Today the Blades continue to draw in fans of hockey of all ages. Members of the team regularly volunteer in the community and the team often supports worthwhile causes. If you’re looking for hockey in Saskatoon, the Blades are the ones to see.

The Saskatoon Blades
Credit Union Centre

The Cupcake Corner is a small business located on 8th St. next to Jysk and across from the Centre Mall. Its claim to fame is making cupcakes and then covering them in rich, tasty icing. I think everyone has fond memories of cupcakes from their childhood and this is the place to relive those memories.

There are regular sized cupcakes and mini ones. As well, there are two types of cakes to choose from – chocolate and vanilla. The Cupcake Corner then adds such toppings as banana, lemon, strawberry or chocolate icing. Some are then given sprinkles or shavings or tiny chocolate chips. Other ‘premium’ cupcakes are injected with fillings such as raspberry or peanut butter & jelly. The cake is light and fluffier than you would expect, and the icings are amazing.

Photo Courtesy The Cupcake Corner

I’ve gone a couple of times now to try their different varieties and so far my favourite must be the chocolate cupcake with lemon icing. It was the best lemon icing I’ve ever tried and was a definite treat.

The Cupcake Corner also specializes in catering for weddings and other special events. This is a boutique business that is overdue in Saskatoon and compares well with other specialty food stores in the city.

The Cupcake Corner
10-3311 8th St E. (next to Jysk)

306 933-3385

30 minutes outside of Saskatoon in the middle of seemingly nowhere, lays a converted Texaco gas station which has been made over into a restaurant. From its unassuming appearance you would never expect the unbelievable food, service and friendliness of the owner and staff. The Hole in the Wall is, bar none, the best restaurant that Saskatoon and area has.

I know that is saying a lot, but there is so much to be said for this place. The owner Nelson Urteaga and his family have created an oasis for food lovers in the middle of the Saskatchewan prairie. A little of the mystique most likely comes from traveling through grid roads to an out of the way place on a food pilgrimage. But the true reason for the Hole in the Wall’s success (having been featured numerous times in Oberon Press’s Where to Eat in Canada) is its food.

The old Texaco station has been converted into a Spanish-style villa complete with wrought ironwork, tiled pictures and rough hewn tables that you would find in South America. The pink plastered walls and ornamentation come across as homey, not off-putting and add warmth to your visit.

A group of friends joined us on our last trip to the Hole in the Wall which is becoming an annual occasion. We ordered the ‘El Presidente’ which is a 5 course tasting menu, including 3 appetizers, soup, salad, 3 main courses and dessert. For our choice of appetizers we chose campecinos (cream-cheese stuffed sweet prunes wrapped in bacon and broiled), pastelitos (puff pastry w/ jalapenos, brie and apricot) and empanadas with home-made salsa. The soup was a butternut squash, perfectly smooth and satisfying with a swirl of cream. We then took a breather with a palate cleanser consisting of a lime sorbet. After this, our main courses came: pollo escondido (pesto-grilled chicken breast in phyllo w/ cranberries and sun-dried tomato feta), orange roughy (whitefish pan-fried with fresh orange juice and tarragon) and costilla de la casa — the best marinated ribs I have ever eaten.

Photo Courtesy Hole in the Wall

As an aside on the ribs — they are as close as you can get to pure meat as every minute amount of excess fat has been trimmed from them. Seasoned with lemon and other seasonings, each bite is a delight and you end up fighting among friends over how many you each can have.

Coffee and dessert (a creamy mango sorbet with chocolate swirls and a sugar-dipped fried tortilla wedge) followed.

Nelson could not be a more charming host. When he’s not in the kitchen cooking, he often personally will come to your table, pour your wine himself and thank you for coming. He is the most down-to-earth person and really makes you feel like you are an honored guest.

The ‘El Presidente’ tasting menu and the bottles of wine we had added up to a bill of about $90 per person. Yes, it is expensive for Saskatoon but for the quality of ingredients, food and service you get, I think it is one of the best deals around.

Since everything is cooked to order, your meal will not be quick. This is not only a meal but an experience. Expect your evening to be a leisurely paced 3 – 4 hours. Bring your friends and be prepared to be amazed.

Photo Courtesy Hole in the Wall

Hole in the Wall Restaurant
Shields Townsite
Go East at Dundurn
Take the first left
Take the next right and continue to the Hole in the Wall
Map of directions on web site

Reservations Required – 306 492-4804

Calories was the first place in the world where I learned my love of amazing desserts.

The first time I cracked the crust on Calories’ crème brûlée and tasted the creamy interior that melted on my tongue, I was hooked. The caramelized sugar ontop with its smoky burnt flavour combined with the cream made my heart race.

Yes, that’s a little overdramatic, but that’s how I also feel about Calories.

Calories is an institution in Saskatoon, just steps away from the Broadway theatre. It is in the city’s top tier of restaurants, serving seasonal food with a French flair. The evening ambiance is romantic with attentive service and the food is exceptional. A recent menu item was all-natural chicken ficassee, with eggplant, capers, garlic, peppers & tumeric served with spinach Spaetzle. I haven’t had the chance to try it but admit it, doesn’t that sound great?

The focal point for every visit to Calories though has to be their display case of desserts. As soon as you open the door, there they are right in front of you. You’ll always find a variety of cheesecakes, tortes, pies and the beforementioned crème brûlées. Depending on your mood, you can either enjoy a light tasty treat, or dig into serious chocolate decadence. It’s impossible for me to emphasize just how good their desserts are!

Photo Courtesy Calories

One other thing I’ve always liked about Calories is how they use their walls to promote local artists. Before this became popularized in Saskatoon, Calories was hanging paintings on their walls that you could purchase. Everything from pastoral landscapes to ‘out there’ modern art has been featured at one time or another.

Make sure to check out one of Saskatoon’s culinary jewels. Your stomach will thank you.

Calories Bakery and Restaurant
721 Broadway Ave.

306 665-7991

It’s hot, it’s summer and you know what that means — the lines will be snaking out the door at Homestead Ice Cream. Homestead expanded a few years ago by building across the street from their old location which is now occupied by Las Palapas. Their new location allowed them to have a decent sized patio area while having a relatively spacious interior. The interior has a 50’s diner feel to it with a checkboard floor and a genuine old tyme jukebox.

Homestead makes its own ice cream in small batches, in dozens of different flavours. Some of them are definitely targeted at children such as Harry Potter themed ice creams (shhh, don’t tell J.K. Rowling). All your favourites are there, from a variety of chocolates, vanillas, cookies ‘n cream to the much more exotic. I’ve personally tried their olive and the avocado flavours, not being able to resist. (The result — interesting but not likely to give Ben & Jerry any concerns.) You can have your ice cream in a variety of cones or dishes and other types of ice cream treats like sundaes are present too.

Photo Courtesy Kim Schmidt – SneakyFoxProductions

Another claim to fame is Homestead’s “Dog’s Breakfast”. This concoction contains 14 scoops of ice cream, 2 bananas, cookie crumbs, nuts, sprinkles, whipped cream and a cherry, served in a dog’s dish. There’s 2 ways to approach this monster: Share it with friends or go wild and try to eat it yourself in the shortest time possible. The current record holder is “Paul” who ate it in 6 minutes and 10 seconds. Having contacted him, he tells me he plans on trying to best that record this summer. Stay tuned. In the meantime, watch the video of his world record shattering event.

Homestead Ice Cream & Cappuccino
910 Victoria Avenue

306 653-5588

Photo Courtesy Sheila Steele under Creative Commons License

The coffee and teas offered are good and fair trade coffee is always available. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about getting tea in a big glass mug, but I do like their specialty coffees including ones with Saskatoon berry syrup. Free wi-fi is available as well as beans to purchase to take home.

Grab a table with a friend or watch life pass outside on stools surrounding the windows. The outdoor tables are filled on hot, sunny days.

Broadway Roastery
614C Broadway Avenue

306 652-5558

The site has a ¼ mile drag strip which is sanctioned by the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association), and celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2006.

Besides a couple of major events, SIR hosts regular point series races which is where racers accumulate points towards a year end championship. Another popular series is the Street Legal program which provides an alternative to street racing for car enthusiasts. You can sign up and see how your ride compares to others in a safe and fun setting.

Photo Courtesy silverfoot99

SIR (Saskatchewan International Raceway)
13 KM South of Saskatoont

306 955-3724

The Saskatoon International Fringe Festival is one of the best attended annual festivals in Saskatoon. The 10 day event draws large crowds down to the Broadway area for alternative theatre performances from local, national and international individuals and groups. It typically runs from the end of July into the first week of August.

During the festival, Broadway Ave. is routinely blocked to vehicles and opened to pedestrian traffic. People walk up and down the street, stopping to grab food from street vendors or watch a street performance. Buskers of all sorts and ages perform trying to get the audience to throw them a few coins. Down 11th St., a beer garden is set up with a stage for those who want to rest and have a few drinks while being entertained. A small ’shopping village’ is set up selling everything from homemade jewelry, t-shirts or lava lamps. Get your fortune told or a henna tattoo. Everything alternative and bohemian is there to experience.

Photo Courtesy Matthew Smith

The main focus of the festival though is the performances in the multiple venues throughout the area. Although the locations can vary by year to year, generally the main stage is located at the Broadway Theatre while smaller venues such as the Refinery, the Off Broadway Dinner Theatre and the Victoria School are also used. To attend a performance, you need to buy a nominal charge for a Fringe button which helps pay the cost of running the festival. After that, fringe performances are somewhere around $10 a ticket, with 100% of the receipts going to the artist. The festival finds billets for the performers who travel across the country or from around the world on the fringe circuit, performing their show.

The shows vary in content. Some are comedies, some are musical and some are heartbreaking dramas. You never exactly quite know what you’re walking into. The shows are often given risqué names to pull in the curious and yes, sometimes nudity and profanity are spliced into the show. Note – there are always warnings beforehand when these are present and there are new ‘kid-friendly’ fringe shows as well.

Photo Courtesy Daryl Mitchell under Creative Commons License

To be honest, some of the worst drama I have ever seen has been at the Fringe — shows that grate on you, make you look at your watch and think fondly about your last trip to the dentist. These generally are in the minority and can be avoided if you just ask around or read the reviews in the paper or online. By doing this you will also find the great shows — the ones that astonish and delight you and give you memories that can carry on for years afterwards.

I’ve become a big fan of T.J. Dawe with his hour-long monologues delivered at blistering speeds. Susan Jeremy from New York put on a show called PS 69, detailing experiences in teaching in a New York public school. And who could forget the One Man Star Wars show, where Charles Ross re-enacted all the parts of the Star Wars series in a hilarious and incredibly athletic hour.

Make sure to catch the Fringe. It rates at the very top of my ‘must-see’ list in Saskatoon. Get out, support the performers and have a fun time in the spectacle.

Photo Courtesy Daryl Mitchell under Creative Commons License

Saskatoon International Fringe Festival
25th Street Theatre Centre
Various Venues – Broadway Area

306 664-2239

Persephone Theatre was created in 1974 as a non-profit organization dedicated to producing professional live theatre productions. In its early years, Persephone mounted productions both at the Mendel and the University’s Greystone Theatre.

In 1983, Persephone bought and renovated the Westgate Alliance Church into its own theatre. It was tucked into an unassuming residential area on the west side of the city. The theatre was large but seats were very narrow and felt cramped. The seats rose in stadium seating style in a very pronounced rise. One of my favourite shows I saw was Misery, a theatre re-telling of the Stephen King novel and movie. The set was amazing in how it spun, allowing a fully fleshed-out house to appear from a bedroom, to a hallway to a kitchen.

Photo Courtesy Rich LaBarca under Creative Commons License

In 2007, Perseophone Theatre moved to River Landing, on the banks of the South Saskatchewan. It is the first major building on the site and the audiences have been flocking to see the shows, selling out nearly every performance since. The new building has a lobby/bar area on both the upper and lower levels. Gallery space displays local artists on the upper level. The main theatre is tall, boasting 450 seats including a balcony area. As well, a second ‘black box’ stage is also available, allowing smaller productions or edgier work to be performed. The Fringe utilized the ‘black box’ space last summer, bringing new audiences to the facility.

Photo Courtesy Rich LaBarca under Creative Commons License

The Mendel recently announced that it would be moving to the River Landing area and that the new building would be wrapped around Persephone, creating an artistic synergy between the two.

A recent performance I attended at Persephone was Little Shop of Horrors, a musical parody of 50’s science fiction/monster movies. The acting and set design was top notch. Persephone is the destination spot for theatre lovers in Saskatoon.

Photo Courtesy SriMesh under Creative Commons License

Persephone Theatre
River Landing
100 Spadina Crescent East

306 384-2126

Photo Courtesy Daryl Mitchell under Creative Commons License

Though the commercial center of the new city had shifted to the west side, Nutana remained the center of activity on the east bank with Broadway Avenue as its main street. It enjoyed a boom period prior to World War I, when many of its landmark buildings were constructed. The neighbourhood went through several boom and bust cycles surrounding the two World Wars. By the mid-1950s, the area began a decades-long decline; new subdivisions, malls and chain stores drew people away.

In the mid-1980s, local merchants and community groups banded together to revitalize the neighbourhood. Today, Nutana is a vibrant and desirable neighbourhood; Broadway Avenue is alive with plenty of interesting independently-owned shops, restaurants and annual events. Sample the fine cuisine at Weczeria, the Broadway Cafe or Las Palapas; shop for cheese and fresh salads at the Bulk Cheese Warehouse, or coffee and tea at McQuarries; or catch a movie or live show at the Broadway Theatre. It’s a neighbourhood rich in history with a wide range of activities to suit anyone’s tastes.

Photo Courtesy Daryl Mitchell under Creative Commons License

Planet S Magazine is Saskatoon’s bi-weekly free newspaper, featuring news, arts and entertainment. Launched in 2002, it is one of the places people turn when they want to know what’s going on in the city.

An issue contains local, provincial and international news. Depending on your political slant, one of the best/worse things about Planet S is a nearly total left-wing view of the world. There is little left-right balance and the paper wears its allegiances openly and proudly.

Whether or not you agree with its politics, the rest of the paper is guaranteed to entertain. A weekly food review reveals some of Saskatoon’s best restaurants. Local and out-of-town filmmakers, musicians and artists are interviewed about their upcoming shows in the city. There is also a popular “City Events” section at the end of the paper detailing movie and theatre listings, galleries and museum shows as well as other events around the city on a day-by-day basis.

One of the most popular features Planet S runs is the annual “Best of Saskatoon” issue. Readers are able to submit ballots in dozens of categories from “Best Bartender” to “Best Piercing Shop” to Best Place for an After-Work Drink. Or if you’re having trouble with your significant other, how about “Best Break Up Spot”?

Planet S can be found throughout Saskatoon at various businesses and instituions or in newspaper dispenser boxes downtown. Alternately, a good portion of the paper can be read online at their website. And did I mention it’s free?

Planet S Magazine
Various Locations

Located in the middle of the roundabout at the base of the Victoria bridge, “The Founders” by sculptor Hans Holtkamp stands as a fitting tribute to the two men who are considered Saskatoon’s founding fathers.

John Lake was the leader of the Temperance Colonization Society, a group of Methodists from Toronto wanting to establish a “dry” settlement on the prairies. In 1882, he met with Chief Whitecap of the Dakota First Nation who suggested the site of present-day Nutana to establish his colony. From that early meeting of two leaders came the foundation of the communities of Saskatoon, Nutana, and Riversdale which eventually amalgamated to form Saskatoon.

The bronze statue, being twice life-sized, weighs nearly 6000 pounds. Besides the historical context, it emphasizes the importance of working in co-operation with first nations people to build a strong and vibrant community.

The Founders – Chief Whitecap and John Lake

Base of Victoria Bridge

Sushiro is a definite gem in Saskatoon. Being a landlocked province, you wouldn’t expect to find sushi so fresh that you can practically taste it swimming (and I mean that as a compliment). Located on 10th St. E in the Broadway district, Sushiro has become a local institution for the sushi-loving hipsters. Sushiro makes its sushi to order meaning you won’t be eating something that’s been sitting for hours in a fridge. It brings flash-frozen fish in, using what is needed for each order. I’m not a sushi expert but apparently this is something that all quality sushi resturants do, meaning that Saskatoon can have sushi that is just as good as a sushi restaurant on the coast.

Photo Courtesy Luke Siemens under Creative Commons License

The restaurant has clean, simple lines with bleached blonde woods. Tables dot the concrete floor, with booths on one side of the restaurant and a sushi bar around the preparation area. The dishes used are of different glazed potteries, making each tray of sushi that comes out look like art. It was here at Sushiro where I began my love affair with edamame (steamed soybeans with coarse salt — yum).

Sushiro has a wide variety of different types of sushi from maki (rolled in seaweed) to nigri (clumps of rice with fish ontop) to inari (pockets made of fried tofu with different toppings inside). Some of my favourites are the spicy tuna rolls and the cobra maki with the crisp shrimp inside. I also love the smoked salmon with cream cheese inari. It’s almost more of a dessert than a main course. If you’re more adventurous, you can order BBQ’d eel or octopus. For those with simpler tastes, the ever present California rolls can be had as well.

A variety of sakes, Japanese beers and Canadian and international wines will complement your meal, along with teas (try the cherry grean tea, or the amazingly simple and tasty ginger and honey tea) and specialty martinis (I want to try the Hello Kitty).

Sushiro
737B 10th Street East

306 665-5557

Droolin’ Devil Fine Foods is one of Saskatoon’s most unique gourmet food shops. On the side of a building on 7th Ave. N., in the City Park neighbourhood, Droolin’ Devil is your one-stop shopping centre for all things hot and spicy.

Droolin’ Devil carries the largest number of hot sauces and spicy foods that can be found in Saskatchewan. If you’re looking for something mild or a sauce strong enough to melt steel, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Besides carrying commercially available sauces (many you’d have trouble finding anywhere else), they also have their own line of hot sauces. I haven’t tasted them all, but my current favourite is their Chipotle Hot Sauce. It has a smoky, hot sweetness to it that I like to use when making chili. It’s not overpoweringly hot so you can add as much as you like without burning your tongue off.

On my most recent visit, I bought a bag of Death Rain Parmesan Habanero kettle chips. They tasted great as my mouth had that great burn factor that habaneros bring out. I also bought a bag of microwave popcorn that has chili heat behind it which I’m looking forward to trying. Another interesting item that I’ll have to test sooner or later are the milk chocolates with a creamy habanero centre.

Droolin’ Devil has an online store (Uncle Big’s Fiery Foods) if you can’t make it in to the city. If you have a chance though, stop by their store and you’ll be able to try several different hot sauce products as they have free tastings every day. Check out this unique store and remember — no pain, no gain.

UPDATE – As of April 30, 2009, Droolin’ Devil’s store in City Park will be closing. Check out their webpage though as their products will continue to be sold through retailers throughout Saskatoon and other cities, as well as their website. I’ll miss being able to go in and sample the different sauces in person though.

Droolin’ Devil Fine Foods
#5 801 7th Ave. N. (in the City Perk building)

306 244-2205

First off, Tourism Saskatoon has a flashy and attractive website that hits on the larger events going around the city. From traveling Broadway shows to Blades games, this is the place to check them out.

Next I’d recommend Saskatoonevents.com. Run by a mom, the site mainly focuses on family events that are child-friendly. If you’re looking for something to keep the kids entertained, check it out.

McNally Robinson has a good list of events in its Saskatoon store as well. If you want to attend a book launch, this is the site to check out.

If you have any other sites you’d recommend for events in Saskatoon, please contact me and let me know.

The Diefenbaker Canada Centre is nestled near the river on the University of Saskatchewan grounds. It is a unique public facility that contains over 4000 artifacts of Canada’s thirteenth Prime Minister, John G. Diefenbaker. Diefenbaker moved as a boy to Saskatchewan and attended the University of Saskatchewan, obtaining degrees in political studies, economics and law. Eventually he became leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and was elected Prime Minister — the first and only individual from Saskatchewan to do so to date.

Within the Diefenbaker Centre, there are permanent exhibits of the Prime Minister’s rule including replicas of both the Cabinet room and the Prime Minister’s office. The Centre also contains the Archives which consist of over three million documents, eight thousand photographs and two major press clipping collections.

Temporary and travelling exhibits also rotate throughout the museum, sharing the centre. During a recent visit, the museum had numerous displays of the ‘Underground Railroad’, detailing the stories of people who helped black men, women and children to escape slavery in the U.S. for a new life in Canada. Back in my university days, I also vividly remember going to the Centre to see a copy of the Magna Carta as part of my Political Studies class. The Magna Carta is the first document that was forced onto the English monarchy by the citizens in an attempt to limit its powers.

Mr. Diefenbaker is buried a short walk away from the Centre beside his wife Olive overlooking the river.

Photo Courtesy Daniel Boulet

Diefenbaker Canada Centre
University of Saskatchewan
101 Diefenbaker Place

306 966-8384

The SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is a yearly event held the last week of June to the July long weekend. Growing a bit each year, the current festival has 7 venues in Saskatoon with over 25 concerts over the week. Several of the concerts have multiple artists or warmup acts which can span over the better part of a day. The festival is centred in Saskatoon but there are other concerts occurring simultaneously in Regina and other venues around the province.

Although the festival is centred around jazz, there is a lot of variety in the actual performances. Performers as diverse as DJ Champion (techno beats, roaring live guitars and blues vocals) and Herbie Hancock (rock, funk, and soul with freer stylistic elements from jazz) grace the venues.

The best venue the festival has is the Bessborough Gardens Mainstage. Tucked in at the back of the Bessborough, it is a large area able to accommodate several thousand people at once. As long as the sun shines (a sometimes iffy proposition around this time of year), the Gardens are an amazing place to spend an afternoon with friends, having a few drinks and enjoying the music.

As of writing, the festival is midway through its 2007 run. Try to check out a show or two of one of Saskatoon’s most famous and popular festivals.

SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival
Various Venues

306 652-1421 (Office)
306 652-4700 (Box Office)

Of course the store is primarily known for their cheeses. They have two huge displays of cheeses from all over the world. From the familiar (mozzarella, cheddar) to the more exotic (various goat cheeses and unpasteurized cheeses), if you can’t find what you’re looking for here, you won’t find it anywhere in Saskatoon.

Photo Courtesy Megan Cole

But The Bulk Cheese carries far more than just cheeses. A couple of years back they added an addition onto the back of their store to add a butcher shop / fish shop to their business. They carry organic meats, game (such as bison, elk) and some of the more common items you would expect. One of our favourite finds ever here was bison sausage. It was spicy and tangy and we instantly fell in love with it when it came off the barbecue. On a sad note though, it was a one-time only find! It never reappeared in the freezer and when we asked about it, it appears that the recipe disappeared along with the employee who had crafted it. Nevermind though because there are plenty of other items that are just as appealing.

Photo Courtesy Megan Cole

Besides the meat and fish, there are also fresh pastas and sauces, bagels, salads (you have to try the pesto pasta salad), samosas and other appetizers. Fresh soups and breads can also be found.

The Bulk Cheese Warehouse towers above other specialty food stores in Saskatoon. You can count on finding some amazing items within to tempt any food lover’s stomach.

Photo Courtesy Megan Cole

The Bulk Cheese Warehouse

732 Broadway Ave

306 652-8008