Red Deer has quietly become one of the most prosperous small cities in Canada and its growing food and culture scene is now making it a destination in its own right.

Eat and Drink
The Redstone Grill has a menu ranging from tapas to full meals. This is cattle country, so be sure to order the black Angus steak-we like the New York cut, which chef Jason St. Laurent serves drizzled with decadent truffle oil. The perfectly cooked 12-ouncer comes atop mashed potatoes with choice vegetables. Whenever possible, ingredients are sourced locally (107-5018 45 St., 403-342-4980, redstonegrill.ca). In a region far removed from any saltwater bodies, sushi is not the first offering that comes to mind. But Shiso (3731 50 Ave., 403-341-5502, shisorestaurant.ca) serves up sashimi that tastes as if it came straight from Ginza. You can mix and match to create your own bento box and the service is friendly and efficient. For a downtown evening out, the Velvet Olive is a must. Enjoy a martini, go retro with the spinach and artichoke dip and relax with live music. Resident bartender Trent Thomas Leach has also crafted much of the artistic ironwork at this haute night spot (4924C Ross St., 403-340-8288, velvetolive.ca).

Shop and Play
The owners of Sunworks gardening and landscaping company (4924 Ross St., 403-341-3455, sunworks.ab.ca) have been key players in the recent upgrading of Red Deer’s downtown core. Paul Harris and partner Terry Warke own the store’s building and rent out the adjacent units to other like-minded shops and restaurants. You’ll find tasteful greeting cards, a great wall of hot sauces, Nigela Lawson’s cookware line and an interesting selection of books. Peruse local artwork in the Harris-Warke Gallery at the back of the shop or upstairs at newly opened Longhorn Charlie’s Gallery. Just around the corner, Paper Crane stocks tea, attractive giftware and Asian imports. Owner Elizabeth Hattori is a most congenial proprietor (5007 Gaetz Ave., 403-347-3357).

Red Deer now has its own local offshoot of the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festivals, held in Calgary and Edmonton this month (rockymountainwine.com/reddeer.htm). Come next spring, sample wine, beer and spirits from around the world, all paired with cuisine from the city’s best restaurants.

For fresh air, head to Great Chief Park and the trails around Bower Pond (4707 Fountain Dr., 403-347-9777) to hike, ice skate or cross-country ski.

Stay
The Capri Centre opened in 1957 as a meagre 48-bedroom motel. Now the hotel sprawls over nine and a half hectares, with super-comfortable beds and all the amenities: nightclubs, a casino, two restaurants and a fitness club (3310 50 Ave., 403-346-2091, capricentre.com). If you prefer a more intimate stay, La Solitude Bed and Breakfast and Spa may be more your style (R.R. #4, LCD1, 403-340-0031, lasolitude.com). On the outskirts of the city, this quiet spot offers two private guest suites, the use of an outdoor hot tub, a large, well-landscaped yard and spa services.

Live
The planned Swerve Living development by Sunworks’ Harris and Warke, with design by Shafraaz Kaba of Manasc Isaac Architects, is a multi-family housing and retail complex, which will be one of North America’s greenest buildings. Up to $300,000 has been earmarked for a huge, eight-metre, three-dimensional public art installation. Red Deer was named Culture Capital of Canada in 2003, a title which infused a half-million dollars into the city’s growing arts base and built a lasting legacy.