Food and restaurants writer Mia Stainsby’s first instalment in a three-part series on where to eat in the Okanagan
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The late, legendary foodie James Barber once dubbed the Cowichan Valley “Canada’s Provence,” a title oft repeated by writers such as myself. But frankly, that southern France billing may better fit the Okanagan Valley, with its aromatic garrigue landscape softened by carpets of lush vineyards, delicious wines and hot, dry summers.
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Add the exciting and ever-growing terroir-based food experiences, and my annual pilgrimages there (barring 2020) are like a trip through Provence — almost. And with the crisis of Vancouver’s unaffordable housing, it keeps getting better as West Coast big-deal chefs find their bliss in the Okanagan.
Since we’re now unleashed to travel B.C., here’s the first of my three-part series on where to eat in the Okanagan which, by the way, will in no way tell the whole story. First is a roundup of places I’ve visited in the past, have been around for some time, as well as a couple of newish ones. Next week, Penticton’s new hot spots! Travel safely!
CedarCreek Estate Winery
5445 Lakeshore Rd., Kelowna.
250-980-4663. cedarcreek.bc.ca/home-block-restaurant
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Secure in his cooking skills, Neil Taylor’s most important task is to hunt down the best ingredients possible in the Okanagan Valley, although when I visited recently he had strayed and had an Eel River First Nations sea bass from New Brunswick, grilled and strewn with fresh greens on the menu. That and a slow-roasted heritage pork belly with soft polenta, salsa verde and horseradish took rustic cooking over the top.
Mission Hill Family Estate
1730 Mission Hill Rd., West Kelowna.
250-768-6467. missionhillwinery.com
I love the enchantment amid architectural splendour, soaring above a vineyard and Lake Okanagan. I swear the fresh air adds fairy dust to the food, but I’ll concede it’s also from the hours-old products fresh from the estate garden or farm partners. I loved these alive, peak flavours in the asparagus salad with estate-made nettle ricotta, tarragon and garlic pesto and in the scallops and side-stripe shrimp in estate lemongrass broth. Wine-paired lunch and dinner menus are $60 and $125.
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1560 Water St., Kelowna.
250-868-8805. raudz.com
Rod Butters and Audrey Surrao pioneered a new level of dining in Kelowna 20 years ago with Fresco, which later rebranded to RauDZ Regional Table. All along, it’s been about local, sustainable, farm-to-table. Check out their 20th-year celebration menu, highlighting dishes from their past, like grilled sockeye salmon BLT on fig anise toast with pancetta and fennel fries.
235 Bernard St., Kelowna.
778-478-1170. sunnysmoderndiner.com
Bright, cheery spot for brunch or lunch by the same folks as RauDZ Regional Table. Named after their golden retriever, the large photos of the seemingly smiling Sunny adds more cheer.
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243 Bernard Ave., Kelowna.
778-484-3234. saltandbrick.ca
“All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall,” declares a neon sign on an old exposed brick wall. But chef James Holmes is no damn brick on a wall — he’s one of a very few chefs who changes up most of his menu daily. Crazy, in other words. Two dishes do stay put: The Brussels sprouts with pickled grapes, popcorn and beer cheese and the waffle cone with elk salami, yam ragu and whipped cream. When I phone him, he’s working on P.E.I. lobster poutine. Dishes can be low-brow (Dorito mac and cheese, anyone?) or high brow (cote de boeuf, for example). “Off-the-cuff and whimsical” is how he describes his food.
Landmark District Market
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1717 Harvey Ave., Kelowna.
236-420-3338. frankiewesaluteyou.com
I’m operating on memories of owner/chef Brian Skinner’s astonishingly good vegetarian food at Acorn in Vancouver. At Frankie, the food is more casual from a kitchen in total thrall of the local, sustainable producers.
4720 Allendale Rd., Okanagan Falls.
778-515-5500. liquiditywines.com
Liquidity Wines in Okanagan Falls is now part of Anthony von Mandl’s collection of estate wineries, and he continues with a wine + food + art focus. The glassy, minimalist room showcases vineyards and Vaseux Lake. Chef Phil Tees, previously with the Fairmont Banff Springs,recently took over the kitchen and he’s also charged with providing food for the tasting rooms of sister wineries Checkmate and Road 13. At a recent lunch, the salads were perfection; dressings like ago blanco with almond and garlic base replace vinegar to keep peace with the wines, which are delicious and price-friendly enough to for my husband to buy four bottles.
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Annual food + wine event in the Oliver–Osoyoos wine region.
Saturday, Sept. 25.
Climb aboard a pig-out bus! On this 10th anniversary, it’s a COVID-cautious version of the annual Pig Out, a food and drink celebration of the Oliver-Osoyoos wine region usually held at Covert Farm. Instead, guests will be taken on one of 10 possible wine-food trails with 40 participating wineries. Winery chefs and visiting chefs, including some from Vancouver and Calgary, will be presenting a dish at each of four stops. Tickets and information on the $99 event are available at oliverosoyoos.com/collection/pig-out.
Watermark Beach Resort
15 Park Pl., Osoyoos.
250-495-5508. 15parkbistro.com
The dining room has just undergone a renovation but the patio, which inhales cool breezes from Lake Osoyoos a few metres away, is a siren’s call. It’s a place to be on a warm Osoyoos evening or for a weekend brunch. Chef Nick Atkins’ menu is accessible with friendly price points. And if you’re into wines, head sommelier Ron Rocher is thrilled to talk wine any time.
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Spirit Ridge Resort
1200 Rancher Creek Rd., Osoyoos.
250-495-4660. bearfishrootberry.com
The restaurant (with a lovely patio) is on the traditional land of the Syilx people of the Okanagan Nation and the food’s described as “modern vineyard cuisine inspired by Indigenous roots.” The restaurant name refers to the four food chiefs from the Syilx creation story. Restaurant chef Murray McDonald (opening chef at the famed Fogo Island Resort in Newfoundland) weaves traditional foods like salmon, clams, bison, venison, seaweed, chestnut flour and berries into the dishes.
Tinhorn Creek Vineyards
537 Tinhorn Creek Rd., Oliver.
250-498-3742. tinhorn.com
Cooking local, farm-to-table is instinct for chef Jeff van Geest. He grew up in the Niagara region and had grandparents who farmed. He worked at Bishop’s, one of the first farm-to-table restaurants in Vancouver, and operated his own Aurora Bistro in the same way. His Mediterranean–style menu at Miradora leans Italian with pizzas and pastas and the do-no-harm to ingredients ethos.
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300 Covert Pl., Oliver.
250-498-9463. covertfarms.ca
Hey, city folks! Wanna feel farm dirt beneath your feet? You can have a private picnic in the open-air barn with a Farmer’s Board ($37.50 per person, $7.50 for kids) of cheeses, charcuterie, vegetables and edible flowers and Covert wine (or organic juice tasting for kids). Or board the cherry-red ’52 Mercury truck and do a deep-dive wine-making tour. Or try a hands-on harvest tour around this 640-acre organic farm. Taste wine grapes off the vine (if ripe, natch). Pick strawberries. Eat. Open to late fall.
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
500 Burrowing Owl Pl., Oliver.
250-498-0620. burrowingowlwine.ca
Surrounded by a lush a sea of vineyards, you’re most definitely in wine country. Chef Lee Humphries cooked at West, Opus Hotel and C restaurants before joining the Sonora Room in 2015. He sticks to simple, well-crafted food using local and seasonal ingredients. Dishes are listed with Burrowing Owl wine pairings.
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5636 Highway 97, Oliver.
250-535-0860. facebook.com/Elsaboredemarina
It’s an out-of-country experience at this humble roadside stand with “the flavours of Marina,” who’s from Honduras. The food is similar to Mexican but with flavour differences — includes pupusas, tamales, tacos, tostados, burritos and enchiladas. Sit at the picnic table and leave satiated — actually, more like sated.
156 Becks Rd., Keremeos.
250-499-1754. facebook.com/honestfoodfarmlife
The Zebroffs, of Honest Food Farm, opened this charmer in May. With celiacs in the family, the food’s gluten-free — good gluten-free! Mom Brandie makes the farm-based savouries (flatbreads with toppings, shakshuka, pelmeni, croque monsieur) and sometimes a friend adds Japanese lunch specials. Daughter Sofia bakes up cupcakes with mascarpone hazelnut icing, lemon coconut cheesecake and chocolate-cream cheese brownies. I loved her Czech apple tart. In the store: Flowers, local artisan gifts and gourmet foods. “We had signs painted but the arrows pointed the wrong way,” Brandie says with a laugh when I mention the backroads location.
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vancouversun.com/tag/word-of-mouth-blog/
After a pandemic year off, Brewery & The Beast returns on Sunday, Sept. 26 with barbecued, smoked and grilled foods along with beer, cider, spirits and entertainment. The food showcases ethical, sustainable, natural farming practices. Chefs from restaurants such as Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar, Fable Diner, Juke Fried Chicken, Nightingale, Pidgin, Torafuku, Two Rivers Meats, La Mezcaleria, Giovane Bacaro, Miantiao, Honey Salt, Fanny Bay Oysters, Straight & Marrow, Cibo Trattoria, Bread & Butter Cafe, Osteria Savio Volpe, Saha Eatery and many more will be cooking. Partial proceeds from the event go to Chefs’ Table Society of B.C. For information, visit breweryandthebeast.com. Tickets are $165.95 plus tax and service fees, available from July 14.
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Enjoy al fresco dining at the summer pop-up patio on the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel plaza. A food truck offers dishes such as spicy tuna hand rolls, Asian noodle salad, Nashville hot chicken sandwich and for drinks, cocktails, craft beers and wines. Open noon to 8 p.m. daily. Live music Sunday to Wednesday, noon to 4 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday, 12:30 to 8 p.m.
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Source: vancouversun.com
