Dine at the Dome

📍 Quick Facts

• Event Type: Arena tour/premier dining combo
• Location: 555 Saddledome Rise SE, Calgary
• Duration: 2 Hours +
• Ticket Info: (403)777-3694

One final season in the Saddledome, and that’s it. 

I don’t think it’s sunk in for most Calgarians yet; even if you’re not a hockey fan, the building itself has been iconic for over 40 years. It’s as much a part of the skyline as the Calgary Tower and the Rocky Mountains. But in the fall of 2027, our beloved stadium will close its doors forever. 

 There’s a sense of nostalgic loss – a gentle yet profound sadness knowing the Saddledome era is ending.

Geoff and I are brand new Calgarians, and even we can feel the loss.

We saw the opportunity for ‘The Dinner at the Dome Tour’ and knew we had to check it out. 

It was billed as ‘Dinner at the Saddleroom Grill overlooking center ice, combined with an exclusive 90-minute behind-the-scenes arena tour.’ For a little over 70$ per person, we figured that was a steal of a deal. Sign us up! 

For those of you who don’t know me yet, I’m a bit of a research fiend. If we have plans to go somewhere, whether it’s a new country or city, a restaurant or an excursion, before I go, I research to make sure that I know not only what to expect when we get there, but also any insider tips we need to know to ensure we get the most out of our journey. 

I mean, you’re not going to travel all the way to Egypt to see the Pyramids, only to get home and realize you should have checked out the Nile and the Sphinx while you were there. Am I right?

All my ‘insider’ info was saying you haven’t even done a tour of Saddledome unless you’ve done one of Rick’s tours. 

Rick Tulsie is the fan experience supervisor and official tour guide for the Scotiabank Saddledome. As the son of an immigrant, Tulsie grew up around the Inglewood area as the dome was being built. He started his employment with the Dome as an usher and, after quickly proving his passion for the building, was promoted to tour guide. 

Rick is an award-winning, twice white-hatted tour guide — who just happens to be recognized as the ‘face and unofficial ambassador’ of the Dome. – You don’t just get a tour from Rick; you get a trip down memory lane combined with exclusive backstage access. His deep personal passion and highly interactive storytelling energize the historic building and makes it come alive. 

We were told to enter the building through the North entrance; that’s the one with the giant goalie mask that’s mounted on the yellow wall right above the glass doors.

In case you didn’t know, that 10-foot replica mask was created for the 1988 Winter Olympics and is modelled after a vintage Calgary/Atlanta Flames fibreglass mask design. It was custom crafted using a physical 3D grid layout before modern digital 3D printers even existed. 

We were met just inside the door by a lovely lady wearing a Saddleroom name tag. It was a name I was not likely to forget, as it was also my own… Roberta. She directed us to the waiting elevators and the appropriate floor, where another staff member greeted us and took us to the restaurant. 

As we stepped inside, we first noticed a wall of windows on the left-hand side of the room that looked out onto Scotsman’s Hill.  Of all the times I stood on that hill looking down, I never imagined diners staring back up at me from such elevated windows in the dome. 

Off to the right, we realized, was the lounge area where you could sit and have a drink and just beyond that, the arena itself.

A single row of elevated bar stools separated the lounge from the premium seating outside.  These seats combined, offer one of the most distinct premium viewing experiences in the building. 

There are no safety railings or glass panels in this area; you are technically outside the dining area, allowing fans to feel the live crowd noise and music. It’s a perfectly positioned panoramic, broadcast-style perspective, with a high-altitude view of the entire ice. Quite impressive. 

We had opted to do the tour portion of our evening first and then dinner next, so we were all seated in the lounge area to wait for the tour to begin. 

The dinner at the dome tours are designed to start just outside the Saddleroom Grill, backwards from how most of the regular tours are taken.  

When it was time, we all gathered outside the Grill on the Terrace Level (East side), and we finally got to meet Rick, who was waiting for us on the press-level stairs. 

Here, Rick set the tone for the next hour and a half; he told us not to expect a tour, but more of a backstage pass into Saddledome history, where he would take us to the exact spaces normally reserved only for multi-millionaire players, rock stars, and NHL executives.

He reminded us that the dome’s official opening date was October 15, 1983, and it was built as part of Calgary’s bid to win the 1988 Olympics. Calgary didn’t want a massive venue sitting empty for five years waiting for the Olympics, so it doubled as an NHL arena and home ice for the Calgary Flames.  

After a little more operational information, Rick led us up the stairs and into the East Press Box and high-altitude media broadcast booths. This is where broadcasters, journalists, and front-office staff work during games.

We were a little apprehensive to step onto the catwalk. The open-air suspension grates, suspended directly from the ceiling rafters, looked a bit daunting; I wasn’t sure if it would feel like a swaying, unsteady suspension bridge. The steel walkway felt surprisingly sturdy once we were on it. Directly below us was a bird’s-eye view of the entire ice sheet usually reserved only for TV broadcasters and NHL executives.  We were in awe. 

As we walked along the catwalk, past where the iconic scoreboard usually hung – they were working on it the day we were there, and it was down closer to the ice – we passed the restricted desks and padded chairs that seat the biggest names of NHL journalists, television commentators, radio broadcasters, and even team scouts. There was just too much to see to be nervous. 

On the West side of the upper arena bowl, we saw the operations side where engineering networks, arena rigging equipment, and structural cables are anchored. We also saw the ‘fire box’, the manual controls for the arena’s pyrotechnics system, which blast the famous massive fireballs from the ceiling whenever the Calgary Flames score a goal. I think we all wanted to give it a try! 

On our way to the basement level, we toured Molson Hockey House, a massive, high-energy pre-game sports bar packed with 16 TV screens and 2 giant projector walls, and the Telus Club, an exclusive 300-seat luxury dining and buffet level that serves club-seat ticketholders during games. It made us realize there’s a lot more going on inside the arena on game night than most people realize. 

The tour descended into the basement; we went to the one solitary loading door. This is where the big tour buses pull up and unload their precious cargo: NHL talent worth millions of dollars. It’s also where roadies unload trucks for concerts and special events.  He pointed to places where performers such as Gene Simmons, Taylor Swift, Bryan Adams and Shania Twain would have stood. 

We paused to talk about the great flood of 2013, when water poured past the lower floor and up the stairs.  They pointed out the ‘water line’ where the water settled. Epic days.

We took selfies in the iconic media room where players and coaches address the crowds.

We sat in the visitors’ dressing room and imagined all the legendary players who had sat there before us: Lemieux, Jagr, Crosby, Gretzky, and Ovechkin. Global music stars ranging from Katy Perry, Sir Elton, and Madonna to rock bands like AC/DC and Metallica would have used these stalls as their personal changing and warm-up areas. 

The dressing room even housed Justin Bieber’s portable jacuzzi and private massage table during his visit to play at the Dome.

Just down the hallway is the Flames’ dressing room, which is unfortunately excluded from the tour.  It is treated as a private sanctuary for the players’ personal gear, and also houses proprietary information like active draft boards and other confidential matters.

The last part of our tour, walking down the tunnel with the strobing lights towards the Flames bench, we couldn’t help but sing the Hockey Night in Canada theme song, much to the chagrin of the other visitors.

And finally, THE bench, where YYC iconic hockey stars like McDonald, MacInnes, and Gaudreau have sat. Where Parekh, Wolf and Backlund will sit between shifts as they give all for us, the fans, for one more season. 

After a flurry of ice-side selfies, we were whisked upstairs to the Saddleroom Grill. We were about to trade places with the other half of our tour party, who had already dined and indulged in the foodie finery. 

Roberta appeared again and introduced us to the next friendly face who would seat us. The menus for our chef-curated two-course dinner were already on the table, and ice water was quickly filled. We all settled, and drink orders were taken.  The appetizers were delivered in a swift and impressive procession by the waitstaff.

Appetizer: Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad with Gazpacho vinaigrette, basil oil, croutons.  This was a medley of tomatoes and cheese. – to my eye, fresh Mozza, stracciatella and bocconcini, and a combination of sliced Romas, quartered Cherokee greens, and halved (baby) tomatoes, garnished with micro shaved radish (daikon blush?) and herbed croutons. The dressing was tangy and bright with a smooth, creamy finish.  Simply lovely.

The Main: Grilled Alberta Beef Striploin, Short rib croquette, and Foyot sauce. 

The Striploin was perfectly cooked and seasoned — exquisite. The beef short rib croquette was tender and fragrant, offering the perfect mix of potato and herbs inside a breaded and fried shell. Broccolini and roasted carrot were the final components on the plate, all atop a velvety foyot — a classic French sauce made by mixing a concentrated meat glaze into a traditional Béarnaise sauce. 

The short rib croquette felt luxurious alongside the grilled beef; a combination we thought very fitting for such an Alberta-based fine dining setting. 

 There was no dessert on the menu, but two chocolate truffles, one each,  found their way to our table. It was the perfect finishing touch to a beautiful meal. 

Dinner service was flawless. 

Quite honestly, we felt like we were in a ‘start the carrrr!!’ situation where they had charged us the wrong amount.  

Don’t tell management, but the meal alone felt like it was worth more than the cost of the tour/meal combo.  Throw in the behind-the-scenes and last-chance look at the Saddledome by none other than Rick Tulsie himself, and we felt like we had a steal of a deal. 

Kudos to chef Shane Rutledge on a flawless meal, and also to Roberta Funk-Saitta and her staff for perfect execution. 

We left in awe. Knowing that this historically significant venue is scheduled for demolition in 2027 will bring a poignant end to a Calgary icon. Knowing that the new Scotia Place arena will take its place is bittersweet at best. 

The Calgary Stampede is anxious to reclaim the land under which the dome sits. All too soon the bleachers will empty one last time, and the hockey players will pack up all their gear. The scoreboards will go dark, and lights will go off in the building, leaving us to wonder how forty years of thunderous cheers could transform into total silence in one single night. 

Dinner at the Dome is your final chance to drink in the history you walked past for forty years without noticing. Get out there.

📊 Scorecard (Saddleroom Grill)
🍴 FOOD — 5 / 5

✨ EXPERIENCE — 5 / 5
Average of Service & Hospitality, Atmosphere & Vibe, and Value for Money.

• Service & Hospitality — 5 / 5
• Atmosphere & Vibe — 5 / 5
• Value for Money — 5 / 5 ++

The Bottom Line: The meal was impeccable.

📊 Scorecard (Rick’s Tour)

• Organization and Flow: 5/5
• Engagement & Content: 5/5+
• Location & Venue Comfort: 5/5
• Value for Money: 5/5
• ⭐ Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars +