Jack Singer Concert Hall
Best all ages venue
- The New Black Centre
- Tubby Dog
- MacEwan Hall
Best open jam / open mic
- The Ship & Anchor
- Mikey’s Juke Joint & Eatery
- Cafe Koi
Best bartender
- Keon Brawn – Twisted Element
- Stephen Phipps – Model Milk
- Jordan Smuszko – Commonwealth Bar & Stage
Sexiest staff
- The Ship & Anchor
- Commonwealth Bar & Stage
- Local 510
Surliest staff
- The Ship & Anchor
- The Palomino
- Broken City
Best patio
- The Ship & Anchor
- Broken City
- West
Best cocktail menu
- Milk Tiger Lounge
- Ox & Angela
- Ming
Best beer selection
- Craft Beer Market
- Bottlescrew Bill’s Pub
- 1410 World Bier Haus
Best wine list
- Vin Room
- Una Pizza + Wine
- Winebar Kensington
DINING OUT
Best new restaurant
- Model Milk
- Ox & Angela
- Clive Burger
Best restaurant for a first date
- Una Pizza + Wine
- Farm Restaurant
- The Coup
Best restaurant when someone else is paying
- River Cafe
- Teatro
- Rouge
Best service
- Una Pizza + Wine
- River Cafe
- The Coup
Best overall restaurant
- Una Pizza + Wine
- Charcut Roast House
- Notable
Best food truck
- Alley Burger
- Perogy Boyz
- Fiasco Gelato Truck
Best late-night (after 1 AM)
- Tubby Dog
- Singapore Sam’s
- Cafeteria at Commonwealth
Best cheap eats
- Tubby Dog
- Clive Burger
- Thi Thi Vietnamese Subs
Best breakfast
- Diner Deluxe
- Dairy Lane Cafe
- Overeasy Breakfast
Best pizza
- Una Pizza + Wine
- Without Papers
- Pulcinella
Best wings
- Regal Beagle Pub
- The Drum & Monkey
- Design District Urban Tavern
Best burger
- Clive Burger
- Boogie’s Burgers
- The Ship & Anchor
Best veggie burger
- The Coup
- The Ship & Anchor
- Blue Star Diner
Best fries/poutine
- The Big Cheese Poutinerie
- Charcut Roast House
- Laurier Lounge
Best Middle Eastern
- Aida’s Mediterranean Bistro
- Jimmy’s A & A Deli
- Tazza Deli and Grill
Best sushi
- Globefish Sushi & Izakaya
- Kinjo Sushi & Grill
- Hana Sushi
Best Vietnamese
- Co Do Vietnamese
- Saigon Y2K
- Golden Bell Saigon
Best Chinese
- Silver Dragon
- Dragon Pearl
- Peking Dragon
Best Indian
- Moti Mahal
- Rajdoot
- Tandoori Hut
Best Italian
- Mercato
- Chianti Cafe & Restaurant
- Il Sogno
Best Thai
- Chili Club Thai House
- The King & I Thai Cuisine
- Thai Sa-On
Best French
- La Chaumière
- Cassis Bistro
- Fleur de Sel
Best Greek
- Broken Plate
- Santorini Greek Taverna
- Mykonos Greek Restaurant
Best Mexican
- Salt & Pepper Mexican Restaurante
- Los Chilitos Taco & Tequila House
- Julio’s Barrio
Best vegetarian
- The Coup
- Buddha’s Veggie
- Cafe Koi
Best steak
- Caesar’s Steak House
- Vintage Chophouse & Tavern
- Charcut Roast House
Best BBQ
- The Palomino
- Holy Smoke Barbecue & Smokepit
- Big T’s BBQ & Smokehouse
Best place for seafood
- Catch & The Oyster Bar
- Big Fish
- Bookers BBQ Grill & Crab Shack
Best coffeehouse
- Caffe Beano
- Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters
- Higher Ground
Best place to feed a sweet tooth
- Crave Cookies and Cupcakes
- Jelly Modern Doughnuts
- The Chocolate Bar