CALGARY - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 483

everyone wants to think Calgary used to be like, but it is about as authentic as down-
town bankers wearing blue jeans for Stampede. While you can't go wrong eating
at any of these places, two other restaurants stand out for top-notch food and a dis-
tinctive I-must-be-in-Calgary ambience.
Built in 1906 for the superintendent of Fort Calgary, Deane House (806 9th
Ave., 403/269-7747, 11am-3pm Tues.-Fri., 9am-2pm Sat.-Sun.) is a casual dining
room surrounded by carefully tended gardens that re-create those laid out 100 years
ago. The menu offers a wide choice of simple, healthy lunchtime fare, all under $20
(Alberta beef is the exception), making it the perfect place to head after spending
the morning at adjacent Fort Calgary.
In the far south of the city, The Ranche (off Bow Bottom Trail SE, 403/
225-3939, 11:30am-2pm and 5pm-9pm Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-2pm and 5pm-10pm
Fri., 5pm-10pm Sat., 10:30am-2pm and 5pm-9pm Sun., $24-39) is a beautifully re-
stored Victorian mansion that was the headquarters of the Bow Valley Ranch in the
late 1880s. While the surroundings are old-style stately, the food is anything but,
with elk, caribou, buffalo, and beef (from the owner's ranch) combined with organ-
ic vegetables and local ingredients to create an imaginative menu that is among the
best in the city. Expect to pay $14-28 for a lunch entrée. For Sunday brunch, the
eggs Benedict with smoked elk ham ($17) is an easy choice.