I told Mack I needed a vacation. He took me to Calgary.

No, jokes aside, I had been looking forward to our “culinary escape to Calgary” for some time. We had made a trip down to Cowtown last year for Dine-out Week, and after checking out what some of the restaurants had to offer in this year’s incarnation of the annual event, we decided to plan a mini-break around it again.

We went all out with the hotel this time around, particularly because rest and relaxation was one of the intentions of the trip. I had always passed by the Sheraton Eau Claire Suites with one of awe – it is a stunning hotel from the outside; a quick glance at their rates also told me that they were one of the most expensive downtown. Unlike last year, however, I didn’t find any really great deals, particularly at my default Westin. As a result, we decided to splurge and give the Sheraton a try.

It was actually disappointing – the room was poorly designed, with televisions placed at uncomfortable angles and a closet jammed up against a nightstand. The towels were also abrasive, and not at all what I would expect from such a high-priced hotel. For what we paid, I’d return to their lesser cousin the Westin any day.

Like last year, I made sure to do some research and had a few places in mind for our weekend of eating, and I am happy to report that we made it to every one of them. The posts (and pictures) will follow over the next week or so, but if you’re looking for some other reading about the Calgary restaurant scene, check out this the 6th Annual Food Awards and a list of the 25 Best Things to Eat in Calgary in the latest issue of Avenue Calgary.