A casual dinner in Calgary, AB

Mussels are those black-shelled mollusks that are so often served in a flavourful broth with bread or French fries to soak up the extra juices. A staple of French, Spanish and East Coast North American cuisines, there are many delicious ways to prepare mussels, with or without the accompaniment of other seafood. Here are some of the best places in Calgary to get your mussels fix.

In land-locked Calgary, getting fresh seafood isn’t as easy as going down to the docks. But chefs throughout the city are bringing in fresh-as-possible lobster that will leave you believing you can smell the ocean breeze as you soak up that last bit of hot butter drizzle on some juicy coastal claws. Here are some places where you can get your lobster fix.

Long the domain of male chefs, restaurant kitchens are no longer an exclusive boys’ cookery club. Here's just a few of the city’s most talented culinary stars who just happen to be female. [Feature photo: Vero Bistro Moderne]

You can’t go wrong with pizza. Though it seems you can top this default comfort food with just about anything, most restaurant pizza menus stick to tried and true ingredients. But the following restaurants take ’za in wild, new directions, offering toppings from donair meat and eggs to taco ingredients.

A raft of new restaurants opened their doors late in 2015, and those listed here are hitting their stride. Among the food trends represented in this batch of notable eateries are tacos, fried chicken and bigger, better burgers, while craft beer and crafted cocktails top drink menus. Another trend that’s here to stay is carefully considered interior design that amps up that all-important eatery atmosphere.

Indian buffets end the dilemma one faces when placing an order: butter chicken or vindaloo? Samosas or pakoras? Rice or naan? Enjoy a bite of each at these indulgent Indian buffets. Serving meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes, they’ll have you coming back for seconds and maybe fourths.

It’s common knowledge that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not enjoy it all day? Many of Calgary’s independent eateries offer all-day breakfast menus, allowing you to indulge in a wide variety of morning chow choices from sunrise to sunset.

For those who are new to sushi, the thought of eating raw fish on rice can be a little intimidating. Sushi rolls are a great “gateway” to more traditional nigiri, and thanks to some of the whimsical and creative dishes prepared by local sushi chefs, they are becoming a cuisine unto itself.

Good things come in small packages. Every cuisine seems to have its own version of the dumpling, whether it’s Chinese wontons and potstickers, Japanese gyoza or even Italian ravioli and tortellini, there’s just something satisfying about biting into these little packets wrapped in dough to reveal the flavourful filling inside. Start your journey around the world of dumplings with these delicious Asian offerings.

Excluding its downtown-Beltline stretch, Calgary’s central north-south traffic artery was once an ugly duckling thoroughfare lined with shabby strip malls and gas stations. However, Macleod Trail has been admirably beautified and the revamped roadway features a surprising array of international eateries between 42nd Avenue Southeast and Anderson Road.

There’s something satisfying about biting into a big burger that can barely contain its massive patty and toppings, even when it happens to be meat-free. From goat cheese and pesto to fried eggs and aioli, the burgers listed here are bursting with just such adventurous ingredients. Some of the restaurants below, in fact, some of the best in town.

Ordering takeout Chinese food is convenient, but not a top date strategy. Calgary has no greater concentration of date-night-worthy Asian restaurants than in Chinatown. These eateries combine attractive atmosphere with varied menus that feature Chinese-Western faves (ginger beef, salt-and-pepper squid), stellar Old-Country cuisine (mapo tufu, Peking duck) as well as Japanese and Korean spots.