Calgary Foodie Institutions: Delicious Jems Market and Italian Centre

Update — August 2026

DJ Market, now operating as Delicious Jems Market, has moved and expanded to two locations. Its indoor market is at Unit 139, 11501 Buffalo Run Boulevard SW, next to Gold’s Gym on Tsuut’ina Nation. A second location is now open at 462 42 Avenue SE, next to the Hitch Shop.

The Italian Centre Market has also opened a second Calgary location at Northland Village Mall, 5111 Northland Drive NW, Suite 2150.

Lululemon and her fiancé Books took me along on a Saturday shopping trip, as she’s been wanting me to check out DJ’s Market. When they picked me up, Lululemon had an iced Starbucks coffee for me to enjoy, which psyched me even more for this trip. Let’s listen to “August” by Taylor Swift for this post.

Lululemon is a vegetarian, so fresh fruit and vegetables are serious business. She swears DJ Market not only has the largest selection of local and BC produce, but some of the best prices too.

I was in awe the moment I walked in. Two fridges were packed with fancy mushrooms, Hutterite chicken and eggs, and sausages, while nearby stands overflowed with fresh BC fruit. On the day we visited, I picked up the sweetest carrots ($3.99), English peas ($7.99), Hutterite chicken thighs ($8) and a flat of eggs ($9). Lululemon loaded up on mini cucumbers and beans for pickling, dill, blueberries and bags of fruit.

Lululemon and I continued our journey to the Italian Centre. I followed her around the store and copied whatever she did. We waited in line for cheese and olives. I stood off to the side, out of the way of other customers, while Lululemon wandered over to the pasta aisle.

Then I saw a man look directly at me and stride over. I immediately freaked out, convinced he was coming to yell at me. I scurried toward the counter, closer to the other customers. He pivoted, followed me, and disarmed me with one sentence: “Do you like olives?”

I responded in the affirmative and tried his olive sample. Oh my gosh. This place truly is paradise. Where else do people walk around offering you delicious treats?

When it was our turn at the deli, we sampled various cheeses, and I bought the Appenzeller Swiss Medium ($13.31), Ubriaco Rosso Piave ($12.45) and Full Monty Olives ($8.95). I’m a faithful, diehard Peasant Cheese fan, but I have to give it to the Italian Centre. The employees know their stuff, the selection is massive, and the prices are unbeatable.

I also bought a frozen meat lasagna ($50), packages of my new favourite dried pasta, Risa ($2.19) and an Arracini ($8.50) to go. The arancini was crunchy and soft and mealy on the inside. The tomato sauce was bright and thick, with a vibrant zing.

The next day, my in-laws and L raved about the cheeses and olives I brought back. The eggs and fresh chicken were the best I’ve bought in Calgary. I loved the produce so much that I dragged L back to DJ Market two weeks later.

The employees greeted me as I walked around, and the owner even recognized me and welcomed me back. When I told her she had the best produce and prices in town, she took a deep breath and thanked me. She said it meant a lot because some rude customers had just yelled at her about the prices and declared they were never coming back. She explained how hard they work to keep prices down, but there’s only so much they can do about the rising cost of produce.

I told her no one in Calgary sells produce fresher or cheaper than DJ Market, so good riddance to them.

Thanks, Lululemon, for showing me the light. I’m now the Italian Centre and DJ Market’s number one fan! I can’t wait for our next food adventure.