There’s a new doughnut shop in Calgary as well as a distillery, and we’re pretty excited to try what they’re serving up. Plus, the holiday season has us craving gingerbread and hot soup while still trying to sneak in a vegetable here and there. Here are five things we’re excited to eat and drink this month.
All the Deliciousness at Hoopla Donuts
Colourful Hoopla Donuts seem to have taken over our Instagram feed since it opened in downtown’s Calgary Place building last week. It doubles as a doughnut shop and cafe and it’s by the team behind Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters. There are regular, vegan and gluten-free doughnut options and it’s been so popular that the shop has been selling out daily (so, go early), but online pre-ordering is coming soon. We’re most intrigued by the mango blackcurrant (vegan), the creme brûlée (regular) and the passionfruit (vegan).
248, 414 3 St. S.W., hoopladonuts.com
Manchester Dry Gin at Confluence Distilling
Calgary’s Manchester district (home to the “Barley Belt” of local breweries) now has a local distillery. Confluence Distilling is another new spot that opened last week, and again it was so popular that the distillery ran out of its Manchester Dry Gin on opening day. Luckily, there’s more gin now. You can try it in a cocktail in the tasting room or buy a bottle to take home (we suggest doing both). The distillery’s other spirit is the Headwater Vodka.
507 36 Ave. S.E., 587-771-1286, confluencedistilling.ca
Gingerbread Family at Good Earth Coffeehouse
‘Tis the season for all things gingerbread and the family of cookies at Good Earth are high on our list of locally-made favourites (fun fact: Good Earth started in Calgary in 1991). Each bag comes with three super-soft gingerbread cookies and $1 from each bag sold is donated to the Calgary Food Bank. If you post a photo of your gingerbread family on Instagram with #FamiliesFeedFamilies, $2 is donated.
Multiple locations, goodearthcoffeehouse.com
Ramen at Point Sushi
Point Sushi in Chinatown is known for its budget-friendly, yet yummy sushi that is delivered to your table on a bullet train (click here for a video). But the restaurant recently added shio ramen (made with a simple, salty broth) to its menu and it only costs $5.95. It’s a small enough so you can still get in some rolls and leave spending less than than $20.
116 2 Ave. S.W., 403-290-1118, facebook.com
Vegan “No Eggs” Benedict at saVeg Cafe
If you’re trying to fit in a healthy-ish meal here and there this month, this vegan eggs Benedict at saVeg Cafe will do the trick. It’s made with tofu, spinach, avocado and vegan hollandaise on an English muffin. It’s available daily until 11 a.m. The cafe is located inside Heavens Fitness in the Beltline so you can feel even better about brunch when it’s post-workout.
637 11 Ave. S.W., 403-263-3126, savegcafe.ca