Restaurants in Red Deer

As Justin Lussier traveled through Naples in 2005, he decided to stop for the city's famous pizza at a small street-side eatery bearing the sign Pizzeria Sorbillo. He loved his traditional thin-crust pie so much that he rushed to a pay phone and called his friends Christian Bullock and Jason Allard to tell them that he wanted to make that same pizza. When Justin returned to Canada, the trio travelled to confer with the culinary experts at Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) in order to uncover what truly makes a pizza Neapolitan. Two years later, the friends set out to open Famoso. Famoso's chefs all follow strict guidelines set by the AVPN?they only use OO Caputo flour imported from Naples, and they hand mill tomatoes imported from the foot of Mount Vesuvius, where each crop is grown in soil enriched by volcanic ash and sung to daily by volcanologists. Chefs top the crust with local fior di latte mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and pecorino romano cheese. They then spread dough into wafer-thin disks, which they blast-fire at 900 degrees for 90 seconds inside imported Italian bell-shaped ovens. Pizzas are also topped with ingredients such as soppressata, oven-roasted Italian sausage, kalamata olives, and truffle oil. Famoso Baristas can pair many of these pies, some of which are reinvented twice each year, with a mix of local and international wines?including vintages from Italy and Canada?and hand-crafted gelato. At each restaurant, they ferry dishes and drinks through rustic and inviting interiors, each of which reflects the unique style of its neighbourhood, though all are united by accents of exposed brick and wood, wine-bottle art, and sculptural pizza-box displays.

Heritage Ranch immerses visitors in its idyllic woodlands crisscrossed by old dirt trails over which horses pull carriages, wagons, and sleighs that look as though they've rolled straight out of history. Under the tree canopies, couples can devote their time on the ranch to one another with romantic date night packages that combine carriage & sleigh rides with dinner and wine at Westlake Grille. The sound of laughter from children and families can be heard during trail rides as they wend through the property's 217 acres of parkland—equivalent to one clydesdale football field—and camps keep the good times coming during the summer.

Should diners find themselves delighted and overwhelmed by the extensive menu at One Eleven Grill, they need only follow the signposts. "First Things First," reads the appetizer section, listing starters such as bacon-wrapped scallops drizzled in maple sauce. From there, guests can move on to the entrees described under "Something Special," including aged, certified Alberta steaks. "Something Different" showcases the kitchen's creativity beyond beef with fresh flatbreads and mac 'n' cheese made with lobster, the Alberta steak of the sea. Meals can be accompanied by selections from a wine list that spans the grape-filled globe. Besides pleasing palates, One Eleven Grill satisfies ears with live music every Friday and Saturday evening. The restaurant's exposed brick walls and flowing chocolate drapes become the stage for musicians from across Canada, who underscore bites and sips with jazz and latin tunes.

"Harvest Moon" and "After Midnight": classic tunes, sure, but at The Rock Wood Fired Pizza, they've also become two tasty varieties of the eatery's namesake wood-fired pizzas. Harvest Moon begins with crushed garlic and fresh roma tomatoes, then goes to the next level with prosciutto, mozzarella, capers, and fresh basil. After Midnight takes a classic cheese pizza and tops it with italian meatballs, black olives, oregano, and sweet sausage. And though there are plenty of other gourmet wood-fired pizzas here, the menu doesn't stop there: flame-broiled burgers, wraps, pasta, and gluten-free options also abound. Microbrews and specialty cocktails round off the crowd-pleasing options.

Wok Box was founded in 2004 in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, and successfully expanded to 60 locations throughout North America by offering fast pan-Asian cuisine full of nutritious ingredients. The menu ornaments chopsticks with Thai, Indian, Cambodian, and Vietnamese cuisine, and many of its options cater to vegans, vegetarians, and those with wheat allergies. At every location, patrons delight in chicken, beef, and vegetables clinging to jasmine rice and noodles while watching flat-screen TVs and celebrating this Chinese New Year, the Year of the Heffalump.