Peter Christensen (“All is Good”) has been the Club’s General Manager since 1993. At the Club, everyone knows Peter. He’s outgoing, cheerful, enthusiastic and remembers just about everyone after he has met them once. He would rather have a good time than switch.

 

Born on the Island of Fyn, at the center of Denmark’s heart, Peter was formally trained in the culinary arts in Denmark, where he spent six years in the rigorous Danish Chef apprenticeship program. But Peter wanted the thrill, opportunity and excitement promised by a new land. So he left Denmark and immigrated to Canada in 1972, bringing with him the knowledge and skills from the famous Danish Chef program, settling in the wild west known as Calgary.

 

After arriving in Calgary he decided that not only would he become a successful Chef in Calgary, he would gain his experience by working with the very best. So he joined the historic Palliser Hotel where he became a legendary Chef.

 

In 1973, while Peter was a Chef at the famous Palliser Hotel, Queen Elizabeth II visited Calgary and stayed, of course, at the Palliser. When she wanted a special salad dish that included a Danish cheese and had to be prepared in a special way, her staff asked Peter to prepare the dish, since no one else in Calgary – including the Palliser’s Executive Chef – knew how.

 

Later, Peter joined La Chaumière, the famous French restaurant on 17th Avenue. After learning from the best of the best, he made his move.

 

In 1981 (see the picture on the left) Peter opened the original Café Danois on the mezzanine floor of the Chevron Plaza in Calgary. It eventually became one of the most successful restaurants in downtown Calgary, visited by many famous people. At one time, investors even made a proposal to open five outlets in Edmonton. In 1993, however, Peter decided to become the General Manager and Executive Chef at the the Danish Canadian Club.

 

Since then, Peter has transformed the Club into the most successful private club of its kind in Canada. The Mermaid Inn Restaurant is always hopping for lunch; Saturday Brunch is usually jam-packed and one of the most popular destinations in town; and Club facilities are often booked months in advance for weddings, meetings and all kinds of private and corporate events. It is, beyond a doubt, one of the most successful restaurants and clubs in all of Canada.

 

Peter lives in Calgary on an acreage with his wife Helle (an excellent hairdresser) and his wonderful daughter Emely, along with Emely’s menagerie of animals. His spare time (his what?) is devoted to maintaining and enhancing the grounds around his home, fighting off killer bees and falling off ladders. He also loves to spend time with his many good friends; and almost every summer he find irresistible the thrill of taking a trip on his motorcycle.